Bears and more bears

Just a humorous shot of my husband with one of the many bears lining the streets of North Conway, NH. Spent the weekend away with Rainer following trails through the woods by the Saco river, wandering the woods listening to the quiet and having the best massage I have had in the past 10 years.  Kinks worked out, mind set back on track, life is feeling very very good to me right now. Not much more I could ask for! Thank you universe!

Handmade paper boxes and paper books

 

Last night extrodinare teacher and artist: Sally Allen led a class in handmade books. I jumped in on the process because it's been years since I made a book AND Sally is a wonderful nurturing instructor. So much fun ensued. For the first time ever I found paper folding therapeutic. I  could see simply folding papers for a meditative technique. To say the least: I had an incredible time. Can't wait for next week.  Got you thinking about a class? It's not to late to pop in. Check them out here! Happy Tuesday!

Let's make tissue paper flowers ...

Part of the fun around these parts in the summer is making things. Sometimes they imitate nature. The lesson here includes painting, color mixing and random cutting. In the end we get a bouquet of flowers mimicking the real bloomers outside.  Tissue paper folded into quarters, painted with watercolors, cut around the edges to frilly satisfaction and then twisted around a chenille stem.  Pop it into your own home made vase or glass bottle you have tied a ribbon around. Pretend that they smell divine!  Ahhhh, summer!

Flowers make happy!

my most favorite blooms are in petal pink

today's bouquet of peonies

This year I am also growing zinnias as an annual - and hopefully some marigolds from seed. Will report on that as they emerge more. It's wonderful to have them inside all around the house to take the gloom of the rain away! Daughter Chloe's drawing a bit - inspired by our flowers:

ink and watercolor

tiny bouquet on the table with Lu Summer's porcelain mug 

the white ones have pink middles!

I am thinking of starting a little series of oil paintings too of the bouquets - we'll see how that goes.