Spring is in the Air!

"Create a project that calls to mind how one or all the senses respond to this new beginning time of year."

This is the Challenge (made by me!) set forth before the Blogging Business Artisans for the month of April.

I love this lush, gorgeous time of year when the Earth comes alive again and is filled with the scent and soft velvety beauty of blooming flowers, bird song, and insects buzzing.  Greens like parsley, lettuce, and mint, growing in my garden are being harvested for delicious salads and tea. All my senses are heightened by this heady delight.

This time of year inspires so much creativity.  I've been making  a lot of cards lately, and Spring has definitely influenced my creations. 

I've been working in my garden (mostly weeding) and am about ready to pot up some perennials to give away.  My friend Kelly made a lovely card and shared the template for the flower pot.  This will be given to my Mother-in-Law for Mother's Day.  I chose her favorite colors.

The blue background of the card is cuttlebugged.  Images are stamped, and colored in with marker.  I stamped the white ribbon with golden yellow flowers to subdue it some and attached it to the top of the flower pot.  

This was a very simple card to make.  I love that!  The lavender background was cuttlebugged.  I rubbed violet ink around the edges.  Three punched butterflies were attached with rhinestones glued on their heads.  The purple flowered ribbon was tied in a "Naomi Knot."  (how to video on my friend Peggy's blog Bubbe's Biz)

a birds' nest in my hawthorn tree.  We think it may be a hummingbird nest. 

I folded this card and cuttlebugged a design on the inside bottom.  I then stamped a leaf pattern all over with Versamark.  It's very subtle.  I stamped the bird and nest with chocolate ink on a leaf patterned paper.  I colored the design in with chalk and inked the edges.  I hand wrote the sentiment.  The flower was made as follows:

3 (very) rough circles were cut out of ribbon.  I then carefully singed the edges with a flame.  This seals the edges and curls them inward. 

 


The ribbon circles were glued down one on top of the other and a pearl bead was glued to the center.





This card is a favorite and was inspired by a card on Pinterest.  (See it HERE--Lynda Benden's Stamp Act)

Here's how I made it:

First patterned paper was glued to a white card.

Vintage lace I happened to have around was attached to light green cardstock with double sided tape.


 
I burnished the tape down with the scissors handle in order to be able to remove the plastic tape covering easily.

This light green cardstock was then attached to slightly larger dark green cardstock.

Two types of yarn were tied onto the lace.

I found a turquoise button in my stash.  I placed it on the card where I wished it to go and lightly marked the beak, legs and tail with a pencil.  Yarn was then tied through the button holes to make the wing.  I cut a beak out of paper and glued it in place.  The legs and tail were drawn with marker.  The button was attached with double sided tape.  I then hand wrote the sentiment. 

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Besides cards, I've been working on dyeing and painting silk.   Both of these items call to my mind the joyous revival of green growing things.

It's fun to play with dyes and techniques.  This is a detail of a scrunchie which can be found in my shop HERE.

I dyed and hand painted this scarf, Spring bamboo.

 

creamy white Spring flowers 

The whites of Spring seem so fresh and delicate.  The lovely white pearls in this bracelet are reminiscent of that delicateness.

Spring also makes one think of birth--not only the rebirth of the Earth, but of all the baby animals being born.  Of course, I know baby humans are born all year long, but I recently made this baby bracelet for a friend's granddaughter.

Intrigued by our team challenge?  Come on over to our BBA BLOG, and see what others have made!   

QUESTION:  Have you made anything lately which challenged you artistically?     

photos by me © 2012  all rights reserved       

Sunset over Pagosa Springs: SkyWatch Friday

Pagosa Springs, Colorado, USA

Pagosa Springs is a small town, situated on a high desert plateau at 7079 feet on the Western slope of the Continental Divide.   It is surrounded by the 3 million acre San Juan National Forest.  The Rocky Mountains frame the town to the North and East.

The springs, rich with sulphur, are one of the largest and hottest in the world.  The Ute Indians called the springs Pah gossah meaning "healing waters."

 The Springs Resort and Spa

Here we spend a wonderful several hours (at night when it was truly magical) soaking away in the 18 pools of  temperatures ranging from 83 to 114 degrees F (27-46C).  Here's a LINK to the pools with descriptions and photos.  The spa overlooks the beautiful San Juan River.  Every pool offers a different experience and beautiful views.  There is one pool with a waterfall and 3 pools that mix in cooler river water.  As cold white stars glitter overhead, we plunge our bodies into the soft waters, while trails of incandescent vapors swirl through the night sky.  aaahh....  

LINKS:

wikipedia article 

The Springs Resort and Spa descriptions of the pools

description of the water (contains the following minerals:  sulfate, sodium, chloride, potassium, silica, magnesium, fluoride, lithium, boron, manganese, arsenic, iron, zinc.  Read about the health benefits of each.)
great article by Amy Maestas for InsideOutside Magazine (She states that geologists say hot springs occur where there is recent volcanism, of which there are many such places in the San Juans.)

This post is for SkyWatch Friday hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.   

Come join us in this awesome meme, link up, and meet folks from all over the globe.

photos by me © 2007