Tiny Things

I stumbled across this tiny patch of crucus on a walk in a very scruffy corner of our condo complex. 

It's another reminder that spring is here...pushing through the winter grunge.

This tiny puzzle with these 4 tiny houses captured my heart! 

Thanks Becky!

And right on cue....these tiny hyacinth buds are opening. 

And finally....I found this on the living room rug.....a corner snippet from someone's joy journal. They go flying when I clip them off...and I must have worn this for part of a day somewhere in a clothing fold. Tiny things make me smile.

Bones

I could almost see my hyacinth moving today! It's a little Janice Joy in my kitchen!

To think that all of these little buds will open into one big bloom is kind of astonishing. I'm already awestruck!

Emily's line about her journal really resonated with me....she wants it to be a living thing where she can write little things or add tiny bits as she continues to collect joy. 

Living things need bones. Journals need bones...paper bones to hold all the ephemera and joy stuff. The bones of Emily's journal needed to complement her crazy mix of packaging and product labels...and the first thing I thought of was paper bags.

I mentioned my idea to Patty when I was visiting a few days ago....and she immediately kicked into gear and went through her bag collection in her garage. 

This is what I came home with to add to my own bag supply.

I was off and running!

I cut them all open then cut them into medium...and small pieces. 

I made a random collage with the small pieces for a possible cover...and I'm never really sure when I start one of these how it's really going to turn out. 

But stitching changes everything and in the end I was pleased. My only regret is I wish I would have used black thread. I've switched to black for the inside...and I like it so much better.

This will be just part of the cover....I've figured out a way to use part of the Ramen Noodle box as an overlay. This journal will have multiple chunky signatures which will require a different binding. I hope it works! 

I'm well on my way....all I needed was the bones! 

Thanks for your contribution Patty!

Sunday Catch Up

I have a few joy things I just can't leave dangling without a shoutout! Let's start with the fact that at least 8 million people were in the streets yesterday for No Kings 3.0! I I have to believe that makes a difference. 

I finished a puzzle yesterday! This is another one of Philippa's puzzles called Vivienne's Buttons. It's the second time I've done it....and I loved it again!

Last time I put this together I pulled out some of my own favorite 

vintage buttons and arranged them on top of the puzzle!

You can see them better in this photo!

I'm a big button fan!

I didn't waste any time before I sorted out these precious little pieces 

for the next one! They're are smaller than a dime.

This little mini was a gift from Becky....and it will be a quickie!

Janice brought me a hyacinth a week or so ago. At the time...it was just peeking through the soil...the first photo is 4 or 5 days later and the second one is just today. 

I love how it's  pushing its way through the foliage! I've never had an indoor forced hyacinth before...it's really going to be fun watching it open! 

And both amaryllis blooms are in their full glory!

Thank you for sticking around for my Sunday joy catch up! 

Standing With Neighbors

It was a beautiful crisp spring day today.....a good day to be outside in the sunshine! 

I wish there no reason to be taking to the streets...but Paul and I were proud to be standing with our Portland neighbors for No Kings 3.0. We were protesting against corruption and chaos and demanding decency and democracy. 

 

Sometimes it can be as simple as love over fear and caring about each other.

Eclectic Mix

I get pretty excited when my neighbor's crocuses start blooming. To finally have some actual color other than blue sky makes my heart sing!  

I love all the seasons....and I especially love the excitement and anticipation in the transitions! So much joy!

I love the bud stage as much as I love the fully open blooms!

Debbie got her joy journal today. This layered fern cyanotype was one of my favorites. Paper type and exposure length can give such different results for coloring and I really like this deep aqua.The back was one of my very first experiments from a couple years ago. 

The belly band is part of a vintage piece of clothing...or something that I took apart years ago.

  

It's such a pretty textile....and it's about time I used some of it!

I added a layer of interfacing and a fused piece of fabric to the back to give it strength and stiffness making it easier to slide on and off. The button is just for looks.

Debbie's journal is full of her little treasures....as well as some of Connie's art (a mutual friend of ours) and the snippets from my Ounce of Joy giveaway. It was fun trying to make everything work together. There was lots of blue and white...with pops of color here and there. 

Speaking of pops of color....there was a little surprise color hidden in this spread.  Most of these things came from Debbie. 

The bird pocket was from one of her postcards and the tag was cut from some heavy card stock. I attached her Stitcher sticker to the front of the notecard that she used to write me a note that she included with her papers. There's a little surprise on the back.

When I sent my Ounce of Joy snippets I wrapped them in a couple of pieces of tissue so they would stay distributed in the envelope. If they piled up in one corner it wouldn't fit through the guide slot and would have cost more than one stamp. 

Debbie's snippets were wrapped in this colorful tissue...and that is exactly how I got them back....still wrapped in the tissue. I glued a piece of it on the back of the card and I love how you can still read the note she wrote to me. And now it's now going back to her. 

Several full circle moments in this book.

Here's how I used some of my snippets...

and I cut out her little teapot to tuck in the pocket

Did I tell you that Cherie sent me more clothing tags to use in other people's journals? I attached one to a little painted cyanotype in the front pocket. And you can see the piece of grandma Dorothy's tatting there on the joy calling card! 

Here are the new tags from Cherie! 

Who even knew this was a thing!

Here are a few more pages...not all...but you get the idea.

This was fun to make...and I hope Debbie enjoys this eclectic mix!

Living Thing

Subtitle: The Box

"I have been collecting junk for "some day." I don't really have a vision for it other than I'd love to see your take on how to put it together. I would love to treat it (this journal) as a living thing where I could write little things or add tiny bits as I continue to collect additional joy." Emily Finnerud 

I put my 13th joy journal in the mail to Debbie C. just yesterday...and I'm looking forward to sharing more about it.  Here's a glimpse at her cover....I especially love the vintage belly band.

I have a new set of papers junk (using the term affectionately) from my goddaughter Emily...and at least one more set of papers coming in the mail from Julie! Emily's journal may end up being my biggest challenge so far....so I've been watching junk journal YouTube videos to help me think outside of the box. 

Emily included food labels and other packaging as well as a whole pile of fortune cookie fortunes. There are some practice painting doodles which I'll tell you more about in another post and lots of seemingly random kitchen and household stuff.....all meaningful to Emily in some way....or at least interesting to her. For whatever reason...she saved these things. THIS will be another unconventional materials challenge! Maybe I need my own show...I could call it Project Joy! Make it work! (Project Runway fans will get that!)

Like with Cherie's pile...there's not a lot of base papers to work with to create the actual book...but I know for sure it can't be scrapbook paper or gelli prints for this one. 

I knew I would find just the right materials in my stash....and knew I will figure it out. But then just today I had a visit with Patty down the street...and because she had interest I talked through my challenge and told her what I thought I was looking for. She had JUST what I needed to propel me forward to make this living thing for Emily. (more later on that) I'm excited about this one! I think I say that every time....and I really mean it every time.

Emily literally included a Ramen Noodle box. Now I'm thinking outside of the box as I figure out what to actually do with the box! I've got this! And it's a good distraction and counterbalance to the chaotic and scarry world.

Out of the Nest

Paul and I treated ourselves to lunch out and a enjoyed the crisp air and blue sky at one of our favorite spots. We both love being home...walking from home....biking from home. But it's also nice to get out of the nest once in a while. 

We used to live within walking distance from the Bug Light...so it kind of felt like home.

Fun and Fabulous!

Thank you for all the fun and fabulous chatter about Max's birthday Pocket Book! And it even sounds like some of you might make a book of your own! 

Looks what's fun and fabulous in my kitchen! The first photo was yesterday....

....and today it opened up!