Sealed With A Snippet

We had another one of those beautiful sunsets last night that changed by the minute......and I love this view out our patio doors. 

Sometimes I just tickle myself. OK....there might be a better way to phrase that....  but it's gotta be a good thing when you can make yourself chuckle.

That's what happened this morning as I was closing up the giveaway envelopes and it dawned on me to "seal them with a snippet."

Here's a few of them....I hope they don't fall off!

Bonus points for anyone who recognizes where this snippet came from.

I've blogged about this resource a few times over the years......it's still one of my favorite things to cut up.  The answer will be at the end.

I got this delightful handmade card from Susan today. These funky feathered friends were inspired by the whimsical art of Terry Runyan.  Her work is colorful and playful....featuring cats, birds, flowers...and big hair!

https://www.instagram.com/terryrunyan/

A page from the book about "blob birds."

I have followed Terry's art on Instagram for years....so how delighted was I when Becky gave me her book when I visited last summer. 

Who doesn't want to paint happiness! 

Becky is one of the people I make a calendar for....so I decided this year's would be inspired by Terry's Painting Happiness Book.

I did the first 6 months as a Christmas gift.....and didn't even take one photo.  I asked Becky to send me this one....because I wanted to share them after getting Susan's card. I'm not really all that proud of them....but I was pretty tickled with the connection with Susan.  Maybe I'll be proud of the next 6!

The little snippet came from my favorite calendar I used for years and years when the kids were growing up. You can read about it here: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/04/sun-stars-and-moon.html  I told you every snippet has a story.

#fabricrecipes

Jayne Emerson is one of my textile heros.

I took her "Water Soluble Magic" course last year....I LOVED it....and hope to revisit the skills learned in new projects.  I'm signed up for her "No Rules Patchwork"course....but I've barely started.  I have unlimited access to it....and it just got put on the back burner.  My back burner...by the way....is pretty darn full.

For the month of February Jayne is once again sponsoring a challenge on Instagram called "February Fabric Recipes." Each day there is a prompt where she encourages us to share a past or current textile project honoring the day's theme. Inspiration abounds!

I'm trying to play along....and it's giving me a chance to look back at some of my past work....and my hope is to actually make some new ones.   https://www.instagram.com/joyfulputtering/

Today the day 6 prompt was "print"...and although most people shared images where they actually printed on fabric....I chose to revisit my cathedral window quilt celebrating 900 little "print" swatches as the inserts.  It's the focal point in my studio.

This is an old photo....I haven't cleaned this 1/2 of the studio yet.....it's that easily sidetracked issue. I need about a dozen 8th days of the week!  I'm seeing the green grass and leaves out my studio window in the photo...and although I'm not wishing winter away....it doesn't hurt to dream a little bit about the other seasons.

I'm almost ready to get 25 Ounces of Joy in the mail.....but I'm having trouble actually committing to sealing them up.  It seems so final. It's been a fun and interesting exercise for me...and although I had all the piles sorted....I tweaked every single one of them when I filled the envelope.  

Here are a few more of YOUR JOYS:

• A walk on the beach
• A line full of clean washing blowing in the wind
• Daffodils in the backyard
• Shared art projects
• Seeing the first snowdrops
• Getting together with the boys for a birthday celebration
• Joy in the everyday
• Falling snow
• Being an integral part of grandkids lives

And Lily shared this photo of things that bring her joy.....

handmade little houses, dried artichokes and roses from Christmas....all displayed in a handmade birch bark basket. 

 I'm calling this a #joy recipe!

An Eighth Day

I was looking back in my photos for something....and came across this comic my son Sam sent me several years ago. I've shared it before....but it made me smile again so I thought you might enjoy it too. He knows me well!  

Couldn't we all use an 8th day to just putter!

I had video chat with my 4 siblings today....two sisters are in the Madison, Wisconsin area, one sister is in Minneapolis, and my brother is in Atlanta.  And just yesterday  Margie had a Zoom chat with her two siblings. Her sister lives in Colorado, and her brother lives in Hawaii.  It's always a good thing to connect with family.  

I painted these little watercolors all at the same time in a grid a while back...then cut them up.  I think they're precious little snippets....and now I'm tucking them in some of the the envelopes.  

Speaking of the envelopes....that's what I puttered with today...on this 7th day of the week.  I've got all the envelopes for the giveaway all clipped and lined....and I thought I  share a tip.

Once I have the liner cut and folded...I glue JUST the part that attaches to the flap down to the crease...tucking the rest inside.

I tried glueing the whole thing....but that made it impossible to easily close the envelope. I have also come to learn that some of the small snippets might end up tucked underneath that lower part....so if you're getting An Ounce of Joy....be sure and take a peek.

I think it looks better to leave a little more of a border on the sides than I did here....more proportional to the top.  Didn't really notice it until I looked at this photo.

Elle sent me a world atlas a while back for collage and gelli printing....and I've already gotten good use out of it.  She recently suggested that maps would make good inserts for envelopes....and I couldn't agree more!  She also commented that these envelope liners could be personalized and made to match just about anything. Indeed they could! Thanks Elle! 

