twelve days

Twelve days.
12 days ago I started this little project.

Two days ago I finally put a little rip at the bottom of the page

That surprised me. I thought it would happen much sooner.

 

With apologies for the blurriness,

 akin to how I feel at the end of a day of stitching.

 

I expect I will have to take a break soon, despite my diligence, my hope to not abandon this piece before it feels done, because of preparations over the next 12 days for the holidays.

 

Peace and Joy

Keeping the light in our hearts



soft and hard edges

Since these next few pictures were taken, we've had a bit of snow, just a bit.

It was so nice to see the morning sun rising that I ran out to catch these shots.

 The glare created a metaphorically pink bubble on the lens which I thought was rather fitting for the state of mind I was in.

 

Turning, I could see the silhouette of our property in shadow across the street,

 garage on the left, house on the right, and the chimney of Forget-Me-Not Cabin in the middle

 

The next day brought the clouds that would bring the snow.

 

the roiling sky.

 

I'm still working on an embroidery in thread on paper in my altered book that I started last week with a day off yesterday. Today will be day 5 and I must say, I'm ready to move on, but won't until I've tied up...a few loose ends. Oh those puns keep coming. I've got so many ideas I'd like to jump into. But this piece needs some attention before I abandon it altogether. I seem to get into these endless projects sometimes. They usually happen when I jump in without much direction, hoping somehow they'll come together, but often have inherent problems like the fact that this is way out of my comfort zone with the geometrics and hard edges.

 

Day 2

I'll show you more soon



 



Keeping peace in our hearts,

I wish you love



a pale November sky

It's been trying to snow. That makes me happy.
There is a spot in my heart for the first snow. There are so many false starts here that I get to savour that feeling a few times...

The following pictures are from the book I have been playing in or "altering":

weaving and cutting out

 

more weaving with stitching

 and then some freehand embroidery with a stamp on the gessoed text

 

the back of the same embroidered page with a blurry stamp that I gessoed over

and a facing page, gessoed as well, waiting for inspiration

 

embroidering an older piece that I abandoned last winter

as I wait for the gesso to dry and more inspiration to come

 

Quiet, reflective work

a crow flies by the bare branches of the ash tree

a pale November sky

I smile for you

 

altering

Two weeks! How lax I've become, as all I seem to care about these days is my latest explorations in my new old altered book. This "New Edition" of "The Collector's Manual" was printed in November 1935. That's 78 years ago! I am amazed at both the world and myself that these books have been considered "throw-aways", and that I have come to this point in my life where I can take advantage of this fact rather than trying to save every book that comes into my care. This is part of the life-changing that I inferred at the end of my last post, for I do, indeed, feel richer each time I embrace reality rather than fighting it.

 



There is such a grace to November, robed in her gentle grays that bring vivid contrast

 to the warm colours that remain after the wind and rain,

broken open to her golden heart in the light of early morning.

 

 the Spiritual Laws of the Universe

as defined by Deepak Chopra

 

 

The Law of Pure Potentiality

Take time to be silent, to just BE. Meditate for 30 minutes twice a day. Silently witness the intelligence within every living thing. Practice non-judgment.

• The Law of Giving

Today, bring whoever you encounter a gift: a compliment or flower. Gratefully receive gifts. Keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving care, affection, appreciation and love.

• The Law of Karma

Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. Choosing actions that bring happiness and success to others ensures the flow of happiness and success to you.

• The Law of Least Effort

Accept people, situations, and events as they occur. Take responsibility for your situation and for all events seen as problems. Relinquish the need to defend your point of view.

• The Law of Intention and Desire

Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment. Make a list of desires. Trust that when things don’t seem to go your way, there is a reason.

• The Law of Detachment

Allow yourself and others the freedom to be who they are. Do not force solutions—allow solutions to spontaneously emerge. Uncertainty is essential, and your path to freedom.

• The Law of Dharma

Seek your higher Self. Discover your unique talents. Ask yourself how you are best suited to serve humanity. Using your unique talents and serving others brings unlimited bliss and abundance.

 

 

 

Peace

a warm november morning

How pleased I am that it is November.

For me, it is a "free" month. A lay low month. A time to settle in.

My little studio is almost ready for use. How I long to hide away there with my new altered book project that is for me alone. No class to guide me but my own intuition.

An escape into a world of small.

 

The giant hydrangea bush is in its most gloriously magical and romantic state

 

this morning's dawn has brought a surprising gift of warmth

 

This starburst of soft red is a welcome sight, but really must be over-wintered in the ground

 

And me? I'm just a shadow of my former self

but all the richer for it!

peace



and thereby hangs a tale

Autumn Colour in the Annapolis Valley here lasts much longer than it does in Ontario, and how grateful we are for it!

The next few pictures record a walk I took on Friday around noon.

 

Such a lovely bank of trees across the road from the house in the previous picture

 

a humungous Maple leaf amongst its "normal"-sized brethren

 

Glorious Golden Guardians

 

the house they guard at the top of the hill

 

 

Today I saw a most wonderful painting by Elsa Mora.
It made me think of the saying" And thereby hangs a tale" so I looked it up and found this which I thought you might enjoy:

From Shakespeare's As You Like It, 1600.

JAQUES:
 A fool, a fool! I met a fool i' the forest,
 A motley fool; a miserable world!
 As I do live by food, I met a fool
 Who laid him down and bask'd him in the sun,
 And rail'd on Lady Fortune in good terms,
 In good set terms and yet a motley fool.
 'Good morrow, fool,' quoth I. 'No, sir,' quoth he,
 'Call me not fool till heaven hath sent me fortune:'
 And then he drew a dial from his poke,
 And, looking on it with lack-lustre eye,
 Says very wisely, 'It is ten o'clock:
 Thus we may see,' quoth he, 'how the world wags:
 'Tis but an hour ago since it was nine,
 And after one hour more 'twill be eleven;
 And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe,
 And then, from hour to hour, we rot and rot;
 And thereby hangs a tale.' When I did hear
 The motley fool thus moral on the time,
 My lungs began to crow like chanticleer,
 That fools should be so deep-contemplative,
 And I did laugh sans intermission
 An hour by his dial. O noble fool!
 A worthy fool! Motley's the only wear.

I take this fool to be a jester or clown by his "motley wear", and therefore funny to the speaker, but wiser too than he may care to think.

and here a start to my latest mixed media

 

wishing you a lovely start to a wonderful week

 

In the pink

What a beautiful day to wake up to!

The sun was well up by the time I had risen because I stayed up so late playing with...

THIS!

 

Done only with paint pens, and a limited palette as well, I also had trouble bringing up

the pinks on the computer that likes to turn them to a tint of violet

 

Tonight I tried a detail shot under the stove hood to bring up the glitter in the metallics.

It's funny how I love to work with colour but keep my home in neutrals.

 

I understand many are enduring the damp and cold of late autumn, so I'm grateful for the extra sunshine and moderate temperatures for a little while longer. Keep warm and well my dears.