We Moved. . . . . .

Thank you to all my followers and regular visitors. My blog space as  moved to  www.pearlmaple.com    I appreciate meeting you here and would love to see you follow the link to our new space.  There are many things I love about Blogger as a free and easy to use tool to get on line quickly, it is the greatest.  You have seen my business change and evolve in different avenues and that is the reason why we needed to move so that I can blog and retail space are all in one neat little package.
Looking forward to catching up with you soon!

 

Hope & Feathers

"Hope is a thing with feathers . . . . .  that perches in your soul" Emily Dickinson

Love watching industrious little birds rushing about catching their prey, the look so cute flapping about but guess their day is just as busy as ours, without the beeping electronic reminders.  These are Piping Plovers, a threatened species due to the loss of habitat.  

Relaxing on the beach is my favourite way to relax regardless of fog or overcast skies or a bit of haze any day at the beach is a millions times better than a day anywhere else.  That is why it feels to me that is not much of an effort to respect the little bird nests and give them space to carry on living the way nature designed them to be.
Have a fabulous weekend what ever you are up to.  

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

Catching nature on the run

In our hurry scurry lives full of lists of things to do, I like the idea of Chrisy's party theme of reconnecting with nature.  For me sometimes that is the little things like admiring a sunset on the evening commute and on special days it includes found flowers full of beautiful colours.

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy what ever it is you are up to.

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

Erosion and Nature Creeping

Erosion when it is your back yard can be scary we want so much for everything to stay nice or the same but sometimes nature just creeps along with changes.  When I think of erosion, there are huge examples like the Grand Canyon and Fraser Island, nature piling up or washing away. 

This part of the forest is falling into the river bank and makes an interesting spot to watch the cycle of nature unfolding.   

 
Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

Beyond the Horizon

“We have always held to the hope,  the belief,  the conviction that  there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.”   Franklin D. Roosevelt

Heading off for a big weekend drive to spend time with family and enjoy the views over the horizon.
 

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

ATB Artist Trading Block

What's an ATB you might ask ?  Creative souls know no bounds, taking art to the sides of a box is a natural and what could be more fun that to share or trade.    

At the January Craft and Hobby Association mega-show I was lucky enough to meet up with Eileen Hull and Amy Bowerman

 

and see their creative display of artist trading blocks.  The idea has quickly caught on and now they have a whole team of designers working with The Artists On The Block.

I really like the tools they are using for ATBs, the cutting die makes it quick to assemble and the mat board is perfect for all kinds of crafting. The mat board took the ink and paint really nicely and going to be the base of more projects soon.



Stamping the thread spools on a scrap of cardstock and cutting a strap to wrap over the gift inside the box adds to the layers of details and surprise.  To make a flexible measuring tape, the best base is watercolour paper, simply stamp, mist or paint, cut out and wrap around the spools.

Other products used, Dark Room Door button stamp, Unity Stamp Company hanging on by a thread, Maya Road ruler stamp, Heidi Swapp Color Shine.

Rainbows

Don't you just love the spontaneity of nature and finding rainbows on the horizon.  A scientist might be able to explain the process of light refractions and dust and moisture, but I like to consider finding a rainbow a little bit of magic in your day.

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

I believe

"Believe there is a greater power silently working all things for good, behave yourself and never mind the rest." Beatrix Potter

Early morning walks along the beach are a source of constant entertainment and surprise, you never know what you will find.  Love the way the rays of light push past the clouds to announce the dawn of a new day.
 

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

Reconnecting

Love the theme of reconnecting with nature, with what is real in your life and the special people that make it all worth while.  Happy Easter Spring Equinox or what ever this weekend is on your calendar.

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

Bog Hop With Catherine Scanlon Designs and Art Gone Wild

Catherine Scanlon and friends are hosting a blog hop to celebrate her new line of stamps and stencils from Art Gone Wild.  Click the links at the bottom of this post to see how we have found our own creative style with the stamps and stencils.  Then loop back to Catherine’s blog  because she’s got some fun prizes on offer too.

Two of my favs are the Grid Art Journal Stencil (CSSTL-006) and Cling Stamp Flower Frame 1  (AGC3-2737) flexible designs that can be cute or grungy and the inspiration for  my project. 

