ROY G BIV

I’m busy making things like crazy. Several things that might be long-term projects or trial runs for long-term projects are on the drawing board. In fact, there are so many plans in my head that it’s making me a little frantic.

Maybe one of these days after I get over what still feels like a frenzy of ideas (though perhaps that in itself is a good thing I should hang onto) I’ll settle into concentrating on one or two media. Or approaches. But for now I’m just pulling ideas out of the air as fast as I can net them.

Sometimes this feels a little crazy making. A long daily walk keeps me sane. Even though we’ve had a run of cold and wet weather and it feels like summer (a cool-ish, damp-ish one) only just arrived a couple of days ago, there is much beauty out there and the colors and scents are almost overwhelming in themselves.

Yesterday was a good day for colors. Every one imaginable:

I restrained my impulse to gather a few out of each garden I passed and stopped instead at a roadside stand on the way home so I could bring part of the riot home to my office:

I always do . . . until I don’t

Carry my camera with me, that is.  So I didn’t have it with me when I attended a small, wonderful dinner party on Thursday of this past week. Three of my favorite women friends and I get together for a post-Christmas dinner every year, and this year our celebration was a little more . . . um . . . post than usual.

I wish I could show you the beeeyooootiful food. The chicken tikka. The curried vegetables. The rice–two kinds of rice! The spicy shrimp. The cucumber raita, the potato and pea samosas, the naan (okay, I made the naan myself), the wine, the apple dessert, the lovely table setting.

I wish I could replay the marvelous conversation that went on for long, leisurely hours.

Hmm. Maybe not–much o f it is just fine staying within the four walls where it took place. Ahem.

Anyway, all I have to show you is this little pen and watercolor sketch, which I made the next day.  Each of us had two little jars by her plate, our take-home goodies.  Various spices, with instructions to go home and use them in a new dish. Mine were fenugreek and pink peppercorns in a neat little thick green glass bottle stoppered with a cork.

Pink peppercorns in a green glass bottle

Now–does anyone have a nifty recipe to share that makes use of fenugreek and pink peppercorns?

Wooly fruits

Shhh . . . don’t tell. These are a gift for someone’s birthday and I’m only posting here because she doesn’t really pop in very often. I think I’m safe.

Definite last-minute panic here. I’ve actually planned this for some time, but then the calendar snuck up on me so I’ve only  just now got things done.

First, the lunch bag set. This is a slightly modified version of the lunch bags I made for my book group picnic back in September.  Instead of leaves I’ve gone for a pomegranate thing here. I stitched up the little bag from fabric I printed using the freezer paper stencil method.  Let me tell you, all those little seeds were a royal pain somewhat challenging to manage. I think they came out well, though. Then I sewed up a nice big napkin (reversible) and added a little reusable container for fruit or salad, and a set of biodegradable cutlery. Going for eco-chic here–did I make it?

The recipient plays bridge now and then with a group of women at the senior center; they all bring their own sandwiches and sodas, so I’m hoping this will come in handy.

I haven’t got the light adjusted quite right, so my little fabric tag that says floating ink on it has completely vanished; it’s over on the left side and if you could see it, it would look like this:

I may yet get around to selling some version of this (etsy, perhaps?) and I’ve been working up a hang tag to use then. I think this is the version I like best:

Anyway, on to the next part of the present, with which I have to say I’m rather pleased:

Little needle felted fruits in a knitted and then hand-felted basket. Here’s another view:

I forgot (I always forget) to add something to the photo to illustrate scale, but the apple and the pomegranate (I think I’m on a pomegranate kick; I’m not actually mad about eating them, but they are so wonderfully graphic) are each about the size of a half dollar. The pear is a tiny bit taller.

So anyway, don’t give the secret away before Friday. Tomorrow I’ve got to pop them in the overnight mail. I do always seem to be behind the 8-ball on these gift-giving holidays, but I think it will work out.