There it went again...

 ...and we're into July already!  How did that happen?

It's been a lovely week, starting with a lovely morning coffee on the deck at Good Company Coffee , an outstanding spot overlooking orchards and vineyards just down the road from us.  John says they have the best hot chocolate ever, and had two cups to prove it.

We enjoyed the Farmer's Market, and scored these lovely sweet peas.  Now the house smells like my grandfather's garden, and what could be happier than that?

An early morning sunrise was a great place to spot some birdsong through the window.  The sky was a truly lovely background, don't you think?

And of course there was time to play in the studio with more collages-in-progress in the mini travel journal.

As I did last week, I stuck to two or three different papers, and simple formats.  Goodness knows how they'll end up, though!  Or even when, come to think of it - the summer is so lovely it's constantly calling me outside to play.  

I hope your summer (or winter in that other half of the world) is progressing as it should, with sunshine, creativity, and pure, unadulterated joy.  

Another week has flown by...

...and I've been scrambling to get some studio time in.

We spent a couple of days out of town checking out this year's Sculpturewalk with our youngest grandson

as well as attending his graduation from preschool.  It's hard to imagine he's heading to kindergarden in the fall.

When it came time for studio play, I headed back to my mini travel journal signature to make these 2"- ish x 3 1/2" ish collages, challenging myself to use only three papers.  I think the KISS principal works like a charm.

As you can tell, I had a blast, and I know there will be more to come.

I've also had an ultra-fine tip applicator bottle for inks sitting on my shelf for some weeks, and finally got around to playing with it.  I can see it's going to be great fun when I get the hang of it.

How about you?  What did you get up to this week?  I'm going to pop over and take a look in a bit!!  Happy creating, whatever it was.

When I experiment...

 ...in the studio I learn so much about what works, and what does not.  Some play this week with painted cheesecloth and then dryer sheets gave me some new avenues to try when it comes to GAC400 and unusual fibres. 

The startup, regardless of fibre, just looks as gloopy as with embroidery threads.

I did have a fun play with some of the cheesecloth, though, 

and it got me wondering why I'd never incorporated any in paintings in this manner, given how much I love the softness of the way it layers.

And of course, with this week incorporating Father's Day, there was a card to be made for John.  He mentioned that it had been nearly two decades since he wore a tie, though.  😉

We attended a car show on Father's Day, and really enjoyed seeing all the vintage vehicles.  This one was John's favourite.

I was reminded of my granddaughter's perennial penchant for pink when I saw this one.

And who could resist a Mustang?

It was a very colourful week all around, as you can see, and that is, obviously, just how I like my world!  

Stolen time is just delicious...

...and I managed a few quick sessions this week.  I've created two more embroidery thread baskets 

and love the wild shapes.

I'm amused by how different they look while in process - messy, gloopy and out of control!

I finished an 10" x 8" collage, as yet untitled (got any ideas?), 

and noticed a circle cut overlaying a painting in progress in much the same colours.  Funny how things can strike an artist, isn't it?  I really liked the way this looks and may turn it into a mini card.

I'm on deck for a child's birthday party this week, and given that I've not done this in some 30+ years, I've been enjoying the experience.  My granddaughter turns five and her other gran is bringing her and her brother here to celebrate.  I had so much fun putting things together - food, gifts, and goody boxes.  I loved the boxes so much I may go back to the Dollar Store a purchase a couple for myself.  🤣

I think they'd be perfect for just about any small collection, don't you?

Wishing you a wonderfully colourful and creative week - may you celebrate like a five-year-old at her own birthday party!  💗

Red is Best...

...and this is definitely me when I was a child,

I wore red everything - boots, scarf, tuque, mittens and once I managed to get into Mom's rouge as a four-year-old to complete the ensemble.

I use the colour over and over again,

and love all the variations of it.

It turns up in paintings,

and experimental pieces,

and in book after book.

I love how it looks with black and white,

and really, with any other colour in the spectrum.

Even when choosing a puzzle for John to work on, there's a strong likelihood it has a preponderance of red.  

In fact, a view of my studio shows so much red  (right down to my tool box in the bottom left corner) that one could think there is an obsession happening.

However, just in case you feel like this post is a little overdone in the red department, I'm including a photo of a 'pile of something' in the parking area of our across-the-street neighbour.  Isn't it the most delicious pile of blue one could view?  While I've no idea what it is, I'm definitely loving the rich colour!!

Hopefully, it's back to the studio for next week's post.  In the meantime, I'm popping over to your blogs to see what's going on in your world. Happy first week of June to you all. 😎🪻🌷🌻🔆