Temporary Interruption of Website Service

Hi everyone! We apologize for any inconvenience but our website will be down temporarily as we switch to a new host. The current website will go down on Wednesday Dec. 29th and the new one will go live on Thursday Dec. 30th. Thanks for your patience and understanding.
Kristin and Jan

Peek at our Christmas Touches

Season's Greetings!
Thought I'd let ya'll have a peak at our home decorations. I have been collecting Christmas decorations for years, some people say I have way too much....maybe I do and maybe I don't....kind of like a fabric stash you just never know what you will need. Notice the quilt...you just knew I'd relate this to "fiber" somehow, didn't you. This is "Winters Blanket", part of my Minnesota series. Every few years I get nostalgic, make a quilt to honor where I grew up and then come to my senses...and remember how cold and long the winter's were. Still love to visit but after the Fourth of July. The skates were actually Kristins when she was little.
Found this Santa at a craft show in 1991, he's by Boardwalk Originals. This year he's standing guard on the hearth in the family room.
Our entry is 2 stories, every year I decorate the stairway and then the space looks unbalanced ...not finished. So this year I went vertical....well as much as I dared cause I have a teeny tiny fear of heights.

My 12 Connected Challenge Piece for the "Icon" theme; "Simply An Icon" by Jan Girod

Have you ever fought within yourself over doing what first pops into your head, in a test it is called "second guessing" I used to do it all the time. The moment the new word was "unveiled" 2 months ago I pictured doing this piece, at least in some fashion. However, I spent the entire time trying to talk myself into doing another piece when all was said and done I found myself back at the first thought, the first image that had come to me.Several years ago I had the opportunity to tour the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. When we found ourselves in the space with the Russian Icons, I was stopped in my tracks. Have you ever felt like your moving in slow motion? There I was standing in one spot, turning slowly, wondering how I was going to look at them all. They were exquisite! Some extremely ornate, some expertly painted, others were very primitive; but all were very beautiful. I could have stayed there all day; however I heard someone rather loudly instructing me to move on, move on. All I could think ....was oh no....please let me stay here...I swear I will be on the bus in time. Poor guide was afraid she would loose her job, I moved on, but have always felt like I missed out. Someday, maybe someday I will return.

Please check out www.12connected.blogspot.com to see the challenge groups work. It is amazing how different everyone's work is and how each person interprets the given word.

Cyber Monday Sale Now Open

Our Cyber Monday sale is now in effect and runs through 12/3. The discounts are as follows:

10% off Books, Tim Holtz, 7 Gypsies, Glimmer Mist, Scrapbooking and Metal Supplies
15% off Inkjet Fabrics, Patterns and Silk Items
20% off Thread, Notions, Paints (excluding Golden Fluid Acrylic), Dyes, and Paintstiks.
25% off Fabric (excluding $6/yd clearance fabric)

Don't forget Free Domestic Shipping on orders $75 and over. Items must be in stock to receive the discount.

Whoopee! We Survived Houston

International Quilt Festival, Houston 2010 is but a memory...we have survived to tell about it. After many long hours of setting up our booth Kristin is just a wee bit slap happy. Our booth is ready for opening night, even if we could have used a quick nap. They opened the doors at 5 PM Wednesday for Preview Night and the crowds were still there at 10 PM absolutely ready for a weekend of fun. Our booth looked pretty good when we finally finished, packed full of goodies just waiting to find a new home.

For those of you who have not been to Houston this is the Make It University "MIU" open classroom. We each taught 2 classes, we had loads of fun and hope all those who participated did too.

Kristin worked in Open Studios showing how she makes her Mixed Media Collages on watercolor paper on Satuday. Here she is enjoying chatting with the attendees. She also made several ATC (Artist Trading Cards) for trading. Attendees come to the "tree" in MIU just to trade their artwork and chat with like minded souls. Kristin enjoyed trading her little pieces of art.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to shop and chat. We love seeing old friends and making new ones. We are now off to the Mancuso show in West Palm Beach, FL; November 12-14....stop on by.

Yippeeeeee!

We finished our kit preparation for MIU Houston yesterday. Whoopeeee! This doesn't look to bad, does it? Now consider these are only 1 of ours and a small glimpse at that.

Here is the full picture (just one of us though...no space large enough for both) and I even cleaned up the floor before I took the photo....couldn't let anyone see that mess it was awful. Even the dog was trying to figure out how to reach his bed. Hope you can join us in Houston for some fun and laughs. Some how people always hear us laughing aisles away...just follow the happy sound.

Make It University & Open Studios International Quilt Festival

Open Studios

Saturday November 6th 4-6PM Kristin Rodriguez

Make It University

Thursday November 4th 1:30-2:30

Tag Journal by Janelle Girod

Alter shipping tags using Glimmer Mist and Distress Inks. Then use papers, fabrics, found objects and stamping to complete your journal.

Thursday November 4th 4:30-5:30PM

Mixed Media Card by Kristin Rodriguez

Use paint to alter commercial scrapbook paper in order to make a unique card. Use paper, paint, stamps, and found objects to create.

