Plenty of Potential

The art of not being ready and doing it anyway will take you far! Rob Dance

Becky had a beautiful blue, white and gold floral calendar hanging in her studio. I wish I would have taken a photo of that whole wall...it's so magical. Every time I go...there's something new.

Before I left I asked her if I could have a page from one of the previous months....she sent me home with two. I knew they had plenty of potential.

Ever since I came across the little paper cut from a another calendar with gold highlights....I've wanted to try another one. The random color images and gold accents give the cut piece such character....not something you can plan.

So I cut off a swatch from one of the pages and took advantage of the glorious afternoon on the patio and started cutting. No particular plan other than doing leaf shapes. 

I worked from the back....it's much easier to see what you're doing on the white side. All those little leaf cutouts will be useful too.

Once I had the leaf shapes cut...I did the fussy cutting around the outside with a pair of scissors. That's so much easier than trying to do it with an exacto knife. It doesn't look like much at this point....but I knew the potential was there.

I love it....and I'm going to send it to Becky so she can tuck it into one of her art journals. I intended to cut a stem...but I forgot. So it's just a fun starburst of leaves with plenty of potential.

Monarch Orange

Pumpkins, marigolds, cantaloupe, monarch butterflies, Baltimore Orioles, sweet potatoes, zinnias, oranges and tangerines, sunsets, goldfish, carrots, squash, and basketballs....so many fabulous orange things! 

Mostly inspired by monarch butterflies and the Baltimore Oriole that recently visited our yard...I decided to go with orange and black for my second card in our Rainbow Connection shared art project.

I went through a graphic/bold orange phase painting papers a while back....so decided to cut strips from the gelli prints and doodles. 

I do love gold accents.

I liked it OK....but thought the lines needed definition.

 

Stitching changes everything.....

and provided the definition I was looking for.

Better....but now what?

After some auditioning...I came across a circle papercut in my stash. I'm thinking of them as O's for Orange!  I thought about covering the whole thing...but in the end I thought covering just a corner was more interesting.  

But it still needed a focal point....and I had just the right orange image from the monarch wallpaper I found at a thrift store.

Now it's done! 

Orange card to Tracie for the 

Rainbow Connection project...✔

I had the Oriole on the back and was going to just keep it simple...and at the last minute I added this little quote about the marigolds....a fabulous orange flower. See the link below for the full explanation.

Back in 2015 while Becky was visiting...Tracie had us searching for marigolds...and I made her this card.  I can't remember if I actually made this card....or if it was just digital.....2015 is a long time ago!

You can read more abou about "searching for marigolds" here:

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/09/searching-for-marigolds.html

Collage Series

Following along with the October lesson from Rebecca Sower in Fodder School 2....I just finished a little collage series.  I became more confident mixing my own colors and learned new ways to paint and mark my own papers....and was reminded of the importance of value and design.  These are all things I've dabbled with....but am learning to apply them in a more deliberate way. There are things I would have done differently....but all in all I'm fairly happy with them....and it was a good chance to use some papercuts from my stash. 

The scheme is a little unusual for me....but I think they have an earthy fall look. They couldn't be more different than my recent funky faces. 

As a matter of fact....they do look like the fall colors I've been seeing lately....especially in the oaks.    

 

These are the two I like best. Now....what do I do with them?

Frames will make a big difference....they are just stitched onto nice watercolor paper....a clever matting tip Rebecca taught us.  They are 5 x 5 collages on 8 x 8 paper. 

Joyful Santa

"We're all just walking each other home." Ram Dass

I turned one of my papercut collages into a birthday card for Marita. I took her lunch today to celebrate.....and it was so good to catch up.  

I do love all the layers of the collage....and I'm looking forward to getting back to art after the holidays. I'm in my own little season of Advent...the season of waiting.

The Christmas tour around the condo continues....I'm enjoying sharing my little Christment moments. This little vignette is in the living room....and it was the perfect spot for my little star lights.

Paul gave me this joyful Santa years and years ago....and it always has a place or honor. It's one of my favorite Christmas decorations!

I have a good view of it from my puzzle table....I could sit here for hours enjoying the lights, the woods, and whatever puzzle is on the table.

Speaking of puzzles....I finished the Vintage Ornaments yesterday....thanks for loaning it to me Margie!

Here's what's on deck....I've already started sorting. It's going to be another fun one.  JOY!

Leaf Prints

Just as I sat down to work on my post this evening I got a text from David....a friend from Wisconsin.  While he was at work he happened to look down and saw these four leaf prints in the pavement.  Were they intentionally placed....or did they just land there during paving?  It doesn't matter....either way they're awesome.

And I don't know what I love more....the fact that he saw them and appreciated them....or the fact that he took the time to share them with me!

Thanks David...I smiled all evening. 

And I just happened to work with a leaf print today.  I mounted one of my papercuts onto a gelli print background and turned it into a card.  

Some days joy looks like leaves.

Chinese Papercuts

Much of my day was spent cleaning the garage and getting it ready to squeeze our car in for the winter. And although it was time well spent....it doesn't make for a good blog post...so I thought I would share one of Liz's amazing pieces of art.

Many years ago Liz lived and taught in China and came home with some pretty special things to display in her new home including 3 magnificent papercuts.  And since I've recently started to dabble with papercuts.....seeing her pieces again blew me away.  

We hung one in her library as a focal point as you enter the room....another in her den/TV room....and the third one is yet to be hung....but we have an idea where it will go.

It's always hard to photograph framed art with glass...and in the end I made the closeups black and white to better show the intricate cuts. The details absolutely boggle my mind! And remember there are three of them....and they're all different.

I couldn't help but zoom in even more....and keep in mind that every teeny tiny black line is paper!  Look closely...and try and wrap your head around that! Then keep in mind that a talented framer figured out how to mount it.  There are very talented people in the world.

I did start my day with a catch up visit with Margie....and of course there was a finished puzzle on her table. She boggles my mind too!

Loopy Papercut

"Choosing to cultivate joy is so much more than a feel-good moment on bad days. It is a grace-filled opportunity to take delight in the things that bring wellness to the soul." Morgan Harper Nichols

Roseanne got my papercut collage today....I enjoyed putting this one together. The piece is 5 x 7 and I added the matte digitally. It started with a stack of gelli prints where I used just one color and string for each print. The green string print in the corner inspired the loopy papercut.  

The other prints in the collage were made with netting and mesh produce mesh bags.  I'm enjoying using found objects for prints to create interesting and organic patterns and textures. The darker vertical line down the center was made using the scrap edges from other gelli prints.  I wrote about them here in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2021/02/embracing-edges.html

This was the start of the loopy papercut....I cut the tiny sections first.

Here's more of the green string print...and a few others.

Note to self....too much string is....too much.

Papercut Exchange

I recently did a papercut exchange with Rosanne who I met through the blog. We're discovering a lot of common ground and I'm enjoying our email conversations.  I got her papercut a few days ago...and she should get mine early this week and I'll share it once she gets it.

I'm quite fond of the organic shapes of her cuts...and that she floated it on a tracing paper background with the writing peeking through. And the sweet little watercolor flower was an unexpected bonus.  Thank you RVS!

I'll have to say....I really enjoy cutting paper.

I find it quite relaxing....and with my tiny little cutting mat it's a good activity to do on my lap in the evening while I watch TV.

I actually didn't realize I had so many until I spread them all out today....now I just need time to do something with them. That will come.

Paul and I visited Margie this afternoon....and her fall window was so pretty with the view....and the colorful arrangement. And there was my maple leaf papercut card. The little rice lights gives her nice ambiance in the late afternoon and evening.