ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC26 - Week 32

WARNING:  Photo Heavy Post!!!

Welcome to Week 32 of the 2026 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week might be a bit different from previous weeks.  Errands and meetings on the calendar will still feature prominently, but there will be even more art classes than usual!  My goal for the week is to knock out a YELLOW project for the RSC.  Here's hoping that will actually happen!

Let's start with what you didn't see yesterday...

It was the beginning of the Summer Creative Retreat (SCR) hosted by Peggy Dean at The Pigeon Letters and I took in two of the watercolor classes:

Loose Layered Landscapes with Caitlin @ Kate Drew Designs.  A mountain scene...

As well as a field of poppies:

Then Tranquil Lagoon Landscape which didn't look like a lagoon to me, but resulted in the following painting thanks to Nikki Hess @ Lavender and Sea:

I also attended The Worktable event with Claudette Hasenjager where I worked on a couple of little journals that have been empty for longer than I can say.  I did one page in the little altered book on the left and another in the little zine on the right...

Pleased to have made progress:

Here's how this week went...

SUNDAY - The week began with a Zoom-y ARTventure with Britt.  I :

After lunch, I went back upstairs to catch up on a lesson from Tammy Kaye that I missed last week.  Here is the watercolor floral bouquet that I painted:

MONDAY - MailCall Monday

The day began with errands and moved on to this week's Library Crawl over on Get Messy where we revisited a class by Meghann Early from the Season of  ???.  Rainbows make me happy so I decided to experiment with watercolor on the gel plate.  The following photo is of the resulting journal page:

 

Since all Get Messy memberships was extended, I decided to watch this month's offering, Vanessa's 31 Days of Art Journaling class before that ends.  It's an involved project which will need to wait for a little while before I can participate in the weekly lessons.

In neighborhood news...

I noticed a moving truck on my way into the studio:

At long last the neighborhood is fully occupied!!  The final new homeowners moved in today.  The house actually sold 5 properties ago, but for some reason, they waited MONTHS to make their way into their new home.

After dinner, I watched the Summer Creative Retreat lessons from Willa Wanders and Claudette Hasenjager.  Since I was downstairs for the evening, I didn't do any of the work.

TUESDAY - Stay at Home Day

Chores, paperwork and a few SCR lessons filled my day.  I watched a live watercolor lessons from Traci Bautista, but didn't do the swatch work.  Painting along with Ohn Mar Win was fun:

 I also made a start on the Glowing Sunset lesson from Kolbie Blume, but didn't get very far on it.

WEDNESDAY - Art Day

The Jen and Joy Show was canceled today.  Jen had an emergency to deal with.  I took in a couple of today's lessons from the Creative Summer Retreat.  Here is the mixed media landscape painting that I did in the live Loosen Up Your Landscapes class with Katie Moody using gouache, watercolor, Neocolor II crayons, and colored pencils...

I circled back to the class with Kolbie Blume @ This Writing Desk and completed this:

And caught up on the Ink and Weird Things lesson from Michelle Tasker @ Shelle Creates:

Later, I met with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color for our Weekly Zoom Call.  No photo of the two of us today.

THURSDAY - Quilt/Art Day

Weekly Quilt Group met at Deborah's.  I took photos for the blog, but no group photo.  Once the meeting was over, I had an errand to run before heading to Britt's house for lunch and an ARTventure.  This week we played with the paper scraps on her table to create some collage clusters, an activity that I don't often engage in on my own:

FRIDAY - Knit Group

We met at Beth's house and the meeting ended before I could get a group photo.  Here are those of us remaining after Linda's Zoom session ended abruptly:

After a quick stop at Persnickety Books to support their Yard Sale and grabbing some takeout for lunch, I went upstairs for BB Journals Jumpstart LIVE Zoom.  Here are the "messy papers" made during the session:

After Deandra's Art Zoom.  Today, I found myself choosing to work on a UFO in YELLOW for a combined project with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I stitched back the arcs on a quilt block received from my friend Diane a few years ago and dug out a pin cushion in progress that needs a bit more stuffing before I close up the gap:

Once I finished dinner, I went back up to the studio for some more catch up work from SCR.   Watercolor Florals with Everyday Objects with Sushma Hegde.  Here is a collection of photos from the series of small paintings I created...

