Quilting Arts In Stitches Emagazine 3 Dimensional Flowers

 

Welcome to the new In Stitches Emagazine Volume V blog tour with captivating ideas and inspirations by Lindsey Murray, Larkin Jean Van Horn, Amanda McCavour, Cheryl Sleboda, Jane Davila, Carol Ann Waugh, Therese May, Alma Stoller, and Barb Forrister. I had always heard of the new In Stitches Emagazine, however, I was completely unaware of what it was all about or of it's truly remarkable capabilities. I was fortunate to have my good friend, Cynthia Wenslow film the video and take photos for me. She is such a gem! I had no idea what my article and video footage would look like. Wow, was I surprised! Jane Davila and Lindsey Murray down at Quilting Arts were a joy to work with and so talented. It is a beautiful publication through and through, an exciting, revolutionary and tecnhologically saavy way of looking at things that no hard copy magazine could ever accomplish. Love the Zoom In, Zoom Out features and video footage, so much candy for the eyes. You really get the feeling that you are right there with the artist. I truly did not know what I was missing till I saw a copy of the In Stitches Emagazine. It is filled with engaging and fascinating articles by so many artists! Thanks for the opportunity. It was an amazing experience and I am blessed to be a part of it. I know I will be ordering more editions in the months to come. To order your copy, please visit http://www.interweavestore.com​/Quilting/Magazines/eMags.html . You won't want to miss out on the fun! Come join me in making 3 dimensional flowers. It will open up a whole new world! Next stop is Carol Ann Waugh with Stupendous Stitching: Using Stitch to Create Textured Fabric. You will love what she does with combining hand and machine stitching.

Come join us on the blog tour.

Monday 10/10 Lindsey Murray http://quiltingdaily.com/
Tuesday 10/11 Larkin Van Horn http://blog.larkinart.com/
Wednesday 10/12 Cheryl Sleboda http://blog.muppin.com/
Thursday 10/13 Alma Stoller http://almastoller.blogspot.com/
Friday 10/14 Therese May http://theresemay.blogspot.com/
Monday 10/17 Barb Forrister http://barbforrister.com/category/blog
Tuesday 10/18 Carol Ann Waugh http://carolannwaugh.com/blog/
Wednesday 10/19 Jane Davila http://janedavila.blogspot.com/

Austin tatious

Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986-2011


Lone Stars III: A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986-2011 by Karoline Patterson Bresenhan and Nancy O'Bryant Puentes has just been released. This is the third volume in a wonderful documentary series of Texas quilt history. This year, I am blessed to have three pieces included in the publication. They are "Little Boy Blue," "Life's a Beach" and "Group Conversations," a collaboration with Sherri McCauley, Kathy York, Connie Hudson, Frances Holliday Alford, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Barb Forrister.  I have not yet received my copy but I am told it is absolutely amazing with lots of eye candy featuring both traditional and art quilts made by Texas quilters from 1986-2011. For more information, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/brelo3.html . Additionally, these quilts will be featured at both the International Quilt Festival at the George Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas and The Texas Quilt Museum located at 140 Colorado in La Grange, Texas. Please visit http://www.quilts.com/newHome/index.php or  http://www.texasquiltmuseum.org/Texas_Quilt_Museum/LANDING.html



Little Boy Blue by Barb Forrister





Life's a Beach By Barb Forrister





Mixed Media Beads at Quilting Arts Make It University

Come join me at Quilting Arts Make It University! The International Quilt Association will once again host the world's largest quilt festival at the George Brown Convention Center located in Houston, Texas . Every year, the artists and vendors get better and better. So much to see at festival with all the magnificent quilts and over 1500 vendors selling all the latest and greatest products all in one place. This year, promises to be one to remember! Karey Bresenhan and Nancy O' Bryant Puentes will be featuring Texas Lone Stars III Special Exhibit which coincides with their latest book that has just been released. Visitors may also sign up to get a sneak peak at the new Texas Quilt Museum that has not yet opened to the public. For more information, please visit http://www.texasquiltmuseum.org/Texas_Quilt_Museum/LANDING.html

Classes will also offered at festival both upstairs and on the main floor. Quilting Arts Magazine will once again have their fantabulous booth with fantastic books and delicious supplies to inspire creativity. They also offer Make It University Classes and Open Studio Demos by so many amazing artists. This year, I am blessed to be joining them and will be teaching how to make Mixed Media Beads on Thursday, November 3, 2011 from 12-1 p.m. If you are in the area, please stop by and visit, take some classes, rest your feet and make some wonderfully unique beads to take home with you. So much fun! I look forward to seeing you all at festival!

