Inspiration

This is an art blog where I discuss the work I am inspired to make. Not a political blog. But in the past few weeks my inspiration has not been on my work, on my beloved hand embroidery but on Barack Obama. I have tried for weeks not to put my political views on the line for fear of offending someone who doesn't share my opinion but since I am still working on the dreaded table runner which I must finish today here goes.

When John F. Kennedy was killed I was 4 years old. My mother had me watching his funeral for days. He meant that much to her. 5 years later when I was 9 she had me watching the train going through California after Bobby had been shot. He meant that much to her too. She was inspired by their vision. Now as an adult I can look back at those moments in history and realize that they were part of the history of my childhood too. The idealism, the dream. That is why they are memories of my childhood, because these men inspired my mother enough for her to immerse herself in the end of the dream.

Now it is 40 years later and I am immersed in a dream. A chance for our country to be what it should have been 40 years ago. A chance to carry forward the optimism and the inspiration. A chance to believe anything is possible. That the only ingredient missing in our country is hope and the ability to take a huge risk and the faith to follow it through. I think Obama represents to me the hope and optimism and the idea that anything is possible. I cry when I watch him speak. I cried when I saw Caroline Kennedy endorsing him. One dream endorsing another. It's huge. I have been unable to break myself away from my television, from my political blogs, from my alternate life commenting anonymously on politics(and no I won't tell you where).

So here I am commenting on my alternative life, on my second passion. Politics. On the reasons why I have deviated from my standard talk of hand embroidery and knitting and crochet. The reasons why I have not been posting on my blog. Because I have been inspired to dream and believe in something bigger then myself.

I hope I have not offended you but if you have not watched an Obama rally and you have not been an Obama supporter, watch him speak, be inspired. And then let your logical cynical side go to his website, read his plans for the future. If you come to a different conclusion then I have so be it. But this cynical political junkie felt she had to put her dreams and inspirations down on her blog. At the moment I have to believe anything is possible so there it goes.

Vote in your primary no matter who you vote for, let your voice be heard. Keep stitchin.

obama

Howdy strangers!

No Pictures, no new news. No inspire me thursday. I'm still slogging my way through my table runner. It hasn't been my favorite project. I guess I am pretty much a hand embroidery artist. The runner is lovely and it is more than half finished but it isn't really inspiring me. It feels like work(well I guess cos it is work). Hand embroidery never feels like work to me. My other project is beckoning me everyday and I'm having visions of purses I would love to make. So I guess in a little while I will take leave of my computer and sit in my studio with the cd's playing and get down to finishing the darn runner. At least at the end I will have a table runner which is something I've always wanted but as you can probably tell have never had the impetus to make.


When I first started thread crochet I wanted to do a bedspread and in fact I started about 3 of them but alas I never finished them. Now I know why! Well thanks for reading.

Keep stitchin and vote in your primary if you are lucky enough to live in one of the states that is voting. Go Obama!

Wow what a day!

Not much to talk about in the art world of Deb today. Had quite a day. Took my son for xrays because he originally had to have one little unconsequential tooth pulled only to find out he has two very consequential wisdom teeth needing to be taken out at the same time. I had wisdom teeth taken out in my twenties and it was horrible so the thought of my sweet son having them out scares me to my willies. I tried very hard to hide my terror only to have my son tell me that his friends had them out and it was really painful and they missed lots of school. Well the consultation is next Tuesday so I will try to maintain(or pretend to maintain) a good attitude. I'm hoping against hope it isn't as bad as when he had his tonsils out when he was 13. Oh my god, 10 days of hell.

Then off we went for my son to get his driver's permit, birth certificate and social security in hand. What a cruel joke it is for a parent to have to bring a birth certificate with them when their child goes to get a permit to drive. It's a double edged sword really. First you get to reminisce over the birth of your child and wonder where exactly did those 16 and a half years go anyway, then you get to wonder just how much freedom your child will think they have when they have wheels of their own.

