Lovely Purple Pansies

We bought some lovely grandiflora pansies at a garden center this spring, and planted them in big containers on the back patio. This is one of them. I love the color. Pansies are one of my most favorite flowers.

The first photo shows an awesome overview we had of the Colorado River in the Canyonlands NP in southeastern Utah. The seond photo depicts a sturdy spring flower surviving in the arid and harsh lands of The Arches NP. With minimal rainfall, the vegetation that grows in this area is very slow growing and coarse. This little yellow flower was hugging the side of the steep climb we endured to get to the top of one of the view points. Worth the climb, but I had to rest often. I'm very old, you know. :)

Canyonlands

We visited the gorgeous Canyonlands NP over the weekend, with our daughter and her family. The weather was perfect and the scenery was breathtaking.

This is a photo of one of the longest natural rock bridges in the world.

Frog in Graphite

Today I got out my woodless graphite pencils and enjoyed sketching again. I sketched a frog that is in one of my resource books on animals. It felt good and natural to sketch again.

Combining Graphite Art and Fabric Art

I've ALWAYS sewn, it seems like. My dear mother taught me to sew everything under the sun (she was a 4-H leader for many years). I sewed my clothes, my children's clothes, my grandchildren's clothes, knitted clothing and afghans, crocheted everything I could find a pattern for and created my own patterns, and created and made dolls and animals from yarns and fabric. I LOVE to do that. Then I discovered the fine arts. I was consummed by it..... I've exhibited oils, watercolors, and graphite landscapes and botanical and stilllife and won several awards. My fine art work is included in the private collections in New York, Chicago, Florida, California, Idaho, Utah, Texas, etc. I love to work in graphite and find the botanicals (flowers, animals, etc) to be my favorites. The Missouri Botanical Conservatory exhibited my work of orchids one summer for several months. The prestigous Galleria in Toronto, Canada, exhibited my works last year for several months.

I find that I can sketch fabric art and love it. Life is fun for this senior citizen.

Music

I LOVE music. I LOVE to sing, play the piano (I've owned several including a $10,000 upright grand, play the organ (I've owned several including a Wirlitzer), play the clarinet in marching bands and concert bands, conducted choirs, sung solos in competitions and won. Music has always been a big part of my life. UNTIL I lost my hearing at the age of 65. Now my music is in my head and heart..... nonstop. I can sing a hymn while typing this.... it is that easy for me.

When our precious only son died suddenly, the only things I could think of were hymns. I found myself sketching a picture and writing my favorite hymn under it. I put this is his casket and I'm glad I did. It felt right.

Recently, one of my extremely talented grandsons, inherited my old metal clarinet because he and his brother both have lots of MUSIC in them. I'm thrilled!

WebShots Albums of Flowers

I'm adding the link to the web shots albums of flowers that I've had for years. I love photographing flowers of all kinds.

http://community.webshots.com/user/bkbrown1939?vhost=community

Pansies

I love pansies. All shapes and colors. Here are a couple of my favorites that I entered into competions and won awards for.

Princess Foggy Ready for Play

Little Princess Froggy has her new play outfit on and keeps her litle lily-pad security blanket close to her at all times. Today is filled with sunshine and happy moments chasing her favorite little bugs across the sand.

She'll practice hopping and sticking her little tongue out, too. Of course, the best part of this day will come when her best friend from Elf Village comes over to play. She can hardly wait to show her the new cattails growing at the end of Emerald Pond.
Photos courtest of naturalist photographer - Laura Henry

Baby Frog Doll

Yesterday was a creative day. I couldn't find any patterns that I liked, so I created my own pattern for a little cloth baby frog. She gets her baby outfit today. Since she lives in Emerald Pond south of Dreamland, and she is the precious little baby daughter of Prince Charming III, she lives a sheltered life. Sunshine and blue skies, lots of little flies to eat, and loads of warm sand to hop around on, fill her life. She's not quite sure what to do with the little crown her father gave her, so she keeps it close to her favorite thing, her lily-pad baby blanket.

Meet Our New Baby Doll

I used Mary Huber's pattern that is in the "Doll Reader-Make and Dress, Vol III, " published by Hobby House Pess, Inc. in 1982. This doll designer is very talented. I learned a lot from making the adorable doll. Thanks.

Baby Doll Finished

Today my little 7 inch baby doll became a whole entity :) She is dressed in her finest little gown and is ready to meet everybody. She has a needle sculpted body of ribbing material. Her attire is of the lightest weight cotton material, adorned with lace and ruffles. Her picture will be entered in the the clothdoll Baby Doll contest. This little imp looks adorable sitting on the bookcase in the livingroom.

Cloth Doll Baby Challenge

This is a pattern for a 7 inch baby doll that appeared many years ago in the Doll Reader book. She is rather hard to make because she is so tiny and yet intricate. Needless to say, my sewing isn't blue ribbon grade on this little doll, but she did come together :( , after a fashion. She is resting on the sewing table with her underwear and long slip on. Tomorrow I'll start on her little christening gown and her pretty bonnet.

