Hats

My three sisters and I have an ongoing conversation on messenger where we share family news, fun photos....and just about anything else that might make us all smile.  A couple weeks ago we got to talking about our snowdrops....in Maine, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.  And just so you know....I learned today in our chat that it snowed in Wisconsin.  Snow is likely for all of us.

This little snowdrop I shared is exactly the same today as it was 10 days ago....I've never seen it open.

After our conversation my sister Nancy checked to see if her's were poking through in the backyard.  The photo she shared made me chuckle.....and I hope it makes you smile too.  

But first...her photo needs this little backstory.

Sometime around the holidays Nancy's step-daughter and family were visiting from Germany....and her grandson LOVES snow.  Using just the little bit of snow a few days before their arrival, she and Craig built them a snow family.....one representing each of them. They had to "tend" to them for a few days because it warmed up a bit....but they were still in tact when they arrived....and were a hit!

When Nancy went to the backyard she didn't find any snowdrops yet....but she did find hats.  Celebrate the simple joys!

And just because I admire Craig's handiwork so much....I wanted to share a set of blocks he recently made for their grandson....all colored with food coloring so safe for little hands and mouths.  Pretty impressive, don't you think!

More of Craig's handiwork:

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/05/oasis-in-city.html

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2017/05/secret-nook.html

Perky Personality

How fun is Janice's turnip...it's got a perky personality! 

As an experiment I glued some scrap bits together when I was cleaning up my table a few days ago.  I wasn't quite sure what I would do with them...but just went with it.  I made five little sets.  

 

Then this afternoon I played around with a little collage. I rounded up the bottom of one of the flowers and layered it with some other papers.  I'm not sure using it this way is any different that collaging the bits right on the piece....but it is a different look for the flower.  

Maybe I'll try something different with the others.

My tiny hand cut gold squiggle from a few days ago adds a little whimsy to the card....and I think the whole thing has a perky personality.  Some of the gold accents are from some tissue with gold flecks.

Nut Mix

I confess....I didn't walk with Paul this morning with the wind chill in the low teens.  I don't want to rush the seasons....but winter is supposed to be over and I'm looking forward to consistent early spring temps at least over freezing.  

Paul knew I would love this squiggly ice patch....and he found $5 but it was frozen to the ground so couldn't be picked up.  I always appreciate what catches his eye.

It was a bit of a chore day for me....but I did enjoy some hot tea and a snack at the puzzle table. We've been in this cold stretch for days....and tea helps. I tried my best to capture the steam rising out of the mug...it made me happy.  

This one is a golden oldie....and I'm enjoying doing it again. I love the cartoony art....and the pops of color and patterns in the quilts are fun.  I did the black and white part at the top first....and now I'm just jumping around from quilt to quilt.

I thought I'd share my version of a super simple nut mix I've been making regularly for several months.  I always double the recipe.

3 cups of nuts....I generally use almonds, pistachios, sesame sticks, and pumpkin seeds...and sometimes cashews.  Use what you like.

Sauce: 

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Mix up the sauce and stir into the nuts until they are coated and spread out on a cookie sheet.  The original recipe recommended lining the cookie sheet with foil...so that's what I've done.  

For a double batch I bake it at 250 degrees for 30 minutes stirring every 10 minutes.  A single batch seems to be done it about 20 minutes.  Like Check Mix...it's a bit soft when it comes out but gets nice and crispy as it cools.

Another Handwritten Heart

I've been making my sister Nancy a small 2022 desk calendar....and just realized it's almost April.  The wind chill this morning was 17 degrees....so it felt like January.

The theme of Nancy's calendar this year is "handwritten hearts"....they all have included some handwriting from a Fodder School lesson...and some of my sister Angie's handwriting.  

April was inspired by some of the blue metallic scraps I found on my table yesterday.....and I found the little "self love" in Angie's snippets.

I started with a simple 4 piece collage on a lightweight substrate....then stitched and cut out a heart.