So needless to say the joys of motherhood have left me for a loop. But this too shall pass and then I can take the meter off my car.

Yesterday was a great day! I went out to lunch with this lovely lady that I introduced to the coop. She's a fabulously talented glass artist and finding her and getting her into the coop was one of the best things that happened there. She told me about another opportunity which I am quite not ready to take(soon though) and she made me a wonderful glass turtle which is just beautiful. She is such a lovely friend and it was wonderful to see her.

So that's it. I'm gonna go watch some politics and then perhaps rant for a while in my favorite political ranting place. Happy stitching.

Introspective and Quiet

Hi All. No picture today. Not much to say either. I've been kind of introspective and quiet. I am enjoying reading the book Eternal Echoes and once again the writing style is exquisite. I have been heartened by the comments on my beyond the comfort zone post and I have been crocheting a thread table runner for a Michaels class in March. I always wanted a thread table runner and after my class I will have one. Other then that I've just been working on my runner, working on my hand embroidery project and keeping mostly to myself. I'm sure by tomorrow I will have lots to share as my son is going for his driver's permit.

I hope you are at peace and keep stitchin.

Anam Cara

As you can probably tell by my blog I am a person who lives to be inspired. I lived in the darkness for so many years that I have literally become light by being inspired. One of my favorite books is Anam Cara. It is with deep sadness that I read on someone's blog that John O'Donohue had died recently(sorry I don't remember who's blog it was)What a beautiful spiritual author and what a wonderful way with words. I must have read Anam Cara 5 or 6 times(I always go back to my favorites)and each time I read something that gave me that warm gushy feeling that inspiration gives.

All of my books have been part of my journey and a great part of my life. I read nothing else except for the one summer when I read 20 novels, lived through them all and ended up in a funk wondering what the hell happened to all the characters. But both Anam Cara and Eternal Echoes are wonderful spiritual books based on Celtic wisdom. In honor of Mr. O'Donohue I am going to read Eternal Echoes for the 2nd or 3rd time. It is a little deeper then Anam Cara but my bookcase being what it is I can't find Anam Cara(it is probably not in the bookcase but on the side of my bed or my couch or somewhere else I could find a moment to read).

If you have a moment say a prayer or even better go take Anam Cara out of your library or go out and buy one. It is beautifully written and a wonderful book. Then perhaps you will join me in Eternal Echoes. I guess if one is paying homage to an author to whom one is eternally grateful, it is very fitting to read Eternal Echoes.

Rest in peace my friend and thank you for the beautiful way you brought beauty and peace into my life and all others inspired by your book.

Beyond Your Comfort Zone/Inspire Me Thursday

The topic at Inspire Me Thursday is Beyond Your Comfort Zone. Since I don't really have a problem expressing myself while I'm working I thought I'd talk about the the rest of my life which is beyond my comfort zone. I have always stopped just short of my greatness. I've exercised and dieted off hundreds of pounds just to reach a certain weight and go backwards. I've created beautiful art only to have it sit unframed or tucked away in a drawer. I've been wanting to get my work published in a magazine but submitted one scarf pattern to a crochet magazine, it was rejected and I never tried again. I've had dozens of crummy jobs and worked in retail(which I love) but yet I have a hard time selling my own work. I have an even harder time putting myself out there to find someone else to sell my work. the coop was a lark, one of those things the universe told me I had to do. I guess it counts as going out of my comfort zone but the universal feeling I had when I walked into that coop made me know it was the right thing to do. It also was the right thing to leave but that leaves me having to take that walk into rejection all over again.

I have an artist friend who last year told me if you can do extraordinary work why do ordinary work and I guess that is a question that belongs in this category and I guess you could say I've gone out of my comfort zone and became extraordinary but there are very few pieces framed and on display. Even most of my work on this blog cannot compare to the work that I have unframed and in my dresser.

So I guess this is the place where I say that I will step out of my comfort zone and frame my work, finish my lovely knit and crochet and embroidered bags, send something in to a magazine, find some stores to sell it and let everyone who reads my blog know how far I have come on my journey.