Now I just need an 8th day to keep puttering.  I am making good progress on the project....and I hope to have everything in the mail this week!

Noticeable Dent

We inherited window quilts at the condo.....and we've sure needed them these last couple of days.

Since it was well below zero overnight and single digits all today....they've been down for more than 24 hours. The condo feels like a little cocoon. It was a good day to stay tucked inside.

Mostly I've been working on my Ounce of Joy project....but like every other day....I had breakfast at the puzzle table. Hardly a day goes by where I'm not there for at least a few minutes....and it never matters how long a puzzle takes me.

I'm enjoying this winter stamp puzzle that Margie did a while back....

it's colorful and fun.

This delightful JOY card came from Linda....and seems to coordinate well with the puzzle so it's going to live here for a while. Linda is a big puzzle fan too....and she loyally does them from top to bottom or side to side....completely filling in as she goes along.  Or at least that's what she tells me. Her card makes me feel like she's watching over me....she's good at that.

I try her strategy from time to time....and that was my intention on this one.  I wanted to do it row by row....but then decided I'd work on two rows at the same time.  Well....that didn't last long either because clearly I'm working on three. But I do want to mostly fill in this top half before I push it up on the table and join the whole border.  I've made a noticeable dent....and loving every scattered minute of it.

I have gotten rid of several boxes during my sorting......but I was delayed in letting go of the smaller ones that can be used as trays. Sometimes procrastination pays off.

Much to this box lover's delight....they came in handy today.  I spent most of the afternoon choosing and weighing little piles of snippets...and storing them in these little box trays. This is what 20 ounces of sorted JOY look. 

And the funny thing...20 ounces doesn't  even made a noticeable dent in my stash. 

(You can see I have the studio closed up tight too...keeping that cold air out where it belongs.)  

This card from the Curly Design's Instagram page made me chuckle.  This tiniest path I've been clearing in my stash is certainly bringing me quite a bit of joy!  I've loved getting the emails....and learning more about some of you who follow along with my joyful puttering.

Here are some more of your JOYS:

• Finding joy in the everyday
• Sunsets on the beach....and the moon rising at the same time
• Creating with my granddaughters
• A child's laugh
• Puzzles and a hot cup of tea
• A warm cozy blanket
• The first flower....and the first snowflake
• Knitting
• Making cards
• Hiking....and the birds

JOY!

It was cold here in Maine today....and tonight it's going to get down to negative 17 degrees fahrenheit with wind chills colder than 30 below. We haven't had a cold snap like this in quite a while.  Thank goodness it's only going to last a few days.

This was the morning light as I took the dried mealworms out for the bluebirds.....I worry about them in this weather. But they know what to do....and I have to trust they will be OK.  

This was a fun day for me!  I've heard from more than a dozen people from all over the country so far....and one from Scotland for my Ounce of Joy Giveaway.  I was out most of the day today....but I'll get things rolling tomorrow and start putting the envelopes together.

I will run this giveaway for a few weeks...so there is still time to participate.  You can read the details in yesterday's post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2023/02/giveaway.html

A couple people had technical difficulties with the email contact form on the blog....and I have no idea why. So I've created a separate joyful puttering email account...and I am comfortable putting that here on the blog.  

 You can email me directly at: joyfulputtering@gmail.com

I would love to hear from the two people who commented anonymously right on the blog....you can use this new email.

I am trying to do a quick reply to every email that comes in....so if you haven't heard from me please be patient....or try again. And I will go back through my email and make sure I didn't miss anyone.  This is a pretty low budget operation....and my only staff person is busy reading by the fire...and he's worse at technical support than I am. 

Here are some of the joys you have shared with me....I'll post a few each day for a little while while.

• Sunrises and sunsets
• The love of my husband, friends and animals
• The joy of living in two beautiful states...Maine and Florida
• When my 13 year old granddaughter asked for feedback and support on her poetry writing assignment
• Playing with fabrics....deciding  on a pattern and pulling fabric from my stash
• Color makes me happy
• Seeing photos of the natural world and beautiful artwork
• Reading a good book by the fire

This is a snippet from a project I did with Connie many many years ago. 

We shrunk her original artwork and made little accordion books that fit into matchboxes....and she sold at an art fair at her senior living facility.  You can read about my dear Connie....and see that little project here in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2015/01/let-me-introduce-you-to-connie.html

Still having fun collecting and cutting up some of my painting experiments....and I can't help but audition a couple things together.  I did this little doodle on some lined paper with a brush marker and gold pen.  

This was another colorblock watercolor that was much better cut up into pieces.  

Thank you all for adding some joy to my day....and giving me a reason to play with....and give away some of the bits and piece in my studio.

Now it can go into 4 envelopes!

GIVEAWAY!

"The meaning of life is to find your gift. 
The purpose of life is to give it away." 
Pablo Picasso

Today is Groundhog's Day....and my oldest son Nate's 37th birthday.....so there's much to celebrate! But it's also a good day to launch a giveaway project I'm calling:

AN OUNCE OF JOY! 

OK....mostly I just need to let some stuff go...so why not make it fun. I've always said one of my greatest gifts/talents is my stash....and it's been building and growing for years. 