Roses painted with the blunt end of a plastic fork - leaves with a paint brush:

Lily using a paint brush (both ends) and the back of the sharp point of a seam ripper:

Nasturtiums using my fingers and the end of a broken paint brush:

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I hope you will stop by for a visit Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.

In YELLOW scrappy news...

I now have two completed blocks for the 3-block table runner that I'm hoping to finish this month.  One that came to me completed in a scrap bag and the one I stitched yesterday:

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!!

Mail Call Monday - Art Goodies - Quilt Diva Julie Style

Welcome to a new edition of Mail Call Monday!!  I received an email notification from Pirate Ship the week before last.  Have you heard of it?  It's a discount shipping service that delivers packages at far superior prices than the Big Guys.  A number of friends use them for all their shipping needs.  I hadn't been shopping and wasn't expecting a package.  The email made it clear who was sending me something, but I had no idea what or why.  I'm here to share what arrived.

It was a surprise from Quilt Diva Julie...

If you think she sent me a box of fabric... You would be WRONG!!!  Today's story is about the contents of this box:

I opened the flaps to find an incredible collection of Art Foamies stamps and an envelope...

Which housed this hand-colored card made from (what I believe to be) old black and white Artist's Almanac calendar pages:

Beneath the card was a folded sheet of paper, held closed with a large shiny pink paperclip.  Within the fold was a generous selection of stencils:

Hidden under those were these two partially completed altered book journals:

Below the Art Foamies, I discovered a set of art affirmation cards and a Clickable Alphabet Stamp set:

You KNOW that I just HAD to try out those stamps, don't you???

I couldn't think of a better way to express my gratitude:

THANK YOU, JULIE!!!

In case you'd like to see inside the journal included in the package, here's the opening page of the Encyclopedia Brown journal...

And this is the first page of the 104 Things to Photograph journal:

Here is the email I sent after the receipt of this wonderful gift...

Your package arrived today (7/23/26). THANK YOU!!! I saw the Pirate Ship notification last night, but couldn't imagine what might be headed my way. I was absolutely shocked by how much you packed into that box!

I'm excited to play with all of the new-to-me stamps and stencils. I've already chosen a number of favorites. Is it safe to say that you didn't enjoy using the Art Foamies? You passed along some of the very ones I've been itching to purchase, Julie.

The Encyclopedia Brown journal is going to be fun to add to! The photography journal is going to be an interesting challenge. At first glance, I wasn't able to figure out what it is asking for. My eye went to all the white space, but as I paged through, I believe additional paper bits on the pages or some written journaling might be just the ticket to complete the book. Only time will tell.

Thank you, again, Julie!

Joy

Exerpts from her replay...

I’m so happy that you’re happy!

... I don’t have an easy way to clean up paints so needing to clean the art foamies was going to be problematic. 

... I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m most content when cutting and gluing and writing (commonplace) and so on.  The messier side was a fascination but reality isn’t on its side.

... The photography book definitely needs more color - maybe scraps of gelli prints or painted scraps?  And added writing in colors? 

I know you’ll figure it out and have a much-enhanced book to put on your journal shelf.

Have fun!!

Julie

In closing...

Because of her art space, Julie no longer wished to play with her messier supplies.  I am pleased to be the recipient of  her unwanted items.  Thank you for thinking of me, Julie!  I was thrilled to sort through this box of art supplies.  As with the last box she sent, I will keep what I can use and pass along the rest to local artists who are always happy to receive new or used art supplies.

Until next time...

I'll be busy in my art journals!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC26 - Week 31

Welcome to Week 31 of the 2026 Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week has all the usual errands, classes, and meetings on the calendar.  My goal for the week is to circle back to the sweet AQUA baby quilt that I started at the beginning of July.  What do YOU think?  Will actually happen?

Read on to see...

SUNDAY - At Weekly Morning Art Zoom, I worked on the CHANGE prompt for ICAD:

After lunch, I went back upstairs to ponder additions to AQUA Baby:

MONDAY - Art Day

The day began with errands and moved on to this week's Library Crawl over on Get Messy where we revisited Shawn Petite's lesson from the Season of Do It Scared and her 3-step process for "breaking" the blank page:

I later met with LeeAnna @ Not Afraid of Color for our Weekly Zoom Call...

