FanningSparks – Page 60 – A DIY and lifestyle blog authored by Peg Frizzell.

Little Golden Books Illustrations Showcased

Do you remember Little Golden Books? Did you have a favorite?

For those not familiar, Little Golden Books are children’s books which have been immensely popular for the last 75 years. There’s an outstanding exhibit called “Golden Legacy: 75 Years of Original Art from Golden Books” currently being held at The Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta, Georgia.

While I was familiar with Little Golden Books, I didn’t really appreciate why they are so special until I visited this exhibit and attended an associated gallery talk. Little Golden Books were launched in 1942 during the first full year of America’s involvement in the Second World War. This timing is significant because paper, ink and fuel shortages forced the publishers to find innovative, cost effective ways to offer books to the masses at affordable prices. Little Golden Books’ publisher chose a unique format for the books; a child-sized 8” by 6.5” with a hard cover and a distinctive gold foil spine.

They chose well-written stories and displayed professional expert endorsements. They also chose to emphasize original, high-quality illustration and engaged some of the best artists of the time. But perhaps the biggest breakthrough was that for the first time children’s books were readily available in large colorful displays at grocery and department stores priced at only 25 cents. Little Golden Books made it easy and affordable for millions of young children and their parents to own children’s books and, most importantly, to open up a new world of reading. There’s a nostalgic and emotional connection to Little Golden Books that lives on from generation to generation.

The Golden Legacy exhibit showcases the illustrations from numerous Little Golden Books. Over 25 of the best known artists, such as Tibor Gergely, Eloise Wilkin, Garth Williams, Richard Scarry, Corinne Malvern, Jan Pfloog, Feodor Rojankovsky and Mary Blair, are featured. This is where the magic happens! I admit I never paid much attention to illustrations in children’s picture books. I may have admired a picture or two but I never fully appreciated this delightful art form. After a few hours with the original artwork from Little Golden Books artists, I can see the attraction. I can even see why someone, like the fellow gallery viewer I met, might want to collect these treasures and could end up with upwards of 500 children’s books!

It was fascinating to see the transition from original artwork to book illustration. Here’s an example by Tibor Gergely from the classic Scuffy The Tugboat.

Richard Scarry illustrated and authored many Little Golden Books. His iconic book I am a Bunny stars an adorable young rabbit in red overalls. Scarry is quoted to have said: “It’s a precious thing to be communicating to children, helping them discover the gift of language and thought.”

I found the work of Mary Blair particularly compelling. Blair, perhaps best known for her accomplishments at Walt Disney Studios, created the concept sketches for such animated feature films as Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, and designed the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair exhibit “It’s a Small World”. She also illustrated several Little Golden Book classics. Here’s an example of her work from I Can Fly. I inserted the accompanying text to give the full effect.

By happy coincidence, I already own a vintage 1954 copy of Heidi in Little Golden Book format. The coincidence is twofold; I have an authentic reminder of the Little Golden Books exhibit and the street we just moved to is called Heidi Trail. The story is adapted from the original by Johanna Spyri and it’s illustrated by Corinne Malvern. The below photos show this “much-loved” and a little worn copy of Heidi.

It strikes me that these beautiful illustrations could be incorporated into my home and surroundings. They are, of course, an obvious fit for children’s rooms, apparel and belongings. But how could I weave them into an adult environment? I’d especially like to play up the Heidi/ Heidi Trail angle. I did some searching on Pinterest and found a few ideas (see More Info below). Hmmmm…. my mind is spinning with the possibilities.

More Info

Learn more about The Golden Legacy: Original Art from 75 Years of Golden Books exhibit at the Robert C Williams Museum of Papermaking. The exhibit is on until September 7, 2018. Be sure to check it out if you’re in Atlanta Georgia USA.
The Museum of Papermaking has an intriguing program of exhibits and events. Recently, I attended their Natural Dyes workshop and shared my experience in this post on Natural Dye Making.
The Little Golden Books website also has some great information.
Here’s the FanningSparks Pinterest board I created with ideas for using vintage children’s books.

Today’s Takeaways

If you have an opportunity to visit the Golden Legacy exhibit, it’s definitely worthwhile.
Children’s book illustrations open up a whole new world of art and creative adventures.
Consider weaving items with a nostalgic connection into your home.

Nature Wildlife

Seek to Identify Wildlife with this Fun App

One of the many interesting things about settling into a new home is discovering the wildlife in your new surroundings. My husband and I just moved into a lake house with a fair bit of wooded area. Since we’re not native to this area, there are many plants and animals that we’re not able to identify. That’s where the Seek app comes to the rescue.

