Cactus and Teepee Paper Collage

Sometimes I need to break out of my normal painting routine and work with different mediums.  I didn't stay completely away from watercolors with this paper collage piece, but I didn't actually paint anything new for it either.  I cut up some old watercolor paintings along with flowers from some patterned paper and arranged them on this wooden board I got from a thrift store.

Being a desert dweller my entire life may have influenced the theme of this collage- just a bit :)

I wrote up some instructions for your info.  It's basically the same process as my Modge Podge Canvas Tutorial from a few years back.

Desert Paper Collage

Materials:

Wooden Board or Canvas

Scrapbook Paper

Watercolor Paper and Watercolor Paints (optional)

Modge Podge

Foam Brush

Instructions:

1. Cut scrapbook paper for background and glue in onto the board with Modge Podge and a foam brush.
2. Cut out shapes from scrapbook paper or watercolor paper.  I cut out flowers from some patterned paper I had and arranged them with some old watercolor paintings of a tepee and some cactus.  Then glue them down on top of the background with Modge Podge.  Let dry.
3. Cover with a final coat of Modge Podge to seal everything together.

Watercolors on my Desk

Here's what I've got on my desk at the moment.  Some finished watercolors,  and some still in progress.  I'm excited to finish the cactus painting!

I love painting these mini abstract landscapes when I have a few spare moments.  They are super quick to make and I always get the satisfaction of watching the paint colors blend into each other in a slow fluid way.  It doesn't matter that the colors are totally arbitrary- I actually like them that way!

Photos of the Week

 This is where we camped last weekend. The Uinta Mountains are so breathtaking this time of year.

It was a short whirlwind trip but oh so worth it! 

We almost didn't find a camping spot, but thanks to our son reminding us to pray and our fortitude  when it got dark, we ended up in a beautiful spot at 10:30pm.  It was totally dark so we didn't know where we were, but were pleasantly surprised when we woke up the next day next to a pretty stream and pond in the greenest, most pristine mountains we could ask for!

We hiked around the famous Mirror Lake and dodged melting snow the whole time.  The coolness felt wonderful!

On the way back down from the mountains we even discovered the most amazing waterfalls that we didn't even know existed.  Provo River Falls is definitely worth the visit! lessons learned on this trip: 

A) Plan better ahead of time

B) Don't give up when things don't go according to plan

and 

C) The Uintas are awesome and we should go there a lot more!

Watercolor Cutout Cards

Thanks for all the suggestions for ways to use my watercolor cut-outs! I ended up making fun cards with them.

Now I've got my birthday card needs covered for a while :)

Photos of the Week

We went hunting for rocks and wildflowers in the hills.  Most things we are very familiar with...... sagebrush, thistles, lots of whitish-gray rocks.  But some things are new- like these white flowers that look like they could be some kind of poppy.  I think I'll die if after all these tries of growing poppies in my yard, they are just growing out here in the desert in the wild on their own!

I've been so busy lately that I haven't stopped to admire the small things as much as I used to.  I need to get back into that again because it reminds me of the good in the world and I'm a happier person for it.

Watercolor Cut-Outs

I'm experimenting with new ways to re-use old watercolor paintings.  It's kind of scary to cut up something I spent so much time working on, but after a while I get over that feeling and just have fun!

It's better to use these beauties rather than have them collect dust in my art cupboard.

Free Crochet Pattern: Cotton Aztec Rug

The free pattern and tutorial for the Cotton Aztec Rug are here!

It's been a while since I posted a crochet pattern and this one took some work, but I'm happy to share.  I love most of the bohemian and aztec patterns that are so popular right now and I think this rug fits right in with that style.  

So read on for pictures and a written pattern.  Please don't distribute or post the complete pattern without permission. thank you, thank you, thank you!

