Daughter Wants A Blog?

So I don't blog often, that is evident. But after working eight or more hours in the Social Security office, I am a drained and a big hot mess by the end of the day. So what has me up and awake at this wee hour of the morning. I can't sleep because my 6 year old (turns 7 next month) for the last 2 days has come to me wanting her own "website". She says she wants to call it Cute Little Doll. She says she can take pictures with the camera and put them on there. She can sell some of her toys on there. She can make bracelets with the Rainbow Loom and sale those. She can have her friends on website and interview them with the video camera. But most of all she can write stories and draw pictures to put on her website. So I am thinking if the Dog With a Blog tv show can do it, so can my daughter with a little help from her mom. I feel so very old. I don't know why. But when you have children and they begin asking or talking about certain things it snaps you into a reality that time has once again passed. We can not go back, only forward.

Aunt Carolyn's Jezebel Sauce

My Aunt Carolyn was quite the infamous Southern lady. Like all infamous Southern ladies she had her signature recipes. If you knew my Aunt Carolyn then every Christmas you received a beautifully decorated 4 oz Ball jelly jar of her Cranberry Jezebel Sauce, but if you were family you got a really big jar at Thanksgiving too! I can see her now, in the kitchen standing over the stove, stirring that pot. I can hear her voice, deeply Southern with a particular rhythm and cadence and naturally, long winded. I can't remember the details of her stories and tales. But I was always in awe and I always left with a sense of wonder. Only a true Southern lady that dedicated her life to storytelling could cook up something interesting over a pot full of cranberries on the stove. Cranberry Jezebel Sauce 1 cup water 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 firmly packed light brown sugar 1 (12 oz) pkg fresh or frozen cranberries 1/2 cup pineapple preserves 3 Tablespoons prepared horseradish 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil, stirring often, in a saucepan over medium heat; add cranberries. Return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, 10 minutes or until cranberry skins begin to pop and mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in preserves, horseradish and mustard; remove pan from heat and let sauce cool. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Sauce may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to two weeks.

Aunt Carolyn never stopped and was always on the go. But She stopped to smell the magnolia!

Forever Running After Pigeons

Okay I'm about to drop a big ol' MaMa Drama bomb and it involves my baby. So here it goes and it is long because I have to get it out and only immediate family knows at this point. For those that have met me in real life know I have a spinal disease. My back is curved forward at about 40 degrees, it is caused by a genetic auto immune disease called ankylosing spondylitis. I had symptoms as young as 8 years old with inflammatory joint pains. But that was in the late 70's. There was not a lot known or treatments for the disease and at that point they did not think it affected children or women. They finally diagnosed me in the mid 90's when the gene test was found, I was around 25, but after that many years the damage was done. So when I was pregnant we had genetic counseling and went through a high risk pregnancy doctor for monitoring. We were told it was a 50/50 chance she could get the disease. Fast forward 5 years.... 2 weeks ago after the first week of school CoCo had a runny nose and started to asking me to rub her back because it hurt. At first, I was like, ok she probably is getting the flu and some body aches. Then she said words I never thought I would hear and really truly never wanted to hear from her sweet little lips. She said, "And mommy, I didn't tell you but in the morning my foot hurts really bad." I asked her to point. She points to her heel and up to her toes along the plantar fascia. My heart sank very very deep. I almost stopped breathing completely. As a child, one of my first and worst symptoms was plantar fasciitis in the mornings. I had it so bad and for so many years, they did exploratory surgery on one heel to try and relieve pain. Again I have tried not to panic. Thinking, it is probably new school shoes... etc. I asked her when and why she had not said anything. She said it had started when she stayed with my mom over the summer. But that it usually went away after she watched some cartoons. I happened to be going to see my rheumatologist the week after she told me. My rheumatologist told me to call our pediatrician and get her tested now. She said here in town we have a great pediatric rheumatologist who she went to med school with and that she adores him. We went to our pediatrician, who said because of the family history and the unusual complaints of pain that we could go ahead and order the gene test now and then set up the referral to the ped rheumy. She said she also wanted to test for leukemia, because of the unexplained back pain. Mike took CoCo to get the blood work done this past Saturday. I didn't go. Partly because my heart could not go there. I did not ask how long it would take to get the results. I just don't want to know. I just want her to be that very healthy little 4 pound baby I brought home from the hospital. I just want her to be everything but a disease. I just want her to keep running after pigeons and squealing in water fountains and jumping on the bed and spontaneously dancing just because.

2 days after I wrote this, we found out my baby girl is negative for HLA-B27. I am forever grateful that she did not inherit this disease.