Seek is a mobile app used to identify plants and animals. It was created by the team at iNaturalist who created the original browser-based nature identification application. Their website introduces iNaturalist as “a global community of naturalists, scientists, and members of the public sharing wildlife sightings to teach one another about the natural world while creating high quality citizen science data for science and conservation.” The cool thing about their Seek app is it works with several modern technologies to help you identify wildlife. Seek works with the camera on your mobile phone to let you capture photos of a subject. It leverages location identification services to identify the general area where the photo was taken. Then Seek uses image recognition software to look for similarities between your photo and the reference photos in the iNaturalist database.

Seek also uses gaming features to increase the “fun factor”. Here’s how iNaturalist positions Seek:
“Take your nature knowledge up a notch with Seek! Seek encourages outdoor exploration and learning by harnessing image recognition technology to help you identify plants and animals from your photos.
Choose from a list of nearby plants, animals, and fungi and collect photographs of as many species as you can!
. Earn badges as you photograph new species.
. Become more engaged with the wildlife around you.
. Learn cool facts about the critters and plants that live right in your own backyard wilderness.”

Obviously, Seek is great for children but it’s also useful for curious adults. I’d like to share some of my own experiences using Seek.

After taking the below photo, I wanted to know the correct name of this fern.

During my online research, I came across iNaturalist and decided to give it a try. I entered my photo as an observation and followed the prompts to attempt identification. I thought it was likely Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) and submitted my observation with the suggested identification. Within the day, an iNaturalist curator identified the fern as Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides).

While using iNaturalist, I learned about their Seek app and decided to put it to the test. I went back to the fern glade to study the ferns more carefully. Sure enough, when I examined the mature leaves it was a clear match to the Christmas Fern photos. Then I took a new photo with my iPhone showing the mature fern leaves and submitted my observation via Seek. Instantly, Seek came back with a match. Impressive!

My next opportunity to use Seek occurred a few weeks later when I took the below photo at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. This time I wanted to identify the bee sitting on the white azalea flower.

Seek immediately recognized this as the Common Eastern Bumble Bee.

Recently, I noticed an army of caterpillars on a tree next to the deck at our new house. This time I didn’t just want to identify a subject in a photo; I wanted to know what to do about all those caterpillars chomping away on the leaves. Seek easily identified the culprits as Catalpa Sphinx (Deratomia catapae) which is a type of hawk moth. I was able to use this information for further research and discovered the caterpillars would attack only the catalpa tree. Thankfully, while they will defoliate the tree, they do not cause permanent damage. Interestingly, these caterpillars are considered the best natural catfish bait and the Southern catalpa tree is commonly called the fish bait tree.

I didn’t save a screenshot of my original observation but when I re-submitted my caterpillar photo, Seek reminded me of the first match.

These experiences have made me a big Seek fan! But it’s only fair to call out a few limitations. Seek only identifies wildlife; it doesn’t identify cultivated plants and animals. So you can’t use Seek to identify that gorgeous new iris that just bloomed in your flower garden as I tried to do with the below photo. I found out from other sources this beauty is a tall bearded iris called ‘Autumn Tryst’.

Another thing to be aware of is that you need a good quality photo of your subject. Understandably, Seek isn’t interested in the pretty shadows created by this curly grass.

Seek needs a clear photo for identification purposes and offers the below tips. Based on the reference photos, I think the Sand Sedge (Carex pumila) gets credit for those curvy shadows.

Why not give Seek a try? I’d love to hear about your experiences. Seek is a global solution with species from around the world so I’m especially interested in hearing from readers outside the USA. Were you able to find local plants and animals?

More Info

You can learn more about iNaturalist and their Seek app at www.iNaturalist.org.

Today’s Takeaways

iNaturalist.org and their Seek app are great resources for identifying wild plants and animals.
By using these tools you can help create “citizen science data for science and conservation”.
Knowing the correct name of a plant or animal makes research easier and can help you be better informed.

Decorate General Interiors

A Vintage Tin with a Story

Thrift stores, estate sales, antique malls, flea markets… all call my name. It’s not that I buy a great deal. I don’t collect mountains of old dishes or hoard collector’s plates or stash old time silver. Well… there is that collection of milk glass that may be a little out of control… but that’s a story for another day. One might wonder why it’s so appealing to just look at someone else’s discards. It’s the thrill of the hunt. It’s all about finding that one, perfect vintage piece. An item that brings back memories and is a pleasure to view. In my opinion, a well-placed vintage piece adds character and completes the story of our home.

The below vintage tin container is a case in point.

I love the design on this container. It has a distinctive art deco style and the gold and green colors are pretty and unusual. I found this container a few years ago in an antique/flea market in Belgium. I love its old world origins. But the real story here is why this container is meaningful to me.

