new table!

Yay, finally our new table is done!  So proud of my  husband, didn’t he do an awesome job!   I have been waiting for a table for a long time, one large enough to meet the needs of our family and entertaining. It fills the space beautifully and we will have plenty of room to have another whole family over without extending.

A good friend of ours was taking down a family barn and salvaged the wood for us.  I love the character of the different woods, wormholes, knots and cracks.  I absolutely love bowties/butterfly joints, so he kind of accentuated the cracks and added three inlays in walnut. Aren’t they precious, am I gushing too much?   I still want to find some good chairs, but wanted to see the table first in the space (any good suggestions or store links for chairs?)  He is making a split bench as well, so I can put the two together to fill the length of one side or fit on each end.

It was worth the wait, to have such a personal table, we’re DIYers…woohoo, so excited, who wants to come over to party!

tracks

This morning the pool was a little too crowded for a swim, being a beautiful sunrise I opted for some winter play.  Walking along the old rails to trail I remembered the allure of winter hikes.  The trail I walked on was loaded first with snowmobile tracks, than as I moved further along the river fox, deer, rabbits, and I am sure many others I didn’t catch.  I am glad I took my snow shoes as it allowed me to go off the path in areas that are normally covered in brush in the summer.  Quiet, peaceful, textural – I have been slow to get back in the studio after Christmas.  Winter has come, it’s time for play!

salvage beauties

We have slowly been replacing windows on our 100 year old home.  I saved these two from the scrap pile as I needed a display for my ever growing collection of pendants.  I removed the glass, sanded the sides and covered them in 3 coats of chalkboard paint (I had it leftover.)  I had my handy Andy cut new wood panels, which I covered in cork and linen and fastened them together with hinges.  Total cost $6.  Here’s to living simply and being more resourceful.   I really like the chalkboard sides… they are going to be fun!

Also I will be participating in a fundraiser at http://www.displayyourheart.com  to raise money for tornado victims right here in the US.  There are over 140 different crafters participating,  I love when art is used for good.  It begins Friday June 17 – 29, check out the blog for more details.  I’ve been reading The tipping point by Malcom Gladwell, we have a little chance everyday to make a difference.  All those little things lead to a dramatic shift.

zoom out; zoom in

I guess I have a little thing for asparagus (and lilacs…)  I really don’t know where my kids get playing with their food from!  This is the recipe that started it all – I just love this one and I am so excited that there are leftovers for lunch.  Don’t worry I won’t even attempt to make it into ice-cream – I do have some sense.

I have been waiting for my clay to dry, so I have temporarily gravitated to watercolor and printmaking.  Here is a view of my new little workspace overlooking my kids “work”space…   My husband designed that swing set and built it with my brother and our local Amish.  What a treat!  I can’t wait until our first family campout in there this summer.

I like how the asparagus prints turned out but I think I need to order some green and purple ink, perhaps I will try a little gradation print. I entered a drawing to win Christine’s new book from yellow owl workshop but I really don’t have that much luck with contests (another story for another day), I am sure there are instructions on how to do this in there but I just went ahead and went for it on my own.  What do you think?

block printing

Beautiful film.  I love seeing the process and the rhythm of pressing the block – almost like a song.

need a retreat? yurt on.

My husband has this dream of building our own home, a beautiful timber-frame home.  I love when he draws home plans and researches, and pray that one day it may become a reality.  I truly love the look of exposed beams and large windows. Perhaps it makes smaller spaces seem more open.  He has great ideas, not that I don’t have a few of my own to contribute…

I am drawn to the idea of a handmade home, beautiful and functional and serves as retreat surrounded by nature.  I dream of land for a decent garden, room for gatherings, and a studio,  ooh and being water too, is that too much to ask?

A while back I stumbled along a story of the Farrells who built a little respite of their own.  They gathered fifty of their closest friends to help them build a yurt in the Adirondack Mountains.   They finished in 10 days and have been visiting the site for the last 30 years, adding a sauna, stream powered hot tub and several other buildings along the way.  Check out more of their great story and pictures here.

While this is not a timber-frame home or their primary residence I love that the basis of this place is quality time and community.   When put that way, I realize I am part of a little community just like this, SpringHill!  I think this is what draws people to camp, are the memories associated with being around nature, a common faith, campfires and unique housing (but we call our yurts, wigwams…)  No hot-tub or sauna yet but we have plenty of lakes and streams.  As the snow melts our winter retreats are finishing up and the landscape begins to look a little more like this… oh summer, come forth, we are ready!

I am thankful that no matter how much I can dream up, I have a maker who created the heavens and the earth and has already blessed me beyond my imagination.

woodgrain love

These have been sitting out all week on various surfaces at home, I love walking past to steal a peek.  I have been testing out new textures and glazes and the combinations of each.  For the last few years I have loved the look of birch bark which is abundant around here on fallen trees and the texture of woodgrain. I think my environment is beginning to influence my style!

I am still exploring as an artist, trying to figure out what I am drawn to make. These are a few test pieces but I feel they really bring me a step closer to where I want to be.  The rectangles I made to be book covers,  I am excited to make some signatures and try out a Coptic stitch to bind one-of-kind journals.  The squares will be made into necklaces, I will embroider around the one with the golden heart.  The small circles were made purely to test glaze colors, I am loving the earthy tones. Also the half circle will be a bib style necklace I am picturing would be great with a scoop neck or strapless top.  Honestly, I have gotten less stylish since becoming a mom maybe it’s just being modest, it just seems less important to keep up with trends.  Thankfully my kids are the cutest accessories and I am able to enjoy them and pursue my passions, that’s the priceless part.

 

 

Projects…

Can you spot all the pending projects in this photo?

Winter = indoor projects.  It seems like between A and I we have quite a few.  These are just a few spotted in our basement. yikes!

1. New pottery Bench  - done!

2. Sand bunk beds and restain a darker color – in progress

3. Replace bathroom and bedroom doors with vintage oak doors, trim to size

4. Refinish chair and re-cover with better fabric

5. Find better fabric

6. Clean basement