ARTFUL LINDEN LEAVES

I collected 300 leaves last week, before they got wet and soggy, dry and crispy, or blown into the woodlands. I knew Mother Nature wouldn't mind me borrowing some of them. 


The Linden leaf is my absolute favorite and I love its glorious yellow color in autumn.

They are all over our kitchen island right now, sandwiched between newspaper, flattening out under piles of heavy books and magazines, in various stages of drying in preparation for our artful endeavors.

Some are ready to be painted, which is the reason I collect so many. They are a simple shape and very sturdy and take paint and varnish quite well. If varnished, they can last for years!


I put one in an altered board book two years ago!

The children painted some of the Linden leaves as their *Thankful Leaves* and will write what they are thankful for on the back with a fine tip marker. They punched a hole and tied yarn and will hang them on a branch brought inside or on a ribbon or yarn strung across a wall or mantel. 

Some leaves have designs.

We use waxed paper or parchment paper when we paint our leaves. It allows us to paint the other side even if the leaf is not fully dry, which can be very important painting with very little children :)

Sometimes the writing of children can be too large for the leaf. In that case, I encourage the children to write on a blank sticker and just stick it onto the back, or on a piece of paper that can be decoupaged on the leaf using diluted glue or mod podge. They could even draw a small picture.

We have a basket of Linden leaves all ready for our next project, to use in decorating the mantel on our stone fireplace for Christmas. We're going to paint the leaves in a multitude of reds and greens and attach them on top of the pine boughs across our mantel, as a garland.

Stay tuned for pictures  :)


                                                       
               happy day!

{this moment}

Following  inspiration from SouleMama:

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

CHANGE IS GOOD

I always feel good when I make some changes to a room or add in a new color or fabric. Change is good. To see things in a new light, or add empty space where there was none, is always refreshing.


I painted the inside back of a tall bookcase purple, or in precise terms *Vintage Claret* ( by  B.M.).

 The vintage claret color flows with a few toss pillows (by Susan Sargent) . . .

a painted dresser in the kitchen, and these *funky* painted island legs which have the same color.

I took down the large quilt on the wall, that we use to cozy up the great room in the colder months,

 and moved the bookcase to that long inside wall, along with a bench and a small wallhanging.  The bookcase blends right into the wall as they are both painted clementine. I told you my house was *funky* and full of color !

I thought of adding one or two more tall bookcases, and attach modeling to the fronts so they have that built-in look, but eventually, there will be a spiral staircase to the loft where the bench and small wallhanging are now.  

To access the loft now, we move the bench out a bit and climb a ladder. The kids do,that is, not me :)

 Everything takes time, and most everything takes money, but there are usually small things we can do and change around our house and property to make ourselves happier. 


I like to think positive and look at what we *have* done and not dwell on all the things we still need to do.  I have always called it our *joyful journey* and it still is.


happy day!

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

 
                                   ~ artist ~

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