Two Inchies...Two Stones

Kris is hosting an

Every Inchie Monday project

and it is very challenging.

Last week the word prompt

was maudlin.

I had to look that one up!

It means emotional, mushy etc.

For more on the project

click on the logo in my sidebar.

Here is my inchie for this week.

The word prompt was

mirthful.

I think of laughter for that word.

The base for all of my inchies is recycled watercolor paper.

So, they already have color on them.

Then the words are cut from a ragged old dictionary

I've had for ages. 

I am still pondering on what I will do

when I get all 52 made, as there are lots

of possibilities.

***

Below are 2 small stones for the

A River of Stones project.

This time they are related to this photo

I took early one morning last week.

Many hundreds of feathered winter Texans

are still arriving.  I am a flat lander,

so when it rains here, it collects in any

low areas in the fields.  This is the sight you see

quite often when driving down the road.

My 2 stones.....

Puddle ducks by the hundreds

web footed and in mass

sing their dawns chorus

in the freshwater shallows

of winter

 ***

The feathered tall blue hunter

wades with movements imperceptable

patience...patience

in his vigilant pursuit

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Tea Cup Swap and a small stone

  A few weeks ago

Artfully Ooglebloops

hosted a tea cup swap.

Nathalie from

An Artist's Legacy

was my swap partner.

I am late getting the photo up,

but it does not lessen how much

I love what she sent me.

This lovely 1960's tea cup and saucer

came with some delicious plum tea bags

and a sweet note made from the box of tea.

I love the design and the colors.

Thank you so much Nathalie,

I love it!  Swaps are so much fun!

***

Here is my small stone for today...

for info click on the

A River of Stones logo in my sidebar.

Sharp repeated taps

like morse code

awaken me

my eyes open

and focus toward the sound

at my window

finding the little sparrow

who had scattered my dreams

...and I smile

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

...a violin concerto, art quilts and a stone

This video is of Fritz Kreisler playing his own

violin concerto in 1930 and again in 1942.

The song is Liebesleid,

or Love's Sorrow,

that being a loose translation.

This is the song that my friend

Janet Cooper loves.

What does this have to do with an art quilt you ask?

Well, when I first made my first art quilt,

it was going to be in the quilt show in Corpus Christi.

It was required that it have a name/title.

I could not come up with one,

although I ask many for help with this.

Do you have trouble naming your pieces of work?

How do you come up with names for your art work?

Janet told me about this violin concerto,

and I loved it... the title and the music.

So, the art quilt you see below is now in the

Conner show.  It has hung in several shows,

and this is one art quilt I will keep.

I still make traditional quilts,

but after making this first art quilt,

I was hooked.

I know some of you have seen it before,

in previous posts,

but I was ask to show it again.  So, here is

Love's Sorrow.

Love's Sorrow was inspired by

fireplace tiles

that I bought on one of my trips to Ireland.

I have a pen pal in Ireland, Helen,

and we have been writing since we were

about 10 years old.

***

I have one more quilt in the Conner show this year.

It is my miniature quilt,

Primitive Pinwheels.

Some of you have seen this one in a previous post also.

It is hanging above Shirley's petroglyph

bleach discharged art quilt.

Primitive Pinwheels looks like it has

many tiny pieces sewed together,

but that is an illusion.

The smallest pieces I had to cut out

and sew together  were 3 1/2 inch squares...

because the magic is in using the template.

It was my first miniature quilt,

and I really enjoyed making this one.

***

Another small stone...

for the

A River of Stones project.

See the logo in my sidebar for info.

Clouds float in a rose madder wash

and as the sun is setting

a hawk dives

and plays its part in the

amazing orchestra of nature

***

I hope you are enjoying my small stones,

because by "paying proper attention" and

 writing them has

made me increase the ways that I....

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

More Conner Quilts and a Small Stone

The Conner Show goes on until the end of March.

In a previous post I showed you a few of the quilts and

today I am showing you a few more.

Formal Garden

made by Toni Rich

conjures up images of a Monet painting.

This Blue Bonnet Dresden Plate is Sandy's first quilt,

and she says that is represents a burst of sunshine to her.

Houses by Pat Neher

was a KSQ lotto that Pat won and put together.

