New Tools

When I was visiting Becky this summer she gave me a couple of tools.  One is a tiny spray bottle that I use to moisten my watercolor palette...and the other is this water brush.  The hollow handle holds water....when you gently squeeze it the water flows nicely through the brush.

I played around with it for the first time blending watercolor pencils when I was in Maine this last weekend.  Coloring is very relaxing.

I put down a few colors with the pencils....then blended them together with the water brush...it  worked pretty well.                                                                      

  I mentioned this watercolor coloring book before when I punched up a page for one my of 100 day cards....I enjoyed playing with it again. 

I quite like the gold accents....I'm either going to cut the flowers out or punch them up for another project.  Thanks Becky!

UFO Ladies

I'm fully appreciative of the uniqueness of the UFO Victorian Ladies by Kirsten Sevig now that the puzzle is done.  Each lady has strange alien qualities.....and are oddly wonderful.

This puzzle is certainly in my top 10....I will do it again and again over the years....and I'll loan it to anyone who's interested.  It's a fun one!

Sunrise

"Hello, sun in my face. Hello you who made the morning and spread it over the fields. Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness."  Mary Oliver

It's a good day when your husband sends you a photo of a sunrise. 

This first one was taken on Macworth Island in Falmouth, Maine a week or so ago.

The second just this morning on an early morning walk in Lexington. 

The sun through the ground fog is incredible framed by the tree and the fence!  

Well done Paul!

I'm grateful for a husband who pauses to notice the sunrise...

and takes the time to share it with me. ☀

Good Start

Remember the sticks I wrapped in sock yarn a while back?  I never did anything with them at the time...and I still believe there will be the right project for them in mass....but I did find a use for a few. 

Margie and I had been talking about a simple wreath for her door that could be changed seasonally.....so I started with fall. 

I made my own wreath and tucked in some greens and a few of the wrapped sticks in fall colors. Nothing is glued in....so we can easily change it up for Christmas, winter, spring and summer.  It's going to be a fun little seasonal project for us....I think this is a good start.

I think the sticks add an unexpected splash of color and I will most certainly so this again....I really like it.

Puzzles continue to be just the right pastime for Margie right now and I loved seeing her newest finished ones today when I visited.  Way to go Margie...mostly for getting through the Boston/Fenway Park one with all that gray....and the fact that you're a Rockies fan!

Last night we played cards with Patsy and Brian....and I had to pause on my way in to celebrate their woodpiles....they're certainly ready for winter...or several winters I would say.

There is just something about the colors, textures, and shapes in wood pile that draw me in.  

I don't think anyone does wood piles better than Patsy and Brian.

Drawn In

I was drawn into the woods by a silly little chipmunk.....he was so cute perched high up on a stump.  I knew I wasn't going to be able to get close enough to photograph him...but I was drawn in nevertheless.

As I headed back out I came across a whole patch of tiny red mushrooms and I think that little chipmunk lured me in so I wouldn't miss them.  

There were several that were just little bumps poking through.....cute as a button. 

I have since learned that some red mushrooms are poisonous....but I don't think these are.  I did a little research this evening and got a little freaked out by some of the stuff I read. But I'm going to continue to enjoy the mushrooms in my yard....and just leave them alone. 

Let yourself be drawn in by whatever catches your attention.....

you might be surprised what else you might find.

Celebrating September

There's one maple in our condo complex in Maine that starts to turn well before the others.....it's such a delight to watch.

I'm celebrating September today....along with a few of Paul's found objects.  He came home with the little green dinosaur a week or so ago....and just today found the nerf thingamagiggy on our morning walk. I picked up the leaves.

I'm always ready for these colors this time of year.

A little watercolor practice to celebrate September.  

When Paul and I were sitting on the back patio late this afternoon we commented that this very same branch starts to turn before any others in the back yard.  

Just that branch...always first.  

It has to start somewhere...by why always this branch?

Geeky Puzzle Thing

"She packed up her potential and all she had learned, grabbed a cute pair of shoes, and headed out to change a few things."  Curly Girl Design

I've loved working on my puzzle again....all the patterns and pretty borders make it enjoyable and fairly easy.  I've reattached the bottom edge and I'm down to just two boxes of pieces. I almost always leave a little pile or two ready for a particular spot for the next time I sit down....just another geeky puzzle thing. 

