Memento

The minute I saw the napkins at the reception at Hancock Church yesterday....I knew I would be bringing one or two home. Napkins work well for collage....and I knew I would make a tag.

I separated the ply and added fusible to the back so I could easily adhere it to the tag. 

I colored in the background with a paint pen and loosely outlined the flowers with a black pen.

I happened to keep the invitation to the dedication that came in the mail....so used part of that for the back. I added a leaf cutout from the Audubon catalog for flow.

 

I intended to use more of an aqua blue for the background to better match the feathers...but I still think the flow works well enough! You can't be too matchy matchy.

Another tag on the ring....and this one is a bit of a memento.

 

Celebration and Dedication

Paul and I headed south today for a very special event at Hancock Church in Lexington, MA.

While Paul was the minister at Hancock phase one of a major renovation was completed which included the installation of an elevator making spaces and places in the church accessible. Phase two was just completed with renovations and improvements in the sanctuary and today was Re-Dedication Sunday. 

It was wonderful seeing familiar faces...and celebrating with them....and oh what a celebration it was! 

I took a peak at the JOY banner hanging in the upper stairwell I made as a farewell gift. Seeing it still hanging in in this very special church makes my heart sing. 

Golden Oldie

I reinvented a golden oldie today. I got email through the blog from Avigayil. She saw my posts about my torn paper collage kits and wanted to know where she could buy them. I haven't done them since 2022...but that didn't mean I couldn't do them again. 

A project I did for Alyson several years ago.

I told her I would would make her a kit if she paid for shipping and possibly donate a little extra for Maine Needs. Turns out she wanted two kits...and they will make their way to Israel...via a shipper she uses in Florida. 

I spent a good chunk of the afternoon making two little piles of gelli print scraps and metallic accent papers. The pile also includes two blank cards and a few substrates and accent papers for mounting. I also printed a couple more copies of my zine with the directions/guidelines. I made a little tag as a sample...and am including a little calling card.  I'll bundle it all up and get it on its way on Monday.

My purpose is still hidden in my joy.

I'm not sure I'm done with these....they might need a few touches of gold.

"The Incident"

Subtitle: Today of All Days

It's been 25 years....and like most of us....I remember 9/11 so clearly. I was between jobs...so happened to be home. I was watching the morning news while I was working on a project when the first reports came in. Then the next and the next. The images were horrific....and it was hard to watch but also hard to look away. We lived on a dead end street at the time....so it was usually very quiet. But at the same time the reports were coming in a police car slowly came down the street....and I remember the feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. Things felt very wrong and I desperately wanted Paul and the boys to just come home.

There was no incident in the street...it was just a coincidence. But I will never forget how I felt that day.

The Twig and Toad Folks published a Weekend Whimsy Hunt and one of the things on the list was something that could reasonably be called "the incident." I zeroed in on that today of all days.

When I first saw all the feathers in the yard....I thought...there appears to have been a struggle. 

Now I'm thinking this could reasonably be called "The Incident."

It left a bad feeling in my stomach....today of all days.

A friend posted this Mr. Rogers quote on Facebook today as her remembrance of 9/11. There were so many helpers that day....and beyond. Look for the helpers!

Two

And then there were two!  Paul's home!

Reset

Thanks to a nudge from the twig and toad folks....these acorns found their way into my pocket during my walk....and most of them are smaller than my thumbnail. And just for fun....I did take one of my regular morning routes in the opposite direction. (Three things from their lists!)

I was a little out of sorts today....and I couldn't get out of my own way. But pausing to focus on a couple simple things like picking up acorns on a walk...and finishing the back of my latest tag helped reset my rhythm a bit. 

Paul comes home late afternoon tomorrow....and that's just the reset I need. We have always said that we're better together. 

Back in July I took some shadow photos and printed them onto tissue to use in collage.

I can't remember if I printed some in green...or if the ink was running low and it came out green. Either way...it worked well for the back of the tag.    

The shadow photo is from moonbeam coreopsis.

Our Kind of People

Lily introduced me to an Instagram account called twigandtoadfolk saying it was "our kind of people!"
I couldn't love it more. Their page header says Made Well. Kept Wild. Quiet stories, handcrafted goods and small things worth noticing. Their backstory is sweet....and the posts are simple, humorous, and heartwarming. Their lists....prompts and assignments sometimes made me laugh out loud! Mostly because they are spot on with the way I think. Lily was right....they're our kind of people!     

I'm doing really well today with their rules for September! 

1. My windows are wide open with cool breezes coming in and it makes me want to sing. 

2. I actually picked up a leaf this morning and added to the Chinese lantern pods in my wooden bowl on my table. It has no responsibility other than to make me smil.

3. It is too early for a gourd to be sitting on my window sill. It has to last until Thanksgiving....and that still seems like a long way off. I'm still loving the one on my fence.

4. I had iced tea for happy hour today with Patty....and look forward to those September day when I choose hot tea.

5. Ha ha...I DID mention the fabulous cool morning to a neighbor I met in the street.

6. I didn't put an acorn in my pocket today...but I know I will sometime this month.

7. My sweater (actually a jean shirt) has been within reach and on and off all day long.

8. There are no apples in the house at the moment...but that could change any day now. I love apple slices on toast with peanut butter this time of year.

9. I baked homemade seed crackers this morning for happy hour with Patty....and paired with a little Trader Joes Unexpected Cheddar spread it pretty much a dessert for me.  

Can I post too many photos of my first gourd with the curiously long stem? I think not. It's a new rule for September! More gourds and pumpkins to come!

