short story sunday

The sun felt heavy, weighted. She tipped over on her side, feeling the grass struggle against her weight. Margaret always lined herself up with the opening in the fence. It seemed more logical that way. She imagined that if a camera looked down at her from above, her placement in the grass would appear as a neat piece of a grid. The idea of it satisfied.

She reached out her hand and pressed it between the blades of green. The scar that stretched sleepily across her palm looked nearly transparent in the daylight. Sometimes it felt like it itched but she knew that wasn't possible. Still, when her mind traveled back to that day the skin around it tightened and she would rub it mindlessly.

She shut her eyes and rolled onto her back, letting the day color the insides of her eyelids a rosy pink orange. And she waited.

Margaret waited. For that moment that she was promised. In the meantime this field would do, she thought as she drifted off into a mid day dream.






Short Story Sunday is a series of mini stories based on random photos. They are quick, spontaneous flashes of abstract fiction.

skelly winners!

Today is the day.

Skelly plushie winners have been selected for the skelly seeks a new home giveaway. Cathy is here visiting for the weekend and I enslaved her by forcing her to write down everyone's name who left a comment on a slip of paper and then drawing three names at random. (I know I could have use the Random Number Generator online but this was far more fun to make her do it.)

So without further ado, here are the winners!

Kim Hambric
Karen Newman Fridy
Merrie Jo

Congrats ladies! All you need to do now is send me a private email at FibraArtysta@earthlink.net with your color choice (see the photo below) and your snail mail address. I'll get the little buggers in the mail next week.


Many people have asked how I managed to get this biker to hold a pink skelly plushie:



So here's the story.

When we scheduled our Meet the Artists Afternoon for our no assembly required exhibit, we were smart enough to check the coffee shop's schedule to make sure we didn't interfere with any events they might be holding.

We did not, however, think to check the city's schedule. Murphy's law could not resist. It really was too good of an opportunity to pass up. We made the postcards, put the date down on 250 pieces of heavy cardstock and then found out that that was the same weekend as Plymouth's Chili Cookoff.

That alone doesn't sound like enough to turn the city into a mob scene but this seemed to do the trick:


A motorcycle show runs alongside the chili cook off and I'm pretty confident that every motorcycle in Michigan was crammed into the little downtown area. The bikes were everywhere, it was way cool.



I loved the furry little companion in this guy's sidecar:



I wish I had gotten a better shot but they were driving in front of me and I had to snap a shot when traffic was stopped. It was a beagle that felt the need to bark loud and proud all the way up Harvey street. He was having a good time.

I made the comment that it would be cool to find a biker to hold a skeleton. Someone suggested I just put one on a bike and snap a shot but I know better, you don't mess with motorcycles.

So Jackie and I struck out. We didn't go far before we spotted the gentleman in the photo above. Jackie got a shot of me asking him to hold one, I don't think he quite knew what to think at first:


But after he agreed, I asked him what color and he said "Give me the pink one, it needs to be toughened up."

So there you have it. The tale of the biker and the pink skelly plushie.

Oh and by the way? The biker does not come with the giveaway. Sorry guys...

its watching...

I realize that there are very few skeins of yarn on this planet that I do not love. Even if I don't buy it, I will pet it and coo over it and give it a little bit of baby talk to build its confidence (I don't want it to feel bad if its not coming home with me).

I have a healthy stash. I make no apologies about that. But lately I've noticed that the yarn is getting a little bit to comfy in my abode. Its small subtle things but I'm starting to feel intimidated by the little wooly beasts...

For example, the current scarf I'm crocheting refused to share the coasters with my coffee cup this morning:



I found a shawl that I'm knitting sunbathing in the morning light:



A bag full of random colors charged me when I walked into the spare room, demanding attention:



A different shawl decided to play with one of Dooley love's toys (notice the death grip the circular needle has on the poor plushie):



And then there is this little prima donna lace skein. I've been hesitant to knit with it because its so darn pretty so I usually just pet it. Apparently its decided it needs a special throne and has taken up residence in the milk glass Cathy gave me for my birthday:



I'm not real sure what to do about it. I mean, I love yarn. Its the comfort food of my fiber world. I get all zen like when I use it and its bonus points that I end up with something that I can use or give as a gift.

