Late Last Night

Jane and I had a micro adventure today. There's a store in nearby Westbrook called Past and Future Craft Exchange and I've been curious about it for quite some time. They take donations of usable craft and sewing supplies and resell things at low prices.

I took in a pile of sewing books and a bag of fabric to donate....and came home with some fabulous blue nubbly string. I certainly didn't need it....but it has all the colors in the cyanotypes! I do love blue! 

I sat at my work table late last night intending to tidy it up. 

The blue and white papers and ephemera were piling up and I needed to clear some space to work. But what I did instead was punch small blue squares from geili prints and other painted papers. 

Then I found a pile of butterflies that needed to be cut out.

Long story short....I still have a messy table...but now I have a sweet little page for one of the journals.

I mostly want these journals to be a blank slate for the recipient to do their own thing...but it's hard not to add a little project of my own. 

And....I got some papers in the mail!!! Margaret was one of the ones who through her name in the hat for the blue and white journal. 

Everyone was a winner......and she sent me some of her blue and white papers to include in hers. There's some fabulous stuff here....enough to share with others! 

My head is already spinning with ideas.

Too Smart!

I had the most delight long lunch with Marita and Lisa. I see Marita every few months often...but I haven't seen Lisa for at least 20 years. I worked with both of them in my special education classrooms in different schools...and I introduced them to each other years ago. We have so much common ground...and our visit was pure joy! 

My phone is too smart for me! 

I get excited now when the circulars come in the mail....not for the slick store adds...but the plain black and white single sheet add that holds them all together. I've been saving them for months....and they've come in handy.

The texture is grainy and flat....the paper is thickish and it folds like a dream. Fabric fuses to it perfectly...and paper collage latches right on with a little glue. It works perfectly for the the bones of my journals.

But I had to chuckle when I took this photo because my phone instantly read the QR code and linked me right to a dental insurance company that will help me pay my bills. Oy!

My phone is too smart for me....I'm kind of old school. 

 

I didn't plan on the the words free toilet to land here...but there they are...for better or worse. 

I thought I would walk through how I'm making the covers.

I cut a piece of fabric a little larger than the cover substrate and fuse it to one side. I fold it over the edge of the paper and fuse it to the other side. It's fast and easy.

Then I fuse another piece of fabric to the inside...and I iron a nice crease.

This cover is a lovely piece of hand dyed fabric. I'm only using what I have on hand...and this shade of indigo blue was perfect for this cyanotype project. 

The paper gives the cover structure...and the layers of fabric on both sides help it hold up to the stitching to come. I think this smarter than my phone! 

Now I get to come up with a design for this beautiful blue cover! 

Full and Rich

Another quick reminder to Mary Ann and Kristin that everyone was a winner in the blue and white joy journal giveaway!  See this post and email me for more information and to establish contact. Thank you!

Days are full and rich...and this particular week is filled with social engagements with people I care about. I spent a good chunk of today with Kelly. She has a school vacation week...so joined me for lunch and a good catch up. We even did a little art this afternoon. For those of you who may not know...Kelly is my son Sam's girlfriend.

I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying playing with my cyanotypes again. I've rounded up all my prints and scraps (I still have a lot!)  and am I'm working on various ways to use them to create covers. 

I have eight journals to make...and all the covers will be a little different. They won't all be squares....but I did especially like this one where I cut up one print and separated it into a grid.

The back of the cover is a mixture of prints. 

I've done things like this before...but I was reminded of the technique from a photograph Debbie L. sent me of a very large cyanotype piece at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She said it covered one whole wall and it looks like it's one print cut up into a grid. Thanks for sending it along Debbie!

Mud Season

Putty, beige, caramel, milk chocolate, khaki, oatmeal, sand, chestnut, dark chocolate, honey, taupe, sepia and mud....just to name a few. There are so many versions of brown.

The ground is still covered in snow here in Maine...but the days are getting longer and I know mud season is coming. 

Susan from Scotland reached out about a joy journal...and sent me a few photos of their signs of spring. 

Blooms like this...are the payoff after mud season. But we've got a long way to go!

As I continue to work on the top half of Philippa's shed puzzle...I've spent a lot of time searching for all the versions of brown. Some have a bit of texture that are the images in the shadows...some have the lines of the shed walls....and all of them have had me completely engaged. The rewards after the browns are the pops of red...and the lush greens in Philippa's garden. But it's all good.....even mud season. 

