greenpepperpressblog

Michelle Ward/GreenPepperPress Blog

  • Time for Tea

    The July/August issue of Somerset Studio is on shelves at your local bookstore now!  In my column I show some of the Tea Books I've been making.  It was 2001 when I made my first one, and have made several over the years – enough to fill a tea caddy.  In May we had out all the tea fixings for an early morning viewing of the Royal Wedding….including scones with clotted cream and jam.  I think I need to make a mini book for all the weddings I've risen early to watch.  Back in April my two sister-in-laws treated me to a fun cream tea in England, so I made a little book about that event.  There's always a good reason to make tea, and there's always a good excuse to make a sweet little tea book.  Here's a sneak peek at the article:

    Michelle Ward Somerset Studio July August 2018 Time for Tea

    Some images that got mentioned in the text didn't show up in the published piece – like the tea caddy I found to hold my collection of books.  I scored this one at the Container Store – perfect fit!  

    MW WinterbourneBook

    And I mentioned in the article that the tea party book was shown in a cup I inherited from my Grandma Campbell.  Here it is.

    MW TeaPartyBook

    I love coffee every morning, but for special occasions we break out the tea.  These little books are the size of a tea packet, and some have a string and tag like a tea bag.  It's a nice departure to work on a small scale, and it's such an addictive process.  Great for a gift, and a fun format for an invitation.

    P.S.  I spy my own work on pages 56 + 57 too as artist Edan Ruthan Miller makes a ring bound journal to remind her of ideas….clippings from one of my articles (HERE, May/June 2012) appear on her pages. 

     

  • Summer catch-up

    MichelleWardsun

    I can't believe it's officially summer!  I guess I've been on a little blog vacation.  I meant to chime in on my birthday, to show you the first blossom, definitely a sign from Shannon who would have been 50 on our special day.  By the following week in May the garden was in full bloom.  I also meant to post photos of our Fallon, who graduated from Rutgers.  So I will do that now.

    MW may 17 2018

    Here are two of the four walls of roses.  The last photo shows how tall they've become – wanting to show off to the neighborhood.

    MW RosesMay2018a

    MW RosesMay2018b

    MW RosesMay2018c

    And here's our girl graduating on Mother's Day from Rutgers University with honors.  As we looked back at photos of my college graduation we noticed that both Fallon and I wore a black dress with white polka dots.  Love that one of her baby photos has her dressed in red scarlet.

    MWFWSK

    GraduationGroup

      

    Here's a wonderful story of Synchronicity.  Ten years ago I posted this story: HERE. If you don't click through to read I'll summarize.  I was in a Self-Portrait round robin journal project and I was working on a page where I had typed up tiny strips of repeated words that described me.  Mother, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Friend, Artist….you get it.  So I had Fallon read them and tell me if I was missing anything.  She said: Believer.  So Believer became significant between us.  Every year since then I have gotten her a gift with Believer as an engraving or marking.  I have a wood sign in my studio that says Believe, so I found an R to add to it.  For some reason I painted it red.  See photo.  That was 2008.  Then a few years ago, when Fallon was deciding where to finish college, we were having a family discussion at the dinner table, reviewing the options.  She happens to look up from her placet at the table, and saw I had moved the Believer sign + R to a spot in the studio within view….and it was a "sign".  Literally.  Rutgers logo is a red R.  So she accepted Rutgers, and has graduated as a Scarlet Knight.

    MW FW Believer

     

    I've had a fun time working on a project for the last two weeks – something totally new for me.  There was a bit of a learning curve but that is what happens when you try to educate yourself on the properties of a material.  You'll see more about it in September. Meanwhile, here's some of my worktable:

    MWGOLD

     

    So that's a quick catch-up from May….had some issues uploading photos but it appears to be working now so I will have another post going up later today.

  • Happy Mother’s Day!

    MW MothersDay2018

    To my mom, who is here with my dad for Fallon's college graduation today.  Lots to celebrate!

    And to all my mom friends, have a lovely day!

  • The Unexpected Rosarian

    I've been nurturing a rose garden for ten years in honor of my sister.  I love that the latest Somerset Studio arrives in May as it's the month I share a birthday with Shannon.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my visual journal that chronicles the past ten seasons of growth.  I never thought I would ever be a successful gardener, so it was unexpected that I have become a rosarian.  

