n2theblue

Step One

2012-02-25T17:22:00.000-06:00

Taking one little step forward after a 6-month break. It amazes me that moving the fingers again to weave some paper (chocolate wrapper*) this afternoon almost instantly inspired me. I want to make some little samples of various weaves. And then make them into a book. Using only fibers (paper, thread, etc.) and no glue or acrylic medium or such. I hesitate to announce this, as things are so apt to change . . . but maybe stating my intention will help propel me to step two.

* Askinosie single-origin, fair trade chocolate.

It Must Be Spring

2012-02-23T14:55:00.001-06:00

My first hand-picked bouquet from our grandson (with considerable help from his mom -- he's just 5 months old). As a child I picked henbit and dandelion bouquets for my mom, my kids picked them too, and so it continues. I'm so glad Spring comes to Texas in February!

Dear Art in Red Wagons, I love your dish garden! Now I want to make one.

Saturday Morning

2012-02-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

It's a lovely [gray, drippy] morning, and I've been distracted by tea and candlelight.

My plan for the morning is to finally, after six months, drag out the moving box of art supplies and put them in their new home -- the old buffet I showed you before. (And the buffet still wears it's own skin rather than a coat of paint.) Maybe with supplies at hand something creative will happen.

All's Well That Ends Well : Cookie Edition

2012-02-13T10:08:00.000-06:00

If you ever make sugar cookies with your sister-in-law's recipe but substitute white whole wheat flour for regular flour because it's all you have, you probably shouldn't assume that the texture of the cookies would be better if you used a bit less flour than the recipes calls for (as I did). If you do use less flour, when you take them out of the oven you will probably find to your horror (as I did) that they have all run together. I have occasionally experienced this disappointment in the past, but THIS TIME I had a sudden inspiration. While the mess was still fresh-out-of-the-oven hot, I applied my cookie cutters a second time, right on the cookie sheet. Voilà! Perfect hearts. Why had I never thought of this before? (As a bonus, I then had a bowl of trimmings to nibble with tea, or maybe stir into ice cream or pudding, or crush for a pie crust, or . . . .)

I sandwiched some of them with melted dark chocolate, some with apricot fruit spread, then drizzled with chocolate and icing.

Ranunculi

2012-01-11T10:49:00.000-06:00

Get yourself some flowers!

Buffet

2012-01-06T16:42:00.000-06:00

I just brought home this old oak buffet from the antique store in our neighborhood (thanks to the generosity of my mother-in-law). Now the big decision: oil it up to refresh the finish? Or paint it?? If it were painted the off-white color of the wall, the room wouldn't seem so crowded with dark furniture. Painted one of the colors from the poster it would provide a nice pop of color. But do I really want to cover the wood? Do share your thoughts, please!

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T21:21:00.000-06:00

Enjoying the last evening of 2011, and wishing you all a blessed year in 2012.

[Clementine candle instructions here.]

Christmas in Apt. K

2011-12-27T10:10:00.000-06:00

We had a lovely Christmas with family, hope you did too. Did you notice we added a manger with star and an angel this year to our Christie Cone nativity? And in case you were wondering, I did finish Grayson's little stocking (my first sock!) thanks to Staci's wonderful tutorials at verypink.com. I'm so excited to have discovered her website and blog!

Catching Up

2011-12-02T11:28:00.000-06:00

1. Finished an afghan for James. I crocheted this with all natural fibers -- primarily wool and alpaca. I loved working with these yarns. When it was finished I decided to "full" it a bit in the washer. I forgot that some of the cream-colored wool was "washable." You can see in the second photo that the regular wool got very fuzzy and the washable did not. I've made the decision to like this result. Variety of texture is interesting, right?

2. We celebrated Thanksgiving in Apt. K with a non-traditional meal -- Mexican -- [and thank you to everyone who contributed to the feast!] We set the table with handmade dishes, autumn leaves gathered by James, fresh red peppers, and limes for squeezing.

