Giveaway and Book Review

 The winner is Claudia! I drew names, and only wish I had one for each of you. I will be checking out your fave authors for my next books, and stay tuned for more giveaways coming soon from me!!

Thank you to Frances Dowell for the opportunity to discover your storytelling. I was sent this book to preview and enjoyed it very much.  My friend Mary who used to work for the Library of Congress, and after retirement worked as school librarian for her son's school, bought Ms Dowell's  books for young adults, was happy to hear she was writing for adults.
I'm not a professional critic, just a happy reader who knows what she likes.
Here goes...

 Review:

 I woke up this morning missing the characters in Frances O'Roark Dowell's  new novel Birds in the air. 
I found this lighthearted book easy to read.
 
 I love a "slice of life" book and I found myself immersed in this  modern day story.
 The characters  are so real and developed I began to think of them as friends and actually miss them today!  I want to know what they are doing now.

 I relate to the main character Emma. A writer who discovers the love of quilting and longs to belong in her new town. I have been in a similar situation.
 The dialogue and story line are real and engaging and quilters will love being reminded of their introduction to quilt making.

 I want to know more. Frances, please stop what you're doing and go write.
 Stop eating, sleeping, and watching tv, and go write another story for us to enjoy!

This is the author's response to my review... 

" ... the book comes out September 24th. Have we talked about doing a give away? If you want to hold off until the 24th and offer a give-away, I’ll mail a book directly to the winner"

So there you have it, a chance to win a copy of this novel. Hot off the presses. 

In order to win a copy simply leave a comment below. Entertain me... tell me about an author you enjoy so much you've read just about everything they've written. 
I keep a sort of account of books I've read since starting the blog on my book review page here 

I'll start... I've read all the books by: Maeve Binchy &  Rosamund Pilcher and a few others
I've read most books by:  Diana Gabaldon, Rhys Bowen, Sara Dunnant
I have read many books by  Laura Child, Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux (Oh! a Knight in shining armor... ) 
I am reading as fast as I can several other series and love to read.... how about you? 

I'll choose a winner , probably a drawing to be fair, and the author, Frances Dowell will send you a new book to read. Closing date for entry will be Sept 26th. 
Make sure to leave an email address
Good luck and thank you for reading my words each week.  






 

Finding the Muse

Let's discuss what inspires us to make art. I will call this segment Finding the Muse and hopefully do a post each Thursday on finding inspiration.

As far back as my memories go, I have loved the written word. I read.

Books are little adventures and teachers, carrying me off to new places. The library is one of my favorite places.

At any given time I have a novel (often a cozy mystery) for bedtime reading, and non fiction for daytime reading. Today I finished the book...

I plan to further explore writing this year. I am already writing every day, either a short story or a personal glimpse into my life.

This book on writing was so well done, that I wanted to stop reading every few pages and go write a story. So I did. Then I ordered the book from Amazon, as it may be one of my go-to inspirations.
I love going to the library as it's like shopping for free, but sometimes one wants to have the book always at the ready, no?



One day while on a walk with my wee family of three, I saw a scene that prompted an oral story that had dh chuckling.
It didn't come out quite so funny days later but here it is:
     The Tree had a Splinter
As we passed a massive Oak tree on our walk, I swear I heard it call to me.  It's people had pushed a large metal rod into it's side, and hung a planter full of flowers from it.
Pretty I suppose.
I felt sorry for the tree. I imagined it saying...
"Hey! I think I have a splinter. Something hurts. Could one of you other trees reach a limb over here and pull it out?"
"Sorry man! Can't reach you but you do have something in there" said the elm
"In that case could you send a squirrel over? They have great hands and I've seen them chew through many a garbage can. Thanks!" 

I tell you that story because that's the way I think.
My imagination is always on.
 It entertains me, and often my husband.
So where do I find the Muse? I think she's always there.

Back to reading. One of the things I like a lot is a magazine. I love Country Living for one.  One day my husband said he got an offer for $5 subscriptions to magazines, so I ordered four and now I feel rich. Every month I get little written gifts in the mail! As I look through a magazine, I pull out what speaks to me
 (as directed by the Muse, lol)
such as, these clippings, the sofa pic for color (coral and yellow with dabs of blue) and the composition.

This one is just lovely.
It called to me first because of the intense red and sort of turquoise blue. I pull pics that speak to me quickly without thinking too much of why.
After I am finished with the magazine I look thru the pulled images to see why they interested me, and make a notation.
I wanted to remember the mix of blues and greens that made up this background. That can be used with paint or fabric later.


Look closer, the proportions of color are lovely too. Mostly the blue/green, but also red, dark brown, and white. Can't you see it in a quilt? Choosing a block where you mostly use a mix of blues/ greens with little accents of the other colors?
The horoscope told me I'd be writing more this year. Amazing! After I decided to spend the year writing I have gotten at least three messages about that from other sources.

