summer starts,

My last day of school was last week, but I'm going in today to finish the summer cleaning. I was just exhausted on Wednesday and, after my experience the week before, since I felt lousy,decided to come home and get some rest.
We have some loose ends to tie up from the event also; the hotel's insurance company hasn't been very accessible. We did give a summary of the event to the home office.
I finished Susan's gift "book box". It came out very well. I didn't have time to photograph it, sadly. I used a gift box from Coldwater Creek. It was a perfect size and shape, about 3" x 5" and 3/4" deep. I'm not sure where I can buy plain boxes with those dimensions. I think I'll create a series over the summer. After today's chores are done, I'm planning on finishing some long "in the works " pages in my art journal.
Next week I'll be in Manchester at the Institute of Art for a week. I'm signed up for a workshop called "Book Arts Gone Wild". They hold this Art Educators' Summer Institute every year. I went two years ago. The workshop I'm in this year is all day for 4 days !!!
Of course, I'll be away when some of my flowers will be at their peak. The oriental lilies have opened as have the Japanese Irises. I'll get photographs. My own work for the summer will include a watercolor sketchbook of the flowers in my garden.


DAILY HAIKU 2009 A year ago today ....


We got together for Susan's birthday, so I used a portion of the stamp I'd used all year for get togethers. And of course the weather kept me inside so no walk, no gardening...
Rain, rain, go away
Heavy drops collect and hang.
Where is the blue sky?


When I bound the book for 365 Haiku, I inserted mat board pages to help stabilize the slippery pages. I placed them at the seasons' change. This is the one for summer. I tried to photograph them after the book was bound - not the greatest plan. I used the leaf and bird stamps. For a frame, I used a portion of the gold ink pad.
This solstice marker has some summer and spring elements.