But this kind of behavior really can't be tolerated, just look at the plotting:


Perhaps I should threaten it with a trip through the washing machine on the hot cycle...

fellow thermofax artist interview

I've been hunkered down behind my computer for the past day and a half working on my first newsletter.

I've been tweaking things and adding photos and links until I just can't see straight anymore. One of the features of the newsletter is to introduce everyone who subscribes to it to a fellow thermofax screen artist.

These artists use thermofax screen printing prominently in their work. And I have to say, they make some pretty awesome stuff.

The interview in its entirety will be posted here on the blog three days before the newsletter is sent out to subscribers. Now I have a blog, a website, a facebook page, a facebook fan page and pretty much every available social media page I can keep up with.

And if you're here reading this then you already pay attention. Why bother subscribing to my newsletter as well? Because it includes coupons for the shop and tips and tricks for printing with thermofax screens that won't be posted anywhere else.

Interested? Then sign up here (please excuse the vast amount of spacing, the form got touchy and wouldn't let me add it any other way):

Fibra Artysta's Thermofax Screen Printing Newsletter

* indicates required

Email Address *

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I'm excited to say that the very first interview is with the talented Virginia Spiegel. Enjoy the interview and don't forget to sign up for the newsletter!

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Q: How did you discover thermofax screens?

Virginia : The Director of the art center in my little town in Nebraska had a collection of Thermofax machines as her Dad had worked in a public school who had discarded all their machines. She gifted one to me - nirvana!


Q: How long have you been using them?

Virginia : About ten years now.


Q: Do you only print fabric with them or do you use them on other surfaces?

Virginia : I mainly print fabric, including velvet, but I also print paper of all kinds, including archival tissue paper and rice paper.


Q: What is your favorite thing about using thermofax screens?

Virginia : They can be extremely detailed.

Once by Virginia Spiegel

Q: What's the weirdest thing you've screenprinted?

Virginia : Birch bark - not an experiment I would repeat.


Q: Would you say that using thermofax screens has added anything special to your artwork or changed the way you work?

Virginia : I am always thinking when I take photographs about what might make a good screen. Because I use my own photographs, drawings, or writings to make screens, screen printing adds another layer of "me" to all my artwork. I depend on screen printing to make the fabric I paint as my raw material in my art quilts something that appeals to me, and I would hope my patrons, on my many levels.


Q: Do you have any tips that you'd like to share?

Virginia : Don't feel as though you need to print the entire screen or that every print has to be perfect. It's the serendipitous and imperfect prints that I especially like.

Then and Now by Virginia Spiegel

Please visit Virginia's blog here.

And check out Virginia's book, Wild at the Edges: Inspiration from a Creative Life.

new class date at Nonpareil!

Jackie Lams at Northville Art House class

I'm really excited to announce a new class I'm teaching!

Please come join me at Nonpareil in Ann Arbor on November 6 from 10:30am-4pm.

Nonpareil is a new shop by the incredibly talented garment creator Michelle Moenssen. I'm incredibly honored to be teaching there and I do hope you will join me!

The class is Basic Screen Printing using Thermofax Screens. As it is an extended amount of time (usually the class is 3 hours and this one will be 5 hours), there will be plenty of time to work on projects. I'll also be doing a demo on printing t-shirts, printing on paper and composing art cloth.

So here's all the info and I'd love it if you would join me!

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When: Saturday November 6, 2010
Time: 10:30am - 4pm (there will be a 1/2 hour break for lunch)
Where: Nonpareil
Cost: $80 (includes one screen & one bottle of paint of your choice)

Register for class by contacting Nonpareil at 734-327-1837.

Class description: Learn four basic screen printing techniques that you can use to apply to your own projects. The class will cover solid printing, scuff printing (produces ghost images), clean repeat printing and multiple color printing. Students will have access to Lynn's extensive stash of screens to experiment with during class, and students will leave with a screen and bottle of paint. (Please visit Lynn's etsy shop PRIOR to class to choose your screen & paint color so she can have what you want. Screens cannot be made on site.)

