Last 3 canal houses

Ok, you just gotta understand that somtimes I get so involved in what I'm doing in my studio that I totally forget about anything else!  So, without further ado......here are the three houses to finish out the Amsterdam Canal Houses. Their stories follow the photo. Again, keep in mind that there are a bag of embellishments which have items that pertain to the story....like a sewing maching button, tiny flowers, etc.  Oh and don't know if I mentioned it before but because my signature color is purple....each house has some element of purple in it. 

Home of the Local Seamstress (aka House I)


But she is not just ANY seamstress! Her designs can be found gracing the elite models all over the world. Her house may seem unassuming but that is because she so greatly values her time alone in her design studio creating fabulous garments for her collection, royalty, super models, movie stars, etc. But when she goes out, she dresses in a manner not to attract attention. When she is not designing, she is traveling to exotic locations all over the world looking for wonderfully luxurious fabrics, unusual adornments and, of course, inspiration! Perhaps that is why there is often a jet flying over her house! And who knows…soon you might even be wearing a beautiful gown from her latest design collection!

Home of the Mayor (aka House J)


This substantial home is the residence of the Mayor. Being politically ambitious, he figured the best way to curry favor with the Queen was to build his house with orange bricks! (Orange being the Queen’s color). He even keeps orange fish in the canal in front of his home. So far, no royal appointments have been forthcoming but our intrepid Mayor will not give up easily. During the day his windows are closed with thick copper colored tapestry shades. His phone is in one window because he is never far from it. He often shows off his home with lavish parties that last late into the night. If you look into the windows (unless you are one of the very fortunate people to actually be invited!) you will see two HUGE fireplaces at either end of the grand hall that runs the full width of the home at the back of the house. Parties in the summer always spill out into the back courtyard that will have a “ceiling” of Japanese lanterns. He will be very friendly when you meet him on the sidewalk. But be cautious…he IS a politician after all.

Home of the Chairman of the Flower Guild (aka House K)


Not difficult to find the house of the Chairman of the Flower Guild. The full window boxes give it away I think. She purchased this house mainly because it had so many windows and she wanted flower boxes on every one of them…even the one for the attic! Even her window treatments suggest pink hydrangeas. She used to have many many flower pots on the sidewalk in front of her house but so many people picked them because they were so beautiful that she plants them along the sidewalk close to her house. They attract butterflies and dragonflies and usually a little frog to eat all the bad bugs. The rest of her wonderful flowers are in her back courtyard and of course…in EVERY room of her many-roomed home. In the spring though, she will place specially made planters along the steps of her roof just to add to the abundance of color and scent to welcome the milder weather. Her real prize is in her attic which she transformed into her indoor hot house with many large skylights. So, please do enjoy her floral display but please don’t pick the flowers.

Canal Houses - next set

OK, here are the next set of canal houses and their stories.  The next three are E, F and G/H (two house made into one.) The stories follow the photo.

The Residence of the Pink Princess (aka House E)


This is the house of the Pink Princess. She is all about hearts and flowers and the glam! Shiny things excite her…especially PINK shiny things! She IS in residence most of the time but the entrance to her pink palace is through the courtyard in the back so no one is ever REALLY sure when she is at home. She can sometimes be seen walking her pink poodle along the canal sidewalk in the evenings….just when the sunset is nice and pink. During the day…even some of the wispy clouds seem shiny and sparkly over her house and only pink fish seem to swim in the canal in front of her house. Her favorite holiday is Valentine’s Day…of course. But it is not just on that day that her heart is open. Her favorite pastime is working with charities for children…giving of herself and her vast fortune. Her little pink poodle is a favorite in the hospital children’s ward. When the weather is not pleasant, she spends her days sitting in front of her fireplace on her pink chaise reading romance novels. I think you might enjoy getting to know her in your neighborhood.

