More presents for me

I recently posted photos of Nancy Hepp’s newest embroidered quilt, California Poppies.  Look what other handiwork this talented woman has been up to:

First, there is this adorable purse, made in the form of a food take-away box:

Look at the handle– it’s hand beaded!!  And how did she know one of my favorite colors is purple?  Clever woman!

I also hinted around about Nancy’s beading skill.  How did I know?  Look at what was tucked inside the purse:

Isn’t it gorgeous?  The beadwork is amazingly intricate, and even the clasp is a flower.  I can’t wait to get dressed up and show off my new pretties!

As an artist, I enjoy acknowledging special occasions with a hand-made item.  It is gratifying to be on the receiving end of such loving gifts, especially from such talented friends!  Thank you, Nancy– I will treasure them!

Shopping in Long Beach

With all best intentions to keep my wallet closed… I still managed to spend some money on treasures.

With a new interest in beads (okay, okay. not such a new interest.   And has anyone noticed that buying beads is like buying groceries? You spend $100 and get one little bag. Or, in the case of beads, you get a little baggie!)

I bought some groovy beads:

And some Japanese seed beads:

And then I bought some books:

The books are: “Art Quilt Masters”, the SAQA exhibit book, and Robin Atkin’s “Beaded Treasures”. This last book reviews the techniques I learned in her Woven Treasures class; the book is available on her website.

Some Stewart Gill paints:

On the left is a trio of Halo interferance paints, and the 6 pack contains Metalmica.  Shiny!!

On the way home, we stopped at Marukai, a Japanese superstore. We had some lunch, and indulged in some more shopping:

These are cotton banners and wind socks… that will be cut up and used in some collage work.

Can you believe how teeny these shirts are (note: I use the plural because I also bought the shirt in green). I put the power bar next to it so you get a feel for size– the shirt stretches, but really!! Yes, it IS an adult shirt… but I plan to cut it up for the fabric.

And last but certainly not least, a little something to help out with my own “personal summer”:

Food is next!