I am blogging again AND...my creative mojo is back!

Hello my friends and family!  Been off the blog circuit for a while but am now back with gusto. 

Dad and I have been collaborating in jewelry design.  He makes lampwork beads and they are the inspiration for my newest jewelry collection.

Please enjoy viewing.  If you have questions, want to buy any, want any custom orders or just want to visit with me please do email me at:  alexandriaemmarose@hotmail.com

 

These are just a few of our newest collection.  Dad makes the beautiful lampwork beads and I then create the necklaces using bits and pieces in my collection of parts.  Most of the necklaces have pieces from at least 5 different vintage jewelry pieces in them.  I take apart old and broken jewelry and repurpose it in a new and fun contemporary way. 

 

Thanks for viewing! 

 

My family, my heart

                                                                The reasons I am alive.

                                                  

Elizabeth Rae is here!!

Sweet Elizabeth Rae Seevers was born to my daughter, Laurel and her husband, Dusty on June 1, 2012.  She is a precious little girl with a very sweet disposition.

a few pix to keep my stitch friends interested!

This is Dad and I at our recent art showing at the local pottery shop.  Our little community has begun "first Friday art walks" and we had the good fortune to be asked to set up as artists in residence for the May art walk and the following month.  Dad has been my inspiration and solid force in life and continues to be.  He made glass lampwork beads and I made necklaces out of them.  The sign on the wall says "Art to Wear".  I made this in a CQ/found object fashion. 

These are a few of the necklaces with Dad's beads.  Guess I didn't take any close ups to share!  Will do that once the jewelry comes home.

The countdown is on!

YEA!!!  We have finally made it to the FINAL week of my daughter's pregnancy!  Everyone...especially her!...is sooooo ready to meet this little one and give his/her mommy some rest!  Cesarean will be Friday June 1, come rain or shine!!!

A few things I have been working on...

The upcoming birth of my newest grandchild allows the chance to make new things!  We do not know if a little girl or a little boy is coming to us but we do know that this precious little one will be making an appearance soon.

I have made a little boy sweater and quilt and a little girl sweater and quilt to be ready for either.  This is not typical for me...usually I like to remain gender neutral with bright colors but I came across a fun little print in browns and blues that I just had to go with it!












Thus were born the blue and brown quilt and little sweater to coordinate.  The brown buttons on the sweater are slightly mismatched vintage buttons I have collected.  The little bear applique on the front of the sweater has been in my collection of stuff since I worked at SoFro Fabrics in Omaha in the late 60s!!!  It was brown and bright yellow so I did a little color magic with permanent markers and toned down the yellow a bit.



During the same shop hop where I found the fun little brown print, I came across an adorable grouping of pink and green dots and this became the basis for my little girl chenille quilt and pink and green sweater.  I vowed I would use the yarns I had on hand and not buy more so had to be a bit creative in the colors and use of the yarns...I am pleased with the final result.  The little knitted collar on the sweater is totally new for me to do...lots of work but lots of impact as well!  Also, I wasn't particularly pleased with my knitted button holes so decided to use snaps and sweet ribbon roses as closures instead.

Both quilts were new styles for me to try...normally just an art quilter, these are both relatively traditional quilts and were definately challenges for me.  I have to say, I am pleased with my first attempts at these style of quilts and may replicate them at some point in other fabbies. 

Can hardly wait to see and hold this new precious angel!

Had a little present from my daughter today, actually both of my daughters!

My precious Laurel received boxes and boxes of memorabilia from my children's lives several weeks ago from her dad.  She spent time sorting everything and when I was at her house this past weekend, we finished sorting a little more.  It was extremely emotional for me (surprise surprise! ha!) so I tried not to really look at anything but just sort into boxes.  When I got home yesterday I brought all of the boxes into the house and left them on the back porch.  Today, I took them downstairs to their permanent home in my basement and decided it was the inspiration I needed to consolidate boxes and sort the yuuuuchy basement a little bit.  In the process, I opened the boxes I already had stored with love and momentoes of all of my kids lives.  You can only walk down memory lane once in while and for not too long a time...too emotional.

I managed to consolidate many tubs together and pitch some cardboard boxes and miscellaneous stuff from the shelves.  After several hours of this task I decided I had had enough and went outside to enjoy the lovely day on the patio.  A little sit down with the birds singing and the sun shining and I felt renewed.  Back to the basement and I began pulling my precious Jenny's tubs from their long held spot.  I decided it was time to take all of the clothes and fabric-type stuff from the boxes rather than let it sit in the damp basement any further.  Emotional.

After I accomplished this task I decided that the same applied to the rest of the kids boxes.  I hit Laurel's boxes and Will's.  I went to Russ's and low and behold...no boxes!  He had already taken his personal memories to his own grown up home several years ago.

I sorted the items and sent them to the washer and dryer...years of basement in them!

I am not sure what my plans are from here but I am so very glad to have reclaimed these wonderful memories from the basement.  In the process I uncovered a journal that Jenny had written in...I didn't even know she had a journal.  I took this up to my studio to read another day. 

