Heartful Handful 8 and 9

Day 8

I was very grateful for a brisk walk in the woods, seeing hundreds of coin shaped and coloured poplar leaves, the only pennies we have now.

I was happy to go grocery shopping and stock up but shouldn't have gone before breakfast. I was excited to buy a good heavy bag of Cara Cara oranges, my one true orange love.

I'm "bed talker" I just love yapping at night as I go to sleep and Man indulged me. If he would read me a story I would be right indulged.

I was inspired by this artist. The plastic one made me tear up for his inventiveness.

Fabian Oefner

And by the sound of this:

Glen Hansard - Come away to the water

As I cooked our fantastic dinner.

I made this:

a test pattern for a pin cushion and I have a pin in my mouth hence the stranger than normal expression, hence the need for an exquisite pincushion.

Day 9

Grateful for SUNSHINE

Love the dyeing of wool

LOVE wood heat

I was inspired by 

my new formulas  I dyed for my  Welcome Mat dye column, the article is called:

"Aren't 9 shades of grey enough?" and I know there are 10 there, just wanted to show how they work as a lighter version, and might I say splendido. Makes me want to WRITE A DAMN BOOK.

I used cushing, pro chem and majic carpet dyes.

And 

The Aryballos Owl in the Louvre

I wish I had him to look at when I did my owl instead of the coin.

And I made my other fingerless glove and sewed them both up, yes more then 10 minutes but once I get parked for making, well you know yourself it is hard to put down.

Now it is time for all good pets to get walked!

I typed that while wearing my gloves.

I left the energy in the wool and it is very nice, like a therapeutic glove, it is very elastic and forms to your hand. A girdle without the circulation constriction. Yes my hands need a fricking girdle, don't yours?

Have a good night!

This post has been sponsored by The Welcome Mat where new recipes for all dyes are made each week and archived.

What are you missing?

Heartful Handful Movement Day 7

Today I was so happy to leave this house and buy terrific things like honey and carrots and brussel sprout and some GF cheese buns. What a treat not to have to make these buns myself.

I'm grateful for the invention of  a "london fog" 

Leftovers are a gift straight from God - that I know.

I'm inspired by GRAY - I know it is sick sick sick and I probably look sick sick sick wearing it and you are sick sick sick of seeing so much of it outside as we approach the grayest of months.

But lookit!

Or even these

The names are pretty good too.

I was also inspired by 

Man refused his naming, probably a sign he's a real one. Just saying signed Alexia Tarabotti

I created this during many clusters of 10 minutes joined together, it's going to be a love banner for whomever I think needs it, you do know January is only 10 weeks away, not to mention what might come between? Just saying signed Santa Claus.
 Still in progress it is  "rough" appliqued cotton scraps on a taffeta ground. I pretty much love taffeta, so full of delightful sounds as you embroider on it. Like a symphony, all rustley and the thread sings through it, the needle is the percussion.

#5 & 6 Heartful Handful Movement

Day 5

I'm really glad today for such great students who are keenly interested in the interaction of colour.

I'm thrilled for all the things we can do with a simple thing called wool.

I'm so happy when young women come here after school and eat up my ginger brownies.

I was inspired by this woman Irene Van der Wolf and her forward thinking about wool and felting and forms with holes in them, she is an innovator and an outside thinker!

Go here to see all of amazing videos!

I was also inspired by this sight:

I made this from some scraps laying around:

Day 6

I was grateful today for seeing old friends come by one by one as I was at the grocery store and chat with them for a few minutes today and for the three compliments I got about my 30s cloche hat downtown!!!!

I was glad, glad, glad to have a car to drive on my errands because the weather is all over the place.

I was grateful for Man doing the dishes up so I could write to you.

I was inspired today by this beautiful fabric I got from Marcy Tilton

And I also loved the sight of my wool, my squirrel and my birdhouse

Today I spent 10 minutes dyeing the above wool.

HeARTful Handful Movement #4

I'm grateful for the way Man walks me each night around 8 blocks or so, others are out with their pets too between 9 and 10.

I'm grateful for good students who are coming to learn to colour the Spirit Owl in their own way today enhanced by the fact I sold it a few weeks ago and no reference will be available. I'm grateful for that sale too.

