You Can Call Me Gwen

Something happened on the way.

 

Dear Diary,

I went to the fabric store this weekend to buy a few things I needed to make the drapes for my Daughter-in-Love.

The drapes are coming out just as we pictured them, and I hope to hang them tomorrow when I am  there priming the ceiling and the walls I just textured.

 

 

But, golly gee, the trip to the fabric store was anything but what I pictured.

I wasn't two steps inside the store before an old friend spotted me and gave a genuine shout of joy.

I recognized her, but I was shocked at her appearance.

There were flames shooting out of her head.

Inside the space of three minutes, I got at least three hugs and a jump start on a conversation about creative endeavors that nearly left me breathless.

She spoke to me about quilting and told me she is making quilts, preparing to become a quilt contest judge, and knows my friend in the Modern Quilt Guild.

She spoke to me about "The Artist's Way" and told me she is going through the book for the fifth (?) time, reads all of Julia Cameron's books, and is faithful to do the reading and the assignments every day.

She spoke to me about writing and told me she is attending local writer's club meetings, has been writing poetry, and is a member of a poetry group where members read their work and recieve critiques.

She spoke to me about fiber arts and mentioned - with a sort of breathless excitement - that there is a local fiber arts group.

She spoke to me about the way she has set up her home to facilitate creative thinking and doing; "corners" for reading, for sewing, for writing, for thinking.

Yes, her hair was definitely on fire.

And I wanted the flames to leap their boundaries and set my own bean ablaze.

Dear Diary, she told me that she reads what I write to you, so maybe she will see this and be glad to know she was an inspiration.

 

        I met an old friend at the store,

        And she spoke like she ne'er had before,

                Her hair was on fire,

                (A thing I admire),

        So I said, "Tell me more! Tell me more!"

 

Then again, if she sees this, she may also be sorry.

She invited me to the poetry group.

Rubberband Books

 

 

I have a little book-making tutorial for you, courtesy of the lovely Miss B (of Zentangle fame).

When our D'Art group got together to play on the 8th of July, we got to make paper beads with Able Baker Dana and rubberband books with Miss B.

Definitely an inchie moment (hour? day?).

 

 

 

It was so easy-peasy to make these books, and they make such lovely little gifts, that I thought I'd just share the how-to with all of you Dear Readers.

Here are the supplies you will need:

 - One sheet of 8 1/2" x 11" paper for the cover (you can use cardstock, scrapbook paper, even something from your recycling bin...the possibilities are endless)

 - One or two sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" copy-weight paper

 - One #19 rubberband

 - A bone folder (you can use  a tongue depressor)

 - A scissors or a paper cutter

 - A bit of glue (or some glue dots or double stick tape)

Ready?

It's nice if you can start with a piece of paper for the cover that you think is...

  

 

 

Since my paper was 12" x 12", I had to do a little trimming to make it the correct size.

Of course, I didn't just make a straight cut to trim that extra inch off one edge...

 

 
 

...because I'm still in a manic paper-bead-making phase, with no end in sight.

Once the paper was the correct size, I just followed these instructions:

Step 1. Fold your cover paper in a 'hot dog' fold (long edges together) with the front side facing out and make a nice crease with your bone folder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, you might notice that my paper is upside down here, and that's important.

I made these next important creases all wrong (several times) when I was using paper which had text (or a design needing a particular orientation).

If you stick with me, you'll see that you need to be careful at this point if you are using paper like this for your cover.

Step 2.  Open your paper and fold the bottom two corners in to meet the middle crease (I don't know why I had to confuse you by turning my paper upside down so that I had to fold the top two corners)....

 

 

 

...and press with your bone folder.

Step 3. Now fold the paper in a 'hamburger' fold, bringing the point to the center of the top edge like this...

 

 

 

...and press that bottom crease with your bone folder. 

Step 4.  Place glue dots or a small piece of double-stick tape (or a bit of glue) to hold the inner pockets closed...

 

 

 

 

...and fold your book closed along the original hot dog fold.

Your cover is almost finished!

Step 5.  To make inner pages, hamburger fold a piece of copy weight paper, and crease along the fold.

 

 

 

Step 6. Now cut 1/4" off the folded edge like this...

