Planning My CQJP 2012 Year

I pretty much have my January and February blocks done for CQJP 2012. I decided to lay out my blocks, materials and photos to see what I am missing and to sort things out in my mind. I still have one of my college thesis paintings to photograph so I can size it down and turn it into a sepia tone. It happens to be the home I grew up in, so I have to have it! I had given the painting to my brother, so I need to go visit him so I can photograph it.

I have no real solid plan for the blocks other than using six homes from my past that I have painted, along with a companion block for each with photos of those who lived in the homes. I've titled the collection 'Keys to My Past' which is the same title as a series of watercolor paintings I have begun. Like my series of paintings, the blocks will have skeleton keys added to the design. My senior thesis paintings were entitled 'Portals to the Past'. I am also making the primary color of each block the color of birthstone or flower for the month. My block completed in January is actually the September/sapphire color; my current block is for October which is pink tourmaline or opal. I will probably do January next since I have most of what I will need for that block.

I was advised Picnik.com is going to shut down soon, so I have been frantically trying to get my photos imported and changed to sepia tones. I want them all to be in the same sepia color range and picnik was my site for altering them. They don't look the same in the above photo because I printed several onto typing paper using my old printer in order to audition the photos on the blocks. I will figure out exactly which images and the size I need in this manner. That will save me both expensive printer ink and printable fabric sheets.

By the end of the year I hope to be finished and able to show you everything together. That seems so far away, but I know it will go quickly!