Chance to Chuckle

I had a little printing session this morning with fronds from my button fern....so I was up close and personal. I was surprised and delighted to see little white dots framing the tiny leaves. It's like someone had gone in with a white paint pen. That's something I would actually do....so it felt like Mother Nature and I had a little bonding moment.

Not all the fronds had them...but enough to know it's a thing. 

When I printed....I always used at least two layers. 

I arranged three fronds on the prepared paper...put the glass down and set it in the sun for about 45 seconds. Then I put a few more fronds down and a second piece of glass and let it sit for at least 10 more minutes. 

I just love the soft layered look and I think it will be lovely cropped up and stitched onto white watercolor paper. I made these small so the finished size would be 5 x 7 for framing.

Here I used a third layer.....and will certainly do this more often.  There are only two fronds on that third layer....I wasn't even sure they would show up...but they did! 

I have about six prints that turned out well today....and I have a few more that are fine...but have issues. It's not a perfect process.

I do need to be careful when I coat the paper with the solution...here there are a couple white lines. But it's a one of a kind handmade print....so there is bound to be flaws. And I'm good with that.

  

I love a good chuckle....and I'm pretty sure it's good for us!

Our art group's exchange is underway...and Becky set up the schedule of who sends to who....and who picks the theme. We'll make one card a week....and send it to someone in the group. Tracie picked "chuckle" as the first theme for what we're calling our Tiny Pages Art Exchange. We were charged with making"something that made us chuckle either while or after making it." 

I will admit that I was a little baffled at first. Laughter......and chuckling are pretty spontaneous. So making something on demand that might make me or the recipient chuckle was an interesting challenge. I had to mull this one over for several days.

I thought of an idea late one night...had to get out of bed to find the prop I needed and I put my first card in the mail to Becky a few days ago. It's very personal to Becky...so no one else might get it....but no one else has to.

I chuckled all the way through making it...and I hope it makes her chuckle too. Stay tuned....I love a little tease. Once Becky opens it...I can share how this tiny Tiny Art Page....gave me a chance to chuckle.

Share Your Joy!

The last time I was at Winslow farm I got talking with Sarah about my latest obsession with cyanotypes....and she was interested. Sarah and I have shared our love for flowers...hummingbirds...and shadows.

So when I stopped by today to pick up some veggies I took the pile of prints and cards I shared here on the blog a couple days ago. We had a wonderful conversation....and at one point her son and several of the employees got added to mix. 

I wished I had snapped a photo of the whole group....I was in heaven. Not just the farm girl in me being among all these amazing farmers...but also the crafter...who's starting to feel like artist.

Long story short....Sarah bought almost everything I had with me. I didn't even have my name on anything.  

So I headed home and made a quick little flyer to slip into the plastic sleeves....and when I went back there was already a little display on the counter. 

Pretty soon this counter will be covered in produce...but they have a spot for now...and Sarah said she'll find another spot when the time comes.  

Take the risk....share your joy....you just never know where it might lead. 

https://www.winslow-farm.com/

Falmouth, Maine

Goals

It's good to set goals....and it's even better when you actually meet one!

This is what 300 Christmas match boxes looks like. My goal was to get them done by the end of July....and was very satisfying to have reached my goal a full week early. 

And the best part is I got to take a little field trip downtown and wander around Folly 101 to make my delivery.

And to my surprise....Astrid wants 200 more in summer colors. There were just a handful of matchboxes sprinkled around the store in her various candle displays....can you I Spy them in the photos?  

So I've already gone to my paper stash (which keeps on giving) and I'll start cutting papers again...this time various blues, apple greens and little bit of yellow and red. 

BEAUTIFUL

I had to drop Paul and his bike off at Cyclemania this afternoon....and there was a BEAUTIFUL rainbow in the street!

 It was a "BLACK is BEAUTIFUL" rainbow....and it made me smile.

We got some much needed rain today....so I couldn't even be tempted to print. 