Here's the scoop:

AN OUNCE OF JOY

If it fits in a regular envelope and weighs no more than an ounce…I will mail you some bits and pieces from my stash.

All you have to do is tell me something that brings you joy.

Email me your answer along with your name and address.

If you don't have my email you can use the 

"Contact Form" along the side of the blog. 

That’s it.  

At some point in the following weeks you will 

get a pretty lined envelope filled with

AN OUNCE OF JOY!

Some of you may be wondering why in the world anyone would want my snippets and scraps....and what in the world you would do with them. Paul is a little bewildered....but supportive....and you can be certain he's not going to ask for any.  You don't have to either. 

If you choose to participate....and I hope you do....what you do with the bits and pieces is completely up to you. But I will offer some ideas down below.  My only goal here is to sprinkle some of my colorful snippets of joy around and hopefully make you smile. Roseanne calls this "happy mail."

Frequently asked questions: (OK.....no one actually asked any questions....but just in case you have some....here are some potential questions with some answers.)

What does an ounce of joy look like?

Something like this.  But the envelope does have to fit through that skinny little measurement thing at the post office.....so I'll have to figure that out as I go along.

What might be included?

A little of this and a little of that.....some of it will be handmade.....and you'll just get what you get. It's all precious to me....but I make no promises about what it will feel like for you. I cannot guarantee it will even make you smile.

 

What in the world will you do with it?

It doesn't matter.  But you could: start a jar of joy and include found objects and other things that make you smile, put a piece on the fridge to remind you to enjoy the simple things in life, staple or tuck a piece in with a note to someone, make a card, hide something here and there for someone to find. There are no rules or expectations.

Is there a cost?

 No.

Is is OK to just toss them when you're done smiling?

Absolutely!  No one will ever know. 

Do you have to be a crafter to get some?

Absolutely not.   

Do you have to report back or let me know what you did with them?

No!  I need nothing in return (but I always like hearing from people.)

Can you participate if you live outside of the United States?

Yes....as long as I can use an international forever stamp.

What if the contact form doesn't work? 

Leave a comment on the blog and we'll figure it out.  You can also privately message through my Instagram Page. 

https://www.instagram.com/joyfulputtering/

Will I write about the experience here on the blog? 

Probably....unless it's a complete bust.  I won't use any names but I may share your "joys" and your location. 

So there you have it. Let's see how this giveaway goes! 

"AN OUNCE OF JOY"

These little tufts of snow in the backyard caught my eye.

Becky, Tracie, Brenda and I have been quietly working on the second round of our shared art project.  I explained what we're doing here in this post....so I won't repeat......but I will say that this second round has gotten me even more excited about the project as a whole. 

I just put Becky's booklet in the mail to Brenda as it continue its journey around the circle.  I loved Becky's theme...and I can't wait to see what's next. Becky has been working on Tracie's booklet...and will be passing it on to me sometime in the next few weeks.

I can't write about what's in the booklets until the end of the project....which won't be until April.

Did you notice the plaid envelope liner? It's just a piece of scrapbook paper I added to the envelope for a little pop of color surprise....something I learned in Fodder School.

Just after Christmas Daryl contacted me to see if I had any interest in 200  5 by 7 inch envelopes. The company that made her Christmas cards sent a double order by mistake....and it seemed a shame to just recycle them. 

Of course I would take them....how could I not!

They're nice quality envelopes...and the larger size is handy for mailing art trades.

The corners on the flap were a little stark.....

.....so I softened them with a corner punch.

I know it's subtle.....

......but I think it makes a difference....especially from the inside  

I have lots of other miscellaneous envelopes too.....most of them smaller....and they all more fun with a liner. This one is decked out with a gelli print.

As you know....I've been in an ongoing studio organizing project and I had a little bit of an awakening in the past week or so.  

It is becoming more and more clear to me that it doesn't make any sense to sort....and then just store all my little snippets and practice projects. I will ALWAYS be painting...snipping...and puttering..... 

....and there's no sign of stopping.

I'm going to put together some little packets to sell....and even frame a few pieces.  But I'm also going to have a little fun giving some of these bits and pieces away.  

I'm going to use some of these envelopes from Daryl (and others I have collected) for a giveaway project just for blog readers.  I'm still working out the details....but tomorrow I will launch what I'm calling "AN OUNCE OF JOY."  All the details will be right here tomorrow.....I'm kind of excited.

I'm actually excited about a lot of things....and I'm going to do my best to balance it all. Here's a little watercolor experiment I came across today....

I taped off the grid...then painted....splattered and doodled. It's a little much when it's one big piece.....

....but it's rather sweet cut a little smaller. 

Each square is mini abstract work of art.

And I just bought some simple 8 x 8 frames for the collages I made last October in Fodder School. I wrote about them here: http://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2022/10/collage-series.html  

The collages are made from hand painted papers and my own paper cuts... and are mounted and stitched onto watercolor paper. 

My plan is to take them to my local consignment store and see if I can get a few bucks for them.  (Unless I get a better offer 😉) My hope is to at least cover the cost of the frames...and maybe have a pizza dinner.