Life Of Its Own

It was new day....and my "want to do" list was even longer than yesterday....one thing at a time. Who am I kidding...I actually have at least 10 things going....and have to step over piles as I go from one project to another.  As a quote I saw recently says....My housekeeping (and studio) is best described as "There appears to have been a struggle."

Starting last night about 8:00....I got on the mask making bandwagon after an e-mail request from Margie's senior living facility.  I've got 10 done and several cut out so far....and I'll keep going in between other projects.

Anita hooked me up with a simple pattern....they are double sided with an extra layer of cotton lining on the inside.  And thanks to a box of hand-me-down sewing supplies from Isabelle from the church I actually had a little elastic here in my studio.                                                                                    

 

This little project evolved over several days and kind of took on a life of its own.  It ended up being a process of trial and error....but I'm pretty happy where I landed.

It started with an experiment incorporating torn papers from my Gudrun's World catalog into my painted paper gardens....then had the idea of doing a rainbow wreath.  I didn't draw a circle and I started too high on the paper....so my greens were scrunched at the top...and my circle was a little wonky. At this point it was so so.

I think the addition of the grassy green paper was a good idea....don't you think? 

But after the layers of paper and glue...the watercolor paper was looking a bit grungy.  

So I painted over it with a blue wash.....and didn't like it al all.

Then I painted over it with white....nope....still not happy.  

And that shape....just not working.

I paused...and did other things but did play with it a bit digitally....
this didn't feel right either.

Finally....and mostly out of frustration I cut it out this morning.....ahhhhh....I can work with this. 

And I was able to shape it up a bit making it more balanced.

And it took on a whole new life sitting on an old book page.

Everything looks good sitting on an old book page.

Hopeful Attitude

Where did this day go? There weren't enough hours for all I wanted to do....and now I'm too tired to write too much of a blog post.

So I'm glad I snapped these photos of Paul late this afternoon all bundled up sitting in the sun on the patio in Maine. (He never....ever....sits in the sun) It was a beautiful day...but it was also windy and a bit chilly and I admire his hopeful attitude.  These wonderful late afternoons on the patio are coming.....and we can't wait! But we should get the real furniture out so we're ready when they finally get here.

Seeds of Hope

A few others are planting spring gardens.....could I be more joyful?  I think not!

Janessa saw my cards on Instagram and planted this little garden for a colleague who just suffered a loss. 

Janessa is "on a mission to help women pursue the lives that bring them the most fulfillment, while tapping into their passions and creativity."

She can be found....

on Instagram

on her website

Dana got my starter kit and had a quiet night planting seeds of hope.  Dana is a minister in Andover MA and I know full well the challenges Christian clergy face during this very Holy Week.  

Dana's fist little garden she called "planting seeds of hope."

Portland is still pretty brown....but Lexington is starting to green up. I have one.....just one daffodil and a handful of crocus blooming in my yard.                                                                     


But there are most certainly signs of spring all around town.

This carpet of Scilla at Anita and Dave's home is one of my favorite spring displays.  

And this photo is from my son Sam's Sunday bike ride. 

All of these signs of spring give me hope.

Happy To You!

Thanks to our son Nate when he was learning the birthday song...what we say in my family is "Happy To You!" 

Today is my sister-in-law Alyson's birthday.  🎉🎈It kind of snuck up on me but I did make her an extra special...extra long flower garden card.  She's not really a flower garden kind of gal....she's more of a funny card with a little raw humor kind of gal. But since I'm not going shopping for a card....she gets a $%&*# rainbow. (tried to get a little raw humor in there) I did put some funny quotes inside.

This may be my favorite one so far and I loved every minute of making it. I may have added a few too many dots....next time I'll have a little more restraint....but I love the concept of a rainbow garden.  I think the addition of the bits of grassy paper is nice too.

The orange flower is my favorite.  The shapes are absolutely random so each flower ends up taking on a little personality of its own.  Happy to you Alyson!

Neighborly Art

"Even when we can't control the situation around us, we always can choose where we're directing our attention." Liz Stanley

My sister-in-law Carol lives in Edgerton, Wisconsin...the small town where I grew up.  A few days ago she posted this photo of her neighbors sidewalk art....what a gift for everyone on the street! I've been smiling about it for days...and hoping they haven't had any rain.  

My very creative brother in law Tim is a welder, farmer, sunflower grower, and all around great guy....and he just finished a fun project at his farm in Evansville, Wi.  

Tim designed and welded a large ring of hearts, lined it with Christmas lights and mounted it on his silo facing his busy road.  What a gift for the neighbors.  Well done Tim!                                                    

And I just have to slip this in....

...remember the little frames I used for my "Tiny Trees"....they work well for Tiny Tulips too!  Am I on to something?

