Joy Journal

I realized I didn't share more photos about my Joy Journal from our recent art group trade. Since today was mostly an errand day....it's the perfect day to share.

I had so much fun working in everyone's journal...trying to personalize and add to what was already there. 

I'm not sure the others have their original journals back yet...but that will happen soon. Then hopefully we'll have a Zoom chat to share and celebrate the finished products. We all saw some stages of each one...but we've only seen the finished product of the last one we did. And we all may end up doing more in our own journals. I know I will.

We started  this project back in April when we were together...and I wrote about it here: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2025/04/rebirth.html

My original journal was filled with a variety of recycled and repurposed papers and artwork. A few pages were blank.

There were pages to color, doodle and embellish...and there were pockets to fill. It made its way around the circle and everyone could do anything they wanted. There were no rules...and nothing was off limits! 

I'm not going to post every single page...but I wanted to give you a sampling of the joy that is inside.

I can see the personality of each person coming through. There are a few things I'm not quite sure who the artist is...but I'll find out.

The original page here was from a garden center catalog...so the sunflower seed packet was perfect. I'm not sure who added that.

The circle stickers are on watercolor paper...so it will be fun to add to that. And I love the little pencil faces along the side...I think that's Tracie's work.

This cute little cat is tucked in the pocket....

and I love the Vonnegut quote!

A friend is what the heart needs all the time! 

Henry Van Dyke

I love these colorful wonky circles! 

I'm guessing Brenda did the colorful swipes...and Becky probably added the vase....? But now I need to put something in it. There are more pages...but you get the idea. I'm going to have fun adding my own touches here and there. I'll keep you posted on this Joy Journal Journey. What a fun shared art project this was!

Nature's Artwork

"Nothing is just one thing, but only the thing you see for a moment from where you stand." Flying Edna

I sent Eliza's art journal back to her today.....I enjoyed filling the rest of the empty spaces. It was a fun art exchange for me...and I hope we continue being art pen pals.

I got up close and personal with some of the branches that fell during the storm...which turned out to be not much of a storm at all.  It was clear that the limbs were dead....so it didn't take much wind to bring them down. They were absolutely stunning up close.

I was so taken with the little dark circle growths on the lichen....they all had a little light colored frame.  There are two tiny ones in the center bottom....and a whole clump of them on the right.  

From where I stood....this was nature's artwork!

Transition Activity

It always takes me a day or so to settle back in after a trip.....and there's no better transition activity for me than a puzzle.  It was good to get back to the "Vintage Tins" today....it feels like I'm on the home stretch.  This has been an enjoyable one....with just enough challenge to keep it interesting.

Did you notice the tin in the corner in the first photo?  It's not vintage....but it is from England...just like the puzzle.  I brought back biscuits for Margie from my trip a few years ago....and she saved the tin and recently gave it back to me.  I'll find a good use for it.

 I took a variety of hand projects with me to the lake including Eliza's journal....and one afternoon I colored the cover around her drawings.  There's nothing like a little coloring to tap into your inner child.  I added a little blanket stitching around the edge giving it a nice touch. 

The Theme is Circles!

Eliza's journal arrived yesterday....along with a couple special paintings.  I'll fill in the nooks and crannies in the journal and send it back in a few weeks....and we'll be done with this particular journal exchange. 

I have permission from Barbara, one of Eliza's moms, to share a photo once in a while....and this one was from Barbara's instagram story today.  Jumping with joy!

This beautiful art piece is on my fridge.

I'm quite fond of her pretty pink paint choice....and I'll have fun adding a little something to it. I think it's going to be something yellow....to match her outfit in the photo! And yellow is her favorite color.

Circles were a bit a of a theme for Eliza during this journal exchange.  So at one point I sent her a bag of punched circles and she used them to decorate several pages.

I'm going to use the circles as a inspiration to fill up the pages.  I quite like the way the pink from the other page bled through....a welcomed splash of color!  I can work with that!

I'll have to think of something clever to finish up this page.

Circles were certainly the theme!

Sunflowers

If you know me at all.....you'll know how much joy I got out of these photos Barbara had on her Instagram Stories of Eliza.

Sometime soon I'll get her journal back to work on....and she's already working on mine.  And if I'm reading this photo correctly I may have some sunflowers in my future.  And that makes me pretty happy!

