It's not that I don't have something

on my print table that I should be working on.

But the change in the weather for the better has made me want to get out into the garage and do some messy work. Yes I could pick up this project and take it outside, but it looks like winter to me and I am ready for something that says "Spring"
Feeling that way, I've put this piece on hold until the next cold spell hits and I began going through some of the book on my self looking for inspiration . Finding some ideas, but none that sang to my heart I went off to the library to browse through their shelves and borrow ed a dozen. Have I told you lately just how much I love the library here in Columbia.

I also went through some of my sketch books for looking for ideas that had been put on the back burner once the weather grew cold last fall to see if anything still held my interest. One or two did and I transposed those sketches to the book I take to the wet studio area as a reference when I am working out there.

All of the ideas that stuck my fancy involved whole cloth compositions and surface design.

Wanting what I create to reflect my aesthetic I decided to create my own stamps with my

images , rather than rely on the commercial stamps in my collection of stuff. I started making stamps and tools to create texture yesterday. I continued until I ran out of ideas about a hour or so ago. I have created quite a pile, some of which you can see in the above collage, plus several more stamps not pictured are in the wet studio drying. These were made with porous material I thought would hold up to thickened dye and discharge paste better if they were sealed first with matte medium. So that's what I did.

Along with spending time making my own tools I sorted through and straightened my surface design "stuff " 5 drawer rolling cart that will be moved to the garage until next fall. I will be moving the cart full of fabric paints to the garage too.

While I was at Marti's in Louisville she set me up at a 4' x 8'

print surface. For a time I thought I wanted a print surface that was that large. Having work on one, I've changed my mind. 4' x 6' would not be bad. The two print tables I have and use now both measure 30" x 60" and I've thought they are too narrow for some time because they limit me to making work that is that size unless I want to move my fabric and sometimes because of the composition that isn't possible. So thinking I wanted something a little wider, 48" at least, I went off to Westlake Ace Hardware to see if I could pick up something that would serve as the base for a wider print surface. Rather than jumping immediately to a 4' x 6' size, I brought a piece of (press board or composition board) not sure which that measured 4' x 4'.

One of my print surfaces was made with 3/8" plywood and padded with three layers of cotton batting and covered with canvas. and doubles as an ironing surface. The other was made by adhering a very dense carpet pad to the top of one of those fold down work height cutting tables you can get from Joanne. It is covered with heavy weight plastic.

I like both surfaces. So I was vacillating between batting and carpet padding when I went off to Lowe's this morning to look at the carpet padding they carried. I never got to the flooring department. What I came home with was 1" thick blue insulation that I had them cut into two 4 x 4 pieces. (had to get it home in the Jeep) And I brought two 4 x 5 cotton drop clothes (they were on sale) Sale really is a four letter work. I really didn't need a drop cloth. Last fall because it was on the supply list for a workshop I took, I brought a 9' x 12' cotton drop cloth that I have yet to use, mainly because I didn't want to cut it up. Duh!!!

As a way of keeping myself accountable for my own creative life and growth, I have set a goal to blog at least every other day, reporting on the progress I am making in my studio. I have decided to enter at least two juried art quilt show, one traditional quilt show and look for at least four sites to send proposals for a solo shows.

If you remember, at the end of last year I promised myself to live a more heath conscious life. To that end I said I would eat healthy, with a goal to lose weight and also to exercise more. For anyone who might be interested I am less than 10 pounds away from my May 31 weight loss goal of 50 pounds. Jeans I couldn't wear last December I can now put on and take of without having to unbutton and unzip. YEAH!!!. I still haven't realized my goal of walking regularly. (Good I am at times, perfect at anytime, NOT)