Later today I decided I was already a bit emotional from all of the sorting and memories so decided to open the journal.  It was like Jen was right here talking to me for a while.  What a gift.  Those of you who know our family know that Jenny died 11 years ago this coming April 26.

 I will go through the rest of ALL of the boxes another day to see if there are any other journal-type things that I need to bring out of the basement.  I think I have had enough emotion for one day!

Thank you, my kids, for the gift of your patience and love with your emotional mother.

Valentine CQ Challenge

Hello friends!  I recently participated in a crazy quilt challenge on the HGTV quilting site sponsored by my fun and creative friend, Nicki Lee.  That girl doesn't let us sit on our laurel's for long before she is offering a new way to play with other stitchers.  She recently sent out a Valentine kit full of fun goodies to be used on a CQ piece of our choice.  There was voting and many categories and the winners were chosen.  Always a bridesmaid, never a bride again for me but I had a wonderful time playing, loved seeing all of the fun and creative projects and I love my piece.  I used to try to think about how the voting might go and try to stitch accordingly with these challenges.  I never would win then either so finally decided to just enjoy the process and sharing and try to just make what felt right for me.  I am much happier now, making something I am proud of and love and just enjoy seeing all of the wonderful creations made by the participants. 

This is my Valentine challenge piece.  I decided to make a Valentine that might have been carried a long distance in "the old days", perhaps in a saddleback on horseback, worn and weathered looking, definately handmade looking and yet, made with love for that special Valentine.  I tea dyed the red and white fabrics and the pink ribbon sent by Nicki in the kit.  I also threw a couple of black walnuts with shells on into the dryer with my pieces.  The fabbies and ribbon turned out very old and tired looking and I was thrilled with the outcome. 

The wool roses in the corners were given to me at the CQI retreat in Colorado this past year and I LOVE  them...I thought they were perfect on this piece! 

I tried two new stitches on this piece...the little heart-shaped stitches around the inner borders and the fly stitch running up both sides of the outer borders.  I was pleased to try a couple of new stitches.

I must say, this was quite a challenge for me as I don't usually do hearts and "cute" but I did enjoy the challenge and my final project. 

Thank you Nick, for another fun challenge!

Welcome to my blog!

Hello friends!  Welcome to my blog! 

A little about me...old lady, loves loves loves my family, thrilled to be creating with textiles in life and planning to just continue with the same for as long as life gives me.

I have always loved art, coloring, sewing, collecting all of the great textile stuff I can find.  I have dabbled in all of these things my whole life.  I was quite busy raising my family as a married mom, single mom and weekend mom (horrible way to live) during the 80s and into the 90s.  My art took a back seat during these years.  I am now in my late 50s and find myself with the time and support to create again. 

I have been quilting since 1979 when I took a basic traditional quilting class while pregnant with my first child.  For many years I struggled and struggled with piecing traditional quilts...wasn't enjoying it much and wasn't very good at it.  I did experiment during these years with art quilts as well.  All of the quilts I made from 1980-2011 were given away to charity or friends and family but mostly for charity.  I am starting to make art quilts for my own collection now and am thrilled to be doing so.

About 4 years ago I was introduced to handmade beaded necklaces at an art fair and was totally enamored with them!  I realized it was why I had collected ALL OF THAT STUFF for so many years.  I set about learning how to make necklaces and earrings...trash-to-treasure...using old and new parts combined.  Amazingly, my handmade jewelry was selling!  People were willing to PAY money for my creations!  For several years I made a lot of necklaces!

About 3 years ago I was introduced to the crazy world of Crazy Quilting...OMG!!  I was home!  Make what you want, no rules and put all of your "stuff" all over the piece!  Happy happy.  I entered into many RRs, swaps and challenges to learn as much as I could from many very talented stitchers.  What a trip!  You guys are all sooooo impressive! 

The last year I have ventured more into art quilts and lately have been combining my love of crazy quilting with my love of art quilting...fun fun!

I continue to make jewelry...mostly custom pieces now using vintage heirloom pieces which I take apart for people and repurpose them with additional items from my stash into a little more up-to-date look...a way to take grandma's old brooch or earring and turn it into something you can give to your daughter or granddaughter to wear and cherish. Below are some pieces I recently completed for a very nice lady in Georgia.  She wanted 15 necklaces to give as gifts to the ladies in the family at a bridal shower. 

...from this...

...to this...

...and this...

If you are interested in visiting about "trash-to-treasure/vintage-to-repurposed" jewelry, please just leave me a comment with your email address and I will get back with you!

Thank you for coming by to visit my blog!

Colleen 

Introducing Ryker Lee!



My sweet new grandson, Ryker Lee, 8 lbs, 15 oz and 22 1/4 inches, was born December 29, 2011 to my loving kids, Russ and Meg.  Congratulations!!!  He looks very much like his big brother, Aylen John, who is now 18 months old and loving being a big brother. .

Colleen