My Apple Art for the Hope and Apples Campaign

Off and on for the past year I have followed the artistic and health advocacy website of Jennifer Visscher at thefeedingedge.com

For the last year she has created through various artistic media a 5"x5" piece of art featuring an apple. Her year-long art project, “An Apple a Day to raise AS Awareness" is about to come to an end on October 1 in a 24 hour Apple-A-Thon. She has asked that those of us with us and our family and friends to create our own apple and send them to her.
So the call for for artist, stirred the artist in me once against. But since I had purged all of my art and craft supplies two years ago. I had an idea from my last art project. I used some of my accumulated bills, and took the security envelopes and created an apple.
Through the widow part of the envelope I created a "spine" similar to the logo for the Spondylitis Association of America
topped off the spine with an for the head apple head. I used 3 different envelope patterns on the front. The back of the square I used a blue pattern.
I'm calling it " The Hope, the Apple and Some Security".

The Clock and Time

mSo for some weird reason I have thought about time lately. More specifically how children learn to tell time and how they process in their young minds the concept of time. One question I ask in my job taking children's disability applications involves asking parents can their child tell time. The parents standard answer is "only on a digital clock." it seems that their answer is making this a handicap for the child. Maybe it really is a handicap. These children are only witnessing time in a linear fashion. They are missing a much older concept of time as cyclical. A round clock with hands requires a learned skill to read. It also presents the concept that time is round just as the earth is round. I'm sure that many will d disagree but so did the many that believed the earth was flat or that man really never walked on the moonn. I have not studied much on quantum physics but the little bit I be have read gave me a little understanding in how we pass through time.

Mobile Blog Begins

Mobile blog beginnings. So this is my first post from my Droid smart phone. I'm attempting to come into the 21 st century and learn to use all of the resources that I have. After all I have a 3 year old and I need to stay on top of these things or she will end up schooling me

Disturb the Inertia

I have just spent the last two days at my 20 year high school class reunion. We were the first International Baccalaureate Program in Pensacola. We were a diverse group then and now.

Oh how my high school English teachers hated when an essay started with a dictionary definition. But this is a blog not an essay.

inertia n. Physics . The tendency of a body to resist acceleration; the tendency of a body at rest to remain at rest or of a body in straight line.

"Disturb the Inertia", was one of the infamous sayings from the pep talks that Donna Dunson, our IB coordinator, would frequently give to our IB class. She spoke those words again at our 20 year class reunion. I really had not thought of the phrase in the last 20 years, but I have lived it over and over again, so it must have stuck somewhere in my subconscious.

Looking at the faces of classmates you have not seen in 20 years makes you look a little more at your own face. At a class reunion everyone tells "their history". How they are living.

For me I like to believe that I do thinking for a living, more why and less how. Using that thinking and the knowledge from years past and gone, continuing down that road less traveled and making a difference. For me, Why is greater than How.

Why is Greater Than How

The last night of the class reunion was family night and we all witnessed our children disturbing the inertia and much more.

My toddler's first question was "why". Any parent can tell you, the endless number of times the question "why" is posed during a day. Even among the youngest toddlers, who are barely putting together 4 and 5 word sentences, it is "why" . They are using the Why instead of the How. Toddlers want explanations of their world and want to become involved in it. They want to jump in and shake things up. They do not remain at rest for very long and are always moving. Toddlers are disturbing the inertia.

Creativity is about action and life is about movement, it is that disturbing the inertia thing. The creative spirit is about transforming nothing in to something and seeing how we can get ourselves in to commotion and refusing to remain at rest. So from my child I think I will find my lost creativity. And in the end my "Blog from the Edges" may keep me from being a body at rest, and become a body disturbing the inertia. Ultimately the creativity and security for which I search for in life will be my strength so I can hang on from the edges.

Changes Changing Me

I have not blogged in 7 months. For the last 7 months I have been coming to terms with my life. In January my husband was going to clean out our spare bedroom to allow space for a craft room.

I had turned our china cabinet into a storing space for all of my crafting items. My craft stuff had taken over the dining room table and the better part of the living room. I was miserable seeing all of the stuff day after day. I wanted my own room that I could shut the door to get away and make arts and crafts. I wanted to shut the door and not see the piles of craft stuff.

My husband did try to clean out his man cave and he did move a lot into the closet. The rest he moved out into the front hall by the front door.

But I was devastated.

There was not enough room for my craft stuff and it only made our home worse. I moved all of his stuff back into the spare room so we could clear the hall to the front door. I did not want our home to become like those one's seen on reality shows where extreme hoarders live.

