hello again!

I had so much fun this weekend coming back to my studio! To my paints! To my oystercatcher photos! To a new batch of these cheerful black birds coming to life on my painting table! I have not finished them, but they really wanted to say “HELLO!” to you all….especially my blog friends that are participating in an Earth Day Art Challenge this weekend!

chatting oystercatchersHere’s a few more pics to see how they came together….come back soon to see them all finished, with their bright orange beaks ready to chat some more!

sketching

getting startedso juicy!a bunch

And here is where the magic happens, surrounded by trees and so much spring green! Hummingbirds and swallows zooming outside my window!

Earth Day in my studio

Since this blog challenge was all about art inspired by nature, I have to share a little something my ten year old daughter made on Earth Day (for a friend’s birthday).  Isn’t she sweet?

needlefelted fox made with love by my girl

After the wee fox (and my oystercatcher sketches) were complete, we went out and enjoyed a walk in the forest and found the perfect picnic spot next to a stream.  The sounds of the water flowing and children giggling filled me up more that my yummy organic sandwich could and when the rain started to fall gently through the canopy my heart swelled with the perfection of the moment!

Happy Earth Day everyone! I am so grateful for all that our home provides every day – nourishment and life and so much BEAUTY!  I hope you have done something special to honour your connection to the Earth this weekend and I hope that you will check in to Melodye Shore‘s blog to see how others are expressing their gratitude to the Earth in her Earth Day Art Challenge.

when it snows, they craft!

Lucky's First Snowyipeeeeeee

A surprise snowfall last weekend meant two full days of tobogganing and giggly snow play and busy evenings crafting by the fire.  My hubby had just put the outdoor lights up the day before the snow came, so the effect was complete and the mood was officially set for Christmas “elving”.  How sweet to see my girls embrace the spirit of giving and the joy of the white stuff.  The cold weather kept the snow around for 5 days and the girls spent hours each night (and early morning) making Christmas cards and needle felting ornaments….a little festive embroidery too!  The snow melted quickly today but I hope our Christmas spirit will stay going strong.  My girls are now hoping we get a white Christmas! I am sure our puppy would love more too (though I hope he is better trained by the next snowfall, walking him on those icy roads can be a bit wild).

in the mood for christmas cardslet the holiday baking begintime to make some holiday ornaments...these created by my youngest

P.S.   There is one more Christmas wish around here….someone wants her “two front teeth”, but mainly so she can eat apples straight on the core again!

all I want for christmas....

 

full colour felting

Needle felting is addictive – I have even started doing it on my lunch break with co-workers at the office!  The kids are happy to work quietly on their felting projects, turning local wool into ornaments, treasure pouches, lucky pocket talismans and little creatures of all description! All this busy felting means we are running low on some roving colours.  Lucky for me, my friend at Fiddlehead Farm is right around the corner with a rainbow of wool from her generous sheep. And lucky for us, there is a sheep named Margaret whose natural wool colour is the perfect shade for the reindeer and tree trunks my girls have been envisioning!

I cannot show you the finished products (they are all surprises after all), but I can tell you that Pinterest is a great source for needle felting ideas and that kids do not need any inspiration at all…they amaze me with the designs their little fingers create!

What holiday crafts are your fingers busy with these days?