And little did you know that I have come out beyond my comfort zone by letting you all know how darn uncomfortable I am about being the greatest I can be. I wish I could say I'm just humble but in reality I'm scared to death.

Keep watching and see if this is the year I go past my barriers and become the greatness I am. Hopefully the time has come.

Blogging

Tonight I have been blogging. I went to visit quite a few friends and I still have many more to see, but perhaps tomorrow. I love to blog. I like it almost as much as I love my needles and the work they do. We are so lucky that we've found the blog. It creates a community and somehow, someway I always seem to find something of an inspiration or someone else dealing with a trial I happen to be going through. It's a miracle.

When I started blogging I truly did it as a business idea. Sorry but that's the truth but what I've found is so much more. I've been inspired to laugh, inspired to cry and inspired to read so many of the blogs that make my day. I never fail to find at least one written by some lovely person that seems to make my day, and usually much more then one.

Such talented artists there are out in the world waiting to be discovered. Such wonderful souls to meet. It also makes me realize how truly connected all of us are to the world outside our homes, our neighborhoods, our towns and even our country. Souls speak in many different ways. I'm glad I found that some souls speak and share with their blogs!

I am still working on my project which doesn't have a place to go though so nothing new to share except my love of blogging and the people who do it. If you read this god bless you and keep blogging. Isn't life grand?

Odds and Ends

Last night I gave my first crochet class at Michaels. It was a lot of fun and I had two wonderful students. I think they went home happily after learning how to make a baby afghan. Both ladies had an affinity for crochet and seemed to be doing beautifully. I gave them my phone number just in case, but I hope to hear that they have finished a beautiful afghan and used the pattern to make lots of lovely things.

I finally went back to Tai Chi today after such a long time of finding excuses not to go. All I can really say is why? I think besides figuring out I was an artist, finding Tai Chi was the thing that made the most positive difference in my life. It moves your energy and somehow seems to gently unstick you from your blockages. All sorts of blockages. If there is a class in your area try it. It is a wonderful discipline and very beneficial too. I'm a little sore tonight because I have really derailed off the track but can't wait to go back again. I'm also doing pretty well on my healthy eating habit. Not worrying about weight but health.

I embroidered a bit today. Still working on my project. it is coming right along but still far from being revealed. I'll keep posting my work that I have and will be sure to post it as soon as I finish it.

I hope you are having a wonderful time and happy stitching.

Blue Beaded Purse

This purse is a patchwork, hand embroidered, hand beaded purse with a beaded handle that has been with me since I started making purses. Perhaps because it was made right after my favorite purse(which you can see on the side in all it's glory) which was the first embroidered purse I made. It's a bit on the extravagant side for a denim purse and it's had a lot of lookers but no buyers. I'm on the verge of keeping it for myself but as a stay at home artist I don't know where the heck I'll use it. It was a lot of fun to make and really makes me happy when I look at it. But I'm not really a bead gal(but who knows I change by the day now). Perhaps when I finally take the plunge(or my husband takes the time to take it with me) and put my work on Etsy or Ebay I'll try to sell it there. I just know that there is someone else there that screams for a hand embroidered beaded denim purse with a bead handle. I know it. If you happen to be that person please don't be afraid to email me and it can be yours.

Tonight I am teaching my first crochet class at Michaels so I have to run but have a great day and keep stitching and sorry for the sales pitch!

Comfort Zone/Inspire Me Thursday

The topic this week on Inspire Me Thursday is my comfort zone. My comfort zone inspires me so I think this is a good topic. As you can see I am most comfortable with a needle in my hand. I end up at my center when I am embroidering(and to add the fun some beading). I enjoy and have fun knitting(with more beading) and I still can be completely inspired while crocheting with thread while listening to Andrea Bocelli. My comfort zone has literally saved my life.

