Amherst Island, Ontario

Last week my husband and I spent a few days on Amherst Island in Eastern Ontario.  I hadn’t heard of the island prior to finding it on-line and even then there wasn’t a wealth of information or photos.  What we were hoping for was an escape that was secluded but not too remote, a location near the water without too much of the touristy commercial scene.

What we found could not have been more perfect.  We booked accommodation at The Lodge on Amherst Island, a haven for writers, painters, musicians and artists of all persuasions yet because we travelled mid-week and early in the season we were the only guests. The Lodge is lovely and situated on a point so that there are water views no matter where you stand.   

Accessible via ferry from Millhaven, this quiet pastoral island is beautiful and the people are welcoming.  Before we travelled I had contacted Sally of Topsy Farms,  http://topsyfarms.com/en a large sheep farm and small wool products shop.  On Thursday morning, Sally welcomed us and after finally selecting my wool (so many gorgeous colours!!) she let us cuddle and feed a few of their foster lambs (lambs whose mothers were not able to nurse them). Check Sally’s blog http://topsyfarms.wordpress.com/ for a behind the scenes look at life on a sheep farm.

Little lambs at Topsy Farms

This is the little one I fell in love with

The remainder of our stay was spent cycling, walking the shorelines of secluded beaches, collecting sea glass, appreciating the fabulous sunsets and taking hundreds of photos.

Sunset on Amherst Island

Blossoms and beaches on Amherst Island

A ladybug sunning on the shoreline

Our stay was wonderful and we returned refreshed and inspired.  Thank you to the staff at The Lodge on Amherst Island, Stella's Cafe and of course Topsy Farms for welcoming us so warmly.
Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a perfect day,

Sandra

The Beauty and the Weed

I spent a couple of hours this past week removing weeds from my lawn.  Dandelions.  My husband had dug up a bunch on Friday and yet, Monday morning there they were again in all their yellow glory. I have no idea if dandelions are native to North America only, but with their prolific nature I assume that they may already have conquered the lawns and landscapes of most other continents as well.  However, in case they haven't and in case you are not familiar with this plant, dandelions begin as circular yellow flowers on long stems with leaves that lie close to the ground.  Within a few days they go to seed transforming from yellow flowers to wispy, delicate spheres of lighter-than-air seeds which even the gentlest of breezes or the sneeze of a mouse, or the flutter of a butterfly wing would scatter far and wide and soon this single dandelion will have multiplied fifty-fold.  To win the battle of the dandelion one definitely needs to attack early and often.



Dandelion with a small insect

And yet even this botanical bully possesses beauty.  What mother's heart hasn't melted at being presented with a small fisted bouquet of yellow dandelions?   My grand-daughter, Sadie, watched in delight as we made her a "necklace" from the dandelion stems.

A quick tutorial on dandelion chains: remove the flower. The stem is hollow.  Insert the small end of the stem into the larger hollow end and voila, the first link in your dandelion necklace. Repeat until the chain is long enough for little princesses.

Even at their most dreaded seed stage, the intricate beauty of the dandelion is captivating; a beautiful marriage of function and form, a masterpiece in design.



Dandelions, such intricate beauty.



Dandelion gone to seed

So I guess it comes back to perspective as it so often does.  When I look at life with a negative or critical eye I find weeds, and yet if I can just shift my gaze and look at life through the eyes of beauty I find fresh bouquets of flowers blooming right outside my front door!

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Wishing you a beautiful perspective on today,

Sandra

  

Finding Beauty in Today - Inspiration from Erwin McManus

On a recent afternoon my friend, Stella, and I were sharing a cup a tea and a bit of reflection on a guest speaker that we had both had the privlege of hearing last week-end.  Erwin Raphael McManus; author, filmmaker, artist, visionary and founder of Mosaic Los Angeles, spoke at River's Edge Montreal. 

While Erwin touched on many deep and relevant topics one of the ideas that captured our interest was his encouragement to find beauty in our lives.  When we begin to seek and see the beauty in our daily lives we begin to see life through a different lense, a lense of appreciation, creativity and ultimately a lense of love and hope.

While I have often written here about "soaking up everyday beauty", I appreciated the reminder that the quality of my thoughts and life may very well depend on my ability to see the beauty in the small details of my life and my willingness to express gratitude for them.