There are many more beautiful quilts,

and as always a great show!

Next post I will show you my 2 little quilts at the Conner

and a lilttle bit about each one.

***

My small stone for today...

Click on the

A River of Stones logo in my sidebar

for more info.

Large, round

awe-inspiring leaves

flat and unsinkable

landing fields for dragonflies

home to many

mud bottom pond dwellers

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Traveling Quilts and a pile of small stones

Thanks for all your comments while I was gone.  I enjoyed every one.

I have been reading all of your posts and looks like

all of you have really been busy creating

and savoring the day. 

It's always good to go for a little trip like I just did,

and I loved having my sister visit here afterwards,

but it's always good to get back to my little routine.

Last weekend I visited Bandera where the

Texas Dept. of Agriculture Quilts exhibition took place.

My sister Lanette organized the very successful event.

Thank you Lanette, and to all involved.

Here I am below, (my turtle block is down on the right)

This 2010 Texas Wildlife: Adventure Awaits quilt

highlights Texas' abundant wildlife resources and activities. 

I met some new and seasoned quilters of all ages.  Some had questions

and some even had some great quilt stories to tell me. 

I want to share a few of my favorite quilts of the exhibit.

This is the 2002 Texas Blooming Floral quilt.  This quilt celebrates the skill of our state's quilters within the 24 floral plants identified as specifically suited to the Tx. environment by Texas A&M University's Agriculture Program.  Spring, summer, fall, or winter, whatever the season, lush and verdant Tx. blooms and greenery always beautify our lives.

The 2008 Toast a Rising Star quilt highlighted the state's burgeoning wine and grape-growing industry, focusing on all elements of Texas wine...from the legendary history of wine in our state to the ideally suited grape growing regions.  The back of this quilt had all the Texas wine labels scanned and printed onto the backing fabric to add even more interest.

The 2006 Legendary Ranches of Texas quilt spotlighted the state's long-standing tradition of ranching, focusing on all elements of ranching, from famous Texas ranches to livestock to the history of ranching families that settled the state.  It pays homage to Texas ranching pioneers and the traditions that still exist as part of our proud ranching heritage.

Every quilt in the collection is beautiful and unique. 

The first quilt was unveiled at the state fair in 1997.

Each winning quilt is on display at the state fair for a time

and then travels around the state 

as part of their permanent collection and natural fiber exhibition.

***

I've been busy writing my small stones.

A River of Stones...

for info on this project,

 click on the logo in my sidebar.

Here is my "pile" of 5 small stones

that will catch me up for the month...

***

The dampness chills me

as the whispy tendrils of fog

seep in

Then a welcoming and gentle

Zepher-like breeze

limits its presence

***

A fragile wildflower

grows from a split

in the silver-gray stone

its roots thriving happily

***

Ground soaking rain of late

set the siler gray ceniza abloom

with diminutive rose-purple flowers

saying thank you

***

The queen palm spreads its fronds

creating a lacy and delicate shade

bestowing the harsh landscape below

with a bit of enchantment.

***

Morning light and shadows

becoming whimsically elongated

then leisurely withdraws

the enchantment of reflection

as the day progresses

***

I will post soon about all the happenings

of late...more Conner quilts, tea cup swap pics,

and more.

In the meantime I'll be reading your recent posts and will....

:)

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

2 Small Stones left behind

Before leaving for the weekend

I wanted to leave behind

a couple of small stones

so I can keep up with my daily small stones for the

River of Stones project.

Click on the logo in my sidebar for more info.

First...

this photo of small stones

was taken at my friend Shirley's home.

It is sitting on her bookshelf,

along with a lot of things that I'm sure

are meaningful to her.

Do you have a bowl of small stones in your home?

Do each of them have a story to tell?

My small stone for Saturday was inspired by

seeing all the jackrabbits running around

at sunset.  It's getting cold outside and the weatherman says

it will dip down to 29 degrees tonight.

***

Jackrabbits hurrying along

following the illuminated

veined roadmaps of their ears

 to a warm location

before the sable darkness

comes and

erases the course

***

My small stone for Sunday was inspired

by the many vintage photographs

that I have been sorting through

these past few weeks.

