thankful leaf hearts

 I love the beginning of November! The doorway to the holiday season opens, and it's like an old friend welcoming you into a cozy home filled with the scents of soup on the stove and pie in the oven. Decorating with nature is at its peak, as I forage for as much as I can find on the forest floor before it's covered in snow.  I gather up my dried leaves, line up my squash and pumpkins and scatter pinecones and acorns everywhere. Maybe I was a squirrel in another life!

My latest bit of creative fun began with a sharpie pen and then incorporated a heart punch and a few pressed maple leaves.

 I think "thankful leaves and leaf hearts" will be tucked into every corner of my house this month!

milkweed and fairy weaving

 Milkweed grows rampant in the field on the southern side of our house. It's a fall tradition to collect their pods and blow the seeds out into the field. We make wishes, dandelion style, as they float through the air. I took one home and really examined the seeds.  They reminded me of tiny dancers… or little fairies with silk limbs.

Silk… threads…fiber… this inspired me to pick up a needle and some silver floss.

And experiment. And improvise. What would a fairy use for a loom? Perhaps a milkweed pod!

This was my first attempt… as inspiration struck, but there is an entire field to forage for more pods. 

walnut dye

Walnuts are the oldest tree food known to humankind, dating back to 7000BC. The eastern Black Walnut produces something called Juglone, which is toxic to many plants and other trees, but also keeps them resistant to most diseases and pests. This must account for their ability to survive and grow so tall and majestic. Our land is surrounded and filled with ancient Black Walnuts and their descendants, which we've watched grown from saplings to young sturdy trees over the years. This walnut forest has been both a blessing and a curse, as they've dictated where we can plant our vegetable garden(only one spot throughout acres of land is safe) and wreaked havoc on any fruit trees we've attempted to plant. But their beauty and strength is something I never tire of. And their walnuts make a wonderful natural dye.

From August through late October we hear the frequent and familiar thump of one walnut after another hitting the ground. There is also daily thunder as they strike the tin roof on our little barn. So, as you can imagine, I have a huge source for creating a walnut dye.

Here's some shots from this weekend's project and last night's dye bath. I give my step by step approach after the pics. NOTE: I wear plastic gloves for every part of the process and caution you to do the same or your hands will be stained for at least a week!

1. Collect green walnuts.
2. Squish off the outer hulls and separate from the nuts. (see video here)
3. Place hulls in a 5 gallon bucket and cover with water.
4. Soak for several days.
5. Strain (I use an old t-shirt) enough liquid to fill 3/4 of a stainless steel pot.
6. Boil liquid for an hour or two. 
7. Add rope and/or fabric to pot and boil for at least an hour. (Let it sit over night for a stronger and darker color.) I used cotton for both.
8. Remove material from liquid dye and rinse until water runs clear.
9. Wash in machine on cold cycle and tumble dry to set color.

Isn't it gorgeous? I'm loving the soft brown/grey/khaki of this batch and can't wait to get into my studio to make something with it all!

leaves and sticks

This three day weekend was a stunner! The trees were on fire and the sky was a deep blue, so wherever you happened to be there were constant ooooh and ahhhhhs. My son and I created a pretty little video as he drove down dirt roads and I pointed my camera up through the open sunroof towards the canopy of leaves above.

You can view it on histogram here.

The time I have for creativity ebbs and flows… these days I only find moments in the in-between. I'm always looking for new ways to squeeze in a little bit of the magic that happens when there are no expectations or needed outcomes. 

All of the driftwood, gathered at the lake a few weeks back, sits in a basket next to paint and brushes near my kitchen counter. My children have repeatedly caught me standing at the sink with stick and paint brush in hand. Finish the dishes. Paint a stick. Funny little routine, but it's feeding me. Nourishing that part of my soul that loves playing. These "sticks"… they seem to have something special going on. I'm guessing it's their simplicity and the happiness I find in painting them.

 I thought I'd share in case, you find that spontaneous little creative bursts fulfill you too. Sticks, stones, leaves and some paint kept near the sink- easy. Inviting (for everyone). A total win!

lake equinox

We went to the lake for yesterday's fall equinox. The morning had called for slippers and sweaters and mugs of hot beverages, but by afternoon the sun was shining high and the temps were in the 70's. It felt essential to soak up and savor the last bits warmth with bare feet and legs. So down to the water we went. I gathered stones and driftwood for future projects. My daughter gathered memories of wading and climbing for the colder days that are coming. 

