Artist's studio tour.......

The sun does shine in Oregon and today is a perfect example....blue sky and 80 degrees.  Beautiful!

Hubby, Daughter-in-law, Grandson and I spent this very pleasant day touring artist studios in a rural area, just outside of Portland, Beavercreek, thus an event called "Open Studios of Beavercreek".  The event features 30 plus artists sharing space and showing in 14 separate locations.

I took my camera but, of course, I forgot to use it at the first stop which was at Connie Veenker's Studio.  Connie works in acrylic paint and makes some cute yard art.  Her studio located next to her country home  is a  bright and compact space any artist or craft person would love.  This is, also, is where I made my purchase of the day.....a mosaic piece by Connie that will hang by our front door!  Cute, huh?

Nest, we drove to Jill Montgomery's studio.  Jill designs and constructs beautiful mosaics.  I took so many pictures of Jill's greenhouse and studio that I really didn't get too many of her work....your going to love this greenhouse......The entrance was great but the interior was.........

  to "die for"........

couldn't you just live here, antiques, McCoy and other colorful pottery, cool metal chairs, watering cans, oh, my!..

Attached to the black screen above are three of Jill's gorgeous mosaics.  She grows several varieties of sedums in her greenhouse.......I really, really want to live there!

This is Jill's actual studio/workshop, it was a delight, too.

 

Jill hosted watercolor artist, Holly Kroening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And Metal Art made of recycled materials by Jen and Shaun.

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we were off to Victorhill Farm, where artist Blenda Tyvoll display her beautiful watercolors and collages.  A member of the Oregon Watercolor Society, Blenda's painting placed third in a state wide contest and will be included in the OWS traveling show.  More of her work can be seen on her web-site at http://BlendaStudio.com.

Some of Blenda's delightful work which includes collage.

The front of her studio/shop!

If you look closely, between the car and the shop, the peak of our landmark Mt. Hood is visible in the distance.

After a quick stop for a hearty lunch, we were off to visit the studio of Jude Weller.  Jude is a well know watercolor artist and teacher, who also has a great studio located in her beautifully landscaped backyard.

 

I'm told this innocent looking little creek has been know to over flow it's banks....but my, is it lovely to look at!

A very small sample of Jude's work.

Not far down the road, we were greeted by this wonderfully detailed gate designed and constructed by Marion Gilliland.  Inside his studio, the walls were laden with his very high quality metal work.

This is only a sampling of the work we enjoyed today, each studio hosted at least two other artists.  If, you live in the Portland area this is an event you don't want to miss.  This is the 14th year of the event and it is held twice a year, in June and, again, October 8,9,10. 

For more information visit www.openstudiosofbeavercreek.com or call 503-632-4146.

Garden Journaling....

Am I a die-hard or what, just had a cataract removed from my left eye this morning and here I am blogging.

I am living proof that flattery will get you any where, at least with me!  When I got home from surgery an hour ago (pretty simple surgery, really), I had a response to a previous post from Fine Craft Guild inviting me to post my garden journal.  You don't have to ask me twice, so here goes.

I'm redoing the original post to make this post specific to the garden journals.

When we moved into this house in 1980, I started keeping some loose notes and plant tags of what I was planting in various flower beds.  Of course, I took a few photos to go with it.

Five years ago, I decided to organize those notes and photos into one book.....thus began the journey of journaling.  Not every page in these books is all "fancy" some are just straight forward notes.

This is last years book.  In the photo above the green book is from 2007-08, the larger book on the bottom encompasses the preceding 15 years or more.  Each book is made up of different types of paper, the big book has heavy, almost cardstock weight pages, the other two are just light weight lined notebook paper.

This is a fold-out page of photos showing the same garden bed at different times of the year.  This is a fun way to see the growth of each plant through a season.

Three years ago, we did a complete re-landscape of the front yard......removing lawn and installing plants and paths.  This page shows some of my process of developing the color scheme.  Mostly, I write with Sharpies of different colors and tip size.  To keep materials attached to pages I use glue sticks, scotch tape and staples.