To that end (and maybe to inspire you) I am grateful for this past week's beauty of:

• seeing my husband arrive home safely after a week of travel. 
• the faces of my family laughing and loving as we celebrated Mother's Day together.
• the sight and taste of chocolate cake (thanks Laura & Emily!)
• the way my grand-daughter hugs my husband.
• the scent of my neighbour's flowering crab apple tree in full bloom.
• my husband's good-night kisses.
• the colour of the morning sky at 5:30 when the dogs need to be walked.

The colour of Bleeding Hearts in the late afternoon sun



The way a curly wisp of hair escapes from under my grand-daughter's hat

See if you too can spot the beauty in today.  See it, taste it, hear it, feel it, smell it and watch it infuse your life with creativity, love and hope.

Thank you for checking out My Turquoise Kettle Life today,

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Sandra


How to nurture your creativity

Last week I had one of the most creative weeks I've had in a very long time. It started slowly and consistently expanded, by mid-week I found myself bursting with creative energy and ideas. Where did it all come from? What precipitated the flow of creativity and how can I tap into it more consistently?

My husband was travelling last week so I had been anticipating a week of solitude. While some people feel nervous or uneasy about solitude I really enjoy my time alone so I was in a positive frame of mind.

I spent the first day uncluttering my environment. I tidied up the house, organized drawers, moved some furniture, washed the floors and basically went on a purification binge. By that evening I fell into bed exhausted but very happy.

Create a beautiful environment for yourself

The following morning was Sunday; I woke from a wonderful night's sleep refreshed and appreciating my beautiful, pristine and uncluttered environment. I was completely content pattering around the house while the sun filled the space with a warm glow. I made a big cup of tea and spread my journal and inspirational material out on the bed and began writing. I practice daily "stream of consciousness" writing. I aim for about 3 pages long-hand. On this particular morning I wrote freely and without any time restraint, producing 15 pages of writing!

I declared the rest of Sunday a "silent" day and treated myself gently: healthy food, a slow walk with the dogs, a nap in the afternoon. I just tried to listen to my body and to give it what it craved.

I think that beginning with a feeling of positive anticipation combined with those two days of clearing my environment , clearing my mind and resting my body were critical in how the rest of my week unfolded. When I went back to the studio Monday I found I had adopted a very gentle attitude. I gave myself permission to play, no need to make a masterpiece, no restriction on whether I painted, or knit or sewed.... I opened myself up to whatever creative urge surfaced. I didn't force myself to finish one thing before I began another. I let my child-self play and gave my grownup-self the week off.

Your creative-self may be delicate... be gentle with her

The result was two paintings that I love and that seemed to be birthed from my heart, two cute little sundresses for my granddaughter, some great photos, new ideas for my garden, work done on my mosaic table and a couple of blog posts. What fun!

I'm hopeful that being able to pinpoint what set me up for creative success this past week will allow me to duplicate the process in the future.  An attitude of positive anticipation, clearing out my physical and emotional environments and permission to create in whatever direction feels natural, may be the steps I need to nurture my creative energy.  I'll keep you posted.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a nurturing day,

Sandra

How to Make a Mosaic Table Top

I just wanted to let you take a peak at how my mosaic table is coming along.  You may remember last summer when I started to work on it (mosaic table top). 

Well, winter arrived before the completion of the work.  Thankfully, this week I had a helping hand(s) from my daughter, Sam, and  my niece, Emily.  We spent the better part of a sunny afternoon snipping and glueing tiles.  There truly seems to be something therapeutic about piecing together bits of coloured ceramic.  As you can see from the latest photos, we've begun to incorporate the contrast colour, a yellow ochre tile.

Mosaic table top in progress

Mosaic table top

I'm hoping to have the table finished by the beginning of June to coincide with the beginning of the Summer Studio 2012.  I quite like the idea of being able to serve refreshments on a beautiful table on the verandah to the hard working artists who will assemble here during the summer.

If you'd like to join us, click the link in the above paragraph for details and how to contact me.