Everyone's a Winner

We've had sunny days and temperatures hovering around freezing...and it feels absolutely delightful. So we finally have some melting and our huge snow piles are shrinking just a bit. Higher temps and sunshine also means icicles. 

We have an amazing one forming right outside our kitchen window where the snow is melting along the rain deflector above the front door. 

I can watch it from the window....drip drip drip....and I'm fascinated by the incredible texture. 

I was tickled at the interest in the blue and white joy journal....nine people responded. This afternoon I drew Linda's name.... so this particular little joy journal will be on it's way to her soon.

And....because I love making them...everyone's a winner! Dotty, Anne, Mary Ann, Margaret, Debbie L., Lily, Debbie C....and Kristen will also be getting journals. If I missed a message from anyone else please reach out. I'll have my hands full for a while making eight more journals....but there may be more offers in the future. I do have other ideas.

If you emailed me...I have replied to each of you there. Lily, Mary Ann and Kristen please email me so I can start a conversation with you about your little journal.  joyfulputtering@gmail.com

Update on the general Joy Journal Project: I know a set of papers from Diane is on its way....but it seems to be lost in the mail or at least side tracked. She mailed it at the beginning of February and there is no sign of it. I'm concerned...but I'm still hopeful it will show up here in Maine...or back to Missouri. I WILL be making a journal for Diane whether it's with her papers or mine. 

I will always update here if I receive papers. If you have mailed some and have not heard from me it means they haven't arrived. 

We've had a bit of trouble here with our mail delivery....I think the Post Office is understaffed and a bit broken. I know they are doing the best they can...but they don't ooze confidence these days.....so don't send anything too precious. 

Keepers of the Flame

I believe art made with the intention to spread love and healing does exactly that. Lori Portka

I wonder if some of you have seen some of the videos of people singing in Minneapolis. Their message is of unity....peace and love....and they are quite moving. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4qXXNnjGHQ
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DUOwntaDuNG/

Judy sent me this lovely card titled Keepers of the Flame depicting the people of Minneapolis standing strong.

It was painted by Lori Portka and 100% of the proceeds go to support the mutual aid groups in Minneapolis. 

Snow boots on the ground, witnessing, recording, and helping people being terrorized. Lori Portka

I'll display it in my dining room for a while...along with my small collection of glass hearts. 

My sister Nancy lives in Minneapolis...and today is not only Valentine's Day...but also her birthday. The restaurant where she works employs several immigrants who all have been directly impacted by the unjust actions of ICE.

Paul and I were downtown today for the regular Saturday protest against the injustice that is happening in our Country. It was HEARTwarming to see that the Valentine's Day Bandit hearts all along our walk.  

There were hundred and hundreds of big red hearts all over the city....I wrote about the tradition here.

And these love signs caught my eye at the protest.

Artful signs meant to spread love and healing. We need love more now than ever!

Something New...

Something Blue to Give Away! 

I have always been a fan of blue and white....maybe that's why I like cyanotypes so much. And I'm wondering if there's someone out there that's a blue and white fan too. 

As I begin to make some joy journals from my own papers to give away...I thought I would start with a blue and white theme. 

I cut squares from some of my prints for the cover and mounted and stitched them onto a fabric background.  

This is journal is mostly a blank blue and white canvas....with pockets and spaces and places for your collage creations and snippet collections. And of course it would be fun to add other pops of color too!

Papers include a bit of commercial art paper you see here, graph paper, a small calendar page, gelli prints and miscellaneous recycled print papers. There's a plain white page in there too. 

And of course...I like to add a butterfly.

I think it's a sweet little journal....and I had to hold

back because I wanted to play in it!

This little gem is a cyanotype from a Chinese papercut from Paul's sister Liz and the painted paper on the right is from my butterfly book.

The small gelli print page has a little pocket and the opposite

paper is from a recycled guest book.....Guests...is written in blue!

This joy journal comes with a little packet of blue snippets and scraps to help get you started. If you have interest in this 4 x 6 blue and white joy journal...email me at joyfulputtering@gmail.com

Because I would like to make more to give away....my only request is help with postage. $5 should cover it...and just might give me a little extra for Maine Needs.

If more than one person is interested...I will draw a name in a few days.

Love and Kindness

We can do small things with great love. Mother Teresa

Paul and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day....but we do celebrate and practice love and kindness as often as we can. Love and kindness feel like joy....no matter what day it is.

And who doesn't love a bright red heart! I certainly do.

Roseanne sent me this fabulous felted heart.....and Mayor Pete is just the right guy to hold on to it for a while. 