But I did assess my prints....and was surprised at how many I've done. I've been making a few cards...and have stitched a few pieces on watercolor paper ready to go into a frame. 

I'm quite fond of this little 4 x 4  patchwork....it fits nicely in this simple snap frame.

Yesterday I did another layered print...this time with sumac leaves. I'm always surprised by what tone of the blue I'm going to get.  Sometimes they lean to the warm side...and sometimes they lean cool.  This one certainly leans cool....more periwinkle blue than aqua blue. And the intensity of color is dependent on how long it sits in the sun....but it doesn't take long. 

There's a piece of this print in a card below.

I actually think these new layered prints are my favorite style...so that's what I'm going to focus on when I get another printing day. 

Here's what I've assembled so far....and I still have a big stack of prints to play with.... and...I haven't even begun using the fabrics yet. For some reason they seem more precious. 

Most of these are cards...but the pieces in the middle row are ready to frame.

I think blue and white is just beautiful together! I've always been drawn to it.

Summer

We've had a beautiful weather stretch....perfect for a colorful light summer dinner on the patio. (Pretty much like we do every day.)

My personal chef made avocado hummus with a cucumber and lime topping and homemade tortilla chips. I had seconds. 

OK....thirds actually. The plates were small.

 

Messy and Beautiful

I seem to have dozens of things going on all at the same time....but it's hard to think of anything I'd let go. This is my real life. I'm just busy.

So Claudia Cummins' reflection called "Happy Right Now" was just what I needed to read this morning. She talked about how we may be confusing our comfort for happiness. She talked about redefining happiness....and making peace with things just as they are. Not a new concept...but it's good for me to hear it again and again.

"I smile when I consider the possibility of cultivating contentment amid the chaos, not in spite of it. It offers us so much hope. It's mesier, but more beautiful, too. And it feels honest, and quite possibly even do-able. And so very filled with love." Claudia Cummins

There was a full moon last night and I was so tired I forgot to head out and look for it. I actually think I was in bed before it even rose. 

But I did a little experiment today in honor of the full moon....and turned it into a simple card.

The experiment was fairly successful...

but think I could have done better with my plant choice and placement. And there were a couple other missteps.

To make the moon I placed a smaller punched white circle on the prepared paper before I placed the plants and the glass...which means it would stayed white.

After a few minutes of exposure I taped a slightly bigger tissue circle over the moon to create and give the illusion of a halo. (I put a piece of tape on the back to hold it in place)

I should have placed the larger moon sooner than I did so it would have been a lighter blue...the difference is pretty subtle. I also think I should have used a regular piece of paper for the larger circle as the sunlight might have gone through the tissue more than I thought it would.

I'll try it again....but basically the full moon experiment was a success! It's part of my chaos that is both messy...and  beautiful.

I had the idea of placing something on top of the glass as I was reading about how people get layers of leaves in their prints....which I also experimented with today.  Here I placed the first layer of leaves down under glass for just a minute or so in the sun. Then I put another layer of leaves on top of the glass...and added second piece of glass on top. The lighter blue leaves are the prints from the second layer. 

I let the whole thing set in the sun for about 5 more minutes....and this is what it looked like right before and after I rinsed it. It worked pretty well....there's so much potential here!!! 

I have been doing several quiet tasks around our condo association lately. I feel lucky to live here...and I want to feel a sense of pride and participation in tending to things that need attention. This is my home.

I snapped this photo when I put my feet up after weeding at the pool early yesterday morning. And now I realize that I was cultivating contentment amid the chaos for these few quiet minutes.

And then I got to go for a swim. How lucky am I!

Dreamy Quality

I continue my fascination with Queen Anne's lace.....it's everywhere right now. I love all the pieces and parts...and all of the stages. 

Sometimes...but not always...there's a hint of pink on the new blooms. 

I planted this fuschia for the hummingbirds...but I think it's a little hard for them to get to the flower because it faces downward like a long trumpet. But hummingbirds are small....and they find a way.

