On the tail of the Full Snow Moon

Monday’s Full Snow Moon (also known as the Full Hunger Moon), heralded the way for another snowfall here on Tuesday. In spite of the not-so-distant memory of our record December snowstorms, this light snow brought welcome visual relief from toppling piles of tax-time paperwork.

I found myself lingering at the dining room window the greater portion of the day, watching the birds with renewed appreciation. Through the window, I could hear their excited chattering and melodious songs - renewing my spirit as they bustled about. A lovely, unexpected day, all on the tail of the Full Snow Moon.

Mixed Media Fabric Collage

Susan, Mom and I recently spent another wonderful two days together, this time playing with fiber and fabric. Gaining inspiration from the current issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, we experimented with needle felting and raw-edge appliqué / collage. I learned a lot through this process, including what I will do differently next time! I still have more stitching to do before my collage is finished, but here are some in-progress pictures:

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Here’s a peek at the “before and after” of a collage I recently completed for my mother, using one of my earlier background pieces (see Nov. 2 post). The embellishments consist of new and antique trims, vintage millinery, and an antique Victorian die-cut. Happy Birthday, Mom!

Mr. & Mrs. Townsend

Today I was greeted with the most lovely surprise – our beloved winter residents, a beautiful pair of Townsend warblers, finally arrived. I so look forward to seeing them each winter, but had given up hope of gazing upon them again as they usually set up temporary housekeeping in December. Perhaps it was the bitter cold this year that kept them away; for whatever reason, they chose to delight us once again with their presence. The male is especially grand with his formidable plumage, sporting a dramatic eye mask and a bold, tarantula-like mark upon his chest. For the next few weeks, I will be glued to my post at the dining room window whenever possible.

Background Techniques

Just finished two fun-filled days of Art Play with Mom and Susan! We experimented with different background techniques using papers, paints, inks, stencils and rubber stamps. I’ve included the “before” and “after” pictures for five of the collages so you can see the dramatic difference a bit of paint and ink can make!

It was very difficult for me to get comfortable with the idea of uncontrollably brayering over the collages with successive colors of paint, but eventually my shrieks of terror gave way to the subsequent phases of contented humming and stamping. Although I felt a bit out of my element with this ‘free-wheeling’ style, I must say I like the outcome and am looking forward to doing this again. Thanks to Mom and to Susan for another fun and inspirational experience!

Whooo's Watching Whooo?

An unexpected sighting of a Barred Owl caused quite a stir at our household. It was quite inquisitive and seemed amused rather at my frantic photo-taking. I lingered for quite some time observing this beautiful creature, and couldn’t help but wonder - who was watching who?

Soldering Party

I am one of the luckiest women on the planet. For my - ahem - “milestone” birthday this year, what I wanted more than anything else was to spend the day with friends, creating art. My friends (and Mom!) graciously indulged me, and we had a soldering party! What a fun day. We wore tiaras, laughed, and created art all day long. It was the best birthday celebration ever, and I’m so thankful to have these creative, generous, talented ladies as my friends. I am truly blessed. It was a day I will always remember, and I cannot think of a more glorious way to be ushered into another decade. Thanks, ladies, for your laughter, generosity and friendship. You’re the Best!

Congratulations, Mom!

I was so thrilled to see my mother’s hard work recognized by her peers today at the West Sound Quilters’ show, and am happy to be able to share pictures of her and her prize-winning quilts! I adore everything she does and am her biggest fan.

The batik New York Beauty is my favorite quilt of all, and usually resides on my living room chair, warming me each evening with its beautiful, subtle colors. Each block is an amazing engineering feat in piecing – there are hundreds of points in this quilt, some of which have two pieces in each point. I love the way the blocks are juxtaposed against one another for a lively, dancing rhythm.

She created the whale mariner’s compass quilt for my father to commemorate their fifty years together. All around the border, there are various species of whales, outline quilted and done in trapunto. It is truly a labor of love. Congratulations, Mom!

Summer Mosaic

As fall rains are slowly setting in, I’m feeling a bit sentimental about those not-so-long-ago summer days. One early June afternoon, a leisurely beach stroll at low tide turned into an hour of blissful, sensory overload. As I absorbed the newly unveiled, still-glistening mosaic of textures and colors that stretched out before me, I began to ponder what other wonders in life I often overlook that lie hidden just beneath the surface...

Bloom Angel

Bloom Angel was made for a friend to commemorate her move to a new home. The reverse bears the inscription “Those with strong roots will bloom wherever they are planted.”