Simple Joys

On the way to meet Janet for a walk this morning I found this lovely petal on the ground and I'm not quite sure what it's from. I didn't see anything around that was blooming in yellow.  I took several pictures of beautiful flowers while Janet and I walked....but this photo was by far my favorite. 

Paul and I drove to Portland this afternoon for a few days and when we arrived I finally scooped up my my lilac petals....and now I have a handful of joy!

It will be interesting to see how long it keeps its color. 

And...what fun it was to find a rainbow on the counter as I worked on dinner.  

I am just amazed at how this can happen with light coming through clear glass....this one through a glass pitcher.

These were all relatively simple things today....but simple things can bring pretty big joy if we allow them to.

Rainy Day

After a cold, wet early spring I never thought I would be so grateful for rain.  There's new grass seed in Maine that needs constant watering....and my gardens in Lexington were starting to show some stress. I know rainy days are not good for everyone...but it was good for me today. And...it was perfect for a little puzzle time....and you know I love to celebrate my puzzles!

I had done the colorful parts around the edges and was avoiding the sea of the neutrals of the cats and dogs.  I had to come up with a strategy to proceed and settled on white whiskers.  

Focusing on that one little detail made the cats and the guinea pig doable. 

Aren't lots of things in life are made doable by focusing on one small part at a time?  I think so.

Time to pick another detail...maybe the black whiskers.

New Appreciation

I'm not sure I'll post every day about my 100 day index card project....but writing about it here will keep me motivated. I'm having fun sifting through my myriad of creative snippets and mishaps...that alone is worth it.

During my "stacks" phase I experimented with all kinds of fused fabric strip arrangements.  This was part of a larger piece where I sliced and shifted the stacks....but never did anything with. Now a little piece of it turned sideways is featured on day 10.

Stitching changes everything. 

I do think the color scheme and mix of fabrics is pretty nice....so the rest of the piece may show up on something.  I've got a new appreciation for its sunny summer vibe.  

Little Lightbulb

I got a fun trinket from my son Sam....when you pull the string the tiny little lightbulb turns on. So may uses.....and so much fun!

 

Lynne shared that yesterday's post prompted her to make her own little ICAD (index card a day). She cut down an old file folder and sliced up some encaustic art papers to make this striking little collage!  Her e-mail made my day....and Sam's little light made my yesterday!

I found this fused sunny circle in my stash.....four different fabrics were fused together to create the swirl.  

I experimented with watercolor right on the card which worked well enough for the background for a shortened version of one of yesterday's quotes. "Do something quick and creative without fear." 

100 Days

"Creativity is a skill.  The more we practice, the more skilled we become. Practice takes time. Practice takes commitment. Practice is a radical act in this speeded up world. Through practice, we develop a creative habit. Through habit, we reconnect with and know ourselves again as a creative being."  The 100 day project

I love the idea of a creative daily practice.  I know I already do that in my observing, photographing, and blogging....but I don't necessarily make art every day....and I love the way I feel when I do. There are so many structured programs online that help you develop a daily practice and two of them that temp me are Daisy Yellow's 60 day ICAD (index card a day) challenge, and the 100 Day project. I follow along with them....but I've never started one.

Borrowing ideas from both of them...on June 1st I started my own 100 day ICAD (index card a day) project. I'm sure my 100 days won't be consecutive...but I'm going to try....and I won't stop until I get to 100. Why index cards?  According to Daisy Yellow they are less precious than fancy art paper so there's less pressure. Why 100 days?  It's about commitment and daily practice. "Do something quick, creative, and do it without fear.  Don't think too much, or better yet, don't think at all.  See where it leads." 

The 100 day project encourages you to have a theme as a guide and the ICAD challenge uses daily prompts. But both encourage you to just do your own thing if that feels better....there are no rules. My plan is to use the colorful stuff I have laying around in bins, baskets and boxes and commit to putting together 100 little assemblages or collages on a tabbed index cards.  I'll use snippets and scraps...I'll cut up experiments gone array, and reinvent unfinished projects. I might also draw, doodle, or paint....or maybe even write but I hope to always include something from my stash.

The 100 day project says it's like "a creative excavation....unearthing dormant or unrealized creativity."