3. Baked some Cranberry Bread for Christmas giving. The recipe was given to me by Aunt Hazel some years ago. (Fresh cranberries, dried apricots, golden raisins, finely chopped pecans, etc.) Due to a last-second impulse, I decided to make it dairy free. I stuck the butter and sour cream back in the fridge, and added olive oil and applesauce instead . . . with mixed results. It's pretty tasty. I reduced the amounts of oil and applesauce, but it still made a more moist bread. Which is nice in its way, but made it more difficult to get the bread out of the pans intact. Which is why I will give one little loaf as a gift, and serve the other three at home. "Spoonbread," anyone?

4. I've been spending some sweet time with this little gentleman:

5. And today's news: I'm about to start a little knitting project. (A Christmas stocking for the little gentleman.) I've knitted blankets and scarves quite a bit, but this is my first time to try a sock.

yarn √

circular needles √

double-pointed needles √

pattern √

I'll let you know how it goes.

Garlic + Oil + Bread

2011-10-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

Our beautiful "grate plate" was made by local potter Roy Odom. Grate garlic on the plate's sharp little projections, then add olive oil and freshly ground black pepper, dip your crusty bread and enjoy! (You also might want to add balsamic vinegar, salt, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the mix.) This plate also comes in a set with bread plate and cruets.

This is my souvenir from the 2011 Fort Worth Music Festival this past weekend. We enjoyed fun bands, food trucks (including our favorite Salsa Limon) and art/craft vendors, and the weather was lovely!

Son of my Son

2011-09-26T15:43:00.000-05:00

I cannot contain such joy! It flows out in laughter and tears.

Autumn

2011-09-23T11:26:00.002-05:00

So grateful today. That our formerly painted-shut and screen-less windows are now open and have portable screens. For yesterday's much-needed sprinkle of rain and today's fresh breeze. For the new light-blocking shades that allowed a good night's sleep in spite of the security light that shines in our bedroom window. For the mama cardinal splashing in the birdbath outside my window. For two new places to sit in our living room. For family and friends to sit in them.

Now if that grandbaby would just hurry up . . . .

Home

2011-09-18T15:52:00.002-05:00

Settling into Apt K and loving it. Knitting, nesting, container gardening--I'll share some of that with you soon. Waiting for the grandson to finally make his appearance. I just finished knitting this little blanket for him. The color is actually a deeper teal than these photos show.

The Nest

2011-08-03T10:47:00.000-05:00

I made this paper weaving months ago but never showed it. Seems appropriate now, as we prepare to move from the apartment we've called home for the past two years and to make our new little nest in a 1910 apartment building.

Domestic Arts

2011-07-27T16:19:00.002-05:00

I've been busy with homely pleasures. Crocheting for our eagerly expected grandson, birthday baking, and . . .

also getting ready to move to a new [old!] apartment. I'm feeling a serious case of nesting coming on -- more about that soon.

Regarding the cake: I used this recipe from the Ghirardelli website, but I used almond milk instead of cow milk, and folded crushed cookies (Newman O's) into the batter before baking. I "floured" the baking pans with cocoa powder so the edges would be pretty left unfrosted. Also stirred crushed cookies into my buttercream frosting. So good.

Grand Fudge Cake

3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/3 cups milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and milk (starting and ending with the flour mixture), while mixing on low speed. Continue to mix until smooth. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.

Simple #4 Editing

2011-04-06T11:28:00.001-05:00

8" x 8"

Another piece I made last month including woven catalog pages.

(detail)

Lynn shared this quote in her comment on the last post:

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Just as skilled editing can make a good story great (shall we say perfect?) removing the unnecessary and inappropriate can make life better. Of course, everyone has their own idea of "perfection" in this regard and mine continues to change as the years go by. (I recently discovered I'm no longer merely "simple," but am now considered "minimalist.")

Anyone else have thoughts about simplicity?