I knew I was not going to get my own craft space.

For the next 2 months I went to my therapist and had some intense therapy sessions. The cause of my deepest depression was my hoarding . With my therapist's guidance I came to terms with my growing piles of craft stuff. I had large piles of craft books and craft magazines. I had all kinds of crafting tools and gadgets. But the craft stuff and organizing of the stuff had taken over and I no longer had time to craft as I was continually having to move and reorganize. I thought having my own craft room would solve everything, but it really wasn't going to solve the bigger problem.

I no longer owned my crafts, they owned me, or that was conclusion my therapist made me consider.

As my therapist put it, I basically owned a craft store within my home and I was constantly arranging, updating, and organizing the inventory and I was putting more and more of my energy into my "craft store" than the creating of arts /craft. In addition my energy also went to a full time job 5 days a week. I put energy into being a mom. I also put energy into being a wife. I also put energy into household chores such as laundry, cooking and cleaning.

Unfortunately, my energy was zapped. I was deeply depressed each and every time I walked into the house. On the weekends, I spent most of the time away from the house, out shopping and unfortunately "collecting" more stuff.

I tried to organize my craft store. There were many storage containers for my craft stuff. But all of my stuff was just too much for a 1200 square foot house . And with a nearly 3 year old child, her toys and her valued possessions had no room to play.

Something had to give.

I made a conscious decision and gave up crafting and art for now.

I wanted to give my daughter a 3rd birthday party in our home that her family and friends could come and enjoy. One that I could have in a clutter free home. I had a deadline, her birthday, March 30th.

After 2 months of counseling, I did the big purge of all of my craft things. On a Saturday morning, my mom drove me to the counselor for one last session before the purge. I was already in a state of shock. After that hour I returned home and for the next 2 hours my mom and I filled bag after bag and loaded them into my dad's pick up. Everything was gone. The only thing left, a box of crayons and a coloring book. From now on, I could no longer just buy random craft for a project that I would one day work on. I would have to have a specific project. Like coloring with my daughter, something that could be done and finished without the extra excess stuff.

It is now 4 months later. I have had some intense anxiety for taking everything and throwing it away at the landfill. But I know I had too. I have felt better with at least that section of the house clutter free. I have felt better that I no longer feel my clutter dominates the household. But I feel sort of lost. Like I don't have me anymore, or what defines me. I wanted my arts and crafts to define me, but really my life and the how I live are definitions. Blogging helps put words to that definition. It really was the blog that was helping me as much at the art projects.

I have come to the conclusion after these months that Blog From the Edges, can be my creative diversion. Utilizing the blog to be my outsource of artistic wants and needs. Maybe from time to time I will post a little art project that I do with my daughter or for me time.

Along the way I will hang on to the Blog from the Edges and find security.

Powerful and Delectable Mountains

"Delectable Mountains Quilt Block"

10" x 10"

Four 5" blocks abutted together.

Constructed of security envelope paper and black card stock mounted on white card stock

"Delectable Mountains Block"

5"x5"

So the other night my darling child could not sleep and when she finally went back to sleep, then I could not get back to sleep, so I got out the security envelopes, scissors and glue and tore it up as the kids say.

The first photo with the brown in it, is the quilt pattern that I used. The photo is a completed quilt from my new 2010 calendar. It is one of those style of calendars that each day either features a new quilt pattern or a new quilt block. This particular quilt has gone by two different names: "Woven Stars" or "Delectable Mountains". I tend to like the name "Delectable Mountains" because it just rolls off the tongue better.

The second and third scanned pics are the security envelope quilt blocks that I actually constructed from my security envelopes. I first constructed four of the 5" blocks and then put them together to make the larger block. The larger block is again not scanned all of the way due to the constraints of my scanner.

One of the harder parts of using security envelopes in making these quilt blocks is that sometimes you need larger sheets of paper, but have to work within the constraints of the envelope size and sometimes even an envelope window. In this particular project I cut the pattern size in half. I also used an envelope that did not contain a window as it has more paper to work with.

I really like the way this one turned out and it took just under 3 hours to cut and glue all of the triangles and squares. Here is a photo of the action as I worked laying out each piece before gluing it all down.

I first used a 1" square paper punch and punched out a bunch of squares out of the black paper and the envelopes, then I cut the squares in half to make all of the triangles.



For me there is something very calming in cutting a square into a triangle over and over. It's a 3 sided thing and when I think about it ... it goes back to my original blogs about "The Curse of the 3s".

Maybe I should consider "The POWER of the 3's" . For whatever power it gives, first the security envelopes, second the triangles and third making art. I keep thinking I need to break a curse. But maybe this whole artsy craft project I'm blogging is really just about me finding my own power.

