Paying it Forward

Last year in this post, I promised to "pay it forward" to my first three readers leaving a comment on this blog.  Well, I'm finally making good on my promise and sending off these little gifts.  The one above is for Norma, a very talented quilter in my FANE group who has been reading this blog faithfully for a long time and always has a supportive comment for me!   It's a little charm cluster necklace, with a spring green button from which the four charms dangle.  I made one special fabric leaf charm, since fabric is Norma's medium of choice for her art, and used other components that I already had in shades of green and blue, colors that are prevalent in her wardrobe.  Wear it in good health!

The earrings, below, are brass rings with purple teardrop crystals.  Mary R. in my Artcharms group will be receiving these.   Thanks for playing, you two, and now it's time for you to pay it forward to someone elsc!

Happy New Year!

Just thought I'd take a moment to jot down a few words to finish off 2012.  I managed to post 99 times this year, so I couldn't resist writing one more quick entry to make it 100!  I really intended to take a few moments today to review my goals for 2012 and see how I fared, but I actually did not have one moment to do so until now, and I don't think I'll be able to do it justice.  The girls have invited some friends over to ring in the new year and they will be here imminently, which is why my day ended up being so busy and why I'm too distracted to write much.   A bunch of the girls will be sleeping over, so it's sure to be a long, noisy, fun-filled night!  I stopped at the library to borrow a bunch of the maracas, bells, tamborines, and other instruments we use with the preschoolers, so we'll definitely be making a joyful noise at midnight.  How will you be spending the last night of 2012 and what are your hopes and plans for the New Year?

Pay it Forward Giveaway!

If you've been reading my blog but have never left a comment, now's your chance to speak up - and receive a hand-crafted gift!  I'm taking part in a pay-it-forward giveaway that I joined when I visited the blog of Christine Hansen, co-author of the book Making Mixed-Media Art Charms and Jewelry.   (You're probably familiar with the term pay-it-forward from the movie by that name.  If not, it means doing something nice for someone without any expectation of getting something in return.)  The idea is that those who have received something will feel like paying it forward to others, so the good deeds spread.

The first three people who leave a comment on this blog post will receive, sometime in the next 365 days, a special gift handcrafted by yours truly  (if you've never left a comment, scroll to the bottom of this post and click on the word "comments."  You can leave a comment anonymously or login with a google id.).  Then you return the favor by posting something on your blog, if you have one, and paying it forward to three others.  (If you don't have a blog but can come up with another way of paying it forward, then by all means, please do!).

It's as simple as that!  Leave me a comment, I'll contact you for your address, and then you can spread a little joy by paying it forward yourself!

Welcome!

I began blogging at my website, www.cindysartquilts.com, a few months ago, but I found the format to be limiting and didn't post consistently, so I thought I'd try blogger! So here's my first post! I suppose I intend to use this as a record of my creative growth and progress in fabric collage, with the eventual goal of writing and illustrating for children. I sometimes do journal quilts, but again, not on a consistent basis, but when I do, I'll post them here.
I suppose one of the main reasons I am inconsistent with my creative work and blog postings is because I am a working (part-time) mother of three girls and I have difficulty consistently setting aside time. It's more of a grab-as-you-go prospect and I work creatively when I can. Another reason for my sporadic work is that it's summer and they are all home with me for another month, which is a blessing and a challenge at the same time. And summer is also the time I love to spend immersed in a novel (but, I do that in winter as well!) and I'm kind of like an addict when it comes to a good book - can't put it down until I'm done! I just finished the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer so maybe now I'll be able to focus on some of my own creative work! But first, I have to get the kids some dinner!