• Blog - Creativity - Photography

    T Tuesday: photography adventure edition (part 1)

    April 30, 2018 - By 

    Today for T stands for Tuesday I’m sharing the first installment of the adventure Mini-me and I headed went on to recreate the Digital Photography field trip she missed while on her French field trip. Poor communication between teachers I guess.

    We followed in the foot steps of her class and went to the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in our state capital city of St. Paul. 

    The Conservatory is a beautiful structure with the iconic glass dome and several glass wings jutting out from the center.

    I knew the structure was old but didn’t realize that it was over 100 years old until I noticed this sign.

    While Mini-me was working her photography skills on the flora and fauna displayed, I was marveling at the architecture and unique features of the building.

    Its amazing to me how glass and steel can be a work of art in itself.

    In a separate wing of the conservatory was a Bonsai pavilion. These were my favorites.

    Since this wing was dedicated to Japanese culture and tradition it was only fitting I share a bit of the traditional tea ceremony pieces on display here for T stands for Tuesday.

    The pottery was simple yet beautiful.

    More next time for T Tuesday…

    T stands for Tuesday

    What are you doing today?

  • Art - Blog - Creativity

    Life is an adventure

    April 22, 2018 - By 

    Life. Family. Memories. Adventure.

    The journey.

    I was inspired to sit down to create this morning. I didn’t have a specific theme in mind but as I began to pull interesting pieces together I realized that I did have something in mind. Life is an adventure

    Over the last two days I’ve exchange emails with cousins from both sides of my dad’s family. A genealogy message board connected them even though they aren’t related, but I am to both of them. My “new” cousin was looking for photos and info on her Grandpa…who was my Grandpa’s brother. I was able to provide her with a photo she’d never seen of 4 of the brothers.  As it turns out we live within 10 minutes of each other and plan to meet sometime after school is done. So cool!

    Anyway…all this digging into the past. Thinking of stories told to me by my parents. Old photos. Genealogy. Family. Memories. All came together to inspire the page you see. Life is an adventure

    vintage stamps and lace

    Life is an adventure

    Blue chip stamps and vintage trim

    Life is an adventure

    B&W photo and flower embellishmentLife is an adventure

    All of these pieces coming together as a vintage inspired tribute to my ancestors. Their life was a great adventure. Life is an adventure

    Ours is too. This is something I think we often forget through the drudgery of everyday life. Live your life…make it an adventure.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    I’m linking up with Art Journal Journey for Recycle and Collage.

    Art Journal Journey
  • Around home - Art - Blog - Creativity - Outdoors

    T Tuesday: handmade journal edition

    April 16, 2018 - By 

    It’s been a weird week…or two weeks. I missed T stands for Tuesday last week. It just wasn’t in the cards to get something posted or even attempt to make the rounds to my fellow Tuesday bloggers…or anywhere else for that matter. So moving on…

    The next weirdness was the crazy weekend blizzard the weather folks were hyping up.  Well there weren’t wrong!! We got 16.2 inches of snow here.

    And guess what…school went on here as scheduled Monday. 

    As I walked in the building this is what I saw to my right. 

    Here’s the drift that reached the roof that was to my left as I walked into the building! Crazy! We have more snow in the forecast for Wednesday. UGH! But then 60°F by the weekend. So weird. Mother Nature has lost her mind!!

    Ok…I know you are tired of hearing me complain so on with the creativity.

    Last week I sat down with an idea in mind. Creating a scrappy, handmade, hand bound journal. After creating my signatures I needed to come up with a sturdy yet pretty way to bind this journal.

    This was my idea. It’s very fine plastic canvas…like needle point size grid. I used a Japanese screw punch to make the holes to stitch my signatures through then glued it to the lace panel with E6000.

    I don’t think I exactly follow the hand binding rules but…don’t care..it’s the way that works for me. I’ve been doing it this same way for over 11 years!

    I decided to use this book cover, covering the inside with scrapbook paper before gluing the lace bound signatures down.

    I’m pleased with this little book. I’m planning to use it for random thoughts and quotes along the way.

    Last weekend…or I guess that would be the previous weekend when we could actually leave the house…Mini-me and I treated ourselves to coffee.

    These Minnesota-isms just don”t seem to get old especially when we have feet of snow on the ground.

    T stands for Tuesday
    This week holds a solo/ensemble contest for Mini-me and getting ready for the end of the school year wrapping up. I was told that there are 38 school days left. YIKES! That kind of freaks me out. There is so much to do!!!!
    What are you don’t today??