Power in little things, power in big things, not curses, just power. Maybe this Power of 3's will break me out of misery, sadness and my insecurities.

"Give Peace a Chance"

5"x 5"

Security Envelope Quilt Block

I used three different envelopes for this quilt block pattern. It was made of green triangle security envelopes from my bank for the border, blue hatch marks security envelopes for the background, and a gray/white hatch mark security envelope for the dove. This type of quilt block is typically considered an applique quilt block in the fabric quilting arts. I thought it was an appropriate New Year's Eve art project.

Earlier in the evening we went to downtown Pensacola for some of the New Year's Block Party festivities. The old man, the CoCo puff and I roamed the downtown streets. We went to the Dog House Deli for a great hot dog dinner and then dessert of funnel cake and pink cotton candy from the street food vendors. We were there at 8:00 when they lit up the Pelican, which is Pensacola's "Time's Square Ball Drop". We were home before 9:00 and everyone went to bed except me. I stayed up to do the quilt block.

They say what you are doing at midnight on New Year's Eve is what you will be doing all year long. Doing crafts in 2010 would make me very happy.

This week was very stressful at work. But I did have one interesting telephone interview. We will call him Preston. Preston was applying for disability and alleged having congestive heart failure. He was very personable and flirted throughout the interview. He played harmonica in a blues band. I was able to get all the information I needed for his application during the hour and half interview while he told me about his band, his children and grandchildren.

It was such a relief, from the constant despair and hopeless baggage that my clients typically dump on me. Preston may be just as hopeless and in need of financial assistance, but he at least took the time to be nice and make light of his situation.

Sometimes you have just have to laugh or otherwise you just end up crying all of the time. Preston taught me this very valuable life lesson this week. Just another week from the edge of security.

Christmas Came Early and Ideas for the New Year

"Star Pattern"

Size: 5"x5"

Red Salvation Army Security Envelope mounted on a green security envelope

A couple of days ago, someone, perhaps Santa, left a gallon size ziplock bag on my front porch filled with security envelopes. Good Old St. Nick was a tad early, but I'm really glad because I was having a miserable day and cutting up the envelopes cheered me up.

I came across a couple of real beauties in the security envelope world. Another red one!!!

I did a big dancey dance and my little heart skipped a beat or two or three. This particular red one was from the Salvation Army. So as you see above, I immediately paired it with a green security envelope to create a star quilt block for a Christmas theme.

I've been thinking more about my art and why I really have taken on this project and where I am going with it. More or less it is for relaxation. My 9 to 5 work is very stressful and I need a diversion at night to clear my mind. For whatever reason, cutting up the envelopes and categorizing them and organizing them relaxes me. Some people may have a glass of wine, others may go for a run, but for me scissors, paper and a glue stick provide me peace. My current insurance has decided I can only see my psychologist for 8 visits in the next year, so I'm going to have to come up with my own way of dealing with life.

In the new year I would like more people to see my work through my blog and perhaps in a gallery night show in downtown Pensacola. I would also like to kick it up a notch and get a full size security envelope quilt made as well as some other pieces I have been sketching in my journal.

Tomorrow I will be getting my own studio/art space. My husband is giving up his office space in our house so I can move everything from the dining room table into my own room/art studio. I am really excited and hope to be more productive in my artistic endeavors or at the very least rid myself of some of my daily stress.

Thanks again to my secret Santa and if one is reading this blog and you have any junk mail security envelopes send them my way.

And here is hoping that the new year brings my life filled with lots of love, good health and day by day a little more security.

Like sets of waves so is life....

"Waves" Quilt Block

Size: 9"x9"

Constructed of Blue Hatch Style Security Envelopes and mounted on White Card stock

It's been almost a month since I posted another quilt block made of security envelopes in my Security Envelope Quilt Project. Like this example of the quilt block "Waves", my life has been rolling up and down.

Some days the swells are few and far between and other times the constant chop has me splashing around with a drowning feeling.

The blue color of the security represents not only water but the blues I have been feeling.

Tonight as I worked on my project, I had the 80's channel of Music Choice playing on the TV for distraction, inspiration, and background noise.

"I feel like I need to get away, runaway... take my tears and that is not livin'... Now I'm going to pack my things and go". Tainted Love by Soft Cell was playing on the 8O's channel just now and followed now by Manic Monday by The Bangles.... how ironic. But maybe they are the songs I need to hear to reflect, relax and feel secure.

