Look What you Missed...and what is to come

http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/

Here are pictures from HeART-Felt's Sunday night class: Watercolor Postcards

Here is what we will be doing Sunday, November 2:  Stitched Paper Collage

 Take old book pages and collage to create a background. Then pick a motif to replicate and collage over and over again. Final step, stitch  to create depth and a unique piece of ART.

http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/

Easy sign-up. Go to the above and click on classes and register with our secure payment plan!

                                                             Come Join the FUN!

Transitions

                                          http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/

I have always struggled with transitions. Of course they are a part of life. Nothing is ever stagnate. Life is always changing. That is really the purpose of life to grow and change and grow and change...BUT sometimes that is just exhausting.

I am finding it challenging to be in the life transition I find myself in now; our children are grown-that MAJOR responsibility has dramatically shifted to just being a support sometimes-not an everyday support, I have had to grieve the passing of friend's lives-that is a life shift that I was not expecting until later, my middle aged body is changing, and my work/career does not fulfill me like it once did-a mid-life crisis? Maybe. But also a world of transition which I need to accept.

 I have been doing yoga for over 20 years and have found great comfort in the practice. It feeds my soul and body and I always hope it will calm my "racing mind." Many of my yoga teachers will finish a class and say something like, "Take the calm you feel now, off the mat and into the world." I love that sentiment, but really have a hard time living it. I get so caught-up in my own little world that I forget to breath and enjoy just being....

The one constant focus that I want to promote with HeART-Felt is that "the process is more important than the product." That spending time in creating is the real benefit of taking a class-not what you produce. It is my version of yoga-art. Not sure where it is going, I am trying to remain "calm and present" in the face of my ever changing world...

 Fall shadows are starting to remind me that winter and hibernation are right around the corner.

Transition like art are messy. But our of the mess comes creative expression.

                                                      Art Dolls created in Friday evening's class.

                                                              Last bit of fall color.

 

Our Son James back from deployment transitioning to hands-on-fatherhood! I am so happy for him and his family!

Tonight's class "Watercolor Postcards"

and next Sunday night's class "stitched collage" push the envelope of transitioning the blank paper.

http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/

Sign-up for a class .... take a chance on the process

Follow the road of transition.

Have a wonderful week!

Lucy

I'm making a shameless plug...

HeART*Felt classes need some people ready to "get lost in the process..." All classes run from 7-9 (ish) in the evening and are a great way to spend an evening with friends OR to meet new people....SO, if you are near Glen Ellyn, Illinois check-out all of our class selections at:


                                                         http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/



My dear friend Michelle came over last evening and told me she could not get to my website via my blog. I of course got right on Blogger to figure out how I could do that...Well, I was not successful in that adventure, BUT I can promote the classes I am teaching in the next couple of weeks. Here goes...



Friday, October 24 Art Dolls

These sweet little 6 inch dolls are my "fabric" offering this month. They LOVE to rest in houseplants, teacups or any little spot in your home.



Sunday, October  26 Watercolor Postcards

This is my "paint" class. We will be playing with watercolors and many different techniques to create interesting backgrounds.





Sunday, November 2    Stitched Paper Collage

  At this "paper" class you will be playing with old books and colorful papers which will be collaged and then stitched into place.






All classes are held at String Theory Yarn Company in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Each class costs $40 and includes all supplies, instructions and the fun adventure which is ART/CRAFT...it is easy to reserve a place in class just register at:


                                                 http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/






"Somewhere between Art and Craft lies HeART - Felt ..."




                                                               Sign-up for a class today!


                                                                         Lucy
                                                                        

Finding Beauty vs Mediating Conflict

Friday at our staff meeting one of my colleagues led our staff through a professional development exercise. She placed 2 statements at opposite ends of the room. The directions were to line-up and create a continuum as to how you felt about how each statement would answer: which statement do you believe makes our world a better place? She introduced statement number one:
                           
                                 "Finding beauty through art"

And without even finding out what statement number 2 was- I immediately jumped up and said, "YES. I am making a stand-follow me people!" And stomped over to be first in line to lead for beauty/ART.

The second statement of course is just as important:

                                  "Mediating conflict peacefully"

The idea behind the exercise is to get people respectfully talking about ideas which they may not necessarily agree with. We unfortunately, only had about 10 minutes to complete the process ... and the gal I was paired up with had to go do door duty...so no real discussion way able to occur.

My belief is that without seeing the beauty in the world we CAN'T begin to be peaceful. That when 2 opposing groups can come together to admire, experience, talk about the beauty in our world-meaningful dialog can occur concerning our differences. I believe the creative process can help us ALL become more peaceful. That creative process is different for everyone. Some people cook, garden, paint, dance, play music, act, draw, sew...whatever the "doing" is it is part of the creative process. It is ALL beautiful...