 

down by the lake

 We went collecting driftwood, stones and feathers yesterday. This point on our lake has been my sweet spot, my sacred place and my home away from home since moving to the east coast. It's where I've watched my kids grow up, and where I go to soothe the ache of not having the ocean close by. It's the source of many treasures- some that I can gather in a basket and others that happen internally when I get quiet and look out at the expanse and into the depths of an ancient glacier filled body of water. My daughter felt it too. In a different way than the splashing and frolicking that have been part of summer's past. We talked of dreams and deep things. We laughed and painted with lake water. It was the best kind of day.

"live life like a feather"- her words

Medicine was gathered by the shore. And next week we'll share it with other intuitive and strong girls in the first session of summer camp: rock*paper*scissors.

We'll share it with you too!

forcin'

 I don't believe in rushing most things, but "forcing" our forsythia's golden blossoms out early is always a favorite April activity. They typically bloom around May Day. Who needs to wait, when you can drop a few snipped branches into water and and have an indoor bouquet a wee bit sooner.

 I saved these pretty bottles for just this occasion. I think they're going to look perfect! I'll share how these do soon...

Do you force any blooms? I'm thinking of adding some of our crabapple branches to the mix, but might have to find some "just right bottles" for them.

edible

I grew up in a city. Eating weeds and flowers wasn't recommended. That all changed when I moved to our land. I love discovering what's edible right outside my back door. Everything from dandelions greens to pansies are incorporated into our meals. I get so excited each spring when I can start eating flowers again! How can you not feel like a fairy princess when your food is decorated with pretty petals?

I've  planted 4 different lilac bushes over the years and look forward to their intoxicating fragrance each May, but I didn't know until last night that I could eat them! Thanks to my California cousin on instagram, I am sprinkling them on everything- thanks Willow!

Here are some of my other favorite edible flowers:

1. dandelions
2. lavender
3. violets
4. pansies
5. chive blossoms
6. marigolds
7. nasturtiums
8. bee balm
9. borage
10. sweet rocket

Do you eat flowers? What are your favorites?

This Book Was a Tree

I'm so happy to introduce a brand new book that's sure to inspire you to unplug and step outside. It's wonderful for nature needing folks of all ages. Hey- that's everyone! It would be a super useful companion to anyone working with children who's looking for sure fire ways to connect with nature, while educating with the science behind each project. Here's author, Marcie Chamber Cuff's, description:

“A guidebook for becoming a modern pioneer – a strong-minded, clever, crafty, spontaneous mud pie-making, fort-building individual committed to slowing down and giving the world your complete attention, questioning everyday things, and reconnecting with the wildness around you.”

Good stuff! Wouldn't you agree? Here's a sneak peek inside...

 Now that we've had 2 or 3 actual spring days, I can envision getting muddy and inspired with this book in hand. First up- we'll be making that nesting ball with all of the wild grapevines that ramble along our hedgerow. It's a perfect welcome back gift to all of our feathered friends that have returned to perform their all day orchestras once again. 

Congratulations, Marcie! This Book Was a Tree is a true gem and will be put to good use this season and beyond! This is stop #4 on a wonderful blog tour line-up. Follow along and catch other insights and peeks.

 

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE:

Week One:

4/1 House Wren Studio

4/2 Mindful Momma

4/3 The Long Thread

4/4 Maya Made

Week Two:

4/7 Rebecca Sower

4/8 Sara Bakes Cakes

4/9 Donuts Dresses and Dirt

4/10 Tinkerlab

4/11 Resurrection Fern

Week Three:

4/14 Small Measure

4/15 Lil Fish Studios

diy: nature's napkin rings

 It began with a 1/2 dozen dish towels that I had stacked in my studio for some future project. We've been having lots of outside dinner parties and fresh napkins were long overdue. One night I cut each towel in half. All they needed was a quick double fold seam on one side and boom! New cloth napkins.

 Inspired by the wild vines... grape, morning glories, etc. that are abundant right now, I created some beautiful temporary napkin rings adorned with garden flowers.

 Absolutely lovely and super fun... the kind of fun that makes you feel like a little girl playing with mud pies and tea parties.

 Except these are decidedly grown up and fit for a lovely al fresco gathering...

black-eyed susans

I've been wanting to have my back meadow go wild for some time, now. This summer, as I let go of stuff in my house, I also let go of tending far too much "lawn" and have let nature cultivate a new space on our land. Out past our little orchard is where the freedom begins. Can you see it?

The first flowers to arrive have been the black-eyed susans. They're an old favorite of mine, but this year they signify something beyond their happy golden faces upturned to the sun. They seem to shout about independence and self-reliance... while swaying a little old-time dance of tradition and sweetness  in the breeze. I gather them constantly... alone and with friends.

 And they fill our house with their presence and become the backdrop of our August.

Do you have a favorite wildflower this season?