As this class allows for extended work time, there will be tutorials on printing t-shirts, printing on paper and composition of art cloth.

Supply list: 100% cotton fabric (4-6 yards - bring fabric that has color and prints, white fabric is fun but color fabric gives more exciting results!), any projects you'd like to print on (t-shirts, tote bags, heavy weight paper, etc.), garbage bag to cover the table and 1" or 1.5" wide sponge brushes (10-12)

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Hope to see you there! And if you are interested in scheduling a class with me, please give a holler, I'd love to join you! :)

where i stand sunday

Its that odd kind of perforated contrast between the cold temperatures and sunlight. The light comes in at a heavier angle, casting dusk shadows even in the first half of the day. Its the weight of the year closing down, a drowsiness marked by brilliant color and restless breezes.

Where I Stand is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell. (The project is now in Year Three. Year One and Year Two can be found here.)

little man in action

I still plan to do my regular sunday post but I've been goofing around with the video camera on my new ipod and felt the need to do the super geeky thing of posting a badly filmed video of little man.

I've been quite happy with my 2nd gen ipod touch for a long time. I always said I wouldn't upgrade unless they put a camera in a new version.

And they did.

So I did.

But they did one better and put in video capability as well. I've found that Dooley does not flee from the ipod so I'm able to take photos of him easier (he hates my camera). I wondered about the video camera too.

He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. But you can see his cuteness in all his glory. I post photos of him constantly and thought it might be nice to prove that he is indeed real and not a robot (as Leann once suggested).

I must put up a disclaimer, though. I talk several octaves higher and in a little bit of baby talk when I speak to him. (He is my baby after all.) I know I'm not alone on this but I felt the need to warn you.

Without further ado, I show you little main in action:

little man bouncing around from Lynn Krawczyk on Vimeo.

skelly seeks new home giveaway

I have stuffed screened skellys overtaking my studio. They are mischievous when they travel in packs. I went in there yesterday and found all of my scissors strung together like garland stretching across the room. Of course, since they are short it was only raised off the floor about eight inches.

I came to the realization that I need to get some of them new homes (help spread the terror) and since Halloween is just around the corner, it seemed like a good time to do it.

(This biker was able to tame the pink one.)

So here's the deal. Leave me a comment on this blog post (with a way to get in touch with you, if I can't email you to get your mailing info, I won't include you in the drawing. And no anonymous comments.) to get a chance to win not one, not two but three skellies!

Since they have a fiesty pack mentality, three skellies aren't going to one person - three people have a chance to win! You can choose your own color too.

The winners will be chosen on Friday October 22, 2010 by random pull out of the hat kind of drawing.

(from left to right: light pink, blue, green, purple, yellow, white.
See my etsy store for better photos of the colors.)

Please, take them away. I found them doing this on Sunday during my art opening:

So leave a comment and get a chance to win your own skelly!

guest blogger at Subversive Stitchers blog

I'm very honored to be a guest blogger again over at the fabulous Dawn Goldsmith's blog, Subversive Stitchers.

Please stop by and check it out!

printed project sunday - skelly plushie tutorial

I love plushies. I love screen printing. And I L-O-V-E Halloween. (When I rule the world, it shall be Halloween every day. Like Groundhog Day, only a constant stream of sugar OD and people dressed up strangely in bizarre costumes. Sounds fun, doesn't it?)

I pondered, especially since today's post is supposed to be a Printed Project Sunday post. I thought that maybe it would be fun to combine my three loves and this sunday post into a craft tutorial project.

Without further ado, I bring you the skelly plushie (and the directions on how to make your very own):




This plushie is made using the skelly duo screen designed by Leann Meixner. I split the design into two individual skellies. I experimented with printing them when they were on the same screen and it was bit torturous so I thought I'd make it easier on all of us.

And if you aren't inclined to make one of your own, head on over to my etsy shop and pick one of them up all ready to go!

Before we get started, let me get the business end of this out of the way. These are fun to make. Give them for gifts for halloween instead of candy (gift giving does not require a license fee). BUT if you want to make them to sell, please remember that there is a one time $25 license fee in order for you to be able to do so. And give Leann credit as the designer, she rocks and the whole world should know it.