 



 

...and a generous 1/4" off one short edge like this:







Step 6. Fold your pages (short edge to short edge) and crease.



 



You can make pages from any copy weight paper, and the beauty of this little notebook is that the pages can be replaced any time.

If you happen to have a friend who loves graph paper every bit as much as you do, and you happen to be planning to give her a little notebook next time you see her, you might want to add some pages made from graph paper.







Step 7.  You're going to snip a little bit off the cover at the folded corners, so the rubberband can meet and hold the inside pages in place.

I center my inner pages along the outside of the cover and hold them in place while I snip off the corners...

 







...like this:



 

 

 




Step 8.  Now just line the center creases of your inner pages up with the center crease of your inside book cover and slip a #19 rubberband into place like this:







Et voila!







You have a nice little refillable notebook!

You can tuck a few index cards inside the pockets, too.







Do you love it?







Now, when we made these in 'class', we also made one which was not refillable.

We used a needle and thread to sew the 'signature' of inner pages into the notebook.

I loved the fact that we could dress up the book by adding paper beads to the tails of the thread on the outside of the book.

In fact, I loved it so much that I decided I couldn't do without it, even though I wanted this book to be refillable. 

So, I just removed the pages, sewed the book cover together so I could add the beads, and then put the pages and rubberband back in place.

Now I really love it!

 







( If you notice that I clipped the outer edges of my book cover, even though it wasn't necessary from a functional standpoint, well...it's just because I've got this problem with symmetry.)

Another wonderful thing about these little notebooks is that they fit perfectly into a standard A2 envelope so you can mail them (minus the beads, of course).

I made several for Me Darlin' Mither to mail to her friends (in a lot less time than it took me to write this post).

Think of the potential uses for a nifty little book design like this (Thank you, Miss B!).

What a kewl thing to make with kids the first day of a vacation or a week at camp so they could use it as a journal or an autograph book.

I'm really wanting to make some of these using old phone book or atlas covers for cover paper.

I think there is a lot of paper floating in and out of our lives which could be recycled with this project.

I'm going to send one of these to you if you give me a suggestion for a recycled book cover for which I actually have the material on hand.   offer expired 8/1/2011

Okay?

Okay.

What To Do With Your Empty Pet Food Bags

(Or...Plum Thicket Book Club: Better Than Oprah's)

We had some lively discussion at our monthly book club meeting last week when The Glass Castle was our subject; we had three generations of women sharing their perspectives, insights, and feelings.

The story is such a wild ride from beginning to end that it can't help but generate some strong feelings, too.

In the end, we decided we'd like to have the male perspective on the story, because we seemed (as a whole) to be more harsh in our judgment of the mother in the story, than of the father.

If you haven't read this book, do.

And if you can get your man to read it, let me know what he thinks of the father: Was he "mean" or just "clueless and thoughtless"?

That's what us goils were bandying about.

At the end of our discussion, Dear Reader Annski (who joined us last month) said she had some "green" gifts for us (we met on St. Patrick's Day).

She had been saving her (virtually indestructible) pet food bags for many months; washing them out and plotting a spectacular re-use.

Look what she made for every member of our group:

 

 

 

Well, not exactly.

Everyone else got tote bags made from the cat food bags.

And they were really cool, too.

Just not as cool as mine.

Because I was the teacher's pet.

So nanny nanny boo boo.

Ten, nine, eight, seven...

 

I began drawing inchies on March 1, 2010; which means I am down to the last ten inchies of my inchie year.

I remember the day I decided to conquer that big pad of 'expensive' water color paper, by cutting it into inch-size pieces and drawing one inch every day.

It is remarkable to me that I have used all but a 4" x 7" scrap of that paper.

You helped me show it who is the boss.

Thank you.

For a number of reasons, I am still undecided about whether or not to continue the inchie journaling.

Perhaps I'll just see what happens on March 1, 2011.

Meanwhile, we'll be counting down the last ten inchies of this year's journey.

TEN...

I've told you before that spring makes me a nervous wreck.

Adding all that life out there to the life in here (and the life inside my head) makes me feel sort of panicky...like I won't be able to think, or work, or breath fast enough to keep up.

