Art, Journaling and Stuff
Today, Danielle and I made butterflies. I made templates for the different parts of the butterfly and traced them on wrapping paper of different patterns. Danielle cut them out and glued them on cardstock. 
She then decided that the butterfly needs a bright sun and some clouds in her sky.
Add a little green grass, and it's a masterpiece! Isn't she beautiful? Thanks for this "out of this world art lesson" from www.deepspacesparkle.blogspot.com . 
Next deadline: The calligraphy calendar page. Will take hours of lettering practice again to get it right. It's for our Study Group, and I have the month of November (2010) to do. I'm excited! I've missed it!
Timber Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz-ing. Waiting to go to bed. 
The snow is back! The dogs went sledding out onto the deck this morning. "Henri" seems confused. Me too!
My ledger pages done! The theme for Gai's page is "Simple Wisdom". I chose quotes from Laura Ingalls Wilder. "The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes, and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies."
And on the back - "As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful."
This is for Mary's choice of theme; "Poetry Thrown into Collage". One of the first poems that I remember reading was introduced to me in grammar school. "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll. It makes me read dramatically and I think it's just amazing.
The theme for Carolyn's is "Time Traveler". I can only think of how fast time is going. Don't dare blink! I had to stick in a picture of Elvis that looks kind of dreamy because it reminds me of my Mom. She loved him and I wish he were here and I wish she were too.
On the back I have music, from a child's vintage song book, called "The Clock".
This one I did for Deb's theme "Step'n Out Of The Box". I guess I never do anything like this in bright colors with large animals chasing crazy ladies who are mowing down the roses!
On the back, she is peeking out of the disturbed garden to see if anyone saw her. 
Finishing up the ledger pages that I am doing for our "Creative Spirits" group, as next week is the deadline! This page is for Nadine's chosen theme of "Quoteable Mosiacs" It is actually a calligraphic piece that I did, of a quote that I love, then cut into squares and mounted onto the page to make a mosiac.
The back of the page reveals the quote.
This week included "income tax day". Danielle was here, so she needed to come along. Our "income tax man" surprised us and treated us to an ice cream sundae at the new little ice cream parlor next door to his office. Danielle drew this picture as a "thank you". I labeled it and we will mail it to him today. Thank you, Mike!
Today was collage class in the morning and quilting class in the afternoon. I am making a second tote bag hoping to really remember the steps. I love the little "journaling" fabric that Denise found and when this bag is finished, it is going to hold my journal and books for traveling.
Today, Brent drives back to school. Spring break is over. He and Julie came for supper last night and I decided to make a pork roast, "grandma style". I got down my grandma's old aluminum roaster from the shelf and put it on top of the stove to roast slow. The meat gets nice and browned and the bottom of the pot gets all dark brown and sticky. And the meat gets so tender and some falls apart in chunks, "grandma style". Yum.
Listening to the birds singing about Spring, made me think of these "nests" that I did. Little assembleges. I enjoyed doing them so. I think they deserve to be in the "Earth Stories" exhibit. I enjoyed thinking about what some birds collect to build their nests and leave behind.
This one particularly has a soft spot in my heart because it has a tuft of "Clifford's" hair in it. Birds do collect that too! I love these little frames to put them in. They even come with "specimen pins". 
And here comes those naughty Buttercups!
and the sophisticated Shubert Plum.
sweet Forsythia.
and the Magnolia waits.
Yesterday, when Danielle was here, she started writing these little squiggles, with a sun drawing on the top. She told me she was writing words and that she was writing a story. She began to tell the story as she was writing. I quickly grabbed a pen and began taking down her dictation. Here is her story...
I made copies, stapled them together, and told her that this is her first book. 
Worked on my little painting again today. A little more to finish. I think taking photographs of your work, helps you to see the parts that need to be strengthened. Home now, it's a pretty day and so now I am going to wander around outside and see what's sprouting. 
The maples are budding! What a pretty sight. And sky so blue. 
Danielle's birthday cake drawing.
Did get to work on my little watercolor yesterday afternoon for a while.
This morning, Danielle and I had a lovely time. She requested pancakes and bacon for breakfast, which I made, while she drew pictures of birthday cake, balloons and presents. Now I will continue to paint. And plan for my collage class. And cut fabric for a new quilting block. And get ready for book club tomorrow, which is here at my house. And make spaghetti sauce for supper!
Spring Break! Brent's home and we had his birthday celebration last night. It was Ed & Joe's for pizza, and then back to their house for cake. Julie made a yummy marble cake with fudgey chocolate frosting. Not wanting to set the tablecloth on fire, there weren't twenty candles on the cake, but enough to wish on. Happy birthday, Brent!
"Walk To Walton"
"Objet d' art"
"Flap Like Eagles"
"Miss Hickory"
My winter garden journal finished.
Working on another junk drawer collage.
And today, the beginning of a watercolor from a photograph taken in Amsterdam. 
Danielle was a guest in collage class today, so I brought along a bag of punched out colored paper shapes.
And here is her collage of Easter eggs and flowers!