Simple #3 Retain the Poetry

2011-04-02T10:51:00.004-05:00

I've read that the maxim of Japanese tea masters in regard to design was "pare down to the very minimum while still retaining the poetry." While we continue to pare down our possessions, we want the things we keep and the new things we acquire to be beautiful and meaningful. Like these dishes. Of simple design, handmade from clay, bearing the imprint of oak leaves picked up during one of our walks to the park, and made by someone we love. Poetry.

Simple #2

2011-03-24T11:08:00.000-05:00

Another paper weaving using the catalog pages.

(detail)

Another "simple" thought: I remember reading Thoreau in school and being thrilled by his "Simplify! Simplify!" and underlining all his words about simplicity. But it's so easy to go with the flow and traditions of one's culture, and like every other American I knew, I became a consumer. It was a mindless thing, really. I accumulated stuff. I used all the cosmetic products my friends used. Dressed like they dressed. Had a wedding that looked like everyone else's, acquired all the same baby paraphernalia, home decor, kitchen gadgets, etc. It didn't occur to me to question any of this. Nor was I even aware of how many toxic products I used or how much garbage I produced. Well, I finally started seriously thinking about these things ten or so years ago, and reached the conclusion that there were many compelling reasons to opt out of the consumer culture and find my own simple way. The crazy thing is that "simple" and "green" have also become marketed lifestyles with products, books, magazines, websites, etc. Same old thing! I'm not buying it.

Simplicity

2011-03-18T16:54:00.004-05:00

"I am learning . . . that a man can live profoundly without masses of things."

(from the Arctic journal of Richard E. Byrd)

It must be over a decade now since I started hungering for simplicity. Looking back, I see that we've come quite far on the journey; looking forward, we continue step by step. I think I will share some "simple" quotes and thoughts here from time to time.

I made the paper weaving above with a couple of pages from a Restoration Hardware catalog that came in the [junk]mail. The subtle design on the background is the result of making a rubbing using fine sandpaper. Two little stitches of cotton thread hold it all together.

2011-03-16T11:23:00.000-05:00

Oil study of Japanese Garden by James Tennison
Irises from vacant lot across the street.

Does it really always have to be about us??

2011-03-11T16:51:00.005-06:00

"Trinity Park 02142011" 13.5" x 11" Mixed media

I wove together some of my painted papers and added a photo I took in the park last month.

This paper is just brown kraft paper that finds its way into our home every now and then and is collected to use under my projects to protect the countertop. Over the course of time it collects quite a lot of color and pattern, until one day it suddenly captures my attention and I start working directly on it and then cut or tear it up and make things with it. So. What started out as a tree became paper, packaging material to protect something that was mailed to us, protection for my countertop during art projects, and now has become a piece of art about a tree.

Man With Umbrella

2011-03-10T10:39:00.013-06:00

I find I often like a detail better than the whole piece. This is part of something I made yesterday during an art-fest afternoon with Lauren. "Man With Umbrella" (below) came about in the usual random, intuitive way I make things.

"Man With Umbrella" 12" x 9" mixed-media

I think I was subconsciously influenced by Jonathan Borofsky's "Man With Briefcase," which I have a strange and inexplicable affection for. It's a 50' tall negative-space metal silhouette that lives a couple of blocks from here in Burnett Park.

P.S. Did you see this little watercolor sketch James painted of Man With Briefcase? I LOVE it!

Sunday in the Park

2011-03-08T14:46:00.000-06:00

Sunday afternoon we walked to Trinity Park, and seeing all the families having Sunday-in-the-park fun took me back to the early 1960's.

Mama had one of those 1940's metal picnic baskets that she stored on a shelf over the washing machine. Every now and then on a Sunday after church (or sometimes instead of church) she would suddenly decide we should all go to Randol Mill Park for a picnic. This sudden announcement, and the getting-down of the picnic basket was for my brother and me a source of almost overwhelming joy (especially when it was instead of church).