So, I'm one of those people who appreciates the fact that Oklahoma doesn't make up its mind very well, weatherwise, and serves up a blizzard one week and 75 degree temperatures the next.

This way, when the weather gets all spring-y and sends me on a manic cleaning frenzy, I can count on it changing back to curl-up-with-a-quilt weather before I spontaneously combust.

But, I'll tell ya, I made those last warm days count.

Fans, light fixtures, and baseboards were cleaned, and furniture, walls, and ceilings were vacuumed.

Drawers were emptied, cupboards got new shelf paper, clothes were passed on, and paper was shredded.

Worn flannel sheets were made into dusting cloths and frayed towels were made into cleaning rags.

Mending piles and ironing piles were cut down to size, and curtains and draperies were laundered and re-hung.

There were moments when I felt completely overwhelmed by this big old place.

There were moments when I felt completely overwhelmed by all my stuff, too.

When I get like that, I am sorely tempted to bag it all up and give it all away.

 

 

 

And then I remember that my friends like it better when I give it away after I've made something out of it.

 

 

 

Which I'll do right after I spring-clean those other six rooms.

------

NINE...

Because I wanted to buy (not borrow) this month's book club selection, last Sunday evening the Prince and I went to our local Border's book store.

It's the bookstore where we always shop...it's our place.

It's been the first stop on all the road trips which the girl shoots and I have taken with the Prince.

And it's going to close.

Forever.

I'm sad.

So I'll probably keep my little member's card on my keychain even after the store is gone.

 

 

 

I have already finished the book I purchased Sunday night.

It was un-puttable-downable.

I hope you will read the reviews for yourself, because I'm hard-pressed to know how to tell you about it.

It is an incredible tribute to the author's skill and grace that one can read her story without feeling overwhelmed by the neglect and privation she endured as a child.

If you read it, I think it will change the way you look at some things.

Let me know.

-------

EIGHT...

I'd love to tell you that the book which Miss Mary Mack was reading to me on Monday night was also un-puttable-downable.

But it (most decidedly) was not.

It was required reading for one of her college courses and, though it was interesting, it was rather difficult to follow.

Mary had to look up definitions for some of the words, and I had to have her re-read several passages before I could understand them.

We laughed when we changed the word 'antiquity' to Auntie Cutie.

 

 

 

We were together in my studio, like the old days.

And we laughed.

Like the good old days.

-------

SEVEN...

  We kept the grandshoots for a little while on Tuesday evening.

After his bath, Little Man and I emptied the jar of paper stars onto the hearth.

We played pretty quietly with them in the beginning, separating the 'babies' from the 'daddies' and talking about the colors.

Then we started scooping up handfuls of them and gently letting them fall.

 

 

 

Then I starting raining paper stars on Little Man's head.

He couldn't believe his good fortune.

"I get to play with these stars like this?"

 

 

 

I'd forgotten that many of these stars have prayers written on the inside.

 

 
 

I guess it feels good to have prayers raining down on your head.

 

 
 

 

It was wonderful to watch.

-------

Struck Speechless

 

It's nearly done me in to keep my posts in chronological order this month.

And there are some very good reasons.

On December 22, Dear Reader and friend, Annski, had planned to spend a quiet hour or two visiting over a cup of coffee.

Having a million or so things going at once, as I always do during December, I wasn't quite at the 'set a spell' stage when she arrived.

I had the last three or four sheets of sugar cookies going in and out of the oven.

When Annski arrived that day and was ushered into the kitchen, she found herself (quite unexpectedly) smack in the middle of another family tradition.

Decorating sugar cookies around here is usually more like a party than a kitchen task.

We've had as many as three sessions a season; involving more shoots, adopted shoots, friends of shoots, etc, than I can count.

This year I was all by myself.

Until Annski arrived for coffee and made the mistake of telling me she'd never decorated sugar cookies.

Well, we had to fix that, for sure.

 

 

 

She seemed to enjoy the whole process and, because we don't stick to traditional Christmas-themed cookie cutters, she showed me just a bit of what it's like when an artist approaches a project like this.

She turned the little moon-shaped cookies into citrus slices:

 

 

I just loved that.

I got Mrs. Gingerbreadman all puckered up for a kiss from the mister:

 

 

 

(If Me Darlin' Mither saw that ripped hemline on her dress, she wouldn't let her out of the house until she'd stitched that up.)

