Yellow

We're still in daffodil season....but we've also moved onto forsythia. Yellow...is the color of late April in Maine.

By the time most of you read this I will be on a plane to Minneapolis. I will spend a few days with my sister Nancy then we will drive to southern Iowa and meet up with Marilyn and LaVonn....my other two sisters where we will visit our Aunt Beverly....my mother's only sister. My mother would have been 100 this month....and her sister Beverly is 90.  

So...that means I will focus on family and be fully present with all that will be going on. I hope to post some sort of a joy nugget every day but my postings will likely be late in the evening...or early in the morning. But if I do miss a day here and there....you'll know why.

I love being home. But I also love spending time with friends and family. I hate to miss one minute of spring in my yard and neighborhood...but I will get to celebrate it in other people's yards and neighborhoods...and that's exciting.

I'm also leaving behind this fabulous Craft Cupboard puzzle...but it will be here when I get back. There's a lot going on....so it's a bit tedious....but it's quite fun.

I put together a little hostess gift....and I had just the right card.

I think the final line of stitching changed everything!

I'll see you in Minneapolis!

Behind Me

Now that it's behind me (pun intended) I am happy to report that my early morning colonoscopy report was clean as a whistle! Sorry if that's too much information....but I'm just keeping it real.

As most of you know....the prep process isn't very pleasant....but the minute it's over I'm always glad I did it. There was a bounce in my step and gratitude in my heart today. Health is a precious thing.

And it makes me so happy that my bloodroot is in full bloom today. They're such delicate little flowers. 

I visited Bessie today....and I'm so glad I did because her baby pine needles are just starting to emerge. For those of you new to the blog....I keep an eye on a Hackmatack tree nearby and I have named her Bessie. Hackmatack....or Tamarack is one of the only pine trees that is deciduous and loses its needles in the fall after they've turned a beautiful yellow. It has teeny tiny pinecones that are just precious. 

But the best part of my visit was meeting some Bessie's neighbors. Alison, and her two kids Cameron and Alex(?) were out in the street riding scooters and I was able to fill them in on Bessie. Now they are going to keep an eye on her too. 

And how excited was I to learn that Cameron's middle name is Joy. I'm hoping to run into them again.

I'm going to try and follow along (no charge) with the current Fabulous Free Motion class with Izzy Moore to motivate me to play around with stitching again. I found my box of lesson projects ....including several prepped fabrics and backgrounds.

This fabric collage from the "tutti frutti" lesson is what I cut the heart from my recent mini journal cover. There was still plenty to use for other things.....so I did another little experiment.

This time I cut a vessel....and free motion stitched some plants. I wasn't sure if I should paint the plants or not. You never know until you try it...and I like it. It's still sweet and simple. As you can see from the above photo....the fabrics are quite vibrant in person...and I couldn't find the right spot to get the lighting right. It's better in person. I could make a card or add it to a journal. I will most certainly be playing around more. I think these fabric vessels will also pair nicely with torn paper collage....with some stitching! Yes...that's what I'm going to do! 

It will be fun to use this tutti frutti piece for something!

That Kind of Day

It was a sunny yellow daffodil kind of day.

It was also a put my feet up kind of a day!

Mini Joy Journal

Subtitle: Rise and Resist

I couldn't stop thinking about it....so I spent  some time this morning making a mini joy journal. 

I used one of my class projects from the Fabulous Free Motion class for the cover....and the pages and pockets invite writing...tucking and art play.

I may make some of these for the Tiny Art Gallery this season.  I'm not done making joy journals! I'm not sure I'll ever be done.

I added a couple snippets on the first page...but will include several more in the pockets. This painted paper has been kicking around the studio for a while. I've always like it...and it matched the scrappy heart perfectly....so it needed to go in this little mini.

It was a beautiful day to be downtown for the rally today....
and what a treat that the cheery trees were blooming in front of  City Hall.

This gentleman and his upside down flag caught my eye. We are still a country in deep distress! 

A group representing Rise and Resist, Singing Resistance handed out cardboard 206 silhouettes representing those Mainers abducted during Ice's despicable Operation Catch of the Day. The actual number is much higher...and people are still being taken.

 

We held our silhouettes up as they sang...and it was quite powerful. 

Rise and Resit

with JOY!

Delight!

I turned 67 today....and it was a delight from beginning to end. 

I got several lovely cards...texts...emails...and Facebook wishes from friends and family.

I feel blessed!

My sister gave me new socks....and Clarke made me a new hat! I needed it today!

I spent all day with this delightful guy and I will see both boys early next week.

I was tickled to start my day a delightful Dotty post about another serendipitous moment in her joy journal. I was over the moon with delight at her connections! You can read Dotty's post here.

In The Zone

The sky was pretty special this morning!

As is the bloodroot that is just starting to bloom in my garden at the corner of the woods. Just look at that center! 

Patty and I had round two of making a lampshade for her bedroom yesterday...we learned from our mistakes during round one. We used leftover fabric from her new curtains...it's a crisp white linen...with pretty floral medallions. 