Here I Go Again

If you follow this blog you know how much I love my rain lilies....and things that bring me joy I revisit here again and again.  So here I go....again.

My bulbs came from my sister LaVonn who got them from her mother-in-law. Mine have multiplied quite a bit so I'll be in a position to share some next spring. So if you have a sunny spot or even mostly sunny and are interested...let me know. They have to come in for the winter....but they're pretty easy.

I wrote about the white ones Becky shared with me this summer that she got at the Kopke's Green house where she works in the spring. I left 1/2 of my split for my sister LaVonn to add to her collection.

I was pretty excited when Becky sent me this photo a few days ago 

of her first bloom. I think it's just as sweet as can be!

This photo is also from Becky of bulbs she shared with our friend Barb....these are on year two.

My new little pot is happy and healthy....but no blooms. Maybe it will surprise me yet but I'm certainly hopeful for next year....good things are worth waiting for. My pink ones have slowed down......but there's never been a time when there wasn't at least one or two blooms...since June!

100 Day Connection

"We do not need to teach creativity, but rather inspire its daily practice."  Diane Darrow

I mentioned a while back that my dear friend Tracie started her own 100 day project doing a little watercolor day. 

Today she congratulated me on my project completion and was excited to share progress on her own.  She sent me photos of some of her daily paintings and gave me permission to share them here. She's on day 80....so in the home stretch. What a joyful way to start my day!

This robot is a delightful rendering of one of her grandson's creations...complete with a bouquet of flowers.   

I am inspired to paint! Thank you Tracie!

 Thank you Tracie for reminding me why I love doing this so much.....you just never know what  will inspire someone else.  Thank you for this 100 day connection!

I think this feathery floral is my favorite.

100 Days!

"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 Daisy Yellow Index Card a Day Challenge 2019

Today marks day 100....of my 100 day index card project. I was in Maine this past whole week quietly puttering away in my studio when I had the chance wrapping it up.  It was important to me to finish on day 100....so that's what I did. This has been one of the best disciplined activities I've done in a long time...just for me....and for no reason that just to do it.  But I'm glad it's finished...it's time to move on...I have no idea what's next.

Here's the home stretch all in one post.

I used some of the brightly painted deli-papers gifted from Lynne for a 

little weaving on card number #90. 

  

                         

A year or two ago I bought a watercolor coloring book...the floral images are outlined in either gold or silver metallic so "resist" the watercolor.  I've only painted a few pages...but punched up some of them for card #91. 

This is what it looked like before I trimmed it up.

I was thrilled when I found this box of  pre-cut are magazine squares and circles left from a previous project.....perfect for card #92 with leftover circles for #93.

Back when I made the tree quilt with the metallic confetti dot fabric I did an experiment with the fused scraps.  I never really liked it....so there it sat.  I sliced off a chunk for card #94.

Several years ago....Becky and I traded little bird watercolors.  I probably did 5 or 6 versions before I was happy enough with one to send. This is the only reject that was sized about right for a card.  

This is a little piece of one of my experiments with an acrylic under-layer...then overpainting with white.

Just a random doodle in one of my sketchbooks.

This was originally an attempt at a whimsical landscape painting inspired by something I saw on line....turned sideways it's abstract art.....right? 

The half circle is left from the project above.

Turned back the other way....it's back to a landscape with a setting sun.

An overdone marker and pen doodle....became card #99.  The larger wonky circle has been floating around for about 10 years....but chopped down to size it now has a purpose.

And finally #100.  This is actually part of a larger square piece I made for my stacks show.  Interestingly enough it's one of the few pieces that Dr. Adams didn't want to hang for reasons that aren't important right now.  I ripped it apart (in frustration at the time) and reused the canvas....but for some reason I saved the parts that weren't ruined in the destruction process.  I still love the colors and working with stacks of fabrics is something I'll go back to again and again. It seemed perfect for #100....part of an ACTUAL reject.  Repurposing leftovers and experiments and honoring rejects was the overall theme of this project.  

I just bought myself a $20 overhead tripod and had fun playing with some videos. You can check them out in this Instagram Post:  https://www.instagram.com/p/B2Kqeobn7K7/

The joy of completion...my 100 Day ICAD project of summer 2019.