Rain, rain go away!

 

The monsoon has really been dumping on us, which is good for the desert but bad for my house. Water is getting in where it shouldn't and I'm having to deal with repairs.

The strange thing is how localized these downpours can be. The shot above from a police aircraft is of a downpour in Northwest Tucson, which is where I live. I had hours of torrential rain that day that left a lake in my backyard and damp walls inside.

My new lake!

The view from my dining room window.

A neighborhood road left covered by dirt 

when flooding receded.

The monsoon season, which goes through the end of September, piles up clouds over the Catalina Mountains, making for dramatic views.

It filled the creek in Catalina State Park where I hiked last week. The next day the park was closed for flooding.

On a more colorful note, I've been in awe of the Mexican bird of paradise flowers that are bursting with red and orange all over Tucson.

The bees like them, too.

The barrel cactuses are also blooming, with crowns of orange and yellow. 

Have a colorful day

Stitching, stitching, almond croissant

I'm taking my little 8x10 collage titled "Water, Wind, Sun" to Absolutely Art Gallery and Gifts tomorrow for its miniature show. I love the colors, which I mostly painted on silk organza. I fused the pieces down and did some big stitching and beading to complete it.

I also made this blue piece, which I struggled to name. I finally decided on "Wetland." It's covered with a froth of gold thread tails.

It's been ages since I entered a juried show, but on the spur of the moment yesterday I submitted this piece from 1997 titled "Forest Fire Spirits" for jurying into a local show at Tohono Chul. They're having exhibits for the four elements, and the deadline for FIRE is tomorrow. I had to take a photo with my iPhone and I didn't have very good lighting.

It's already been in the International Quilt Festival in Houston back in the '90s and is in a book titled "Lone Stars III A Legacy of Texas Quilts, 1986-2011." I have great slide photos of the quilt from back then, but now shows want everything submitted digitally and my digital photos aren't as good as those old Kodachrome slides were.

Last night's sunset reminded me of the quilt's fiery colors.

I've also been using old, old charm packs to make some placemats and a table runner for gifts. They go so quickly that I might make some more and try to sell them on Etsy.

On the food front, some friends and I made the two-hour drive to Apple Annie's Orchard in Willcox, AZ. The main purpose was to have the apple pie a la mode for lunch! I also bought the sweetest sweet corn, peaches, tomatoes, and farm fresh eggs.

Last night I was reading on the couch and wishing I had something good to eat when I suddenly remembered that the cafe/bakery less than a mile from my house has half off pastries Saturday night! I sprung from the couch and bought an eclair for last night and this almond croissant for this morning. Life is good!

Have a colorful day

"Anonymous" -- Who are you?

Sometimes I get comments that are signed "Anonymous" and I think it's because the writer isn't signed in through Google or whatever. I like to respond to commenters with an email, but I can't if it's from "Anonymous." So it would help to add your name and an email address at the end of your comment, that way I can respond and you won't think I'm ignoring you! But if you really want to remain anonymous, that's fine too.

Have a colorful day

Wild flowers

This was a week of wool wild flowers and real wild flowers. I finished some of my Sue Spargo "Fresh Cut" flower blocks, and Beth and I hiked among the wild flowers on Mt. Lemmon to escape the heat down in the desert

Columbine

I started these blocks about three years. At first I worked fast and furious, but as my arthritis flared up I gave it a break. I'm almost done with the nine blocks that are designed to be set together in a wall quilt.

But I'm finishing the blocks as individual pieces of art because I don't need another big quilt. The individual blocks will be perfect for gifts.

The flowers on Mt. Lemmon at 8,000 feet were spectacular, an unexpected treat. We went up the mountain because it's about 20 degrees cooler there than down below, so we had beautiful weather and beautiful flowers.

We only saw a few other hikers, probably because it wasn't a weekend. We hiked a two-mile meadow loop and the altitude made it a good workout.

Penstemone

It was such a workout that we felt we deserved the cheese enchiladas with three sauces at the Eclectic Cafe at the end of the trip! They're the best enchiladas I've found anywhere! It took all my willpower not to order flan or a piece of triple chocolate cake to take home!

Have a colorful day

Night spirit dolls for sale

I made two more spirit dolls that I'm offering for sale here before I take them up to the gallery. $35 includes shipping. Email me if interested: sherriequilt@yahoo.com. 

I'm sewing as much as I can before my shoulder surgery Aug. 4 because after that I'll be in a sling for six weeks!

"NIGHT GODDESS"

A goddess amulet centered on a full moon adorns this spirit doll, channeling the energy of the feminine and protection during the night. Size: 7x17 inches. Hanging loop on back.

_______________________

"NIGHT ENERGY"

Energy sizzles on this doll, with a streak of beaded lightning and colors of the night. Size: 7x17 inches. Hanging loop on back.

I pulled my amulet book off the shelf to see what I could learn about goddess amulets, since I used one on the first doll. It begins, "The Great Goddess, the Earth Mother or Fertility Goddess is manifest in diverse forms from the Palaeolithic era on, particularly in Old Europe, the Near East and Central Asia." She is employed often for protection or fertility. 

Have a colorful day

New spirit dolls for sale

Oops. I photographed these before I put the turquoise necklace on the orange doll.

I just finished three new spirit dolls and I'm offering them for sale here before taking them to the gallery. I'm upping the price a little to $35, which includes shipping, because I've been making them more intricate than the earlier ones. If interested, email me at sherriequilt@yahoo.com. They make great gifts! I happily take custom orders.

They are all made on a base of sticks and have loops on the back so you can hang them from the wall, or you could prop them on a shelf. (The measurements include the ribbons that trail from the bottom, which aren't completely visible in the photos.)

HARMONY

The Harmony spirit doll wears a gold-colored necklace that says "Harmony" one one side and has the Chinese symbol for harmony on the back. I painted her clothes in soft lavender, pink, blue and gold, with trailing painted silk ribbons, hand-dyed yarn for hair, white and the palest of pink feathers, a shell face with blue eyes, and dashes of glittery gold to catch the light. She measures 7" wide and 19" high. $35.

The new blooms on my Texas Ranger plant match the lavender in her dress.

PROTECTION/LUCK/PEACE

This spirit doll wears a necklace with chunks of turquoise, which is said by many cultures around the world to bring protection, good luck and peace. I painted her clothing and ribbons in the colors of a beautiful sunrise -- or maybe colorful flowers. She has a fuchsia coconut shell face, orange, pink and tan feathers, hand-dyed yarn hair, and dashes of glittery turquoise and gold that reflect the light. She measures 7" wide and 17" high. $35.

Her colors match this colorful bouquet of flowers that I photographed in front of my "Garden Gone Wild" quilt.

FERTILITY

CREATIVE LIFE FORCE

The blue spirit doll wears a gold-colored snake charm, a symbol around the world of fertility or creative life force. I painted her clothing a bold, clear blue like the sky or water with dashes of gold. She has a blue coconut shell face touched with gold, iridescent blue eyes, hand-dyed blue/green yarn hair, brown and tan feathers, and trailing ribbons of hand painted silk and yarn. She is 8" wide and 17" long.

Have a colorful day