Randy having carrot cake at the designer dinner

Randy having carrot cake at the designer dinner
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

HOUSTON!!

HOUSTON!!
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Got my booth all set up and everyone is enjoying taking photos of it. Since UPS lost one of my boxes and the main part of my bed, Randy had to do a mock up base and hopefully no one tries to sit on it!!!

Taking a deep breath of the crisp fall air

Fall has finally come to Southern California, the nights are cool and we even had some rain. The roses are putting on their fruits of fall, rosehips. These wonderfully colored berries of oranges and reds are wonderful this time of year. I love to cut bouquets of them to decorate the house with in fall. I love everything about them and concider them an added gift after the blooms have all gone.

Art Applique-Teaching at Redlands

I had a wonderful class of very talented students, we had a ton of fun using colored pencils on fabric. During all the flurry for Houston I was almost dreading the time and energy and all the preparation for teaching but once I get there its almost magical. I realized it was a perfect break from the crazy days in the studio. I love all the energy and creativity that is happening in class and meeting new quilting friends, 17 students were in class learning different techniques for applying colored pencils and watercolor pencils to fabrics. There were so many talented women in my class today! Here are some photos.

Thanks everyone for a great day!

Another Cutie Patootie project finished!

Another Cutie Patootie project finished!
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Working on my booth display

Working on my booth display
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Still have lots to do but what fun!!!!!

More projects

More projects
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Sewing,sewing, sewing

Drying class projects at midnight

At the end of class on day one. My students, who swore they weren't artists, created some beautiful pieces of art. They drew from still life and then painted. I took home the originals to transfer to fabric with some help from my computer. Tomorrow more painting , some journaling and then quilting, a fun filled two days of class.

Fat Tuesday

My friend Beth has featured my artwork on her blog in her FAT Tuesday feature. I hope you will come and see some of the artists she is featuring, a new one each week. Its great to have a place that we can go to see each others work and be inspired. Thanks Beth!  http://bethlniquetteart.blogspot.com/

SAQA Auction starts today!!!

The SAQA auction starts today and there are so many amazing quiltlets up for auction. Each one is made by one of the talented artists in the SAQA group and they have donated these quilts to help raise money for the organization. I hope you will go over and see all the great quilts being auctioned off over then next few days. Its an interesting concept and a unique kind of auction, as the quilts start off at one price and over the next few days continue to drop in price until purchased. But don't be fooled, its easy to loose your favorite piece by waiting too long. I have a quilt being auctioned off, its on page 2a, this quiltlet is made with painted paper towels and done as a collage. The background is painted fabric, and the leaves are painted silk. The piece is micro stippled to give it some deminsion and then beaded for some extra detailing in the flowers. Enjoy! GO TO THE AUCTION!!!

Another small project

Another small project
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

Working on a new project

With my new fabric due to arrive in two weeks I have been scrambling to get ready with new projects and quilts. I am also writing my first project book! It will be filled with fun, fast projects that work with my fabric lines and even once they are gone. It has been a blast to wake up in the morning and say, I need to figure out how to sew a carrot or a beet! LOL Fun, fun. These are some of the pillows that I will have patterns for in my book " Gardening with Friends". Keep checking back often to see other projects that will be featured. 

Hotel Herdell is finally Finished!!!

I took the weekend to finish my sunflower painting, the photo was taken at a friends house. She is so hospitable and puts us up and feeds us during our girls weekend and pastel class. She has a window that gets wonderful west sun and the sunshine came in on this one day and backlit the sunflowers so that they glowed. Hope you like it, I am so ready to move on to the next one!!

Got a couple of hours

Got a couple of hours

Tonight I found so time to work on my sunflowers. Still so much to do,
I need to finish it since I am starting to get tired of it and feel
like I am going to have to push myself to finish. It's all about
enjoying the journey of the painting. I am trying to get some of the
bigger areas blocked in with color they will need the details added
later.

More work on the sunflowers

It is slow but I got a bit further today, struggling with the look of

the foliage, but I decided to let it happen and then go back in and

adjust values. Really pushing the color on this painting, I hope the

tile counter brings in a nice resting area for the eye since there
isn't one as of now!

Some fun new art projects

Working on samples for my new art quilt classes, more soon.
I originally posted this from my phone, seems I don't even have time to grab my camera anymore, load the photos into my computer and edit them. Now I just shoot and post, easy peasy. My daughter in law was telling me that her phone has more megapixals than her camera now, hmmm interesting. Makes you wonder if cameras are heading in the way of the typewriter. I watched my grandkids and their friends, all teenagers, taking pictures with their phones at our party today. I asked, hey did anyone bring a camera, I got a unanomous NO, just our phones. My breakfast bar was a cell phone parking lot, tons of phones sitting there while the kids swam. I should of taken a picture of them with my phone and posted it! LOL

Sunflowers

Working on my pastel out back, too pretty to be inside.

Our Girls Pastel Weekend

I just got back from my girls pastel weekend in San Clemente. We all meet to take Dianna Pontings class at the San Clemente Art Supply, an awesome art store. The owners are the nicest people and our group is now on its 5th year, I think its been five. This year we all went to the Pageant of the Masters and the Feastival of Arts and the Sawdust Feastival. What a fun day,looking at art, walking the streets of Laguna and eating at the sidewalk resturant.  Needless to say we were all exhausted at the end of the 5 days of fun! Here is the class piece that I finished and some of the pictures of our days together, enjoy! If youre interested in Dianna's class contact San Clemente Art Supply and get on the list now!

