edina tien

downsizing

2009-01-07T09:01:00.001-08:00

I've consolidated into one blog...please update your bookmarks and feeds: tongue in beak

happy holidays!

2008-12-24T15:22:00.001-08:00

new bag

2008-12-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here's a bag I sewed recently. I made a few modifications by dividing one of the inside pockets in two and adding a ribbon key fob.

pattern: Betty Shopper (large) by Amy Butler

fabrics: Bangle Dot and Mocca by Alexander Henry

another view - yes, it's a huge bag!

close-up of divided pocket

close up of ribbon key fob

please vote for me

2008-12-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

I entered a contest creating two spoofs of the phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On" (a saying used on posters in England during WWII) and both of mine got picked as finalists: "Drink Eggnog and Merry On" and "Squander Money and Ask For A Bailout"

I'd appreciate your votes if you have time to make a few clicks! You are allowed to choose two captions. Please vote here by Thursday.

Thanks and spread the word if you can!

fun freebies

2008-11-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

In this economy, we could all use a freebie now and then, right? Here are a few that I've come across lately that I thought I'd pass along:

vintageglam - a new-to-me blog that is fabulous and has goodies like fonts, clip art, etc.

obamabats - a fun Obama icon font

decor8 - (not a freebie but almost as good); I may have posted about this blog before but today she's got discount codes GALORE for some great businesses so check it out

distractions

2008-11-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

As evidenced by my sporadic appearances, I'm very easily distracted from posting on my blogs. I do hope to remedy that someday, but until then, here's a fun quiz I just took. These quizzes are my version of horoscopes...entertaining but nothing to take too seriously! :)

Your result for What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test...

Extroverted, Progressive, and Intelligent

18 Cubist, -13 Islamic, -10 Ukiyo-e, -8 Impressionist, 18 Abstract and -32 Renaissance!

Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It revolutionized European art and inspired changes in music and literature. The first branch of cubism, known as Analytic Cubism. It was both radical and influential as a short but highly significant art movement between 1908 and 1911 mainly in France. In its second phase, Synthetic Cubism, (using synthetic materials in the art) the movement spread and remained vital until around 1919.

People that chose Cubist paintings as their favorite art form tend to be very individualized people. They are more extroverted and less afraid of speaking their opinions then other people. They tend to be progressive and are very forward thinking. As the cubist painting is like looking into a shattered mirror where you can see different angles of the images, the people that prefer these paintings like looking at all angles of a problem. These people are intelligent and they are the transformers of our generation. They look beyond what is seen into what things could become. They are ready to leave the ideas of the past behind and look at what the future has to offer.

Take What Your Taste in Art Says About You Test at HelloQuizzy

please remember to

2008-11-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

junkmarket and facebook

2008-08-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up about a new blog (and revamped site) for fans of JunkMarket. Cool how-tos for vintage restyling and a flea market locator, too.

Also, I've finally given in to the dark side and joined Facebook so come find me if you're on there!

hello again!

2008-07-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

Was that the longest hiatus ever between posts? It must be close. I've decided to start posting here again but will share mostly photographs since they are what I love most about other people's blogs.

Yesterday I received the new issue (#12) of Art & Life and was immediately taken by Teesha's article on the mini journal made with cardstock and scrapbook paper. It's not often that I read about a project and feel the urge to make it right away, but this one spoke to me (it probably helped that I had all the supplies readily available). Anyway, here is the starting point of my journal. I'll post more photos as it gets filled.

taking a break

2007-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided to discontinue posting on this blog. With all the upheaval my life is undergoing, I really need an extended period away from the virtual world while my “real” world gets settled. If you’re interested in staying in touch, please email me either your email address or blog URL and I will be sure to email you or leave you a comment if I decide to resume or start a new blog. If this is goodbye, thanks for visiting and best wishes. Peace.

for sale: teesha moore workshops in gardena, ca

2007-07-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

I'm registered for both of Teesha Moore's classes this coming weekend in Gardena, CA and am unable to attend (more on that another time). My loss is someone else's gain...if you would like to take my place, please contact me at edina_tien@yahoo.com Here's the information for both classes (The Unbound Journal and Fabric Journal). Teesha is a great artist and human being and she doesn't teach very often so don't miss this chance - you won't regret it!

the coast is clear

2007-06-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

The big news I've been itching to share is that we're moving! Soon after we returned from staying with our families in N. CA, my husband started interviewing for a job in San Diego, was extended an offer, and accepted. We haven't been able to tell many people about any of this until he gave his notice today. The company my husband is moving to is a direct competitor of his current employer and he knew he would be asked to leave immediately after resigning.

