Imitation

"You should do what you said you were going to do that one time before you got all tired and then got super busy and pretty much forgot...you really should."  author unknown....but very wise.

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Inspired by these sweet motifs by Susan Black I spent some time watercoloring today.  I follow Susan on instagram have her large calendar hanging in my kitchen in Lexington and last year I had her smaller desktop calendar.  I think her work is delightful.

Susan has been working on a "100 day art project" ....she's almost there.

I think I liked it the best at this stage....before I overworked.  

I experimented with several things....too many things....watercolor, white pen, black pen, silver pen. I'm going to try another one and practice restraint!  But I had fun...learned some lessons....and I painted!!!

The best part was sitting  here watching the afternoon fade into dusk....my favorite time of day.

MA in MA

You knew it was coming....the book puzzle is done! I have to celebrate the small stuff.....especially on a transition day.  I'm back in Portland again for a stretch and hope to get to something creative in the next few days. But then again....I have that awesome stamp puzzle going up here.

 This was pretty challenging....but I really enjoyed it.

I didn't know this was coming....a sparkly green package from Emily, my goddaughter.  She addressed it to MA in MA and the gift is from MI and maybe I'll do it in ME just for fun.  

Emily works for the state of Minnesota so I will think of her as I take on this colorful collage puzzle...always good to have another one in the wings.  She included a thoughtful letter about all the wonderful things going on in her life complete with color pictures.  She's pretty special!  Thanks Emily!!!

Little and Big

A few days ago Jane stopped by the condo and gave me a couple of Andy's funky little reindeer I admired at their house. Jane and Andy used to live near Town Landing Market...so it makes sense that they've found their new home beneath the Town Landing print.

And just today Anita and I visited a friend in Lexington and this big brother reindeer was on the front porch.  I thought the Rudolf nose just perfect!

                               
I sat worked on the book puzzle for a few minutes here and there all day. My last "ten minutes" of the day turned into a couple of hours so I'm down to just a few pieces.  I was starting to get a little blurry eyed but I have the last pieces sorted by shape so they will just fall into place with my morning coffee.

I do like to savor those last pieces.  This one has been a fun challenge and just perfect for these cold winter days.

Christmas Block Puzzle

I'm back in Lexington for a few days and am finally getting the rest of Christmas put away...so I thought I would share my block puzzle before it gets packed up. I made it many many years ago out of some of my favorite Christmas cards at the time. This has always been my favorite side...it makes me smile.  

Once I cut the cards up into squares I adhered them to the hardwood block with mod podge and trimmed all the edges. I randomly turned each block for the next set of squares. Once all six sides are done I applied two coats of mod podge and a final coat of craft varnish.  Six puzzles in one!

 

This last side is a little odd....but I've always liked this simple black and white drawing with one home all decked out.  

               
  

Good Enough to Share

I've been attempting some painting inspired by the jump start videos....but none of it good enough to share. These 10 steps to building a skill from Lisa Condon made me chuckle....a good reminder to just keep showing up and practicing.

I did get all the blues and greens done on the stamp puzzle....time to move onto the pinks and purples.  This is another good thing about a puzzle....you can't mess up and it's always good enough to share.

Old Elsie

Back in 1951 Margie, my mother-in-law, got her first teaching job in Elsie Nebraska where she taught 1st and 2nd grade.

 

She still has her original teacher's contract....and made a whopping $183.33 a month over a 12 month period.  I'll do the math for you...that's $2,199.96 a year.

Now that Christmas is put away Margie and I spent the morning finally unpacking boxes uncovering treasures like this. It was fun hearing about "old Elsie."

Sorting and Ordering

There is something very satisfying about sorting and ordering colors....it's good for my soul.

Blues and greens in the middle....reds, pinks, and purples in the box....frame first, working bottom to top...I'm just going to watch it grow.

ahhhhh

Snow Day

It snowed today...then rained...then snowed again....something was falling from the sky all day long. It was just lovely enough to draw me out for a little walk in the woods.

 

But I spent a good portion of my day right here.

I'm slowly cleaning and sorting....and my table is ready for the next mess project.  I came across these squares from an Ethan Allen catalog where I used the punch and re-punch method.  I'm not a big yellow fan...but do like it with gray. I think these mosaic squares have a little bit of a vintage feel.

Then I found a whole box of old patterns given to me by an older woman in our church.  I almost recycled them all....but resisted and now I'm seeing all kinds of collage uses for the envelopes and the patterns themselves. I think the Simplicity 6680 lady looks right at home on the squares.

I do love a snow day!

Where Mom Was

I was inspired by yesterdays Creative Jump Start video. Artist Birgit Koopsen used an interesting paint technique to create a whimsical polka dot collage. I loved her art piece and her story about knowing she was home when she saw her cat waiting for her in the window.

During the summers while I was home from college I worked at a supper club as a waitress and would drive home late at night on the dark country roads.  There was a point when I came over the hill on Gibbs Lake Road when I could see the yard light....I was almost home.

My heart would melt just a little when I also saw the light on in the corner of the dining room.  That was my mom's spot... with a stationary rocker, big baskets of books and magazines, and treats tucked in little hiding places.  When that light was on I knew she waited up for me....eager to help me count my tips.

"Home was where my mom was."

