Last Week

Last week I was lucky enough to be at Girl's-Week-Out in Kaua'i with my dear friends Mary and Linda. The top two photos are the view I got to see every day. Kaua'i is incredibly beautiful and we had a great time. I took tons of inspirational photos, we'll see where they lead.

Day Two

These three photos were taken on the afternoon of May 6th in the space of about 40 minutes that started with an almost clear sky. We were lulled into a false sense of well-being during the day because the winds were blowing away from Santa Barbara during the day and the smoke could barely be detected in the sky. At about 3:30 pm an incredible windstorm blew in and everything changed.

I left this location at the office where I work and went home (six blocks toward the smoke you see here) through 60 mph wind gusts laden with smoke and huge hunks of ash raining down. It was 95 degrees before the windstorm and the temperature steadily rose during. These winds pushed the fires into the residential areas of the foothills above Santa Barbara, so homes have been lost once again. Not nearly as many as in the Tea Fire, but similar conditions are expected again today so anything could happen despite the increased air support coming in to fight the fires from the air today.

It is Thursday morning, day three. Our car is packed and we are home despite being under evacuation orders. We are watching news reports and observing conditions and are ready to leave at a moment's notice. Thanks to everyone who has called to offer concern, support, and a place to go if we have to leave. We are grateful for our friends and families always, but especially appreciate your support now.

Once Again

Once more, there is a wildfire in the hills behind Santa Barbara. This fire is in the unburned area between what burned during last July's Gap Fire and last November's Tea Fire. And once again, we are under a high wind warning. For the past few days the temperatures have been in the 70s until near sundown when the wind kicks up and the temperature rises. No homes have burned in this Jesusita fire yet, but there is a large mandatory evacuation area. It will be another long night in Santa Barbara.

Fiberart For A Cause Finale

Virginia Spiegel is ending Fiberart For A Cause following this final Collage Mania sale which starts today. The works are donated by artists to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. I have been involved since the first postcard sale, not long after my father died of cancer, and have been thrilled to see how much money has been raised by those who love fiberarts. I don't have a piece in this sale, but I'm going off now to make a purchase!

Collage Mania, a Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American CancerSociety, opens today (Tuesday, May 5) at 10 a.m. CDT. There is an officialclock on the first page of Collage Mania, a Fiberart For A Cause fundraiser for the American CancerSociety, opens today (Tuesday, May 5) at 10 a.m. CDT. There is an official clock on the first page of collages:http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CM2009Collages1.html

Choose from 383 fiberart collages (many of them small art quilts) donated by161 artists from around the world. Each artwork is finished or mounted to8x10". Today's minimum donation to the American Cancer Society is $80; the minimum donation drops to $40 on May 6 and 7. All the details on how to acquire collages is here:http://www.virginiaspiegel.com/CollageMania09Directions.html

Our goal is to raise at least $20,000 for the ACS in just three days. Thank you for your support!

A New Purse

Well, I figured it was time for me to post something to this blog despite the fact that I have not been doing very much creatively lately, so here's my new purse. That's right, I am now carrying a rubber chicken purse. I have always liked things that are a bit whimsical and I think this fits the bill. I just crack up every time I look at it. My sister once told me she wasn't going to be seen with me when I bought some polka-dot rain boots, looks like she'll have to avoid me again!

Time Sure Flies ....

I was shocked to see how long it has been since I posted anything to this blog! I would have sworn it was only about a month! I sure hope I was having fun during that time that was flying by.

The only things I've completed in fabric are the postcards above. It was very hard to photograph the President Barack Obama card because one of the things I did was attach the photo with gel medium and a stiff brush to show the brush marks, but the glossy gel caused reflection in the photo and partially obscures the face. I didn't get a chance to get a better photo before the card went on to its new home.

I'll be back with something before three more months go by!

Faces

Today, after the Fibervision business meeting, member Rene Jennings led a fantasy faces workshop. She wanted to make this last workshop of 2008 easy and fun and she certainly succeeded. Rene brought all the supplies and gave us basic instructions, encouraging us to relax and just play with the prepared fabrics. Thanks, Rene, we had a great time. I think mine is going to need a neck and some shoulders though, right now it kind of looks like a skeletal floating pirate head (perhaps I am still under the influence of my earlier Halloween post).

Mary Norton gave me permission to post a photo of her face, too. Love those eyelashes!