Annie Smith ~ Fiber Artist | theWPstudio.com

What a joy to spend a day with friends! 

 Four of us from our Studio 105 fiber art group took a road trip to Dripping Springs to see the Austin Fiber Artists show and sale.  Venetta, Hope, and I began the journey by traveling to pick up Cindy and touring her country home and garden.  Both were beautiful, as is Cindy’s hospitality. 

Back in the car and headed toward the show…”Oh, anybody hungry?”  We stopped for lunch at a little country cafe.  The shared blackberry cobbler with ice cream was yummy. 

Back in the car and headed toward the show…”Wanna stop at Yarnarama?”  We stopped in an even smaller country town at a wonderful yarn and fiber store.  To say we underwent a brief period of insanity is an understatement!  Shhhh, we won’t tell that Cindy won…lol  Here are the silk hankies and dyed wool curls I bought:

Back in the car and headed toward the show…”Oh, there it is!  Turn in.”  Yes, we made it to Wesley Gallery to see the nice work of the Austin fiber artists.  I enjoyed seeing friends there, and we all enjoyed meeting new people and discussing techniques.  And wouldn’t you know it, the gallery had some really nice silver jewelry.  Darn the luck!  They made more than one sale.

Back in the car and headed toward home…”Oh, there’s one of the peach stands!  Pull in!”  We don’t get a chance to have Fredericksburg peaches down in our area very often.  Had to bring some home, and yes, they are yummy.

Back in the car and headed toward home…”We’re here.”  Time to meet Cindy’s husband and then say goodbye. 

Back in the car and headed toward home…”Well girls, we made it!”  Hugs and kisses, and Venetta and Hope took off for their homes.

What a Super Saturday!  Thanks bunches girls!

’til next time…..

I have several calls for entries looming on my horizon.  It feels like my feet are stuck in quicksand when it comes to finishing pieces.  As much as I love to embellish with beading, it always results in this feeling.  Why in the world do I choose to work on something where beading is a major part, and crunch time is rapidly approaching?  I must learn to plan better.  Some improved time management skills probably wouldn’t hurt either!

Anyway…thought I’d share sneak peeks of a finished piece and the bead “time sponge.”  I’d show the full images, but both will be entries in juried shows.

’til next time…..

It is definitely summer on the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas…HOT & HUMID!!!  While this weather can be trying and tiring, it does have a redeeming quality.  It keeps me indoors, working in my studio.  That, folks, is a very good thing.  With deadlines looming in the not too distant future, I really need to concentrate on finishing entries.  I will confess to one of my personality traits: randomness.  If I look up and see something outside, I’m apt to stray there.  Knowing that H & H will greet me as soon as I open the door, I stay put in my studio…unless a mystery book I happen to be reading catches my eye…lol 

Some of my flowers seem to appreciate the H & H much more than I do.  Lantana and “Hot Lips” Salvia are going crazy in the backyard.  And the Rudbeckia and Conflowers are doing nicely.  Love those pink Coneflowers!  The new Purple Porter Weed, for butterflies and hummingbirds, is sending up flower spikes also.

Rudbeckia

Coneflower

Time to get with the program.  Hoping to avoid that H & H as much as possible.  Tomorrow, my fiber art/surface design group meets.  It will be good to be with friends for a few hours.  We’ll be planning the remainder of the year.  Even though this will require being out in the summer elements, I’ll just think cool…lol

’til next time…..

Yesterday, I felt the need to roam…so I did!  I traveled to the really small TX town of Paige with a definite purpose in mind.  You see, Paige has a great shop called Yarnorama.  It’s a dream of a place for anyone who knits, weaves, spins, crochets, felts, or uses fibers in anyway.  Being a fiber artist, yep, I was in a happy place.  I probably touched everything at least once and many of them more than that.  After purchasing my “must haves” and visiting a few minutes, I headed back to Round Top.  It was time for lunch at Scotty and Friends and then a visit to my home gallery, Copper Shade Tree.  Gerald and Debbie Tobola are the greatest gallery owners to work with, and it’s always a joy to spend time with them.

Here are pics from Yarnorama:

100% Bamboo...Fiesta, serenity, and Ocean Dusk

 

100% Wensleydale...Bands of Gold/German Chocolate Cake

My muse, Desdemona, is whispering all kinds ways to use these fibers.  It will be terrific trying them out in my studio!  I’ll share my other fiber finds in the next post.

’til next time…..

Sitting on my back patio in the morning, listening to various birds singing, having a cup of coffee, and knitting…pure pleasure!  It’s my Zen time when the ugliness of the world isn’t allowed to creep in.  Looking out to the middle flower bed, I saw this

 happy surprise…      

I thought the really cold weather had claimed another plant, but nope, nope, nope…Ms Balloon Flower lives!  Didn’t expect to see her again.  I love flowers and am thankful another survived.  I’ll share some more of my discoveries in future posts.

It’s a good day!!!

’til next time…..

Some might find this combination a precursor to a blah day.  Nope, not me.  It’s been a very serendipitous day so far.

After taking Mom by her church to check on the rose she donated to the rose garden in memory of my dad, I felt compelled to visit a used book store just a short distance away.

By the way, this is the rose, Heritage…

Anyway, this was my first trip to Good Books in the Woods.  While I was searching through all the mysteries, Mom had a good conversation with one of the shop owners.  Being the proud mom, she told Martha that I was a fiber artist with a new website.  Martha is a new quilter and wanted to know more, so we chatted after I made my book selections.  She asked if I would walk across the street so she could introduce me to a pottery artist and gallery owner.  Well, “YES!” was my response.  Andrew Sankowski has Mossrock Studio and Fine Art Gallery.  He was very welcoming and asked that I bring samples of my work to the gallery for him to see.  He also has one of my new business cards so he can take a look at my website.  Good thing indeed!

So this rainy Thursday held a nice surprise.  I don’t question why Mom wanted to check on the rose on a rainy day, or why I felt the need to check out the bookstore.  This was supposed to be, and I say, “Thank you!”

’til next time…..