Inspiration...

Having just watered the flowerbeds the other morning, I doodled vines and journaled text on this prayer flag in the hot sunshine.  I couldn't read my journaling it was so bright and the oil pastels felt the heat a bit too!

This flag was a project that spanned several days.  Before adding photos to the flag, I captured the words I had written:

"I love my flowers and plants!  The colors, heights, textures, and layers.  I am happy to see them when I get home from work or a weekend away.  It's amazing to see how they have grown in my absence . . . who has blossomed without my watchful eye . . . who has wilted with sadness at my absence.  I feel blessed to have a bit of dirt to cultivate and care for."

This morning's musings led me to ponder how much inspiration comes from working with my plants . . . which led me to think about the role inspiration plays in my life . . . what and who inspires me . . .

Here are both flags from the reverse: 

Recently, I asked a friend what she thought my DREAM is.  

She said, "You dream of travel and of inspiring others every day."  

More on this to come . . . 

The Process:

As I said in my last post, there is rarely anything simple about "simply beginning" a project.  My intention of quickly printing some photos of my flowers and transferring them onto the flag, did not play out as expected.  I had some TAP (Lesley Riley's Transfer Artist Paper) onhand from a workshop I did with Lesley a little over a year ago.  Apparently my first package is "expired" as several attempts with different fabrics and FOUR different irons led to a sad girl with no transfers.

Luckily, I had a second package I had never opened.  The next day, I reprinted a sheet and had instantly fabulous results.  The bottom image is transferred directly onto the drop cloth fabric allowing some text to show through the transfer.  The top image was transferred onto a sheer fabric creating a whimsical daisy to flutter on the flag.  I machine stitched the casing closed creating some doodle lines with green bobbin thread and took the opportunity to stitch a trial transfer onto the back of the flag . . . and added a quick little Staz-On green "dream" stamp on the backside.

I think the suggestion of a shelf life on the TAP product is a good one; although, living on a lake may lead to extraordinary moisture levels so I'm going to be more careful to keep future sheets sealed.  Thanks, Lesley, for a truly versatile and amazing transfer product!

Breathe...

I'm wanting to embrace every day of summer, every hour of sunshine, and every moment of these too short months. It's hard to slow my brain down enough to create lately. I'm too focused on the outside to do lists and spending little time with the creative force that is ME.

Inspired by an article about prayer flags in Cloth, Paper, Scissors recently, I decided to ... Simply Begin. (I return to this mantra time and time again...to find that there is often nothing simple about it.)

Thus, the first prayer flag in what I hope will become a series. Meant to capture a wish or desire for, not just me, but the greater world around me. The intent of this first flag is to empower us all to focus on the breath for a moment...often...and refocus on that which is truly important.

It was a joy to journal on fabric...an old drop cloth with its own stains and flaws...and to add color with oil pastels...creating a focal point of light amidst gentle colors reflective of air. A bit of hand stitching sealed the cuff of this flag and was used to attach a commercially printed sheer to the reverse.

It is fluttering now, as I write in the sunshine, in my little flower bed...sending out love to you, the reader, and the sincere gift of a pause in your day.