20170308_224445 (2) SXSW and Spring Break are here, our Airbnb guest from Holland has arrived and I want to inspire you with art. I love going to art openings and art galleries. Art has a way of opening up your mind, sparking creativity, inspiring imagination, and seeing life from a different perspective.  I believe we all need more art in our lives and the Austin area has plenty of it, and at affordable prices too. The above image detail is full of color and texture in the form of tiny square photos taken by artist Thomas Athey.  Wait till you see below the larger image of his fine photography below!

[caption id="attachment_13105" align="alignnone" width="950"] Photo by Round Rock Arts of IMAGINE, their annual Art Exhibition.[/caption] IMAGINE walking into Texas State University Round Rock campus this weekend and seeing hundreds of pieces of art from artists all over central Texas - paintings, sculptures, mosaics, fiber and more. You'll see just that at the Opening Reception of the IMAGINE Art Exhibition this Saturday, March 4th, from 7 - 9:30 p.m.  And you're invited!! The exhibition runs through May 6th. This week's Texture Tuesday gives you the full scoop on the IMAGINE 2017 Art Exhibition, and a sneak peek into some of the color and texture you'll find there.  (Full disclosure: one of my textile art pillows below will be in this exhibition.)

Happy Texture Tuesday!  With all that's going on in our country and the world, I thought I'd give your mind (and mine) a break with this week's Texture Tuesday.  I feature three textile art pillows I've submitted to apply for art exhibitions. Some exhibitions your work gets accepted, and others it doesn't. I'm currently waiting to hear back from two. I thought you might enjoy seeing the creative process that goes on behind the scenes in the Deborah Main Designs studio for each art piece I handcraft.

[caption id="attachment_12539" align="alignnone" width="584"]Friends, Vintage French trim, textile pillow art, vintage designer scarf pillows, Kumi Jewelry (by my daughter Qin) & more! Friends, Vintage French trim, textile pillow art, vintage designer scarf pillows, Kumi Jewelry (by my daughter Qin) & more![/caption]

Cozy fire and hot toddies await you this Saturday at my EXTENDED Holiday Open Studio & Sample Sale, 12 - 7 p.m. I know....I know...you Northerners are looking at us as woosies, but anything below 60 and I've got a scarf on...seriously!!  Here I am going out last night to a couple local events with my new black Lambsy knitted by fashion designer Kristine Rodriguez of RESPONSIVE TEXTILES. And my neck surely stayed warm!

[caption id="attachment_12540" align="alignnone" width="584"]Me snuggled into my Lambsy Muff knitted by RESPONSIVE TEXTILES. Me snuggled into my Lambsy Muff knitted by RESPONSIVE TEXTILES.[/caption]

THANK YOU to

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Look at all those shopping bags my friend Leslie Hyland Rogers is dashing out the door with!  Leslie, founder of Symphony of Soul, and countless other new and old friends, made my first Holiday Open Studio & Sample Sale such a success that I've extended it to four more times in December.  I haven't had an Open Studio since 2011, and I think it will now be an annual or semi-annual affair.

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[caption id="attachment_12451" align="alignnone" width="584"]This photo was taken by JD Walker, owner of Flowers & Found Objects, our newest store in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He has a beautiful display of our Ornamental Charm Series. This photo was taken by JD Walker, owner of Flowers & Found Objects, our newest store in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He has a beautiful display of our one-of-a-kind Ornamental Charm Series.[/caption]

This week's Texture Tuesday (no new post this Friday) is about my studio as I'm busy preparing for my Holiday Open Studio & Sample Sale and YOU are invited!  I'd love to see you, celebrate the holidays together, and show you where I create my artwork.

Texture and color are everywhere in my tiny South Austin studio. So much that I need to do a bit of culling. It seems you CAN have too much of a good thing. Especially when you're a collector, or in more primal terms, as some south Austin stitchers like to say, a "fabric junkie".

I confess. I have A LOT of stuff!!! (But I am not a hoarder, so don't judge) :-)

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"RESPONSIVE TEXTILES was founded on the idea that clothes are our second skin, and they should be as unique and human as we are." -- Kristine Rodriguez

A few weeks ago during New York Fashion Week (NYFW) I had the opportunity to write a story for a top kitchen and bath luxury brand BLANCO, and pair their IKONIC sinks and faucets with fashion hot off the runway of NYFW.  I had heard of, but didn't know too much about, the up-and-coming fashion brand RESPONSIVE TEXTILES. I fell in love with the Bennu Skirt which I featured in my lead off image below.  (If you missed that sponsored post, no worries, you can read it right HERE.)

[caption id="attachment_11145" align="alignnone" width="584"]BLANCO IKON apron sink and ARTERO faucet paired with the fashion of RESPONSIVE TEXTILES. BLANCO IKON apron sink and ARTONA faucet paired with the fashion of RESPONSIVE TEXTILES.[/caption]

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Happy #TextureTuesday!  Today you get two chances to guess what this little squirrel sculpture, and other animals, are made of.  The above adorable squirrel looks like it's crafted from looped yarn to me, don't you think? Not. Keep trying to guess with my clues. Have you got it yet?

[caption id="attachment_10854" align="alignnone" width="544"]Vintage Textiles © Deborah Main, Vintage French Textiles & Trim with 1930's Brooch. Mixed media on pillow form, 20 x 20. (Available at Round Rock ArtSpace, Round Rock, TX. Exhibit runs through August 27th; special art exhibition pricing - $549.00)[/caption] Slider-red-300x205 Artists Interpret Red

I'm excited to share with you that one of my textile art pieces was accepted, and is exhibiting now through August 27th, in the Round Rock Arts' ArtSpace. I announced the Opening Reception two weeks ago, and let me tell you - the art exhibition was the most exhilarating new experience for me!!

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Well, I haven't looked at the news today, but so far, I've not been able to do Friday's Flowers & Trim for 3 weeks now due to terrorists attacks. I'm praying there was not one today (as I have some happy and sad news to share on the creative front) and my thought's continue to be with all those families whose lives have changed forever.

So, today I'm trying to get back to some normalcy with my weekly summer posts.  This Friday's Flowers & Trim is RED!!  And there's an extra special reason why it's RED.