washi ideas

who doesn't love 

this stuff?

i have quite a nice

collection of it.

and now 

i need to find

more ways to use it.

i have been doing 

a bit of experimenting.

when i have had
mint tins -
i have kept them.
covering them with washi
looks real cool -
but i'm not sure
what i'll use them all for
in the end.

this one 

i put a bit 

of gesso on first, 

because the tape 

is slightly transparent.

then added 

the tape,

and a magnet

to the inside -

to keep my needles in.

the small scissors 

i use stick nicely

to the outside -

keeping it all together.

anyone have any more ideas?

happy birthday

a weekend away
to salmon arm,
brought this girl
to come stay with us.

photo credit - Saige McCann

she is adorable,
and adventurous,
and earthy,
and fun to be with.
she rarely wears shoes -
so this of course
is perfect for her.

photo credit - Saige McCann

she is quite the expert.
it has inspired me
to possibly put one
in my yard -
just to practice
balancing on it -
not necessarily walking -
but that may come.
she also
collected things -
to make tea.

which was was lovely
to look at -
and tasted mildly
pretty -
if pretty were a taste -
and sweet -
because of the sugar
of course.
i love how she
just DOES stuff -
she has a curious mind
and doesn't seem to
care about conforming
to this world.
happy birthday,
dear alanna.

cute pouches

i've gone into
production mode,
making pouches.
i really love them.
they are great for gifts -
and i always have
people to give gifts to.
i am committed
to making them
with hand printed,
natural materials.
and though i didn't
add embroidery
to the pink one -
i think i would next time.
it is fun to match up
the fabrics,
and thread,
and floss,
and zippers,
to make them look cohesive.
i made these 3 -
and gave them to
alanna, katie & saige
and i filled them with
a bunch of goodies.
they seemed to like them.

a cursed blessing

these are
my honeys
reading glasses.

he has many pair -
all around
the house,
the cars,
on his person.
he can't seem to function
without them
anymore.
he is frustrated,
with the fact
that he is getting older,
that his body is not the way it once was,
that he NEEDS these glasses
to see.
i need to wear them
sometimes too.
when i am doing
fine needlework,
or small art pieces.
or reading tiny medicine labels.
i once used them
to look at myself,
up close,
in the mirror!
don't try this!
there may be a good reason
our eyesight starts to fail
as we age.
because russ can't
see all my wrinkles,
and random whiskers,
and large pores.
and grey roots -
he still thinks
i am as beautiful
as the day we met.
curse for him,
blessing for me.

a tulip

i finished 

another painting.

this was one of 

the canvases

that was started 

last year -

with the bloom true course.

it's not really 

'bloom true' style.

but, it is a lot of layers

and i am figured out 

my own style.

which is the point

of painting - 

after all.

i of course -

like it.

even the 

hot pink parts.

small stamps

i have been 

carving out some 

small stamps.

i love how quick

and easy it is.

i naturally,

am getting better at it -

with the practice.

and my ideas

are endless.

my garden

the weather
has been gorgeous -
and with that
comes spring planting.
i am going to admit
that i
am not a gardener.
i love the idea of it.
and i look
at several blogs
that do organic farming,
and i long for that
simple life.
the fresh veggies,
the preserved fruit,
the fingers in the earth,
the outdoorsy,
the fall harvest -
kind of life.
but the reality is -
i suck at it.
i hate weeding,
the aching muscles,
the hot sun,
the nuisance of the bugs,
the rabbits eating everything,
the watering,
and the forgetting to water -
so everything dries up -
and there is nothing
but a patch of weeds
to harvest in the fall.
so this year
we planted our garden -
with GRASS SEED!!
which really very much
makes me happy.
we can just mow.
we kept
the rows of berries,
blue, rasp and straw.
and a row
of volunteer potatoes -
really - they are all in a row.
that's what happens
when you don't harvest.
i have some boxes
on my patio of
lettuce, and herbs,
and a few tomatoes
for me to neglect.
and the rest of the garden
in front of the barn -
will be beautiful
green grass this summer.

a love peek

i am working on
a little set of paintings.
my hairdresser -
who used to
come to my home -
has now built
a little shop
in her backyard -
and her walls are bare.
she asked me
if i'd be interested
in adding some color
to her space.
i didn't answer right away
because i
second guessed,
& worried,
& told myself i wasn't good enough,
& i didn't want to disappoint.
but,
i decided to do it anyway.
i am doing 12 -
6x6 canvases
brightly colored
in a love theme.
they are still a
work in progress.
hopefully next time
i will post
a picture of them
hanging on her wall.

to juniper

i don't know
if she has received it yet -
but here is
what i sent out for
my first sweet post
in april.
to juniper -
in malta.

a washi bag, stamped tag, sticker, stamped feather & hand printed fabric swatch

an envelope stamp, stamped trees, twine, tea and an origami dress

hand stamped image, scrap paper, embroidered bird & an old stamp

a mixed media piece

happy mothers day