CindyRQuilts

Portrait art class: I can draw faces!

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:23:11 +0000

I had the most inspiring experience on Thursday. I went to see my artist friend, Malka Partouch, who taught me the techniques of drawing faces.

Now I know I still need a lot of practice and I know it isn’t perfect, but the face I drew looks like a person. What’s more it looks like the original image I was trying to imitate. We worked from a series of books published by Walter Foster. It opened a whole new world for me. Very exciting! We looked at the intricacies of the features of the face; the shape of each features; the direction and placement of eyes, lips, nose. Once we studied each feature it wasn’t so bewildering. I drew the face you see here with an HB pencil on a sketch pad.

I intend to use this new knowledge in my quilting. As a matter of fact, there is a new challenge coming up in May for the Israel Quilters Association entitled “The Many Faces of Jerusalem.” Seems like the perfect opportunity to try my hand at faces in fabric. If you are interested in finding out more details about this challenge, feel free to contact me.

Now, about my friend Malka. She is an artist from France who teaches art classes in Beit Shemesh and paints wonderfully. In addition she runs a successful bride salon from her home. You can find out more about her salon at this link: Salon Victorine or write to her at: malka75@bezeqint.net

One last comment. I bought a copy of a Walter Foster book at an art shop on Bezalel Street on Friday. I had the best time visiting the art supply shops there. Afterwards I spoke at length to an artist selling her jewelry at a table along Bezalel Street. We had a really interesting chat about running a small business and selling high-end art. That seems to be the place to do it on Fridays in the Jerusalem area. There is traffic: buyers, tourists… It was so good to connect and share ideas with other artists. It was a real inspiration.

Social media and small businesses discussion

admin — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:32:36 +0000

This is not actually off topic if you have a small quilting business like I have. I just watched an interesting short video interview with Anita Campbell, founder of Small Business Trends and BizSugar, and author of Visual Marketing. The interview is hosted on SocialMedia Examiner. Michael Stelzner is the founder of Social Media Examiner.

The biggest take away for me was her comment that “one should think of their online presence as their shop. Would you leave your shop for weeks and months without sweeping the floors and cleaning the cobwebs?” If you would care about your bricks and mortar shop, so too should you care about your website. Give it attention. Update it. I will take this advice under advisement…

Enjoy the video.

Environment program helps raise the level of “green” awareness

admin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:58:52 +0000

Last week the main environment program in the Beit Shemesh / Jerusalem region was held for the general public. It was run by Renee Halpert from Forum Shemesh Yehuda. About 400 residents participated in the event. The adults and children alike enjoyed the varied booths selling quality, ecological products.
The goal of the event helps to raise the level of environmental awareness and presents ideas for leading a more sustainable lifestyle.
I had a table where I sold handmade quilted & felt needlepoint art & accessories made from all-natural ingredients. Here were some other vendors.

Eliezer Tzion – “Shoreshei Tzion” – Live, pro-biotic, organic food shoresheitzion@gmail.com www.shoresheitzion.com/
Hagar Elbaz – Hand-made jewelry from beads and re-claimed fabric. hagaraelbaz@yahoo.com
Saidel’s Bakery – Hand-made healthy breads. Les Saidel. shezles@saidels.com http://saidels.com
Tammy’s Gourmet Sorbets – Fresh fruit sorbets and parve ice-cream for events & Shabbat. Menashe Esser. menashe_esser@yahoo.com
Nachum Hirschel – Vermicomposting workshops & worms. nhirschel@gmail.com
Yisrael Eastwood. Raycop Israel – Anti-allergen vacuum. seaneast@013net.net www.raycopisrael.co.il
Renana Richter – Ecologically friendly products for babies, bodies and your home. renanawi@gmail.com
Ayellet Perri – “Sakekologi” Reusable mesh bags for vegetables and fruit. ayellet.perry@gmail.com
Tiv Ha’aretz – Israeli-grown dried fruits. Order for Tu B’shvat! Debbie Buckman: family@thebuckmans.com
Chavivian Farm – Organically grown vegetables. Moshav Hodaya. Michal Chavivian: michalanor@walla.com

In addition to the definite value of the event, everyone had a good time. It was inspiring to take part in this important cause. Click here to see more photos of the event taken by Renee Halpert.