Friday November 5th 4:30-5:30PM

Mixed Media Collage by Kristin Rodriguez

Using watercolor paper as the base you create your own colorwashed/stamped background. Then use fabric, paper, ribbons, found objects, and TAP photo transfer to create your collage.

Saturday November 6th 10:15-11:15AM

Canvas Journal by Janelle Girod

Participants will use painted MistyFuse, watersoluble crayons, canvas, papers, TAP photo transfer, metal embossing, and more to create an art journal.

"Sheer Delight or Hubba Bubba"-Jan Girod-Ebullient

This piece has been a struggle from beginning to end. The word itself was a challenge all on its own, I searched through multiple definitions, I tried multiple color combinations and as you can see by the title I could not even choose a name for it.

When I saw phrases like "full of joy, unrestrained high spirits, effervescent bubbles" as well as a definition of "boiling", I latched on to those and began my creative meditation....this is not the same as procrastination. Mainly my work is realistic, however "ebullient" is an emotion and I could only see it as abstract, not my strong suit.

Over the last several years I have been experimenting/playing with techniques where synthetic fabrics are distorted using heat. I knew that nylon organza would give me the look I was envisioning, however I tried three different colorways before making my final decision. My dog was not thrilled, as he followed me up and down the stairs to go outside to do this technique (safety first...proper ventilation for me and the dog), he really just wanted to lay in the sunshine but you know that phrase "curiosity killed the cat", well that applies to him.

First I ripped the organza in strips of varying widths, took them outdoors and used my heat gun on them, which caused them to bubble and shrink lengthwise and a bit widthwise. After trying to weave them I realized I would need to seal the edges or all those stray threads were going to drive me crazy, so I took out the soldering iron and sealed all the edges of my strips. I choose to use the "ombre" organza because once woven I could adjust the colors back and forth, up and down to get various color combinations.
To accentuate the bubbles, a simple running stitch with metallic thread around the perimeter definitely gave me the look I was striving to achieve. Then in the "concave" bubbles I beaded circles. Try as I might I could not trim the edges straight and even, they needed to be irregular. This decision was certainly one of those times when I waited for the piece to tell me what it wanted. I think this piece represents my "ebullient" personality.
If you would like to see the whole groups pieces please go to www.12connected.blogspot.com

Last Weekly Sale of our Birthday Month!!

Our last weekly sale of our birthday month is HUGE!!! Scoop them up now at www.fiberonawhim.com before they are all gone.!!

Our weekly sale 9/26-10/3: an additional 45% off select fabric categories. They include Amy Butler (quilting cottons and Nigella), Joel Dewberry, Textile Creations, Kona Bay, and Robert Kaufman (Color Theory and Another Iota).

Also 45% off Art Gallery purse patterns and kits.

Birthday Sale

Our 5th birthday sale is as follows 9/15-9/17:

5% off all Books, Magazines, Inkjet Fabrics, Shiva Paintstiks, and Mixed Media/Scrapbooking Supplies

10% off all Fabrics, Silk Products, and Threads

15% off Patterns, Lumiere, Setacolor, Dye-na-flow, and Tsukineko Inks

25% off all Notions, Beads & Accessories, Misc Clearance Items, and Foil

35% off Art Gallery Purse Kits

We will be running doorbuster sales each day from 8-10AM EST and 5-7PM EST.

Creativity Explodes...maybe it was just me!

Would you believe this studio was cleaned recently? Really it was. Usually I do this before I start a new project, there is something about touching all those fibers and “stuff” that stimulates my creative juices.

Surprise!

We found it was time to create examples for our proposals for MIU (Make It University) this November at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. The ideas began percolating a couple of months ago while brainstorming over soup and salad at Chili’s. No time left to procrastinate (favorite pastime)….the deadline is now. Help! The only thing to do is dump all those “bitz” of stuff out in plain sight. That’s my excuse for this mess and I’m sticking to it.
The last few years I have really been into journals (yeah I know they are hot right now...I have years of them on the shelves). However I am only happy when I incorporate “bitz”, those can be anything from papers, fabrics, random fiber, found objects and words. While prepping for vending at the Believe Retreat in Blowing Rock, North Carolina I rediscovered Glimmer Mist…somehow those bottles just appeared amid my mess, but the shimmer was just what my project needed.

Kristin needed a place to work (sharing space isn't what we do well)….a sweep of her arm and she cleans a corner of the table for her work space. She’s into collage using fabric, paper, together or on their own…nothing is safe when she gets in the groove. But first she makes up a product sample….have you seen Jess Italia Lincolns’ Altered Metal Journals in the September/October 2010 issue of cloth.paper.scissors magazine? Great project!

My 12 Connected Challenge Piece for "Reminiscence" theme; "Family Stories" by Jan Girod

This is my latest challenge group piece it was due on August 1st and somehow I made that deadline; however I did not get it posted here in such a timely manner.

