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Locking Up the Love

  • Posted on February 16, 2015 at 8:24 pm

Locks of Love on the BridgeSo many locks and so much love on display.  While these locks represent a multitude of couples who have made a deep commitment to one another, they came to mind in describing where I’ve been the last several months.

These locks reflect my state at times…protecting my love and keeping love from touching me.  Voicing my own agendas and opinions seemed so important over these past months.  My creative energies have been spent in a long struggle of survival while life’s events washed over me. During this time, I failed to provide my own vibrant contribution to the planet Earth.

Acceptance, discovery, and release have provided a renewal of energy and comfort in the world.  I find joy in  simple tasks and beauty in simple things.  In the months to come, I hope to communicate my discoveries with you through my creative endeavors.

Keys to the locks in the photo above were thrown into the calm waterway shown here…

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…fitting for my state of mind as I journey forward.  “Unlocking the beauty” inside and around my daily life will be my mantra.

May light and love surround us all.

-Karen

Summer Explorations

  • Posted on August 31, 2014 at 2:40 pm

Spiral Inspiration

I’ve been pretty busy living weekend to weekend all summer.  It’s been difficult to squeeze in a post or two and continue to work my day job with so much going on every weekend.  That being said, I just had to share my experience with the debut show of Quilt, Knit, Stitch in Portland this August.

John reluctantly attended the show with me on Saturday, August 16th, the last day.  We figured we’d spend a couple hours at the show, but were so surprised to see that it was much more than advertised or expected.  We got there just before noon and were taken back by the extensive exhibits alone. In this post I’ll share a few of the quilts that spoke to me.  So glad that John accompanied me to take these photos with his phone as I didn’t anticipate the photo opportunity.

If you’ve read previous posts you know that spirals are a source of inspiration for me.  Hence, the quilt shown above really called to me.  I admired the artist’s interpretation of the spiral form.

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This quilt reminded me of dancers letting go and enjoying their craft.  The free, flexible form is what I hope to capture in my creative works.

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I loved the depth of this quilt.  The artist knew how to use the gradation characteristics of the fabric to work the magic here.

Hope you enjoyed this post and can catch this show when it comes around to you.  I’ll have more on the other elements of the exhibits in a future post.

-Karen

Humming – part two

  • Posted on July 2, 2014 at 8:38 pm

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Oh my, how time has flown while I’ve been having fun OR not. Life has been difficult lately and the silliest of things inspired me to write this post tonight. I spotted my first hummingbird of the summer right there in my own back yard, flitting from flower to flower. Blooms have popped open over the last few days with our recent burst of warm weather here in the great Northwest. So yes….it was literally a hummingbird that enticed me to post part two of Humming.

IMG_1519That being said, the second baby quilt for my youngest grandchild was delivered on time for his first birthday. I obtained paint chips from his mama that were used to create a vibrant nursery long before he was born and used these to purchase fabrics for his quilt.

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As this quilt was my own design, I was incredibly compelled to put it together. The bright colors and the spectacular blue and green wiggly stripe were fun to work with. I found complete joy in transferring the design in my head to paper, and then cutting and piecing the fabric together in a cohesive top. The finished quilt was a result of my individual creative journey in connecting with my grandson.

I’ve talked about inspiration in previous posts, but I haven’t touched on how the creative process itself can be inspiring. Sometimes I can talk myself out of working on a project because I am tired or upset with aspects of my life that are beyond my control. When I choose to throw myself into the process anyway, a soothing calm usually comes over me. I am invigorated and refreshed, and my creative juices start flowing with the simplest of tasks involving fiber, fabric, beads, or embellishments. Amazing!

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Our responsibilities and obligations take up much of our daily lives, but these are not who we are. They do not define us. I believe that our true selves lie in all things that bring us joy. I invite you to lighten your load, wrap yourself in comfort and hum within the creative process…whatever that may be.

– Karen

Humming – part one

  • Posted on June 5, 2014 at 5:17 pm

I’ve been very persistent in getting some projects finished over the last few weeks. There were ups and downs along the path to completion, and without focus they would have remained UFOs (unfinished objects) like so many others.

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The quilt pictured here was made for a grandchild who turned one recently. His mother picked it out while she was pregnant, so it is not my original design.

I struggled with stitching the giant appliquéd elephant. The fusing material that was used made the area stiff. Note to self: use a lighter weight fusible for bonding layers together. The other aspect that proved frustrating was that it kept gumming up on the needle and creating skipped stitches as I appliquéd and quilted through these layers. Ugh! I compensated by cleaning and replacing the needle often throughout the project.

While this quilt encouraged me to be patient with the process, there was a great deal of satisfaction in its finishing. I enjoyed creating a pieced back to the quilt for added interest and watching it come together. The little one received his quilt late for his first birthday, but it was personalized just for him with love from his Oma.

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As you fashion your own heirlooms for family or friends, trust the process, your own creativity and problem solving skills to the end.  Enjoy the gratification that comes from finishing your endeavors through to completion.

Until part two…be creative!

-Karen

 

Embellishment: Buttons

  • Posted on May 11, 2014 at 9:54 pm

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When I was young I played with buttons, sorting shapes, sizes, and colors. There were always special finds in my mother’s stash, and I would wile away hours examining them just to get my hands on one. Sleek or rough around the edges, they were wonderfully small objects that I might steal away in a pocket until my mother confiscated them again in the laundry.

Buttons are a special resource in my creative work. In addition to their usefulness as a fastener, their unique character can share a story or create a memory. On several occasions I’ve seen an entire world in a single button. As a mixed media and fiber artist, I often use them to create focus and / or depth in my work. Matte or shiny, they find their way into most of my projects as a connecting element that is integral to the design.

