It seems to me that snowflakes...

...are rather like human beings (or vice versa).  Each one is uniquely beautiful, rich in its own way, and delightful to behold.

Whether strongly geometric,

feathery light,

or cut from a different cloth altogether,

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there is always grace to be found.

The style may be bold and large,

contain a stripe of a different colour,

or even be torn in places, 

but there is always some artistry to be found in the individuality.

May you find yourself noticing the beauty in others as you move towards a completely newfound holiday season, 

and may you feel grateful, as I do, for the character and complexion of those you meet on your journey.  Thank you for sharing yours with me - there are no words to express what a gift you are in my life. 

'Ironing snowflakes' . . .

, , , is not a phrase that normally comes to mind in winter, but here we go.  It's winter, and I'm ironing snowflakes.

It started with my realization that it was fast nearing the end of November, and I'd not yet designed a Christmas card, never mind made any of the two dozen or so that are required.

This meant that I was under the gun for an idea, and even more so for the execution.  Of course, my go-to for any paper project is gel prints, given the stack of them I always have on hand.  Since childhood, one of my favourite winter pastimes has been to cut snowflakes, so combining the two thoughts was a no-brainer.

Enter my scissors, three or four sizes of gel-print squares, and the diagnosis of a rotator cuff injury which obligated me to do nothing in the way of housework for the foreseeable future, and there I was with a leaning-like-Pisa pile of cut snowflakes.

Folded and bent to the max, they needed a light touch with the iron before stage two could commence.

Not only the snowflakes are beautiful, though - the remainder of the squares from which they're cut are very interesting.  I've always been a fan of  'the space between', so I've carefully saved the outsides and ironed them as well.  And I've saved the teeny-tiny bits of pretty paper cutouts too, because - artist, -right?

And then it occurred to me that my painted dryer sheets might be a possibility instead of paper, so there's a pile of them started too.

I'm truly glad that no other options have hit my brain (yet), or I'd be cutting snowflakes from concrete and then ironing that!  We artists are very strange people, are we not?

Anyway, I'm sure I'll get to the point of actually making these cards, if I can just. stop. cutting. these. snowflakes.  

❄❄❄

Please, somebody send help!

I'm doing a happy dance...

...because after a year and a half of  computer issues with a new computer, I've finally got it fixed (she says with bated breath).  Thank you Swift!  I can actually work on something while the backup is being done, photo editing is back to normal, and the keyboard can keep up with my fingers AND my brain!  Whoopee - it's been a great week altogether.

I've been playing in the studio, of course, while the computer was playing at Swift.  This is the second of the 'In Your Absence' series, a piece that commemorates my mother.  She was so good with embroidery, quilting, and all things hand-crafted, and this piece of stitchery as I practiced my own handiwork seemed to call her name.  It will be affixed to a wood panel; whether more will be added has yet to be determined.

The piece for my sister is being auditioned with some colourful holes, given that she was a vibrantly colourful person.

I'm working still, again, endlessly it seems, in the black and white journal as well.  And there are still some 20+ pages to go!  

And I've finally gotten the courage to chop two pieces of fabric into four.  I'm going to cover some small canvasses and proceed from there.  

Because we're at the very tail end of autumn, and (dare I say it?) the beginning of winter, I've taken some sayonara photos on our daily walks.

This time of year is so beautiful, and one almost holds the breath in the hope that winter is short, and spring will soon return.

It's time to tuck into a warm spot at home, grab a glass, and a few good books when studio time is over.

May your tuck-into-winter time be fruitful, safe, and happy.  Do catch me up on your doings in the comments, will you?  

What the heck?

I'm going mad with my computer, having spent the last two days dealing with an update from Windows that has been frying my computer.  Heaven help me and my non-technical brain.  However, I think, I'm pretty sure  may have one or two photos for you now.

I promised you last week that I'd show you what was in the package for baby Owen, and here it is:

Owen's First Fish

While it may be his first fish, it definitely won't be his last.  Owen's daddy is a fisherman to the max, and as soon as Owen can hold a rod, I know he'll be fishing right alongside Jeremy.

The baby shower on the weekend was great fun, and I just have to show you what Rochelle's friends cooked up in lieu of games.  They painted the fronts and backs of wooden tiles (5 1/2" square by  3/4" deep), and set up a table of paints, stickers, papers, pens and ephemera for the guests to create an alphabet for Owen's room.

I've got them at home in order to secure them for hanging, and they look just awesome!

Apologies for the lack of photo editing; my photo editor has reverted to one that is a decade old and basically inoperable in the latest Microsoft update, so it's back to the shop for this baby (computer, not newborn 😉).

That's it for me this week, given that I'm dealing more with computer freezes and technological issues than I am with studio time.  Please let me know in the comments that you're having more fun than that - I'd love to hear what you've been up to while I've been tearing my hair out!

I feel like I'm returning from a distant planet...

 ...and truly, perhaps I am!  I've been in New Grandson followed by a trip to Recovering Body and a return visit to Covid Bluesland.  I'm here to let you know that I'm on the way back, with some photos of things in progress.  I know - you're thinking 'when will she ever FINISH anything?'.   Well, I did finish an experiment with sloppy drywall compound on a piece of canvas and can see some possibilities there.  Does that count?

I'm in such a 'what-if?' mode right now that I'm recycling an incredible amount of painty test tube babies.

And I did finish a page in my black and white journal this week,

and I'm working on several others as well..

Some brainstorm had me wondering what house wrap would look like melted and gessoed, so I did a piece of that just to satisfy my curiosity.  I've always liked the threads in house wrap, and the way it melts is fascinating.  I do worry occasionally that I'm a bit of a pyromaniac.

Of course I had to paint it then, and watch the colours play on the warped surface.  The colours made me think of the American flag, so perhaps some stripes and stars will get added to this.  Is that blasphemy to my US friends?  I hope not!

I've got another piece on the go - a start to a series entitled 'In Your Absense'.  The colours in this piece remind me so much of my sister, lost to cancer nearly two decades ago.

This was another piece that was great fun to watch - all those streams of blue wandering into the Kroma Crackle crevices were delightful.  I'm going to have to do another piece just for the sheer pleasure of videoing the seepage.

Oh - I finished something else.  I wrapped a gift and mini/book card for our new grandson; his Covid-safe shower is this weekend. The wrapping paper is hand-painted in the colours chosen for his room.  I do feel somewhat hugely guilty that the mini book/card is not colour-coordinated to match.  😉 Luckily it's well hidden in the envelope I made.  

As for the contents of the package, the match is a pretty reasonable one - you'll get to see that in the coming weeks, I'm sure.  While you wait for that exciting show and tell, why not let me know what you've been up to in the last bit.  I'm in huge need of a catch-up on your lives, artistic or not!