Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you that read all this stuff I post out there in the cyber world. I am very grateful for your comments and messages, support and sharing!

This morning while the "Real" turkey was baking I did some stitching on my "Wild" turkey.
He's a work in progress ;-)

Random Acts of Art, Gratitude, & Fiber in the Forest

Gratitude is a "Random Act of Art" that I wrapped up and hid in the waiting room of my Dr's office. The fabric was left over cotton and silk from pieces I had dyed in the past with Mx and French dyes. The thread is hand dyed Valdani thread. Before I wrapped it up I took it into the woods to photograph as part of my Fiber in the Forest series.

The best part of the day was when I got a Random Act of Kindness sent to me in the mail!!! It was a package of stimulation pads for my T.E.N.S pain management unit. My insurance co is no longer paying for them and I had posted on Facebook how bummed out I was about that. A friend that I went to high school with over 30 years ago sent me a package with a bunch of them in it. Happy dance ;-)

Above is the "Gratitude" piece all wrapped up and hidden at the Dr.'s office for someone to find.

Practicing Gratitude in November's Woods

The last few weeks have been tough health-wise so I have really been trying to practice being grateful. As a matter of fact Don and I  are doing the Mentors Chanel "21 days of Gratitude" and it's really helping. I have not been sleeping well again so I  been doing a lot of sitting and resting during the day and I feel very grateful that I have my little stitching projects to keep my creative energy flowing during these energetic lulls. I try to get out into the woods everyday and last week that was difficult because of the fatigue. Yesterday I managed a short but much enjoyed walk and today I walked a bit farther and enjoyed the brisk air and sunshine immensely! So with camera and my latest little Eco dyed & stitched piece in hand I hit the woods to photograph "November Hearts" for my "Fiber in the Forest" series.

Here are the latest Fiber in the Forest photos for you to see, Dear reader, whoever you are. I often wonder if anyone is really out there or if I am just typing to myself, which is strangely OK with me ;-)

Grass! Photos for Creative Inspiration

Here are some more photos for creative inspiration 

Sunlight on tall strands of winter grass and cattails.  

Ice! Photos for Creative Inspiration

I took some photos of ice on my walk to the quarry this morning. They provide some great inspiration for line and texture. Let me know if they inspire any creative ideas for you !

Finally Finished the Stitching on "Liam"

I finished "Liam" the other day and yesterday I took him out into the crisp morning air to photograph him for my "Fiber in the Forest" series and there was a light dusting of snow that looked like powdered sugar. Poor Liam and his dove look quite cold in the photos, I know I was freezing by the time I got back to the house. I should have worn gloves. 

Breaking Ground

“In nature, we are quietly offered countless models of how to give ourselves over to what appears dark and hopeless, but which ultimately is an awakening beyond our imagining.  All around us, everything small and buried surrenders to a process that none of the buried parts can see.  We call this process seeding and this innate surrender allows everything edible and fragrant to break ground into a life of light that we call Spring.  As a seed buried in earth can’t imagine itself as an orchid or hyacinth, neither can a heart packed with hurt or a mind filmed over with despair imagine itself loved or at peace.  The courage of the seed is that, once cracking, it cracks all the way.  To move through the dark into blossom is the work of soul.”   

~Mark Nepo, Seven Thousand Ways To Listen, Staying close to What Is Sacred

"Liam" A Work in Progress

I started stitching "Liam" last year before we moved into our new house and he just got packed up and forgotten in all the moving chaos. I was going through my cloth stash today and found him. He is based on Picasso's, "Child with Dove". I am finishing up the rice stitching on the top and will do something with the circular flower in the upper left and then I will call him finished. I think ;-)

New Random Acts of Art Hidden at 3 Brattleboro Businesses

Today I stashed some Random Acts of Art at 3 Brattleboro, Vermont businesses. Can you tell from the photos where these little gifts are? If you are a local and you think you know leave your guess in the comments section below.