mail boxes full of new found security

Here is the latest quilt block. I really liked the way the crosshatch pattern meshed together. I got a manila envelope today and that got me to thinking. The manila envelope could be considered a security envelope of sorts. Even though a manila envelope does not have patterns, I could use the the solid color of the manila envelope. The yellow color will work well with the black patterned security envelopes that I have collected so far.

Of which I got a couple new patterns in my mail yesterday. I did a little dance and got excited when I saw a new pattern. The pattern is composed of little squares with stars in the middle of each square, which is similar to the quilt block that I just did.

Well my low back has been hurting for over a week now. Which really stinks.

It's been several months of no back pain so I'm overdue for a flareup of the ankylosing spondylitis or another kidney stone. Sometimes I can't tell the difference between the two pains, except the kidney stones tend to hurt on the side rather than the middle. But when they start hurting, they hurt real good.

I'm off work today due to the Hurricane /tropical storm/ bunch of rain and a little wind named Ida. I'm at my parent's place helping Opa watch CoCo and cousin Hayden. I have a work-in appointment with my pain management doctor at 1:00. Tomorrow I'll be off from work again for the Veteran's Day Holiday, one of the few perks of a government job.

Hopefully this afternoon the pain will be better . So I can mix up a batch of quilt blocks with the main ingredient of security envelopes, a sprinkling of manila envelopes and a little dash, just for good, measure of security.

Double the Blog, Double the Fun

My mom and I were at the Pensacola Interstate Fair just as it opened tonight. We quickly walked across the midway full of funnel cakes, pronto pups, and screaming kids on various fair rides. We were on a mission, we were going to the Antiques and Collectibles Exhibit.
This week I entered two of my Great Great Granny Dick's quilts in the Pensacola Interstate Fair. As you see my favorite, the Around the World Postage Stamp quilt took second. The odd thing was no quilt was given a blue ribbon. The other quilt my mom insisted that I enter was the Sweetheart Quilt and it tied for third with another entry. My mom kept saying the better quilt was the Sweetheart and I said no, the Postage Stamp was the better quilt.

I was right and I won second!!! The judges picked my choice, but I was a little put out that they did not give a blue ribbon for the quilt category. My mom wanted a recount and wanted to know just what the judges were using for points. Sorry mom, but my choice for the better quilt beat out your choice.

The rest of the evening, Mom and I looked around at some of the other exhibits and then sat at a picnic table and ate a big old BBQtater, basically a potato full of BBQ pork, butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits and washed it down with sweet tea and topped it off with a funnel cake for dessert. Mom loves to people watch and we sat and watched the world go by for the longest time. And of all people that walked by one was Stephanie Ritchie.

If you remember she is my artist friend that I ran into in September at the very same fairgrounds at a kids consignment sale. She helped me kick off this blog and got me to thinking about breaking the curse of the threes and start working on the artist I want to be.

It was a really good night. Good Karma. Great mom. And even greater feelings of security.

Now onto the second blog of the night....

It's been a couple of weeks and life has been quickly passing by. So this blog is really two in one. The scans above do not show the newest quilt blocks as good as I would like. I found these quilt block patterns in a very weird place, a McDonald's Happy Meal. A couple of months ago they had these little books from the American Girl/ Doll Series. One of the American Girl's/doll's back story involved her making quilts and in the little book it gave examples of quilt blocks.

I have had more exciting donations of envelopes to the Security Envelope Quilt Project. My neighbor gave me some great colored envelopes, and again a couple of patterns I did not have. Here are some of the envelopes she gave me.

I 've got a little something for you, my neighbor lady... you'll be getting your very own decoupaged letter opener and some flowers or maybe a tree.

Then one night last week, I came in from work after a really bad day at the office and Mike said, You've got a bag full of envelopes today. I did a little dance, as I went through the bag. I think they came from the neighbor lady again. So double the pleasure and double the fun. Again I got some examples I did not have. And as soon as my precious CoCo went to bed, I went to work using some of the new envelopes and worked again on my personal quest for security .

So What Is It? Safety and Security?

I keep getting asked what is this Security Envelope Quilt Project thing? It's hard to describe what I see in my head as my finished multimedia art piece. I see a big paper "quilt" on the wall, plus lots of little other projects like paper beads. I've given it a name, so I can blog about the art pieces I create and how art, especially my own art makes me feel.

Take a look at this blog. It is about another artist that has done some interesting projects with the security envelope. I really liked her piece where she did an installation on nails of all the buttons she had assembled from her collection of security envelope paper. http://sweetiepiepress.blogspot.com/search/label/security%20envelopes

Also if you go to the following Flickr group on security envelopes, it gives you an idea of how other people are making art and creating craft from these pieces of junk mail. http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=security+envelopes#page=2

I also have tried my hand at making some paper beads from the security envelopes and have liked what I made. http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2009/01/paper-beads-envelope/ They are fairly easy to make.

Here are some finished bracelets similar to what I have made. Think of the friendship beaded safety pin jewlery you made as a child and you get the idea. http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2008/02/cha_winter_convention_indie_cr.html.

I think when any artist finishes a piece of art and it goes into a gallery or art show, that people other than the artist won't see or just can't see the beauty and the passion.

That is why they ask why?

I hope this blog has helped explain what is it that I am doing. It won't explain why I'm obsessed with doing it. But perhaps my obsession lies in my wanting to pin down, nail down or just glue down a little security, paper or otherwise. I am what my project is to become, hopefully just a little more secure.

Can't See the Forest for the Trees

I've been bogged down again with the real job, the job that pays the bills. Bills that come in my security envelopes treasures. The 9am to 5pm job takes so much time away from my 9pm to 5am passions.

This week I did two little dancey dances. I got my first set of envelopes for my Security Envelope Quilt Project from begging to my family and friends. And I got a colored security envelope design that I did not have.

A big shout out goes to my 74 year old Aunt Carolyn. She may not get me or get this art project I'm working on, but she saved me some gems in the security envelope world. She gave me a variety of black and white designs, some I did not have and best of all some colored designs. Quite a few beautiful blue designs and my very first brown design. Here are a sample of what she gave me.




A BIG Thank you Aunt Carolyn, it really meant alot to me and you gave me some of the best I've found yet. I'll be sending a little something special in an envelope from me to you.

So folks, don't be shy. You too can participate in my Security Envelope Quilt Project and get a little something from me for your troubles. Just send me some of your junk mail security envelopes. email me at dixiedoll@gmail.com for my home address. Thanks for reading.

I may not be able to quite see all of the forest for the trees, but only in what I seek, is security.