One of my goals for the New Year

was to get my photos in order,

get some framed and get the others

in albums.

***

Sepia toned

discolored

blemished

subjects sitting properly

some standing unbent

dubious faces of the past

looking back at me

evocative

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Small Stone and Conner Quilts

My small stone for today...

Sun streaming into my window

indroducing shadows of leaf shapes

opaque silhouettes that resemble

Japanese calligraphy

For more info click on

A River of Stones

in my sidebar

***

Celebration of Quilts 2011

The reception last night was wonderful!

We had 34 plus quilts up and

I am happy to share some with you here.

Thanks Brenda and to all the

Texas A&M Univ. John Conner Museum staff.

NOTE:

After each photo I am adding some info

that Brenda compiled from each quilter

 for the reception handout.

The featured quilt that was on the postcard sent out to hundreds

was done by Joan Nuesch.

Navajo Sarape

Dresden Plate

by

Kingsville Saturday Quilters

...was a collaborative effort by the members,

whose age spans from 15 through 90.

The completed quilt was donated to

 the Historic Downtown District Assoc.

to help support a raffle fundraiser

to beautify downtown Kingsville. 

The quilt garnered approx. $1,400

and is on loan from the winner of the raffle.

Sampler Quilt

by Kathy Burnett

Above is Kathy's very first quilt.   She says that she

is forging many friendships

through quilting.

Her daughter Amy

quilts also.  Amy is our youngest member.

Blue Gills or 20 in 5

by June Cress

June states, "My art students,

from Epiphany Episcopal School

challenged me to draw 20 different fish

in five minutes-

hence, the title.

This original quilt was the result of that challenge.

Hand embroidery and machine quilted.

80in. by 93in."

Now THAT is creative! 

This was my husband's favorite quilt!

Stars for a Star

by Nancy Gilliam

Nancy won the wonky star blocks

at the KSQ block lotto

and designed the remaining blocks.

She made the quilt for her granddaughter

who wins blue ribbons for her goats

and homemaking projects

 at the 4H shows.

A Celtic Quilt

by Joni Harrel

Joni has found her passion in applique!

YES, THIS IS ALL APPLIQUE!

This is what she says about this quilt...

"My favorite definition describes Celtic Knots as endless strands,

which are like the ties that bond us all together. 

As each generation passes,

the weave grows larger. 

And as the weave grows larger,

it grows more complex

 and brings itself back in on itself,

such that the next generation

will continue on

to bring forth the generation after that."

Lovely words!

This quilt below is another one done by Joan Nuesch...

Simple Blessings

Simple Blessings was designed by Kelli Saffell.

Joan states that she purchased

 the fabric and instructions

as a Block of the Month project.

Size is 97 by 102

and it has lots of applique.

Beautiful quilt!

This is my good friend Shirley.

The mini art quilt on the bottom is called

Bird, Bear, Snake

and was created using a color discharge technique

on black fabric

resulting in a relief design.

The images are based on

Texas cave petroglyphs.

***

We had such a nice crowd

and I met some great people.

I will try to show more photos

(including my two) next week.

In the meantime...

I'm headed to Bandera to attend an exhibit

for all nine of the Tx. Dept. of Agriculture quilts,

including the one that my turtle block is in.

If you have not seen the quilt,

please click on the TDA quilt in my sidebar.

I will bring back photos to share next week.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Erosion Bundle and a Stone

The Erosion Bundle Project is

being hosted again this year by

Kris Henderson.

Some great art came out of last years project.

Click here to find out more.

Below is the bundle I put together.

I took a 1 by 4 inch board

I had in my potting shed,

and tacked layers of paper ephemera to it.

I also added some tea bags,

hoping for some staining,

and some old watercolor paper,

thinking some colors would run.

The photo below shows it hanging

out at my potting shed,

behind some rusty old "Bless my Garden" chimes.

Maybe some of that rust will transfer over

to my bundle, because they are touching.

So, we will see what happens

between now and April.

Now for today's small stone....

This little bird below

is carved stone.

It is sitting on top

of another stone.

In all it is about 2 inches tall.

I got this in Big Bend, Tx.

at a place called

Many Stones.

My small stone for today...