The blooms are so delicate and the long buds so delightful. 

I took a selfie from the hummingbirds point of view....and I was most excited about the way the trees in the background photographed. 

They have a dreamy quality....with the little bubbles of light.

UPR

Our son Sam stopped in today and shared some of his experiences at his new job at  The Collaborative School in New Gloucester, Maine. The school works with students who have complex emotional issues and the job is both challenging and rewarding. They are in summer mode right now giving Sam a chance to acclimate before official instruction begins later this summer.

The most important thing they do is build relationships with their students....and that is built around Unconditional Positive Regard, mutual respect, honesty, and open communication.

Unconditional Positive Regard! I love this phrase....and I've been thinking about it all day. 

Our world needs a little more UPR!

Tea Bag Project

The Vintage Pencil puzzle has been done for a few days now.....and it may be one of my all time favorites.

And it's not just because there's a "Miller" pencil...which is my maiden name....and now my middle name. 

Roseanne gifted me a little pile of unused tea bags....just in case I had an idea of how to use them in an art project. 

Could I sun print on them? 

Yes...I could!

The first one I cut apart so it was one long strip.

That worked well....and I haven't done anything with it yet.  But I will.

The second one I left as a little pouch....and that worked well too.  I tucked three little print scraps inside...and sent it back to Roseanne. What goes around comes around. 

Next time I'll print on both sides. I'm guessing the solution soaked through...but I should have flipped it over so the backside got some sun. 

A tea bag project with nothing but potential! Thanks Roseanne!

   

Art Friends

I'm so lucky to have art friends. 

Becky gifted everyone in our art group a set of these tiny art cards. The paper feels like watercolor paper....it's nice and sturdy and seems like it would take any media.

The cards fit onto these little discs...and are easily flipped through like a spiral notebook.

These sweet little substrates are going to be the blank canvas for our next art trade.  

We will create a little art piece based on a chosen theme for each round and send it to someone in the group. Becky, Tracie and Brenda got together recently to iron out the details and I'm just waiting to hear when to start, what the first theme is....and who to send my first one to. I'm ready to go...I think it's going to be fun! 

Stay tuned!

While they were together they had a gelli printing session and I Zoomed in for part of it. Becky joined the Zoom call on her phone and I was able to watch some of the fun...and offer tips here and there. It actually worked pretty well and it almost felt like I was there with them. I was in my guest room working on matches while I watched.

Here are a couple of screenshots:  Tracie is pulling some cats she painted on the gelli plate with sharpie markers.

And Brenda was creating a beautiful hydrangea print. She actually painted the blue on the BACK of the tissue or delli paper. Because the paper was translucent...the color came through the front but she still had the detail of the petals on the front. None of us had ever thought about this before....very clever Brenda!

  

Here's a little montage of some photos they sent me of some of their prints. 

They did quite a few where they printed leaves with the paper taped to the table....took the first print...then pulled the paper back to pick up the leaves then fill the space with with the ghost print. 

Dissected and Pressed

Oh how I love my white rain lilies! Three more blooms today and several buds coming. 

The original bulbs were a split from Becky...and I've also shared them with several people over the years.

Rain lilies just keep on giving.

You know I love looking closely at plants and flowers....the pieces and parts can be so interesting and beautiful.

I had already noticed the beautiful starry under part of Queen Anne's Lace....but it was hard to really see and appreciate in a pressed version of the whole plant....and in this print I shared earlier.

After a conversation with Gretchen I decided to remove the flower head leaving just that beautiful base. 

I collected...dissected and pressed these lovely stars getting them ready for printing.

I found an old journal that I wasn't using because it didn't open up flat. So I've cut out the pages and they are working quite well for sun prints. The pages were designed for mixed media so they can stand up to the rinsing parts of the printing process....and they are thinner than watercolor paper so will work well for collage.  

This is my first print on the journal paper....and there will be more.

I think these plant parts are just beautiful! Someone said it looked like a virus...not quite what I was going for...but it made me chuckle.