My Little Art Quilt Group Project & other goings on

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I don't think I ever posted the finished Convulvulous (which I believe is a morning glory) flower group art quilt my little art quilt group  made. Martha's picture in the lower left was the inspiration. She took it, enlarge it and cut into 5 slices that each of us completed using any technique we chose. Mine is the one that kind of stick out! At the 2-3 o'clock space...I used the snippet technique. Cutting little bits of each color using a rotary cutter and just slashing away. Taking those, with my picture next to the background fabric I just "paint" the petal out. I did include a sheer with silver in it and dispersed it in the white area's for a touch of sparkle. I used grey tulle to cover the entire piece and disolvable film pinned over everything to hold it all in and thread painted each section in appropriate color. I have done this technique before and love the pointillist effect. It is also fun! Sharon, Elaine and Martha, who actually did 2 petals, were the other artists. Martha also made the pieced background and Elaine did the machine quilting. It is a striking piece~!

We have a few new members to our group now....Karen and Lori and Marylee! Our next group project, inspired by my online book RR, will be a book. I believe it is a Sandra Meech book Martha has that had an exercise to make a collage of texture and isolate a small square area and reproduce that area into, we decided, an 8"x8" page. We also said a picture/image could be used isolating an area of that and doing the same. I think I am going to use the Kaffe Fassett Crazy quilted piece I made a bit ago. I sectioned off different parts of it and now to settle on which one I will use. Plenty of texture there~!

I am leaning towards the first one but my initial choice was the third one. Who knows, I may change my mind entirely by the time I start it! I know some of the girls feel daunted by this since they have not done a book page before...but all it is really, is a little quilt!
Remember the redwork piece I tried to wash a faint spot off of and the red dye ran? Well I tossed it into a mesh laundry bag in the washer with bleach and soap and it washed out! I didn't know if the bleach would affect the red thread, just figured it was destined for trash so why not??? I was pleased since it was quilt a bit of work. I just made my guild gift using it, but no pic til after tomorrow's meeting!
I am trying to decide how to fairly and funly (my own word) distribute the gifts the ladies make. Last year I did the right/left Santa story I found online. It was fair and fun. I don't like the take-it-from-others game, so that is out. Any idea's? Perhaps I should post this question on HGTV right now. Nothing like waiting til the last minute!
Our guild also has an excellent Community Service program run by Melanie and her mom MaryAnn. At Christmas volunteers make gift bags filled with age/gender appropriate gifts that they take to a school in Batavia every year. I have 4 year old Dahlia. Of course I still have to make the bag. I have a bunch of bits but think she needs a doll, so I will send Melissa to store later to pick one out for her!
Our guild's annual challenge, due at January meeting, is Chocolate! Anything with brown in it....dark chocolate is really the only one I like so I will be using super dark brown. I have started it on my embellishing machine, but I know I will be finishing it up the day before. I do feel ahead of the game however,since I usually wait til my vacation at Christmas to start it!
Another project I will be working on is a Steampunk inspired theme CQ RR on CQI. Colleen remembered I have a busy year coming up but knew that I could be persuaded to participate in this cool genre round robin. So I will be making a 12"x12" block by January 2nd. I have a sketchy idea for my block. The darker colors, the metal bits, the ratty-tatty will come easily. This promises to be my favorite CQ RR ever!
I have learned:

1. Anesthesia + me= hardcore nausea. But the kidney stone is out!
2. Uncommon Threads, an oldie but goodie on HGTV's old schedule still airs repeats some mornings. I got to watch two episodes this morning. HGTV used to have so many great shows for the crafter. What happened to HGTV? 
3. Sewing with Nancy has a great thread painting show on right this minute! Check it out!
4. Found the most awesome filigree glittered 8" bells at Dollar Store for the wedding. 26 silver bells were weeded out of the gold, red and green ones. They are the vintage-gray glitter rather that the high silver colored glitter making them perfect for the Vintage Glam theme! These will be hung over the main tables down the center of the room with crystals. Pretty! Here is a few images of the room we have for the wedding October 15th, 2011! Cool joint! 
5. http://www.reverb10.com/    My friend Elaine alerted me to this site. Designed to prompt you to ponder 2010 and think about 2011. It began December 1st but I am jumping in today.       December 10 – Wisdom Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)...................................Wisely I realize that creating things is like therapy to me and I allow myself time to do it..I actually need it, every aspect from designing a project through every step to the harder part for me~finishing. I am process driven more than product driven and that is ok with me. It will continue to play out daily and wisdom will abound!!