Watercolour 105

Alaska View

Watercolour 104

More Fog and Frost

Same ridge, different section. Somewhat larger paper for this work.

The full painting

 Details:

Watercolour 103

Frost and Fog

The whole sheet, quite small

Detail of right side

Contest Results

Sigh...

It looks like the making and giving of Valentines has gone the way of all flesh - meaning, exchanged now for “likes” on a screen? Or, Much better, maybe for flowers and pretty breakfasts. 

So, for the creative Family who entered their pretty creations.....

Names

In a bowl and mixed

And mixed again 

And draw......

And one more, just because....

Happy day to you!

Katie, send me your email address, please. 

An Aprilish sort of day for us, first steady snow, then fog, then rain.

And all the fudge cake from yesterday was polished off.

Here, lady bugs and clovers are good luck symbols. There weren’t any hearts at the store. These are of marzipan.

Belated Valentine

Valentine Display

Received on Time. Thanks, Mom.

But I neglected to post it yesterday. It was a busy day.

Our Valentines

My husband and I were talking this morning about Valentine's and Ash Wednesday being the same day. (Also my oldest son noticed that Easter falls on April Fools Day... interesting co-incidences this year.) 

"Here's the deal." he said.  "We can do Valentine's until noon, then we mourn."

"Should I make heart cookies with ash smudges on them?"

"Good idea!  You could use activated charcoal.  'Here, kids, it's good for you.'"

The kids spend a couple days working on Valentines to mail to Grandparents and give to friends.  I just put a pile of papers (including some old Gelli prints), glitter glue, heart patterns, and other pretty things on the table and let them do whatever they wanted.  I have been getting away from the "here's a model, copy this" idea with them for crafts.  They are very clever and have learned to create on their own.  For most of them, the wrote on the backs.

Evan's:

Evan saw an idea for these little paper springs in a craft book and devised these pop-up cards.  I was very impressed!

Andrew's:

He learned from Evan's pop-up idea and made one, too.  He said about the cardinals, "They love each other."  They cut these birds out of an old Christmas card.

Eleanor's:

The little envelope is taped up full of hearts to give to a family at church.

Levi's:

Not to be left out, Levi cut and glued, too.  I love his little efforts.


I made these simple valentines for the kids.  The colors are brighter in real life... They are just cut from some painted watercolor paper.  I put them in envelopes sealed with pretty washi tape and will give them to the kids at lunchtime.

(No, I did not make one for Jonah, the almost-13-year-old... He is not too into this lovey-dovey stuff, but he will be quite pleased with some cookies and treats later...)

And this one is sitting on my husband's desk for him to find whenever he comes home from sermon-writing at the college library.  I'm not terribly sappy, I guess... but this was fun anyway.

I am thinking some heart-shaped strawberry pancakes for lunch and a batch of chocolate spritz cookies (after all, the children will need a snack after church...) will round out the day for us. 

Happy Valentines Day

Before Lent Solemnities This Evening

“Beloved, let us love one another, for Love is of God. She that abideth in love abideth in God, and God in her.  God is love.”

Insert - Valentines

Last Minute Ideas

Before Sarah Y puts up a post (if she wishes today), I want to add these ideas. I should have posted them before, but my technicians who can make links that you can click and print are not available. So, here is the do-it-yourself version, with no links.

And who do you suppose would go out like this in the freezing night to tend his bunnies?

Dutch Art at Home

Sumptuous

This is for your table, when the king comes to dine.

Your soup pot. Yes, the king likes soup; its cold in the winter.

This is a decoration in your front hall.

The king gave this - and a whole set of dressing table wares - to his daughter.

Maybe she looked like this.

And your dinner party like this

And the view out your window like this  – a good day for soup in angel pots

Let Us

For This Week

Blessings on your Sunday, and the beginning of Lent coming up.

And VaLENTines Day. Entries due Tuesday for me to post, or Wednesday for you to post.