Creativity Makes Life Worth Living

Today was so crazy and creative that I almost need to sit quietly in a blank room so there is nothing visual to latch onto. Here are just some of the things that occupied me today.

1. Preparing to make a crazy quilt. I'm doing research from 2 library books and also from Pinterest. Crazy Quilting is sewing, embroidery, beadwork, scrapbooking, and documenting your life all rolled into one. With Steampunk being based on the neovictorian ethos, a crazy quilt should fit right in. Yet I've never seen anyone do it. Imagine a crazy quilt featuring air ships, gears, cogs, reticulated wings, bustles and goggles. I must do this!

2. I just put in a rock garden as part of my Zen garden. I'm so happy to be playing with succulents again!

3. I tried my hand at melted crayon art. I'm always looking for new ways to make backgrounds for mixed media. Here is a crazy quilt background for an art journal. I will be drawing embroidery stitches over it. I got the idea from a used book that cost me .50 at the library.

4. I bought a washboard. Not to do laundry, but to turn into a percussion instrument. Now I need to get a cowbell. I can't believe how much fun I'm having with this idea.

5. I'm doing research on Regency era costuming.

6. I got some dye to turn my SCA tunic into a color I actually like. I tried dyeing it at my daughter's house in her left over dye bath, but it barely changed it.

7. Before I went on vacation I was learning to draw from a Manga style drawing book I got at the library. The library was going through some sort of data base change, so I wasn't able to renew the book and take it with me. It didn't occur to me to jot down the title before I returned it. So I tried to find it today and yesterday at 2 different local libraries. It's not even in their data base. The librarian thinks it might have come from the Riverside library, and they are no longer sharing with that library. But they found me 4 more manga drawing books. Two I checked out and 2 are on request. I wish I'd written down the title. Maybe if I check my old library receipts that are kicking around here, I'll find one with the title on it.

8. While it was still cool out this morning, I finished the fox painting I started yesterday. I was going to start another painting, but there were so many other things on my to-do list.

 

9. I also made watermelon mint juice. I had some at the San Luis Obispo, CA Renaissance Faire and I thought it would be a great healthy drink. It is fantastic on a hot day like today.

Watermelon and Mint Juice. Pour it over crushed ice.

A little mint goes a long way.