In the end we had several platters of colorful cookies ready to serve.

 

 

 

But now I need to tell you the rest of the story.

After I got the cookies out of the oven, and before I made the icing and got all the sprinkles out, I really did sit down with Annski to have that promised cup of coffee.

And I'll bet I wasn't two sips in before she started handing me gifts.

The tag on the first package was addressed to 'Naomi', and inside was this perfect little coin purse.

 

 

 

It's in my favorite color scheme, the fabric looks like a Zentangle, and (my goodness) it even has a zipper.

 

 

 

Now, I was just getting over being handed a gift that had been so beautifully handcrafted when Annski handed me another package.

It was addressed to 'Gwen'.

Inside was this:

 

 

 

I lost my breath, my bearings, and my wits for awhile after I opened it.

Isn't it something?

As I began to turn the pages, Annski informed me that all of the contents had come directly from this blog.

She had copied the post wherein I described how I go about drawing my inchies, and she'd put it on the first two pages of the book.

She'd copied the inchies for every month and given them each their own two-page spread.

Here is April - I circled the inchie for the day I first had lunch with my new Dear Reader/friend, Annski.

 

 

 

Remember all the 'Gwinchies' I posted while I was on vacation in August?

She included them in the book, too.

 

 

 

While I was looking - with mouth agape, I'm afraid - at this page, Annski told me something.

She said, "I was working on this book, and wondering what I was going to do about cover design. Then I got to the Gwinchies and realized you'd already taken care of that for me."

 

 

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

What attention to detail!

What an incredible gift!

I felt like I was holding a dream in my hands.

But...

Annski lied.

She probably didn't mean to.

But, it isn't true that every word in the book came directly from this blog.

In fact, my favorite words in this book are the ones that didn't.

 

 

 

I could never come up with a more perfect subtitle/description of what my whole inchie journal is about if I were to spend the remainder of my days trying.

And I don't think I can ever express my gratitude for that, or for this book, in a catalog of any size. 

 

 

There are times when words just won't do. 

"Tiddlelump"

 

I.

Drew.

Seven.

Inchies.

Last night.

And one more today.

I am all caught up now.

I'm going to bask in that, because I don't think it will last long.

Reaching back to last Thursday, December 10, here is the inchie to represent the book club meeting wherein we discussed the book The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread.

 

 

The main character's little red wagon (a Crimson Streak) features largely in the story of  his long and adventurous walk across the city of Cleveland.

The young boy encounters one unexpected difficulty after another during his trek, and after each stop to overcome an obstacle, the narrative of the journey resumes with the word "tiddlelump; the sound of the wagon's wheels as the boy presses onward.

During our discussion, Beeg Seester said she was quite taken with that simple "tiddlelump".

And we talked about pressing on through our own adversities.

We're moving forward...tiddlelump.

We become ill.

Tiddlelump.

The washing machine floods the house.

Tiddlelump.

A friend betrays us.

Tiddlelump.

We lose our job.

Tiddlelump.

We press on.

These are temporary things.

And we're heading for eternity with Christ.

Tiddlelump.

Painting

 

It's not my thing.

I mean, painting on canvas is not my thing.

But, copying the work of other artists was one of the recommended exercises in the book we've been working through in my D'Art group.

So, in a break from our standard meeting protocol, we got together last week and we each painted (as much as we could in one and half hour's time) a copy of Van Gogh's "Starry Night".

 

 

I'm so sorry I forgot to take my camera along (but so grateful for the cell phone camera and kindness of my friend who took, and emailed to me, the pictures below).

It was very interesting to see how differently each of us approached the project.

The two experienced painters in our group began mixing and applying paint almost immediately.

The two of us with no painting experience did a lot more pencil sketching first.

For me, it was a great lesson in art appreciation.

Until you try to do it yourself...

 

 

 

 

 

You just don't know.

Join the club.

 

That's what I did.

I joined a book club for the first time ever in my whole life on earth (as the shoots like to say).

We had our first meeting Thursday...to discuss titles, listen to book synopses, and to decide what we'll be reading for the next six months.

Can't wait!

 

 

One book a month.

One meeting a month.

