It's finally feeling a little like spring in Colorado! I have plans to plant some flowers in early June. This is the first year I'll be planting a collection of flowers that have all been chosen by an expert to look good together as a group. All the plants are supposed to be low-water use after the first year and deer-resistant.
On My Work (Art) Table
In April I took a free class on making prints using a Gelli Plate. This blue and green pattern was my favorite. I added the line drawing on top when I got home. This was a tool I'd seen many times over the years, but had never tried it. I can see why artists like it. It's a very low-stakes kind of activity where you can make a lot of designs very quickly and there aren't really any mistakes. If you don't love how something came out, you can keep layering different textures and colors on top.
I also attended an art swap for Earth Day at a local gallery. I brought some extra beads and charms to give away. I didn't expect to bring anything home, but I did end up with a small assortment of embroidery floss, ink, silver polka dot ribbon, a notebook cover, and a cork with my name on it!
What I'm Reading
I just finished the memoir Birding to Change the World by Trish O'Kane. I really enjoyed this book! I'm learning that I like memoirs where I not only learn about the author's experience but more about the world. This book taught me many facts about birds, but also about social justice and education.
On My Library Hold List
I'm on the waiting list for Amy Tan's new book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Are you sensing a theme with my current reading?
In the Kitchen
I read on author J.A. Jance's blog about broccoli spaghetti, so of course I had to find the recipe in the New York Times. I've made something similar before without the anchovies. It's a good weeknight dinner. (You can probably find similar recipes elsewhere if you've reached your limit of free NYT articles.)
Art I Admired
Did you see this cute mini beaded teapot by Diane Fitzgerald? The use of the bead cap and round bead at the top is very clever!
Made Me Laugh
Linking to Twitter is problematic at best, so I'm including a screenshot of a funny warning shared by the National Park Service account:
New in the Shop
I enjoyed making some basketweave patterns for fabric and wallpaper on Spoonflower. These are made with individual pen strokes, so they aren't perfectly aligned. I made a few different color variations. I think the Ocean Blue one is my favorite!
See you next month!