Family stories, listening to the elders of our families tell the tales about their ancestors, we aren't always sure if they are accurate or a "tall tale". I became the caretaker of those reminiscences and the treasures of their lives for both my husbands and my own families several years ago.

After moving to Georgia 30 years ago I made the trek each summer to Minnesota with my two children so that they would know their great-grandparents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. This was an important part of my childhood and I wanted my children to have those memories. Breakfasts with my husbands grandfather became a highlight of those trips. He was a natural born story teller, his life was full and long. His stories about his father's family were wonderful, entertaining and a bit farfetched at times, but nonetheless his family "stories".
In more recent years my daughter expressed disbielf that she would not be included in her paternal family tree as it only reflected "male" names back to 1491. I innocently began my search for those womens names, facts and stories, very slowly learning a few names. Some of her great-grandfathers stories we have been able to establish as true, we have gained additional stories from distant family members and others may only be best equated to "big fish tales", but they are still part of our family stories.

This piece was made by printing old Swiss documents and photographs onto TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) and transferring them to a batik and copper metal. I coated the paper map with Golden Matte Medium, giving it more strength so I could easily sew through it. Then I dug around till I found vintage laces, tatting and watch parts as many Girod's were watchmakers.

Our Birthday Month!!!

We are celebrating our 5th birthday this month and we want to celebrate in style! Here's what you should look forward to:

1) Weekly Specials - This week's is 25% off bead mixes, silver beads, beading accessories, and cabochons.

2) One lucky winner per week will receive an extra "goodie" in their order. (ie- the 5th order of the week)

3) From 9/15- 9/17 we will have blue light specials that will be huge discounts (40% off specific item) but for a short period of time.

Keep in mind that domestic shipping starts at $75. Also there are several of you that are close to the 2500 inches! Lonni Rossi's Asian Harmonies line is double inches this month. The first person to hit the 2500 mark will receive a prize basket valued at approximately $50!!! Happy Shopping!

Brazenly Radiant Art Auction Now Open!!

Bidding on these 5 x 7" pieces is NOW OPEN and will be open till August 14th 5PM EST. Bids will be a $30 minimum, unless otherwise stated, for each item. There are a total of 38 pieces to choose from. Email us at fiberonawhim@yahoo.com with the number of the piece/s you wish to acquire. You will then receive a confirmation email with a link to make your donation. Please remember this is a tax deductible donation. Thank you so much for contributing to this cause! We appreciate all of your support.

#38 Out My Window by Janelle Girod

Brazenly Radiant Art Auction

The artwork is finally in!! This is the preview for the Brazenly Radiant Art Auction for the Atlanta 2-Day Walk for breast cancer. Bidding on these 5 x 7" pieces will open on August 13th at 10AM EST and be open till August 14th 5PM EST. Bids will be $30, unless otherwise stated, for each item. Email us at fiberonawhim@yahoo.com with the number of the piece/s you wish to acquire. You will then receive a confirmation email with a link to make your donation. Please remember this is a tax deductible donation. Thanks so much for checking out the artwork and keep an eye out for the possibility of an additional piece or two before the opening of the auction this Friday.

The Traveler (Acquired) by Kristin Rodriguez

#2 The Gull by Janelle Girod

Family Stories II (Acquired) by Janelle Girod

#4 Home is Where the Heart Is by Judy Momenzadeh

#5 Roses are Red by Kristin Rodriguez


#6 Queen for a Day by Kristin Rodriguez


(Acquired) Silk Garden by Janelle Girod


#8 Moments by Kristin Rodriguez


#9 Daisy by Kristin Rodriguez


#10 Days Gone By by Kristin Rodriguez

#11 Untitled by Kristin Rodriguez

#12 Frog Necklace 23" by Karla Stuber ($40 donation requested)

Watercolor painting (Acquired) by Barbara Flexner

#14 Untitled by Kristin Rodriguez

#15 Leaf II by Kristin Rodriguez

#16 Necklace 18" by Karla Stuber ($40 donation requested)

#17 Going in Circles II by Janelle Girod

#18 Flower Garden by Kristin Rodriguez

#19 Tough Necklace 20" by Karla Stuber

Silk Garden II (Acquired) by Janelle Girod

#21 Calla Lily by Kristin Rodriguez

#22 Star Flower by Kristin Rodriguez

#23 Untitled by Pamela Walker

#24 Untitled by Sylvia Weir

#25 Going in Circles I by Janelle Girod

#26 Cherry Quartz Necklace & Earrings 19" by Karla Stuber ($40 donation requested)

#27 Flora by Pamela Walker

#28 Fabric Bracelet 8" Sherrie Tootle

#29 Life is Good by Heather Lair

Bamboo (Acquired) by Kristin Rodriguez

(Acquired) Untitled by Sylvia Weir

#32 Simply Believe by Kristin Rodriguez

#33 Glitterati II by Dale Ashera-Davis

Untitled (Aquired) by Kristin Rodriguez

(Acquired) Breast Armour by Virginia Greaves

#36 Open a New Door by Karla Stuber

#37 Untitled by Pamela Walker