And all those different viewpoints every month.

For our first 'assignment', we decided to read a book that none of us has yet read.

We are reading The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, and my copy is now waiting for me at the library.

Care to get a copy and read along?

A Pocketful of Thoughts

I was cleaning up the garage yesterday (Gwen leaves such big messes when she flits from project to project), and I had to move two boxes of my beloved books (my kingdom for more bookcases!).

Of course, I had to open the boxes and touch my treasures.

 

 

 

I pulled out a couple of books I'd read a few years ago, and last night I gave them a quick look-through.

I think I must have really enjoyed this book, because there is a plethora of post-it notes stuck to its pages.

 

 

 

 

But, I think the reason I read this book in the first place was because I'd been lead to it by this book,...

 

 

 

 

...which had been recommended to me by my niece who works in advertising.

I need to say here that one of the most rewarding habits I developed (when I was into developing new habits because of this book), was the habit of asking the people I love what their favorite books are, and what books they read for their field of work.

I used to read their books (and listen to their music and watch their movies) with the purpose of getting to know them better, but the benefits from all this exposure far exceed that goal.

When I read Orbiting the Giant Hairball, it helped me to look in a new way at some problems I was wrestling with in regards to creativity, my own Christianity, and the organized church.

I'm sure that would surprise the author, as it did me, but I think it's marvelous that God is not limited in the tools He uses to help us to right thinking and living.

I wrote some notes as I was reading the book, and then organized them onto a single sheet when I was finished.

I made a pocket for them and glued it to the inside of the back cover.

 

 

 

 

I have a good friend with whom I exhange books (and book titles) on the one or two occasions when we see each other every year.

I wanted to get his feedback on this book in writing, so I offered my own notes as a sort of bait.

 

 

 

 

(I guess there are reasons my friends call me a rule-y person.)

I am so glad that I had these notes to refer to when I picked up this book again yesterday.

 

 

 

 

I wish there were envelopes at the back of all my books.

And I wish they were filled with written records of the treasures I'd been given while I read them, and the treasures other friends had unearthed after me.

Since each of their lives and perspectives are so different from my own, how wonderful would it be if I they could show me the view from where they are standing?

I'm sorry...have I begun philosophizing?

I'll stop.

I've got to go make book-review envelopes now, anyway.

Watercolor Fishies and Gumwrapper Chains

A pile of fishies.

I dont' know why.

I just needed to play at these today.

 

 

The beginning of a basket made from dictionary pages in which to keep my Scrabble tiles. 

 

It's one of the projects in Playing With Books, and I want to work my way through them all.

Remember making gum-wrapper chains?

Same technique.

Takes me back.

It's easy to sit and do these while we watch endless episodes of West Wing together this summer.

Here's the Inchie for yesterday, when I slept - guilt free - until nine o'clock in the morning.

 

 

 

Unheard of.

And an Inchie for today, when I went to Pink Swirls for some live cultured, and very sweet, yogurt with Miss Mary Mack and one of the 'Doptees.

 

 

 

I'm not sure it's really a good thing to discover another place to get a delicious fattening treat.

It is a good thing, however, that I am going to bed tonight all caught up on Inchies.

Wake me in October when it's cool.

Keeping Blackheart Off Unemployment

I've spent some time on outgoing mail these last few days while I battle the headache that's keeping me from bigger projects.

I'm getting a little Independence Day cheer on it's way to some friends...

 

 

 

...and you know it's against my religion to give Blackheart any plain mail to carry.

 

 

Plus, I'm totally digging making banners of any kind right now.

 

 

When I went to the Post Office recently to mail this package...

 

 

...I asked to see their "cool" stamps and just flipped when I saw the TV Cowboys series.

I'm totally digging the cool artwork, bright colors, and large size.

 

 

 

Why on earth do I ever let them sell me those Liberty Bell stamps?

Blackheart has had his hands full both coming and going from my house lately.

A very colorful package landed in my mailbox on Saturday.

 

 

It kind of made me feel like a pusher to see that another Dear Reader has gotten addicted to cut and paste.

 

 

But it's too much fun to really feel badly about it.

 

 

And just in case the packaging itself wasn't enough, look what was inside:

 

 

Printed, pocket-size tissue that actually makes me want to blow my nose in public.

