handstories

Gathering light

"How it Would Be"

    A thin moon layer of Heike's dyed silk allows Deb's wonder cloth to shine through.

"Unexpected Rainbows"

    Bigger than usual, 9" x 7".  More of Deb's cloth sailing in the breeze.

    My favorite spot.

    Life is in a tunnel right now, but there are a couple of lights twinkling at the end of it. 

    Spectrums.

    I have the hardest time photographing paintings.  The light is rarely right.

    Two friends, by two favorite artists.  "Story" made by Cathy Cullis many years ago (resting in a bluebird tea cup that matches one belonging to a dear friend.  She gave it to me so that we could imagine having tea together anytime), and a painting by Amanda Blake, "She Kept Herself Safe".  It was a rare spontaneous instantaneous purchase a few years ago.  I named her "Lucinda," and just looked up the meaning- light, of course.  They are across the table directly in front of me as I stitch.  Keeping company and an eye on things.  There are a few more friends here, but these two are giving me meaningful looks today

    The teacup friend texted today, "Are you ok?" 

        "Nope.  But trying to be."

"Gathering Light"

   Or "Audrey the Third" if you're Dee (ha, inside joke).  A Threadcrumb moon, deep purple wave by Tina and the sky, and reverse-side patch in the bottom corner, are a Maiwa cloth.

a bit better

    Look at all of that clear space!  I'd almost forgotten that the table top was blue.  Yes, there's still all of those little bowls to go through and that stack of papers.  Maybe tomorrow.    

    Here's a mini tour of some of the treasures:  Starting on the left, just to the right of that jar full of left over bits for spinning- A Baba Yaga doll made by my long gone friend, a little doll by Cathy Cullis named "Story", feathers from dru, a postcard from Beverly Cleary and a Mr. Rogers card from my sister (when you open it you hear him singing).  Up above is jude's moon faced rabbit and Renee de Montaigne's encaustic painting of "Spring in Granada".

    An exchange with deanna, in which we wondered if her missing scissors went through her portal, reminded me of a story my Grandma Blanche told me.

    When she was first married, they lived in a cabin in the woods, with a wooden crate nailed to the wall for a shelf.  Things would disappear- a spoon, a knife, a tool, etc...  Where could they have gone in this tiny shack of a place?  One day, unable to stand the sight of the same four walls for another minute, she shouted to her husband, "I need a change!  Pull that crate off the wall and nail it to that one!"  And so he pried the crate off, surprising a rat.  A pack rat, that lived in a hole in the wall behind the crate, surrounded by all of its treasures- a spoon, a knife, a tool, etc...