Our daughter Virginia and her girlfriend Zoe show-0ff the peace bracelets which were created by my friend Kristin's almost 90 year old mother.

                                                         At this time of year nature creates AMAZING beauty...

                  An open road speaks to me of the quiet solitude which in itself is beautiful.

Walking with a friend and coming across a "little free library" is beauty.

                             http://littlefreelibrary.org/

 

 My husband in his Octoberfest Ladderhosen?! International beauty...

An amazing "quilted/painted" canvas from the art show, "Crossing the Line" at the Degenerate Art Gallery in Chicago. (just opened last night running through December- I think)

The artist painted individual canvases, cut them a part and sewed them back together....How amazing is that?!

My friend Kathryn Trumbull Firmreite's, who curated the show, boat.

 Created with picture frame parts and old negatives.

                                              Fall flowers and amazing leaves

AND a wonderfully creative Daughter-in-law who creates lasting memories

Makes me HEART sing....

                                 Go find some beauty...or at the very least mediate some conflict!

                                                                                       Lucy

Always looking for inspiration

Last evening I had a wonderful chat with my daughter's girlfriend Zoe. Zoe is an amazing artist who is currently finishing-up a fashion design degree in Madison and plans to go to NYC next year. She took a couple of years off to help a friend launch a clay studio. Lucky for HeART*Felt, I have an expert in opening and sustaining a creative business! Zoe is always a wealth of information AND now I have added her on my "wise sage" list.

I was bemoaning the fact that I have worked hard to make the website work, figured out how people can register and pay on line, I have a display of classes at the yarn store, have started to figure out social media....BUT only Eileen has actually signed-up for a class! Zoe talked me through her experiences with classes and we brain stormed some possible solutions for getting the word out-and then she said 2 things which struck me:

1) It was her opinion that the reason classes worked for the clay studio was because they had a space. WHICH has always been my focus. Classes are just a part of my vision for HeART*Felt. The classes at String Theory are just a stepping stone. The HeART*Felt space is really the goal.
2) BUT Zoe's words of wisdom which made me stop and think were, "Really everything that you are doing is good. You are putting ART out into the world and that is always positive." That was an Hallelujah moment for me! (whenever a student says something interesting or unique in my 3rd grade classroom I sing "Hallelujah" in falsetto.)

So thank you Zoe for the words of wisdom and inspiration to keep plugging along!

I took a walk this week in the woods - nature is always a calming influence on  my life.

 

Martha. People seem to love her or hate her...no in-between. I have always been inspired by what she has created.

 I asked a customer at the yarn shop if I could copy the sweater she created. I started designing this week with these colors:

Here are my notes and the yarn I will use to create my own sweater. 

I finished 2 projects this week:

1) a quilt for our son George's girlfriend and 

Prayer flags...hanging outside our kitchen window.

I created a recipe for "Monster Cookies" almost 30 years ago with my college friend Trish. We ditched class senior year of college and spent the afternoon creating these. They have been a staple of comfort in my world ever since!

Have an inspiring week. Be open to new and exciting thoughts through your eyes and ears...

Lucy

A Privileged Problem

As my fifty-first year continues to bless me with all sorts of people, new adventures and interesting situations I am humbled at moments to be reminded that I am part of a small percent of humans who have VERY privileged problems. I don't work hard to "someday get a bed"-as one of our daughter Virginia's 5th graders in Humboldt Park told her this past week. I don't EVER worry about having enough food- another student hid her "free and reduced" breakfast in her back pack so she could have something to eat at home. I don't worry about being safe in my neighborhood. I walk freely at all hours of the day and night...the list of discrepancies between the "have and have nots" continues to grow wider each day. I am not sure that my current obsession and worry about creating HeART*Felt could or ever would address these problems.
BUT I do believe that we all have a role in the world. And that we need to follow and act on our passions...Me trying to build a "SPACE" for individuals to "CREATE" is what I am exploring. I am hoping it will inspire and create good karma for my community. As I move along this journey of building a successful business I am also building an altruistic component of the business. I have always said that a percentage of HeART*Felt would be given to charity. Building it into the business plan is something which I am working on....Remembering that my HeART*Felt adventure is a privilege is an important reminder for me.

          Yesterday HeART*Felt had its first Trunk Show to kick-off the fall classes and introduce the space where the classes will be held: String Theory Yarn Company in Glen Ellyn, IL.

All of HeART*Felt's classes will be held on either Friday or Sunday evenings from 7-9:30. We will be creating with paper, paint and or fabric - surrounded by amazing color and yarn!

My ever supportive friends and family helped me set-up the class sample wall and visited the trunk show!

http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/

You can now sign-up for classes on line: 

                                          http://www.getlostintheprocess.com/

More importantly, PLEASE remember to look carefully around you and be aware of the beauty....

                                                  Have a wonderful week....Lucy