I pulled the jewelry page because it gave me an idea for beading on fabric. The one on the right was for composition and well, magic. It's enchanting isn't it? I love the line, I see the dog, travel up each suitcase to the high heel, kicked back foot, to the kiss then stop at the Eiffel Tower. I may not do a painting of a kiss but I might stack something.

Two other books on the table. I'm kind of excited to do the exercises in both the Lettering and Faces books from our library. Better get to it as the library lends them for just a short time!

Mr Not Afraid of Color and I were discussing color while having coffee one morning. He got his Ph.d. in something related but distilled down to molecules of light and color. I asked him to share something of how he views color theory.
Wow!
And I thought I understood colors! And I do... for the way I use color.
He checked out this book from the library, (my scientist guy!) so he could build a bridge from his concepts to mine.

So that's it for today. Reading and writing are very inspirational to me. What have you read that inspired you to make art?

Learning is a good thing

Our sewing group took on the study of the book  
Inspirations in Design for the creative quilter (K.Masopust)
We decided there would be more of a chance of us actually doing the exercises if we did them together!

Laughter ensues.



We led each other through the first exercise after arranging the white items to be drawn. Oh yes we're artists despite no one wearing a beret and some of us drawing like a 4 year old (me)
We all had paper, pencils and mat corners with which to crop an image we liked.

We got through several sketch-without-looking-while-listening-to-jazz exercises and my personal  outcome?? well... I didn't love the process or the outcome on my sheet. I do like sketching especially in this setting where I am among friends who are too busy trying to keep up to judge my weird offerings.
When tired we took it in turns to move the items around the table.

Yeah that's why it isn't working, it's the arrangement!

After lunch, the weekly highlight of our meetings, we resumed looking at that white still life but this time only using squares and rectangles to interpret the scene.

Hold the presses!!

I like doing this! I LIKE my drawings and the process and what I see. Then we tried it with only triangles. I kind of liked the drawings but again found I liked the process.
Sometimes if it's new, and not so fun, if you just keep going it gets better! LeeAnna

like this post? Look to the labels for others on creativity and living the creative life! over there  =>

reading and watching

This book became a real learning tool for me. At first I kind of glanced through the first chapters and thought, well...it's not going to fit me.
 It was when I started doing some of the writing and drawing exercises that I began to make self discoveries. I decided early on to go through the book my way, with no pressure to actually do any exercises I thought were a waste of time. I chose to do about 12 exercises and am very happy with the outcome. I recommend the book if you are feeling stale, want a new way to approach creativity, or want to learn about you.
I also finished this last book written by Maeve Binchy. I love her style. She is so homey and her characters are so well rounded and likeable. The characters  tend to show up in  following books as well, like old friends. It all just fits, and is comfortable and full bodied and I am so sad that she has passed on. I have read all of her books. Two thumbs up.

I bought the new Quilters Travel Companion this weekend. I'm so excited because I never bought the previous edition and there have been too many quilt shop closings. 
I bought, shoot me now, old Studios magazines at our guild show. Like I need another magazine!! I didn't have this one...
Also reading about lowering stress with Dr. Brian Weiss, and a book by Brown on spirituality. All porch reading, along with...

Anne Fortier's latest book... yum, her Juliet was wonderfully engaging so I look forward to lovely prose, good story line and being so engrossed I don't notice the heat.

At night in bed I am reading The Alchemist and liking it although it may be too much of a parable to read when I am sleepy.

When not reading I like to check out dvds from the library. We are watching several series now...

Garrow's Law is based on a real lawyer in London in the 18th century and the characters are so well acted I get lost in it.  I love history.
We are well along in our systematic viewing of Midsomer Murders a BBC show. DH and I both love this one, with good acting and story lines but not overly violent.
Currently we can't get enough of Canadian Murdoch Mysteries, set in 1898 Toronto, detective show with terrific acting and plot lines, and the show tongue in cheek describes inventions you will recognize.
I am watching Hot in Cleveland. I never saw it on broadcast tv but it's HILARIOUS.
We are also very into modern day Vexed, BBC detective show that reminds me of Moonlighting. Maggie Smith's son is the lead actor, and really funny. Then there are the stacks of quilting books, bought, not read...

Can you relate?
What are you reading this summer?   LeeAnna

Book Festival 2013

 Oh! The Library of Congress National Book Festival was better than ever! Despite the afternoon rain, it was a wonderful day.

 So many people who love reading, all in one place!
So many fascinating authors and their stories!

The mall (the center green in DC) in DC was a wash of orange between free tote bags and Volunteer shirts, it was so colorful.

 This is an exhibit in the L of Congress tent, and we could write names of books that we feel changed the world. The fact is, books CAN change the world, and I just had to write in one, even though I agreed with the others. Gotta play along in life!

 This is a bit of the free treasure we took away. Thanks to LA for the mardi gras beads.  The real treasure was the incredible words and concepts offered in free talks by the authors.  I learned so much, and laughed much more than I expected.