Chantilly Lace

Chantilly Lace was created for the SAQA booth at Houston International Quilt Festival. It is the first of 3 pieces to be completed and measures 9X12. The background was screenprinted with procion fiber reactive dyes on white cotton and subsequently painted with acrylics to create depth and pattern to the ocean floor. The sea plants consist of both fibers and a dyed soft sculpted doilie that was painted with 3 dimensional paints to add texture. The turtle shell was made entirely from scrap pieces of fabric that have been fused with Misty Fuse. Love that stuff!!!!  Extra layers of high loft polyester batting were added to the shell to provide lift and dimension. The shell was also  beaded and embellished with embroidery floss. The head, arms, legs and tail have been painted with acrylic paints, layered with multiple layers of cotton batting and strategically tacked down as if allowing the turtle to "float" through the water. In the past, I have carried the sea plant patterns onto the background through stitch, however, I felt that a little geometric pattern would provide interest and a nice change in texture. Actual sea plants were hand stitched. Edges were finished with pillowcase style.  This is the first piece I have made in a while, following my sister's death. I am finding it hard to focus and am hoping that with time, the muse will return. Funny how grief can affect your creativity. Interesting observation....

Welcome to My Garden

Welcome to My Garden  has just returned home from travelling. I really enjoy seeing it again. It has been gone such a long time and I had forgotten the happiness it invokes when I look at it. I love the sheen from the tsukineko inks on the silk/cotton blend. It is so vibrant. Love that combination. This piece has text along the veins of the leaves. I had forgotten what all was written on it and am musing over the words and feelings that I felt when it was being made. The text on the leaves of the plant to the right read "Welcome to My Garden" in many languages including French, German, Italian, Swahili, Spanish, Norwegian and many more. It reaches out to people from all around the world through text and beckons visitors to enter the garden and gather inspirational phrases like they would flowers. Here, many things have been planted and cultivated ranging from flowers, vegetables, teas, herbs to dreams for the future. These seedlings brought to full fruition are captured by phrases found on the leaves of the plant to the left. They include messages about special times experienced with friends and family, secrets whispered, conversations held and intimate moments from long, long ago. It is so tranquil that it seems to invite the recollection of the last time I walked through the garden, hand in hand with my lover or shared a cup of tea with my best friend. My sister is very ill right now and so this piece speaks to me even more loudly than before. I have decided to dedicate it to her in hopes that we might return to share more cherished conversations. For you, Ardis, please get better so that we may walk in the garden once more. I love you!    

United In Textiles

 Hello, You are cordially invited to the Austin Fiber Artists United In Textile Fiber Exhibit Opening night reception on Thursday, August 4 from 6-8 p.m. at the Julia C. Butridge Gallery located in the Dougherty Arts Center at 1110 Barton Springs Rd in Austin, Texas. The exhibit juried by Nina Mihm of Dragonfly Gallery will feature 48 fiber art pieces from 22 artists. The show will run from Aug 4-27, 2011. Admission is free. Gallery hours are M-Thurs 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. -5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m- 4 p.m. Work will feature all types of fiber art ranging from wearables to wall art to sculptures. Should be a fantastic show! I will have two abstract pieces including Spherical Illusions and Vertical Horizons. Please come join the fun and meet the artists. We would love to see you!