I'm pretty jealous of that hat!

And I'm a little late on this project.....but maybe....just maybe I'll have some other sunflowers in my future too.  My sister Nancy overbought sunflower seeds....so she shared some with all of us sisters.  

Mine have been sitting in these envelopes for quite some time....lovingly labeled with all the directions.  They've even had coffee spilled on them.  

I'm going to give Eliza credit for the nudge....and getting me thinking about sunflowers.....because now the seeds are out of the envelopes and in this big pot. I don't have any garden in full sun....but I can move a pot around to maximize the sun I do have on the patio.  My sister Marilyn had good luck last year growing sunflowers in a pot...so maybe I will too.  Time will tell.

I just deadheaded the last rain lily....and they are taking a little bit of a break.  I know there are more to come!

Final Round

I'm just loving the pop of pink of the catchyfly by the pond....I have to stop and look closely every time I walk by.  It's not like it changes....but it's just so new for me so I can't get enough of it. And I saw it in one other spot....so hopefully there will be more next year. 

And to be real honest....I'm not even sure that's what it is. So if anyone knows differently....let me know.

Eliza and I will do one more exchange of our art journals.....then this shared art project will be finished.

I just sent her this one to her to fill up that I will keep....and I will fill up the one she sends to me for her to keep.   

I spilled some paint on my cover so I added the flower....kind of like a journal bandaid.

I already posted about my bug page.....and I started a big bug on another page that I hope she finishes. 

I did a cutout around one of her green circles on the opposite page to match up with the body of the bug. And maybe she'll chose to color in the oval on the next page too which will also match up with the cutout.  I did some simple doodles around her yellow painting blobs.

I also hope she colors in the rainbow for me and there are other pages for her to do anything she wants.  

I gave her kitty a rainbow shirt.....and did some doodling inside her green circles. I've enjoyed using her shapes as starting off places and I'm looking forward to the final round...and whatever might come next. 

Unfurling

I love to watch the unfurling of spring! (And I just love that word...unfurl!) I've always been amazed how leaves and flowers emerge from tightly wrapped balls and buds.

Wild ginger is one of my favorite shade loving perennials.  It's a low, slow growing accent plant that stays nice and tidy all season.  The round dark green leaves are a bit shiny....perfect plant tucked along the edges of my shade gardens.

And I love the way it unfurls. When the leaves first emerge they are literally folded in half.

Then they start to unfold and eventually become round mounds.  I've had them for years in most of my gardens...but this is the first time I've really looked closely and their unfurling process.

And look what came in the mail today....I got my journal back from Eliza.  I asked her to decorate the back cover and it seems fitting that she painted it her favorite yellow.  

Here's a little tour of her pages.

I love these two characters....kittycats I believe.

Eliza does love yellow!

I'll have fun with these two circle starters.....green this time!

And something for my fridge!  Thanks Eliza!  Our art journey continues.

Time To Trade

Eliza's mom sent me these photos today....one was actually a little video....and my heart melted.

I don't know who's more excited....Eliza or me...but it's time to trade our journals. 

For anyone who doesn't know what this is all about....5 year old Eliza and I are trading art journals. I described it here in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2021/03/shared-journal.html

For the past several weeks I've been working in hers...and she's been working in mine.  Eliza had draw circles on every page of hers....so I've gone with that for a theme.

And since yellow is her favorite color...I added some string tassels to the binding of her cover.

I filled in the negative space around her yellow circles on the right and I'm hoping Eliza will decorate the other 1/2 of the circle on the left.

I stitched in a wonky circle watercolor strip I had done a while ago to the center of the journal....it's like an extra little page. Then I added the watercolor stripes on the page behind it.  You can't have circles...without a few stripes.

On this page....I wrote in a circle around her yellow circle...and I'm hoping Eliza decorates the inside. 

And here I made a connected circle of circles that I cut from wrapping paper that was actually designed with circles.  

I painted watercolor circles inside Eliza's yellow circle on this page and doodled around the outside. Maybe she will finish the doodles....or I'll keep working on it next time.  

And continuing to celebrate the theme....I'm adding a bag of punched circles to the package just for fun. 

I'm looking forward to getting mine back that Eliza has been working on! Yup....I don't know who's more excited....Eliza or me!