Okay, now that that's done, let's get to it!

Step 1

I chose to print my skellies on black cotton but you can certainly print on any color fabric you like. When I make plushies, I cut the fabric in one hunk and I always cut way more then I need (traumatic events of not enough fabric for seam allowances have ensued and it ain't a pretty thing). For the skellies, I cut a 14" wide x 10" high piece of black cotton.



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Step 2

Screen the skelly in your paint color of choice.





I tried the neon paints on the black and they didn't work well. The colors that I used for the ones shown here and in my etsy shop were screened with the colors milk, envy, banana peel, strawberry shake, blue hawaii and fairytale.


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Step 3

Heat set your skelly completely before moving on to the sewing stage. (I like to heat set on the opposite side of the fabric I print on.)




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Step 4

Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and pin to keep it from shifting during sewing. If you can't see your print through the fabric, baste around it with a contrasting thread in large stitches so you know where to sew. Do this before you pin right sides together.




Drag your plushie over to your sewing machine and begin sewing around the edges of the printed design. I sewed about half an inch around the outline and just went with it, I didn't worry about making it perfect. When you look at the ones in the shop, you'll see that each one is different, a little quirky and totally individual.





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Step 5

I usually sew my plushies completely shut and then cut a slit on the backside for turning and stuffing.



If you don't like that option, leave an opening in the seam during sewing to use to turn and stuff your skelly.

Trim away excess fabric and clip any curves to ease turning your skelly right side out:



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Step 6

Stuff your skelly. You'll be shocked how much polyfill you can cram into this little plushie. Keep going until you're happy with the level of stuffiness. If you like firm solid plushies, stuff a lot. If you prefer squishy, don't use as much.



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Step 7

Hand sew shut the turning/stuffing opening. I like to use a size 8 perle cotton. Feels sturdier to me.




You can clean up stray polyfill fibers with some scotch tape.

Since I cut open the back, I put my label over it to hide it.




And there you have it! A skelly ready to do your bidding!



And what exactly do skellies enjoy doing? Here are a few examples.

They try to blend in with other chachkis:



They enjoy traveling to parties in packs:



They like to be hugged:

That's Leann!

They enjoy sunbathing in public spaces:



They make bikers look tough:


Don't delay! Make yourself a gaggle today! Or swing on by the shop and pick one up to hang out with.

the return of the happy things project

At the beginning of the year, I started a daily photo essay called the 365 happy things project.

The goal is to post a photo everyday of something that made me smile. In other words, taking the time to pause and appreciate the little things that surround us everyday, the ones that we tend to walk past without really seeing.

I decided to put the project on hiatus in mid august when things got hectic, expecting only to take a couple of weeks off. It turned out to be far longer then that. Today I started posting again with this photo:


Please visit the project's blog to see why I decided to post it there and I hope you will follow along as we keep marching along to a total of 365 happy things! :)

new video tutorial - how to wash out a screen

One of most common questions I receive from my customers is: How do I wash out my thermofax screen?

I started writing out a tutorial and then decided that was just silly when I could make a little video and show you how I do it. I realize not everyone does things the same way but this method works really well for me.

So now my question is this: What is a question that you really need answered about thermofax screens that you would like to see a video for? Let me know and I'll work on putting one together!

You can see all the instructional videos I've created so far on my YouTube channel.

Enjoy the new video and I hope you find it helpful!

the recipe

Do you have someone in your life that is relatively happy? Have you ever wondered how you could go about instilling a good strong phobia in him/her? After all, normalcy is pretty boring - let's jazz things up!

I've got a sure fire way to go about it. In the next two minutes I'll explain to you a guaranteed recipe for making sure that the human of your choice joins the ranks of millions who daily enjoy the splendor of Insectophobia - the glamorous irrational fear of anything that can fly, has multiple appendages and crawls at an unreasonable speed (usually across your skin).

So let's get to it!


