A new mini quilt exploring textures

We are working with textures and rubbings and this month we are concentrating on fruits and veggies. This is my first one, I am working on another. Avocados, done with collage, puffy paint, gesso, inks, paint.

Almost done with the dishes!

I have been working on this pastel for awhile and I thought I was done but then I photographed it. Sometimes when you get back, take some time or look at the painting from a different viewpoint you will see the areas that are weak or missing. I have a few areas that need some work so I will be spending some time finalizing my painting! I will be glad to not have to look at silverware for awhile! Randy has agreed to unload the dishwasher for a few months!

Custom Collage and mix media workshop- March

I have decided to do workshops here at my studio due to the requests from my amazingly wonderful students. I find that trying to do these types of workshops and classes where so much "stuff" is required makes me almost have to disassemble my studio and try to transport it. I find I always forget something that would have worked too! I am planning on doing a different workshop each month and based on the response I will add classes or adjust the schedule. This first class/ workshop will be on creating your story. To read more about the workshop and sign up visit my website;
www.desireesdesigns.com . To assure my students have adequate room to work and all they need to be successful I am limiting the size of the workshops so we can be in a more intimate environment and learn to focus and get into the "zone". I hope to see you in March! Watch for more workshops signup soon.

A gift from me to Karin

Karin Jurik's blog has been inspiring and amazing since I first found it. Different strokes for different folks has never failed to inspire me to try different things. Not only did I except many of the challenges that were outside my comfort zone but I was always awed by the variety of styles and techniques that other artist used to translate their own interpretation of the challenge photo. Due to her busy schedule and an upcoming artshow she had to call it quits. One of the artists in the group,Jill put together a thank you project. She asked each of the artists that participated in the portrait challenge if we would paint a portrait of Karin from a photo she had, we were all more than happy to participate. 118 artist send our jpgs to Jill who compiled all the images into a book and sent them to Karin as a thank you. She just received the book and, well, I think she loved it! Here is my "thank you" portrait to Karin for all of her hard work and efforts to keep us inspired and seeking to paint our own voice! pastel 8"x 10"

WDE for Wet Canvas

I enjoy the weekly challenges of the weekend drawing event. Unfortunately I haven't had the time to participate for weeks. Every Friday I will venture in to the site to see the photos that the weekly host has posted. I usually can't resist and have to save one in hopes of painting it that weekend. This week the photos were amazing and

WDE for Wet Canvas
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

I loved the grape picture along with several others I saved in hopes of painting
at a later date. I find that there are never enough hours in my day to do all the things I want to do! Tonight, with Randy gone for a sleep test, I stayed up and painted the grapes.Watercolor 9"x12"

Temecula Winery

We had so much fun down at the Ponte Winery in Temecula, having lunch in celebration of Aimee's birthday. We shopped, tasted wine, had lunch and visited for hours.

The weather was amazingly beautiful and our party of 11 joined the hundreds of other people that felt the same way. Randy brought his camera and continued to practice his photography, a great day all around. Here are some pictures from our day. The dog was a photo I took on our way down, everyone seems to be enjoying the warm weather.

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Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Our Italy trip was a dream come true for Randy and I. It was the trip we were planning for our twentieth anniversary, the year Jennifer was hit by the drunk driver. That trip never happened, nor did any traveling after that horrible day. We feared that traveling for us might be only a dream until last year. My latest piece , a memory and journal quilt of Italy. I saved pieces of ephemera while we were on vacation in Italy and Paris last May. I had plans and hopes of using them somehow to remind us of special parts of our trip. We took tons of photos and I journaled also but putting it all together here was such fun. Each piece of saved paper brought back wonderful memories. The piece of paper off of the candy that our landlord in Italy placed in our room, or the tickets to the Borghese Museum where we spent the day enjoying the treasures inside and out. I incorporated pieces of wrapping paper, some ticket stubs transferred to fabric, sketches from my journal, and a posterized picture of us to create this collage of our Italy trip. I still may add the Colosseum sketch to the back ground. This may be one of a few then it will be on to Paris.

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Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Working on some fun fabrics for Friday! FFFF lol

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Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Finished, will review tomorrow and then it's onto the next. I would
love comment on my blog thanks
This is pastels on wallis board 8"x10"

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Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

I am working on another demo video, it is coming along nicely but now
I am running out of daylight and my battery died. Ahhh I hate stopping
when you're in the zone.

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Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

I had to laugh as I saw this in my house tonight and decided I had to
share it. In our house, after being out all day we can't wait to get
home and get our shoes off. I take off my heels, Jennifer takes off
her leg! LOL