Too funny.

This cool book was inside the package, too.

 

 

It's a fun read, but I gotta tell ya, two things are really stuck in my mind since I got this.

First, I want to have my own picture taken with a pair of scissors for glasses.

It just seems...right.

Second...

 

 

...I keep thinking about the tremedous potential of a product called "Mistake Out".

I'm sure I'll have more to tell you about this book, but I'm so sidetracked by the cool artwork that I'm having a little trouble concentrating on the words.

Art and words.

Art and words and friends.

Art and words and friends and mail.

Blackheart, I love you.

It's Gonna Be Fun

I picked up a few books for super cheap at a garage sale today.

I thought I might try each of the projects in that cool book Prince Charming gave me on our anniversary.

When I bought this one, I thought it was just a children's story book.

 

 

But maybe it's a book about Ronald Reagan.

 

 

I was drawn in by the title of this book:

 

 

But I think my 'everyday' must be different than the 'everyday' they are referring to...

 

 

...because I just cannot remember the last time I said,

"Relax. Look at the eel."

Paper, Scissors, Rock

I hope it's a sign.

June started with a real, honest-to-goodness, hold-it-in-your-hand, bonafied, paper letter arriving in my box.

A Dear Reader sent me a sweet little card, with some fun(ny) little craft labels enclosed.

Of course, I had to go visit the Craftster web site when I recieved these labels, as I had never been there.

I'm not sure I should have added it to the list of virtual creative communities I know about.

It's dangerous, if you know what I mean.

But, the labels sure are fun.

 

I love this one, but I think it makes Naomi cringe just to look at it.

 

This is another one which represents a...well...let's just say "conflict of philosophies" between Naomi and I.

 

 

This one is my favorite.

I think I may have to make it my mantra.

 

 

Yep.

Paper and scissors.

They rock.

 

------

Know what else rocks?

This book.

 

 

I told you about it in a previous post, but yesterday Prince Charming and I celebrated our 31st anniversary, and now I own this book.

 

 

 

Because Prince Charming rocks, too.

There are some truly amazing works of art featured near the end of the book.

But the book has instructions for 28 projects you can make yourself (only one of which requires major power tools).

Look at this project:

 

 

And this project:

 

 

I think I want to try them all.

Yep.

All. 
 

Summah Reading, Dahlink

I mowed the yards, finished my latest project (photos to come), went swimming, and did dinner-and-a-movie with Prince Charming, Cookie and Bro yesterday.

I also finished this book:

Oh, la, I hated for it to end!

Have any of you read this one:

Because I'm thinking of starting it next. 

During my breaks from using this (awesome Impervo) paint...

 

 

...and this groovy paint...

 

 

...and this amazing stuff...

 

 

...to work on more of the pieces...

 

 

...of my latest project...

 

 

...I've been reading some good books.

First I read this one:

 

 

You can read a review here.

I'll just tell you that it was a good read; compelling, without too much suspense.

Then I read this one:

 

 

I enjoyed every single one of the 444 pages.

It was difficult to put it down and go back to my work.

You can read the reviews about it here.

I'm off to the library with Miss Helping Hands to get this one.

Because I finished my project this morning.

And it's no fun to watch paint dry. 

Caught in the Act of Good Times

Igotslotstodothisweek.

I may not be able to post much.

(Then again, I may post more than ever.)

Either way, here are some reading suggestions for you.

 

 

 

Two new reads came into my hands via my D'Art group recently.

My strange collecting habits prompted the loan of this one.

Look at the print on the fly leaf...

 

 

...and this page of the book:

 

 

Aha.

I am not such a freak, after all!

I have not told you about another of my collections.

But, lo and behold, I am not alone in this one, either.

 

 

And, lest any of you think I take the cake for strange collections, cast your optics on this:

 

 

Framed soap shards.

Yep.

You need to see the book.

Look for it.

 

My Native American friend, What Would Happen If, suggested this book to me:

 

 

 

However, she was much more creative in her presentation.

She sent me a photo of herself holding the book up in front of a mirror, so I had to read the title backwards.

Love those creative types.

This is a guide book for "living each individual, glorious day with more intention".

You might want to check it out, too.

