Ceramic Buttons on the Vest

These are some of my ceramic buttons. These are from high-fire clay and the glaze was fired at ^10 in a gas kiln. I thought I was going to get something else, but these were a kiln surprise. Then again, kiln surprises are what make working with clay fun.

Close Up Of Details of Vest

I used a generic vest pattern, and played with stitches. For the life of me, I can't remember what I did to get this pattern, but I do remember that I had fun doing it.

My Latest Vest

I started playing around with some yellow Peace Fleece, some funky yarn from Unravel (where I have my work for sale) and some hand-dyed yarn I bought at the Renaissance Faire.

Wood Buttons

Jim has been busy the last couple days. Now, he's working on making wood buttons. If you're interested in buying any of his buttons, please contact me at debthuman@zianet.com.

Jim's Latest Needle Cases

Jim spent the day making needle cases. All but the one he made for me are for sale. The one he made for me is a special size - just perfect for my felting needles.

$20.00 (USD)

If you'd like to purchase a needle case, please send me an e-mail at debthuman@zianet.com.

Artful Socks

Cotton and acrylic. The foot is made from cotton.

$60.00 (USD) plus shipping.

If you're interested, please e-mail me at debthuman@zianet.com

Peaceful Socks

Both pairs are made from Peace Fleece, a wool/mohair blend. Peace Fleece is wool that's made from a combination of fleece from sheep raised in Maine and sheep raised in Russia.

Hand wash cold water, lay flat to dry. DO NOT PUT IN THE DRYER!!!

$60.00 (USD) plus shipping.

If you're interested, please e-mail me at debthuman@zianet.com

Artful Socks

Wool, rayon, mohair and cotton. The foot is made from cotton, so it's a remarkably comfortable sock. These are tube socks and will wear longer than socks with heels in them. In hand knitted socks, it's the heel that wears first. With tube socks, you simply rotate the sock, and there's no heel to wear out fast.

Hand wash cold water, lay flat to dry. DO NOT PUT IN THE DRYER!!!!

$60.00 (USD) plus shipping.

If you're interested, please e-mail me at debthuman@zianet.com

Jim's Needle Cases

These are Jim's latest needle cases. All are for sale and each is $20.00 (USD). To order, please contact me by e-mail: debthuman@zianet.com.

Yard Art

When they grow up, they will be solar powered fountains. For now, they are yard art.

Kadish

Regardless of our beliefs, death touches all of us. We all lose people we love and we all will die. We all experience loss and sorrow - no one is immune. This piece is named after the Jewish prayer for the dead. The pieces on top of the box actually fit into holes in the top of the box.

Misfit

This piece has a square peg fitting into a round hole in the top of the box. There are lots of misfits; Albert Einstein, Van Gogh, Georgia O'Keefe, me. We're the people who see things a bit differently and never quite fit in.

Conforming Misfit

Some misfits try really, really hard to fit in... but we never quite manage to conform. That's why there's a round peg that fits into a round hole in the top of the box.

In God's Image

Woman was created in God's image.

In Memory of my sister, Christina Marie Griffasi

1962-1997
I still have a hard time dealing with my sister's death. I thought making this ceramic doll would help. Her foot was mangled in real life, too. When she was a little more than a year old, my mother watched as she played in oven cleaner. After cleaning her off, my mother put the oven cleaner soaked shoe back on her foot. For hours, she yelled at my sister to stop crying. Finally, after at least four hours, she took my sister in to the hospital. My sister had second and third degree burns from the waist down. Her foot was burned the worse.

I had put holes in her hands because I had originally thought to put ski poles in her hands. Christina went skiing with friends and after watching her tear wild down the mountain, her friends asked her where she learned such great hot dogging. Christina told them she never learned to ski. The last run of the day, there was freezing rain. Christina went down the mountain with her eyes closed. That was my sister. She wasn't afraid of life.

Melonoma killed her in June 1997. My mother decreed that no one should tell me that my sister was sick or that she died. A friend called me to let me know that she had seen my sister's obituary in the paper.

How To Buy My Art

If you are interested in buying any of the art pictured on my blog, you may e-mail me at: debthuman@zianet.com or visit Laughing At The Sun Gallery in Mesilla, NM (www.laughingatthesunmesilla.com) or Unravel in Las Cruces (www.unravel-yarn-shop.com).

Renaissance Faire

Jim and I got juried into the Las Cruces Renaissance Faire this year. Only a limited number of artists in each category are selected so this was a special accomplishment for us. This was Jim's third year, my first year. The was also the first year the Faire organizers allowed artists to share a booth. Jim's work needs to be displayed on tables, mine needs to be hung on walls.

I made the fabric panels from upholstery fabric. They need a little help. I put a pocket on the back of the panels so we could slip a wooden board into the pocket to stabilize the panels. For some reason, I didn't think to put a pocket behind each nylon cord. Next year - I'll have the bugs worked out.

Jim and his little pouffy pants

This is the third year that Jim has been juried in as an artist at the Renaissance Faire. Each year, he wants something a little different with his costume. This year's addition is little pouffy pants.

