Summer in Maine

I know it's officially summer when we make the rounds in South Portland at some of our favorite places.  It was a beautiful morning for a field trip....and I'm taking you along.

Bug light park is always on the list.

One of my goals was to see the lupin fields along the road to Two Lights Park....and they were spectacular.

It's always a treat to be on the rocks at Two Lights....the beach roses were in full bloom.

I spy Paul on the rocks examining a tidal pool...you can barely see him there on his belly.                                                                                             

And this is what he was looking at. 

A found treasure....I love rocks with veining.

I didn't see what it said at first....

but my husband the minister pointed out "faith." He does that for me from time to time...I often need the help.

And...I can always count on Paul to find a little love.

A trip to South Portland is not complete without a stop at Scratch for a few bagels....yum.

Ahhh....summer in Maine.

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice!  Paul is officially on vacation we celebrated with a nice dinner on the patio and an evening solstice swim.  A perfect way to kick off the summer.


I just sent Nancy's July and August Mary Oliver/vintage photo calendar pages. These are two of my favorite quotes and the pages felt kind of summery....just right for July and August. The little circle motif in the corner of July is cut from a recipe card and the vintage flowers on the right are from an old calling card. 

The black border didn't seem as harsh in person.  The card stock I printed on was pretty flimsy so I needed the extra layer for stability.  A summery color might have been better.

Rediscovering Mushrooms

I've posted about mushrooms before...but every year I'm more and more fascinated by them....and more appreciative of them.  The season is just beginning so I hope you are....or become as fond of mushrooms as I am.  

"Most mushrooms have a symbiotic relationship with plants. Saprophytism is when a mushroom or group of mushrooms help decompose something and then release it back into the soil. Whether it be dying parts of your lawn, dying roots under the soil, or dead plants and animals (and their waste), mushrooms can take in the remaining nutrients from a dead source and introduce those nutrients back into the soil in a way bacteria or insects cannot." 

https://growace.com/blog/mushrooms-why-theyre-a-sign-of-healthy-soil/

I found this adorable tiny striped mushroom hiding under a European ginger plant in the back yard at the condo yesterday....an inch and a half of natural perfection.



Then just this morning....one day later...the two little ones underneath shot up and bloomed.

I found another little cluster living beneath the miniature hosta.

I love these little families...all different colors and sizes....and all are welcome here!

This magnificent specimen popped up along the side of the condo....I guess he's a bachelor.  The stem is almost pillar shaped....and the top has lacy edges like a doily....complete with mulch crumbs. I'm loving rediscovering mushrooms.

Polka Dots and Peonies

Margie and I went on a field trip to see the peonies at the Maine Audubon with a group from her community.  This peony/ice cream social is an annual event...but things are so far behind this spring  that only a relatively small number were in full bloom. It will be spectacular when they are all open...it's a pretty big patch. But we had a good time...and as you know I do like buds just as much as I like the flowers.

That's a pretty big flower packed into a very small ball.                                                                                               

I've already admitted that I sneak pretty paper napkins from parties....and occasionally I even buy a whole package.  I couldn't resist this package of watercolor dots.





They've been just sitting in a craft bin for quite a while so it was time to play with them. Yes...pretty paper napkins are for art...not wiping your hands.

I separated the layers and carefully sliced them into strips and snipped the circles apart. I collaged them on the back of a piece of a recycled calendar...so when you hold it to the light you can see the lines.  I forgot to try the deli paper....next time.

Each dot was numbered on the napkin....and at first I embraced the numbers. Then part way through decided to cut out the circles leaving just a white edge....which I liked better.  I do like the effect....it's the look of a watercolor with the texture of a collage.

I attached it to the card using a simple zig zag....and am pretty happy with the polka dots of #19.

Always Worth It

Make the effort.

I was laying in bed last night wondering if the fireflies were out yet in the woods. It would have been easy to just lay there and wonder....but instead I got up and headed outside.  No fireflies...but this little solar light made the trip worth the effort. 

The crackle finish reflected interesting patterns....

....and when you lift it up they expand and flood the area.  Do you see my bare toes?                                   

It you think something might be worth the effort....it almost always is.....especially if you're open to seeing something that you didn't even know you were looking for.  But you have to make the effort. I'm glad I did.

Bluesy Pair

As I hoped...the rain lily bud opened today and a second one almost got there. The first one is always the most exciting! 

This note from Daisy Yellow for week three of the 2019 ICAD challenge made me smile: "Here are the prompts for week 3...as always 100% optional, 97% flexible, so I'm leaving it to you to interpret logically, magically, scientifically, cryptically, historically, sarcastically, colorfully, melodically, frantically, figuratively, and/or geographically. Or ignore altogether.  That's cool too."  

Even though I'm ignoring them altogether....I'm 100% inspired by her challenge....and still having fun. We'll see if I can keep it up....but so far so good.

Back in 2016 I made an indigo paper tube mirror out of recycled magazine and catalog papers and used strips of the recycled papers for the border. 

Surprise surprise I saved the leftovers and cut them into strips and created a simple bluesy checkerboard of sorts for #17.

This little doodle was just sitting in one of my sketchbooks....I added to it and it became #18. I do like this simple doodle pattern.  I'll probably play around with it again sometime.  Doodling is a good thing.

#17 and #18 make a nice bluesy pair.

Pride

I was in Portland at the Farmer's Market last Saturday on Pride Day....but not long enough to see the parade.  But when I saw this image on Portland Downtown's Facebook Page I was blown away by that awesome banner!  I'm going to have to check it out next year.



I'm back in Portland watering the new grass and I was pretty excited to see some rain lily buds.  There are 5 total...maybe a 6th one coming.  I hope the big one pops open tomorrow.

I love the rain lilies!

Curtain Call

This farmer's market dahlia deserved a zoomed in curtain call.  I'm in love with everything about it! That color combination is just dreamy.

Yesterday's card #15 features wonky circles from Gudrun's World catalog.....I'm embracing the loose black threads!

I came across this wonky circle collage experiment I did on the deli paper Lynne gave me a while back.  I used gloss medium and didn't really like the finish so it got cast aside...it felt good to cut it up. 

Do you see that little red scarp on the bottom?  I couldn't bear to throw it away...so I may collage around it for another card.

I cut the circles in half, rearranged the pieces, and glued them back together right on the card making new, even more wonky circles. I covered it with a thin layer of matte medium to knock down the gloss a bit....

...trimmed off the excess and added the stitching. I'm reminded how nice it is to use the deli paper as a substrate....so easy to sew. Thanks Lynne....I'm going to use it more often!

Today's card features a taped watercolor where I messed up on the writing....surprise surprise! I cut it up and turned it into a bit of a crazy quilt making the messed up writing a graphic design element....at least that's what I'm telling myself.

I sliced and assembled....just winging it as I went along. Can you spot the teeny tiny square I added in below?