JOY!

"Every aspect of our lives can benefit from our innate creative energy when it is nurtured and applied."
Janet Skates

How can I not love this....and how can I not share it!  Janet Skates' art is an explosion of color and patterns and it always makes me smile when it comes across my Instagram feed.

https://www.instagram.com/janetskatesart/

And Janet's JOY was the inspiration for today's #24 of Another 100 Days. I know I'm getting a little more wild with my squares.....but I like the contrast and the mix of colors better than the monochromatic ones. There will probably be a mix of both.  And....I'm having fun being inspired by something from my day.  It's an evolving creative daily practice....and I'm loving every minute of it. 

Last night I finished adding the colors to the next to the last row on my wall hanging.  One more row to plan and and finish then I can attach the two halves! JOY!

And just for fun I taped it to the patio door today...

just because I could.

Little Bits and Parts

"I like to envision the whole world as a jigsaw puzzle...if you look at the whole picture, it is overwhelming and terrifying, but if you work on your little part of the jigsaw and know that people all over the world are working on their little bits, that's what will give you hope." Dr. Jane Goodall

Putting together this colorful little sprinkles puzzle from my sister Marilyn was quite satisfying.  When I looked at the whole image it was hard to know where to start....but when I looked for just one sprinkle or two to connect one piece to another....it went together like a dream.  And it certainly helped that it was meant for a 6+ age group. 😉

This fabulous bag came from my sister LaVonn for my birthday.  She knew how much I loved the pattern on the Scotties tissue boxes...and now I have an awesome bag to match. And there's a puzzle and treats inside too!  Thanks LaVonn!

I dropped some perennial splits off at Anita's....and was stopped in my tracks by these fabulous tulips in her yard.  

Today's quilt block #23 is inspired by a combo of the colorful sprinkles, my favorite rainbow tissue box and new bag pattern....and Anita's orange tulips.                                                                                   

Here's to bits and parts......and hope.

Tucked Away

"Tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."  African Proverb

I love grape hyacinth....and these are right up the street.

At the beginning of April I found this container of hosta I tucked away in the garage for the winter. I had totally forgotten about it....and it was patiently waiting for light and water as it was struggling to sprout.

I put it out on the back patio....watered it well, and let the sun and the rain do what they do best.

I know intellectually that perennials go through a dormant stage in the winter. But I'm also sure it's a little miracle that every spring they wake up after their long winter's rest....even if they were forgotten about in a dark garage.

I'm happy to report that almost a month later they're doing well.

Thank you Mother Nature!

This sweet little message was tucked away in a tree trunk...and it and the hyacinths were the inspiration for today's quilt square.

Be you!

Scraps

https://www.instagram.com/caroldubosch/

Last night while I was watching TV I paired scraps of colored fabric to stitch together for my Another 100 Day project.

This morning I chain stitched them all up giving me a little head start on my daily sewing practice.  My head is a little fuzzy these days....so this was just the right project in between house chores.



They're all snipped, ironed, and ready to shop from as I keep rolling along on my Another 100 Days.  I like the little pop of color in the middle of today's #21.

Speed Bump

"The first ones to map the stars also knew to map the dark places in between, because they saw the world as it was, whole & alive & every path you take is never only one thing, but always threading between the known & the unknown, between where you are going & what you imagine that to be." Brian Andreas

What a difference 10 days and 100 miles makes. I've been at the condo for the past 10 days but drove the 100 miles back to Lexington last evening.  I took a morning walk and was quite taken how much further along spring is here as compared to Portland.

Here are some of my favorite shots.

This particular photo seems to be the perfect metaphor right now....the absolute beauty and promise of spring and the reality of the massive bump in the road.

I was quite taken with this view....

the yellow and red tulips to match the house and the contrasting pop of pink.

I settled in while streaming the church service and stitched the next row onto my cathedral window quilt.....and my new stork scissors worked perfectly. It's ready for the insert row of colors....then one more row to go! 

Day 20 of Another 100 Days

Afterglow

I have to start this post with this peaceful morning scene from the gazebo at Parsons Pond.  The glassy mirror image was just magical.

Another birthday behind me....and so much to celebrate as I bask in the afterglow.  But I'll have to say that this homemade card from Margie is way up there on the list of favorite things.