The dessert for the day.
Hoda Kotb was charming, funny, entertaining, informative and most of all Real.

Authors take questions after their speeches, and Hoda had to contend with someone who appeared to be functioning in an alternate universe... and she did it with grace. We all realized early on that here was trouble, and it took security a long time to decide to approach the man.
I took many pictures, and would love to share them all but you get the idea.
One common theme among the enlightened speakers was the one dearest to my heart. "Connections"
Brad Meltzer, who was hysterically funny, shared some of his connection stories, as did Thomas Keneally.
It's about time to open my conncection project page. When the first quilt goes out, I will open the page to your connection stories, and we can all start to form a universal connection to each other.
Til, then, keep reading. LeeAnna

Creativity Books

Fred Babb's poster hangs on the wall in front of my cutting table. Right now the cutting table is covered in stuff. So much stuff from the last three projects, purchases, scraps friends have given me, papers, etc. Next to the cutting table at the moment is my movable folding table that is also cutting table height. I use it to support a large quilt when I baste it. Right now it's also piled high. There is stuff on the sewing table.
But wait we are discussing creativity, right?

I checked Cameron's latest book out of the library, and here's me thinking I'll actually read it and do the exercises. I never read the first one all the way, and bought the next one, never read it either. Basically she seems to be saying the same thing: write three pages each day, do something fun once a week and walk.







Really I need to be able to harness the ideas, to create the time to make all the projects I've planned over the years. To have a clear space in which to make the projects. There is a lot more to living the creative life than getting ideas.

   The books I've bought over the years and haven't read were on my list of things to do in 2013. I have opted to just make stuff so far, and haven't even cracked them open.

  Still, I think, I'll increase my already overflowing creative idea bank account if I just read all these books.




  I wonder if my books will  be like the Harry Potter Book of Monsters, so when opened the concepts will leap out, growling and grab me. One can only hope.

Right now they remain on my to-do list, but get pushed back. One of my presentations to guilds is on becoming more creative and that concept is always in the front of my mind.
I am growing aware of the fact that one needs to be open to creativity, but also have a space ready to use it when the ideas come. I'll be exploring the way creative thought, organization of tools, arrangement of studio furniture, time management, body/family issues, and one's sense of self  all work together.
For now the questions I have are, does clutter reduce creativity? How does workspace organization impact productivity? Do you overcome pain or let it interrupt your creativity?  What impact does time or lack of it have? Do you buy books to help and not read them? Would they help or are they just the promise of possibility?  I think these are universal questions among artists and fine craft makers.
LeeAnna

need a laugh? I do

I am dealing with the aftermath of rejection. Rejection of my recent challenge quilt from the traveling show.
I also finished my book, Juliet by Anne Fortier. I didn't want to stop reading it and I didn't want it to end.
Anne should stop whatever she is doing now, unless it's writing the next book, and write. No sleeping, no eating, no partying, just writing lots of beautiful mysterious books full of well turned phrases. Anyway, I'm sad on a couple of levels today. 
I am enjoying the videos and when I feel low, I find myself drawn to the tap dancing cow (puttin on the ritz). 
Now this cat loving dog might cheer me up.   In case it doesn't load, try this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI4yoXyb1_M
 Hope you laugh. LeeAnna

which book to read next?

ready to face the sun

 Cole is ready to face the day, and as we all know, one must protect themselves from sun in the summer.
Of course Maryland rarely has sun anymore, now that we are in the monsoon season.
                                                                                   
Book news
 I found a website that makes suggestions of what to read next based on your preferences. Now that's exciting to a reader, to be handed a custom list of possibilities! Check it out the book list site

 Meanwhile back in the workshop...
 A few of us lingered over the luncheon table enjoying conversation on the second day of the workshop.
Quilts were made. Fun was had. Food was eaten. Connections were strengthened. Laughter was heard.
The room is spacious and well lit but a person never quite knows whether to wear a swimsuit or a parka because of the capricious temp. changes.
Again, the technique learned was making mariner's compass points with folded inserts of fabric which are then ironed open to reveal perfect points. Most of us came away from the experience wanting to make another one, so that's a big thumbs up on Cheryl Phillips'  method.

all over but the clearing up

 The workshop went very well and many quilts were started. The important thing was we had wonderful lunches every day. Yesterday Diana brought two pies, cherry and blueberry, to share. Today we visited the local bakery and had fancy cupcakes.

who doesn't love a cupcake??

As usual we learned the same techniques, and our quilts look entirely different. That's the wonderful thing about quilting folk, they put themselves in their projects, so after a while you can tell whose is whose. The other common occurrence is we come and go on our whim, so I don't have a picture of everyone's finished work. It you are in the Annapolis area next June, come to the guild show and see the finished quilts.
Personally I'm happy with my sunflower. My niece  ( her gardening blog)  will be pleased that it resembles a seed packet.

Off to walk before the monsoons
Go make something today
LeeAnna