The fabric was challenging because the embroidered flowers were raised a bit...making it difficult to wrap and tuck. And since neither one of us are actual shade makers....getting the pattern just right was also a challenge. 

But second time's a charm...and we're happy with the result.

The friend helping a friend make a lampshade....that's who I chose to be yesterday! 

   

The shape of the new shade matches the other shade and another touch of this fabric in the room is fresh and pretty. The photo doesn't do it justice. 

While I was in the zone I recovered the lampshade in our TV/playroom...it's been bugging me for years!

The blue and white polka dotted cotton fabric had faded....and just wasn't right for the space.

I had just enough fabric left over from the living room shade I covered years ago. It's still polka dots...and looks so much better.

And I can't tell you how much I love my squishy lumbar pillow that I made from a cotton sweater I never wore. 

I do love my polka dots! 

Do you see what's on the table?

This is the where The Traveling Flowers are going to live for a while. I sit in that orange chair throughout the day...and every evening to work on my blog. I'll enjoy them here in this zone for a while.

Connections Continued

Subtitle: We Get to Choose!

Happy Earth day! 

I thought Earth Day was a good day to share this torn paper rainbow garden I made this for Paul's sister Alyson's birthday back in 2020. It's one of my favorites! 

I offered to pay for the shipping on The Traveling Flowers from Pennsylvania....but Cherie made a counter offer I couldn't refuse: buy something for Maine Needs. So that's what I did. 

I had a little money from other donations so was able to buy two sets of new sheets. And I'm tickled that I found floral sheets as a nod to The Traveling Flowers. Speaking of the flowers....they've been siting on the coffee table for a few days....I think I'll audition them in a new space tomorrow. 

The Connections Continued! 

A few days ago I got an email from Linda who was the recipient of the first blue and white journal giveaway. She sent me several photos of how she is making her journal her own...adding quotes and snippets and I loved seeing what she had done. I especially loved this quote she added: Every moment of every day we get to choose who we will be. 

A few days ago the grounds crew was in our condo association doing some mulching and other spring chores.  As soon as I knew the crew was coming I made a quick trip to the store and scrambled to make chocolate chip cookies....Jane's special recipe with ground oatmeal. There were seven different workers around the condo...and they were so appreciative! 

I told Paul that I really liked being that person who baked cookies for workers taking care of our property. Every moment we get to choose who we want to be.

Julie shared a delightful post about her colorful joy journal and all the ways she is adding to it. It's so much fun to see these journals in action! 

I was tickled to see this image along the side of her blog....I was drawn to the same image when I saw it. I think there are lots of us get sad if we don't make stuff. We get to choose to be makers!

Visits...and Revisits

It was a busy day....including a delightful lunch and visit with my friend Marian. I have other joys to share....but they can wait until tomorrow. 

I did want to share my latest revisit to Abby Lane where I checked on the scilla....always worth it.

Connecting

Subtitle: My Heart is Full!

Joyful Puttering: Collecting, Creating, Connecting...that's what the banner at the top of my blog says. And all of that brings me joy. 

To the casual observer...my studio is in a constant state of chaos. I'm constantly trying to assess what I have collected over the years and figuring out what I should let go of...and what I should keep. The problem is...I see potential in everything.  When I'm trying to tidy up...I always find some  some bright shiny object so it's more likely that I'm creating something rather than organizing. And when I find myself connecting with someone...THAT is what it's all about.

Dotty was one of the recipients of one of my blue and white journal. She wrote a poem about her journal...and you can read it on her blog here.  

If you check it out.... you'll see her little creation that she tucked inside the yellow envelope that I included in one of the pockets in her journal.

My heart is full.

Julie received her Joy Journal a few days ago...and sent me several photos of things she has already tucked or glued into her journal. It's going to be a wonderful place for her to tuck her favorite things from her grandson. How can you not save his adorable writing! souen is sewing in Connor's four year old world. His grandmother is a quilter.

And now one of Connor's hearts is tucked in the little pocket

My heart is full. 

I made did several journals for Lynn long before the Joy Journal Project including an altered purchased journal with her papers stitched in as inspiration. 

Lynn sent me some photos of a few of her pages in her altered journal and that makes me so happy. You can see just a hint of the inspiration paper on the far left for this spread.

My heart is full. 

And just a few days ago Cherie wrote about The Traveling Flowers and Chuck, her dad, on her blog. 

You can read that post here. 

My heart is full.

And just today....after a 3,000 + mile journey from Chuck's workshop in southern California..The Traveling Flowers arrived at their new home on the east coast in Portland, Maine. 

Ben....our mail carrier humored me....he was part of the journey too!

From Chuck's shop....to Cherie's front door...to my front door....these handmade flowers have connected us! And don't you love how my sweatshirt matches Cherie's door. 

My heart is full! 

The journey isn't over. I will be auditioning them in various places around the condo...inside and out when the weather is better. For a few days....they'll live on the coffee table in the heart of our home. 

Did I mention that my heart is full?