She cut up one of her coloring pages, arranged the daffodils into this charming little bouquet and turned it into a card with a clever birthday wish on the inside.  I know Margie well enough to know that arts and crafts are not her favorite thing....so it was a true gift of love....and I LOVE everything about it! Thanks Margie!

My sister Marilyn sent a fun box with treats and this colorful puzzle.

Thank goodness it's only 100 pieces because it looks Cra-Z-Difficult. But I had to chuckle when I saw age 6+ on the box so I think this 61 year old can handle it....and I'm looking forward to it.

And I couldn't love the colorful stork scissors more! 

Thanks Marilyn!

The scissors were wrapped in some tissue and tied up with strip of pink polka dotted fabric....which was the starting point for today's Another 100 Days square.  I like the wacky contrast....and this particular one just makes me happy.

And this was yesterday's:

My sister Nancy texted me this picture of her bloodroot which just started blooming....it's such a sweet flower.  I love how it pushed its way through the green leaves.  

Mine are coming along...slow but sure and I was excited to see at least 4 little spouts.  I drove back to Lexington this evening for a few days....so Paul will have to keep an eye on it and keep me posted.

Well Wishes

My day was filled with virtual balloons and fireworks, texts, calls, Facebook wishes, e-mails, cards, a package....and this greeting from Paul's home office in the living room.  I was well taken care of on my 61st birthday!  More on some of the other fun tomorrow....I'm exhausted from all this stay at home celebrating. 

So Many Blues

This view on our morning walk made me pause....between the house, the fence, the car, and the sky there were just so many blues. I plugged the photo into the Palette Builder to identify them all. 

Speaking of blues....I'm on day 17 of my Another 100 Day Project and I laid them out on the floor so I could get a sense of how it was looking. I'm still not sure how I'm going to arrange them....I need more before I figure that out. Some blocks are better than others....and I do like when there's a little more of a contrast in the colored centers.

I added in a bit of yellow as a contrasting color in today's block ....I think it adds interest. So I'll pay a little more attention to that and a better balance of light and dark blues. I also can balance the blues when I add extra strips for sizing.

It will all work out in the end....it's a scrap quilt after all.

A Splash of Color

If there's anything that's been more clear to me during this crisis it's how connected we all are.....and these colorful interlocking circles are my way of illustrating that.  For better or worse....the catchy phrase "we're all in this together" couldn't be more true.

I follow artists from all over the world and many of them are painting, printing, knitting, and posting rainbows as a way of lifting us up. So I'll send this off into the world somewhere as my way of sharing some color and lifting someone up.

And speaking of a splash of color....I added the last rows of indigos and purples to my batik project....and taped it to the patio door.

I think this view in the light is so beautiful....it might be really cool printed on a wrapped canvas. hmmmm

I hate to say it but I do think I'm going to chop it up because I think there's too much going on for the art piece I have in mind....and there are parts that didn't work out as well as I would have liked.  But the good thing is I'll probably be able to make several art pieces out of this particular splash of color.

One of Those Days

This was one of those days I got so absorbed in everything I did that I let go of the sadness and craziness that is out there in the world.  I connected with people I love and care about on the phone...exchanged texts and photos with friends...worked on several different projects...and enjoyed a couple games of cribbage and a nice dinner and conversation with Paul. It was just one of those days....and here's just a tiny little glimpse.

I had an idea for a background using scraps from my manuscript book page project....and I'm excited to add the next step tomorrow.

I saved all the scraps and even the rough edges that weren't covered with paint and I'll have to admit they formed some of my favorite squares. Lesson learned....keep everything.

I spy some good advise on our morning walk....do you see it?

What's not to love about a sunny found object.....and a nice addition to my found ball collection.

I finished the 2nd of the 3 remaining rows for my cathedral window wall hanging.  I'll connect it to the 2nd half of the quilt....add the inserts...then have only ONE row left!!!  Yay!

I'm loving this pile of threads and trimmings from the insert squares....and yes....some chocolate wrappers.  I may not clean it up until I finish the quilt.  And...because I took the time to take this photo I found my lost pair of scissors.  Yay!                                                                                                                                

I just love when I actually finish a whole spool of thread...it feels like I've done something important!                                                                                               

I found the missing white piece for the barn....and now I'm ready to start the third layer of my puzzle. It was just one of those days....a joyful puttering day from beginning to end.