I've already mentioned my childhood ad nauseum so I'll pretty much skip it but whenever I needed soothing or felt left out or any of the other dramas a young person goes through my needles were always there. Be it afghans after my mother passed away, or afghans while I was waiting to hear about the first house we put a bid on, or a cross-stitched sampler while waiting for my son to be born, or the crocheted christening dress I made while my dad was in the coma. My needlework has always comforted me. When I was a kid nothing made me happier then a new project. My mother used to try to send me outside because all I did was read and do needlework. To this day no day is complete without it. Give me a book and a years supply of needleworks and you'll never hear from me again.

Also when I do my needlework I become DebraAnn instead of Debbie. My mother named me DebraAnn and only called me that when I was in trouble and it was serious and nobody else ever called me DebraAnn, not even Debra. Debbie is the very friendly person who will talk to anybody and say anything. Smiling or crying her way through life. When I'm on, I'm Debbie. I learned how to be Debbie when I was young. But as I've become an artist and started expressing myself through my work I am DebraAnn. The quiet little peaceful artist in the midst of chaos. When I am DebraAnn I am in my comfort zone. I am at peace enough to know that anything is possible and I can survive anything.

Oh well I guess I've been inspired enough to spill my guts . So I will go be Debra Ann and embroider my way to peace and tranquility.

Love Actually

Last night my menfolk went to a hockey game and left me all alone so I remembered I had taken Love Actually out of the library and decided to watch it. I'm not a big movie fan but I do love movies with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth(my favorite being Bridget Jones Diary) and it was a great movie with a great theme.

Love makes the world go round. The movie starts in an airport at the arrivals section and ends in the same place. I guess besides a wedding chapel an airport would be the most obvious place to see people in love. People coming and going. Stories of love all around. Some simple, some not.

Neither my husband or I like to fly but ironically we met at a Club Med in Martinique quite a long time ago. I had a boyfriend when I left and 2 boyfriends when I came back at least for a little while. It's kind of funny but the first time I kissed my husband I actually felt a flutter. I guess it was a pretty strong flutter cos here we are married 20 years this past June. I lived in New Jersey and he lived on Long Island and parting really was such sweet sorrow. Then he moved to New Jersey with a beautiful view of the swamps and a trucking company(that is why we don't live in New Jersey today). And then we got married. And here we are.

The second love of my life is my son Brian. He is the sun in my day. He's 16 and very handsome. He's also very smart and very charming(oh well can't win them all, he's charming for a 16 year old). He hasn't found his first love yet but he has had several likes. It's kind of weird because I'm going back to the future. I remember being his age and falling in like. I always tell him that many girls will break your heart till you meet the girl you will marry(I don't have the heart to tell him sometimes the heartbreak continues)but it is a very interesting time for the three of us.

And then my last love is Needlework. It too is one of the loves of my life. I can take it on the plane with me unless they make me leave my scissor behind. It's amazing how a few days of loafing around embroidering when you are too sickly to feel like doing anything else will remind you how much you love what you do that defines who you are. Tangled Stitches and All.

Speaking of tangled stitches. The Love pillow above is a pillow I made when my sweet Brian was about 6. I couldn't sell it so it sits proudly on my chair(not the one it's on) and I love it. It's hand embroidered twigs and berries and took an enormous amount of time.

Oh well, duty calls. Must feed the menfolk. Rent the movie and perhaps it will inspire you too to think about those you love and blog about them(I know you all do that anyway). Happy Stitchin!

Tagged

I've been tagged, I have added some photographs of a lovely hand embroidered and hand beaded silk pouch for your enjoyment. I hope you enjoy it because I really enjoyed creating it.

Now for the business at hand. I have been tagged by the lovely Neda at . I am supposed to tell you 5 things you don't know about me and then send you off to 5 other links.

1. I grew up in New Jersey.

2. Before I found my calling as an artist I had dozens upon dozens of jobs. I'm a jack of all trades and master at one.

3. I went to Medical Assisting school and then found out I couldn't stand the sight of blood(at least I didn't faint")

4. I was a barfly. That was a wonderfully fun time of my life.

5. I fell out of a moving truck dirt riding somewhere in the swamps of New Jersey. As you can I survived and no I wasn't with Bruce Springsteen.