To say the least, our lives have been a whirlwind these past few months and will only be getting crazier! We're off to San Diego tomorrow to look for a house and then I'm going to LA to take some classes from Teesha Moore. I'll have more to share when I return from both.

what do you really care about?

2007-06-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

I came across this cool blog recently and loved today's post and wanted to share it with you. I especially like what she says about always wanting more. I wish people could see how much they already have instead of focusing on what is missing. People who have few material things are often much happier than the financially wealthy, so what does that say about what is really important in life? Emotional connections...that's at the top of my list. How about you?

eye candy

2007-06-14T15:32:00.000-07:00

I love Amy Butler's fabrics and just saw that she has also created paper products. Even if you're not a scrapbooker (which I'm not either), I think these would be great for journaling and other mixed-media projects. I mean, how cute are those little purse stickers!

monday morning merriment

2007-06-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

Some fun stuff as always on Michelle Ward's blog...cool damask packing tape find and Jane Austen heroine quizzes. Like I said last week, I'm a fool for these quizzes and took them both. I had no idea the Becoming Jane movie even existed and can't wait to see it!

Which Jane Austen Character are You? (For Females) Long Quiz!!!created with QuizFarm.com

Take the Quiz here!

a photo to brighten your day

2007-06-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

peonies freshly cut from our garden

quiz me

2007-06-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I enjoy taking personality tests. If I see one in a magazine, I have to stop and take it. I don't take much stock in them, but they are fun diversions. As I was catching up on all my blog reading last week, I saw this post. I checked out the website and ended up taking a different quiz, What Breed of Dog Are You? (after all, I was born in the Year of the Dog) and here's what it determined:

Edina, you're a Golden Retriever!

No bones about it, you're a popular, fun-loving Golden Retriever. Adored by all and too cool for school, you're extroverted and enthusiastic. Your magnetic personality makes you the life of any bash. Since you're a true people-dog, you genuinely love all kinds of social gatherings. Going to parties, dinners, and other shindigs is the best way to add faces to your constantly growing circle of friends. But besides being on the social A-list, you're a confident, well-rounded pup who's definitely something to bark about. Pretty accomplished at anything you set your mind to, your sunny nature and winning ways make you one of everyone's favorite dogs. Woof!

I thought it was funny since we have two Golden Retrievers. That's them in the photo above. We got Ruby (right) as a puppy and Max (left) from a GR rescue.

save the elephants'...poo

2007-06-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Check out this company that makes elephant dung into paper products. I'm trying to imagine the person who came up with this idea, attempting to pitch the concept to other people. Must have been an interesting meeting. It is a great way to reduce, reuse, and recycle though!

waiting to exhale

2007-06-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Even though I've added Blogging Without Obligation to my list of good things (see right sidebar), I'm going to apologize anyway for not checking in sooner. My life is being turned upside down yet again, but I'm not at liberty to talk about it for awhile longer. Don't worry, it's nothing bad...I'll share more when I can. And thanks for continuing to visit even though my posts have been so few and far between lately!

a sad day

2007-05-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law passed away last night. I feel so many mixed emotions. Disbelief, melancholy, but at times, relief because he was in a lot of physical pain the last few days. I worry about the family...they were all pretty close and the father was really a patriarchal figure. I know they will probably be OK but it's a big wound that will be difficult to heal.

stop the world...i want to get off

2007-04-27T08:20:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to keep whining since I know I really have nothing to complain about but I'm going to share what's been going on just to get it all out of my head. It's been a surreal roller coaster of emotions ever since we came down to CA last weekend.

My sister-in-law got married this past Tuesday (wedding originally scheduled for August but changed due to her father's prognosis) and it was a small, lovely ceremony which my FIL managed to stand through, refusing the wheelchair. He also made it through the dinner even with his incredible exhaustion. I'm sure they were feeling the worst extremes of joy and devastation throughout the evening but father and daughter did wonderfully. FIL has good and bad days but hasn't been able to keep food down for some time now. It's really hard given the importance food has on the Chinese culture and especially in their family. One of the most insidious aspects of the cancer has been how rapidly it has deteriorated FIL's health - it's just unreal.

