Stuff I Want to TRY / DO in 2009

Ideas that have been bouncing around in the back of my head for quite some time. I think putting it writing will get me one step closer to doing it!

These are things that I have always wanted to do, or maybe tried once long long ago and would like to re-visit.

Make silver DANGLE earrings - My friend Linda Minton is going to give us lessons at our retreat in March. I got so excited that I got beads and supplies for SEVERAL projects. See last post for some of the beads that I bought.

Learn to do peyote BEADING - Poor Linda, she dosen't know what she is getting into! I'm counting on her for this one as well! LOL

Carve my own STAMP - We did this in high school art class. I remember I made a closeup of a snail crawling through blades of grass. Made one or two prints, and don't remember whatever happened to it.

Create a ZENTANGLE - Ran across this. How cool! Might buy the kit for someone's birthday in April! Check out their website. http://www.zentangle.com/index.php

KNIT A pair of socks- Started knitting scarves over Christmas. Am working up to SOCKS.

PRINT my own design on fabric - Bought some cool software at Houston Quilt Festival. It is specifically for working with your designs and printing on fabric. Have loaded the software on computer. Next step. . .

Maintain an ART JOURNAL - Got the journal, now just need to get the courage to put MY drawings and ideas on paper. What if someone looks at it??? That is my fear, and what I have to overcome.

Complete a BTB CHALLENGE - First challenge for Beyond the Borders is due in April 2009. Size 20" long by 6 to 12 inches wide. Theme is TREES. Restriction: NO GREEN

Make a fabric FLOOR QUILT- Have all the stuff.... See the book by Ellen Highsmith Silver

Make time for 6 WORKSHOPS - My quilt guild sponsors a workshop nearly every month with nationally known speakers. I learn something from every one that I take.

FINISH one UFO per month - I literally have over a hundred to choose from. Got January done last week!

Beyond The Borders - Adventures in Dyeing Coffee Filters

Joined a new group yesterday that I have wanted to join for quite some time. I know that there is a lot of creative 'stuff' floating around in my head that I just need to let out. Beyond the Borders (BTB) is a contemporary art quilt group they encourage everyone to "embrace creativity while coloring outside the lines of traditional quilting".

I was especially inspired by the coffee filters that Liz produced and immediatly tried to dye some coffee filters myself! Well, first of all I took the coffee filter out of the coffee pot from this morning, thinking that was a good start. I proceded to dump the grounds out of the filter and rinsed it. Duh, all the dark colors came out. I put the filter in a plastic container, and poured a little bit of the leftover coffee from the pot on the filter. I let that soak over night. Nothing. Same off white color as when I rinsed it.

To make a long story short, after checking the internet, maybe I should be using 'Instant coffee' . The other tip I found was that the dark the roast, the darker the stain. (I'm using HEB San Antonio blend- should that give a red cast?? LOL) .

Today, I went over to Wally world and bought a small jar of instant coffee. Tomorrow, we are going to try the spritzing method. I found this recipe at this Folk Art blog:

mix 5 tablespoons of instant coffee crystals in half a cup of hot water.
Add a few drops of vanilla extract to for a great scent
Using an old sponge, blot the dye on the fabric, adding more until you get the desired look.
She will then put in a 200 degree oven for about 10 minutes to facilitate drying.