* I'm putting that on my grandma to-do list: picnic

Imagine That

2011-03-05T14:02:00.002-06:00

Now that our son and daughter-in-law have announced it on Facebook, I get to share the joyful news: we eagerly await the September arrival of a new little family member! Lots of planning and dreaming going on around here. Today I'm trying some sweet experiments in baby footwear, trying to judge size by my own newborn footprint. Every time James (Grandpa) walks in the room and sees this he laughs. Wow. Me a grandma. Imagine that!

Paper Bowl #3 (Blue)

2011-03-01T14:54:00.001-06:00

6" x 2" Paper Bowl

I think this one's my favorite so far, which is no surprise since it's blue. And simple.

Bowl #2

2011-02-23T09:52:00.004-06:00

A bowl I made for Barry using his handmade paper. This one I lined with woven newspaper comics and stitched with waxed linen thread.

Wabi - Sabi Bowl

2011-02-17T15:55:00.006-06:00

I've begun some paper bowl experiments using our friend Barry's handmade paper. Here's the first one.

There is something in the fragile, ephemeral quality of a handmade paper bowl that appeals to me in a sweet/sad way.

Gratitude

2011-02-15T11:38:00.001-06:00

Today I'm grateful for the subtly beautiful colors of winter. And the way God designs oak leaves. And the way He uses the wind to play trumpet vine seed pods like castanets as they hang dry and empty on winter vines. I'm grateful to have eyes and ears to see the leaves and hear the music.

Chocolate + Peanut butter

2011-02-14T11:26:00.002-06:00

And now for something ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

I'm feeling the urge today to share something besides art and such. There is actually much more to my life and as of today I give myself permission to share more of it with you. I don't have any new arty things to show anyway -- but that may soon change (thank you B. and P.R.)

Let's begin with chocolate. Did you see THIS RECIPE on Design Sponge?? There are in fact 12 of these chocolate-peanut-butter cups chilling in our refrigerator at this very moment. Those of you who know me probably know I'm pretty picky about our food being healthy -- fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts and such. (No meat, little if any dairy, not too much sugar, no additives, preservatives, artificial color or flavor, etc.) So I do feel just a little bit BAD that the first time I share a recipe it's for fake Reese's Cups. However, I used healthy peanut butter (the kind you have to stir and keep in the 'fridge -- it has only peanuts and the tiniest bit of salt), all-natural chocolate, the healthiest whole-wheat grahams I could find, and my powdered sugar is unbleached evaporated cane juice, so they are in fact much healthier than the ones at the store.
* One note: I had a lot of melted chocolate left over.

Now I'm going to go take a picture of them for you.
Have a lovely day.

P.S. This lovely little ceramic plate is the work of our niece Christie. http://www.christieconeceramics.blogspot.com.

Layers!

2011-01-19T12:12:00.002-06:00

11" x 8.5" mixed media collage

Would you care to see a bit of this process of layering that happens when I play with paper and paint? Below are some photos I snapped along the way. Keep in mind that I had not the slightest idea where I was going with this until the point where I used my daughter's hand-cut bird stencil (thanks, Lauren).

Collaboration

2011-01-07T16:11:00.003-06:00

Our daughter Lauren sometimes makes collage "portraits" with cuttings from fashion magazines, so I thought it would be interesting for us to make something together. Her collage + my layers of texture and color =

12" x 9" mixed media collage

Square One

2011-01-01T14:13:00.008-06:00

"Square One" 12" x 9" mixed-media collage

Welcome to 2011 and to my new space. The old one is still HERE, but I'm in the mood for something new. This first piece of the new year started with a newspaper clipping about a local clinic for the homeless. We live rather near the clinic and night shelters, and are slightly acquainted with one gentleman who sometimes resides there. There are as many stories as there are street people. The hopscotch grid is both a reference to street games, and to the more serious "game" of getting one's life together and finding home.