And what can be better than seeing one of my little cards on a puzzle table. Yay!

Spring Card Tutorial

Here are a couple of my latest spring gardens....I've mailed over 20 at this point.
               

I've tapped into my metallic papers...all of which were commercial papers I have painted over.  I think the gold adds a little bit of whimsy and bling to the cards and has been a fun way to change things up.  You can see the gold dots on some of the leaves and there's a little touch of gold on the flowers too.

This paper was from a box of cream colored notecards I picked up years ago because I loved the metallic gold chevron pattern. Of course I bought them to cut up.... but I didn't know I would also be painting them. But now they've gone from cream to a pretty spring green and will be a nice companion to the dotted paper for leaves and stems. 

I posted a few of my cards on Instagram a few days ago and ended up having a nice conversation with my friend Dana who also is a creative crafter.  She half joked about me doing a zoom class on making the cards...which got me thinking. 

So I mailed her a starter kit with a sample card, a variety of painted papers and some card stock so she can create a garden with her kids.  I didn't have time to include any directions but today I posted a time lapse video on my Instagram page while making 3 little vignettes.  You can link to that post here.  It's not rocket science.....but you never know if it might be helpful to someone else...or just a little entertainment.

Supplies and instructions for Spring Garden Cards:

A variety of papers  

They don't have to be hand painted but I've grown to love the textures and artsy quality hand painted papers give. All the papers are painted with acrylic paints.

Use old books, junk mail, maps, or school worksheets. Spring catalogs would be a good resource for pre-colored papers. I have tried both cutting my shapes and ripping them.....and my favorite now is ripping. Don't over think it....you just want the suggestion of the shape. I do cut the stems and leaves with scissors or my rotary cutter. 

You can tear the paper to have a white edge or not...and sometimes it works in your favor to define lines.  

Some sort of glue/sealer 

I use either matte medium or a soft gel matte....but Mod Podge would work too.  Lay down some glue and your bit of paper...then go over it with the glue until the piece sets in place. It doesn't take long. You want to use something that is both a glue and a sealer. I let these dry for several hours or overnight before I move on.                                                                                      

A stiff brush

I brush over the bit of paper several times until it sets...so a small stiff brush works well. This is the one that was recommended for my class...and I love it!  I've done most of my little collages on heavy watercolor paper....and some on white card stock which worked too.  The more sturdy the substrate the better. If you paint the background like I have on some...use acrylic paint as watercolors will run during gluing unless sealed.

Colored paper or card stock (if you're making them into cards)

I like adding a little colored border/frame before mounting it onto a card. I glue my image in a corner of the card stock so I only have to cut two sides.  I had some blank cards on hand....but folded card stock would work just fine too.  Or they could be flat like a post card.

Glue Stick....UHU stic is my favorite... and as requested Paul put several in my Christmas stocking so I was well stocked. Pardon the pun!

A glue stick is the easiest way to adhere the image onto the card stock and the folded card.  I always put them under a weight until they are good and dry...and be sure your topcoat is dry before you put them under the weights.  I bought these oversized  marble looking paperweights years and years ago and they have come in handy over and over. I always make sure the sticky side of the card is touching something plastic that it won't stick to....and check it often.  Here I'm using a plastic quilting ruler.                                                                               

Scissors, paper cutter, or rotary cutter

I use a rotary cutter and ruler to make all card stock cuts...it's just easier for me because I can't cut straight with a pair of scissors. I've started glueing them onto the card this way...so they stand like a little garden.  The yellow dots are new too.  Just like my own gardens these cards are constantly changing.

Chicks Rule

I'm still immersed in my spring card making project....but there other joys in my life I want to celebrate so the card update will be tomorrow. This is what my table looked like at 10:00 last night when I finally stopped.

I love this little pile I'm calling "Spring Seeds."  

Quite some time ago my sister Marilyn gave me a clump of snow drops from her yard and I've loved them by the back door at my home in Lexington.....I've written about them several times.

Anticipating the eventual move to Maine I've been slowly dividing and moving some of my perennials including the precious snowdrops. This little clump at the corner of the woods is doing the best.

I left some at the back door in Lexington...I'm actually leaving a piece of almost everything I've planted hoping that whoever lives there next will enjoy the gardens as much as I have.

The snowdrops in the patio garden haven't done as well....but hopefully they will settle in and multiply over the years.

I just had a few solitary ones here and there so I decided to pick them and enjoy them in the window sill.                                                                                             

Most of my Easter decorations are in Lexington but I did find a few spring things to freshen things up.  The yellow golf ball is the newest found object....there's always something on display.  And my silly little spring glitter globes make me smile...."Chicks Rule!"

This happy clump of crocus is just up the street at a neighboring condo.  

Mine have just started to poke through.....I planted a bunch last fall.