Shirley here

I haven't started on mine - hope to soon. It is bitter cold here in Calgary and

we haven't gone anywhere for over a week. It has broken all records here in

Alberta. I do wish I was 'down under'.

Take care everyone and Happy Thanksgiving for our American Friends. Shirley

Shirley here

We had a lovely drive through British Columbia and it was so good for both of us.

I am ready to get back to normal. I have been thinking about the 2nd Challenge and

I have decided what I am going to do and hopefully will accomplish my goal. It is

a 'challenging' challenge to say the least. I started it last night and I think it might work!

I enjoyed my two retreats, although I found they were too much so will only attend one

next year. They are side by side with no time in between, so 9 days retreating was a bit much.

Both were great and I learned a lot.

I finished thread painting my birds for my nephew's wedding and got them away to Ottawa.

I taught a miniature (l2 x 12 ) class and it went very well. I hope you all had a productive

June and July -- It is 'winter' in Australia -- so I hope you are enjoying the cooler time - grin.

I love your "pretty boy" delia. You do such great work.

Well, I think I will get down to work. Shirley

Two Alberta retreats

for l0 years I have been attending a couple of retreats (the first one I started l0 years ago) and

have made some wonderful friends. I am really ready this year and will be gone for 9 days total.

I leave on Thursday and am getting very excited. Friends from Manitoba, BC and Alberta as well as one from Idaho and the other from near Boston come every year too. Some of them have become lifelong friends and I do so wish you all could come too! I won't be posting much before Thursday as I have to pack, catch up on a couple of pieces I am working on etc. so will talk to you when I get back. I am also seriously thinking of my next challenge. Lots of fun! Shirley

Thread painted fish and coral

I have been working on three l2 x l2 inch fully thread painted pieces for my nephew who is getting married. He is a deep sea diver and took some wonderful pictures with his camera. I

took three of them, printed them on fabric -- placed them on heavy timtex and fully thread painted them. I am very happy with the way they turned out. As their photos are one of a

kind and they dive all over the world I am hopeful that they will like them. Here they are.

It was difficult to pick three as they have taken so

many wonderful shots with their deep sea camera and spotlight.

`Computer hospital'

I am taking my imac in to be serviced before my tech support expires.

Hopefully I will be back within a week. Shirley

Manipulated photos

I have spent the afternoon fooling around with photo shop -- I have managed to get some different manipulations and am enjoying 'playing' with the photos.

I have decided to use one of these to do a small l2 " square little wall hanging on

timtex - adding beads etc. It will be just

to see what I can do with it. Lots of fun!

Manipulating photos

This started out as a scene of the Northern

lights with brightly lit tipis. It seems that some of the pictures can be uploaded here but some can't - I will read my 'help' in photo shop tomorrow. I am having fun

though. I am not sure whether I will

use manipulation very often -- as abstracts are not my thing but it isn't as involved as I thought it was (this part at least). I am

feeling quite pleased though. I just put in the original picture. Interesting!

My challenge is finished and

I am happy with it. I have another idea in my head and might decide to

do that one too and then decide at the 'showing' which one I will use.

I didn't reach too far from my usual work but did try something I had

never really tried before. I have put it away in a baggie and am glad

it is finished. I found it a bit scary to do the first challenge. Since then

I have surfed the net and the Quilting arts magazines and there are some

techniques I really want to try. I don't have a studio for dyeing or heat work etc.

so I will be limited in that respect

I am wondering if I am the first person who has finished the challenge?

I didn't branch out into new techniques but have some ideas for the rest of the Challenges.

I also finished making two landscapes which I attached to pillow cases - It

is the l0th anniversary of a retreat I coordinated in Strathmore - There were

55 + people there and I painted a scene on 55 pillow

cases to give to the girls

at the closing banquet. We are going to have a few reminders at our Retreat

in June and I have made a couple of new ones for draws.

I have also been working on a photo album and am collecting 'memories' from

the first year attendees. The retreat is held every year in Alberta in June and there have been 2 or 3 other retreats that have evolved from the first one.

It was started on the Cdnquiltswappers yahoo group and we had one girl from Australia, 3 from the US and the rest from all across Canada. It was so

interesting as we met on line and none of us knew what the others looked like.

I have life long friends (about 20 of them, ) from that retreat. We meet at two retreats every June. By the way the quilt bags from pillow cases are really handy - some of the girls still use theirs. One girl made some for her guild and placed

blocks on them. I cut across the bottom and up one side seam. Added the

landscape using a wide satin stitch - and then I sewed the seam.

Labels -IMPORTANT

Hi ladies I would like to ask you to fill in the bottom space on your posts

with your name only -- that way each of you will be able to see all your posts.

This will be especially helpful when we have our 'showcase' each challenge--

People will be able to check everyone's work.

I am also going to put in a thought at least a couple of times a week. I

hope I can find some that fit what we are trying to do! grin. Shirley

Works in progress

If you decide you want to put a few snippets of photos, or the challenge in progress you are welcome to. I have been googling challenges and have learned a lot.

We still have a few people to join the blog but they will likely join tomorrow.

I am really having fun with our blog.

I believe you can all put in new links so if you have a blog that would be of help please put it in the blog list. customize then click on links, put in the url - add the name of the blog and save. I think you all can do that - if not, send it to me and I will put them in. It is fine if we all put our own blogs if we have them. I am really excited about this group.

Another Challenge group.

http://twelveby12.blogspot.com/

This is another challenge group - the challenge which was posted today, was Blue, white and black and some of the work is outstanding. I will put this on our side bar. I think you should look at it. I thought the tea cups and Mt. Hood were

especially lovely and also liked the winter trees - (my kind of work - grin)

I hope you will check it out.

Shirley here

I am glad you got into the blog Sharon.

I wouldn't worry about which to choose -- I am having the same problem -

I have one project done but I am not sure whether I will go with it as

it isn't a difficult piece - It was an idea I had the first day and I am happy with it. I also have another idea - and might possibly go with it. I think the hardest part

is the decision of what to do. I went with the one I couldn't let go. I think you might want to try both???? just a thought. We are all new at this (at least quite

a few of us are-) I am finding it difficult to get out of my comfort zone too.

I love doing my work and am hoping I will get the urge to 'reach' a bit more - I just keep being realistic and can't seem to get into the abstract mode. grin.

The problem is I love what I do!

I am hoping to jump in and go for an abstract piece sometime fairly soon.

I am sure the more experienced Challengers have run into the same problem.

One thing I know - don't make it more difficult if you aren't comfortable -

we will be doing these challenges from now on so there are no rules. I am hoping to teach myself new ways to do what I love. Shirley

Shirley here

Welcome to Challenging ourselves. We have set up this blog so that

the members are able to post, show their works in progress and each

four months post a picture of the challenge they have completed.

Our first Challenge is 'Hidden Treasures"

We hope you will enjoy this site - Shirley Paterson