Ingredients:

• 1 human (usually one below the four foot mark works best)

• an influential visual (a movie scene such as this one from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is a prime example)

• a sibling or friend who finds bugs humorous/fun/an excellent torture device

• a location where the human lives/works/frequents that is a natural habitat for a variety of bugs that would prefer to live somewhere else and thus flock to humans whenever possible

• nightly reports on the news concerning bug epidemics and the extreme measures it takes to remove them from the household (bonus points if they can cause bites, rashes and general terror)

• larger humans to mock the smaller one about squealing and fleeing upon the sighting of a bug

Directions:

• Expose small human to movie/magazine/traumatic event more then once. You must do this with regular frequency. Also consider applying bugs to small human's arm and feet so that the feel of multiple bug feet against their skin is clear.
  

• Suggestions for bug trauma exercises: moths (they make audible bumping sounds against walls so this adds to the terror), centipedes (the speed at which they attack is extraordinary which will cause the bug phobic human to panic because regular fleeing methods do not apply), and spiders (bonus points if you add them to something that will be drank or eaten).

• Leave bug phobic human to fend for themselves when encountering new creepy species. Show no concern. Instead, laugh and point and tell them to "pull up their big girl panties." This statement is even more effective when speaking to a male.

• Make sure you recount tales of embarrassing encounters to anyone who will listen. While bugs do not react to humiliation, the phobic person will and this will lead to funny noises escaping from them during a distressing encounter as they work like hell to compose themselves.

Successful installment of bug phobia depends largely on how susceptible the human is. Don't be distressed if your first attempts does not take. Instead, view it as a challenge. Pretend that you are an older brother with a little sister and the glee that is felt at the right of being allowed to torture said sister. Its important to be persistent. And experiment with your methods! Variety is the spice of life!

I hope you are inspired to give it a shot. And don't forget, just because some people flee in terror at the site of this, doesn't mean you can't have fun with it.

Enjoy!



This helpful tutorial was written by Lynn Krawczyk, a lifelong bug phobic who is forced to encounter these little $#@&^% on a daily basis. A recent attack of box elder bugs gushing through an open window in her studio has cracked her, she now sits in the corner of her bedroom drooling, rocking and recounting easier times when her mommy would crush bugs for her without being asked.

down time

I've had a little bit of trouble getting myself back in gear after the Two Deadlines. (Yes, they deserve capital letters.) I have much to tend to but the adrenaline flow has left the building and I find myself puttering more then doing.

Not a bad thing, we all need some rest but it makes for dreadful blogging. Instead I thought I'd show it to you in photos:

"no assembly required" is hung. Up. For all to view. I've had nightmares of things coming loose from the boxes and impaling customers in the head. Since the police have not showed up my door yet with a warrant, I figure I'm doing good.

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I turned this train wreck:


into this:

And no, I did not shove everything into the hallway for the photo. Its actually cleaned up and functional again.


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I knat on the never ending shawl:



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I admired my dog:



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I stitched:



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I read while the westie napped:





I'm determined to get back to work today. I've got etsy orders to fill and class samples to make and new screens to get in the shop.

Down time is good. Especially when you've go so many pleasant distractions to help pass the time.

short story sunday

Helen couldn't help glancing down the stairs. The wind was pushing hard against the building, making the open doorway bop grumpily against the stone holding it open. Her mind crawled slowly across the events of the past week, no longer wishing to keep the thoughts tethered to a leash.

That was the danger of it all really, of letting yourself go. There just wasn't any telling where you'd end up. Maybe here, sitting in this chair, in the dark, not listening to the thing you came to hear.

It was easier then she thought it would be. When you've been something for so many years, its hard to imagine pulling things apart and letting them just lay on the floor like that. But she did it. And now she kept stepping on parts of herself, wondering how she was going to find the thread to sew them back together.

There was that wind again. And the door. Thump, thump, thump. Like some strange jazz band that couldn't pull it together. But the building was solid. It could stand up against the uncertainty of the storm.

She could feel herself leaking slowly down the hallway, peeking shyly around the wood of the door. The time had come to get a move on, spill out completely and begin again.






Short Story Sunday is a series of mini stories based on random photos. They are quick, spontaneous flashes of abstract fiction.