Soft fuzzy heads

of purple fountain grass

dance in the gentle winds

swaying back and forth

bewitching

the full wolf moon

and me

***
To find out more
click on the
A River of Stones logo
in my sidebar.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Small Stones are like finding art

A beautiful stone shell..

'Small stones' poetry 

 is like finding art.

Any kind of poetry is like that really.

I hope my small stones help

you, the reader,

see things as I see them.

The words of everyone's small stones

 allow entrance

into special places.

Please check out more small stones

by clicking on the

River of Stones logo in my sidebar.

My small stone for today was inspired by

Hawk's Alley near my home.

It is a 25 mile stretch of road that is home

to a large number of hawk species.

***

Soaring from broken woodlands

to summits of oak trees

scanning the world below

the Cooper's Hawk

finds it's ultimate perch and

adorns the top of the telephone pole

that leans into lost voices

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

A Stone, Tea, and 3 Inchies

My stone for today...

inspired by the banana tree that I planted last year.

It seems to be happy at it's new home

 and is loving the recent rains.

Taking pleasure in the sunshine

the banana tree unfurls

stretches its large leaves

out into the world

looking at the birds

and the rose colored clouds

that sail above it at dawn

To find out more

please click on

A River of Stones

logo in my sidebar.

***

For today's Tea on Tuesday

I am enjoying Paris flavored black tea by

Harney and Sons. 

It has currant, caramel and citrus.

I have added agave nectar and

an unsqueezed lemon slice.

I love the little silken sachet.

To read more tea posts

visit Kimmie

at

Art in Red Wagons.

***

Yesterday

I decided to join

Every Inchie Monday

hosted by Kris Henderson.

At the end of the year

I will end up with 52 square inches

of creativity, she states.

I liked that idea.

I decided to do mini collages

from my old watercolor papers,

with the prompt words added

from an old tattered dictionary.

As you can see,

they all measure

one inch square.

The first week had the prompt word

ECLECTIC

The second week's prompt word was

POWERFUL

...and this week's prompt word was

CARING

I want them to be simple, colorful,

and use all recycled materials.

Hope you are having a wonderful day.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Small stone and the sky

Meteor Crater---

small stone...high speed...big hole

Inspiration for today's small stone...

when I went on a trip to California,

Az. and New Mexico

with my sister a few years back,

we visited this meteor crater.

This morning,

while it was still so dark outside,

I began thinking about the black nights

out in the desert.

 When you are far enough

away from the city

all you see are stars.

dark obsidian sky

broken only by

a handful of

constellations

dotted with twinkle

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Sunday's Small Stone

My friend Willie's small stone OOBOS

and other treasures.

My small stone for Sunday Jan. 16th...

Tiny chapel

shelters gravesite and

candlelit altar

which holds

handwritten testaments

of faith

and gratitude.

Worn splints

and crutches,

pain and sorrow

stay behind...

now just castaways.

***

Today's small stone

was inspired by a visit

to Don Pedrito's gravesite

a few miles

outside a nearby town.

In 1881,

Pedro "Don Pedrito" Jaramillo

arrived from Jalisco, Mexico

seeking ranch work. 

But faith healing

was soon recognized

as the newcomer's greatest talent. 

Don Pedrito claimed no special powers

and asked no fees,

but his spiritual healing

drew afflicted souls

from throughout South Texas

and northern Mexico.

Thousands still visit the site yearly.

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Saturday's Small Stone

Today is my 35th anniversary.

My DH and I went out

for a nice seafood dinner

and then a movie at home.

Tomorrow we are headed into

Corpus to check out

the murals, the statues,

the galleries and Art Center.

We want to visit some of the

old historic homes too.

We're just going to make a day of it,

being together.

So, I'm posting my Saturday small stone tonight.

Enjoy!

My Small Stone for Saturday...

Savoring the slightly sweet liquid...

rich, with a slight taste of

mulberry, spice

and smooth vanilla,

watching the beads

roll transparent

down my glass.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

My Peace Pole and a small stone

I wish Peace for all of you today.

Thanks for coming to read another stone

in the River of Stones project.

To read more you can click on the

River of Stones logo in my sidebar.

Let me tell you about my peace pole...

