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

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