Mushrooms and Butterflies ...

Well tomorrow is the Environmental Fair and unfortunately the weather is not looking very good. I hope by some miracle this silly rain decides to move off to sea and we wake up to bright blue skies. I have a few odds and ends to finish today. I have to finish pricing items, folding and packaging cards, put the finishing touches on a couple of necklaces, get together everything for set up, and complete the painting for the raffle. I have another painting that is 40% completed but I am not sure I will have time to complete it.

I have decided if it is down pouring in the morning I am not going to go. I have a lot of creations made out of paper and they would get ruined if they got wet or dropped on the ground. Before I start my crazy day I wanted to take a moment and share some of my newest paper creations with you.

Mushrooms and butterflies were the inspirations behind my newest recycled material collages. Paper bags, old book pages, sequins and thread from the flea market, frames donated from a friend, and of course colored pencil and pen were used to make the art. We have had a lot of rain lately and because of that beautiful mushrooms have been popping up all over the yard. And on days when the sun is finally out there are so many butterflies flying around the yard I thought bringing these two beauties together would be fun.

I will be putting my mushroom and butterfly art in the shop next week.

Fun at Knoebels and a Sneak Peek at a New Collage …

Yesterday the kids and I joined some family and friends for a fun day at Knoebels Amusement Park. Knoebels is a cute little amusement park in Pennsylvania; it’s the largest free admittance amusement park in the United States. It has a couple roller coaster, a log flume and a lot of other fun family and kiddy rides. It’s an adorable park and a great way to spend a summer day.

Noah is now tall enough to get on all of the rides and he took advantage of that fact. We went on the wooden roller coasters together; I think I embarrassed him I have a tendency to scream a little loud!

Abbey was completely fearless. I think she would have gone on everything if she wasn’t so short. They have a kiddy roller coaster and she had a blast on it. She is an adventurous little girl!

One of my favorite rides was the log flume. The three of went on together, it was a blast and luckily we didn’t get to wet.

I also wanted to share a peek at a new collage I have almost complete. I am hoping to get all of the parts sewn into place today so I can finish it and get it into my shop. The entire collage was created with recycled materials including, vintage book pages, recycled cardboard, a fabulous vintage frame, and thread. I also tried a new technique with dying paper that I have fallen in love with. I hope to share the finished product tomorrow.

Have fun today!

A Little Peek into the Last Week and a New Project …

The last week has been filled with inspiration, new ideas, heart break, and black and blue marks.

First the heart break …
Noah was picked to play in the all-star game for baseball last Saturday, he was so excited. We were so proud of him. Unlike school athletics does not come naturally to Noah. He has come a long way since last year. He is excited to play and learn and it is awesome to see him working so hard especially at something that doesn’t come easily, it really shows a lot of character. During warm ups Noah got hit with a ball in the eye. He dropped to the ground and when Michael ran over to him it was already swelling up. The poor kid had to be taken to the hospital and have a CT scan. He was heartbroken. He missed his first all-star game and spent the afternoon waiting to see if he broke his cheek bone. Luckily he has a hard head like me. His eye was perfectly fine, he didn’t have a concussion, and his cheek bone was not broken. Almost a week later the swelling is gone, it’s still black and blue and he has a nasty cut on his face but he is in good spirits and excited for next season.

Inspiration …

Tuesday afternoon the kids and I went to our local museum. Noah loves history and enjoys going through the different ancient civilizations displays. Abbey is four and she was more excited about her fruit snacks in the car and the park waiting for us outside.

After we went through the exhibits they always have we went upstairs and walked around an art show for local artist. There were three rooms filled with amazing artwork. Luckily for Noah and me each room had benches in them so we could look and enjoy the art and Abbey could sit and occupy herself. It was a blast looking at the art with Noah. In each room we would pick out our favorites and discuss them. To my surprise my favorite room was the one filled with the abstract art. I loved the colors, the movement, and the way each piece of art made me feel. Before the summer is gone I really want to take Noah to the art museum in Philly, I think it would be a fun day trip.

Not only was the trip to the museum inspiring but every time I go outside the house I find myself inspired. I pull a lot of inspiration from colors, textures, and images in nature. Right now there is an abundance of all of these and the world is full of so much eye candy.

New Project …

Here is a little peek at a new project I am working on, a new collage created from recycled materials. A vintage frame, recycled cardboard, vintage book pages, thread, sequins, pen, pastels, colored pencils, and acrylic paint are a few of the materials I am using to create this fun collage. As soon as I finish it I will share it with all of you.

Have a great weekend.