Gifts for the Memorial Birthday Weekend

my fabric version of a surprise ball

This is a big weekend, birthday-wise in our family. My sweetheart's birthday is tomorrow and my sister-in-law's was yesterday. Family tradition dictates that we celebrate them together at the beach house. It's the Memorial Birthday Weekend and is always a great time.

making the surprise ball was fun, so I wrapped another gift in fabric

the amazing jacquard ribbon on the orange gift

is from Renaissance Ribbons

Just finished gift wrapping, after being inspired by a post on Poppytalk. One of today's posts featured a story/photo about Surprise Balls from HulaSeventy (another great blog). As a child, I loved these things - the little trinkets, the color, the paper and especially the ritual of unwrapping! I decided on a slightly different take for one of the gifts – utilizing fabric strips as wrapping. Little collage Wish Tickets are tucked between several of the layers. Making a ball isn't as easy as I thought - especially since the gift is oval, not round. Beautiful ribbon from Hanah Silk helps hold it all together.

My sweetheart's gift wrap is a bit more traditional; left-over paper scraps and ribbon from my last enormous wrapping job. Now I just have to get the cake!

all the wrapped gifts

Finally finishing - a gift long overdue

distressed metal table at Ravenna Gardens

For Christmas I gave my brother a certificate entitling him to a custom tea cozy for his favorite tea pot. Well . . . it's almost the end of May and I'm finally working on this long overdue gift. I will post photos after it's in his possession.

paper maché giraffe from Anthropologie

my favorite bowls at Anthropologie

Needless-to-say, I should know better than to give out 'soon-to-be created' gifts. The previous year I gave "sock certificates" to five family members and didn't complete the last pair until a few weeks before Thanksgiving! I do like the potential of promised gifts, but then they loom above me like enormous gray clouds that every day increase in size, threatening to rain guilt down upon me at any moment.

These photos are done with my trusty Iphone - utilizing the Hipstamatic app. I love the funky quality it creates.

Peonies - I am totally smitten!

It's peony season here in Seattle and I'm in heaven. The plants in my garden have several big juicy buds, which hopefully will pop soon and reward us with fantastic blossoms. Until then, the Ballard Market is fulfilling my peony cravings. I love them in every color.

the Hipstamatic app makes them look so '50's - and oddly colored

these are actually pink ones that I had to bring home

Back in the studio . . . blog surfing

the 'event' - with my table numbers, menus and more . . .

How nice to be done with my "big job." To come home from Paris and jump right into wrapping, table cards, menus and more was a bit disconcerting to say the least. So today I'm taking it easy ... just straightening up the studio, playing with a new Iphone app and surfing for new cool blogs. Came upon one that I like: Fallen Princess - I'll definitely visit it again - good, snappy writing.

Wednesday morning photo - via the Iphone and a new app

hipstamatic (that I haven't quite figured out)

it works a bit like an old instamatic film camera

Oh, I photographed Table 5 'cause it's where (had I been an honored guest, instead of an art worker bee) I would have wanted to sit - Thomas Freidman and several others sat here ... and used my menu ... ooooh!

One more day and I'm done!

175 of these 3-tier gifts

book gifts - 3 books in each pack x 175

books, calendar, cards x 75

Paris is but a memory – I've been in Wrapping Hell ever since I returned last Tuesday. By 9 pm tomorrow evening this job will be done and I'll finish unpacking and maybe even make some art. Can't wait!

Paris: much to say, little time

Cafe creme at Delmas - one of my favorite bistros

Five full days in Paris is not nearly enough. I'm so full: of images, croissants, great talks with Hattie, walks, baguettes and more that I can barely contain myself. Work demands are intense for the next week so I'll just buckle down and plow through until the 18th when I can relax and review my amazing trip.

stone path at Versailles

A wonderful class - in Six Words

x, y & z

This past weekend I taught at Letters of Joy (LOJ), a conference sponsored by the Write-on Calligraphy Guild. My class - Six Word Memoir Collage Tag Books was great fun. The students worked hard; first constructing 5-minute collages and then composing six-word memoirs for their tag books. Their efforts resulted in many wonderful creations.

Thanks to all – it was a real pleasure meeting such creative women who enjoyed playing with paper as much as I do. It was the perfect way to spend my Saturday. Tomorrow I'm off to Paris to visit my sweet daughter and eat delicious croissants!

this collage was inspired by the artist's home state

alphabet paper was a favorite for several collages

New Season – Keep Planting – Harvest Later

Hand in Hand, Hearts in Love

Still trying to figure it out

Paris suburb mindset, putting into practice

My cup of tea loves coffee.

Mom delivered best lessons with love.

Fading tulips take my breath away

Walking to my studio, I pass by these tulips. I've watched them grow from fresh green spouts; to buds, to flowers in full glory and now they are faded beauties, and I appreciate them even more. They're still hanging on and my morning strolls are enriched by their persistence. Nature's small gifts make me smile, even on a cloudy day.