Sue Bleiweiss

I'm moving my blog!

I've been growing increasingly more and more disappointed in the last year with using typepad as my blog host so I've decided to move to wordpress.  You'll find my new blog here:

http://suebleiweiss.com/blog/

Please update your links and bookmarks.  See you over at my new blog!

3 Creative studios

Two Creative Studios has now become Three Creative Studios.

Three Creative Studios is now the virtual online studio for me, Terri and Vicki!  Vicki brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field of fabric painting & dyeing, quilting and surface design to the Three Creative Studios team.   Please visit our new website here.

and that's not all!  Earlier this year we moved our online class forums from a yahoo group setting to a ning group application.   Unfortunately the ning group application is not as user friendly as we would like it to be and is cumbersome and awkward to navigate.  So after much research and subsequent testing of several other options we're happy to announce that we've decided to move to an online forum community application that we're sure you're going to find a lot easier to use.   You'll find the new Three Creative Studios forum here.

One of the benefits we really like about this new forum application is that you can browse the forum as a guest if you would rather not become a registered user.   We think that you'll like this new forum a lot better than the ning group and find it easier to navigate and use.

2009 has been a very busy and exciting year for the Creative Studios team and 2010 is shaping up to be even better.  Watch for new online classes, free projects and a new monthly program to keep you inspired and challenged.  Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss any of it!

Etsy shop sale!

Everything in my etsy shop is now on sale at 20% off!

In order to get this special sale pricing you MUST type "DEC20" in the notes field when you checkout.  I will credit the 20% discount back to your paypal account when I process the order for shipping.  Click here to visit the shop.

This offer expires at midnight (EST) 12/20/2009 and does not apply to previous purchases.

fusing with the goddess...

You all know that I'm a big fan of Mistyfuse and that it's the only fusible product that I use in my studio and recommend to my students and anyone else who will listen.    Along with using a lot of Mistyfuse I also use a lot (okay a ton, actually so much that my husband suggested I find a source to buy it by the case!) of parchment paper because it's always been my choice as a pressing sheet vs using a non stick teflon sheet.  The non stick sheets I've bought in the past have always taken too long to cool and I wasn't able to see through them to the fabric beneath.   Well, Mistyfuse now has a nonstick thermal sheet for fusing that I really like ...

 

The goddess sheet is a nonstick thermal sheet that has won me over.  Why?  well because I can see through it when I'm ironing, it doesn't seem to hold the heat as long as some of the sheets I've used in the past and it has a curve along one corner so I always know which side of the sheet should be facing up.  This insures that I always put the same side against the Mistyfuse so if I happen to get any fusible bits clinging to the sheet after I fuse one fabric and I don't realize they're there I won't accidentally iron over them when I fuse the next piece of fabric.   

When you fuse using the goddess sheet it leaves a slightly glossy sheen on the fused surface which is helpful if you're like me and you pre-fuse your fabrics and then put them away to use later.   This is especially helpful when I pre-fuse batiks because when I use parchment paper to pre-fuse the Mistyfuse'd side is sometimes hard to determine because the parchment paper fuses with a matte finish.   

This is a terrific product and I definitely recommend it as a must have in the studio.  I found the goddess sheet online at  Mistyfuse  and I Have a Notion.  If you have anyone who works with fusibles on your gift list this holiday this is a perfect gift for them.

If you are new to working with Mistyfuse, check the Two Creative Studios free project page for a tip sheet on working with it.

a little of this, that and something else...

how's that for a blog post title?  I've got a bunch of stuff to post about so that seemed to be the most fitting title.

First: I thought I'd give you a preview of what the winner of the second block of the month for Two Creative Studios will win on the 15th of this month:

 

There's still time to get into the draw for this prize package!  You'll find all the block of the month details here.

Vicki's having a big sale in her etsy shop.  All her Tie Dye Shirts are 15% off through November 23rd. I have a couple of her tie dye shirts and I love them.  Get all the details on the sale here.

