Thinking Blogger Award

Kristen awarded me the Thinking blogger Award. While it has taken me awhile to post this on my blog and write about it, I was really glad. I don’t think I have ever really shared my writing in any meaningful way beyond letters to friends, essays at school and my thesis. Receiving Kristen’s Thinking Blogger Award made me feel like I had achieved something.

I started this blog, because:

  1. I needed to jumpstart my quiltmaking work after a long drought of time and ideas. I figured if I had an audience of regular readers, it would help me to keep at sewing and writing.
  2. It was a regular opportunity to write for a reason: I was gearing to up to write something longer and needed to “train.”
  3. I wanted to share what I was doing, including pictures, so that I could get feedback without joining a quilt group.
  4. I wanted to chronicle my progress.
  5. I wanted to explore one subject thoroughly.
  6. I like the concept of social networking and the technologies associated with it.
  7. I wanted to show that an ordinary person could also do extraordinary things sometimes.

I did not start this blog to:

  1. Blather on about my personal problems
  2. To talk about the entire universe of ideas and information.

Part of the Award is to make note of other blogs that inspire me or make me think. Here they are in no particular order:

  1. Yarnstorm creates a beautiful blog. The design of the blog itself is a work of art. Then I get the joy of looking at her photos and her projects and her color sense. It is fresh and well written. Her photographs celebrate the ordinary [work of women]. I especially like this post.
  2. Jan at Be*mused has a wonderful sense of design. Her photographs are little works of art. They really exemplify her sense of color. Her title looks like the Bewitched logo from a zillion years ago. An example of her fabulous color sense is in this post. I also like the photos she posts about projects that inspire her, which she follows up with examples of her interpretation.
  3. Red Shoe Rambling. I admire Deb’s perseverance in posting every day; she committed to doing it and she does it. She also has gorgeous photos. They are really different from Be*mused and Yarnstorm. I love the ones she posts of nature. I also appreciate her bravery in posting photos of when she was a kid!
  4. I really like Laume’s Studio, because she describes her projects and thoughts about them. Again, she posts wonderful photos. Laume looks at the world the way I do. She posts pictures of patterns that she sees in her daily life, such as this post about the photo of fence.
  5. I supposed I could have chosen more than 5, but in sticking with the rules, I decided to only choose 5. It was difficult, because there are a lot of bloggers I admire: Deirdre (love the tabs on her blog and she always reads my blog. Also, she is a master painter), High Fiber Content (Julie is fearless in trying new things. Her blog is also a great chronicle of all the various projects in her life), Fibermania (Melody Johnson is so consistent and cheerful in her posting), I chose Pamdora’s Box, because of her drawings and her sense of humor.

You can read Kristen’s post about my blog is here. You can find out about the Thinking Blogger Award in general here.

CPS Writes Tips for Creative Sketchbooks

This is the e-mail newsletter that Cloth Paper Scissors sends out. I am including it here to give you another resource for creative sketchbooks and journals. If you want more information go to the Cloth Paper Scissors website.

In This Issue
Sketchbook Tips
The Buzz on “QATV”
Pre-Order Quilting Arts Gifts

Like what you see here?
Subscribe to Cloth Paper Scissors

to Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine!

On Sale Now
2-for-1 Calendar Offer

Join Our Mailing List
Fiber & Mixed-media Trends from Cloth Paper Scissors Issue 47

In this issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Embellishments, you’ll learn tips for keeping a sketchbook, news about “QATV”, and the latest on Quilting Arts Gifts.

Tips for Keeping Sketchbooks

journal

In the most recent issue of Cloth Paper Scissors, Jean Littlejohn shared her process for making sketchbooks from recycled, otherwise unwanted books. Here are some tips for starting your own creative sketchbook:

  1. There are no rules. Your sketchbook can be formal or informal, a pastiche of ideas or a whole work based on a theme.
  2. Prepare your pages ahead of time. Start with a recycled book like Jean, put a color wash on white pages, or doodle in the borders. Anything to get over being intimidated by a blank page.
  3. Carry your sketchbook with you. You never know when inspiration will strike.
  4. Include a glue stick, a permanent marker, and watercolor pencils with your sketchbook, as well.
  5. Record the mundane as well as the profound. Beauty is often found in the simple moments of life.

The following books can also help you create your own special sketchbook:

Do You Hear the Buzz?

book

Many of your favorite fiber artists joined Patricia Bolton last week to shoot episodes of the upcoming “Quilting Arts TV” show that taped in Cleveland. The Internet was buzzing as Lesley Riley, Frances Holliday Alford, Judy Coates Perez, Pam Rubert, and others blogged about their experiences. Patricia also taped segments with other talented artists you’ve seen in Quilting Arts Magazine, including Natalya Aikens, Laura Cater Woods, Jane Dunnewold (pictured here, with Patricia), Robbi Joy Eklow, Wendy Richardson, Susan “Lucky” Shie, Tracy and Allison Stillwell, Shelly Stokes, Beryl Taylor, Mary Ann Tipple, and Elin Waterston, plus many other creative people from the quilting world.

To read Patricia’s take and see more photos, visit the Editor’s Blog.

Don’t Miss Quilting Arts Gifts

bookOur special Gifts issue has gone to press, and it’s a winner, loaded with projects, patterns, and a list of the latest must-have gadgets that you’ll enjoy for the holidays and beyond.

You still have time to pre-order and take advantage of the special pre-order discount. Quilting Arts Gifts is available by pre-order and on select newsstands only.

For more events, projects, challenges, and new and exciting mixed-media products and books, visit our website, ClothPaperScissors.com. If you are a current subscriber of Cloth PaperScissors® Magazine, or if you place a subscription/renewal order with an order, you will receive 10% off our retail prices on all your purchases (excluding subscription orders and renewals).

Sincerely,


Cate Coulacos Prato

Features Editor, Cloth Paper Scissors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am still thinking about creative journals/sketchbooks. The Darling Child draws or plays his clarinet each evening before he starts playing his hand-held devices. It is much easier to create a new habit with someone else, so I have decided to draw at the same time he does each evening. Even if it is just 5 minutes, it is a start. There are lots of ideas for drawing/visual ideas swirling around in my mind, so I have to make a start. We’ll see how it workss.