Art, Craft and Needlework, April, 2026

[Twins' Mom]

I made a belated birthday card upstairs earlier for an elderly paternal side cousin. I used a stamp that I purchased on Ebay this week - didn't get it when it was current so paid way too much. I'm linking a very similar card. I used a little of the "linen" natural thread to wrap across the bottom of the scene and made a bow. Will get it in the mail tomorrow. That was enjoyable - unlike my dislike of some cards I've made lately. I almost feel like I have my groove back. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/258957047319829359/ The sand, ocean, and sky are stamped, not water colored.

I've been experimenting with water coloring using outline stamps and a drop of diluted ink. A challenge to get looking the way I'd like.

[Nancy]

Lovely and calming!

I have put the last skein on my current knitting project 3/4 this done with
this prayer shawl now. Still luv the jewel tones in this one.

[Kittykatt]

Twins, that card is lovely - I'm sore the recipient will treasure it.

Nancy, the colours of the prayer shawl sound beautifully rich, and a lovely present.

[Harriet]

That groove is back what a nice thing to hear. Yes, a card with so much interest. Twins', are you working on watercolor paper as you experiment with the new technique? I see watercolor paper pads in crafts stores and think that there would be so much potential fun in there... ..

The outdoor acrylic paint I used to tone down the all-white back of the outdoor sign last week has done exactly what it says it will - stays on the slick surface. It's just the FolkArt brand, which you see at many outlets, very inexpensive for squeezable bottles. But the largest word is "Outdoor". Says it is gloss, but I found that a cheap sponge brush kept it from looking shiny just by using various directional strokes. I managed to get it to look like ferns, and I didn't even know what I was doing, so beginner friendly. I think it would make bargain pots look nicer, too, if I ever got around to it.

Nancy, sounds like you have figured out how to have very satisfying art retreats with lots to learn. What kind of seeds did you discover? I saw a fellow who had happened to grow, by luck, an especially pretty color of dahlia from a packet of all-color seeds. He talked about maybe putting a baggie over a bloom and hoping to save and label seeds from that color for the next year. I thought - how smart.

New thread has arrived, not a very rich blue but much better than settling for other threads. It will be especially good for the patchwork stars and their background, which is both white and blue mottled.

[Nancy]

I finished the jeweled tone piece. It's smaller that some I've made.
I started the next one. It's teal blue and will have pink, white and possibly some other colors too.