Vertical Horizon by Barb Forrister



Spherical Illusions by Barb Forrister









Dinner at Eight Artists Debut at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach 2011

Lost Cavern by Barb Forrister

Welcome to the International Quilt Festival at Long Beach. The show will run July 29-31 at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. This is truly one of the best venues around and I am sad to say that I will be missing it! I love all the special exhibits like West Coast Wonders and The Space Between, both of which make their debut at Long Beach. There are some absolutely fantastic pieces to be seen. This year, Dinner at Eight Artists presents The Space Between, a juried invitational exhibit curated by Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal. The exhibit sponsored by Moore’s Sewing Centers and Brother International will include artwork by Natalya Aikens, Steni Mezhda Sosedyami, Frances Holliday Alford, Betty Amador,



Lost Cavern Detail by Barb Forrister



Astrid Bennett, Loris Bogue, Deborah Borschert, Paula Chung, Joanell Connolly, Cindy Cooksey, Jamie Fingal, Barb Forrister, Linda Frost, Terry Grant, Desiree Habicht, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Lyric Kinard, Susan King, Pam Klebaum, Sherry Kleinman, Susan Brubaker Knapp, Jane LaFazio, Jayne Larson, Gwen Mayer, Linda T. Minton, Susie Monday, Jeannie Moore, Rachel Parris, Judy Perez, Yvonne Porcella, Wen Redmond, Karen Rips, Carolyn Ryan, Cynthia St. Charles, Julie Schlueter, Teresa Shippy, Gayle Simpson, Sarah Ann Smith, Terry Waldron, Laura Cater-Woods, Kathy York, Please join us at http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the exhibit and participating artists. Should be a fantastic show!

Artist Garden

Artist Garden is a group collaboration inspired by Connie Hudson. Connie is an amazing photographer and on one of her vacations, she came across a beautiful garden in Pennsylvania. With camera in hand, she began taking photos of all the breathtaking flowers present. When she returned, she told  a story of how certain flowers reminded her of each one of us. We were all sent photos of one or more flowers and asked to recreate them in our own signature style. I was given the three photos below. One with tiger lilies, another with some sort of blue bell flower and yet another with fern leaves. I am wild about leaves! We were each given a block size with which to create and we mapped out a grid pattern as described. Top row: Connie Hudson, Cindy Henneke and Annie Smith. Middle row: Frances Holliday Alford, Leslie Tucker Jenison and Sherri McCauley. Bottom row: Kathy York, Barb Forrister and Suzan Engler. You can imagine how pleasantly surprised we were when they all came together as one. So much fun and all so very different!  I love this piece and best of all it has been juried into the International Quilt Festival World of Beauty 2011 Show! Happy Days! Thanks so much Connie for your amazing photos, heartfelt friendship and amazing inspiration! You rock!

International Quilt Festival World of Beauty 2011: Songbird

Songbird by Barb Forrister

 Wow, I am so jazzed that Songbird has been accepted into the International Quilt Festival World of Beauty Judged Show this year. Yesterday, I received my notification emails, one skinny and one fat! Hey, I'm totally happy with that! I always find it intriguing when one makes it and the other does not, especially when they are done in the same style. A different panel of judges, perhaps work does not fit in the exhibit or perhaps that photo just did not do the work justice. Who knows?  I can say that while my work is exhibited into the special exhibits, it is increasingly difficult to make the finalist list for the judged show at Houston. Ask me how I know. I have not done it since 2008. Yet each year, I throw my hat in the ring because after all, you can't make it if you don't try. Perseverance is one of the best lessons, my father has ever taught me and yes, it does pay off. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again! And so it goes! I am equally blessed that our group quilt, Artist Garden also made the finalist list. I will be blogging about that later next week. It was an absolutely fantastic project that I am blessed to be a part of. For now, I will continue to dance and celebrate. I have a feeling it is going to be a wonderful year! Texas is celebrating its 175th year anniversary, this year and Karey Bresenhan and Nancy O Brien Puentes will be releasing their book, Texas Lone Stars III. To commemorate the event, there will be a special exhibit at festival featuring quilt makers that are portrayed in the book. I will have two pieces, Little Boy Blue and Life's A Beach as well as our art quilt, Group Conversations. Additionally, Generation Y:  Song of Hope in Celebrate Spring, "Austin tatious" in In Full Bloom, Lost Cavern in The Space Between and my Adobe Pueblo entry in It Takes A Village, a 3 dimensional collaboration with 14 international artists which will make its debut in Tactile Architecture Exhibit. Other wonderful news includes the opening of Karey's new museum as well as  the  Alliance for American Quilts headed by Amy Milne interviewing and recording Save Our Stories. Like I said, It's going to be an absolutely fabulous year! Can't wait for the fun to begin!  Dance!
 

