Painted Paper

This project came out of a need to use up pieces of card stock and some left over paints.  The results is a paper quilt wall hanging.

Painted Paper

Begin by painting card stock with colors that you might find in a sheet of metal, such as copper.  The sample shown is painted with gold, copper, green and a bit of red.  Keep adding and blending until you get something that you like.  You could also go in an entirely different direction and do a blend of pastels.  That would also look striking.

 Next, cut the paper into two-inch squares or a reasonable facsimile of.  Finally, cut two and a half inch squares out of black cardstock or some other black paper, such as construction paper, that you happen to have on hand.  Paste or glue each two-inch square onto a black square.  This will give your copper square a black border, which will set off the colors.

Finished Piece - Copper Quilt

For the piece in the picture the squares were then attached to a large piece of black poster board with some webbed packaging material in between the squares and the black poster board.  The squares were positioned with the grain of the paint going in opposite directions, alternating horizontal with vertical throughout the piece.  Because the piece is paper it is extremely lightweight and easy to hang.

This is a simple project with just a few steps that are easy enough to complete while visiting and thinking up other color schemes to play with.  Enjoy!

What We Believe

"I believe everything.  It's easier than thinking."  Winnie the Pooh

I was recently offended by a commercial for a service that will make it unnecessary to make trips to the post office for postage.  It begins with a man saying, "There is nothing worse than standing in line at the post office."  Obviously, the man hasn't heard about war, famine, racism, and homophobia, just to name a few things that might be considered worse than waiting in a line.

What bothers me is that there was not an uproar challenging that particular commercial as, to put it plainly, stupid.  But with all the ignorant messages foisted upon humanity it's kind of difficult to focus on being media savvy.  In fact, I think it might drive some people over the brink.

Another of my favorite commercials is for a fast food chicken product that laughs at its competitors who sell chicken nuggets.  "What part of the chicken is the nugget," they ask with a smirk.  Then they urge consumers to try their popcorn chicken without telling us what part of the chicken is the popcorn.  I guess that some things in life will remain a mystery.

But aside from commercials, I sometimes question my own proclamations.  At times I notice myself going through the day and spouting platitudes and expected phrases as reactions to other people's platitudes rather than examining what I really believe and putting those thoughts out into the world.  But maybe it's because I'm not always sure what I believe and oftentimes base my statements on what I think people might expect me to say or what, I think, will encourage people to think well of me.

It's going to take me a bit of time to digest thoughts about beliefs and motives and media information.  So while I do that I believe I'll take a walk.  It's a lovely day and time to get my dose of vitamin D.   I believe I'll also make an effort to listen more carefully.  As the Irish proverb states, "God gave us two ears and one mouth so we ought to listen twice as much as we speak."  And maybe throw in a little thinking.

Time To Relax

Squirrel Sunning On Grill

Sometimes it's hard to remind myself to take time for myself.  To slow down, smell the roses, and enjoy the precious minutes that make up my life.  And then the other day when the sun was reminding me that summer is just around the corner, a squirrel, who minutes before had been scampering around the yard on a frantic food search, showed me how to relax.

It seems that the squirrel had come upon the gas grill that's just outside our back door on the deck and noticed that the black cover on the grill absorbed the heat of the sun.  Except I'm sure he or she didn't have all the scientific jargon running through his or her mind.  At any rate, there the little critter sprawled out, changing his or her position about every ten minutes to take better advantage of the rays.

Sometimes s/he would wash or scratch and then, once again, sprawl in the sunlight.  This went on for about a half hour and even continued when I approached with my camera to take a few inspirational pictures.  Here's to the wisdom of the squirrel who reminded me how important it is to relax and demonstrated a great way to take vitamin D!

The Peanut Butter War

Once, while I was visiting a senior care facility at lunchtime, an elderly resident asked the nurse if he could have some peanut butter.  I don't remember what food item he wanted it for but I remember that the request didn't sound too far-fetched to me.  Remember, this comment is coming from a woman who, as a child, enjoyed peanut butter and pickle sandwiches.

The nurse, instead of fulfilling his request, explained that he was given peanut butter every morning for his toast (seems the gentleman liked peanut butter) but his lunch request was not, in her opinion, the correct way to eat peanut butter.  The resident suddenly looked like a child who had just been scolded.

My heart went out to the resident who had, as most residents, reached that time of life when most of what is familiar to them is taken away and they live a very confined life.  Must the peanut butter go too because of the taste preference of a nurse?

Which led me to think about my son-in-law.  I recently found out that he's not perfect.  Oh yes, he is  polite, non-judgmental, an incredible husband and dad and all that kind of stuff.  But I recently found out that he does not like cats, and "not like" is probably not strong enough language to describe his feelings toward cats.  Raised on a farm where animals were considered animals and not pets, he just has no warm and fuzzies whenever he sees an animal defined as a pet.  So it struck me as rather odd that one of his daughters has a pet cat.

One day, when I was visiting, I checked in with my granddaughter on that subject.  "Your dad really does not like cats at all?" I asked her.  She confirmed the fact.  "But you have a cat!  Why did he let you have a cat?"

She looked at me with a look of sweet tolerance for someone who had just asked an extremely stupid question.  "Because he loves me," she said very matter-of-fact.   At that moment my son-in-law nudged himself closer to the perfect category.  Now about that peanut butter.