Painting pastel Sunflowers

Working on a new pastel in beautiful San Clemente

Getting back to business after a week of babies

I find that my biggest challenge in life is splitting up my time both wisely and efficiently. I am pulled between things I want to do and the things I have to do and the things I should do. Often the line is blurred between the different areas and its easy for us to never get to the things we want to do because of the things we have to do. I think sometimes we put the "things" in the wrong category. I only share this because I am struggling right now with trying to be a good mom and caregiver, wife, and Nana all while my business is trying to explode with potential that requires tons of time and commitment. I am in a constant state of juggle, switching hats sometimes hourly, like most of you are. I would appreciate any good tips on how to manage this circus act. I am blessed that my business happens to be my artwork and creative endeavors so its also the thing I want to do. 

This week I was Nana, we had a week with the twins that are 19 months old. They are so sweet and wonderful to be around, it was a blessing but I had to tell myself that I would not try and do anything else. There was no way to work with those busy fingers into everything. LOL We loved the week filled with pink everything, baby dolls, baby lotion, swings, parks, toenail polish and lots of giggling. Thank God for Randy who helped me tag team them at bath and bed time. As I wake up this morning and realize that I need to return to my life its bittersweet as I miss those little voices stirring in the morning but I will love not having to pick up wooden puzzle pieces and misc toys all over the house.

I took advantage of the week and took a million photos, some were with a new apron pattern for my fabric line and book I am working on. I had made the aprons for the girls but realize some changes I need to make now, good thing I tried them on. Back to the drawing board with some great ideas and improvements.  Here are a few pictures of our week.

Janets Quilt

I have been busy this week with the twins while their parents, my daughter and her husband, are in North Carolina. It has been a fun filled week of popsicles, ponytails, and giggling. I can't believe how fun it has been and how good they both are, although still busy. I am sure I will be exhausted by Tuesday night when they pick them up. 

Since one event seemed to flow into the next I never really got a chance to post the quilt I made for Janets birthay party. I had asked her kids to write her a letter and I even recieved some artwork from one of her grandchildren. Her husband had sent me a CD with pictures and I scanned them into the computer, did a bit of clean up on Photoshop and then printed them onto fabric. There are several ways to get your images onto fabric, one of them being this preprepared, packaged fabric sheets which allow you to print any image through your computer onto them.  The trick to photo quilts is being able to add fabric and arrange the images throughout the quilt and keep it square. There are no patterns so it is all about laying it out and filling in. I was challenging and very rewarding to be a part of their families love for each other. I found myself enjoying the process so much. As the quilt started to come together I got more and more excited. Here we are, Janet crying as I explained the elements and her husband held it up at the party, what a great time we had!

I also signed with a licensing agent this last week. I huge decision that was not made lightly. I am totally committed to making this work and very excited. As images are selected for products I will be posting it so I can share it with everyone.  I feel behind already since I have to organize and number all my artwork and images, that is NO easy task for someone who has been painting and drawing for so many years. 

Yesterday was the fourth of July, Independence Day! We had everyone over for a barbeque and swimming and it was a great day. The weather was wonderful, not too hot and a cool breeze I will post pictures later.

Las Vegas

A weekend with the in laws in Vegas to celebrate their 58th wedding anniversary and fathers day. Its was great as was the food. The buffet was in the Paris hotel and it is set up like a Parisian village, I could have lived there, and the food was amazing. This was one of the little shops off of the mall area where you could buy goodies. Oh I think this screams "paint me"!

WDE for Wet Canvas May 28th

It was my turn to host the WDE on Wet Canvas this week. I love this weekly challenge as it forces me to paint things that I wouldn't normally paint. I posted this photo of two women engaged in a serious conversation when we visited the Tea house at the Huntington gardens last Dec. I have wanted to paint them ever since. I did do a sketch of one of them and then did this quick painting this week.

 I am also excited that three of my paintings were accepted into the Del Mar Fair this year. Excited to go down and see them hanging. Any excuse to visit San Diego.

My free gift has arrived!!!!

photo.jpg
Originally uploaded by ddhabicht

It arrived, my free gift I won from a drawing I signed up for! I never win anything and then I win this! It is so beautiful, thank you Tri-City Printing for having this raffle and sending it too me!!!! The bag is adorable and filled with other bags for travel, even a flat iron bag that is insulated. It was the icing on an already great show!

Home again, Home again Rigga jig jig

Every time we pulled in the driveway after any length of time my mom always said those words! There is no place like home filled with all the things and people you love the most. But.... Spring market was amazing. I am still reeling from all the activity and excitement. I have so many wonderful ideas and things brewing in my head, I hate to waste the time to sleep.  The fabric line was very well received and I am hoping that Houston will be even better. I am going to start working on a book and another fabric line. phew Oh and then, just on a fluke I entered a contest for a big gift basket. I only glanced at it since I never win anything and thought to myself, that's big so I will enter this time. LOL I got an email that I WON!!! OH MY GOSH, I can't believe it so now I am waiting to get it in the mail, I will post more pictures when it arrives. 

On Saturday, I left the show early so I could spend the rest of my trip with a friend and her family. I got to meet her mother, Bev, who also does amazing artwork and quilts. She wins ribbons and in the short time she has been quilting she has made tons of quilts!! She put me to shame. I also got to meet Gail's wonderfully warm and hospitable family, who let me share their home with them. Living in southern California we only have green because we irrigate but there it was green and lush. We sat outside her beautiful home and overlooked a koi pond and lush yard that went down to the lake. Such fun, they served me a amazing breakfast Sunday after church and then Gail and I went site seeing . We made our way to the sculpture gardens and Dick Blicks Art store! I brought home more goodies.  Here are the pictures from my trip to market and my mini vacation afterwards! Thanks Gail!!!