The Royal Residence (aka House F)


Obviously this royal purple house with the precious metal décor is the home of a royal family. No one is sure just WHICH royal family though. Rumors abound but because the entrance to their home is through their back courtyard, no one has ever actually SEEN then arrive or leave. Some conjecture that they are a members of the once well-known Russian royalty. Others believe they once recognized a Scandanavian prince in the window. But alas…no solid lead has ever surfaced. This mystery is furthered along because their house is at the very top of the bridge so to be less visible from the canal itself. Perhaps while they are living with you, you will catch a glimpse of them and final reveal their true identity!

European Home of Jackson Pollock (aka House G/H)


When Jackson Pollock was alive, he loved to visit Amsterdam! He visited so often that he decided to purchase a large home on one of the canals. Not long after moving in, he painted the outside of his house. Now it is unlike any other. As his legacy to the art world, his will left instructions for his Amsterdam Canal home to be turned into an artist retreat. Artists needing to get away and rejuvenate their creative muse are welcome to stay here at no fee for three months. These visiting artists each leave a wonderfully creative touch on the inside of Pollock’s former house. While Jackson Pollock was a painter, ALL genre of art is encouraged at the retreat. At any given time, the residents could be painters, musicians, poets, writers, sculptors, mixed media and fiber artists, etc. Culinary artists also visit regularly so the kitchen is constantly supplied with tasty tantalizing morsels to sample. It is possibly the liveliest house on the block…so drop in sometime, sit around the kitchen table and just drink in the air of the creative soul.

Tomorrow I'll post the final three houses. Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Yep! Here it is.....2011!!!  As you can see, the holidays knocked a big whole in my schedule plans but I'm not back in the studio and will try to catch up somewhat with posting here.

First thing I want to do is show you the stories I wrote to go with the canal houses.  Here are the first four houses.  The stories are below the photo which are left to right A B C & D. Please keep in mind that many of the embellishments were sent along with the individual house so some of the story references revolve around those embellishments which will be added on by the recipient.

Three Generation Family Home (aka House A)


This is the residence of a large family. Currently there are three generations living here together…the grandparents, parents, and seven children (three of which are under 4 years of age!). It is a happy home, even if somewhat chaotic and noisy at times. There is an artist studio at the back of the house that looks out onto the back courtyard. The grandmother spends almost all her days out there. But sometimes, she invites in a grandchild or two to begin to teach them the joys of art. At least one of them shows great promise of talent even at the age of three! The 10 year old doesn’t visit as often but has artist talent all his own! The room in the attic is very special. It is the guest room for visiting artist friends!! Every morning the kitchen smells of freshly brewed coffee and on the porch you can hear the murmur of friendly conversation and watch the cardinal on its daily visit.

Home of the Chief Judge of the Kennel Club (aka House B)


While Chief Judge sounds ominous and intimidating, this judge is very friendly and approachable. Especially when he is on one of his twice daily walks with his own lovable dog. In fact, you might even say this is the Dog’s Home as almost everything in this house is doggie friendly. The morning newspaper is left by the front door for him to retrieve and a bone has been known to be buried at various times in the flowers under the windows. He’s a very friendly dog, too, so be careful when walking by dressed in your fancy clothes. He WILL jump up and give you a big lick! But only if his master is not around. All in all though, he is a well-behaved and beautiful dog. So, walk along with them sometime and hear all the amazing stories of the Kennel Club annual competition!

Residence of the President of the Yacht Club (aka House C)


Yes, he only has a small skiff on the canal but at port he owns a fairly large ocean-going yacht! He loves all things nautical or having to do with water and boats. Even the window treatments are the color of a lagoon and have waves stitched into them. And his weather vane is a canoe. He so loves being as close to the water as he can, that he has his study on the basement level with a window practically at water level! The red and gold color of his home remind him of the brilliant sunrises out on the open sea – ushering in yet another wonderful day of sailing. The sky over his home even takes on a wavy look just for his pleasure. Next time he’s pulling out into the canal, if you ask nicely, he’ll probably be more than happy to take you out on the water with him!