Thanks so much for stopping by My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Hoping you can piece together a wonderful day for yourself,

Sandra

How to make a toddler's sundress from scraps of fabric

This week my creativity is pouring out all over the place, writing, decorating, photography, mosaic work, painting and sewing.  Today I want to share with you a simple way to use up remnants of cotton fabric to make cute little sundresses.

This is a simple sundress pattern that fits my 20 month old granddaughter who weighs about 30 pounds. 

sundress made using 3 types of fabric

I used two different fabrics for the bodice and pieced together panels of alternating patterns and widths for the skirt.  I used ribbon for the shoulder ties so that the dress can "grow" along with her. I think the result is cute and of course its one-of-a-kind!

right side of bodice - two coordinating fabrics

sundress skirt - 3 fabrics of varying width panels pieced together

bodice attached to gathered skirt

Here is the same dress pattern made out of a single type of fabric.  This time I made matching shoulder ties and put a little lace trim around the hemline.

sundress with matching shoulder ties

lace hem detail

sundress with matching shoulder ties

The pink dress sewed up in about 75 minutes. 

Here is the pattern I drew to make the bodice (cut 4 as the bodice is lined). 
There isn't a pattern for the skirt, its just 15" long and 2 1/2 times the width of the bottom of the bodice or approximately 60" wide. The ribbons or ties are about 10" long.
If you are new to sewing this may not be enough instruction... feel free to e-mail me at sandra.myturquoisekettlelife@gmail.com and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you a day that is sew wonderful,

Sandra

Painting...Silencing the Inner Critic

I don't mind a little constructive criticism, a friendly suggestion here and there, or a helpful hint along the way.  But if you are like me a harsh word from a hovering critic can be frustrating and intimidating.  Not surprisingly some of the most discouraging criticism I've received has been from my own inner critic. 

Negative inner dialogue can be especially destructive to the creative process.  Today, as I set about to work in the painting studio I wanted to try a slightly different painting style.  I knew that before long I'd hear the familiar voice of my inner critic negatively commenting on my work. 

To counter her acidic observations and questions I simply proclaimed today's studio time as a play day  and not a work day.  "I'm just having some fun.", "Yes it's silly but today its about the process and not the product."  "I am creating these painting for my own pleasure, no one else has to approve of them."

Finally she gave up and let me have my fun.  Here are the results of today's play day:

"Dream" 16"x20" Mixed Media



Detail of "Dream"

"Happy" 16" x 20" Mixed Media

Detail of "Happy"

What would you dare to try if you could silence your inner critic for a while?  Try giving yourself permission to just goof around a little, have some fun, even look silly.  That might send your critic packing, at least for a little while.

Thanks for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life today.

Wishing you time to have a little fun today,

Sandra

Respecting the Seasons of our Lives

How I love a misty, drizzly morning like this one.  Each pine needle, leaf and petal balance crystal droplets that absorb dull light and reflect it into shimmering globes.  A brief traipse through the garden this morning left me feeling quiet and appreciative, humbled by the beauty that I so often rush past.





Forget-me-nots with raindrops



Solomon's Slipper with droplets

Sprouts pushing up through last year's dead foliage reminded me of nature's constant desire to renew and grow, to transform and to reach deep inside the hidden places to create something new.  Interestingly growth comes after a season of rest and retreat.



new hostas sprouts

I sometimes resist hibernating, I want to be productive to have something to show for my efforts NOW.  Ah, how much wiser to remain in tune with the seasons of life and to allow for times of retreat.  Sometimes it means a day apart or a week.  Sometimes those seasons may need to be longer.  Growth will come again perhaps slowly or in a beautiful burst of colour.

Forget-me-not

Honour your seasons of rest and of growth.

Thank you for visiting My Turquoise Kettle Life.

Savour today,

Sandra

Summer Workshop 2012

This is going to be the briefest of posts.  I simply wanted to direct your attention to the upper right hand corner of the screen where the heading "Workshop 2012" is listed. All relevant details are listed there.

This workshop entitled, "The Women's Creativity and Painting Summer Studio", will run from Friday, June 1 until Friday, August 3, 2012. 

Join me in my studio this summer.

Please contact me by e-mail at sandra.myturquoisekettlelife@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to schedule a time to join us in the studio.

Wishing you a wonderful day,

Sandra