I'm showing you this close-up...

 

 

...just to explain Saturday's Inchie.

 

 

Maybe I will write a book.

"In Flagrante Bonus Vicis". 

"Make new friends..."

I've met some lovely people since I started writing this blog, and one of my new friends works with Prince Charming.

Monday, she sent home with him a most perfect gift for me.

Remember Swimmy by Leo Lionni?  I blogged about it here.

Leo Lionni wrote some of my favorite children's books.

I used to check them out from the library when the shoots were little.

So I could look at them.

It was such a surprise to find out he had written this book and I had never seen it.

I do believe God saved it so it would come into my life at this time, and in this way.

Such a personal kind of kindness!

This is a book I wish I'd written.

It's a story about something which may have taken place on my workdesk.

 

Or in my life.

 

Let's make friends.  

The Power of Focus

Years ago, God used this book to facilitate some major changes in my life.

Are you surprised?

Shocked, even?

So was I.

But God is God.

He uses whatever He wants to use, to do whatever He wants to do.

I am currently re-reading this book.

Here is an excerpt from the book which explains an assignment I'm working on right now.

 

 

101 goals.

Challenging.

Interesting.

And very helpful.

Today my friend said something that made me remember one of the goals I'd written down.

And because a rainstorm put the kabosh on our outdoor plans, we got to spend the whole afternoon actually doing something about it.

My goal is to "go through the Collage Discovery Workshop book and practice every technique."

I've been "planning to" go through it for over four years.

But this year I wrote it down.

It's a wonderful book.

 

 

And I had everything we needed to work through the entire first chapter on background techniques.

We didn't create any works of art.

In fact, I practiced all four techniques on one canvas.

 

 

First technique: Glazing Paint (sorry about the glare).

 

 

Second technique: Peeling Paint.

 

 

Third technique: Peeling Paper.

 

 

Fourth technique: Textured Paint (unfinished because it has to dry).

 

 

I'm learning a lot.

I'm learning that using "perfectly good supplies" just for practice is not a waste.

And letting perfectly good supplies sit untouched on the shelf because you don't know how to use them "correctly" is a waste.

I'm learning that the fear of failure and the desire for perfection are enemies that are slain by deliberate action.

And for me, in regards to art, that action is simply showing up and DOING something.

I'm learning to appreciate days that take their own course.

And how wonderful it is to have friends who are game for just about anything.

I'm even learning a little bit about paint and collage techniques.

Hungry? Eat a project.

 

Did you, or someone you love, enjoy this book as a child?

How about as a grown-up?

I loved it for the art.

Today I love it because I, also, am hungry all the time.

I wish that eating through all the things I'd like to eat through would do for me what it did for the caterpillar.

Alas.

I think not.

But there is another reason I'm looking at this book today.

Back when our last three Shoots (Ps.128:3) were in elementary school, Beanie Babies were all the rage.

The Shoots were raised commercial free, though, and that had a couple of nice side effects.

They read books.

That's one.

And, though they heard all about the latest rages at school, they usually made up their own minds as to whether or not they liked a thing.

That's the second.

They liked the Beanies.

But they didn't care about the brand.

So, when I found a big sale on Beanie knock-offs one summer, I splurged on a nice big bunch of them.

Everything from ladybugs to fish.

And I did not give them to the Shoots.

I did not even show them to the Shoots.

I checked out children's library books of the nature kind.

One to correspond to every Beanie I'd purchased.

Read a book, get a Beanie.

That's the way it was.

Reward or bribe?

You decide.

This is the decision I made this week:

I want to drop my next toy for The Toy Society at the library.

That's what got me thinking about those Beanies.

So, yesterday I checked out this book and read it.

 

"On Monday he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry."

 

And today I raided my scrap stash.

 

"On Tuesday he ate through two pears. But he was still hungry." 

 

And I made some plans...

 

"On Wednesday he ate through three plums. But he was still hungry."

...of the sewing kind.

 

 

 

 

Which will have to wait.

Because I have to go to the grocery store now.

To get some things to eat through.

Choo-choo, chugga, chugga, chugga...

Wish I could follow the train of my thoughts for a day and find out why some of this stuff is rolling around in my brain. For now, though, I'm just going unload the varying cargo on you, trusted friends and innocent bystanders.