The Bakery (aka House D)


While some claim that the Pancake Bakery is the best….we know better! Wil’s Bakery on the Canal tops them all! AND they serve delicious Starbucks coffee! Now what could be better than a cream cheese croissant and a Pumpkin Spice Latte! There are tables inside so go on in, grab a newspaper and your yummy treats and spend a leisure morning. Sometimes it is difficult to concentrate on one thing because ALL your friends seem to pop in while you are there. But that is a joy in itself. Coffee, croissant and friends…well, that’s just about as close to heaven as one can get! One group that meets here on a regular basis is the artist ladies! Wil is one of them and they meet here because she lives upstairs. (You can tell because her sewing machine is by the window.)They’ve been know to spend an hour or two here before they head off on shopping sprees to buy the latest art tool! They aren’t around every day because their trips usually have to take them to the US!! But…they will be back before you know it! So, enjoy your baked treats and Starbucks lattes and keep an eye out for them!

I'll post the next three houses and their stories tomorrow!

FINALLY!!!!!

It is DONE!!! I was beginning to believe this day would NEVER arrive!  ALL my canal houses are completed and ready to put in a box and mail to the Netherlands tomorrow!!!  It's been a HUGE project and a fun one.  But at this moment in time...I'm very glad they are finished!

Now the go off to Wil and she will swap out all the houses and send us back at least one of our own and the rest from the other Fractured Architecture group!  I can hardly wait now to see what I get in return mail!  Probably after the holidays however. 

So, without further ado..........

Here is the whole row of houses. Each house is separate. I just put them really close together so you could see how they would look.

Group 1 - the first four houses

Group 1 - the next three houses (These three houses are the ones on the bridge)

Group 3 - the last three houses

Now...I'm off to a VERY blissfull night's sleep!!!

And the Beat Goes On!!

Well, at least the ATCs go on........and on.....and on.......

Theme of this group is Old Churches.  We had so much fun driving around looking over the treetops for interesting steeples!  One of the most fun hunting trips ever!  Here's what I found!

The first is the Basilica of St. Mary - Recognized as one of the finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture in the country, the Basilica of St. Mary was constructed in Minneapolis between 1907 and 1915. It's also the first Basilica in the United States, honored by Pope Pius XI in 1926. And it has been named to the National Regtister of Historic Places.

Next is Scandia Church - One of the earliest of the Swedish Baptist Churches in Minnesota, Scandia Baptist Church was founded in 1855. The diary of the carpenter who worked on the Scandia church building was used by Moberg in the writing of his famous trilogy about Swedish Immigration.

 Third is St. Katherine's Ukranian Orthodox - St. Katherine Church in Arden Hills, MN is designed in the Ukranian Baroque Architectural style. The Cathedral of Sophia in Kyiv provided the inspiration for the design of St. Katherine Ukranian Orthodox Church.

 And last but not least is St. Constantine Ukranian Catholic Church - The area of Northeast Minneapolis is home to a large Ukranian population. One of the oldest congretations is St. Constantine's Ukranian Catholic Church established in 1913. It has a beautiful domed roof.

As you can see, the Minneapolis area has a significant Ukranian population!  There are several other churches I photographed but those will have to wait for another time!

Fractured Architecture

A group of us are now starting a new project. The original is a line drawing of the canal houses in Amsterdam (or a reasonable facsimile thereof!). There are ten of us and we will all do the 10 different houses. Then the hostess will swap them out so we all end up with one of our own houses and one of the houses from everyone else!! And it is a large project. 33" high and somewhere around 70" or more wide!!! I could hardly wait to get started.

There are five main components for the background. Working my way down from the top -- the sky, the house, the sidewalk, the canal wall and then the canal. There is also a bridge in the middle with houses on it also. The only really important parts that have to match are the sidewalk and the canal wall. And there will be one fabric that will run throughout each house. The hostess dyed it and sent us all a piece. Somewhere in each house there has to be some of this common fabric. That will help tie it all together in the end.