    Michelle Ward Somerset Studio May June 2018

    (My mom even makes an appearance in my article….do you spy her?)

    Two seasons ago my original rose bush passed 10 ft. tall.  

    MW Rosarian 2016

    Here's a view from the side yard in 2014.

    MW Rosarian 2014

    In March we had a terrible snow storm (several actually) that brought down many trees in the neighborhood.  On the left you'll see it didn't look promising for the roses, but then by the end of April, with some assistance of propping agents, they appear to be recovering.

    MW Rosarian 2018

    And then this morning….I spied the first bud.  The promise of another season.  I'm so excited.

    MW first bud 2018

    "Show me a garden that's bursting into life" from Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol.

    MW Rosarian 9a

    Are you a gardener?  Have you started a garden journal?  It's a fun process, especially during Winter as you wait for Spring.

     

     

  • Happy Easter

    Photo from 1996.  Peter was 5, Sam was 4, and Fallon was 8 months.  Wearing jelly bean shirts from L.L. Bean, and bunny ears…..Easter decals on the window above in our home when we lived in Michigan.  As usual, at least one egg was missing from the hunt.  We still dye eggs the same way, and still use the baskets from those early days, but now we use paper grass instead of that green plastic stuff because we have a cat.  We've traded in some of the old plastic eggs for the ones that are hinged – so much easier to fill when you don't have to find the matching top or bottom.  Wake up time is a little different so the "Easter Bunny" doesn't have to scramble in the wee hours to hide eggs and put out the baskets.  I can no longer dress Fallon with ruffles and a hat ….because she's 22!  And while the boys are 26 and 27, all three kids + mom + dad colored eggs Friday night.

    Happy memories, and Happy Easter. 

    MWeaster18

  • MindFULLness OR MindLESSness?

    Happy Monday.  I'm the guest over at StencilGirlTalk – the blog for StencilGirlProducts.  I think one of the hidden secrets of stencils is to use them as templates to help you draw.  We all LOVE using stencils with paint, but how about relying on them to use with pen only?

    MW SGP teaser

     

    Go see my tutorial!  Disclaimer:  once you start, it's hard to stop!  Visit HERE.

    MW SGP teaser2

     

  • 3.17.18

    Be well and behave 😉

    MWStPats2018

  • new article: shadow play

    The latest Somerset Studio has arrived – March/April 2018.  My column features recent experiments with paper cutting to create shadows.  The first photo is a close-up I took of one piece – derived from my Rose Window stencil.  I've always been intrigued by illuminated dimensional art, and while I didn't take mine that far, it was a fun self-imposed assignment to create pattern and depth with paper and just a few tools.  As I was turning the pages of the new issue, it was a nice surprise to land on Mary Beth Shaw's interesting article on pigments – there's a full page of my Maltese Mix stencil.  Very cool.

     

    Michelle Ward Somerset Studio March April 2018 Shadow Play

  • Happy Valentine’s Day!

    MWVD2018

    It's been a fun two weeks of February so far.  First, the Eagles win the Super Bowl – my husband's favorite team!!!  It was a great game and I'm so excited my favorite Eagles fan got to experience the big win.  It was a sight to behold, and so fun to share as a family (with lots of delicious food!)  

    Then the Olympics!  Love the figure skating….but watching snowboarding is the best!!!  Shaun White taking the gold last night was so thrilling.  Big congrats to him.

    I've been slowly working through a "frozen shoulder" with physical therapy appointments twice a week (thanks Jaime) and at-home exercises.  I can tell my movement is improving but it's a long process.  Makes you grateful that all your other parts are working fine. Luckily it hasn't hindered my time in the studio.  So many silver linings.

    Wishing you a Valentine's day filled with many good things – whether flowers, chocolate, cards and calls, or just a simple text that warms your heart.  Don't forget to GIVE more than you get <3

     

  • Epiphany

    I've always wanted to make my own set of three kings – something I've done digitally for years, but haven't made in 3-D yet.  After I worked on my castle earlier this year I thought maybe I would create a set from the wooden pegs like I used HERE.  Then I came across this Nativity from Target and I had to have it.  If you can believe it I'm actually starting on ideas for next Christmas….maybe I will get those kings made by summer…wouldn't that be great?

    MWepiphany2018

     

    MWnativity2018

    Happy Epiphany.  Now we can officially start putting away all the decorations.  Gosh it goes by fast.