projects, projects, projects!

The last couple of days, I have been working on samples for my "Kitchen Collage" workshop on the 6th of July.  I have an old church cookbook with all handwritten recipes in it and they are just waiting to be in a piece of art!

Found some old images, typed up some French cooking words and we're all set to go.

And it's also the countdown for finishing the MYM journals!  Working on this page spread and not sure what I'm going to put on it next.

Then made some tags adorned with some lovely yarn that I found at a yarn shop in Lockport.

The page they are going on is down below a few more pictures.  Somehow got them out of order.

This bathing beauty tag went inside another pocket...

about sailing on the sea.

  Here's those other tags relating to the flowers.

And I added another paper and some leaf stamps to my birdie page.

And the day goes whizzing by.....

the birds

While thinking of ideas to fill in my MYM journal, i found instructions for painting these wonderful little birds, thanks to "The Sketchbook Challenge"  .  My page is not done yet, but I cut out some little windows to peek through at them...

...and then when you go on to the next page, you see them flying among these lovely leaves and greenery.

These were my first little birdies, but they're so cute that I had to use them right away.

They make me smile.

My Garden

My garden grows in colour
The wind, its petals blow -
Blending shades of all therein
Giving way to pleasures below.

The purples, pinks and oranges
Mid passive shades of green,
Combine in a chorus of colour
Creating a pastoral scene.

 

And when the rain falls gently
On each little sleepyhead.
They wake - shaking and stretching
Filling each flowerbed.

Under that cover of colour

The fairies come out to play.

They dash around the towering stems

And down where the roots lay.

 

Don't you think it's fun to believe?

Your garden becomes surreal.

Just welcome the possibilities

Soon, the happier you feel!

And who really knows

If it's not honestly true?

The fairies and the flowers believe

Why wouldn't you?

                                                               april

Cards

Picked these up from the printer, but not in time to give some to Judy yesterday.  These are from paintings I did at her beautiful garden in years past.  I think one could paint there every day!

Summer Art today

We sketched and painted in the lovliest of gardens today.  Judy's garden is one of our favorite places to go.  This is what she calls her "spirit tree". 

All the flowers were waiting for us, standing straight and tall. 

Just one of our lovely choices to have lunch!

This birdhouse was one of my subjects to draw.  I just love its little nail perches, each bent a different direction.  Want to work on it some more, so will show you when I get further. 

The garden holds every kind of flower and they are all beautiful.  What a treat of a day!

Quilting workshp today!

Today, we made a quilted pillow cover.  Denise had designs to pick from and we hand quilted on a white fabric of our choice with an accented colored thread.  A very relaxing afternoon. 

just a post...

Julie, Rob, Brent and Mark are back from vacationing and fishing in Canada.  We put my pictures on an external hard drive with success and then ...poof...don't know where they went!  Well, I needed to say something today, so here's Julie's Canadian sunset.  Pretty, huh?

Happy Father's Day

Danielle made a beautiful card for her Daddy...

and she decorated the inside with all signs of nature.

Beautiful birds feeding their young...

tending to the nest...

and I love the detail of the leaves.

 Then she made a popsicle pencil holder for his desk...

and here's the back.  Thanks to Art Projects For Kids .  Don't you love the giraffe-pattern ribbon?

And, thanks again to Kathy, she made an All American Father's Day magnet for their refrig. 

Thursday's Art

Again, it was Thursday and time for "summer art:".  This week we went to Brookfield Zoo.  It was a rainy morning, but soon cleared up beautifully and we had a lovely day to be outside drawing.  I always love the look of these little carts, so that is what I chose to draw.

We spent some of our time walking around first, looking at the bears and so this drawing needs more time spent on it, but at least it's something to remind me of our day at the zoo.  I loved all the little animals eyes watching me while I was drawing them.

 Before we knew it, it was time for lunch and we all gathered back together.

We can hardly wait for the critique, to see what everyone has done!  Here Lois is pointing out the beauty of Joan's drawing.

And here she has Jean's lovely watercolor.  Always a fun day!

Yesterday's Art

When Danielle was here yesterday, I introduced her to the painting of Maud Lewis, thanks to Kathy at "Art Projects For Kids" . 

This project is taken from Maud Lewis Cat Painting.  Maud Lewis was a Nova Scotia folk artist (1903-1970).  I first learned about her from my cousin in Maryland and fell in love with her quaintness and her love of nature and animals.  And that's a whole other story.

Danielle decided to put this cute little guy into her cat painting! 

Oh that beagle!

Journal entry.  Missy was very sad this morning.  She could only make a quick run outside and then back in as it was raining so hard.  She loves to bask in the sunshine.

"The song of a bird...

the patter of rain...

the whisper of a breeze...

don't you love the symphony

of simple things?"

from Nature's Sketchbook by Marjolein Bastin

Some more things...

         "Nature has a beautiful habit of surprising us day by day."  Marjolein Bastin
Back to journaling every day.  Some months, I get away from it and then I feel all out-of-sorts.  I miss writing and making each day meaningful and memorable.  I'm spending time dog-sitting this week and so I have time to sit and think and write.  Yesterday morning, I heard what sounded like a loud duck.  When I looked out the back window, it was a heron, who looked like a huge dinosaur flying by with his long long neck and his long long legs, and a small little bird chasing him!  I wonder if he was trying to get something out of the little one's nest?  Do they do that?  It was a sight!

Well, then in another book, I am drawing plants.  After beginning to read a book called "A Daily Creativity Journal - 365 - Make Something Every Day And Change Your Life", I thought it sounded like such fun and was thinking how I always wanted to do some botanical drawing and could start by practicing here.  After one year, there should be improvement!

It is a very calming process for me.  Then, looking at another wonderful book "Mixed Mania", they talk about paper dolls.  Another favorite thought!  I may have to try them too!

Meanwhile, Missy scans the yard for anything moving...

this way...

and that way...

"where's that wabbit!"