Trees...

....with a nod to blue.

I had a wonderful day with my sisters.....and I may share more about that another day....but it's getting late.  And the silhouette of this tree against the lovely evening sky is the perfect lead in to Becky's accordion book.

Becky's booklet was the first one that came to me....and her theme was trees....with a nod to blue.  Right up my alley.

Becky created a lovely cover with a stenciled tree all decked out in punched petals for leaves. I learned that the punched petals originally came from me during one of her visits....that was fun!  I've always loved this quote!

After a sleepless night thinking obsessing about trees.....I landed on a stitched watercolor.  

I just jumped in stitching outlines of trees....using this decorative stitch on my machine for one side of the tree. In hindsight I wish I would have lightly sketched out my design first.

I stitched a few branch lines to connect the trees...creating a stained glass effect.  Then I started watercoloring the spaces with various shades of blues.

So far so good. I was glad I used dark blue thread rather than black.

There were lots of starts and stops with the stitching.  I pulled all the threads to the back...and taped them down with washi tape because I didn't want any knots. It's a mess....but it all lays nice and flat.

I added a little watercolor texture to the trees.....a few white snow dots...and fused some fabric swatches with subtle words on it to give some interest to the snowy ground. (I did the piece in the winter) I protected the piece with release paper when fusing down the fabric.

I was pretty happy with the result....

I thought it fit the theme of trees...with a nod to blue pretty well.

I used a similar design for my quote page....but used colored pencil this time.  

My quote came from the book Forest Bathing Retreat, Find Wholeness in the Company of Trees by Hannah Fries

"In an ongoing journey, this reaching out, and out again. And the universe with all its patterns and chaos and myriad threads of connection, is both terrifying and wondrous. Take a page from the trees: focus on being both rooted in the earth and searching among the stars."  Hannah Fries 

Here are all the blue trees.

Tracie's page...and her quote:

"Preserve and cherish the Pale blue dot...

the only home we've ever known." Carl Sagan

Brenda's page....and her inspiration.

Inspired by the work of Konstantin Dimopoulos, "The Blue Trees" 

project was featured in more than 14 cities around the world.

Patterns

This afternoon....I switched gears and I'll be spending a few days with my sisters. I love it when we're together.  But for this post...I want to start sharing our little accordion books.

Brenda, Becky, Tracie and I were pretty excited to get the boolets back to their original owners.  We had such a good time catching up...talking about art...and all things joy.  AND.....we've already figured out what our next share is going to be.

These pages in my booklet were done way back in January....but I couldn't write about them until now.  

My theme was "patterns"...and my pages are a little wild and crazy.  For my cover I used layers of fused patterned fabric strips topped off with trees from some fun fabric I was using at the time.  

"PATTERNS" at the top was doodled using markers...then cut out and mounted on the background.

This quote is one of my all time favorites!

"They snickered at her life full of many patterns....but she smiled knowing she was only being true to herself."

I planned out my lettering using tracing paper....and I finally squeezed it all in after 2 or 3 tries.  Then I wrote it out in pencil....and went over that with a permanent pen and erased the pencil lines.

Then I got busy with the watercolors and my paint pens.

My pages are colorful and wild....but I was only being true to myself.

My pages are back to back in the accordion booklet....and this is what it looks like when it's opened up....all ready for the next artists.

My booklet has traveled around the circle all winter...and I saw the finished booklet for the first time tonight.  Everyone had a different approach....and the pages flow beautifully.  

This is the quote/word side.

Becky's page.....and her pattern thoughts:

1.  A drawing or shape used to show how to make something.

2. A particular way in which something usually happens or is done.

3. Any regularly repeated arrangement, especially a design made from repeated lines, shapes or colors on a surface.

Tracie's page...and her quote:

"The real function of art is to change mental patterns 

making new thoughts possible."  Jean Duhuffe

Brenda's page....and her quote.

"If patterns exist in our seemingly patternless lived - and they do - then the law of harmony insists that the most harmonious of all patterns, circles within circles will most often assert itself."  Dean Koontz

Second Day

Sometimes I can get a bit paralyzed...or full on stuck with my own stuff....but time away helps me recharge. 