In the past, Moonspun Designs has sold beautiful buttons at shows and events. I am pleased to announce that we will be offering buttons for purchase on our website within the next few weeks. These have been hand chosen by me personally, for both their usefulness and beauty. We hope that you will enjoy using them in your creative endeavors.

-Karen

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Acting Out

  • Posted on April 27, 2014 at 7:28 pm

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So here I am at the end of April. Many thoughts have been going through my head as I’ve been overwhelmed with one thing or another. The artist within me hasn’t been out much lately.

Dramatic change is like acting out. Both require action. So get ready folks, I will be spending more time exercising my creative genius. Behold, I will take action right away, growing up to be who I am. No more excuses and time being wasted on negativity. I’m acting out.

Thought I’d share these adorable bunnies that I made last week with you. They brought a smile to my face while I worked on them. Special thanks to the Sewing Loft for the free pattern that I modified to create these cuties.

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What action have you taken to free your creativity? Please comment if you’d like to share.

-Karen

Teasing

  • Posted on February 17, 2014 at 9:51 pm

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Recently, I have been focusing on my health, inner peace, and happiness. A tonic of apple cider vinegar and local honey has become a part of my morning routine. Evenings include taking a natural, detoxicating tea and a concerted effort to get the sleep I need. The future will hold more habits to adopt as I actively participate in my own well-being.

On this day, I shifted focus, spending time in my studio or what was my studio. I toiled through the cleaning, sorting, and ridding of clutter that had accumulated over the past year or dare I say it…LONGER. I really wanted to play, having great ambitions to clear enough space to satiate my need to create. Did I create? Well, not in the sense that could be described as producing masterful works of art. However, space was created and many ideas developed to make it a more efficient environment for creative endeavors.

So, here I am at the end of the day, gathering my thoughts to share with you. The pictures with this post show two ornaments that were made for my youngest grandchildren. The flip side of each documented their name and birth statistics. See the spiral action going on here? I was rather pleased with the personalization on these and know that they will be treasured for years to come.

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I’m off to play at 9:30 pm and oh yes, that cup of tea will accompany me. My advice?  Play hard and play often, it can only do you good!

-Karen

P.S. Names and statistics have been altered to protect the innocent.

A Few of My Favorite Things

  • Posted on January 5, 2014 at 8:20 pm

IMG_3048Two experiences today gave me pause to ponder inspiration beyond reason.  Yes, I did say beyond reason.

I was having coffee with a friend this morning. Her daughter, all of three and half years of age, engaged another regular at the coffee shop, an older gentleman that seemed fascinated with the technology of her new Leap Frog tablet.  He spent several minutes visiting with her, allowing her to share all the many items of interest on the new gadget she had received for Christmas.  As we were getting ready to leave, the man commented that she would be ahead of all the other kids when starting school.  He went on to share how he had a very hard time with school, having suffered from attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.  He discovered that what interested him most is what he needed to successfully learn.  He learned to read because he was so interested in a particular story, he wouldn’t allow himself to be distracted by other things going on around him.  This created his focus on the learning at hand. Once reading had been mastered, the door holding him back was unlocked and he felt as though he could do anything.

Another observation today: watching a seven month old baby, who was tired, but still remarkably entertained when distracted.  He became so excited upon a new discovery, his whole body went into motion displaying his delight and interest in something new. This interactive learning drew a  smile across his face and those around him.

These events caused me to consider how easy it is to learn when we are interested in what we are doing…..and how we can continue to learn by staying interested.  This led me to other thoughts as well, like what interests and/or inspires me to keep along the creative journey.

Presently, spirals are particularly fascinating to me and I am adamant that something will develop from this as I learn about them.  I am energized by observing, photographing, tracing and drawing spirals.  Uncovering them in my environment is particularly exciting to me, like finding a lost connection or relationship. Spirals are like treasures that I have the good fortune to reestablish in a future creative endeavor.

Now tell me, what inspires you?

– Karen

Winter White Solstice

  • Posted on December 30, 2013 at 12:33 am

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Postponing the inevitable, I was  once again down to the wire to meet commitments.  I promised myself when my first grandchild was born to complete a Christmas ornament for each year until they were an adult at eighteen years of age.  Well it’s been working great and has been loads of fun until the arrival of two new grandsons this year.  I had to focus and cram the development of three new ornaments this year into a one day timeframe of Saturday, December 14th…oh yeah, that’s my first grandson’s eighth birthday.

Life is great though…nothing quite like the sight and feel of grandchildren. The circle we call life continues with their birth into this world, whatever that may bring.  I acknowledge my treasures and good fortune each time I have the opportunity to see the future in their eyes, much like I did when my own children were young.

Isn’t that what the winter solstice celebrates?  New life and new beginnings. The dramatic changes from darkness to light.   I created a new design to honor this change in perspective. It will be my gift to you, the fans of Moonspun Designs, shortly after the new year begins.

For now, I encourage you to enjoy thoughtful reflection of 2013’s passing and the the onset of the new year, 2014. I am grateful for this past year full of many joyful moments and looking forward to next year’s enchantment.

– Karen

Stepping Out

  • Posted on December 13, 2013 at 8:36 pm

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Time…everything takes time and every dream has its time. I’ve held a dream with many false starts and high hopes. Now, finally, the realization came to me. My dream is a journey.

I love to travel, changing scenery as I please. Why has it taken so long to explore my dream? Life crept in and took it from me. Sad to say, but I made a choice to allow it. NO MORE! The time has come to step out on my own artistic wanderings. Join me as I journey through inspiration, mishaps, old stuff and new things?  I invite you to walk (or stumble) with me along this undetermined path.  Let’s make it fun and interesting.

Welcome to the rejuvenated Moonspun Designs! Enjoy traveling through our new website. So glad you’re here.

– Karen