I keep track of the weather, when I fertilize or spray, even when and what areas I water.  I keep the tags that come with the plants, if I find an article in a magazine, I cut it out and add it, that way I have it for reference.

This is, also, sort of a diary....I'll add things about places we have gone, nursery trips and what I bought....what is really fun is to keep the receipts from purchase....interesting to see how much a rose costs today, as to opposed to 15 years ago.  I record marriages, birth and deaths, visits from special people, stuff I buy for the yard i.e. bird baths, benches.

     The light weight notebook paper will not hold up to painting the background with watercolors, so I use heavier water color paper or you could use scrapbook papers.  I just cut to size and glue the page on top of the book page with a glue stick.

Keep it simple, have fun.....it is your book, you can share with others, only if you want, but you can and should just do it for you.  That being said, I do believe that some day after I am gone, someone will be able to read about the life and times in my garden and life in the 21st Century.

Join me a couple more parties Whatever goes Wednesday and Show and Tell Friday, please read and enjoy......and leave a comment, too!

Front door greetings....

Here in the Northwest we have had an extra large dose of rain this spring, in spite of it, or maybe because of it, everything is growing.....like weeds, including the weeds.

The blossoms are taking a beating tho', roses blooms are turning to mush and peonies a laying down.....this to will pass.....today's forecast is DRY!  Hooray!

Thought I would share a new "pretty" I purchased this weekend at an art fair......a hand-blown glass orb to float in my water feature along with some Japanese glass floats.

I added a couple blooms from the nearby rose, too!

I love the color combination of blue and orange!

  

The water feature and rose arbor line the sidewalk to the front door. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to my house....I am no "shrinking violet" when it comes to color, LOVE IT!

Also, love the red child's  chair and the watering can with the purple of Petunias and Heliotrope.

 

The Heliotrope will add it's wonderful, welcoming, vanilla fragrance. 

This is a difficult west facing location....the area is in shade most of the day until late afternoon when the hot sun shines in....so I am trying a sedum "Aeonium Zwartkop" and sedum "Angelina" in a pot.  If, they are not getting enough light I will be able to move them into the sun.....for some light therapy!

The same is true of the other pots, I'll move as needed.

 

View from above and the final flourish.... a basket full of flowerpots and old garden tools!

 

 

And should you think I am brilliant and can remember the names and species of all my plants.....NOT true.....I keep a garden journal.....here are a few pages......

I started journaling where and what I planted, years ago, because every spring I would be digging up plants I'd forgotten I had planted.....still do that sometimes... but now I can look back and figure out what it was I just destroyed! Haha!

Thanks for visiting today, remember I appreciate comments and I love my followers.  Join me at Outdoor Wednesday, Rednesday and Tabletop Tuesday as I visit all those wonderful blogs!

Playing with paper and loving it....

Recently, I have taken a couple lessons in collage at the Woodburn Art Center from a woman, who's name is Susan Schenk.

I've been doing collage for a while but what make Susan's work interesting is she, basically, paints with paper.  I've not done anything in class that I was very excited about but on my own I have discovered....cupcakes!

This technique uses paper as the medium, instead of paint, so all the rules of painting apply.  My theory is I need figure out the lights and darks and developing shapes so I'm taking a fairly simple shape and I'm going to do a series of practice pieces.

   So, I'm off to make cupcakes with personality and depth and ...........no calories.  Just for fun, I'm taking my cupcakes to a party at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday.  Please join me and remember I love comments and followers!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

Red clover, red clover, send the bees over.........

In honor of Rednesday, I am posting this wonderfully, colorful field of red clover growing close to my home.  A field we drive by, almost every day, it suddenly went from all green.... to all red.... and then I noticed them.......the glorious blue bee boxes.

  

Simply stunning!

Closer to home...........let's have a party and serve some delicious punch!

I have a small collection of Bakelite and this shiny aluminum punch bowl sports some great round knobs of red Bakelite.  I am not sure what the original punch cups may have looked like, but I thought the Ruby Red glasses were the perfect touch.

