Slug Shenaigans

Laughter and sorrow often travel together, and sometimes the silliest things carry us through the hardest moments. Diane Wilk

Yesterday while I was visiting Patty I got to hear more about Sluggo...her precious banana slug. Sluggo is now featured in a book called ADVENTURE IS IN MY SOUL. It's true story of how after a tragic loss an entire extended family found connection, comfort, and laughter through a stuffed banana slug named Sluggo. 

Patty was instrumental in making sure all the family members had a cousin of Sluggo that could comfort them and accompany them during family gatherings and travels. Patty's clever like that!

Everyone played along and over a period of several months shared their slug's shenanigans through group texts and emails. Patty's sister-in-law Diane turned these adventures into a book. It's just a delight.

Even in life's darkest seasons, there is still room for laughter, joy and absurdity. Family Matters. Loves survives grief. And sometimes the best way forward is simply to hold tightly to on another and keep smiling at the wonderfully ridiculous parts of being human.

After our visit....Patty brought Sluggo down to photograph him in my garden with The Traveling Flowers....they seem to be related not only in color....but in spirit. Cherie and Dale had fun on their wonderfully ridiculous journey with these flowers. 

The whole Traveling Flowers journey can be tracked in these posts...in reverse order.

Joyful Abundance During Breakfast

I started removing the edge pieces from my puzzle (yes, I store them separated) this morning during my breakfast...and happened to open my phone. It was already on camera mode and I saw this scene on the screen and my heart was full. It was all right there in front of me...but seeing it un-staged on my phone really made an impression. So much to celebrate here in the early morning light:

My yummy bowl of steel-cut oats, apples, chia seeds and cinnamon...my colorful paper pieced mini placemat....that fabulous puzzle....my rainbow puzzle gang keeping an eye on me...Clarke's hand knitted frog...JP (joyful puttering)...my felted heart from Roseanne...the LED starburst way back in the corner of my living room....a colorful tapestry from Honduras my sister Nancy brought back from her Peace Corps days hanging over the back of the couch.....Joyful abundance during breakfast.

Per usual....Paul and I went to the 11:00 rally downtown....there are so many things to be concerned about. 

My rainbow parasol made the hot sun tolerable....and makes a statement at the same time. 

Honestly, I long for the day again when I can wake in the morning and not have to brace myself from some new horror committed by a man and his regime who are feeding themselves on the ruins of public liberty. Steven Beschloss

My fellow protester to my left....notice the rainbow hearts. 

Love.....makes a nation great!

We're Here!

"Hey world...we're here!" That's the text I got this morning from Patty along with this first photo to alert me that the baby house finches hatched! One was ready for some food!

I walked down a little later in the morning....and they were sound asleep....just a little pile of feathers. It will be fun to watch them over the next few weeks. 

I walked back down later this afternoon and caught momma bird in the nest. The only thing better than having this little family right down the street is having a good friend right down the street. Lucky me!

And look at this fabulous found object! Thanks Paul!

It was a good day to be here!

The Light We Carry

Joy isn't the light at the end of the tunnel, it's the light we carry as we walk through it. Forty Fifty

I've been a bit of a creative slump since I got home from my trip. I've dabbled with a few things that I've shared...but feel like most of my outcomes have been a bust. I'm actually feeling a little lost in my studio. 

Maybe I shouldn't think of it as a studio slump and more of a pause. I need to take my own advice and focus on what's right in front of me. Spring is such a wonderful time of year...and it deserves my attention right now. The studio will always be there! 

The joy/light I carried today:

• I planted a moonbeam coreopsis in a little garden at the corner of our street....actually I split the plant in two pieces so I could spread it out. It's not really my garden...but I mostly take care of it. Moonbeam is one of my favorites and I don't have enough sun in my own gardens. I'll keep you posted how it does.
•  I gave my newly purchased annuals some outside time as they gradually get the used to the sun and wind. But they're tucked back in the garage for now during the cold rain.
• I cleaned and filled the hummingbird feeder and birdbath.....I love taking care of the birds. They bring us so much joy.
• I also got to pick this little bouquet from my garden....a familiar combo this time of year: daffodil, hyacinth and barrenwort. 

Nancy offered me a split of this plant...but I knew I had it. I looked it up today....it's called barrenwort. And I smiled when I learned it is also known as fairy wings or horny goat weed. How can you not love horny goat weed! 

The rest of the day I got to tidy up the condo and do a little food prep for a spontaneous gathering with friends for cards and dinner tonight. Yay!

There's joy in the tunnels....slumps...and pauses....we just have to take the time to recognize it. If any of you read Cherie's comment on yesterday's post.....here is the photo light/joy that goes along with it. One of the first things I noticed in her photo was the shadows. 

Not All Bells and Whistles

There are a handful of new people who have signed up by email for the blog and I would like to officially welcome you!  It's not all bells and whistles here...just simple everyday things that bring me joy as I putter around my studio....house and yard....and places I visit.

I spent a good chunk of the day out and about doing errands and chores. There was satisfaction...and even some joy in taking in our recycling and returnable bottles. Our bottle money goes in my Maine Needs fund. There was joy in buying my first few annuals so I can start hardening them off....and that I found just what I wanted for my hummingbird garden. And there was even joy in having my annual skin check at the dermatologist. 

There was most certainly joy in my visit to Bessie.....the beloved Hackmatack tree in a nearby neighborhood. Her pine needles are filling in and as always....they're soft as a baby brush. 

I am smitten with the baby pine cones....especially knowing they will grow up to be still tiny pinecones. 

Seeing her in this stage actually does feel like bells and whistles.

So that's what you're find here. Some bells and whistles...but mostly just simple things that bring me joy that are right in front of me. And what's in front of me right now is spring! 

