Today's post is: Not my job.  Sometimes, the most sharp and pointed objects I use are words, I'll admit it. My patience is a little short these days. Tomorrow we have a big critique in Intro Textiles. One of my better students swears it was supposed to be yesterday, but apparently the rest of the class didn't notice, because when I walked in yesterday, there were dye pots all over and sewing machines running and other signs of "critique in 2 days" going on.  The room is a mess. 

The ones I'm most likely to throw a sharp word or pointed comment at are: the one with blood red dye left in a bucket on the floor; the one who showed up just as I was leaving class today and wanted a critique (having missed the real critique last week), the one in advising who told a student there were no graphics classes Spring Semester, the one who didn't even thank me for showing his student where to find her course list for spring semester, the committee member I normally love who revealed today she'd not even started her work for our meeting on Friday (I've been prepping for 3 weeks), the one who emailed and asked that I email her homework because she was missing class tomorrow (no reason given) and finally, the custodian who won't even run a broom around the edge of a table in my classroom once in a while. 

You might feel like pointing something sharp at these people too, because their actions distract me from doing nice things for people like you. Enough rant. Check out the new art Malcolm suggested - ginger's text messages, link at the side here. 

Here's the dog I've been talking about to my students and others. He's made of dog-show ribbons that Chris Walla gave to me, some time ago when I was visiting him up in Moorhead.  I haven't counted them, but there are a lot!  The dog is only made of the first prize and winner ribbons, except to fill in I've used the green obedience qualifier ribbons.  They're attached to a floor pillow that's been squished up into a dog-like shape.  He's pretty abstract, I know.  He's also just mostly pinned together in this photo (don't tell the juror!) The dogs who won the ribbons were named Gremlin, Gillian, Chelsea, and Tiffany.  They were German Shepherds, Australian shepherds, American standard pitt bull terriers, or Alaskan Eskimo dogs...I can't tell which dog was which breed, though.  The ribbons are from competitions all over the U.S. throughout the late 80's and mid 90's.  But the quality of this photo shows how much I need a different camera.  

Okay, so if you've come here to see the winner of the Puff Paint Challenge we had in the Stitch gallery, I'm going to have to apologize because I needed to take a picture, and my batteries keep discharging in both camera and phone. Finally, I have the winner's photo! Though I admit it's lousy because I had to use my phone to take it.  Anyway....A big congratulations to Allison Wagner, who's entry is constructed of wired ombre dyed ribbon and glow in the dark shiny paint.  And just in case you were wondering about the Stitch gallery, I've got an image on the left of how it looks from the "street."  You can sort of see the other puff paint entries as well, just beyond the velvet ropes.  The participants were, top to bottom: A. Johns, A. Gates, E. Rose, A. Wagner, and D. Schmidt.  November's challenge is the I "heart" goodwill tee-shirt challenge.  We may have to bust out of locker 527 for that one.