My goodness I'm dead grateful for colour and my enjoyment of it.



 I'm inspired by this photo from here

And this artwork by Tiffany Calder Kingston called  Hare

I was able to make exactly nothing but wool, is this enough? Probably, it looks like a beautiful view of colourful algae in  sunlit water.

#3 Heartful Handful Movement

Today I'm grateful for an old hambone that made dinner, nope I'm not talking about Man, I'm talking about a literal hambone, in the freezer that I used to make bean soup.

I love the way I got my summer clothes put away and my winter ones out today and because there are less of them, I no longer fear a closet explosion and smothering in the night. Culled a good few non fitters too and that felt good as well.

I just love watching all my generations of squirrels come to eat each day. Today we were joined by some big bossy crows, I love their outfits!!!

I was inspired today by this talk by Meg Jay:

And this interview with Jerry Seinfeld

Something to listen to as you create!

I made this fingerless glove which looks wonky from leaving the energy in the yarn after spinning but isn't really, it is wonderfully full of stretch and strength when sewn and doesn't twist on your hand, it's alive!

#2 Heartful Handful Movement

I love the way dark chocolate melts in my mouth and I'm happy my friend gave me French Broad Chocolate.

I love the coziness of a warm bed on a cold night when the house isn't heated because we like it cool to sleep. Nose cold- feet warm - ideal!

I love dyeing and was glad to spend the afternoon doing it and begin the season for my Welcome Mat dye column once again.

I was inspired today by this:

And this work of artist Erin Ashley:

I made this ball from my handspun yarn.

Heartful Handful #1

I love this book Alicia made me when I turned 50  

I'm grateful for her and it and love putting it to use for this creative movement.

I love the way Man" let me wear a wool felt '30s style cloche to Walmart with a pretty funky coat and  didn't bat an eye when people stared us down and up!

I love the delicious smell of steak and gravy cooking away while I play

I'm inspired today by the colours of smashed  grapes and fallen leaves on the wet deck

And my spectacular bird house from the Folk Art Centre near Asheville, NC that was an extravagance but delights me several times a day. I appreciate it deeply and the thinking that goes into the creation of it.

I made a little crochet ring out of rayon thread I had been wanting to try, as I sewed it in it seemed to be part of or connected to a web so I put it in one.

PS.... Alicia taught me to crochet!

The Heartful Handful Movement Starts Today!

Artists think, they look and they make, this Heartful Handful Movement takes us to the connection point of that imperative.

Perhaps you do too much of this?

Or spend your creative time in large groups with heart but no individual expression

Time to look into your own 

Imagine the excitement!

Go here on this blog, here at facebook or here on pinterest or here at my online studio The Welcome Mat to read more about it, you can join us. It's free !

 It's gaining momentum minute by minute, just like your creativity will.

The Heartful - Handful Movement

Do you feel like joining this wonderful initiative from my online studio, The Welcome Mat?

This movement will last one month starting October 20 and lasting until November 17.

During that time you will do three things as often as you can. These three should be done in conjunction with each other, in the same time/ space.

Each day do these: (or every other day or once a week - entirely up to you, the more you do the more you will get from it.)

• Find three things to be thankful for that you love.

• Two visuals that inspire you,  you will add to a journal, this can be a digital journal. These should only be things you LOVE.

• One little line drawing, gathering of thread, wool or any other doodle that takes no more than 10 minutes. You may use what you've always wanted to but didn't until now.I give you permission. Finally you can get to it.

This is the minimum, you can do more and expand your heart and hands as needed.

The objective is to be full of heart, full up of what you love.

Then to use our hands to get them full of what truly turns our crank.

Then to record your wandering threads that will lead to your true heart.

We hope this in turn will spark your deep heartfelt creativity for your hands because you will be feeding it and keeping it in a hot house of happiness.

We will share what we think when we want to,  to show others what we do.

We will love all we see and be sparked by the beauty you reveal to us.

You in?

Please tell every hooker and artist you know. Push this link to your blog, start a discussion on your network, let's get it on!

Go to my Facebook page to show us your unique heart work during this month if you are not a member of The Welcome Mat.
Or pin your heart leanings and gleanings on Pinterest here