Be Positive uses the grid stencil to create a wire fence line with flowers as a water color as in the background but also popping out through the wires as a feature. Be Positive is a little tag I found that sums up an attitude of shining anyway you can, through fence wires or what ever and just being your own best version of you.  

The depth in Catherine’s stamps make them great to use on fabric, on the canvas background and delicate fabric flowers.  Just use a good permanent ink like Stayzon to get a solid strong image.  The background of the canvas is a watercolour wash.  Creating a rustic wire fence is a synch with journal grid stencil, this is a small canvas so the grid will cover most of the background.  Working from the bottom corner, use the stencil as a guide and fill with a metallic pen or paint or embossing powder to add a wire grid across 3/4s of the flower background.

Silk is a beautiful natural fibre for painting on but of course the color will run.  One of the easiest ways to deal with that is to simply cut the flowers out to use as an embellishment.

Crumpling the petals and fluffing them adds a bit of authenticity, as does height.  My sneaky trick for puffy flowers is to tuck a little polyfill behind flower. 

Thanks for stopping by and joining our blog party, click the links to see what the rest of this talented group have created. 

Art From The Heart by Catherine Scanlon Designs
This Art That Makes me Happy byVicki Chrisman
The Mermaid's Closet by MarthaRichardson
Kooky Dulcy by Kathis DeLuca
n*Studio by Nat Kalbach
Live the Dream by JennieAtkinson

Shopping information

Wholesale and catalogues 
Stores (on-line and high streets)

 

Nature's magic

"Every season brings us magic wonder in the light and shade

nature gives us endless bounty

memories that cannot fade."

Iris Hesselden

Sharing one of my memorable nature photos with a funny story.  Riding the commuter train I spotted the potential for a huge colorful sunset, waiting patiently stop after stop, crossing fingers for no delays, finally pulling into the station and running up to the beach front. 
Rounding the last corner I saw the color show was already over  but was surprised to find this heart shape of water draining out on the tide.  Some folks find lots of hearts in nature, not so me, they are rare finds and love to celebrate them as little treasures.   

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party
Random Hearts

Cockatoos

Swarms of sulphur crested cockatoos are becoming part of my daily routine.  They have been ground feeding in the early morning light, foraging for bugs and seeds in the grass or more often squawking hello from tree branches. 

 

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

In the sunshine

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations" Louisa May Alcott

Hot or cold, early or late, time at the beach is always refreshing. You can enlarge the photo for a better view of a bird coasting along on the uplift breeze on the dunes.

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party




 

Magic of light and shade

Every season brings us magic in light and shade. Iris Hesselden

Love this time of the morning, the beach is often quiet, but depending on what the tide is doing and if the fish are biting or nature is putting on a light show it can be very busy.  Love the way this photo came about a photographer out trying to get the perfect moment, fishermen trying to hit the tide and birds getting an early start on their day.

Sharing links this week with Chrisy from Living the Good North Coast life and her connecting with nature challenge and Sky Watch Friday.


Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

Some days sparkle like crystals

Last year we travelled to the Crystal Castle in Mullumbimby.  One of those amazing places tucked away off the highway.  The sky was a bit overcast but the experience was excellent.  Lots of interesting places to explore, a rich history steeped in accepting all religious beliefs and the of course crystals.  Not the cute tiny things you pick up in a shop but a huge boulders of quartz, amethyst and more that you could not wrap your arms around.

How cool is this bamboo walk.

Sharing links this week with Chrisy from living the good north coast life with her inspiring weekly challenge of getting out and connecting with nature and Sky Watch Friday.  There is lots to be seen and appreciated in the great outdoors, blog themes are a good way of reminding ourselves to get out and enjoy them.

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party

Reconnecting With Nature

"Most of us lead far more meaningful lives than we know. Often finding meaning is not about doing things differently; it is about seeing familiar things in new ways." Rachel Naomi Remen

Chrisy from living the good north coast life has an inspiring weekly challenge of getting out and connecting with nature. What could be better for the soul and easier thing to do, we all have an outdoors of some kind. For me the favourite kind of getting outdoors is to the beach.
  Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party
Expat Blogging Challenge

Salty Breezes

Blog linking to a few parties this week and think my expat friends will like this quote attributed to Christopher Columbus. "You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” 

For those of us who travel, it is big leap of faith and you never know where you will end up but always an adventure.  The theme for this expat blog challenge was tastes like home, for me that had to be the beach.