So, to begin, I've been playing with techniques for some of the background or base pieces. I have some sky, some canal wall and some canal.

This is a piece of woven fabric for the canal wall. Each strip is 1/4" wide so this could make a wall for several of the pieces if needed.
OK, so I'm now addicted to woven fabric!!! This is a piece for a couple of skies

This is a piece that I pleated (rather irregularly by hand) in parts and left other parts unpleated. Then I stitched with metallic thread to reverse the pleating. I think it makes great current or perhaps slight waves from the wake of a boat!

This is a technique I've seen but never tried before. I have a 1/4" grid cookie rack that I used to poke the fabric through for this piece so the "bricks" are apx. 1/4" square. If you ever try this, I found it much easier to keep the already poked parts from coming out when I poke in the area next to them if I sprayed it with spray starch before poking! Then I ironed MistyFuse to the back of it to keep it all together and so I could add it to the slice of canal wall somewhere in a couple of houses. Or, perhaps some of it will end up being a roof or something..... We'll see.

It's good to be back on the computer and able to upload pictures and a lot of other things!! More tomorrow!

Nurturing Creativity - Week 5

Today felt exceptionally exciting to me for some reason....something about the beginning of a new month and the beginning of a new week. And I've really been looking forward to seeing which card pops up for this week.

And the winner is.........

Be Taught or Not

To take a class, in person or online is the Be Taught part. I LOVE online classes and take as many as I can. I love learning new techniques or new ideas with techniques I'm already familiar with.

The or Not part is for the self-motivated....learning on your own. I also love that! In fact, this card really fits in right now. I just started studying about Claude Monet. I have a fantastic book of his biography and am enjoying it very much. I've always been partial to the Impressionists and Monet in particular. I did get to see one of the Monet traveling exhibits when it was here several years ago at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Awesome.........truly. So, I guess it must have been a connection that was meant to be. On the first pages of this book is a quote from Monet that says, "Even in my childhood, I could never be made to obey rules..." A man after my own heart!!!! I'm just now to the years when he first returned to Paris. A very interesting man.

And a friend of mine told me about Antoni Gaudi....the Spanish architect whose work (at least all I've seen) is in Barcelona. Intriguing! Very "Middle Earth"

I try to find art and learn about art and artists in many disciplines. It never ceases to amaze me what mediums some people come up with to vent their creativity!

So....never stop learning.....never stop seeing art all around you!

Today was a great field trip for me. I met a friend and we went to the Mill City Ruins. Minneapolis used to be a great milling town. And, true to most mills, the big ones were located along a river. In this case the river is the Mississippi. Many of the old warehouses and other old buildings have now been converted into high end condos. But someone with a sense of the historic and meaningful, decided to preserve some of the ruins of at least one or two old mills along the river. AND to preserve the Stone Arch Bridge, which used to be a railroad bridge.

The architecture is amazing and the ruins evoke a sense of the hustle and bustle of the milling district as it might have been many years ago. There is a museum there also but it was closed yesterday. Sounds like another field trip for another day! I have another connection to this section of town. My husband's father used to be a VP at one of the flour mills. So, I'm excited to delve into that bit of family background just a bit.

Following are four pictures of the Stone Arch Bridge. Info from their official website: Railroad baron James J. Hill built the bridge in 1883 to allow for increased movement of people and goods across the Mississippi River. The Stone Arch Bridge spans St. Anthony Falls, and served as a working railroad bridge until 1965. Today, the bridge accommodates pedestrians, bicyclists and the River City Trolley. It continues to offer spectacular views of St. Anthony Falls, the historic milling district and the Minneapolis skyline and is an important link in the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail. It is the only stone arch bridge ever to be built across the Mississippi River.






Below are a few pictures of the overall view of the Mill City Ruins. The first view is from the Stone Arch Bridge. The other two are taken from a walkway they have put down by the ruins themselves.







It was a wonderful day. We tried to imagine what it was like back in those days and just enjoyed the trip back in time.