Talking Turkey Around the Block

Turkey Tracks Variation Quilt Block

Size: 9"x9"

Constructed of Security Envelopes, Scrapbook paper and mounted on a Manila Envelope

This is Thanksgiving week and in the favorite geometric shapes chapter of my new quilt book there was this pattern called Turkey Tracks Variation. The "variation" part comes "by abutting these blocks side by side, a new block is created in each set of four that are joined".

My scanner only scans 8.5" x 11" and some of the end points are not fully visible on this one 9"x9" block. The scanner is not the best representation for how the block looks in person. For instance the very center block that is surrounded by black triangles, is a very unusual security envelope. That particular patterned envelope looks like a group of feathers. I would have used it more in this block but I only had one envelope, so I had to use it sparingly, but if I come across some more of the feather patterned envelopes, I'll probably try a variation by assembling 4 blocks together with more of the feathered patterned envelope.

This week among the new find of the feather envelope pattern, I found a new letter opener or it may be old, or just a new one made to look old. Anyway I thought it was cool.

Happy Thanksgiving from me in my little land full of turkey and of security.

New Kid on the Block

"Tree of Life" paper quilt block

Size 9 " x 9"

hand colored security envelopes on manila envelope

After an afternoon of doctor's appointments and CT scans, I've got a kidney stone. I got some injections to help with my back and neck pain and pain medicine to last until the kidney stone passes. During the 2 hours between appointments I shopped in my local Big Lots store and found this book.

It is totally awesome and really cheered me up. It has 101 quilt blocks and gives a little history and provenance on how the various quilt blocks came about. The Tree of Life block I did above came from the Vintage Classics chapter.

"About this block: The Tree of Life block is an early quilt block pattern that is said to have a biblical reference, as did many names of that time. The reference to the tree of life comes from Genesis, Chapter 2. This beloved pattern is often times pieced using just two colors, although using colors from the same color family gives the tree pattern more dimension."

I stepped outside of the box, err... quilt block. Instead of using just all black and white graphics of the security envelopes, I colored one of the black and white patterns using a green crayola colored pencil. I also used one of the green and black envelopes for the contrasting triangle in the leaves. For the trunk I used the wood grain pattern envelope and highlighted areas with brown. I pieced it all on a manila envelope.

While visiting at my mom's house, I also found a stash of her quilting magazines. I got some real inspiration.

A quilt artist out of Japan by the name of Reiko Yamaguchi, had a really interesting story on how her life and her passion for the quilting arts began. Many of her quilts are inspired by things from her life. For 40 years she has been a storyteller on fabrics. She also teaches and helps her students tell their lives in their quilts. She confessed that often times all the student's stories can be a burden for her but that she finds vitality and energy in the finished workings of the quilts. Through her many years devoted to quilting she has found similarities with a person's personality and the type of quilts that suit them. For instance if you have a restless personality a quilt with triangles will calm your spirit!

And she was right. The Tree of Life quilt block had lots of triangle and while making it I did find myself for once calmer and a little more secure.

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.

What a difference a day and a tool or two makes...

Today I thought about my security envelope quilt project differently. My first couple of quilt blocks are not all that pretty to look at and for that matter not inspiring me. Now these 2 examples are getting closer to the look I want.

So what changed, you ask? My Tools.

As the old adage goes you need the right tool for the job.

Up until now my process was using paper "scrapbook tools". But I was not getting the look of a quilt block....I thought, what if I used sewing and quilting tools?

I dragged out the rotary cutter, cutting mat, metal ruler, along with the scrapbook paper cutter, 2 inch square punch and of course a good old fashioned pair of scissors.

The right tools do make a difference. I still need to work out some kinks with regard to "seam allowance".
But just getting my hands to do what my head is envisioning, now that is what fills me full of security.

A Stitch in Time

Well this week was not as productive as I would have liked for the Security Envelope Quilt Project. This is an example of the latest quilt block. Even though I did not spend a lot of time piecing blocks, I did score several boxes of unused security envelopes at my favorite thrift store. As you can see in the example the word recycle and the recycle symbol are repeated. I really like the graphics and how they repeat on the paper. I mixed these blocks with some of my treasured green hatch style security envelope.

In my little collection of security envelopes, colored envelopes are rare. Most frequently in my mail I get white envelopes with black graphics, or sometimes blue graphics, and occasionally the white envelope with gray graphics. But there are days when the colored envelopes come with the black security graphics inside and I do the security envelope dancey dance.

So if you are reading please send me some of your junk mail, specifically security envelopes. Email me at dixiedoll@gmail.com for my home address.
Thanks for reading and as always I hope your day is safe and completely secure.