Me and my Tutu

The Renaissance Faire organizers require that artists be in costume - and this was mine. How shall I put this delicately? I failed to remember that restroom facilities consist of port-a-potties. The tutu had to be removed and the rest of the outfit is a jumpsuit. At least I didn't drop my tutu in the toilet.

Here's the inspiration

This Quilt Is Talking To Me, But I'm Not Hearing It

I woke up this morning with a quilt design dancing in my head, and I've been working on the quilt. I keep not being satisfied. I do some rearranging, then do another project so my brain gets a chance to think, and then go back to the quilt. I think I'm closing in on what needs to be done, but I'm open to suggestions.

Blue Painted Purse

For this purse, I played with the assorted shades of blue and purple paint. Then I used gold Luminere paint and quilted with a holographic thread.

The beads on the bottom are some I made in my clay class.

Orange Painted Purse

I've been playing with painting on fabric. This time, I used some Luminere paint for the copper accents. I quilted the bag with one of my special verigated threads. Then, I used some of the buttons I made in my clay class. I've been experimenting with brass and copper luster on the buttons.

Kyoto Jacket - Side Two

I had fun picking out fabrics and putting this jacket together. The jacket is reversible, which is great because I love all of the fabrics I used and really don't want to "hide" any of the fabrics in a lining.

Kyoto Jacket - Side One

Painted Purse with Hand Made Clay Beads

I painted some fabric to make a purse. I had made some clay beads last semester, and I was wondering what I was going to do with them. I used them to keep the purse flap from flapping about.

Painting White on White

This is the latest painted blouse. I used some leftover white fabric with a subtle white design. I like how it came out.

Fabric Painting

This is my second attempt at fabric painting. I used more water and fewer colors. Then I grabbed a few leaves from the Mexican Bird of Paradise, a few stones and tried sun printing.

This is my first attempt at fabric painting and I discovered I needed to put more water on the fabric, more water in the paint, and use fewer colors.

My Body Doesn't Define Me

I never did like sex role stereotypes. People should be able to do the things they love to do without being critized for doing something only men or only women do. And so I made this quilt.

The uterus and fallopian tubes are made from metallic copper lycra. Yes, I have exercise clothes made from that lycra. I quilted the quilt with holographic thread. A fellow quilter introduced me to holographic thread a few years ago, and I'm not sure I could sew without it.

Anesthetic Doesn't Make It Go Away - What my mother said to me

These are some of the hurtful, hateful things my mother said to me and about me.

Don't be like your sister. One in the family is enough

You can't come with us to the cottage. You have to stay home and take care of your father.

You're not the only one in this family.

How come she gets all the boys and all I get are girls?
(This was about her sister in law who kept having sons and all my mother had were girls.)

You can't go to the party. You have to stay home and watch your brother.

You can't get married then. It's our bowling night.

Nobody likes you and you know that's true.

It was so peaceful while you were gone.

As I made the two quilts, I felt the memories growing smaller. Now, they don't seem to be a part of me anymore.

Anesthetic Doesn't Make It Go Away - What I wish I could have said

These are things I wish I could have said to my mother, but it wasn't safe.
The individual tear drops say:

Why won't anyone believe me?

I'd like to hit her so hard her false teeth fly out.

If I'm real quiet, maybe she won't hit me.

Motherhood requires something more than just being too stupid to use birth control.

Maybe if I'd been born a boy, she would have liked me.

Why did you steal the money I got for confirmation gifts?

I tried to kill myself when I was 11.

Art Injury

I pulled a hamstring when I was using the kick wheel in the clay studio, and I made a quilt to commemorate the event. On the right side of the quilt, I quilted "Ouch!" Across the top, "Art Injury." Across the bottom, "Pulled Hamstring." On the left side, "Massage," "Hot tub," "Rest."

Moral: before doing art, be sure to warm up and stretch out.

Healing Spirit Doll

This is the doll I made to remind myself that we do heal - both physically and emotionally. I made here while I was having some physical problems that while not serious were darned annoying.

Passover Doll

We were in a restaurant in Albuquerque the Friday before Easter when I saw many of the waitresses putting bunny ears on their head. I hoped that was for Easter and not what I was afraid it was for. And then a sculpture filled my head. I saw a doll with ears, wild hair, her heart on her sleeve, a tattoo on her chest, and the words: If it doesn't pay enough to live on, I don't need to know how to do it.

I was going to call it the Femist Backlash Doll, then I started thinking about Passover. Passover is a time of freedom from slavery. There are lots of things that enslave us - including sexist attitudes. And so she became the Passover Doll.

This doll also had a kiln surprise. The words on the front of her were in red, but they faded when she was fired the secnd time. Then again, how many times have women had to repeat themselves because men don't bother to listen to what we say?

Breast Cancer Angel

This is the doll I made in honor of a friend who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I started squeezing clay, and this is the doll that came out of my hand. I had no idea I was going to make this doll. She also comes with a kiln surprise. I thought the glaze was going to be even, but there's a line shortly below the remaining breast. I've decided that's the radiation shield to protect the rest of her from radiation during radiation treatments.

Moon Rise over the Mountains

Rather than trying to make each piece the "right" color, I simply chose whatever glaze was at hand.

Flying Geese

Art Deco Tile