Happy Thanksgiving Gourds

I know I have been overloading you with gourds this month but I won't torture you much longer because the gourds are starting to rot.  I figured Thanksgiving was the last day I could still reasonably post about them so here we are. 

As I am sitting here looking at these photos I was trying to figure out why I love gourds so much.  I think the reason I like the ribbed ones best is it appears that if it weren't for the ribs holding everything in they might very well burst open with joy.  It also occurred to me how lucky I am to have the time to ponder such things and how grateful I am to share this with all of you.  Hoping everyone has a very special day today  - Happy Thanksgiving! 

Corn Embroidery Thanksgiving Card

I so enjoyed making my Halloween embroidered card I had to try it again for Thanksgiving.  Some times I get an idea in my head and I have to enact it.  That doesn't mean it always works out, but it feels good to come up with an idea and at least attempt to make it a reality. 

I started out by making an illustration of corn in Illustrator and marking where I wanted to punch holes.  I then taped my guide to the cardstock and started hammering.

About halfway through punching all the holes I started to lose faith and simultaneously started questioning my sanity.  It was a lot of holes to punch.

But I usually pass the point where I have invested too much time to stop so I just keep plugging away. I did worry that my holes on the small kernels were too close together and they would break into each other and ruin the whole thing.  So I wasn't surprised when it happened but luckily there must have been enough cardboard somewhere to hold the thread.  Oh, the perils of crafting!

If the hours of pounding and peril do not deter you and you would like to make this card, fear not!  I have made you a template with instructions that you can download here.

When I finally finished I really loved the multi-colored corn kernels but I don't know if the burlap was the best fabric choice for the husks.  If I had to do it over again I might use a nice tan linen and would eliminate the smaller side husk.  But thank goodness I don't have to do it over again!  But feel free to download the pattern, alter it as you see fit, and make one yourself.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Gourd Color

“Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? - Pablo Picasso 

One of my favorite color combinations is grey-blue and orange.  So when I was playing around with various gourd arrangements I fell in love with this one.  There is something about the neutral white and grey-blue that does indeed make the orange sing.  I could spend hours looking at different color combinations and thinking about how one color affects another.  If you haven't already visited Adobe's new color wheel site you can visit it here - https://kuler.adobe.com/create/color-wheel/.  It allows you to choose various color rules to produce five color combinations.  Enjoy and have a day filled with beautiful color!

Antiques Warehouse - Cincinnati, OH

Because I had my dates wrong I ended up going to the Antiques Warehouse twice last month.  And what good fortune that turned out to be!  I can't get enough of it.  Every time I go I see something new and it is so much fun to photograph the collections.  Gary Neltner, the owner, is nice enough to indulge my habit and allows me to rummage around, oohing and aahing and making random arrangements. 

As I look through these photos I am starting to realize there is something amazing to be found among these objects.  Under the dust and deep in the shadows I am finding my passion. I am super-crazy-in-love with photographing rusty metal, peeling paint on wood and vintage curiosities. This trip was an eclectic mix of wagon wheels, a beautiful assortment of hammerheads, tramp art, plastic knobs, antique weights, old castors and wood baubles, and antique lighting. By the end of our tour I am usually covered in dust from laying on the floor but I couldn't be happier.

"Don’t ask what the world needs. 

Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. 

Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." 

-Howard Thurman

Gourd Photography

Gourds are some of my favorite things in the world to photograph so I have decided to feature them throughout the month.  I am crazy in love with them.  Their shapes are so perfectly curvy and I especially love the kind with deep ridges.  And don't get me started on the colors!  In my next gourd post I will focus on color so check back soon.  Happy November everyone!