Creative Inspiration

While all the purging and packing is happening, although I can't really sit down and work on my own stuff, I CAN take the time with my morning coffee to be inspired by other creators.

This morning, I came across this amazing embroidery artist

I can't even remember how I found her, but her work is incredible. She considers herself an artist for whom floss is her paint and her needle is her brush. And most of her pieces involve some machine embroidery, like the  cactus here, plus some long stitch embroidery painting.

On her blog, after reading through a number of posts, I  came across a TED talk about cross stitch by a man who calls himself Mr. Xstitch whose site is here. He is an excellent speaker and presents a fine explanation about the "art vs craft" debate and his three factors for determining which is which.

Like most other artists today, he also has a facebook page and a pinterest page, so you can see lots of images there.

My early morning coffee time was made so much better by spending time with these two artists. And I feel inspired to get on with my day of more purging. I hope you take the time to visit both of these sites and enjoy the inspiration they provide.

More Purging, Packing and Loyalist Planning

I keep telling myself that the worst part of the purging is nearly done. My hubby did an awesome job on the garage, which is good because most of what I earmarked from the basement for "garage sale" has to move out there.

I made myself a "purge" calendar with assigned tasks for each day of May. Some days I do more than one of the places, which is great - I end up with more days of the month lol. And some things are starting to get packed already (even though June is supposed to be packing month).

Rick's books are the #1 item on his list and he is making great progress with the packing. He got 125 boxes for his books and isn't sure that will be enough. His hard-cover book addiction can give my fibre addiction a run for its money, any day of the week. When I asked if he had purged any, he said "yes". Funny that his purging is mostly all my gardening books. Oh well.

This is the only picture that looks like any progress is being made in the studio. The top shelf of my wire unit is now empty of yarn - five full boxes all managed to fit into one tall box. I have also gone through all pieces of furniture and gotten rid of things I don't want to take, so the packing should go quickly.

The wool and hooking stuff can't be packed until the very end as my poor students are dreading my departure and want to keep coming until the moving truck pulls out the driveway.

Since I go to set my classroom up at Loyalist College the day after we move, I am trying to get all of my prep work done well ahead of the packing. And then to make sure that all my class materials are not mixed in with the other hooking things.

If you don't know about Loyalist's Summer Arts Program, here's a link to their catalogue where you can see all the courses offered. This year, in addition to all the other wonderful courses, they are having a hooking week from July 13 - 16, with four classes and a one-day dye workshop. It should be lots of fun.

At least one of my students is doing a mat from a photo, and when I went to put her photo into my favourite online photo editing site, I found out that befunky has done a big "improvement". I was really used to the old platform, so found the new one a bit trickier to navigate. Also found out that many more effects are only available with the "Upgrade". And my teaching sheets feature screen captures from the site, so I will have to do a total re-do of those. Not something that was in the calendar.

And doing this class planning is a nice bright spot and a relief from the purge/pack/purge rhythm.

The Purge Before Packing

We have sold. And we have bought. So we are leaving Parry Sound for Peterborough - on July 10th.

The studio has become "purge central", mostly because it is next to the basement, which needs the most purging, but also because there is a good sorting table. And this is what the "chaos before the order" looks like. I have a pile to move, a pile to shred, a pile to get rid of. And a pile for "I don't know what pile to put this in yet".  There is also a spreadsheet on the computer to remind me where I put everything.

Because much of what is on the table was packed up and moved here 5 years ago - and never looked at again - I went through two big rubbermaid bins marked "Office Supplies" to see what was really in there. Enough printer paper and three hole punched paper that I will never have to buy again. That missing box of #10 envelopes I couldn't find. Four boxes of staples - and the four staplers. Several trips down memory lane including finding my kids' immunization records - they are 32 and almost 29. Also a Christmas tin full of cassettes, despite the fact that we have nothing to play cassettes on anymore. So, I do believe that this purge will all be worth it in the end.

To try to maintain a bit of balance, I am allowing myself a bit of hooking time in the early mornings, before I get down to work. I just bring my coffee in here, along with my blinders, and sit for a bit. On my frame right now is a sign - lettering is all done - just a show binding left to do and it will be ready to give as a gift.

The good news at the end of all of this is there is another studio space waiting on the other end of the move!!! And the good news/bad news is that the day after we move, I go to set up a classroom to teach a Wide Cut class during Rug Hooking Week (July 13-17) in the Summer Arts Program at Loyalist College.  If you go to look, scroll down the page and you will find the information on the right hand side.