I intend this to be a double page but I was intimidated by the lettering.....that's usually where I mess it up. I stopped after "HOME" and added the rest digitally for the picture above and will finish it up when I have a little more practice....or nerve.  

Life Lessons

"I hate it when people accuse me of lolly gagging when I'm quite clearly dilly dallying." author unknown

Don't laugh...but I think there are life lessons in puzzles.

I just got back to Portland late this afternoon....but while I was in Lexington I spent quite a bit of time sitting here at my puzzle table. Unlike the butterfly one I finished in just two sittings....this one is more tedious and is going to take me a long time.  Life's like that too. Some tasks just flow easily taking little thought or energy. Things fall right into place and you sit back and bask in the glow. But other things are more challenging requiring patience and persistence. You have to strategize, pay attention to little details, and just plug along celebrating each little step.

I think I need both....in life and in puzzles.

Good Reminder

I posted this Story of the Day just over a year ago...and it popped into my feed again today.  It made me laugh out loud because it's just so true...a good reminder. 

1. My real life is scattered and messy sometimes...but I wouldn't trade places with anyone.

2. I stopped complaining and spent time cleaning out my clothes closet.  It's a joy to walk in and see it tidy. (Just don't look in the guest room)

3. I uncovered an awesome shirt that a friend gave to me. I had tucked it away because I wasn't sure about it. Now it fits perfectly and I love it!

"You never know what the third thing is going to be!"

Show's Over

As of today my "stacks" art show is officially over and I'm pleased to report that I sold 28 pieces. I do have things left so I'll be looking for ways to get them out into the world to anyone who might enjoy them.

Today's jump start project was a little watercolor snail who carries her home with her everywhere she goes.

Homescape

Already the Creative Jump Start  videos have become a part of my morning routine....I love watching artists create. I'm pretty sure I'll keep up with the 10 minute videos....but I know for sure I won't keep up with an inspiration project each day.

I did spend some time yesterday working on my take on day three.  Andrea, the artist of the day shared interesting techniques using waves of watercolor and other media combined with words describing what "home" meant to her.

I'm calling this one my "homescape." I love watercolor....but really struggle with it. I tend to overwork it turning it to mud. So I'll keep watching the videos which are gently pushing me to practice and play....and that's a good thing.

Happy Birthday!

I can't help but be a little reflective because today marks the first day of the 5th year of this blog. Not only am I an introvert, but writing is not my strength....and here I am beginning another year sharing my creative journey and writing about the joy that finds its way into my every day life. Sometimes my stories seem a little silly...or even trivial...but hopefully my celebrating the little things is a reminder to you that there's always something good...something joyful....you just have to pay attention.

Today there were dozens of little things.

This morning I finished the Butterflies of North America puzzle I started yesterday. 

We woke up to a beautiful 3 or 4 inches of fresh snow and the woods was lovely as the flakes fell.

This afternoon the sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the long shadows of the trees were spectacular.

And this evening I walked out to soak in this spectacular sunset.  I didn't have boots on...but I was compelled to walk through the snow to the dead end of the street so I could get closer....and it did not disappoint.

Because of blog technology I can share some of my 4 year stats:

As of today I've published 1453 posts. I have 47 drafts that probably will never get published. When something catches my eye I start a post....then something else presents itself and the first draft gets shelved.  I guess I'll call it my "private collection."  88 people visited yesterday, 57 today including 16 from Sweden, 4 from Russia and 2 from France. As of this moment the blog has been viewed a total 65,472 times and that doesn't include people who read it in an e-mail.  I've gotten acquainted with at least 1/2 dozen women I've never met....some of whom I've traded projects or shared supplies. Another dozen people have shared how a post inspired them to try something new or simply reminded them of their own story to celebrate...and all of it brings me joy.

So I guess I'll keep going.  It's good for me.  It pushes me to pay attention and reflect...celebrate and share.   Happy Birthday Joyful Puttering!

Just What I Needed!

Does anybody else love crunching these paper thin ice patches? 

I felt like a kid as we searched them out on our walk this morning....just what I needed!

You can check out a silly live video here on my instagram page.....the sound is awesome!

I sat down this evening after dinner to sort colors for this new butterfly puzzle I got from my sister Nancy.  Once I had the piles I decided to put just one butterfly together. Well....one led to two which led to three......and so on.  I guess it's just what I needed. 

Creative Jump Start

Sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith and do something new....so I just started an on-line class called "Creative Jump Start."  It's more of an "artistic journey" than a class....like a creative shot in the arm...and that's just what I need.

Every day for the month of January there will be a 10 minute video from 31 different artists sharing mixed media techniques, words of wisdom, and their take on the theme "My Home is My Castle."

I love all things hearth and home....and I've learned that a little structure is good for me...so why not! There's no pressure to keep up...the videos will be available for a while so I can weave it in when it works.  Although I can't share the content of the course here....I can share my projects and my own thoughts and reflections when I feel I have something to say.

My take-away today was just begin. Don't worry about making a work of art, use what's on hand,  and have a good time.

It took me back to my childhood home on the farm and a silly game we played called "hide behind the three trees."  I wrote about it a while back in this post.

I played around with some collage trees, remembered other silly games we played, and reflected a bit on my childhood home where the outdoors was our castle. It's a start!