Creative Catch UP

I'm playing a little creative catch up today. I've been preoccupied with gardens, tulips and shadows...but there has been so much more I've wanted to share!

Like this beautiful fused glass piece that Tracie made for her daughter.  

It hangs by Ariel's front door and is an alternative to a hanging flower basket.  I think it's just fabulous! Well done Tracie!

Tracie gave me this delightful little fused piece for my birthday and I'm enjoying it in my kitchen window next to a larger fused piece. Along with a glass mosaic piece from my sister Nancy it makes for a pretty happy window!

And Susan shared these delightful little charms she made with paper tubes, wire and beads.  Aren't they fun! 

I also started a little creative catch up in my studio. I have four projects I need to work on before anything else...and I started all four today! That feels good! 

I have two orders for scrappy trees and I did the hard part today....fusing the striped fabric to the edges of the foam core. They will be very similar to this tree: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2023/11/indigo-blues.html and are for the same person. Now it's time for the fun part! 

Shadow Stories

In between my tulip celebrations this past week I was quietly collecting and studying shadows. I submitted my last homework project for the Conscious Creativity course yesterday....and if you are interested you can view it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7KNaazxhl6/ 

Shadows are fascinating. The obvious ones in the bright sunshine come and go and sometimes dance and frolic in the light. But others are always there in the nooks and crannies even on a cloudy day or at night. They give things depth and create mood and ambiance... and they're always magical.

I visited Winslow farm to pick up my hummingbird garden plants early last week and Sarah caught me taking photos under the counters in her shop. There were interesting boxes and crates stacked up and the earthy colors and shadows were quite lovely. She and I had a wonderful conversation about shadows.

As I was checking out there was a plant on the counter that was casting a shadow on a flyer so of course I snapped a photo. Then I picked up the flyer and the shadow on the counter was more pronounced and so beautiful! I thought it made an interesting abstract shadow duo.

Shadow week took me on early morning walk around downtown Portland and along the working waterfront. It's always a magical place filled with patterns, colors and textures. I was absolutely smitten with the shadows in these blue barrels. 

Once of my shadow experiments was using my gelli plate stencils in the sunshine on the patio.  The blue daisy you see here is a stencil shadow on the blue folder I carried it outdoors in.  

At first I thought I was going to do a whole montage of stencil shadows...but it felt a little much. In the end I just added a few here and there.  Stencils may come back out in the sunshine again...I think it's a thing. I'm going to call it shadow painting.

Here's another one in this montage of circles and dots.

This is the stencil montage I didn't use.

And this is another one paired with another shadow image.

OK....you have to admit that this is kind of fun. It's all about finding the right background to cast paint the shadow stencil onto! I'm not sure the yellow folder is right...

but the stencil looks pretty interesting on the cushion! The world is  just a big playground!

Wedding Wish

My dear friend Roseanne's daughter got married today.....they've been on my mind all day long.

A Wedding Wish written for us by Jon Wallace when Paul and I got married:

May you always carry with you
the bright spirit of this day,
and may your lives be rich and deep enough to bear the pain of our age. 
May it always keep you 

warm and whole and human.

That is my wedding wish for Elena and George.

Other End

Subtitle: Part Three

Did any of you notice that the tulip photo I posted yesterday was from the other end of the bed? Here's part three of the tulip story....hang in there!

All of my photos that first day were from the orange end....but this one is from the pink end...and I think it's my favorite photo!

I couldn't stop thinking about the tulip house....and who planted these beautiful bulbs. So yesterday afternoon I drove down Washington Ave. again and rang the doorbell at the happy yellow house with the crazy cool barn.  

No answer. Bummer! 

But when I got in the car ready to head home...I remembered seeing a business card taped to the front door window.  Ferdinand!  

I was familiar with Ferdinand...It's a fun store in Portland...I've been in several times. 

That's where I bought these fabulous yarn spools I have displayed in my studio! 

Ferdinand's has an eclectic mix of handmade things...found things...and vintage things. It's a colorful and joyful place....just like the tulip house.  

Could the owner of the tulip garden be the owner of the store?  Only one way to find out. 

So I headed to one of my favorite little sections on Congress street....on a mission.

The store was busy...but when it was quiet...I had the best conversation with Diane! Sure enough...she WAS the tulip lady...and she's was fun as her garden.  

I told her my story of finding the tulips then sharing them with Margie who in turn sang me her song. She was as excited to hear it as I was to tell it.  

The tulip circle was complete. 

Of course there were tulips on the counter....and yes they were from Diane's garden.

She even took me in the back room to share some of her joy story....and I just soaked it all in!

   

And as a little bonus....Diane gave me permission to stop back on my way home and poke all around her yard. I took photos of the pink end and poked around her back yard. I was in tulip and garden heaven! You can't make this stuff up.

This whole experience has reminded me of a couple of important lessons. 

Pay attention and make the time to take a closer look. 

And if that's means turning around and going back....then do it.   

