Wednesday, January 18, 2017

This and That






The Liberate Your Art postcard swap has been announced.
I've participated for a number of years and it is a lot of fun.
In the past I've sent one of my photographs.
This year I decided to send one of my art pieces.
Since so many are dealing with a harsh winter,
I thought they might like seeing a little "Spring Fling"! 
Watercolor on Index card.



Bouquet


Before the big freeze,
this little guy came to visit.
I think he enjoyed the buffet.



Robin

The green you see in the photo is now brown. 
I would have had to cover the whole back yard in preparation for our big freeze. 
Seeing what makes a triumphant return to life will be an adventure!

I'm going to Commit To Sit!
Now in it's seventh year, this free 28-day challenge is an exploration of the tools of meditation led by teacher,
 Sharon Salzberg.
I joined this group several years ago and I need a refresher course.
It starts February 1.
If you are interested, you can find more information here.



Currently Reading



I'm still reading The Glass Universe by Dava Sobel.
I found my copy of Real Happiness and am ready for the Commit to Sit month.
Paintbrush in Paris is about a cat in Paris written by illustrator Jill Butler.
Seems like I've been looking for a copy for ages -- adorable and a fun look at Paris.
Last, but not least, by Leisure Arts, Mirror Image Scarves. 



Mirror Image Scarves

Rainy days were made for reading and crocheting.
So far, I've made two of the Mirror Image Scarves.
I'm using up my stash of Caron Cakes -- bought when they were on sale.
I'm liking how they are looking. 

When I work on a pattern from a book,
I make a copy of the pattern.
Do you do that?
I like to mark up the copy (instead of the book) ---
marking what row I'm on ... any "funny" directions that I had to figure out,
notes to myself -- even about the yarn. 
Just wondering!!!!!!!! 




Collage




Wishing YOU well and much joy!






Collage




Yarn A Long

Hooking On Hump Day

Five on Friday

Willy Nilly Friday

Mosaic Monday







33 comments:

Cheryl said...

What interesting books. Must look them up. Scarves and stash busting go together so well. Love the photo of the bird. He looks like he has a number of questions on his mind. Nice he had a good feed before the freeze.

Julia said...

I do make a copy of patterns out of books or magazines before working on it, I might transfer notes neatly in after but I don't want to risk damage or lost of the book and I don't like carrying them unless I am reading them! My grandma always did this and she taught me.

My Little Home and Garden said...

That little pot of painted flowers is so darn cheerful! I take it you work with yarn a great deal. I've picked up knitting again this winter; it's rather nice to have a project on the go.

Karen

mamasmercantile said...

Beautiful photo of the bird. I do not take copies of the patterns from books, such a great idea. However I keep a piece of paper inside the pattern to make notes on, copying the pattern would be so much easier. Take care.

Rosie said...

The little pot of flowers is so cheerful and the scaves are pretty too. I like the sound of the book Paintbook in Paris:)

Mascha said...

Such a lovely colorful spring greeting!
I've just ordered at amazon the book "Paintbrush in Paris" , I'm a big fan of illustrated books and cat books, thanks for the tip :-)

Amy at love made my home said...

Hope you enjoy sharing your beautiful creations! What a lovely thing to do!!

Tom said...

I'm looking forward to see our first robin!

Little Wandering Wren said...

Hey, good luck with your commit to sit challenge, what a lovely start to the year. I will be doing a similar thing next week but in front of the telly watching the tennis! I can picture you all zenlike sending your artwork out into the big wide world waiting for the returns - loved this post, you are a great sharer of ideas.
Thanks for stopping by to visit me at the tennis!
Wren x

Sharon said...

What wonderful creations! Love the colours.

Have a great weekend

Betty J. Crow said...

Beautiful scarfs. It's been good weather for knitting and reading.

riitta k said...

Paintbrush in Paris seems a fun and fascinating book! Tiny bird visitors are so cute and fun to watch. I have one blackbird that talks to me - amazing! Have a great weekend!

Brenda @ Its A Beautiful Life said...

What a lovely post! A real treat for the eyes to visit and catch of glimpse of your world.

Thank you so much for sharing...
Brenda


At Rivercrest Cottage said...

someday I hope to crochet something that turns out to be a real piece of clothing. so far I've just made pieces of squares and such trying to learn. Your pieces are inspiring for us "learners". Thanks for sharing your work.

Lorrie said...

"Paintbrush in Paris" looks like a fun book. The fat robin visiting your garden looks quite pleased with himself. Enjoy the crocheting and painting!

Crimson Kettle said...

What a pretty pot of flowers, great colours and so cheerful.

Mac n' Janet said...

Love your card, so pretty. Enjoy your books, they look good.

Jean said...

Such a pretty card and a great photo of the robin. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

aspiritofsimplicity said...

All of your work is so beautiful. Love the scarves and I love, love, love the flowers you've made. So sweet and cheery. There is a meditation workshop at my church that I have wanted to go to but I've been too busy to make it there...ironic.

Gracie Saylor said...

Your creative Five have cheered me. Thanks :)

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Sounds like you have winter under control! Bad weather isn't going to beat you down. With all your talents and interests I imagine you would welcome the cold weather as a time to be indoors and create!

Maggie said...

Visiting your blog today has inspired me to find out more about Commit To Sit, it sounds like something I might enjoy. Your pretty mosaics tell a wonderful story of what your week was like, so happy that you told us about it @ Mosaic Monday this week.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

A wonderful mix of fun and creative things. Lovely artwork and crochet.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I love your pretty art! And I don't buy many books...usually get my patterns from the internet and print them off. Enjoy your day and all of your fun projects! Hugs!

Rajesh said...

Beautiful images. Very cute bird.

Linda H said...

That robin looks very well fed! Or he's really fluffed up! I always make a working copy of cross stitch patterns, then I don't feel badly about marking them up, shading in areas already completed or whatever... I think its the smart thing to do!

DeniseinVA said...

Super images! Thank you for your comment on my blog.. Very much appreciated :) Happy New Year!

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Snap; I LOVE to see you had ADORABLE robin visited your garden♩ Oh, I admire you so much that you love art work, crocheting, reading books♡♡♡
Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend, xoxo Miyako*

Sylvia said...

I love the watercolor, I am intrigued by Commit to Sit and loved your photos. Thanks for sharing. Sylvia D.

hula-la said...

Great post here...looking forward to the LYA swap myself. And oooo, I just love your scarves there. Maybe I'll get one of your postcards in the swap to prompt Spring along! Aloha!

Tanya Breese said...

I love your watercolor! You are very talented! And what a cute visitor you had! Commit to sit sounds interesting along with the postcard swap! Thank you for linking and I hope you have had a great week!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

You are so multi-talented!

Annie said...

Hello Snap! I've received your delightful Spring Fling postcard here in California. It goes well with our blooming tulips. I love your watercolor. Watercolor is something I struggle with. So I stick to background blobs of it in my art. This is my first year participating in Liberate Your Art. I'm thrilled to have a piece of your art.
Hugs, Annie