My little art for sale on the blog

I decided to start selling my work from my blog, and I'm introducing my small more affordable pieces today! 

I added a tab on the right side of the blog that says "My little art for under $100." There's also a tab at the top of the blog right below the header. I couldn't figure out how to make the text larger or a different color, so it is what it is.

Here are the 10 pieces that I'm starting with, all for under $100 with shipping included. Hope you enjoy them! Click on the tab for descriptions, detail photos, and instructions for purchasing.

Later on I'll add big quilts.

BEAUTY - $20 does not include frame

(Just sold! Thank you, Judy!)

PINK DOOR - $35

(Sold! Thank you, Christine!)

CHOCOLATE KISSES II - $45

HAVE A SUNSHINE DAY! - $45

(Just sold! Thank you, Carol!)

MANDALA ON BLUE SKY - $50

MANDALA - $55

SEDONA SPRING MANDALA - $75

GATEWAYS ON THE JOURNEY - $65

(Just sold! Thank you, Vickie!)

GATEWAY TO GROWTH - $55

REVERSIBLE TABLE RUNNER - $40

(Sold! Thanks, Lil!)

Have a colorful day

Outdoor and indoor stitching

I didn't hike yesterday or today, so I stitched instead. Yesterday morning I took my hand stitching outside, with a big glass of iced tea and my music.

The view of my yucca bloom from under the awning:

The morning temperature:

The music:

The project:

 Today I stayed inside and finished quilting 

my big desert curves quilt!

Last night's sunset from the front courtyard:

Last night's moon from the back yard:

And my gently swaying acacia tree 

this morning in the front courtyard:

Have a colorful day

Magical light

Whether I'm taking a picture of a quilt or clouds, everything always looks better when the light hits just right. And you know how I love light! So today I've dug up some of my photos that came alive because of the sun.

There's just nothing as exciting to me (almost) as rich color saturation from the glow of the sun. It makes the veins in leaves and the lines of quilting pop.

It adds a richness to rocks and to silk.

It draws your eyes to details that might otherwise be overlooked.

It creates awesome sunsets

and sets orange fabric on fire!

It's playful ...

... and dramatic.

It makes an everyday day exciting.

It's pure heaven.

Have a colorful day

Flower power in the desert!

The saguaro cactuses are really putting on a show this spring, with thousands of buds and flowers sprouting from the tall plants. People in Tucson are saying there seem to be way more flowers than usual this year, and experts are speculating that stress from our long drought is causing them to go into a reproductive flurry.

Here's a link to an article about the blooms: article_d59a3126-93bd-11ea-8fa6-53ac5b2a3e5f.html

The beautiful white flowers only last a day, typically opening at dusk and wilting by the next afternoon. Nevertheless, my hikes over the past few weeks show no shortage of flowers. Each saguaro can produce up to 100 blooms. I took these photos at Catalina State Park just 10 minutes from my house.

The peak bloom is from early May through early June, but the show started in April this year. The flowers are pollinated by bees, moths, hummingbirds, white-winged doves and bats.

Once a saguaro flower is pollinated, it matures into fruit that splits open when ripened, revealing bright red pulp. Each piece of fruit contains about 2,000 small black seeds, which give it a nutty flavor. 

The fruit is harvested in June and July and can be eaten raw or boiled and strained to make a sweet syrup. Saguaro fruit used to be a main food for the Pima and Papago Native American tribes, who dried, fermented and preserved it for year-round consumption (and some still do). It's rich in Vitamin C, B12 and fiber and has great hydrating qualities.

But be sure to get written permission before heading out to harvest the fruit, because saguaros are protected under the Arizona Native Plant Law. In fact, they're the state flower. (These two fruit photos are via Pinterest.)

Saguaros aren't the only cactuses to be putting on a brilliant show this year. Here are some other cactus flowers that I photographed in the last few weeks in and around Tucson:

Have a colorful day

Stitching, stitching

I pulled out my wool applique blocks that I started three years ago and had put away because of my arthritic thumbs that ached when I stitched. I decided to sew whether it hurts or not because it's getting too hot to spend as much time outside now. (It hit 100 for the first time this year a few days ago.)

Note: The blocks are from Sue Spargo's "Fresh Cut" pattern.

Some of the stitches, like the white French knots, remind me of white buds on the cactuses.

And the overall impression of this stitched flower looks sort of like the flower below that I photographed at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum!

The long rick rack stem ...

... could be turned into a tall saguaro.

I have 11 blocks started, and it's hard to decide when to stop embellishing them with embroidery and beads. I think my thumbs will let me know when they're done.

I'm also still quilting my desert quilt, which is slow going because it's so cumbersome to get under the machine. But I really love the colors, so I'll keep working on it a little every day.

Have a colorful day