So Much Fun!

The Open Studio Show was a great success! People actually came. It was perfect. I really wanted people to come and have fun - and they did. There was food, lemon-aide and tea. People came and hung out - It was lovely.
I am looking forward to the second annual Tea and Art in the Garden.
My family had a blast too. Many people who came brought their children, so my kids had play date after play date.
You should see my house - Wow! It is still so clean. We all love it. Not that we are normally slobs, but that underneath dirt doesn't get much attention.
Thank you everyone who came. You made this a truly special time for me. I am all fluffed up with all the loving support and positive feedback I received. Two blog followers even came (As Shelby says, I'm not just writing to the crickets after all).

I will be adding some of my new flags up on my etsy soon. I have lots!

Happy, happy, wiggle, wiggle.

Home Art Show

Planning a home studio sale brings back fears from my early 20's... what if I throw a party and know one shows! Yikes. Just have to put my brave self forward and have a party.

I will mostly have my new blessing flags, much more then have made it to my etsy shop. I really enjoy making the blessing flags and using recycled clothing. It feels right.

I will also have my other fiber and watercolor pieces.

I'll keep you posted on the outcome.

A Fine Day in the Garden

I spent the day getting the garden ready for vegetables and herbs. The kids made fairy houses and fairy people.
This is the food cache for the fairy people. Hung in the branches of the Olive tree.
Here is the sweet little Olive tree with the fairies and fairy homes.
Here is the Panda's home.
A fairy climbing the tree.These two fairies are on top of the bird feeder.
A mermaid swinging.
Kids making grass chairs.

A fine day indeed!

Wool Roving not just for Spinning

Spring is for caterpillars and butterflies. I made these critters with my sons first grade class for their spring project.
They turned out great. It was a little tougher for the children to make then I thought it would -especially the caterpillars. The butterflies were perfect for them.

We decorated Sam's tree with all the butterflies. Looks great and "springy".

If you want to make these critters, I got the wool from Spinning Awesome Good.

New Flags

Here is one of my latest flags - Party Hats. They are made from recycled linen and linen/rayon clothing. The tie is also from the recycled clothes, I use the seams and hems to string the flags together. I really like the frayed loose edges. Behind them is another new set made with recycled silk clothing.

Inspired By Another

Bird nesting supplies arrived from my dear friend Shelby. She has an etsy shop where she sells the most beautiful wool roving. It comes shaped like a flower!

She had a customer order some of her wool who put it up in the trees so the birds could have colorful soft nests this year. You can see her blog here. It is a lovely blog full of color, love and family. I was so inspired by her post I had to create my own nest supply for the birds.

I tied little pieces of the roving onto a sweet little Maple tree I am babysitting for Shelby. I think it looks so lovely. I love this idea. They are also like little-mama-bird blessings floating on the wind.

Just one problem here at my house. Look at the next photo. I didn't notice it until I uploaded the photo. "Hey I tink I taw a puddytat"

Look at that little rascal of a cat. He thinks it is a birdie diner. I am going to have to keep an eye on that guy.
If you are inspired to fly some nest supplies please share your photos or blog.

Happy nesting!

Blooming February - Must be in California

The miniature peach tree on our front steps is blooming.  February here in California has been beautiful.  December and January nearly swallowed me whole with all the rain and fog.  I am happy to say I am beginning to bloom again just like the plants in my garden.  I love how connected we are to the earth and her rhythms.  
I am taking a year long herb class - "Cultivating the Herbal Medicine Woman Within" from Kami McBride of Living Awareness Institute .  The class has inspired me to transform our backyard into edible plants only.  I have been pulling up bushes and such all winter (had to do something outside during all that fog we had).  
This little lovely is Sambucus Mexicana - aka Elderberry.  Now she is just a baby, but will grow to 14 ft or so.  A nice bushey gal.  My family has stayed heathy all winter thanks to this plant.  You can make a medicinal syrup from the berries and flowers that target flu and cold viruses.  It is fun and easy to make and it tastes good. 

This fennel is left over from last year.  Self seeded this fall and is now taking over.  My kids love nibbling on this plant.  Good for digestion too.

This pomegranate self seeded from all the pomegranates my kids ate two years ago.  They would have contests to see who could spit their seeds the furthest.  We have four of them growing all around the house from the kids.  
I have two tea roses in the backyard.  I can't wait to harvest the petals and make some luscious smelling infused oil from these.  

I must say the back yard is looking kinda sparse.  We haven't planted the veggie garden yet.  But very soon it will be over flowing with lusciousness.
This picture is for Sam.  We are plant sitting his birth tree until his family can retrieve it.  It is growing happily in a huge blue ceramic pot.  It is just starting to bud.

Thanks for letting me share my garden.  My friend Shelby inspired me with her post on her garden.  Check out her ceramic button and wool roving shops on etsy.  She is one of the most heart felt people I know and a wonderful artist.

Rainbow Linen Flags

Looking for White - I Find a Rainbow

I love the way linen feels  and it's rich texture.  I've been thinking of making blessing flags out of linen.  I think the weight of the linen will hang nicely and the way it frays so lovely will look great on a blessing flag.

Not thinking I would be able to find all the colors that inspire me, I thought I'd find white or off white linen and dye it.  I didn't want new linen, I wanted to use discarded clothes and give them new life as blessing or spirit flags.

This is what I found in my favorite second-hand store - the colors of the rainbow!  I must confess, not all of these finds are 100% linen.  Some are 50% linen and 50% rayon mix.  I just couldn't resist some of these colors.  Although, after doing some research on rayon and how it is processed, I think I will stick with the linen.  Even though rayon is made with natural fibers it is processed using heaving chemicals.
Plus, I have found it doesn't fray as nicely as the linen. But, just look at these reds and pinks...
yellows and oranges...
greens and blues and teals...and purple and violet...

I am experimenting making linen blessing flags with a little more spirit in them then my last ones.  I love my other flags, but I want to focus a little more on the sweetness of life, and feel like I can add some beauty and love and peace into our world.

I will post some of my flags soon.  I do have a couple of my new linen ones in my etsy shoppe.

Toot-a-loo

Terry