Add some silverware with Bakelite handles and a red plastic apple measuring tape to a metal train depot with a dark red roof, a child's blackboard and a drawing by our Grandson for some kitchen color with zing!

You may notice, I collect small metal buildings, too.  They are difficult to find, at reasonable prices, so I only have four total.  Really, I collect way too much....besides Bakelite and small building; Ironstone, Jadite and Bauer pottery.......to name a few more!

Full frontal view of a section of the built-in shelves in our kitchen/dinning area with lots of color and collections!

Also, linking to Woo Hoo! Wednesday at Always Nesting AND Tabletop Tuesday!  Add some Woo Hoo to your Rednesday Tabletop and visit all three parties, you'll be glad you did.

Thanks for stopping by here!  I love comments and Followers please feel free to do both!    

One thing leads to another......

The recent run of cold, wet weather has driven me indoors this spring.....which hasn't been all bad!

Since the first of the year I have pretty much cleaned, cleared and in some cases, painted, every room in the house EXCEPT my craft room.  Which, in my world, can easily become the junk room, not to be confused with the "junque" room......its where I put everything I don't want to deal with at this moment or several moments, days even.

So, I took it on....sorted, added a bookcase and generally clean up.  Guess what, now, I have a clear work surface!

I know you thought this was a blog about a clean room.........no, it's about feeling organized and inspired to tackle some projects I've been wanting to work on, i.e. one thing leads to another.

I had seen this idea on another blog, of course, I don't remember who's.  Trust me I tried to find it, it wasn't posted that long ago so maybe you can remind me where I read it, so I can give credit.

It started with a laundry basket(or any fair size basket), in my case, I've had this around for a long time.....tried to sell it, didn't sell, so used it for toy basket for awhile.

This was such and easy update, I simply stained it with some dark wood stain we had on hand and then free handed the numbers to give it that old world/slightly industrial....been sitting on a shelf for years look.  The free hand idea was scary to me too, but you know what, it was easy.  I did draw the numbers on first with chalk, so I would have a size gauge. 

Love the finished project.

  In its current resting place!

Some of the members of my household are just NEVER impressed with my cleverness..........................

  Come to think of it, a nap sounds like a good idea!

I am going to participate in an on-line party called "Where Bloggers Create" in June, I'll share more photos of my studio/junque room then.

I'm going to attend a new party that sounds like fun; Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous and yet another Friday happening Saving Money and Living Life at Fabulous Friday.

Thanks for stopping by, please feel free to comment!

April showers, May flowers.......

Here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest we have had never-ending rain showers throughout April and May, fortunately the flowers don't seem to mind....too much!It's the wind and cool temps that are not fit for man, nor gardening.

I'm going to do a little party hopping today....I'm going to start with White Wednesday at Faded Charm Cottage where I'd like to share a few photos of my back yard and a white rose named Sally, "Sally Homes" that is!  Sally is a "big girl", she's about 8 foot tall and as wide.  She takes up some room but is soooo worth it!

Normally, Sally has larger clusters of single flowers, this year, smaller clusters.....don't know if it is the weather or the lack of cutting back.  Love the tinge of pink on the edges of the petals and the buds. 

Need to plant my bike baskets with annuals, SOON!

Here are some other parts of the garden that I'd like to share with Woo Hoo! Wednesday and Rednesday.  Hope you enjoy!

 

Orange wallflower and chives highlight the red advertising on the galvanized bucket.

The bird bath sits in front of the "Sally" rose and the Heuchera "Peach Flambé" strikes up the color "band"!

I've shared the gate before but that was before I'd hung the birdhouse and the forget-me-nots started blooming.

For the grand finale.........a gorgeous rose named "Crown Princess Margaretta" with peachy color and a fragrance to absolutely "die for"! 

As you can see, the weather isn't stopping Mother Nature, it is just making it less than pleasant to work out there or just to walk around, with a cup of tea, and enjoy.  The battle with black spot on the roses has "barely just begun", as they say.

Hope you had time to visit the other wonderful blogs and all of these parties.  I love to read your comments, so please feel free!

Let's hope for sunshine and wishing you a relaxing, fun Memorial Day weekend!