Diorama for Black and Bluebird Studios' Book Review Challenge

So this August http://www.blackandbluebird.com/ had a challenge to read a book, create a book review or diorama and enter it for a chance to win one of their beautiful necklaces. I just completed my diorama and am hoping for a necklace with an "i" on it for my little Ione Vera. I don't have much time for reading these days, but while on our 10 hour drive to Bentonville, AR area this summer to see family and friends, we downloaded audio book, 'The Hunger Games'- Collins. I was unsure at first, but loved listening to this book while driving, it made me wish the trip would never end. I've been wanting to complete this diorama before watching the movie so I would not have been swayed by the images in the film. Now we can finally rent it from Red Box.

I choose the scene that made me bawl like a baby... Jeff happened to be asleep during this part, so I had to endure it twice... the second time around I decided I'd base my diorama image around it. (*Spoiler Alert*)Innocence lost, my friends. Shortly after blowing up the food supply, heroine Katniss defends her small friend Rue and lays her down covered in flowers while she sings her to sleep, to death while the MockingJays sing along. Life, death, survival, friendship, beauty, music, humanity... it is all in here. GAhhhhh.. don't make me cry again.

Enjoy! Perhaps you have time to enter their little challenge. Find Black and Bluebird Studios on FB and post your pictures/ book review!!!! I had tons of fun making this, and think I'll try another one soon.

Late summer seed harvest walk

Ione and I went for a stroll around the neighborhood today, since it seems to feel a few degrees cooler although probably still in the 90's. What a great time to harvest a few dried flower seed pods. I have wanted my own Pride of Barbados, desert willow, and yellow bells and hopefully these seeds will dry well. Little hands love helping and help fine tune their motor skills.

It is a good idea to put down a piece of paper to catch the seeds as you open the pods together, then roll the paper to create a funnel and pour the seeds into your container. We are using a glass jar set from Ikea $3.99 for 4. I think I will share some seeds with friends as gifts.

When to stop

I can never tell if I prefer a line drawing or inked. When do you stop? Sometimes I'll leave a painting unfinished for a year then come back to it while working on other things and the additions or subtractions are perfect and the painting just feels done and my brain can stop thinking about it. I wonder what it would be like to work on one piece only for your whole life painting over it scratching drawing clearing repainting. I love the concept of the opus 40 by Harvey Fite. http://www.opus40.org/ if you haven't visited, you must.