North Canton Art Show...

Well as a sort of "Welcome Back, home-girl" both Mootie and I got into the North Canton May Show. It is a really great show and everyone should go on over to the North Canton Library and check it out (if you happen to be within 20 miles, that is...) Here we are standing next to each other in art and...


Here we are standing next to each other in person. Here is a link to the library site, click on "lets go see the show!"




And here is evidence of the color yellow in nature. Nice, eh?

Happy Mothers Day to all of you mothers, including my brave and impressive sister, mother of soon-to-be 16 years old twins, Ben and Gracie Cornelius!

Before I left the lovely state of California with my boxes of fabric and cartons of books, my friends had a party for me!




Here is Martha leading everyone in a rolicking drum circle!



You really dont get the full effect with these photos as there was quite a bit of movement and rich noises! Thank you guys!



This is the truck that arrived in front of our house and that was the weather... yes, gloom...



BUT this is what is out there right now! Transformation from the deepest greys to the brightest pinks in the time it takes to fill out a good collection of days...



and here am I... I think I am adjusting well, what do you think?

Love to all, LI

The Atlanta Airport...

Here I sit in the Atlanta Well, the cell seems to be not working but I went through this long process and figured out how to PAY for wifi. All the other airports have free wifi... Not only do they make you pay for the air, but they gouge you for okra laden confections, strangely named "Okra Crisps" I watched in fascination as a man lifted the heavy Okra Pod Up to his mouth and it slowly bent into a L shape as a bead of glimmering slime meandered through the little hairs on the pod and dropped languidly off the tip of the "vegetable" He put it down and went over to stand in the line for MacDonald's.... I hightailed it to star bucks where there is nothing to consume that involves... Buggers.

So LiHertzi Design is moving to Ohio via Atlanta... See Ya there...

Traveling the Holiday Train

Hey Everyone, Happy holidays, every one of them! The above pix is of me at the airport in Phoenix sorta, I don't remember it being that blue, but that's what it felt like.



Speaking of blue... This is Danny explaining how he is going to run for the Peace President! He is going to be in the spider man party so everyone better switch affiliations so you can vote for him in the primaries! He really is the best choice.

Here is Danny's full crew making double chins! We are sure we are ready for the presidency because between us we have the ability to solve all manner of Rubik cubes, put on our socks and shoes and knit a beanie. There you have it, the ministry of mastery, the department of looking good and the caucus of hooks and needles.

Vote For US!

Enjoy your holidays! LI

Crocheting a Barbra Chapman Frenzy!

Marty's Raucous Purse, by LI Hertzi 2007

I am just in love with the textural quality of the wild-winging-it-but-deeply-artistic style of crocheting called "scumbling". I learned this technique from Barbra Chapman in a class at the Black Sheep in Encinitas, CA. Basically, you free form the stitching as well as the yarns, adding and dropping colors in mid-row, changing the stitch, bobbling, circling, backing-up and generally playing around as you go. How perfect for relaxing! No counting! Only noodling and "feeling" for what comes next.

Look at the texture! Now, this is a semi-monochromatic yarn selection... mostly oranges, reds and some purples, all huddled together on the color wheel, so it isn't as easy to show the tactile richness on a flat screen, but it is there.

I first heard the term "Scumbling" from my mother who used it to mean putting a light glaze of watercolor paint over a darker color to soften or give a glazed effect to a painting. This was when I was doing my graduation project in illustration and was flummoxed by making water ripple around a floating teacup!

The Free Dictionary by Farlex pontificates thusly:

scum·ble (skmbl)

tr.v. scum·bled, scum·bling, scum·bles

1. To soften the colors or outlines of (a painting or drawing) by covering with a film of opaque or semi opaque color or by rubbing.

2. To blur the outlines of: a writer who scumbled the line that divides history and fiction.

n.

1. The effect produced by or as if by scumbling.

2. Material used for scumbling.

In crochet, I like the idea of blurring the outlines, and I encourage you to get wild and fuzzy with those hooks this holiday season!

Visit my other fiber-delighted blog here: Art Doll Adventures Blog!
Visit the site for my book: Li's Book!

Thanks for reading, LI