Halfway Down the Hill

  Today was for a spontaneous trip halfway "down the hill" (as we say) for a visit with my friend Emily and her co-workers at Art Glitter in Cottonwood. Being one who hates to show up empty handed,  I carted along some hand made paper beads and a 60's vintage Sunset magazine for Em, and vintage book with red marbled covers for Nancy. Doesn't it feel good to know what people like, and then surprise them with little presents? One of my favorite pastimes.

  Emily was teaching the premiere offering of a class she developed, and managed to squeeze me in at the last minute. Which was very nice of her...Anyhow, she taught us to make those lovely fantasy film butterflies she'd included in my artist's care package. Here's a closer look:

   Isn't it beautiful? They ALL came out looking gorgeous! It's made of many layers of fantasy film fused over a rubber stamp, then melted gently over a candle (sometimes they caught fire - and that was good!). Holes melted into the wings, then wire and beads strategically and artfully attached. Wah-la! Fun and easy! And Emily's a great teacher!

  I may make several more  and decorate Kris' computer monitor with them. Wouldn't that be a hoot for her to come home to?

  The trip to Cottonwood from Flagstaff is always lovely. Eschewing the freeway, I traveled highway 89A through Oak Creek Canyon and the Sedona red rock country, on down into the Verde Valley. You can tell where the streams and rivers are by patches of green lining the banks.

  Homeward bound, starting the climb toward Sedona, a tumbleweed blew onto the road. It happens all the time; usually they're thrown into the air and blown off onto the shoulder by the winds whorling around the car. This time was different - I don't know how it happened, but the tumbleweed pasted itself to the front of the car. I'm blowing down the highway at 70 mph with a tumbleweed hood ornament. It stayed put to the Sedona city limits, then blew away in the direction of Cathedral Rock. I imagine it saying, Thanks for the lift...

  Thanks for visiting; come again soon.

Comments

[Kris (HTGRS)]

Fabulous butterfly! (You suck!) Pasted all over my work computer monitor would definitely be distracting - but methinks that's a good thing.
Very determined tumbleweed to hold onto the hood of a car going 70mph. Maybe that was easier than trying to jump the fence on the other side of the road...

[Emily Miller]

Thank you for all the kudos Sharon. It was a very fun class. You forgot to mention how you came up with some new techniques too! I love learning from my students!

I love tumble weeds, I love to watch them amble on. And I especially love it when you hit one just right and it explodes! Just like a bomb went off. So what does this say about me. How can I see the beauty in an object but also revel in it's destruction?

Anyway, thank you for the goodies. I've already decided to add some of your paper beads to one of my butterflies. So glad you came down!

[sharon]

oh, emily, you'd have stumbled on it yourself before long! besides, we were all just basking in so much creativity - how can you take credit for the air you breathe? i kinda like watching the tumbleweeds blow up, too. we laugh really hard, though, when they make it across the road and manage to roll up and over their accumulated kin piled against the fences. escape! you're so welcome for the goodies; glad you're enjoying them! can't wait to see them on a flutterby; i'm intrigued! thanks again for squeezing me into a FUN class!

@kris - look out!