I experimented with some “plein air” watercolor yesterday while the kids played tag at the farm hay yard. Kind of a fun way to capture this 3 x 5″ memory.
Author Archive for haley montgomery – Page 90
As I mentioned a few posts ago, we are at our family farm house in Noxubee County for spring break. We’ve been enjoying some great weather and time together. Through our outdoor escapades, the kids have decided to curate a “science exhibit” of interesting finds. The finds have been interesting, indeed, and the process of collecting them even more inspiring for me. I thought I’d share a little documentation of our pasture journeys in search of water, wood & stone. Our “finding” has including walking, jumping, climbing, painting, building, talking about family history, playing impromptu instruments, searching, laughing, discovering… Fun times! I hope you have the chance to do some of the same this week
We’re “hangers” around here. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I hang decorations and signs and pictures to the wrought-iron chandelier above our dining table every chance I get. Whether it’s “happy birthday” banners across the picture window or the latest crayon creations on the entryway or even Baby Girl’s intricate tape sculptures on my office door, we all seem to get into the “hanging” mood. And, I love it! I love the chance to create an air of celebration out of just ordinary days.
I’ve been inspired by some of the really cool paper DIY banners popping up around the internet these days! So, last week I decided to design one of my own in celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day…
For my DIY mini banner, I decided OUR Saint Patrick’s Day message should be B.L.E.S.S.E.D. The “luck of the Irish” is tons of fun and you can’t go wrong wearing green, in my opinion! BUT, I don’t really believe all our abundant blessings come from that “lucky” clover. They are birthed from God’s gracious hand, paired with our own hard work, the love and generosity of those around us and a pinch of the amazement God set in motion when He made this great world with humans beings in it. So, BLESSED, it is!
I put together some mini-banner flags that can be strung together and hung in celebration of March. AND, with the extra space on the printable, I also threw in a couple of “pinch me anyway” mini folded notes with a more traditional St. Patty’s feel.
Feel free to DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE HERE.
What you’ll need:
>> card stock to print the PDF file
>> cutting mat
>> x-acto or small utility knife
>> metal straight edge
>> string or ribbon for hanging
>> glue
How to make it:
1. Print both pages of your “printable” PDF onto white card stock paper. The flags are set up so that your banner will read “blessed” from both front and back.
2. Cut out the diamond shapes of your mini flags using a utility knife and straight edge. On the printable, you’ll cut along the diagonal lines. [Save the horizontal lines for scoring only]
3. Now, use your straight edge and a very light touch with your knife to score the center line of each diamond shape and fold to create your triangular flags.
4. Arrange the mini flags in the right order with your string positioned in the crease. You can determine the space between each flag.
5. Squeeze some glue onto the lower triangle and press the two sides together. I drew a small triangle with the glue, keeping it away for the edges and about a half inch from the string in the crease. This way the flags are secure enough to stay in place when hung, but you can also carefully slide them if you want to change the spacing.
6. Give it a couple of minutes to dry. Then, hang and be blessed!
** For your mini folded notes, just cut out the rectangular shapes (the printable includes 2 folded notes) and score at the center line to fold. The notes would be pretty cute as placecards or mini tabletop decorations!
I was doodling on some little Easter printables for my daughter today. I’ll share if they come to fruition.
My kids and I are celebrating Spring Break at our family’s farm house this week. It’s a joy and a privilege to be able to take time out of our normal routine to enjoy giving them my mostly undivided attention. We’ve committed ourselves to walking the gravel roads and pastures as much as possible in search of treasures. Of course, for me, the real treasure is their smiling, wind-blown faces. But, the flowers and sticks and such will do too! Creatively, I’m spending the week to recharge. I had already prepared a couple of things to share with you this week and I have my sketch journal, but mostly I’m framing up some of our experiences with my iPhone Hipstamatic and my Canon. I hope to share some of the photos this week and following. Meanwhile, here are collages of some of the natural treasures found on our Saturday and Sunday walks. What’s been particularly fun has been finding, smelling and picking some of the Spring bulbs my grandmother and great-grandmother planted on these acres — daffodils, paper whites, irises, hyacinths. Some mark long-torn-down fence rows and homesteads. A real treasure to have gracing our window sill this week.
Hello & welcome! I’m Haley Montgomery, and I’m the designer and owner of Small Pond Graphics. I sometimes fancy myself a frog kisser— a documentarian coaxing poignant moments from unexpected places. This blog has evolved from those moments.
The small Pond FIELD GUIDE is part diary, part sketchbook, and part wish list – an archive of ordinary wonders. For years, this space has housed my stories – creative ideas, vintage inspiration, our forays into curious places, and the simple artifacts of quiet of conscious living. Through watercolor, photography, and illustrated tales, these pages uncover the blessing of ordinary days and the wonder found in authentic places and pursuits.
I invite you to open the boxes.
Peek into the drawers.
Rustle through the pages.
I’m honored to have you here.
NEED A FROG KISSER?
Phone: 662.312.4001
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