I layered few scraps on the background including a piece of the handwriting fodder and did a couple more rows of stitching around the heart attaching it to the calendar page.

I think I like the back just as much.

The other 3 calendar pages....and a little bit about Angie can be found in these posts.

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2022/01/handwritten-hearts.html

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2022/02/remembering-angie.html

That got me thinking about blues....and I painted some of my commercial paper scraps a deep indigo blue today.  

This is what these three papers looked like before I painted them.....the color possibilities are endless.  I love this process!

I'm always curious how the papers will respond to the paint ....especially ones that were already a color. I love the mix of colors in this one.

It started off as bright shades of pink...and here is it painted a couple different ways.

Miracles

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."  Albert Einstein

This little snow drop was so close to the ground that I couldn't even see it.....I didn't think it would mind if I picked it so I could enjoy it more closely.

I'm grateful for this tiny early spring miracle....sitting on my kitchen sill.

I spent some time in the studio doing some sorting...and I do enjoy picking up all these colorful little scraps.  So much potential.

Under the scraps I came across a crocus collage that didn't go so well.....so I cut it in 1/2 and chopped it down and all or a sudden I don't hate it.

And how could I not cut out this little gold squiggle. And I wonder why it takes me so long time to clean my desk....because everything's a miracle. 

One Step Further

Inspired by yesterday's crocus....I did a little late night collaging.  

I'm always a little anxious to check out these nighttime projects in the morning....and this morning I thought "not bad!" 

That's not always the case.

So today I decided to take them both one step further.

I intended to stitch wonky ovals on my scrap collage like I did here.....but at the last minute decided to use the leaf stitch again...going one way then the other.  No upside down ones here!  Both ways feels right! 

I also intended to use a white paint pen like I did a few days ago....but at the last minute went for gold. 

You never know until you try....and take an idea one step further. Not bad!

The crocuses...by the way...were wide open in the warmth of the afternoon sun.

Morning Walk

"Oh what a beautiful morning...oh what a beautiful day."

After a full day of rain yesterday.....it was a beautiful morning for a walk.  

One of our neighbors has a patch of crocus that is about to pop....and I'll be keeping an eye on them.  We're just entering that time of year where there will be new signs of life almost every day.....consider yourself warned.  

Spring may be the time of year when it's easiest to find Joy.  The colors are just soooo needed and appreciated after the monochromatic winter.  

I always love when branches and leaves are a little drippy. 

At this point...Paul headed home while I spent some times with the drips.

I loved the way the hazy sun looked through the bare trees...but only when I got home and looked at these photos did I notice the intensity of that small patch of blue sky.

I think the subtle blue spot is especially dramatic in this photo....such a nice little surprise...on our morning walk.

Still There

Maybe the most rewarding thing I did today was help Margie get her computer all updated and in good working order so she can start watching her MLB (Major League Baseball) streaming app and spring training for the Colorado Rockies. After some consultation and a few trips back and forth she's up and running with a new operating system...and it's nice to have a somewhat frustrating task end well.  We had to chuckle that the only bad outcome is that it reset her Wordle history....but now she has a fresh start!  

I stopped in the Handiwork shop yesterday to take in some sample cards to display to promote my class.  And just so you know.....my quilt piece is still there....but in a new location. So the story continues....and this little piece is still "hanging around." 

The store is just lovely and I'm looking forward to teaching in this wonderful space.  

Here are a couple of the cards I took in. I do love adding a little metallic accent to each flower....and generally have painted over commercial papers that are already accented in gold.

But like I've mentioned recently....I'm adding my own metallic marks to the papers ...and I'm using and liking them more and more. 

I kind of like the randomness of the lines. 

And when I say painted....I mean just scribbled or dotted with a gold paint pen or gold paint in a fine line applicator.  But those random lines give a tiny scrap some interesting detail.....and often times the lines and blobs land in just the perfect places.