My mother and father were born in The Netherlands. They immigrated to Canada just after they were married in 1955. They brought many Dutch traditions, beliefs and practices with them including some favorite foods. One of those foods was beschuitjes or rusk which is a twice-baked bread. As children, rusk were a rare treat enjoyed when family members visited from The Netherlands. One of the unique things about rusk is the way in which it’s packaged; a dozen rusk are neatly stacked into a little tower. This brings me back to my beloved vintage tin. Notice how the vintage tin is the perfect fit for the package of rusk? When I look at that tin, I see special times with my family.

You may notice something else that’s rather unusual in the above photo. The topping on the rusk looks like chocolate sprinkles. Indeed it is! The Dutch name for this sweet topping is hagelslag. It’s not at all unusual to have hagelslag on a beschuit for breakfast in The Netherlands.

Interestingly, there’s a Dutch tradition to celebrate the birth of a child that involves rusk and sprinkles. In this case, the sprinkles, called muisjes, are anise seed flavored and come in baby blue or baby pink. Traditionally, visitors are served rusk with color-coordinated sprinkles … blue for a boy or pink for a girl… when they visit a family to celebrate the birth of a baby. My immediate family did not follow this tradition but my Mom does remember getting these treats when babies were born to the Dutch royal family. Are you familiar with this tradition? Do you have similar memories?

Today’s Takeaways

I hope this post sparks some ideas for you too:
1. Keep your eyes open for meaningful vintage items at thrift stores, estate sales, antique malls and flea markets.
2. A well-placed vintage item can add richness and depth to your home’s décor.
3. Connecting with the past is integral to telling the story of our lives.

Decorate General Interiors Make Photos

Joy Spotting

One of the great things about writing a blog is it keeps me motivated to search out and investigate intriguing ideas. One of the great things about being retired is it affords me the time to do just that. For instance, recently I heard designer Ingrid Fetell Lee give a TED Talk titled “Where Joy Hides and How To Find It”. Her ideas resonated with me and so I delved deeper into her “The Aesthetics of Joy” website and Instagram account. Ingrid explores the relationship between our environment and our emotions and then applies these linkages to inspire her designs with joy. We can define joy as a passing pleasure or a momentary feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

Through research Ingrid has identified a series of joyful things… things that bring joy universally… like cherry blossoms, rainbows, fireworks and bubbles. Over time, she recognized patterns across these joyful items. In her TED Talk she reveals that the patterns include “round things, pops of bright color, symmetrical shapes, sense of abundance or multiplicity, feeling of lightness or elevation.” She makes a strong case for purposely incorporating these elements into our surroundings. I admire and respect that her ideas are backed by scientific research. Ingrid has written a book, called Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. The book, which will become available in September 2018, can be preordered now.
Jan 8, 2019 Update: I loved the book Joyful. See my followup post: My Top 3 Nonfiction Reads from 2018 for more info.

In the meantime, I’ve been following Ingrid’s Instagram account where folks are encouraged to tag their photos with “#JoySpotting”. This got me thinking about my own photos. Have I captured photos of joyful moments and objects? Do these joyful moments and objects fit the patterns? Which photos could I tag as #JoySpotting? Today, I’d like to share the outcome of #JoySpotting in my own favorite photo archives.

I recall being drawn to the below art installation at Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma California. This series of jaunty pinwheels was constantly in motion. It was bright, colorful and mesmerizing. Joyful? Check.

The below sculpture, titled “Swing Me Mama”, is by Dominic Benhura and on display in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It’s a delightful work of art guaranteed to make you smile. Joyful? Check.

While on the theme of spinning and movement, I have quite a few shots of carousels and merry-go-rounds but they’re challenging to photograph. I remember being drawn to the below beautifully carved and painted horses on the Carrousel de la Tour Eiffel in Paris. The music was playing. Children were enjoying the ride. Joyful? Check.

Cherry blossoms are a universally recognized joyful object. Cherry blossoms are fleeting… you have to catch them at just the right moment to see their full beauty. The cherry blossoms in the below photo, taken near Cologne Germany where I lived for several years, are at their peak. Joyful? Check.

There’s a connection between joy and things that don’t seem possible like floating and flying. Below is a shot of a hang glider taken in Tenerife. I’ve always loved this photo, partly because of the slow natural descent of the hang glider, but primarily because of the split-second timing that captured the hang glider directly above the church steeple. Joyful? Check

Roundness, and its connection to play, is one of the joyful patterns. The below marbles are suspended in a frame and hung in a window. I remember being drawn to this display because of the repeating shapes and how the marbles affected the light. Joyful? Check.