A few of these cards include some of my recent taped watercolor experiments.  The rainbow one I ruined with some doodling...but I cut up in strips and rearranged it and it's not so bad.  Another one uses inchies I created years ago from cutting up collages. When these things are glued, stapled, or sewed to a card...they are honored...and they have a home.

Today was a total outside chore day....I had help and took full advantage of that....so not much time or energy for inside stuff. But I found a little stone collage I did a long while back using images from catalogs.  Perfect for day #8.

Wabi-Sabi Joy

I can't help but follow-up on my wabi-sabi "Lilac Joy."  I've actually been doing other things.....even creative things....but they'll have to wait.  Today is about celebrating these shriveled bits of color.  I think they're amazing...and they still have such beautiful saturated color.  Absolute beauty in imperfection! Go ahead....zoom in and you'll see what I mean!

Napkin?

I have a thing for pretty paper napkins. Paul and I use cloth napkins....so it's kind of a funny obsession....but I do use some of them for art.

I tend to slip them in my pocket when I'm at a party...or Paul's pocket if I don't have one.  This particular one was from a visit Margie and I had with my friend Marian....and just for the recored I did confess that I was taking it.

Zelda, my 98 year old neighbor has a birthday tomorrow and I wanted to make her a card. I wasn't confident enough to watercolor for her (she's an artist) so I used one of the lovely flowers on the napkin as a starting place.

Napkins generally come two ply...so I separated the layers and carefully cut out one of the dahlias. Using matte medium under and over...I carefully glued it onto a piece of textured card stock.....added border of green card stock and sewed it onto a card.  It's hard to get the napkin really smooth without ripping it...but I think the bumpy texture adds interest.

I reluctantly added a gold outline to define the petals a little more. This is generally the point where I either mess up...or do too much but I ended up liking it pretty well. 

And there you have it....a napkin turned into a simple card for a classy lady named Zelda. 

Lilac Joy

I love the double lilac bush at the condo. It's been going strong for a while now but is just starting to go by......this photo is from a week ago. So I thought it was time to celebrate the lilac....all day long.

I put the extras in a bowl on the island with no water....I just want to watch them dry.  By the end of the day...these hadn't changed much...but the JOY was shriveling up nicely.  Can't wait to check it out tomorrow.

Blues and Purples

"It's not about having time....it's about making time."

The evening sky at the condo matches an experiment I did using a combo of watercolor and fabric.

After I watercolored the layers....I blotted it with a scrunched up plastic bag to give it texture.

  

Confidence

"Whatever you're doing today, do it with all the confidence of a four-year-old in a Batman t-shirt." author unknown.

Or....of a kid with underwear on his head and a t-shirt as a loin cloth. 

My older brother Doug and his partner Lyn are visiting from Atlanta today on their way home from a Boston wedding. It's always nice hosting family.


 

Well, Well, Well.....

This quote came through my Pinterest feed and it made me laugh out loud.

I feel like I was caught doing absolutely everything I'm not supposed to do.

I have a spirea shrub on the side of my garage and I have to remember to look at it this time of year because I just don't walk that way much.  But I've been watching it for several weeks now and as always it's been a show stopper.  I do love the stage when it's just budding like little pearls....but how can you not love these sweet white flowers with the yellow stamens.                                                            

The grass is pretty sad on this side of the garage....but it doesn't matter because the spirea is beautiful.

 As you round the corner....I do love this view of my back yard.

Look Closely

Almost exactly a year ago I posted about the Woodland Flowers in Maine....I'm guessing it's going to be an annual celebration.  I can't help wander in every day this time of year to see what's blooming.  If you don't look closely you'll miss them.


These little Star Flowers are scattered all over and there's a beautiful clump at the base of a couple of the trees. 



You might miss the little wild Sarsparilla flowers because they hide under the large canopy of leaves. 

I think I have to time it just right to find them in bloom...I don't know if the white flowers are coming or going by. But I love these little firecrackers not matter what! 

Tiny white Canada Mayflower plants are scattered all around ...and I added some pink Meadow Rue last year that's doing well.

 

There also a spot that has a patch of this delightful Partridge Berry....I think more berries will appear as the season goes on.  The tiny little round leaves are so cute.  I love the woods!