This is The Hollow Assignment post Lily originally sent me....I'm think I'm going to work on it a bit. 

Matchy Matchy

Last evening's sky matched my fence decor!

Inspired by the soft blue and orange in the sky...and an Audubon magazine cover...this happened today. 

Orange text and just a hint of soft blue for flow on tag #7. And I'm introducing green...and a tiny pop of red.

I'll do the back another day.

I'll be using more of this cover...so much goodness here!

Late Summer Sunday

Just a few Simple Noticings on a beautiful late summer Sunday!

Janice's hydrangea against the gray shingles....

...and pearly raindrops puddled here and there.

A perfectly imperfect coral bell leaf I noticed in my garden.

And finally.....a moment of awe.

Just Like That

I don't think I would have had the band width to explore the comment issue today....but just like that it seems to be resolved for now. A good reminder that with just a little time...sometimes a glitch works itself out.

And just like that I finished my wooden puzzle....and I've already begun the process of taking it apart. You have to be very careful with these wooden ones...you can't just scramble it up like a regular one. 

There are birds...flowers and butterflies embedded in this beauty. It was a challenge and a delight...and I loved every minute. 

Thank you Alyson!

I came across an image of an orange zinnia that I was compelled to cut out....and I knew what I had to do. 

I found just the right gelli print to continue the flow from blue to orange for a tag.  The gelli print was on a book page...so there is also the flow of words. I'm quite tickled with the high contrast and simplicity.

I folded the print and the zinnia around to the back....and just like that I have another two sided tag. 

So much more fun than figuring out tech stuff.

And...the laundry is done too! 

Close Enough

I wanted you to know that I'm having trouble again replying to comments on the blog. And I just learned from Judy that she is trouble even making a comment.  I have no idea what's going on. I struggle with technology...and get frustrated pretty easily so just walk away and go work in the studio...or sit on the patio and watch the birds. And that's just what I did this afternoon with Patty. We had a delightful time together.

I tried the things I know know to try...and I will consult with Clarke, my tech support, this weekend. So if you're able to comment, thank you. I still have to publish is on my end...but I can still do that with the ones that come through and I enjoy reading every one. But I might not be able to reply. 

Oy!

In the meantime.... all I really need is a handful of little lanterns.

I have a generous neighbor who is always happy to share her Chinese lantern pods with me. This little pile will be the first in my wooden bowl of fall findings on my table. 

I know it's not quite fall....but it's September...and that's close enough.

Doodling with Dolly

While watching a PBS special on Dolly Parton this afternoon (which I recommend)....I added some simple collage elements to my indigo/purple page in my concertina. I'm not sure I'm done...and it may be hard to even tell what I did...so I included the before photo. The color difference is just the difference in time of day in the backyard.

I wanted to soften some of the purple....so I added black and white lettering accents I cut from a catalog. And of course....a few white dots with a paint pen. Never leave me alone with a paint pen.

When I'm filling in a space with paper or fabric...I use tracing paper to draw a pattern. I place it on top of my chosen filler...and cut it out.

I auditioned this black and white pattern and didn't like it...so used the same pattern to cut out the words that ended up in the space. They were softer and more subtle. Dolly Parton was soft....but certainly not subtle! She was a force to be reconned with.

Curiously Long

Today was a take care of the house kind of day. I had some carpets and rugs cleaned....and cleaning begets cleaning....and that's never a bad thing. 

If you've been following along for a while...you know one of my mantras this time of year: it's all about the stem!

I enjoy all the colors of summer....but I absolutely adore the colors of fall. And when I'm looking for pumpkins and gourds....it's all about the stem! 

I do like a good curl...but I'll take curiously long too. 

This gourd found a home on my patio fence. 

I'll be keeping my eye out for more interesting stems.

A Little Help From a Friend

Subtitle: Bobbing in the Breeze

I told Judy I would share a Devilsbit bloom when it was fully open...so here it is! The blooms are tiny puffs of purple on very long stems...so they bob in the breeze making them hard to photograph without holding them still.  I was snapping away trying to hold them still....when all of a sudden I got a little help from a friend. 

The minute the bee landed on another bloom it came into focus without my thumb needing to be in the photo. Isn't it nice to have a little help from a friend!

The plant itself is pretty nondescript. The leaves are low to the ground and kind of scraggly...so not a handsome plant which is usually a requirement for being in my garden. But I love the blooms...and it's tucked in a corner garden by the the patio with all my hummingbird plants. Our tiny friends are bulking up for their migration...so frequenting the feeders and the flowers. 

If you look closely at this photo just above and to the left of the fragrant flowers sign is a green hummingbird with the white neck that was feeding all afternoon as I sat outside to read...write and doodle a few days ago.

And there you can see the tall spiky...and and oh so precious Devilsbit blooms....bobbing in the breeze. 

Here's the scrappy base of the plant nested and hidden among all the other plants. 

Speaking of purple....here's what I was doodling....the last couple of panels in my rainbow concertina. My goal over the next few days is to add some collage elements...either in fabric or paper before I do any more doodling or painting. Here's a view of the whole thing.

And here's what I was rereading....and just finished. 

Paul headed to Colorado this morning. He'll spend tonight with his sisters...Alyson and Liz, and our nephew Langston. Tomorrow he'll wake up to "Still the Best Morning of the Year"....the title of the Epilogue he wrote for the book. It will be the start of a wonderful week in the Wilderness of Friendship. He'll most certainly be getting a little help from his friends! 

I wrote about the book here in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2026/08/something-to-celebrate.html