 

And...when you see something that moves you....say something. Tell your story and you might get a song. Seek out the full story and say thank you...and you might make a connection AND get to see the other end of the garden. 

Sometimes it ends up being big and splashy like this was for me. But most of the time it's just a little joy nugget that you can tuck away for a rainy day.

And it's always worth it.

Shared Tulip Moment

When I arrived at Margie's yesterday morning I was still glowing from my tulip encounter and I couldn't help but share my story and a few of my photos. I was just just bursting at the seams with joy.

And it didn't take long for Margie to break into song....complete with hand motions.  

Gold and crimson tulips 
lift your bright heads up

Catch the shining dew drops 

in your dainty cups

If the birdies see you 

when they're flying by

They will think the sunset dropped from  out the sky

Lulu Slocum was Margie's music teacher from 2nd through 6th grade. Margie loved music class. Ms. Slocum would make up jingles complete with hand gestures to help the kids learn music pieces as well as the basics of music theory and the musical notes and symbols. Ms. Slocum even taught them the basics of piano.

Margie and I had quite a conversation about tulips and Ms. Slocum...and we actually both got a little emotional. Ms. Slocum made quite an impact on Margie...and Margie went on to become quite musical herself learning to play viola, trombone, piano and organ. To this day...she also enjoys writing her own jingles.

Margie wrote the words out for the tulip song for me...and then agreed to let me video her. I've turned it into an Instagram Reel and you can view it here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7Fl-HJJ91q/

I've known Margie for 44 years...and I've heard a lot of her stories....but not this one. I think she was waiting for this particular moment....this shared tulip moment.  

Pure JOY! 🌷  

Believe it or not....there is a part three to this tulip journey. Stay tuned.  

Giddy with Delight!

I was on my way to visit Margie this morning driving down Washington Ave. in Portland. It's not a very picturesque street....we have plenty of those in Portland. It's part commercial, part residential, and a major thoroughfare into the city....and I drive it on a regular basis.

But this morning something caught my eye and I thought to myself...I'll just stop on the way home....Margie's expecting me. But something told me to turn around and take a closer look now....I might forget later. Margie would understand. 

Behind a solid fence blocking the busy traffic on Washington Ave there was a magnificent narrow bed of tulips....and I was giddy with delight! 

This densely planted bed in this hot color scheme was absolutely spectacular.

I had to go just a smidgen into their yard but I didn't think they'd mind.

Or at least that's what I told myself. 

I took down the house number and I'm going to write them a thank you note. They need to know how much joy they brought into my day. And they need to know that I was delightfully giddy with their magical hidden tulips.

This photo was a little odd...but I actually love it.

I've been using portrait mode more and more and sometimes the camera focuses on something I didn't expect before I set it to focus where I want. Here it focused on the foreground making the tulips look almost ethereal in the background.  

But that's how it felt. Especially along this not so picturesque stretch of Washington Ave. 

And just when I thought it couldn't get any better I drove down the side street  to find a place to turn around and there was their barn. Could I love this more?  I think not!

There's a part two to this story...but I'm going to save it until tomorrow. It's another tulip story...and may even better than this one.   

And the second part of the story left me giddy with delight. Again.

Paper Tubes: More Projects

Subtitle: Catches My Eye

I love spring! There is so much happening all at the same time....and there's always something that catches my eye. Or several somethings usually!

Like this field of Cuckooflower that looked like a fairyland.  I was drawn right in...and was totally smitten!

As a matter of fact my plant app said Cuckooflower is sacred to fairies and it's bad luck to bring inside.

Paper Tubes: More Projects

I got to thinking about Melodie's idea of using straws for paper tubes. I had these fabulous red and white paper straws....but they ended up being too heavy duty and too difficult to cut. My hands can't do that that anymore. There will be a use for them someday....maybe actually as just a straw!

But I also had these plastic straws on hand too...so they ended being the winner.

I'm pretty happy with the way I roll magazine papers on knitting needles. So I got to thinking what papers won't be strong enough on their own that would benefit from the stability of the staw.  Deli paper gelli prints!  So using a little white glue and some torn pieces of deli prints I did a quick collage on the straw. They cut very easily....but they would also be pretty cool just left long!

I liked the way the torn edges looked...and wrapping it a little wonky was the way to go. They certainly have a more artsy look...I kind of like them and will have to try a few more.

There are all kinds of ways you can use paper tues. You can see my process for covering a frame for a mirror in this post:  

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2016/03/on-roll.html

           

And here's how I finished the edge of the indigo mirror:
https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-edge.html

And this was a challenge I did with my sister Marilyn where all we could use were the reply cards that you find in magazines....and of course scissors and glue. The tubes became the frame.

https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/02/reply-cards.html

It's kind of silly...but it's dimensional! As if that makes it not silly?

And here I framed a card for Janice.

The possibilities are endless for paper tubes!

This will be the last post about tubes....for now. I'd be happy to help anyone who needs more information...I'm just an email away!