Songbird (Detail) By Barb Forrister

Transferring Fiber Art to Canvas

Little Rascals by Barb Forrister Full Image on Canvas

Have you ever wanted to make prints of your artwork? The concept is intriguing.  I enjoy collecting art. It is aesthetically pleasing and makes me happy. However, good artwork can be costly. At least for me, I find that some beautiful works of art are just not in my budget, no matter how much I love them! Yes, I suppose if I had all the money in the world, it would not be an issue but unfortunately, that is not the case. And yet, I wonder how many other folks feel the same way. Would they be willing to purchase a print at a lower cost than the original?  At least that way, they would be able to take a piece home that they love without putting too much strain on the pocketbook. For this reason, I have been contemplating the idea of transferring some of my artwork to canvas prints. I recently saw a piece by a local artist here in Austin. The quality was quite good! I had never tried this before and was pleasantly surprised when I was contacted by http://www.easycanvasprints.com/ to review their product using one of my own art images. I found their website quite easy to navigate and they offered a nice selection of services. You can choose prints in a large variety of sizes either in a 0.75" or 1.5" gallery wrap. Images can be converted to sepia or black and white, if so desired. They also offer minor and major retouching of photographs. For the borders, you can opt for a wrapped or mirror image or alternatively for a solid colored border. So many options and all at a very affordable price! They are currently offering a promotion with 25% off all orders and free shipping within the United States. Such a deal! I think I will try ordering some more prints and see where this takes me. I am hoping that perhaps in doing so, I will be able to appeal to a larger audience and therefore, be able to share more of my artwork with others. I love this concept!

Little Rascals by Barb Forrister Detail Image on Canvas

Sirena

Emerald Treasures VI: Sirena represents a celebration of aquatic life. Triple digit temperatures and 85% humidity here in Austin have led me to create another turtle in the Emerald Treasures series. I think perhaps, I must be yearning for the ocean! This mixed media piece is a 10X10 painted silk mounted on a 12X12 painted canvas. The background is sponge painted,  followed by placing a resist image of the turtle. Additional paint was applied to fill in the turtle image. The shells were subsequently stamped and the turtle's eye was inked with Inktense pencils. The seaweed is composed of machine wrapped cording. In and amongst the seaweed are actual shells and fossils that adorn the ocean floor. Machine quilted with an ocean theme in mind, the coral and turtle are reinforced with Superior trilobal polyester thread while the water is depicted using Glitter Hologram flat metallic thread. 3 Dimensional acrylic paint was used to provide additional texture to the coral. Sirena was created to bring joy and celebrate the return of aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico following the oil spill. It is my hope that she continue to  grow and once again propagate, the way nature was meant to be. 

Exploring More 3 Dimensional Wild Flowers

I am continuing to explore different flowers while still providing a soft sculpted 3 dimensional aspect. It is a place my art is taking me these days and I am really enjoying the ride. This piece was completed in May 2011 for an upcoming In Stitches Emagazine article. The background is a painted piece of muslin from a demo in my Artful Coloring class. The leaves are made from layered materials I had previously assembled at the Misty Fuse booth in Houston last fall. I love having leaves on hand for different projects. Since cleaning my studios, I have reorganized everything such that I have a drawer dedicated solely to leaves, one for stems, another one for flowers, etc... This has really helped me to explore different ideas without fully having to commit to any particular design. And best of all, when I feel like putting a garden together, it is so much easier and it also helps provide diversity to my work.

I really love the idea of painting and stamping/stencilling backgrounds to have on demand. As the amount and types of finished leaves continue to grow, I find myself engaged in trying to put together different flowers to accompany them. I have decided to use paper as a model for my flowers before transferring them to fiber. This had helped me tremendously. I currently have a 3D iris modelled in paper that needs to be transferred to fiber and I am hoping to get back in the studio soon to put that plan in motion. Still there's the little scrub jay that I need to finish... So many ideas, so little time! 

