Dye play

I am very excited about using a decorative plate, old hankie, and dyes to create art!

Hollyhocks

When I was young, my father taught me how to make hollyhock dolls.  I was probably 8 years old.  We went out to the garden and he explained how his grandmother always had hollyhocks in her garden.  Red ones.  She had moved to town from the farm when her husband died in 1947.  My dad was born in 1936, so I figure he was about the same age as me when we first learned to make our little dolls...

On father's day, the hollyhocks spoke to me, urging me to come out and play.  The clump that is blooming also has a bit of a story to tell.  A few years ago my sister and I took our daughters to Paris for a week.  (a wonderful adventure!).  While we were waiting in line for the Catacombs, my daughter passed out.  The staff was most helpful and thought we really should take her to the hospital.  All ended well - combination of heat, not enough water, hunger.  She learned a valuable lesson.

On our walk back to the Catacombs (hours later), we walked past a library with a small garden of  hollyhocks that had bloomed and were still holding seed pods.  One fell into my pocket.  Need I say anything else?

My hollyhock doll was a fun memory chaser!

eric's quilt

Eric's quilt is now in the planning stages....  I was told that his favorite color is red.  That would be 49er's red (and gold).  I did some brainstorming and hit on using a German aircraft symbol (from 1918) for the design, as he works as helicopter mechanic in the army (based in Germany with my son).  How fabulous that the German flag is also red, yellow and black!  This quilt will be full of symbolism! 

(No - I don't really have this much done...  photoshop is such a good way to try out an idea!)

Dragonfly

99 cents at hobby lobby...  really cheap dragonfly mask:

A pond full of bull frogs

They are noisy and kind of creepy when you have so many living in one pond.  The big ones don't even scare away when you walk right up to them.  Not enough to call a plague, but still too many for me!

Morning walk / found my project tree!

Recently I saw a picture of some dead trees that have been artfully painted.  I live next to a small forest and just knew that I had to do this too!  This morning Percy and I took a walk looking for dead trees.  I found the perfect tree on the path going to the fairy circle.  It is too tall to paint all the way to the top, but I bet Jon will be happy to top it for me (what man doesn't like the chance to pull out his chain saw?!?)

Percy is looking so old...  Next week he turns 7.  His very bad haircut is my fault...  I started trimming him for the summer and just never got back to it.  Fortunately, he never complains! Note the catalpa blossoms on the path - so pretty to walk on.  We have a couple of catalpa trees on our property and I always look forward to bloom time.

It may be dead, but is still standing.  Later today I'll clean out the poison ivy around it and trim off the little branches.  One little patch of bark remains.  Can't wait to have some fun!

BuJo - States

I've officially started my Bullet Journal (thanks to my dear friend Beth).  She has a stencil of the U.S. and graciously shares.   Step one for me is the states I have lived in.  Sometime this weekend I'll add the states I have visited - and more artwork!