Sunday, April 22

Earth Day~


~Earth Day~
No matter the season
No matter the weather
There is beauty.

I am mindful of the bees...
I just love to hear them dancing about the gardens
while I'm tugging weeds!
Keeping our gardens organic help the bees to thrive.

We recycle every possible waste item & keep a compost pile.
Continue to make our home more energy efficient...
~Doing what we can to keep our planet beautiful & healthy~

Hope your day has been filled with sunny skies!

Tuesday, April 17

Wool hooked moon~


'Love You to the Moon & Back' copyright Michelle L. Palmer

Inspired by my punch needle pattern~
Nice to relax in the evenings with some wool strips & these two!


Just finished a new watercolor collection being considered for fabric~
Working on the remaining designs for my 2020 calendar~
and...
Catching up.
Catching up on fun projects and household chores
before the weather breaks and Spring arrives!
Then the garden will be demanding some love and attention~
How can anyone say no to the gardens?

Hope you're all staying safe through these fierce Spring storms~
Hope your week is filled with sunny, warmer days!

Sunday, April 15

Icy April showers


Spring has arrived in the form of extended winter weather.
We know warmer days will eventually arrive~

We were spared from a potentially dangerous ice storm last night.
A thin coating of ice brought out gorgeous colors in nature!
Much like dipping your finger in water and rubbing it over a raw wood
surface to discover the rich color and hidden grain.
The beauty that will be brought out with finishes.
The wood pile is blanketed with gorgeous moss and lichen~
The coating of ice has sealed the color in, capturing it's depth.


Pussy willows with ice droplets.
Glad that they have been spared for the bees!
Soon they will blossom & we will enjoy the hum of pollinators~
Some of the first nectar for the honeybees.

Sharing a link that explains more about willows:
http://www.naturenorth.com/spring/flora/pwillow/Fpwillw1.html



Our willow is twenty two years old.
Alaina & I planted it next to a downspout to be sure it had plenty of water.
She was three and always liked gathering 'furry paws' with her Grandma Newtown
when they walked down to the 'crick.'
I cut a few pussy willow bouquets each season to keep it trimmed.
We have different varieties planted~ babies that we hope survived the long winter.


I meant to put our bunny family under shelter before the icing started.
I was too distracted trying to catch up laundry, scan & download digital art files
for a new fabric collection and complete a punch needle/rug hooking pattern
for delivery this week... just  in case our electric service became knocked out in the storm.
The bunnies are all sealed in place!
Our pup enjoyed licking the ice off their faces & ears~


Wind in the trees & icy branches bumping each other~
Keeping our pup entertained!

Hope your days are sunny and warm, Friends!
Thank you for stopping by~

Wednesday, April 11

Hooked Rug Milkweed Monarch


"Milkweed Monarch" copyright 2018 Michelle L. Palmer
22" x 28" Hooked with #4 and #6 wool cuts.

It has been so nice to see Monarch butterflies in our gardens again!
I took several caterpillar photographs last summer...
The perfect inspiration for a wool rug.
Monarchs just love common milkweed and I don't mind sharing space with
the beautiful plant in our perennial beds.

We have an invasive weed, 'Black Swallow-wort,' that monarchs mistake for
milkweed. The weed is poisonous to the larvae. The plant also crowds out
Common Milkweed. Our region is working to keep the invasive plant controlled.
The best way to remove Black Swallow-wort is to dig the entire root ball.
Trying to pull the weed is near impossible~ it nearly always breaks off.
When walking along trails I pull the seed pods off and
dispose of them in our household garbage.


A little snippet of a wool rug I just finished... 
Painting, punching, hooking & dreaming of flowers
while waiting on the gardens to wake!

Hope you're having a wonderful week, Friends!

Sunday, April 1

Happy Easter!


Wishing your heart Hope!

Wishing your heart Peace!

Wishing your heart Love!


Wishing you a blessed Easter, Friends!
Wishing you joy-filled Spring days, too~