There's something energizing about a change in routine and new scenery. It gets me out of me head....and into my heart....fully present wherever I am. I enjoy the familiarity of family and friends along with new and different activities and adventures.

Becky and I had a delightful day today doing some of the things we love to do: chatting, puttering, and poking around a bookstore and sitting with a pile of magazines and a cup of soup.

Then mid afternoon we gathered with the others in our little art group....Brenda and Tracie...and after a long winter finally traded our art booklets.

As some of you may remember....back in January the four of us started a new shared art project. I introduced it here in this post: https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2023/01/planting-seeds.html  If you are interested in shared art I recommend that you read the post so you have a better understanding of what we did. .

We each picked a theme for our accordion booklets and completed the first pages...and they've been making their way around the circle ever since.  Each of us added pages to the booklets in the designated theme...then passed it onto the next person. 

We had a reveal party this evening....and saw our completed booklets for the first time....all at the same time. It was absolutely fabulous! 

While I was working on my pages in each book over the winter I started drafts of posts for each booklet and I'll be sharing them over the next several days once I've added photos of the finished products.  I love shared art!

I loved my second day here in Wisconsin....

and her are just a few things blooming in Becky's gardens.

First Day

When a travel day starts at 4:00 a.m....you get the whole first day at your destination. And when you have known someone for 59 years.....there's a lot to talk about on day one.

Becky and I spent this whole first day catching up.....we have a lot of common ground and a very rich shared past.

I'm looking forward to all the days to come here in my home state of Wisconsin.

This and That

It's was a this and that kind of day.... packing and chores...and whatever else fell in my lap.  I will be on my way to Wisconsin early tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.  I'm looking forward to time with Becky and our art group....I'll get to see Emily and Keegan and meet their son Max (my God Grandson)....and I'm excited about a few days with my three sisters.  

But here's a little this and that from today.

I found a fabric ball that I had started a long time ago....

and decided to finish it up for Max. The fabric pieces are all stitched together by hand. I'm glad it will have a loving home. 

Most of the perennials are poking through...

and I expect I'll come home to a very different looking garden. 

Some of my mini daffodils are blooming....and the iris just keeps getting more interesting....especially covered in raindrops. I expect they will be completely gone when I get back.

I took this one later in the day....I grow more and more fond of 

these fading blooms every day.

I finished my puzzle today....and it had a very interesting ending.  Margie did this one first....and I don't remember her saying anything about it.

As I was putting in the last piece....I seemed to have an extra one.  I was sure I had an empty spot somewhere else.....that has happened before.

I looked and looked...ran my hands over the puzzle several times...there were no open spaces.  

Once I was certain I wasn't missing a spot....I looked for the matching piece.  Sure enough....there were two of one piece.  I feel bad for the person out there who might have this same puzzle with this missing piece.  Wouldn't it be cool if there was some way to find them?  

I like when I finish a puzzle as I'm heading out on a trip...and this one...was fabulous!  Many things will be new when I get back....the gardens and the trees will be further along....and I'll get to start a new puzzle.  

I'm leaving a beautiful Christmas cactus bloom behind....

and a few more coming. I wonder what I'll find blooming in Wisconsin! 

Hopefully a little of this and a little of that!

Peace and Justice

Paul and I spent the afternoon with Margie. We do most of our visiting separately....but it's always nice when we're there together.  This was my last visit before I leave for Wisconsin on Wednesday.  

I hung the last section of Margie's living room wall....more peace....justice....and some treasures from around the world.  

"Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of another."  Nelson Mandela

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela

The burgandy piece at the top is from a t-shirt that she loved but never wore....so I mounted it on a canvas for her.  Its says:

"If we are to reach real peace in this world we shall have to begin with with the children."  Gandhi

The fabric piece is one of my art quilts and the carved figures are from Africa.

There is a nice flow from the entryway to the living room....

and it's colorful and eclectic.

I may still do some tweaking....but this space is nearly done.  When I get back we'll put a few things up in the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

I have always loved the colors and textures in this art quilt...

and am so glad Margie loves it too.