My Peace pole stands

in the center of my garden, and

 has words of peace on each side. 

One side you see above. 

The other three sides have

Native American tribal words of peace.

Hozhqqji is Navajo for
"blessing way",

Ikachi techqua is Hopi for

"blending with the land and celebating life",

Mitakuye oyasin is Sioux for

"with all things we are related",

and Onen is Iroquois for

"peace be with you".

I burned all the words into the pole

with a small wood burning tool

that belonged to my mother.

Stone cairns...

are about the most ancient kind of landmarks.

Each stone has been placed

 at the bottom of my peace pole 

by visitors to my home.

Each stone represents that persons prayer.

***

My small stone for today...

Like some leafy creature,

exotic and large,

the philodendron's arms

safeguard a small

and timid creature

underneath its 

green and

somber veil.

***

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

A Small Stone and Musings

Oobos in my garden

My small stone for today...

Fog rolls serenely in,

and the misty lunar light

becomes radiant

while the quietude and stillness

seem to unearth my soul.

***

Musings....

This stone project

is helping me to meet

one of my New Years goals.

I wanted to use all of my senses more,

and that is exactly what is needed

 in order to really pay proper attention

to single moments.

One other thing I'm doing is actually

hand writing my thoughts on paper.

These days of computers and email etc.,

I rarely do any handwriting.

My best friend Lana and I decided we would

write letters to each other

awhile back,

and we did for a time,

but then.....

back to email.  :)

I kind of miss

handwritten letters.

Another goal of mine

was to set up an aquarium.

I did....

and I bought five Tiger Barbs.

I guess I did something wrong

because...

Jonah, Calypso, Bubbles and Charlie

all died. :(

The only one left this morning is Jaws.

And I don't have to tell you why he is called Jaws!

I will start over,

and see what happens.

Wish me luck!

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Creativity and a small stone

Creativity...

Yesterday I was one of three judges

who had to judge wearables,

on their creativity,

at the fair in a nearby town.

It was the second round of judging,

as construction had already been judged.

All the wearables were

made by 3rd graders

up through 12th grade.

Of course it was divided up

into different catagories

and different age groups

throughout.

Sometimes judging

on creativity alone

is a difficult thing.

I was blown away

by the talent

of such young people.

What does being

CREATIVE

mean to you?

***

Fiona Robyn,

the originator of

a River of Small Stones,

states...

"A small stone is

a polished moment

of paying proper attention."

My 'stone' photo...

This photo was taken on Cape Cod National Seashore.

The beach is covered with small stones.

NOTE

I mentioned before that

my stones do not necessarily

relate to my stone photos.

The small stones that I write

are from observations

made here at home,

on a daily basis.

My small stone for today...

Noble live oak,

winter green and full,

acorns have fallen

to its base,

adorning the shadow quilt

of speckled light,

on saplings

wee and delicate.

To read more small stones

click on a River of Stones

in my sidebar.

Savor the Day!

Yvonne

Tea Day, Fiber Arts and a Stone

Lots to share with you today.

Sit, join me for tea and

I hope you enjoy.

Happy Tea on Tuesday everyone!

 I just had to show you this

lovely mug rug for todays tea post, 

made by one of the members

of the fiber arts group.

This morning I'm having

Egyptian Mint by Zhena's gypsy tea.

Visit Kimmie for more tea posts here.

The Fiber Arts group

is a diversified group of ladies.

Here are some more

of my favorite photos from

show and tell on Sunday.

Hand drawn, hand painted

and then ribbon embroidery added.

Thread work and piecing.

Asian quilt.

Civil war reproduction quilt.

Small art quilt.

Beautiful batik art quilt

Large beautiful cross made by a local area artist(non-member)

Mixed media pages.

Reverse applique for a future art piece.

NOTE:
Our art quilt project is done
but photos have to wait
until after the Feb. quilt show.
You can go here
http://inkspillersattic.blogspot.com/2010/06/donna-and-more-pretties.html
to read about the project
and to see my contribution.


***
My small stone for today...

Fox tail ferns
living a carefree life
in a front porch pot
with fronds extending
to welcome me home

To read more small stones
click on the River of Stones
link at the top of my sidebar.

***

Savor the Day!
Yvonne