I have numerous photos with pops of color but the below photo, showing a lone red tulip in a field of rich green grass, really stands out. It’s the unexpected surprise of seeing this tulip out of context that drew me to this scene. Joyful? Check.

Gift-giving is usually a source of joy. I believe a beautifully wrapped gift enhances that joyful experience. The below photo shows a carefully wrapped gift intended to make the recipient feel extra special. Joyful? Check.

I came across this art installation in Berlin Germany some time ago. It was a wonderful surprise! The image of all those paper boats floating on the water of the naturalistic pond has stayed with me. Joyful? Check.

After going through this little exercise, I realize I’ve always been drawn to joyful objects as I travel and explore. I’ve also incorporated some joyful patterns, like pops of bright color, into my home decor. Here are a couple of examples from my current kitchen.

Similar bright colors were chosen for the chairs and table in my outdoor seating area.

I love bright chartreuse green especially when its grounded with black and white. Here are some examples from a condo where we used to live.

Given this new awareness of joyful objects and patterns, I’ll be looking for more ways to incorporate joy into my surroundings going forward.

More Info

You can learn more about Ingrid Fetell Lee, The Aesthetics of Joy, and her book Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness on her website.
Jan 8, 2019 Update: I loved the book Joyful. See my followup post: My Top 3 Nonfiction Reads from 2018 for more info.

Today’s Takeaways

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post and that, you too, will be motivated to do some joy spotting. Here are a few thoughts to get you started.

Ordinary things have the ability to create joy universally.
There are commonalities and patterns across joyful objects.
Consider incorporating joyful objects and patterns into your own home and life.

Fiber Make

Reimagining The Cross Stitch

Today I’d like to delve into the cross stitch and how it’s being re-imagined in surprising new ways. You may recall from my post on The Ultimate Maker’s Cabinet that I recently used extra-large cross stitches to add interest to my cabinet doors. But I’m certainly not the first person to consider using the cross stitch in unconventional ways. Here are some great examples that I found in my online exploration.

Spanish artist Raquel Rodrigo and her studio Arquicostura are known for amazing large scale outdoor installations of cross stitch. On her website Raquel explains that she’s passionate about designing spaces and products that generate emotions. Below are examples of her street art and street marketing. They are created with cross stitches in colored thick string on wire mesh. Imagine strolling along the street in Valencia Spain and coming across one of these awesome works.

Street art by Raquel Rodrigo/ Arquicostura in Valencia Spain Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via Arquicostura

Street Marketing by Raquel Rodrigo/ Arquicostura in Valencia Spain Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via Arquicostura

Canadian designer, Laura Carwardine, created a spectacular feature wall in Patria Restaurant, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Toronto Canada. The two-story wall showcases an intricate cross stitch design made with over 17,000 stitches of cotton jersey on copper-coated steel grid. I’d love to see this in person someday… hmmm, maybe I could swing by the next time I travel to Nova Scotia to visit family.

Laura Carwardine/ Cargo Collective feature wall at Patria Restaurant in Toronto Canada Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via Cargo Collective

Charlotte Lancelot Design Studio, from Belgium, worked in collaboration with Gan to present a collection of over-sized felt cross stitches. The Canevas collection included rugs, poufs and cushions. On her website, Charlotte explains how she’s re-interpreted the cross-stitch by updating the support and materials. She notes that even in this transformed state the cross stitch maintains its essence and adds warmth to our homes and surroundings. That’s the perfect explanation of re-imagining the traditional cross stitch.

Charlotte Lancelot Design Studio for Gan Canevas Collection Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via Charlotte Lancelot Design Studio

German artist, Miss Cross Stitch, leverages cross stitch in public spaces to jazz up benches, chairs and other mundane public furniture. She refers to this as street embroidery. These unexpected treatments delight passersby in several European cities such as Berlin and Cologne Germany, Milan Italy, and Zurich Switzerland. Here is an example of her street embroidery:

Miss Cross Stitch street embroidery from Berlin Germany Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via Miss Cross Stitch

Miss Cross Stitch street embroidery in Berlin Germany Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via Miss Cross Stitch

This Little Street blog, based in the US and authored by Audrey Smit, featured an unusual cross stitch project a few years ago. It’s an interesting application of the traditional flower motif done in cross stitch on an nontraditional item.

Audrey Smit/ This Little Street cross stitched stool Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via This Little Street

But perhaps the most unexpected application of cross stitch comes from Lithuanian artist, Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė, who cross stitches domestic metal objects such as pans, watering cans, spoons and even car doors. Integrating traditional elements from her Lithuanian heritage, Severija creates beauty from the simplest of items.

Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė cross stitch Shared @FanningSparks — Photo via Severija

In the company of such talented artists and designers, embellishing my Maker’s Cabinet with extra-large cross stitch isn’t so exceptional. But, as you can see from the below photo, this treatment does push the limits on the materials and scale of traditional cross stitch. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

To fully appreciate to what extent these artists and designers have reimagined the traditional cross stitch, consider the below example of a conventional work of cross stitch. The cross stitches are hand sewn on cotton fabric with embroidery floss in a classic rose pattern.

More Info

You can learn more about the talented artists and designers mentioned in this post on these sites:

In addition, I created a FanningSparks Pinterest board to showcase reimagined cross stitch works.

For the basics on cross stitch, The Cross Stitch Guild and DMC, the world-renowned thread company, both offer outstanding reference sites.

Today’s Takeaways

Studying the groundbreakers in an art/craft form that interests you can spark lots of ideas.
Transforming traditional craftwork in contemporary ways leads to outstanding results.
Challenge yourself to “transcend the ordinary”.

Make Other Media

Open Me First – Move In Gift Suggestion

Moving to a new home is top of mind for me these days. We bought a new-to-us house on Lake Oconee in Georgia, USA about 2.5 hours away from where we currently live. Making this move is both exciting and disruptive.

According to realtors and movers, more US households move in June than any other month of the year. Chances are, someone in your circle of family and friends is moving into a new home in the next few weeks. Chances are, you’ve gone through this experience yourself and know how stressful it can be. Perhaps you’re wondering what you can do to help ease the moving process for family, friends or new neighbors. Here’s a suggestion that might just be the answer.

The Open Me First move in package is filled with useful everyday items people need when moving. I’ve put together and gifted dozens of these move in packages over the years. The recipients have always been very appreciative. On the other hand if you’re moving yourself, you may find some helpful suggestions of things to have on hand at your new home.

Deciding what to include in the move in package is easy. Just think about your own experience of moving into a new home.

Wondering what to do with those new keys so you won’t lose them? Include a key ring.
Tempted to rip packing tape with your bare hands because all sharp objects are packed? Include utility knives.
Need to start a list of Things To Do? Include a pen and notebook.
Stumbling around unfamiliar hallways after dark? Include a night light.
Discover there’s no toilet paper at a crucial moment? Include a few rolls of toilet paper!

You can include band-aids, light bulbs, hand soap, cleaning essentials, and lots of other useful items.

You could invest a significant amount in this gift but I’ve found that’s not necessary. The move in package I’m sharing with you today cost approximately $50.00 USD. Keep in mind, you’re buying point-in-time supplies and tools. I bought most of these items at the local dollar/ discount store.

Even though you’re not buying high end products, it only takes a few minutes to dress up this gift and make it special. I like to use a 16” square packing box for the container. Adding a printed banner around the package (aka a gift box “belly band”) along with some colorful tulle ribbon really dresses it up. For an added touch, I like to add a nice card and tie a couple of paper skeleton keys to the bow. See More Info below for further details.

In addition to being packed with thoughtful items and looking pretty, the Open Me First move in package relies on good timing for maximum effectiveness. It’s best to have it waiting for the recipients when they first arrive at their new home.

It’s also useful to provide the recipients with a list of what’s inside the move in package. This allows them to scan the list and get a general idea of what’s included. I’ve created a simple printed list (see More Info below) that can easily be updated to reflect the actual contents you include.

Here’s a look at the list I typically include in an Open Me First move in package.

One final fun detail is the below Home Sweet Home sign. I simply print this on the printer, trim it and insert into an inexpensive magnetic picture frame.

More Info

I’ve prepared a complimentary download for your convenience. Click the link below to receive the following documents along with some simple instructions:

Open Me First and Welcome Home belly band.
Open Me First contents folder – list and cover.
Home Sweet Home sign.
Skeleton keys.

Open Me First Move In Package – Complimentary Download – Jun 2018

It’s not necessary to identify yourself to receive this download but it would be ideal if you would sign up for the FanningSparks list. Thank you!

Today’s Takeaways

I hope today’s post triggers some ideas…

Personalizing a gift to the recipient’s specific situation isn’t always easy but is very thoughtful.
Gifts need not be expensive to be appreciated.
Dressing up the package makes a gift special.

Little Golden Books Illustrations Showcased

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

Seek to Identify Wildlife with this Fun App

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

A Vintage Tin with a Story

Today’s Takeaways

Joy Spotting

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

Reimagining The Cross Stitch

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

Open Me First – Move In Gift Suggestion

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

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