Handle With Care!

I got some treats in the mail today....and it made me chuckle that the package said fragile HANDLE WITH CARE!  I'm guessing it was a repurposed package...but it cracked me up based on the contents.

Melodee sent me some fun and festive napkins to use in my art making....and an interesting article from the New York Times. She had seen a post I did a while back about napkins....so searched her stash to add to my art fodder!

The article was about artist Marcin Rusak who makes vessels and furniture encapsulating dried wabi-sabi flowers into resin. The most interesting part of the story is that if the plant had any artificial color...it naturally expelled it during the process.

Thanks for the fun mail Melodee!

I finished yesterday's ICAD late last night....and stitched together a quick collage for today. On the quote card I had done the black squiggle lines ahead using acrylic paint in a fine line applicator.  Once it was dry I colored it in with colored pencil and added the quote. I do like the concept...and next time I'll use watercolor.

I keep thinking I'm going to have time in the studio...but spring keeps calling me....and I'm answering.  The weather has been spectacular and it feels wrong not to be out in it.

When it gets hot...that's when I get tucked inside my studio with my AC.

I had a delightful swim early this morning and did some pool chores. And I've made the rounds in my gardens over the past couple of days. Everything is edged....weeded and watered. 

I'm so happy with the gardens this year...and from here on out they will pretty much take care of themselves.  With just a little weeding and trimming once in a while.

I've written about my special potato rock in the photo above....

but I haven't mentioned my newest potato...this might be a yam. We found it while we were up in Perry visiting Patsy and Brian and we're pretty sure it's a tumbled brick. So I guess that makes it a sea brick.

For now it lives on the corner of the patio along with my mosquito from one of my sister gatherings and Connie's tiny stone bird bath.  Which...by the way...I do get birds drinking from it.

That story of the sister mosquito is here: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/08/bonding.html  

Speaking of sister trips...we're having a sister gathering in Minneapolis at the end of the month and I'm pretty excited. Becky and Angie will be missed....but Nancy, LaVonn, Marilyn and I will have a wonderful time!

Here's a different perspective on that corner garden.

I might continue the patio tour tomorrow....it's out summer happy place and brings us a lot of joy!