Archive for Awards and Exhibits

My 100th Blog! Help Me Design a Free Handout!

Nancy Smeltzer, art quilterHurray! Hurray! This is my 100th blog posting. It seems such a short time since my first posting on beaded art quilts back on September 15, 2011, and what a long way I’ve come. (Notice that the category that I assigned to this blog is “Awards and Exhibits”, as I’m awarding  myself for keeping these blog posts going.) I want to thank all of you who have supported me with your encouragement, suggestions, and especially your comments. Comments to a blogger are like infusions of energetic life blood, as otherwise, it feels like you’re doing all of this writing, and nobody is listening. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I’d also like to thank my friend, Robert Vibert. Robert is my “go to” guy; the one who answers all of my dumb questions. He’s the one behind the scenes who does the logistcial magick and slays HTML dragons for me. Thank you, too, Robert! Besides keeping my blog on-line, he also does elegant photography with gorgeous atmospheric qualities at RSV Photography on Facebook. Check him out. (He likes comments, too!)

I’d like to reward all of you who have signed up for the email list on my blog by creating something special and free for you. What would you like for me to write just for you? What have you always wanted to know about art quilting, or creating art in general? Maybe you’d like to know about how to collect a great big stash of materials to play with, or how to make a piece of art when you don’t know where to begin. Maybe you want to get inside of my head and pick my  brain as to how I think.(Warning, it can be scary in my head!) I love to talk about a wide range of subjects, but I want to craft this gift-away as something you’d really, really like to have. So, please leave a comment, or email me at info@fiberfantasies.com and tell me your heart’s desire. I’ll compile the lists and the one the gets the most votes will be my first free giveaway. I imagine that a lot of the other ideas will appear in future blogs, so by writing a comment, this will help you direct what I write and get something that you’d like to read. So please help me out and direct my fingers on the keyboard to make something you really, really want. …and thanks again for helping support my writing.

Love to all of you… Nancy Smeltzer

Why not leave a comment as to your thoughts on this posting. Please take a minute, fill out the form by clicking on the “comments/no comments link” at the top of the posting, and then share your ideas with the rest of us. We all grow when we share our thoughts and impressions, so why not join our growing community of those who appreciate art quilts and textile arts. We’d love to hear from you!

You can see more of my art work on my web site at www.fiberfantasies.com and can find me on Google + , Facebook,  and Twitter.

To find out how to buy my art work, please check out “How to Buy my Art Work” in the “Pages” section to the right of this blog.

Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artists Grant Recipient 2012

It is with a great deal of pride that I’m announcing that I’m one of the 2012 Maryland States Arts Council’s grant winners for Individual Artists. The judges went through all of the submissions and “on the basis of artistic excellence”, (I really like that part!), chose me as one of the 21 winners in the Visual Arts category of Crafts. (That category includes all forms of crafts from pottery, jewelry, woodworking and textiles.)  I’ve been trying since 1981 for this grant, as the category for which I’m eligible only comes up every few years. Now, I’m faced with the dilemma of having to spend the money by the end of June to further my artistic career.(I’ve spent the money a number of ways already in my mind.) Anyway, just wanted to share with you all how I’ve been doing the happy puppy wiggle since Sunday night when I found out.

You can find out more info on the MSAC council web site at…. http://www.msac.org/iaa2012 and scroll down to Visual Arts: Crafts.