Summer inspirations

Learning to Fly

When you make a shift, feel a nudge, push yourself, try something new, it gives you energy, and the more new there is, the more energy you have. Trust the process, and your wings will get stronger.

Learning to Fly

"Triangle, would you like to go for a walk?"

Soaking in some Southeast vibes

 Just returned from a quick trip to Ketchikan with a friend.  So glad I bought that new raincoat! It made it possible to enjoy everything -- food, parks, beaches, totem history, rust dyeing, boardwalks quiet before the storm of 1.5 million summer cruise ship passengers. Wow!

A little blue sky on our last day!

Riverbank Lunch

This little musk ox is enjoying a flower (river beauty) lunch. I wonder how many flowers it takes to fill up a musk ox? I've also included a photo of the riverbank where we watched a couple mamas and babies peacefully enjoying their sunny day across the river from us.

Aurora dyed fabric becomes pouches

These are from the latest group of resist- and snow-dyed cottons. Then some spruce tree silk screen-printing and sewn into zip pouches. Available in my etsy shop.

Winter Cold, Winter Love

 

Arc into the sun

Sunset through an ice block

Blue sky high

Winter walk

Etsy Updates - Little by little

It's been fun to create a few things to add to my Etsy shop, whose shelves have been bare for quite awhile. Here's a sampling of pouches and a small art quilt. Coasters to come. Thanks for looking!

https://www.bearberryworkshop.com

Low-Slung Sun

 The first photo was taken just before sunset the day after winter solstice. The second photo was taken yesterday about an hour and a half after sunset after the sun dipped at its very shallow angle below the horizon. It's a beyond beautiful time when the skies are clear as the colors get richer and deeper. A Fairbanks secret.  Shhhh.

Winter Solstice

 We are coming up on our shortest day of the year here in the far north, about 65 degrees north latitude, and on the solstice our length of day (sunrise to sunset) will be 10:57 a.m. to 2:39 p.m. for a total of 3 hours and 41 minutes. That's short, but there's enchanting civil twilight on either side of that, and on a clear day, the light is pure magic.

I made a couple of pouches with some hand-dyed, printed fabrics that represent the golden qualities of winter solstice. Clear skies mean cold, and as we head toward a clear winter solstice, our temps will be in the -20s Fahrenheit. But you don't live in Fairbanks without owning enough layers and handwarmers to see you through.

Think Summer!

With a background of birch weighed down by snow on this December day, here's a handful of summer in credit card zip pouches.  Fields of bright poppies grow among the rocks, and willows line the edges of the riverbeds near the mountains. Keep remembering: all good things come to those...who wait... 

Small Works Big Ideas

 I love making these 5" x 5" coasters--pushing the windows of color and design. Collage sketches with fabric. Do I make quilts? I get asked all the time.  Sometimes.  But I prefer broken quilts. Small works big ideas. 

Trees Trees Trees

 From the wet November forest of Norway pine in northern Minnesota to the winter spruce/birch mix near the North Fork of the Chena River and in our woods by my "little house" workshop, these towering giants reach to hold up the sky. As much as I also love treeless tundra, these big old trees give me comfort.