Sometimes love and kindness look like a pile of fabric for someone who is learning to sew. And sometimes love and kindness looks like giving a neighbor a ride to the grocery store because her car was broken down.

I had fabric to spare...and I had time to give and sharing both felt like joy. 

Even small doses of love and kindness can change the world. 

Belly Band

Our life is shining and alive at the present moment. It is not in the past, not in the future, but right here and now. This is where our life has always been - waiting for us to notice it, to live it, to be fully present with it. Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the lead monk on the Walk for Peace

I tried to be fully present with everything that landed in my day today. It was a good day.

Marilyn's joy journal made it to Rhode Island and she seemed pleased.

As I mentioned...Marilyn's pile of papers and notions had a vintage vibe. And the minute I saw this long floral strip I knew it was going to somehow wrap around the journal to become the closure. I just needed to figure out how.

I'm not exactly sure what the material is...but it seems it might have been wool felt. The tiny pink flowers had bead centers..and the whole thing was carefully hand stitched. It seemed like a treasure...so I had to honor it somehow.

In the end...I turned it into a belly band as the closure. Because the band would be a horizontal feature...I chose to do the vertical strip quilting with the papers as a contrast. I think it turned out pretty well.

I carefully stitched the band closed and attached a button to give the illusion of a closure. 

It gave me a chance to add a little something vintage from my grandmother Funk's button box. 

I also tucked a vintage postcard from my 

grandmother Miller in the front pocket.

The band easily slides on and off with room for the journal to 

grow as Marilyn adds her own touches.

Every page is from Marilyn's papers...she didn't need any of mine. There are lots pockets and Marilyn provided cute little bags and envelopes that I worked in. Now it's time for Marilyn to make this even more her own.

There are a few others who have expressed interest in my Joy Journal Project...but I haven't gotten any more papers yet. There is no hurry...this is an ongoing offer and I am nearly finished with one using my own papers that I will offer up as a giveaway soon.

That Magical Shed

I have been so moved by the Walk for Peace....and just today...after walking 2,300 miles the Monks reached Washington D.C. The images and stories have been so moving. 

I will certainly be tuning in tomorrow for the Loving Kindness Meditation. 

The final arrival is not an ending. It is a moment of collective awakening...a reminder that peace is not a destination we reach, but a path we choose, step by step together. 

I've got a little story to tell. If you have time and interest read on. If not...I hope you have a lovely.....and peaceful day.

Back in 2019 my sister Nancy and I took a trip to England. I'm not much of a world traveler....so this was big for me. We took advantage of our niece Holly living in Bristol for work and we had a wonderful time with her and her family. Then Nancy and I forged out on our own and went on to do so much more. The whole trip was magical and one I will never forget. 

After our time in Bath...we spent a delightful couple of days in Brighton where we met up with Philippa Stanton. As many of you know she has been a mentor, teacher and friend. I've spoken about her so many time over the years on this blog.

Behind Philippa's home was a gnarly and magical garden...and an even more magical shed. Philippa would often film Instagram videos from the shed where she was surrounded with her eclectic collections and works of art. The door would often be open in her videos...with a view of the sky and her lush garden.

Inside the shed was like a secret fairy land with sometime to look at in every direction. It was absolutely enchanting.

Why am I telling this story now? Read on.

Several years ago I belonged to Philippa's year long puzzle club. I got a puzzle a month for a full year...most of them beautiful arrangements on her famous wabi-sabi Table. I've written about all of them here as I've done them....except one.

This one was different. It was not colorful bits and bobs arranged on her the Table...but the view out the door of that magical shed. 

She called it Cheeks and the Shed. Cheeks was her cat.

I started sorting this puzzle a couple years ago...but it felt a little overwhelming at the time for whatever reason. So I put it away. And as I was shopping the closet for my next puzzle...it called to me. It seemed like the perfect puzzle project for the end of this particular very cold winter as I dream about spring. 

I started with the sky.

It will barely fit on my table from top to bottom. But I will make it work like I always do. I'll start with the top and move it up under my puzzle gang as I go along.

There are lots of browns and neutrals in these boxes...a little daunting actually. 

But there are yummy subtle and earthy colors...loads of wabi-sabi textures and moody atmosphere. All things Philippa taught me to notice and appreciate. 

Now is the perfect time to be assembling that magical view from the shed. 

Here is my photo of Cheeks...from 2019.

The Table....where almost all of the puzzle designs were assembled.