Materials:

Yarn:  Worsted Weight Cotton Double Strand: 6- 2.5 oz skeins
           (I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream "Beach Glass" and Peaches 'n Cream "Mint")
Hook:  J/ 10 6.00MM
Yarn Needle

Abbreviations:
ch= chain
dc= double crochet
sts= stitches
sp= space
sc= single crochet

Size: 
approx.  20 1/2  x 39 inches


Pattern:

Using two strands of yarn together, ch. 49

Row 1: Dc in 4th ch from hook (beginning chains count as dc).  Dc in each ch across turn.  (46dc)

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc).

• Dc in next 3 sts. Ch 2, skip next 2 sts (5 & 6). Dc in next st (7), creating a square hole. 
• Dc in each st across up until st 41.  Ch 2, skip next 2 sts (41 & 42).  Dc in next st (43) and in each st to the end of the row.  
• Turn. (one square hole on each end four sts in)

Row 3:  Ch 3 (counts as dc).

• Dc in next 3 sts, 2 dc in ch 2 sp from 1st row.  Ch 2, skip next 2 sts (7 & 8).   Dc in next st (9), creating a square hole. 
• Dc in each st across up until before st 39.  Ch 2, skip next 2 sts (39 & 40).   2 dc in ch 2 space from previous row and dc and in each st to the end of the row.  
• Turn. (one square hole on each end six sts in)

Row 4-15: Repeat Row 3, except skip the following stitches to create square holes in the following order:

Row 4: Skip (9 &10) then (37 & 38)
Row 5: Skip (11 & 12) then (35 &36)
Row 6:Skip (13 &14) then (33 &34)
Row 7: Skip (15 &16) then (31 &32)
Row 8: Skip (17 & 18) then (29 &30)
Row 9: Skip (19 & 20) then (27 & 28)
Row 10: Skip (17 & 18) then (29 &30)
Row 11: Skip (15 &16) then (31 &32)
Row 12: Skip (13 &14) then (33 &34)
Row 13: Skip (11 & 12) then (35 &36)
Row 14: Skip (9 &10) then (37 & 38)
Row 15: Skip (7&8) then (39 &40)

* Repeat rows 2-15 two more times.  (43 rows total)

Row 44: Repeat Row 2.
Row 45: Ch 3 (counts as dc).  Dc in each st across, making 2 dc in each ch 2 space. (46 dc)
Tie off, but do not cut yarn.

Edging

Row 1:

• Ch 1, turn, then sc in each st across the tops side.  3sc in the corner.  
• Continue on to long side, 2sc in each dc space, 3 sc in the corner.  You should end up with about 89 sc in the long side.
• Repeat for the next two sides.
• Slip stitch into beginning ch 1.

Row 2:
Ch 1, sc in each st around, working 2 sc in each corner sc.
Slip stitch into beginning ch 1.

Row 3- Bobbles:

• Ch 3,  3 dc in 3rd ch from hook, holding back last stitch of each dc on your hook.  4 loops on hook.
• Yarn over and pull through all the 4 loops on your hook.  You now have one cluster stitch.

• Ch 3, work a second cluster stitch in the look that closed the first cluster stitch.  
• Slip stitch in the beginning of the first cluster stitch to join the two clusters together.

• Ch 3, skip 3 sts, sc in next st.  

• Repeat bobbles, skipping only 2 sts in between until the end.  Skip 3 sts at the end of the top side.  (17 bobbles).  Tie off and weave in ends.

Join yarn to bottom edge and repeat row 3 along that edge.  Tie off and weave in ends.

Photos of the Week

My geraniums are doing awesome this year and I love looking at them everyday!

And I'm trying poppies again for like the third time.  I hope this one's the charm because I'm in love with these flowers.

I already wrote about the orange Globemallow wildflowers, but I'll do more than post paintings of them here.  Photos are good too :)

What flowers are you enjoying this spring/summer?

Spring Wildflowers

I've been busy trying to keep the kid busy this week.

Good thing these two watercolor paintings were done before school got out.

I grew up seeing these orange flowers all over the place Arizona and now I see them growing in the wild where I live in Utah and I just learned their name: Dessert Globemallow.  Cool name!

The flowers in this small painting don't have a name...... I painted them from my imagination!