j-e-t-s

I got back late last night from the NBAA convention in Atlanta. It was an overwhelming experience -- two convention halls full of nothing but airplanes and everything having to do with them. I had a chance to speak to a lot of people about jet windows and passed out a ton of business cards. I even got to check out some of my competition -- not one of them displayed a perfectly repaired window! Great for me. While I won't normally write too much about my business, it was an energizing and highly motivational trip. I'm glad I went.







What do sheep have to do with jet airplanes? I'm not sure, but it made me laugh when I was very, very tired. How those women running around everywhere in 3-inch heels lasted three full days of convention floor walking I'll never know.

time away

I'm going to a jet convention for a few days, so I don't know when I'll get a chance to post again. I thought I'd share some of my favorite projects -- starting with one I recently finished for Tim's birthday.






It started innocently -- as most of my crazy art projects do. We'd been to a Stitch N' Pitch night at a Devil Rays' game where I taught Tim to knit. We got some really cool yarn and needles among other fun goodies, so I thought I'd use that to knit a little 29 stich-by-29 row card front (Tim just grudgingly turned 29, and I wanted to poke fun at his obvious youth.) Well, I thought it'd look more square-ish, but it turned out long and narrow and too small to do anything with. So I decided to double the stitches to 58 and keep the 29 rows. This way I could turn it into a book. Once I finished I realized I couldn't put paper pages inside since they would rip too easily. So I cut out fabric pages and sewed them in. After all that, I didn't want to just write on the fabric pages. Instead I embroidered one word onto each page to write out a birthday message. I topped it off by wire-bending a 29 for the front of the card and adding a glass button as a clasp.



I got a chance to re-learn knitting and work on my metal work and embroidery skills. In the end, I love the way it turned out. And so did Tim.

stencil t-shirts

I got ambitious last night -- well, that Georgia/Bama game kept me energized -- so I decided to try the freezer-paper stencil T-shirts. I can't believe how easy it was! I read all about them on blogs and through Craftster, so I had a decent idea on what to do. In the end I combined all the different ideas to make up my own directions. Here's what I did:



First I drew a simple design based on an image I loved from Martha Stewart Kids magazine. Then I transferred it onto freezer paper, which I found in the wax paper/foil aisle of Publix. You can also create/import images into Photoshop and print them onto the freezer paper. Just make sure the design is relatively simple -- and that the shiny side of the paper is NOT the side you draw/print on since that is what bonds to the shirt.


Then I used a very sharp blade to cut out the image I wanted to paint. I put the stencil where I wanted it on the shirt AND added a piece of freezer paper (shiny side up) inside the shirt to act as a stiffening agent -- so I didn't have to use cardboard or paper on the inside. The bonus was it kept the shirt very rigid for painting. I ironed the two pieces of freezer paper to the T-shirt using a medium-high dry setting. Then I was ready for paint!


This was the hardest part for me -- waiting for the paint to dry! I used simple fabric paint (cheap from Michael's) and a foam brush. The important thing to remember about this step is to dab not brush so the paint has less chance to get under the stencil. I used three coats of paint (which may have been too much) since I wanted a bright yellow. I let the paint dry overnight and used some drying time to create and cut out my fabric embellishments.


After peeling the stencil off -- carefully! -- I sewed on embellishments and heat-set the whole design. I think the shirt is adorable. I'm already making plans for my next stencil T-shirt. The only bad part of freezer-paper stenciling is that you can't reuse the stencils -- although I sort of like the idea of one-of-a-kind creations.

simple pleasures

Life is good. Chocolate pudding (with the skin!) is better. I'm spending the evening hemming new gray pants and watching SEC football -- go Georgia! If I get really ambitious I may start that freezer-paper stencil T-shirt I've been dying to try out. There are probably better ways to spend the last night of summer, but as of right now I'm hard pressed to think of any.

saying good-bye is never fun

Tonight I said good-bye to a friend, fellow activist, & neighbor. John got a job in Portland, and he's moving there next week. Larry is staying for now to put the house on the market. I will miss them dearly. They live on the next block over, and I love to walk Madeleine there just to stare at their amazing garden. John and Larry encouraged me to get more involved with the Labor Party and the fight for HR 676 -- single-payer health care for all. Listening to their experiences encourages me to do more.

I suppose I should be used to this. After all, Gainesville is a college town so transient by nature. But even after 25 years here I just can't get used to saying good-bye. I'm thrilled for John and Larry. I know fabulous adventures await them on the west coast. Good luck. I'll miss you both.

AND ... check out this great shirt Joe gave him as a going away gift. Go Gators!

welcome

Welcome to pen loves paper.

Through this blog I intend to share some of my projects, designs that inspire me, & snippets about my life. What does that mean exactly? Well, I might write about the painting I'm currently working on for my living room, freezer-paper stencil t-shirt designs I thought up at a theatre benefit this weekend, or my recently resurrected obsession with the amazing vocal stylings of Franklin Bruno.

I've been encouraged by many people -- and so many blogs I love to read -- to share my ideas through this online project. I hope you find inspiration whenever you visit.