There's lots going on over at the Quilting Gallery Blog.  First up is the Holiday Traditions Quilt contest.  Terri and I are one of the sponsors of this contest and we're giving away a copy of Creative Way with Books & Journals as a prize.  Get all the details here.    While you're over there, check out the call for recipes for the Quilters Cookbook.   I've already sent my recipe in for Wild Rice with Apples & Pecans.

and lastly I'll leave you with a peek at a new quilted fabric collage I've been working on in the studio all week:

 

It's at the stage now where I'll start adding some stitching to the surface.   Speaking of quilts. Judy revealed the theme for the first challenge for the Fiberactions challenge group.  Check it out here.

a new bag

It's been ages since I made a bag.  So long in fact I can't remember the last time I made one but when I saw the new Sweetwater fabrics in the last Pink Chalk Fabrics newsletter I knew right away I had to get some to make a bag with.

8"x10"x3 1/2"

and the back :

I used the canvas blocks for the outside of the bag and for the inside I used the cotton:

 

The inside has a zippered pocket on one side and some patch pockets on the other.  It closes with a magnetic snap.

 

I found these cool charms in my stash that I thought were a perfect embellishment.

2 new freebies & the new BOM!

Terri and I have added  two new free projects to the Two Creative Studios website!

Fabric Frames:

 

and  Painted Coffee Cup sleeves:

You'll find directions for  both of these new free projects on the Two Creative Studios website free project page here.

and for those of you who are doing the Two Creative Studios block of the month you'll find the latest block here.  Here's my version:

and as I mentioned in my post here - each month we pull a name from all of the people who posted a photo of their block from the prior month in the Two Creative Studio Ning group and send them a good package.  The first months winner whose name was announced in the Two Creative Studios newsletter earlier today will be receiving this prize package:

Visit the block of the month page here to download the directions for the latest block.

fabric frames

combine a little fabric with some Mistyfuse, some stitching and you get...

fabric frames!

8"x12"

Inspired by some  plain cardboard ones I had laying around the studio I decided to see if I could create a version using fabric...

 

7"x20"

look for the directions on how to make these in the next Two Creative Studios newsletter due out next week.

Violette who is one of the artists spotlighted in the gallery section of our book Creative Ways with Books and Journals is having a giveaway on her blog here.  Lesley Riley, another gallery contributor has also blogged about the book here and Angela blogged about it here.

lots & lots of books...

A shipment of our new book Creative Ways with Books and Journals arrived yesterday...

and so I've spent a lot of time in the last 24 hours packing and shipping and packing and shipping...If you were among the first 100 to pre-order a book  (or if you were one of the artists chosen for the gallery section) from us then you should receive your book by the end of this week if you live in the US.  International orders will take a little longer to arrive.  When you do get your book Terri and I would love it if you'd consider posting a review of the book on the Amazon product page.  We set up a special group in the ning group just for those of you who purchased a book so if you have any questions you can ask and of course we encourage you to post photos of what you make in the group so we can see what you've made.

And now that the books have been packaged and shipped and I've fulfilled all my other studio commitments I am now starting to brainstorm about where I want to go next with my work.  I've been spending a lot of time in the last few days making lists and mind mapping in an effort to narrow my list and determine what I want to focus on going forward.    But before I move into any new projects I spent some time cleaning up in the studio and decided to cut up the last of the leftover surfaces that I had made last week and turn them into some quick note cards:

I like to keep a stack of note cards on hand so I have them when I need them. These were very easy to do since the collage surfaces were created right on a piece of Mistyfuse on top of a piece of parchment to start with.  All I had to do was cut them up and then iron them right to the front of the card.  Easy!

QA Studios tour!

Quilting Arts is hosting a virtual studios tour this week! 

The theme of the Fall 2009 issue of Studios is Open Studios, so they're kicking it off with a virtual tour, and you're invited to participate.  Stop back here on Saturday October 3rd and I'll have a tour of my studio for you.