Hello,
This photo is an example of the marks of wear and tear on the local pavement that winter seems to inflict. The pot wholes this year are big ones.
Why should we all use our creative power? Because there is nothing that makes people so generous, joyful, lively, bold and compass ate , so indifferent to fighting and the accumulation of objects and money . Brenda Upland
I find this quote a very powerful one and I really believe it to be true. Creating takes us out of ourselves in a way and makes one feel more alive. I know I lose track of time when I am working and I have heard others say similar things. When one is building something the mind will not allow you to consider destruction. What a different world we would be living in if everyone was creating!
FAB meant this week and we all enjoyed each others company. Patti showed off her die cutting press this time. She gave me these three little fabric birds. Judy was working on yet another sweater. This one is red with great patterns on it.
I finished my entries for the 6X6 show in Rochester and I mailed them out on Tuesday. I always have such fun doing these little works that the gallery sells for $20.00 each as there fund raiser every spring.
I tried ice dyeing with ice cubes out of the freezer this week. I had heard about this and it means one can work all year long. I will do my own comparison study.
Progress Report:Coastal Colors III This work is 20” X 16” .I am enjoying the building process that goeson with these pieces. In this case I felted to begin with and then I built up layers of yarn, silk paper ribbon and fabric bits on top. I added a layer of batting before I started the stitching on this one to help it stay flat before the stretching.
The stitching adds even more dimension to the surface.
The work seems to grow under the needle as I work on it. I like the textures too.
Trickle This work is also a felt built up piece. It is only 12” X 12”. I used a heavy wool for the base of this one and built up the felting on top again. There is no extra batting in this work and I think that because of the heavy wool. It stretched out nice and flat. 
I plan to do two more using this technique and size. Then I want to experiment with cotton fabric for the base of the felting and see how much distortion I get using that fabric as my base. 
Circling Circles
I am to the quilting stage of this project. I have finished all the circle quilting and I am now working on the wavy part. It is a nice contrast to the open circles.
Parts I can see the end of this project now too. I have all of the camera parts stitched to the surface and I am now doing the embellishment part of this project.
New Work This is not really new work as it is the second half of a piece I cut up. I thought I had an idea for how to finish it. So after studying it for a while I started working by building up a bit of Angelina to use with it. 
The Angelina suggested black berries to me. My mind went off on that direction. I made some vines to put on top and then I would add the black berries…….. But it was too much of a good thing and so I have dropped this top back to the unfinished pile and started a new work.
Briare Patch This is the result. The vines are the arched units. They are stitched to wash away now. T
he new base is not completed yet and it is under the vine unit. I have learned to go with the flow of the work , so this will grow from the idea. Next week there will be more.
Label Block 41 One more block is complete and I am just pushing forward on this project.
Keep Creating
Carol