Storybook Cloth Doll Challenge

Raggedy Ann cloth doll...... I've made lots of them, but this little one was the easiest. She is holding a little doll dressed just like she is. This doll was entered into the Cloth Dollmaking challenge this month. It is a lot of fun to be making clothdolls again. Now that I'm 70, it seems harder for me, but more fun. The embroidery on her little apron was done by my new Brother sewing machine. I like that feature, plus it threads itself! :)

Yellow braids on Cloth Doll

I'm studying the book of Alicia Merrett, a master at fabrics. This is the first doll I'm done using a pattern from her book. This doll as double sewn joints, and an elongated back side that allows for her to sit very nicely. Today she get cute little mary jane shoes. Great pattern. :)

Presbylla Presbyterian Vintage Cloth Doll

Being a member of the Vintage Cloth Dolls group, I'm making the challenge doll of winter 2009. She has a neat history, and is a careful recreation of a wonderful cloth doll maker. My version leaves a lot to be desired, but she is cute. I'm using fat quarters for the clothing and so her bonnet is a different color from her little dress. Her boots are painted, as is her hair. Wonderfully fun doll. :)

Bitsy is finished. She has two friends that have been created this week, and join her. Many ideas for dolls are in my old mind these days. I love making the vintage patterns. There are oodles of them to be found. Also, I'm anxious to do art dolls. I'm studying Oroyan and Lichendenfelt books. There is a lot to know, and they are the masters. Also Culea and Ward are fabulous dollmakers, using delightful colors and cloth. I think my future will be hunched around my sewing maching and cloth stash. :)

Old Hobby Renewed

I used to make cloth dolls by the hundreds and thousands.... all kinds.... muslin, sock, wooden, crocheted, etc. I had a doll booth at the Homespun Crafters Mall for awhile. I designed, exhibited, and won awards on my dolls. Things became very hectic in my personal life and I backed off from sewing and hobby work. Now I have more time on my old hands and am starting to make dolls again. I love it. I'm finding old friends on the clothdoll internet groups and it feels wonderful. I'm rebuilding my huge library of dollmaking information. The little doll shown is Bitsy from the current Soft Dolls and Animals magazine. Today I'm starting on a presbyterian doll challenge using the Presbylla pattern.

Where is the rose - Buff Beauty

My son gave me this most gorgeous yellow musk rose a few years ago, for my birthday. It grew in my french-style rose garden in Boise for years. I tried last year, after we moved to this state, to buy a couple of them..... but... alas.... the ones that were sold to me by the High Country Rose Nursery, are not Buff Beauty! Buff Beauty has rich green leaves, and grows in a mound form... the roses are big and beautiful and hang from the healthy green, thornless canes. These horrible roses have thick red canes that bear long hideous thorns. I will yank these horrible roses out of the soil and keep looking for replacements for the beauty I had to leave in Boise. (Sigh)

Snowing in the Valley

The snow and whirling wind and icy roads have hit the southern end of this valley this morning. Usually, it is the northern end that gets the brunt of the storms. Nestling and the foot of the 11,000 gigantic Nebo Mountain, we are like a little banana-belt. It was interesting watching the snowline fall from the top of the mountain range, inching down the mountain sides, until now the valley floor is enveloped in the white brilliance. The first photo shows a red tea rose loaded with snow as it danced in the whirling icy winds. The second is of the miniature roses that bloom in front of the east portico.

English Daisy

Two kinds of daisies grew very well in our gardens in Boise. The magnificant Shasta Daisy, and the adorable English Daisy. I loved both of them The English Daisy did well in the shade gardens. The Shasta Daisy thrived in the summer sun in the exposed gardens along the fence. They were prolific bloomers, going strong in growth and flowering all summer. How I miss them.

Missing my Garden

I am very thankful for all the photography I did in our gorgeous half acre garden in Boise. Memories were so pleasant and I love remembering those times. This little flower grew under a giant pine tree that bordered the secret garden area. It was a survivor, against all odds. I love that. The common name for it is "wind flower." Actually, it is an anemone.

Our Grandson's Wedding

Our precious grandson and his beautiful fiancee had a gorgeous garden wedding this month. I felt so privileged to be there. We helped his mother raise him and we couldn't be prouder of him and his new wife. They are absolutely GREAT! and so devoted to each other.
We can't wait to get up into Idaho and visit with them again.

Honorable Husband

I'm sharing pictures of my most precious person on this earth.... my funny and honorable husband. (grinning) In the kitchen he is preparing breakfast for himself (I had eaten early when I got up) and he did a good job.

The second picture is one of him and one of our handsome grandsons, as they conversed (joking and clowning) about the little league baseball game. It was a really good game and the best player was another one of our cute grandsons. The third grandson likes to attend all the games and support his little brother. I really enjoy these games. I sit beside our beautiful daughter and handsome son-in-law and visit.

Favorite Rose

This is my favorite rose. It is called Fashion. It is not grown anymore by any of the hybridizers or rose growers. Quite a few years ago, about 50, the rose was discontined because it seemed prone to rust. I grew this rose in my front yard for about 40 years and it thrived and hardly ever suffered from rust. It is a florabunda and the most gorgeous rose in the world.

Sunrise in Spanish Fork

Watching the early summer sun crest over the Wasatch Mountains is an awesome experience. From my front porch I can sit and watch this fantastic occurance every morning. Sometimes it creeps up on the other side of the majestic mountains and starts to illuminate the tops of the clouds. Then the cloud tops become dark as the sun climbs and starts to light up the bottom of the clouds. WOW! If there is smoke from the wild fires in the air, the sky blazes with orange. If there is no particualtes in the air, the sky is calmer in color. I love all of it.