If you are new....there are more than 10 years worth of posts that can easily be accessed by topic using the label links along the right hand side of the blog if you have special interests. The labels in quotation marks at the beginning of the list are posts about classes that I have taken. 

I hate being a broken record, but I would  also like to remind everyone that sometimes photos are distorted in the email version so not visually appealing.  You can easily link to the online version by clicking on the title of the post in the email.

There was joy in our sunset last night....I hope you found joy in yours.

Small Things...Big Joy

Nancy gave me these adorable felted eyeballs for my birthday.....I think they're fun! 

They're on two separate wires...so easily placed in any plant.

Small things bring big joy!

There was another small thing on my puzzle table when I got home....a found object from Paul. How is it that a bright green Duplo can bring big joy! I think it's as simple as making a decision to appreciate the little things. Nancy also gave me the little pink crocheted heart....big love....big joy.

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?

A Guy Named Chuck

Subtitle: The Traveling Flowers

Sometimes joy looks like a guy named Chuck.

This is Cherie's dad...and his doodle was featured on the first page of her joy journal. While she was visiting him in Southern California she shared the journal with him. And just a few days ago...the three of us had a Zoom call because he had something he wanted to share something with me. 

Chuck is a retired metal shop teacher...and he's spending his retirement years repurposing parts of refrigerators....water heaters...and other metal from the junkyard into flower sculptures. 

Yes...you read that right water heaters become flowers....most of them with precious hummingbirds. 

At the end of the zoom call I got a tour of his own backyard junkyard and his shop....it was so impressive. I took a few screenshots along the way.

This water heater was his latest find at the junkyard!

Apparently the skins of water heaters are very useful! Who knew?

Chuck knew!

If he didn't have the right tool or storage unit...he made it. 

This rotating tool holder was impressive giving him two sided storage for his tools! I thought it was brilliant!

I believe he also made this cutting tool he uses to hand cuts the flowers....and he gave a demonstration.  He made another tool to bend them into the shape he wanted and it has interchangeable parts for leaves. I was blown away! 

Here's another one of Chuck's creations:

But the best part of this story Chuck wanted me to have one of his sculptures. They are going to travel by car back to Pennsylvania with Cherie and her husband where she will mail them to me. They are taking the scenic route...so Cherie is going to help me track their progress. They left Chuck's cabin last night near the Sequoia National Forest and spent the night at a spa in Hot Springs CA. Cherie sent photos of the flowers getting a little fresh air at the spa.....and I laughed out loud. What a delightful way to start my day! I'm going to have fun with this. 

It's these kinds of connections and experiences that balance out a chaotic and mixed up world. And I'm going to savor it....and celebrate a guy named Chuck and his devoted and creative daughter!

I'm going to (loosely) track these traveling flowers...just because I can. 

Creatively Connecting

Cherie and I had a Zoom call this morning....and it was so nice to put a face to a name and to hear more of the back story of her choices for her joy journal and for me to share more about my process. Our mutual fondness for textiles was clear as well as the joy that we both find in making things for others. What a treat this was!

I think there are enough of you who have interest so I thought I would share some of the pages in her journal. The rest of you can get a head start on your day. 

Before I knew anything else I knew the first page was going to be Cherie's dad's doodle. I also knew I was going to cut out one side and fold it into a page. What I learned in today's Zoom is that he doodled all the time...even on napkins in restaurants then gave them to the wait staff. He's a legend for his doodles...and Cherie chose this one for the journal. 

I always pause for a moment when I cut into someone's art....but she said to go for it! 

This...by the way...was the only actual piece of regular paper Cherie provided. And at this point I still didn't know how I was going to hold everything together.....but lots of ideas were going through my head. This is where it started.

On the back was another doodle of a bear flying off with balloons with the caption 

Oh my I did not plan this! Look where the caption landed on the folded page! I didn't plan this either! The fold was completely determined by how wide the front flowers would be for the cover. Serendipity!

  

The second thing I knew I was going to do was cut her quilled tree card in half. That also was a little unnerving. 

But it was too wide as is....and then I could use it in two spots. I stitched it onto a piece of cardstock to create the fold and tucked it in as a page.

The other half has the fold on the right side and opens out....and it worked out well. 
The photo is a bit blurry because it's a screenshot from a video.

Using the color scheme from the cover I went to my scrapbook paper stash and pulled several pieces of medium weight paper in all kinds of patterns. Books need paper...and I needed something to stitch the clothing tags to.

I wanted the tags to stick out just a bit...and layer up and down the side of the journal on different pages.

It was like putting together a puzzle.

I do love mixing patterns....and I went a little crazy in Cherie's journal!

Tucked behind that second page were the first two trees.

They were like a little hidden surprise!

Cherie included a tiny gift bag that I cut up and made into a little pocket....

it was the perfect size for one of my little share your joy tags.

I used every single clothing tag....and every bit of ephemera Cherie sent. 

And I'm so tickled where this caption landed...with no planning on my part. This page got a tag too.

There are several more pages....but you get the idea. But my favorite moment may be on the back cover where I used this monogram of Knowledge, Wisdom and Truth that came from the inside edge a men's shirt. Such a beautiful hidden detail.

Using scraps from a previous project...I worked it into a little fussed quilt block for the back cover. I really wanted to stitch it...but I didn't think about it before I fused it. If I stitched it after it would have messed up the free motion on the back. But I think it's the perfect finish for this charming and personal joy journal.

I learned today that Cherie actually collects men's shirts and I was able to see her impressive stash in her cupboard this morning on our call. This quilt is made entirely of men's shirts! Isn't it gorgeous!

If you're still reading...thank you for walking through this journal with me...it was a joy to create. And I thoroughly enjoyed creativing connecting with its new owner! Pure joy!