Dream Studio

I am so excited to get my painting studio up and going. Everything in place and lots of room to spread out! It is still a work in progress but at this point, it is pretty much down to cosmetic changes that need to be implemented. Hanging artwork, maybe some shelves, new lighting and perhaps that new light table from Ikea.... Can't stop thinking about it!!! For Mother's Day, I bought myself these two sets of rolling drawers. I absolutely love them! They hold all my paints, inks and fun stuff. My grandmother happened upon an estate sale and purchased the really cool paint brush holder. I finally have most of my brushes organized and in one place. So cool! Aside from what you see here, I have a walk in closet with shelves and lots of storage for extra paints, dyes, gel mediums and bolts of raw fabric. And with a sink at hand, who could ask for anything more? There is another easel in the corner of the room and a day bed for relaxing at the end of the day. And remember the color swatches from my dear sister in law? They look pretty fabulicious here! I have only had a chanceto paint some 3dimensional flowers and leaves thus far but I am hoping that as my dream studio continues to evolve, I will spend lots of time in here having fun and creating art! I have some ideas for pieces I would like to get started on and am so looking forward to new adventures! Lots of room for having friends over for play days! My sewing studio is also getting a facelift and I am finding it so much easier to work with everything where it should be! Yeah!!!!!!!!

Songbird

Songbird is inspired from a photo taken in Casper, Wyoming. Canaries known for their songbird capabilities are some of the most beautiful and delicate birds known to man. Ever hear the phrase, canary in a coal mine? It refers to these gentle creatures that were used by early coal miners to determine whether or not carbon monoxide or methane had leaked into a mine. When the miners would carry the canary into the mine, if any of these gases were present, the poor creature would die and therefore alert the men that poisonous gases were indeed present, thereby saving many lives. These gentle birds make some of the most beautiful sounds and exemplify such grace. To commemorate their valiant sacrifice, I have created Songbird which measures 24X18 and is a whole cloth painted piece. I wanted to employ natural fibers to echo an organic feel and consequently chose a bamboo/cotton blend for the background. Acrylic paints were used to freehand paint the image. People often ask what type of paints, I use. Really, I have been known to use any and everything available to me. If I am using an acrylic paint not made specifically for fabric, I will add a fabric medium. There are so many paints on the market, today. I love the Setacolor and Golden paints but I am also pretty happy with the Deco Art SoSoft. All three are wonderful at maintaining the "hand of the fabric" so to speak. Acrylic paints not formulated for textiles often make the fabric stiff even with a fabric medium. The Jacquard paints are also fun to use, especially when you want to impart a metallic essence to a piece. Here, I have used Setacolor, Golden, DecoArt SoSoft and acrylic paints with fabric medium. To continue with the organic feel, I incorporated bamboo batting and a cotton backing. This piece is heavily quilted with Superior SuperBright Fluorescent Trilobal polyester thread, Highlights and Living Colors threadline by Hollis Chatellain. Edges are finished with a facing. This is the third yellow bird in my wildlife series following Tranquility and Sir William. Each is individually unique and capture moments in time. This piece commemorates the canaries that have helped save so many coal miners' lives. Songbird, For you, there will be no crying. For you, the sun will be shining like never before.

Artist Village Project Blog Tour

Welcome to the next stop on the Artist Village Blog Tour curated by the amazing Kathy York. For this stop, we’ll head southwest to the Adobe Pueblo Village. When Kathy first asked me if I would like to participate in this project, she had mentioned that I might do something that reflected my artistic style. Looking back, that would have been more along the lines of a treehouse but instead I opted to create a piece from my past. Born and raised in New Mexico, I grew up with the blending of both Spanish and Native American cultural influences in which the predominant architectural style was and still is the southwest adobe pueblo. This contemporary adobe is reminiscent of the neighborhood in which I grew up. The color change from one structure to the next was intentional to reflect the addition of one home to another as was done in the past. I wanted this piece to be durable and consequently, choices with regards to materials used for structure and foundation were extremely important. The structural forms resemble styrofoam but are actually ethofoam, a product that when bent does not snap in two as would styrofoam. The walls consist of various shades of peach to brown southwestern fabrics that have been layered and quilted with fused turquoise trim for the windows and doors. Beads were used for the doorknobs. Red rug weavings hang on ladders that were created from twigs tied together with jute. Chili ristras were strung with small chili beads and adorn three sides of the pueblo which has 5 interconnecting units complete with hand cut vigas incorporated into the roofs in the traditional style. Pottery was added to create that warm southwestern feel. The finished piece is set on a twelve inch square base and is approximately twenty inches in height. When it was complete, I couldn’t help but wonder where were the trees?! When I asked Kathy about it, she replied, “Go for it.” Her support and encouragement led me to creating 3 dimensional fiber art trees, a direction I’m not sure I would have taken otherwise. Two 3 dimensional trees were made for this village from PVC, wiring, dyed batting, lace and doilies. This has been a very pleasant and rewarding experience as it has challenged me in new directions. Thanks, Kathy for inviting me to join in on this truly amazing and delightful village. Please join us on the next stop, tomorrow with Vickie Hallmark and her fantastic bird house! http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/

