{Posted from} Home

The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest ~ Sir Thomas Moore ~


hOMe is where the heART is …


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

from my hand ~ into the wind ...

Around this time of year, when the perennials have gone to seed, its collecting time.
The cosmos still have a few blooms left on them and just yesterday, we spotted bumble bees inside them.  Their cup shapes seem perfect for holding their weight,  so they were left for a few more days.
Our garden is all about the needs of the birds, bees and butterflies.  The seeds are a bonus!
We have a big clump of cosmos next to our driveway, and I will often dead head as I am walking up the path to my front door and simply scatter the seeds.
By mid October, on a nice warm sunny day, I will begin gathering seeds to save and give to friends.
Every year I do the same thing.  I create little seed savour pouches out of brown kraft paper, with a little feather  and SPARROW SEED CO. stamp.
This year, I wanted to do something a bit different.
I found these sweet little glass vials with tiny cork topper and thought they would make the perfect vessel to hold seeds.  They actually hold quite a lot of seeds.
Still deciding how to embellish the bottles ...maybe add a little wire hanging loop ♥
Planning on slipping them into a small burlap stamped drawstring bag for gift giving.
dry seeds
scatter from my hand
into the wind
one clings
as if to say
there is in me
something yet to be
~Jeanne Emrich~

Monday, October 27, 2014

Whimsy & Woodland Walks ...

~You've Got Mail~

For those who love writing (and receiving)  letters as I do, You've Got Mail is  now available in my little Etsy shop. A whimsical 8.5" x 11" print.
~*~
 "Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds"

I love snail mail, always have. Emails are wonderfully convenient and fast, but there is, and always will be something so lovely about finding a card in the mailbox and sitting with it in your hand. Reading the handwritten words from a friend and loved one is good for the soul.

Creating cards, writing cards, taking a little extra time to personalize each one, adding a stamp and sending it on its journey ~ I take great pleasure in each and every step.

You've Got Mail pays homage to the art of letter writing. From Air Mail to Snail Mail.

Sparrow wears a blue jacket with red pocket, and carries a satchel with red and white polka dot strap and black buckle. Always ready for inclement weather , Sparrow wears wellington boots for those long routes and stylish walking. And just look at all those lovely letters and postcards.
Once Sparrow has flown them in from far away places, snail, who represents a slower pace of living, will take over.
Someone is in for a lovely surprise ♥
Also added to the shop today are 2 more additions to my © Women of the Woods Series.
The Aviary Keeper & Wide Eyed Wonderment.
I am always fascinated with legends and Legend of Wood Spirits is one that has always resonated with me.
~*~
~Legend of Wood Spirits~
It has been told, that wood carvers from many cultures look for an image, such as a face or animal seen embedded into the grain of the wood, and then, through their carvings, work to free it.
Throughout history, various cultures believe that these Spirits inhabit the trees of the forest.
some believe that these Wood Spirits have been living within the tree from the very beginning bringing luck and blessings to those who find shelter within them.
  This legend along with calm woodland walks with Archer served as my inspiration.  I remember the first  painting I did, long before I thought of doing a series of paintings. It seemed to appear out of nowhere ... a face out of the tree ... branches representing hair.
 My sketchbooks are not very big due to the fact that I more often than not, take out a sheet of watercolour paper and draw, rarely erasing anything! What I draw is what  I paint.  So when I was continually drawing images as though they were tree spirits I realized that I had a series of prints :-)
A friend mentioned a month or so ago, that one of my prints appeared "smudged".  I had to go back and look at the original and then it dawned on me.  Tree Spirit! ... I have painted the faces as though they have emerged from the bark of a tree ...each face will have blotches and crevices, colour variations ~ just like the bark of a tree ♥
I would like my pictures
 to look as if a human being had passed between them,
like a snail
leaves its slime.
~Francis Bacon~

Sunday, October 19, 2014

A splash of colour ...

;

A fence filled with love ...
I love morning glory and toss seeds into the soil every spring along the fence and arbours of our home.  This year, I found a package of morning glory seeds long forgotten and pushed to the back of the cupboard.  The result was very few morning glory (a dozen at the most) which made finding one even lovelier.  What we did receive from that little package was a fence filled with heart shaped leaves
~love* love*love~
{I wrote this on my flickr photo stream & since then it has continued to bloom}
some Autumn colour in our garden
our pergola which is covered in honeysuckle vine looks it's most gorgeous this time of year
the cooler temps must be luring the honey suckle
our "late bloomer"
 my favourite Autumn bookmark
 gifted from our Maple
 
The postman brought me the newest issue of the Stampers' Sampler earlier in the week...
My "Peace on Earth" angel is on page 88
 
 

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Thankful {things I love} Thursday ...

setting the table
with freshly washed
air dried
 and pressed
linen napkins
a new box of grey chalk ♥
painting little wooden tags
my old silver tray/chalk board
blogging
xoxo
seeing my hexagon knitted quilt increase in size
adding some little whimsy
{of course}
will embroider some love notes on the hearts
when it is all together ... I am almost there!
stored in my vintage suitcase
so handy when I want to knit in different rooms :-)
letting our beautiful Thanksgiving bouquet from our daughter
dry naturally
the view from one of our walks
and found hidden treasures
the next 2 are not the best photos ...
these little sweeties kept me company as I was doing the breakfast dishes as soon as I spotted them out the window I grabbed for the camera
the morning began dark with a misty rain
but now
the sun is shining brightly
~*~
hope you are having a lovely Thursday ♥

Monday, October 13, 2014

Thankful Living: Autumnal Blessings ...

As we celebrate Thanksgiving ...
the weather for our weekend hike could not have been lovelier.
Giving thanks for beautiful spaces
to walk
& all the whimsy!
We spotted so many tree spirits...
do you see the bear cub popping his head out to greet those who pass by?
or the moose?
he was hard to miss :-)
and the amazing webs of the spider
that glistened in the sunlight
absorbing all this beauty
 & the strength and determination found in nature ♥
The greatest wonder
is that we can see these trees
and not wonder
more
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
filling the shelves over at my little Etsy shops
with new items...
* prints *
~I will keep you safe~
* card sets *
* one of a kind hand painted wooden tags *
Christmas items will be added soon xo
Is not the Sky
a Father
and the Earth
a Mother
and are not
all living things with feet
or wings
or roots
their Children?
~Black Elk~
(Oglala Sioux)
 
~Happy Thanksgiving Blessings~
d

Sunday, October 5, 2014

sunday serenity ...

woodland walks ...
captured ...
as we walk
winding
meandering
paths
with the sweetest of walking companions
noticing the changing of seasons
breathing in the crisp fresh air
and all this gorgeous colour
and stopping
every once in a while to admire
& never take for granted
Nature's beauty
Even if something is left undone,
everyone must take time
to sit still
and watch the leaves turn
~Elizabeth Lawrence~