During our chat, I kept my hands busy by working on the MAGNET prompt for ICAD inspired by one of the rewards in the Block Mania game from Loop Games:

 

TUESDAY - Stay at Home Day

Chores, paperwork and a bit of YouTube filled my day, but after tea time, I visited with my Tuesday Explorers friends at Get Messy.  I finally figured out what to do for the COBBLESTONE prompt for ICAD:

When the art was done, I gathered items for my Monthly Evening Quilt Bee meeting.  There were five of us in attendance.  Alas, I neglected to take a photo before Sue went home:

Sorry, Sue!!!

Storms rolled in during the meeting and fortunately, we all avoided the tornado in the area.

The photo below was taken when I arrived home:

WEDNESDAY - Art Day

I was SEW in the zone that I completely missed the Jen and Joy Show! moved off Get Messy this week.  Formerly, know here as the Midweek Meetup will no longer be available to me.

Later, I met my friend Belinda for our Watercolor Zoom:

Remember that photo from last night???

I decided to paint it into my watercolor journal:

Once that was done, I switched to one of the last ICAD prompt remaining for me to interpret.  Here is what I did for the TETRIS prompt:

THURSDAY - Quilt/Art Day

Weekly Quilt Group met at Cheryl's today and, wonder of wonders, everyone was there:

Once the meeting was over, Britt and I had an errand to run before heading to her house for lunch and an ARTventure.  Both of us focused on ICAD prompts.  Here we are with our cards for SHIBORI (me) and BEATLES SONG (Britt) when we were done for the day:

If you take a closer look, my "tree" appears to be made from Shibori dyed fabric.

FRIDAY - Knit Group

We were back at Beth's house this morning.  It was nice to have Tracy with us and Linda join via Zoom.  Our live wire, Stacy was busy with family celebrations:

A quick stop at the store and some lunch I went upstairs for Deandra's Art Zoom.  I developed a plan for the ATRIUM prompt and completed the background during the session.  The card was completed during the time normally spent with my Weekly Evening Art Zoom friends:

Why is that, Joyful???

My Get Messy membership is expiring and I've opted not to renew.  It's been a good run, but there are other art communities that I want to try.

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  I hope you will stop by for a visit Angela @ So Scrappy to see what the RSC Quilters have been up to this week.

In AQUA scrappy news...

The scrappy AQUA baby quilt pulled my attention this week.  Midweek found me auditioning scraps for a pieced backing using more of my friend Ella's scraps along with a couple of scrap chunks from my stash:

Anyone else wondering what the Color of the Month will be for August???

In today's Rainbow Scrap Challenge post, Angela announced that we will be playing in our YELLOW scraps to reflect the summer sunshine.  Here's what I have available to work with:

In case you didn't know...

While not one of my favorite colors, YELLOW is one of my happy colors and the scrap stash confirms it.  I'm looking forward to digging in and seeing what I come up with.

Until next time...

Get SCRAPPY!!!

Wonderful Wednesday - An RSC Finish in AQUA

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday here at The Joyful Quilter!!  Today I'm here to share my latest completed project.  It's not a UFO quilt this time.  Angela at So Scrappy set the RSC Quilters on a path through our AQUA scraps this month.

So...

I grabbed that basket, started sorting through:

Not far from the top of the basket, I found something that sparked my interest and before long I was happily stitching a batch of scraps from my friend Ella:

Using her leftover strip sets, I developed a plan...

Which quickly resulted in this AQUA table runner:

The pink and paisley in the photo above is the backing which was another random strip set of Ella's.  It was just the right size for my project so I pinned it up...

And got right to work using two different colors of thread and minimal quilting:

Here it is, quilted and bound...

And since some of you like to see the back...

This is the reverse side which could totally serve as the "right side" of the runner:

The little runner will live on my bedside table during future AQUA months for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  Thanks for the encouragement to USE our scraps one color at a time, Angela.  Your method really works for me.

Until next time...

Make it SCRAPPY!!!