• I've been meaning to buy ten or twelve copies of this book, and I found myself thinking about it again today. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down (see note).Wish I had the words to write my own review, or even to say why I love it. I'll tell you how much I like it simply by saying the reason I want a dozen copies is so I can give one to anyone who seems even slightly interested in reading it. Check out the customer reviews on Amazon. (Alas. Our local library system does not have it listed in their catalog.)
• I've been thinking about "Blackheart" today, so I'm going to have to tell you about him in a future post.
• I've also been thinking about this series of ridiculously humorous books today. Prince Charming has been trying to complete my hardback set. You'll recognize the author from the wonderful No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. These stories are as tongue-in-cheek hilarious as those are gentle. And, hip hip, they are available in our local library.
• Does anyone use old-fashioned, yellow, No.2 pencils any more? I need, oh, say 50 or so - in various degrees of used-up-ness - for an art project. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
• I love the gentleness of God when He is correcting me. Just when I start thinking that I'm doing a pretty bang-up job of tracking my spending and money, I'll put on a jacket I haven't worn for a bit and find crumpled up money in the pocket.
• Wishing I could rock a baby every day. It's one of the wonderful things in the world.

Note: I'll never be able to use this phrase again without remembering my Big Seester saying to me, "I'm reading this great book on levitation. I just can't put it down."  Yuk-yuk and thanks, Seester.

And there you have it.

Brain drained.

As Elvis would say, "Thankyouverymuch."

 

I collect something.

I have been thinking about the things people collect.

Over the years I've been tempted to collect various things, but the thought of dusting them usually keeps me from it.

However, (and you knew this was coming) I do have a collection.

Of found grocery lists. 

And I'd like your help to make it grow.

Because I'm planning to make something with them.

It's a strange collection, no?

But I like them for what they tell me and for what they leave me wondering.

Here are some of the Found Grocery Lists  I've collected:

I find them thought provoking. For instance:

I thought Mr. Redenbacher's name was Orville.

Are they really buying cats?

"There's something about an Aqua Velva man."  Sing it.

What are Bud Bones?

I'm sorry about the wasp problem.

That stings.

 

Not particularly fascinating, but it seems to say, "Thanksgiving dinner."

I also wonder if this person came down with something during the planning phase.

Notice how orange juice and echinacea took prominence?

Does it hurt and have a temperature?

 

I'm thinking,"Thanksgiving dinner" again.

I'm also thinking, "I wonder if I'll ever be able to buy a ready-made pie crust?"

 

Sometimes, it's just the variety that gets me.

Gloves, milk, cantalope and eyeliner in the same shopping trip.

I'm loving that "L. Johns".

Is that short for long-johns?

I'm also thinking, "Hmmm. 42-30. Better make that skim milk."

 

Don't have to wonder what we're feeding the kids.

 

Now, I'm not positive this is a shopping list.

But it could be.

And you have to love the paper choice.

 

Sometimes you can tell the shopping is quite narrowly focused...

 

...and you just wish you could join them for dessert.

 

What does "both" mean in regards to toilet paper?

All those vegetables...and only one noodle.

I'm so sorry Gary is hurting.

Maybe he needs to lay off working on his boat for awhile and kick back with a dish of tapicoca.

 

 

Um.

Fungus cream and gum.

Back-up and apples.

Quesadillas, blue coral, and an oil filter.

Okay. 

 

 

 Sometimes they are nicely labeled "Grocery List".

Even though there is nothing to eat listed on them.

 

Sometimes the list is straightforward, and I'm just left wondering where they work.

Hospital?

Doctor's office?

They snagged the pharmaceutical rep's give-away note pad.

 

Body wash A.

A bread.

Is "A" a person? 

I like blueberry bagels and Prince Charming hates ham.

And that's the end of that.

Now.

I want you to hang your head and keep looking down.

While you shop, that is.

And send me your Found Grocery Lists.

I will send you something in return.

These are the little bookmarks I made for the Finder in Oregon who just sent some coastal grocery lists my way:

 

 
  
 ( This book is a good read.)

Look at other unusual collections here.

Or stand on your head.

Doing either thing will change the way you view the stuff in your world.

Go forth.