For Chrisy’s reconnecting with nature party, I can share this photo of nature playing a decorative arranger with these shells forming a perfect heart shape. Beach living is all about being outdoors and embracing the many moods of nature. 

Sky Watch Friday fans know most of my favourite photos are from the beach, this one is a fun shot that included all manner of flying things, folks in paragliders and birds coasting on the breezes running up the cliffs.   How is that for getting up close with nature?

Tastes of home for me will always be seafood and find it interesting that what is a tasty treat in some places is not considered suitable for humans in other places.  In the North Atlantic Sea Moss or Irish Moss and Dulse are hugely popular. 

Sea moss is harvested and sold for processing into gelatin based products including pudding. It is great to see that it is now considered a environmentally friendly sustainable crop.   

 
Dulse is a bit more flavoursome, in the Maritimes and Maine, people will chew it like tobacco, or chop it up as a spice.    Dulse is making a comeback as hip new super food and people like the Maine Seaweed Man are posting recipes to show how to sneak a bit of salty spice into your cooking.

Lots more natural and salty recipes to be found on my pinterest page and a few creative craft projects too.

Visit Catherine Scanlon’s blog to check out her give away of this very pretty stamp set.   Having a lot of fun with her floral themes. Catherine is from Maine where they are waiting patiently for the arrival of spring and inviting everyone to share cheery words about spring flowers.



Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party
Expat Blogging Challenge

Sunny Days on the Koala Coast

G'day from the Australia's koala coast.  These are the cute images that the world has of life down under, sunshine on a tropical afternoon and getting up close with nature.

Sharing this photo with Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party , seeing koalas can't help but make you smile.  Koalas always look so peaceful and relaxed.  Kind of hard to pull off when their species is under huge stress.  In a couple of remote protected islands koalas are getting a bit inbreed and over supply but for the most part their numbers are in steep decline including here on the Koala Coast. Predictions are that Koalas can be extinct in our life time.  That is a sad statement but too common when our community does not protect habitat and when choosing to live close to nature not being respectful in the little things we can do to share the space, like keeping an eye out for them on the road at night and keeping dogs locked up at night. 

 

The beach photo is Currumbin next door to a wildlife sanctuary, tucked away in the hustle of a busy city working with injured wildlife and sharing the experience of getting up close with nature.

 

For my friends with the Expat Blogging Challenge I could say that palm trees and poisonous snakes  are a big change for the foggy shores of North Atlantic, but sure are an experience to enjoy and all the more fun when sharing our adventures down under. 

Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party
Expat Blogging Challenge

 

Not all that wander are lost

"Not all that wander are lost" T.R. Tolkien

In January I travelled to California to participate in the Craft and Hobby Association international event to meet up with a activite community of crafters from all points of the globe.  It is great fun to catch up with old friends and new friends and work on collaborative projects.  I love that in this new internet era provides so many options for expats to stay connected while on the road but all the same being together is a great place to be.

Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature link party is close to my heart. Growing up my family moved around to a lot of different places but something that was always part of our world was spending time outdoors, connecting with nature in different ways.  My mother started rescuing pets and wildlife as a child so my childhood was full of little foundlings like this little sparrow. 

They call them common but their personalities are anything but.  While out enjoying the sunshine of California it was fun to watch the little sparrows darting about, some nimble and bold and others shy and careful.  In some parts of the world sparrows are very common because of their ability to adapt their diet to what ever is available.  Sadly that ability is not enough save them when some environments are so choked with pesticides or us well meaning tourists filling them up with french-fries.

The CHA mega show is a trade show event where all the new tools and products are released for the season.  This year did not disappoint with really ingenious new twists and fun new tools that inspired me to add a few new pages to my Paris creative journal.  To read more about altered books and mixed media, check this post.  I love to travel and document adventures in creative ways, sharing photos on the blog, sending altered postcards in the mail and collecting ephemera for visual diaries.

 
Joining Linky Parties:
Sky Watch Friday
Chrisy's Reconnecting With Nature party
Expat Blogging Challenge