Now for the fun part the tag.

Eileen at "http://alifeoftriggers.blogspot.com/". I love to read her blog I hope you do too. She has become a wonderful online friend.

Michelle at http://princessmatildalovestostamp.blogspot.com Michelle is a lovely collage artist and a kindred spirit.

Becky at http://www.closeknitfriends.blogspot.com/. Becky is the only lady on the list that I know personally. She's a wonderful fiber artist I met at the Albany Shaker Museum.

Patty at http://catskillpaper.blogspot.com. She is a fabulous collage artist whose work is a wonder for the eyes.

And finally Noreen at http://www.hankeringforyarn.com/ who tagged me a very long time ago before I figured out what a tag is. She is wildly talented.

You will enjoy going to all their sites. Feasts for the eyes and the soul as are every single one of the links on my page. I couldn't figure out how to put the links in this blog entry so I typed them in, unfortunately for all of you I'm a typer bee computer geek. Which means in debtalk that I haven't got the foggiest idea how this actually works but I hope that it does. If you can explain it please leave a comment!

Thanks again Neda.

Still peakedy!

Still feeling a little under the weather so no new photos, no tagging, no self reflection(that is self preservation at the moment). I've been busy working on my hand embroidery project and watching politics(boo hiss). I ventured out with a friend and we talked about a possible business opportunity. It's too early and I'm too peakedy to really discuss it but I'm feeling excited and I know what that means. So no pictures and no new news but check back soon! Happy Stitching

Fluish!

No photographs of how I feel(thankfully). Just feeling a little under the weather so no photos, no self examination, no art(although I have been taking advantage of the down time to work on my latest project) no wittiness. Just fluey. So I'll see you soon! Keep stitching and wash your hands after you go out in public.

P.S I've been tagged so don't be surprised if you get tagged too when I feel better.

2008 Resolutions For My Work- Inspire Me Thursday

I wanted to give visual interest to my goals and thought a butterfly/dragonfly purse was as good a visual interest as any as it is very cold and they remind me of summer.

1. I wish to find a shop in my area that will carry my purses and framed pieces.

2. I wish to start selling on either Ebay or Etsy and start my own website.

3. I wish to do work that is more self expressive.

4. I'd also like to push myself just a little harder to get out of the box that I have embroidered and knitted myself into. I found over the last year that the more I pushed myself to be more original the more successful I was.

5. I'd like to have the words hand embroidery artist slip off my tongue just a wee bit easier(on my trip to Joann's I had a hard time saying the word artist again).

6. I intend to keep reading other blogs that inspire me to be an artist and help me to find better ways to market my work. I have really become a fan of blogging and look forward to it a great deal.

7. Oops I forgot an important one, I'd like to get my work published in a magazine. It's been a dream for a while but this is the year I'd really like to do it!

Finally I think I would just like to find a way to market my work that allows me to be myself and be successful.

Wish I were in Iowa

This post is gonna be another one of those political posts. Not very controversial, just political. Tonight is the Democratic Caucus in Iowa. I am breathlessly awaiting watching it on CSPAN. I am a real political junkie, I'm also an inspired one. Every four years I sit poised with idealism waiting for my candidate to be chosen. I was a Deaniac 4 years ago so I promised myself I would not get all idealistic again. But alas here I am idealistic that tomorrow will be a new day in America.

I am completely inspired by Barack Obama. He will restore my faith in human nature and the idea of idealism if he wins. One has to have a dream(it seems especially if one is an artist). I could probably support another democrat but it so much easier to do something when you are inspired instead of just voting against some one else. When I look at Obama I see healing. Healing for the United States and for all the countries around the world.

So there you have it, that is the reason I wish I were in Iowa!

I have some new pictures so I'll be back tomorrow! Sorry for the digression into politics once again!