Dinner at Eight Artists Presents Artist Profiles from The Space Between Exhibit

Lost Cavern is my rendition of The Space Between. This is a piece that I have been dreaming about creating for some time. I love the surreal feeling I get when I see photos of underwater caves. It is almost as if time stands still and you are in some type of enchanted place where nature appears to be at its best. Mysteries abound and beckon to be revealed. I am so excited that Lost Cavern was accepted into the juried invitational, The Space Between, curated by Jamie Fingal and Leslie Tucker Jenison. The exhibit is sponsored by Moore's Sewing Centers and will debut at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, California on July 29-31, 2011. On Monday, May 9, 2011, I will be the featured artist in The Space Between Artists Profile on Dinner @ Eight Artists. Please join us at http://dinnerateightartists.blogspot.com/ to learn more about the exhibit and participating artists.

Rainbow of Color

My sister in law used to be a Color Consultant and has decided to pass these wonderful swatches of color on to me so that I might be able to use them in my art. Wow! It' like being a kid in a candy store. So many goodies all in one spot! Last week eight large boxes arrived at my door filled with marvelous and glorious color. It took 2 hours to unpack each one but I am thrilled beyond words. Thanks, Ann!!!! Since then, I have been dreaming about ways to use them. Mosaics, beads and backdrops are a few that come to mind. In any case, I thought I would share these photos with you as they are too cool to keep to myself! How about you? What would you do if these arrived on your doorstep?

The Artist Village Project Tour

Welcome. I am so excited to be blogging about the upcoming Village Project Tour. Last summer, Kathy York initiated and organized an invitation to 17 international artists to participate in this project. This is my third invitational and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be part of this fantastic group of artists who have all come together to create this wonderful and quite delightful 3 dimensional village. The blog tour will begin on Monday, May 2, 2011 and will conclude on May 24, 2011. The schedule is listed below. On each artist's day, you can visit their blog or website to see their creation and read about their inspiration. I hope you will stop by each and every site. They are all quite a treat for the eyes!! There are trees and even people included in the village. This project has been entered into Tactile Architechture and we are hoping it gets juried in so that it may be shared with many people. Please wish us luck and join us on the blog tour!

Susan Else (website) May 2 http://www.susanelse.com/
Frances Holliday Alford May 3 http://www.franceshollidayalford.com/weblog/
Pamela Allen (website) May 4 http://pamelart.homestead.com/titlepage.html
Frieda Anderson May 5 http://friestyle.blogspot.com/
Lisa Call May 6 http://blog.lisacall.com/
Jane Davila May 9 http://janedavila.blogspot.com/
Naomi Adams May 10 http://killerbeedesigns.com/blog1/
Jamie Fingal May 11 http://jamiefingaldesigns.blogspot.com/
Barb Forrister May 12 http://www.freespiritartstudio.blogspot.com/
Vickie Hallmark May 13 http://fiberartglass.blogspot.com/
Connie Hudson May 16 http://beyondtherail2010.blogspot.com/
Leslie Jenison May 17 http://leslietuckerjenison.blogspot.com/
Sherri McCauley May 18 http://sherrilipmanmccauley.blogspot.com/
Judy Perez May 19 http://judyperez.blogspot.com/
Melanie Testa May 20 http://www.melanietesta.com/mtype/
Laura Wasilowski May 23 http://artfabrik.blogspot.com/
Kathy York May 24 http://aquamoonartquilts.blogspot.com/