Gone Journaling!

Project Maple Leaf

 Danielle was coming over yesterday for a little while, so I wanted to find a quick art project for us to do.  Here is a little maple leaf drawing lesson that I found.

 Maple leaves drawn on brown paper grocery bags, colored with colored pencils and detailed with a black marker.

They're going to hang in Daddy's window.  Aren't they pretty?  Thanks to Kathy at http://www.artprojectsforkids.org/ and "How to draw a maple leaf". 

Lettering fun!

Yesterday, in Calligraphy class, we practiced the Runic alphabet.  It was like drawing and I loved it.

And, I know what you're going to say.  More morning glory pictures!

But they're so pretty early in the morning when I take Henri out.  They get up early just like me.  The light from the deck shines on them and they are all open and the morning dew sparkles on them.

You know how it goes... "at three in the morning, when you're in bed..." , I'm taking pictures of morning glories!  Actually, it was 4:15...shhhhhh.

Making my mark

Went to the workshop for the "Making Your Mark" journal yesterday at LaGrange Art League.  Inspired by our instructor, Anna, I wanted to use one of the "practice" drawings that I did to start off my book.  So this is the page being started.

Being that I have been a journaler for years, my old Discovery Journal from "Simple Abundance" came to mind and so I had to get it out and reminisce.  It always brings tear to my eyes. 

Pictures of things that are important to you and things you like and things that stir up memories.

I remember that I couldn't resist this sweet picture.  Kindness.

And, of course, paper dolls!

Certainly there are pages of golden retrievers...and labs and beagles.  How my goldens loved tennis balls!  Doesn't that look like "Clifford" looking down on that one?

the sweetest.

and my favorite time of the year brought memories of Thanksgiving and the wishbone.  When I was young, my Uncle Albert and I would do the "wishbone thing" every year.  It was so much fun!  As it says in this article "Squabbles over the bones eventually led to the custom of tugging them until they snapped, and the holder of the longer piece would be granted a wish." 

My Uncle Albert, my Mom's cookies and O' Tannenbaum.

Memories of home.

and memories made since.

There you are!

Well, last night I could see that moon bright and clear peeking through the trees.

Cool and windy, and that beautiful fall moon.

Well, it is a good thing we looked at the moon two nights ago because last night it was hiding in the clouds.  Oh - Harvest Moon!

Shine on Harvest Moon

Tonight is the Harvest Moon, Jupiter, equinox.  September 2010 is the only time in your lifetime that you can see a full moon and Jupiter shining near each other all night on an equinox.  http://www.earthsky.org/ says that the best nights for seeing the 2010 Harvest Moon are September 22 and September 23.  The crest of the full Harvest Moon will come on September 23 at 4:17 a.m. CDT. 

Shine on, shine on harvest moon
Up in the sky.
I ain't had no lovin'
Since January, February, June or July.
Snow time ain't no time to stay
Outdoors and spoon,
So shine on, shine on harvest moon,
For me and my gal.

Drawing class today

It's the first day of fall. Last week and this week, we are trying out scratchboard. Interesting and fun to try. I picked up some leaves outside and used them as my models. Tried to lightly enhance the finished one on the left with oil pastels.

Oh those morning glories!

When suggesting a summer memory collage to my class, I, myself, decided to do one about my morning glories, which have been one lovely part of my summer. I am working on a long vertical, actually mat board, and above is how I have started with the papers we have made in the last two sessions.

They are climbing up the trees...

through the gate on the deck...

and over across the rails...

saying hello to the frog...

downstairs visiting the rocks...

and all around the bottom of the deck...

and back into every nook and cranny...

out of the yard and...

and up the brick wall...

and across...

up the downspout...

covering everything...

oh-oh, including the electric meter. Now I know why we have been getting "estimated" electric bills all summer! I've pulled them aside.

To the theater...

Today, hubby and I went to see Frankie Avalon at Drury Lane Theater in Oak Brook. It was a birthday present to him from our children. We had a wonderful time hearing all those hits from the 50's! "Venus", "De De Dinah", and many more. He looks and sounds wonderful and moves like a teenager! An added surprise was his oldest son, Frankie Jr., who is his drummer and guitar player Edan Everly, son of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers! They sang together too, doing some of the Everly Brothers hits. Memories... Be still my heart.

The Common Milkweed

Sunday, when we were at Julie's, the milkweed pods near her house looked like they were preparing to burst. Asciepias, the milkweeds, is named after Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, because of the many folk-medicinal uses for the milkweed plants. The Asclepias species produce their seeds in follicles. The seeds, which are arranged in overlapping rows, have white silky filament-like hairs known as pappus, silk, or floss. The follicles ripen and split open and the seeds, each carried by several dried pappus, are blown by the wind.

During the Victorian Era, milkweed pods were painted and used as Christmas tree decorations. We made some one year at The Center at The Christmas Retreat. Now, I am reading that crushed milkweed pods can be used to make paper! The crushed pods are boiled until soft and then made into paper using the sheetforming technique. The pods give the paper a rich texture! Oh boy! I will be waiting for those seeds to fly!

It's Sunday...

and Sunday School. And here is the outfit of the day that our fancy little Miss chose to wear.

"Aunt Julie" took her along on a shopping trip yesterday and she just had to have that scarf! That very special scarf.

Can't stop!

I showed you, in my last post, that I had started this kind of "string" quilting. It's so addictive and I can't stop! A really nice way to use up small pieces of fabric that you don't know what to do with too.

Quilting homework

In quilting class, we're doing "strip" quilting. (above) That's what I should be working on...and I will. But Denise introduced something else to us last week. She is doing one with an orange stripe in the center of each block and it just reminded me so much of the upcoming season that I wanted to do one too!

My main strip is yellowish-gold and I'm using black too, so it's kind of Halloweenish. It's called "string" quilting. What you do is cut irregular strips and just sew them on, in any haphazard order. Oh, and they're sewn right on your paper template, which is removed when you are done. It's just too much fun!

Found it!

Yes! They are morning glories! I found the package. The bigger package of seeds is one that I bought at a Copenhagen flower market. Never opened it, being the "paper person" that I am. But I did find them here and that's what I planted in my mailbox planter with the petunias. They have a different leaf, so I wasn't sure when they came up. Here's what it says: "Delightful mounding plants covered with cheery, multi-colored flowers from mid-summer until hard frost. Related to the common vining Morning Glory. Dwarf plants are ideal in sunny borders, hanging baskets and patio planters. Very easy to grow!" Seed origin Holland. Morning Glory Convolvulus tricolor.

late bloomers!

I threw these seeds in my mailbox planter when it was well into summer, saw some green coming up but then didn't think they would bloom this year. One day last week, I got this surprise! I think they're a morning glory; don't know if I saved the package. Aren't they pretty?

I have a weakness for white petunias, but I think they like their colorful new neighbor.