A Lovely Day

Today, a soft and gentle rainy day...

A lovely day.

A new listing, and some paintings

Some time ago I posted about my acceptance into 

a textile art project sponsored by the Niagara Region.

We've had one meeting so far where we got to 

meet our fellow artists - there are twelve in all.

I was amazed at their education and experience in the field - 

was I the only one who had never taken courses in art?

And had only been working with fabric less than three years?

YIKES!

Each artist will be working on a panel about 2 feet x 4.5 feet - 

way bigger than anything I've ever done!

We'll be working from photographs,

translating the image into fabric.

They gave me the juiciest photo of all - really!!!

But more on that later.

Today I finished a necklace I've been working on 

for a while, sporadically :)

 Not only that, I also LISTED IT!!!!

It was so much fun to make,

and I feel tempted to keep it for myself,

but I'd really like to sell it too.

Also, today the NanoBot and I messed around 

with some paint and paper.

She made a lovely bluey-green abstract

which I can't find at the moment,

and which she gave me to keep 'as a present'.

So sweet.  I better find that painting!

I scanned some drawings of hers though:

 Aren't they the cutest?

 

She draws straight with pen - and doesn't like to color.

The text in the second picture was written by me - her request.

She'll be turning 5 in May, my sweet little munchkin :)

I hope her world is always filled with joy.

And I wish I could draw like her!

And for my dear friend Asma,

who has a big, blank purple wall,

I made this:

 Asma works in Toronto,

so I used torn images from a Toronto city guide,

and added parts of an abstract scribble 

that the NanoBot had decorated some note paper with - 

since she is with me all the time while I work,

I thought it fitting to add an element of her presence 

into my collages.

 I stamped on circles with a bottle, a marker cap, even my fingers.

The wall is a deep plummy purple, and my colors 

will complement that, I hope!

 

I wanted to make them all different,

yet similar enough to hang together.

Asma's other name is Emilia,

and I just happened to find a purple E!

Hope she likes them!

 

Hats And Salads

Weird mix?

Not when you think SUMMER!!!

OK, so we had another rogue snowfall just last week,

but Spring IS officially here,

which means Summer will be upon us

before you can say ICE CREAM!

I found a lovely cotton hat at the dollar store.

Yup, the dollar store.

It's a sweet unbleached linen look cotton,

but what hat can't use a little dressing up, right?

So ta-da!  Instant reincarnation!

Well, not so instant, actually,

but worth the effort, I think!

 

I thought I'd make a red and white flower,

but my hand went straight to the blues and greens.

 
I did put in a white layer too to add a little something :)

And a sequined applique to tie in the juiciness...

I loved the sorbet-like shades, but I hadn't made it for me.

Thankfully, the NanoBot critiqued it and found it wearable - whew!

And now on to the salad!

What looks like tiny birdseed,

grows a tail when cooked,

and is an ancient Inca Super Food to boot?

Why, quinoa, of course!

Quinoa, a complete protein, 

and a gluten-free food 

has been around for thousands of years.

The Incas valued it so much

that they considered it sacred.

 

So. Wash some quinoa 

- I took a bit of both red and white types - 

soak overnight, rinse and cook until tender, or until 

the quinoa is happy enough to sprout tails 

and be all soft and mushy.

Rinse off with cold water in a fine sieve,

and you're ready to add whatever you like!

I've tried it many different ways,

and it's mild enough to go with 

a bunch of different things.

You can even sub it for rice and oatmeal!

 
For this salad I used cherry tomatoes, carrots, 

chickpeas, cucumber, apples and parsley

all dressed in lemon juice and olive oil.

Salt and pepper and crumbled feta and a short sojourn

in the fridge to meld the flavors made it delectable.

 You could add cooked meat to this and make it a meal.

Now put on your summer hat and enjoy

this cool treat, will you?

And if you make it some other way, do share!