Robots At Maker Faire

 I forgot to make some posts about all the great stuff I saw at Maker Faire this year.  So let's start with some robot looking sculpture used old parts.  Some of these moved or lit up, but they weren't truly functional robots. 
I love how this head looks, it has so much personality, and then you look at what it is comprised of!

 I especially love the fingers on this one, and his bow legs.

 This mixer look familiar to anyone?  It powered a very cool musical sculpture made of piano keys which you can see in the back and above.

 The maniacal grin! The feet made out of shoe trees!  Love sculpture like this, where you look at it, and then look again at another level.

This was my favorite though.  I had the thought that wouldn't it be easier if people had one of these  right on their front where we could see it???
For some reason this is all the pictures I'm able to upload (thankssoverymuchbloggerwhichIcan'tcomplainaboutsinceitisfree!)

Shoreline Series

 Looking through my pictures from our recent trip to Lake Tahoe made me start thinking about working in a series.

 From one spot on the deserted beach I took this series of photos while waiting for my family to meet me (they bicycling which I couldn't do because of my still healing finger). 
Each of these pictures is so similar when looked at in thumbnail size, the orangey shore contrasting with that blue sky and darker blue water, and the darkness of indistinct mountains.  But when seen at normal size like I'm showing you here, all those differences come out and catch my interest and imagination and make me want to turn them into quilts or paintings or collages or..... 
This makes me finally get why working in a series is so satisfying to so many people.  I've been feeling that pull lately, and maybe this epiphany will help me get over the hump to actually working on it and giving it a try.

 All those different views possible from the same spot, the same day, the same camera, the same media, the same person making the image.

Until people show up and introduce even more variables! 
Well, at least they were the people I was waiting for, my two sons who were of course immediately set upon digging a hole and changing the whole view. 

Lists Being Made, Plans Being Hatched

 My list of what to sew first when my hand is recovered enough is steadily growing.  But this is near the top.  I'll be making the short version of this tunic top, with the fabric on the right as the main body and the fabric on the right as the contrasting cap sleeves.  I'm planning to use the contrast fabric to cover buttons. Yes it buttons in the back (?!). 
I chose the main fabric because it reminded me of all those Spirograph designs I used to love to make.  You know the relatively uncomplicated  one that was the "wrong way" around the outside, making the loopy flower shapes.

I also picked up this strange fabric off the remnant table.  (Gotta love the remnant table at Hart's Fabrics!).  I believe it is a Japanese print and it is a lovely crisp, rough woven fabric, maybe part linen.  I just really dug the designs of the old transistor radios, and the color combinations that were used.  I'm thinking of using part of it on a t-shirt as a central patch. 

Spring Flowers While Waiting On Summer

 Thought I'd share some spring flower pictures that I took this year.  While waiting for summer to arrive.  I honestly am not missing it too much.  This is a surprise iris, my mom gave me the bulbs last year and I planted them in a new place and poof, there it was a beautiful and surprising iris!
 I didn't grow these tiger lilies, they were from a bouquet my husband gave me.  I like them a lot, and think I should plant some for next year.

 A close up of a pretty small flower, which I can't remember the name of at the moment.

 Looks even better with a few raindrops.

 The infamous climbing rose that takes over the deck every year.  This was taken right before the local deer went on a rampage and pruned them for me. Someone forgot to close the gate, whoops!

Ranunculus? I can't remember the name, but Rexie looks good with it doesn't he?