The medical issues of my own mother morphed into a more worrisome situation. Her kidney tumor, though benign, is too large to leave unchecked so she had to decide whether to have it removed along with the kidney (nephrectomy), or to have an embolization done to cut off the tumor's blood supply, which is not as effective but would preserve the kidney. Normally, a person can live with only one kidney but there seems to be another small tumor on the other kidney so it's more of a risk to have the nephrectomy. Also found out yesterday that chemotherapy is not an option for someone with one kidney so anyone who has a history of cancer should try to save both kidneys in the event there is a recurrence and need for chemo treatment. Clearly the embolization is the better choice for her but it's hard to pick the procedure that may not work. The lump in her upper chest will also be removed soon and studied carefully to be sure it's not a spread of cancer since she had similar tumor cells removed from elsewhere a few years ago.

Can I just say how much I HATE the words tumor and cancer. They are odious thieves of life and happiness for both the people who suffer with them and those who care. I wish so badly that I could time travel so we could all have our lives back - is that too much to ask?

artfest photos

2007-04-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

Here are a selection of my photos from ArtFest...

Funky Wallpaper People taught by Anahata Katkin - about 80% complete

Misty Mawn teaching A Greater Perspective

one of my wood boards - 90% complete

my friend Lisa's triptych, in progress

Judy Wise, a fun and very talented artist, holding up one of her boards

artists + paint + no sleep = fun!

distractions

2007-04-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've been needing a break from what I've been calling my "bubble of despair" so I spent some time today getting my ArtFest pics ready to share. Of course this happens right as Blogger is doing maintenance and won't let me upload any photos. I will post pics of my creations along with a few others tomorrow (or whenever the function comes back up again). In the meantime, visit my Flickr album here to see some of the phenomenal artwork made by fellow students. I tried to take photos of everyone's work but my apologies to those didn't make it into the album because I missed or because of poor picture quality.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the two great teachers I had at ArtFest, Anahata Katkin and Misty Mawn! Both were warm, generous, and uber-talented, and their classes were relaxing and fun. As I mentioned before, unfortunately, I had to leave early and missed my third class with Anne Bagby, but thanks to kind friends Renee, Suzanne, and Paula who were nice enough to pick up my kit and share class notes with me, I might be able to learn a few of Anne's techniques after all.

thank you

2007-04-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who have left and sent such thoughtful and supportive comments and emails - they mean more to me than I can put into words. I wish I could personally reply to each of you but just can't right now...

We were hoping for the best but expecting the worst and unfortunately, it's the latter. The prognosis from my FIL's oncologist is 3 months. My husband and I intended to drive down to CA for an extended period starting this Thursday but flew back last Thursday and Friday when FIL was rushed to the ER again. He was stabilized and released and is now receiving hospice care at home. We had another scare that day because MIL was also hospitalized when an ER nurse saw her clutching at her chest and worried she might be having heart problems. She seems to be OK now but will be getting that checked out.

It goes without saying that it has been an incredibly difficult time for FIL and family. I'm still trying to find my way with how I can offer my support to all of them and my husband who is now telecommuting from there, along with having to help care for his father. I have returned home for a few days to pack and prepare for us to be gone for at least a few weeks. Hubby is flying back Friday so we can drive back down together this weekend.

Spending extended time with both of our families in the Bay Area turns out to be a timely move because last week I also received a frantic call from my father that my mother found a lump a few inches down from her collar bone and possibly something suspicious on a lung and a kidney. She had and recovered from breast cancer about 10 years ago so we were concerned it might be a recurrence. After going over the initial test results in detail with a relative who is a radiation oncologist, we were relieved that everything they found was probably nothing to worry about, though my mom will be having surgery in a few weeks to have the lump removed.

Every time the phone rings, my heart sinks that it will bad news about FIL or someone else in my life. As I clean and pack, I spend a lot of time thinking about what really matters. Lately, I have been feeling ambivalent about the activities that I have always enjoyed - thinking that they aren't so important compared to spending time with friends and family but also not wanting to do away with these small pleasures in life. I have to figure out how to be at a standstill and on a racetrack at the same time.

bittersweet

2007-04-01T23:25:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time the few days I spent at ArtFest but cut my trip short after learning that my father-in-law was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His final prognosis will be determined by more tests he will undergo this week. We are all just stunned and still trying to absorb this terrible news. I will post and respond to comments whenever I can - thanks for your support and understanding.