Women’s needle felting craft event held in Beit Shemesh

admin — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:46:18 +0000

Last night we had a lovely, creative needle felting event at our local synagogue in Beit Shemesh. Fifteen women attended and left at the end of the evening with beautifully crafted needle felted art. I taught the craft and supplied the materials. The foam upon which the women worked came from a mattress my son cut up for me… My husband graciously hammered the needles into corks so they could be held easily. I bought the materials at a local shop in Nes Ziona. It all took some orchestrating, but it worked out very well. My friend Eileen organized the event on behalf of the synagogue. Thanks, Eileen!

As you can see from the photos some women followed photos they brought with them. Some worked from their imagination. The result was that they enjoyed, relaxed and had a very nice time.

Eileen sent out a mail at the end… “A great big thank you to Cindy Richard for teaching a wonderful class on needle felting. The women’s evening last night was fun filled and relaxing. Cindy taught us the craft of needle felting which was enjoyed by all the attendees. At the end of the evening we each took home our own beautifully handcrafted picture. Thank you to Cindy and all the women that attended!”

Beit Shemesh women dance in Flashmob against the exclusion of women from the public domain

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:22:22 +0000

Flashmob Beit Shemesh (Photographed by Yissachar Ruas)

I realize this is a bit off topic, but I thought you might give me a bit of latitude. On Friday, Jan 6th, 2012, a group of 250 women from Bet Shemesh decided to raise their voices in full force against the exclusion of women from the public domain by holding a mass public dance in the city square. The women, residents of the city from all ages and sectors, religious, traditional and secular, gathered together in a flashmob dance, in the city square and started dancing towards a change.
Danielle (16) and I participated and it was an amazing boost. I havn’t felt so “part of something larger” in a long time! It was great energy, a lot of fun.

Official Bet Shemesh Women Flashmob

Just to fill you in, lately there has been a lot of negative news coming out of Beit Shemesh. An extreme faction of religious orthodox men in the city have been demonstratively belligerent to the modern orthodox community. The flashmob was an expression of women in our city. It was meant to show the world there is more to Beit Shemesh than has been in the news lately.

Thanks to Miri Shalem and Brenda Ganot for your hard work to make this happen.
Enjoy!

Needle felt bat mizvah activity is a great success

admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:01:24 +0000

Thursday night Shulamit Montel and her friends enjoyed needle felting landscapes during Shulamit’s bat mizvah party. I taught a group of 12 year old girls to create needle felted designs during an hour-long activity. My daughter and I brought all the supplies and prepared kits to the hall. Each girl was able to choose a design she wanted to make. At the end of the activity each girl had a lovely keepsake to take home.

According to Judy Montel, Shulamit’s mom, “Shulamit and her friends, both her school friends and her bnei akiva friends, had a wonderful time with the project, and so did her cousins”.

Here are some photos from the event.

Quilting Arts Magazine published my art quilt. Our cat is famous!

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:16:08 +0000

The Dec / Jan issue of Quilting Arts Magazine features the Pet Peeves Challenge. The magazine accepted many of the small quilts that were sent in for the challenge and printed photos of the quilts. I am pleased to share this link to the magazine, which shows the table of contents of this issue.
Quilting Arts Dec / Jan Table of Contents
And some photos…

Fashion show fundraiser for local children’s services organization: Mercaz Rakefet

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:43:14 +0000

On Dec 7th there was a fashion show held as a fundraiser for a local children’s services organization in our area of the world. Fashions of all sorts and colors were shown and modeled by volunteers who banded together to help raise money for this group, which assists kids with learning disabilities. So many people have used these services; so many kids have benefited from them. Even my kids went there.
I had a table at the event filled with all my new work — lots of bags and belts and scarves. Danielle, my daughter, came to help me out. Here are some photos… Thanks Danielle!

ON SALE in my Etsy shop! Come right away!

admin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 13:26:37 +0000

I’m running a huge sale on some of my art and bags in my Etsy shop for only the next 2 weeks. This is the time to shop! Visit right away while items last.
CindyRQuilts Etsy Shop ON SALE

Want to come to a fashion show and help learning disabled kids too?

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:01:23 +0000

Mercaz Rakefet is running an incredibly fun fundraising event for women. Rakefet provides developmental therapies for children in Bet Shemesh.

Ladies, come on out and show your support for all the designers! I will have a table and my accessories, such as quilted bags and silk scarves, will be modeled on the runway!!

7 December 2011 at Kibbutz Zora