2020 Crafting in May and June

"Come, all of you who are gifted craftsmen.  Construct everything that the LORD has commanded:" Exodus 35:10 NLT

This is one of my favorite quotes.  It invites the six-year-old artist within me who dreams of being a gifted craftsman to express her primitive art style with simple stitches, splashes of paint, singing words, and planted plants...like these strawberry plants I inherited from the former owner of my unit.  I transplanted them from the garden by my front door to the back patio...and I am thrilled the plants have some blossoms on them now!  Just think.  The blossoms might grow into luscious, juicy red strawberries!

I was given this beautiful purple Clematis plant for Mother's Day and in the last few weeks, my youngest daughter has helped me purchase and plant two rectangular planters.

Besides the Clematis we planted some Sugar Snap pea plants, and Sweet Pea, Morning Glory, and mixed flower seeds.

Although I do not know the variety name of the rose bush in the front of the unit I live in I am grateful it is there and I am enjoying its blooms that have a delicate rose scent.  I wish you could smell the scent through your computer screen.  Do you have a rose bush near where you live?  When walking by rose bushes in my neighborhood I sometimes stop to sniff the blossoms~~~

Around Christmas, I made quite a few towel holders in red acrylic yarn.  Recently I had several folks ask me to make them in a different color.  One wanted theirs in beige so I made the holder below.  I only had a cotton blend yarn that works, but I do not like it as well as the acrylic because the cotton has less stretch and the stitches do not look as neat to me but the holder still holds a towel.

I almost did not show you this preemie baby blanket I am still working on once a week, because I thought I hadn't changed it much, but when I looked at the last photo of it I shared with you I realized I have made progress and added two colors.

In my mind's eye, I saw myself painting a botanically accurate view of a palm branch.  I thought I would try to paint a bird as well...but this is what I ended up with...totally different!

The realities of life can be quite a contrast to my artistic dreams and happily ever after convictions, and I am so grateful for the opportunities I have to be constructive.  I currently am working more on listening to God and others and I want to learn about and act on more practical projects to promote love in the world around me...a grand opus, life long work of art, isn't it?

((hugs))

Gracie :-)

Colorful Cozy Crafting

Welcome!  I'm so glad you stopped by to visit.  Have you been involved in crafting?  Above is one of my recent crafting explorations.  When I was in third grade...more than 60 years ago...I was guided to focus on music rather art instruction.  While I am grateful for the music instruction I have had since then in clarinet, bassoon, piano, and vocal, I especially enjoy learning about drawing and watercolor painting now.  Once a month I usually meet with a small group of women to work on a worship art project.  Above is my interpretation of the recent project our facilitator designed.

While the season is winter in my part of the world, I have seen little snow and ice in the valley where I live near Portland, Oregon, to impair my crafting efforts. In fact, four of my hanging plants still have flowers on them and I have been thrilled to see hummingbirds visit them to drink from the blossoms.

Inside, my Oxalis plant, on the bottom left in this photo above, produces sweet little white blossoms and I am also enjoying viewing the white flower on the little white Pointsettia in the bottom right of the photo above.

During our chilly weather, I am especially enjoying knitting mostly at our church small group a little preemie sized blanket in acrylic yarn.

However, I am especially enjoying knitting at home more rows on the bulky Merino wool blanket I started years ago.  It is big enough now to provide me with significant warmth on our colder days.

While I still have a Christmasy jingle bell wreath on my front door, I am amazed at and enjoying viewing the pink blossoms on two hanging plants framing the jingle bell wreath. It was fun crafting this view to share with you.

And look what I spotted poking out of the earth nearby the front door... Hyacinths! Beyond the Hyacinths in the upper left of the photo above is a clump of Cala Lillies...they will be trumpeting the arrival of Spring soon in the weeks ahead...I type as a woman of faith!

A recent sunrise gave me the opportunity to craft a photo of it.  I used my iPhone 11 Pro to take the photo, cropped the photo on my laptop Macbook Pro and let it choose the glorious color intensity that reflects what I saw... an encouraging warming firey glow to enliven life from skies that had been perseverating in chilly gray for many days.

I hope you are enjoying happy times... will you share how you have been crafting your days?

Gracie ((hugs))