Category Archives: beautiful

Beautiful 365 Day Creative Challenge Completed…

21 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in Art, Autumn, beautiful, Crafts, Needlepoint, Sewing, Wool

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© Joan Currie – My last 16″ x 16″ needlepoint canvas finally made into a pillow.

All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.
by James Clear, Atomic Habits

I am happy to report that I have finally finished my last needlepoint project. It took me an entire year to stitch twelve canvases (and that included sewing them into pillows). I had intended to try another self-imposed creative challenge in another medium such as painting versus textiles, but the habit of picking up a needlepoint canvas is so ingrained in me, that I cannot and now do not want to give it up! Thank you, James Clear, for starting me on this creative challenge journey.

Beautiful Hedgerow Needlepoint…

14 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in Animals, beautiful, Birds, Crafts, Design, Nature, Needlepoint, Poetry, Sewing, Wool

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© Joan Currie – My completed 16″ x 16″ Hedgerow needlepoint pillow.

My Hedgerow Needlepoint Gift by Joan Currie

Six months of needlepointing, each day a steady hand,
With Victorian cross stitches, my large opus planned.
Thousands of small stitches, so meticulously placed,
And twenty hues of tapestry wool carefully spaced.

On this canvas, my heart is stitched in every row,
A gift to my daughter, a treasure on her bestowed.
I hope she will hold it close and feel the love it bears,
My offering of this hedgerow to cherish and to share.

This needlepoint pillow was planned as a gift for my daughter. So glad to have completed it! 🧡

Beautiful Alphabets, Teddy Bears, and more…

07 Thursday Mar 2024

Posted by in 10 Beautiful Things, Animals, Art, beautiful, Crafts, Design, Needlepoint, Poetry, Reindeer, Sewing, Ten Beautiful Things

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© Joan Currie – My needlepoint wreath and alphabet pillows.

My Needlepoint Pillow Gifts by Joan Currie

In stitches and threads, a year’s toil unfurled,
Ten needlepoint pillows, each a gem in the world.
With wool and with velvet, with silk piping so fine,
Crafted with love, each design to enshrine.

Alphabet treasures that children adore,
Alligators, elephants – snakes galore!
Gentle giraffes and bears wearing red bows,
Falcons, hedgehogs, and ducks with no toes.

As gifts were given, joy filled the air,
Tears of delight, expressions so rare.
But scarcely had they nestled in hand,
The chorus erupted, a unanimous demand.

“We want more!” they cried, their voices a cheer,
For the beautiful stitching, oh so dear!
So back to the needles, with passion and grace,
More pillows to make for their hearts’ embrace.

I have two large needlepoint canvases almost finished, and had planned to take a break from needlepoint to concentrate on my animal and bird watercolor paintings. But now, we shall see!

© Joan Currie – More of my small needlepoint pillows. Elizabeth Bradley design.
© Joan Currie – My floral needlepoint pillows. The smaller pillow was worked in embroidery floss – not wool.

Beautiful – Handsome Flâneur…

29 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by in beautiful, Micha Borodaev, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Relationships

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© Ernest Favis. The model is the enigmatic Micha Borodaev.

The Flâneur by Joan Currie

In the bustling streets, he roams alone,
In sartorial style all his own.
With aimless steps, he wanders free,
Observing life’s grand tapestry.

He watches lovers hand in hand,
Yet, intimacy he can’t understand.
For behind closed doors, secrets lie,
Hidden from his wandering eye.

He sees the tears, hears goodbyes,
But never truly feels the ties.
To him, the boulevard’s his stage,
Where life unfolds page by page.

Yet, deep within, a longing stirs,
For connection that only he infers.
But in his solitude, he finds solace sweet,
As a flâneur on the city’s street.

I think intimacy is one of the greatest gifts one person can give to another.

Beautiful Valentine’s Day 2024…

13 Tuesday Feb 2024

Posted by in beautiful, Lauren DiMarco, Love, Photography, Poetry, Relationships, Valentine's Day

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© Lai Man Cheung Photography – Lauren DiMarco and Aaron Man

My Valentine’s Day With You by Joan Currie

On Valentine’s Day, the world may sway,
With roses and hearts on display.
But true love blooms in everyday,
In acts of kindness, come what may.

Not in grand gestures or lavish affair,
But in the tender moments we share.
In simple joys and burdens we bear,
Love’s essence found, beyond compare.

It’s in our laughter that fills the air,
In quiet moments, hearts laid bare.
In comforting hugs, always there,
Love’s beauty shines on us, a pair.

Our love is found in the mundane,
In whispered words like gentle rain.
In steadfast presence, free from strain,
A bond that weathers every pain.

So on this day, let’s not forget,
That love’s true worth, we shall not fret.
In day-to-day acts, our souls are met,
In the special moments, love is set.

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine’s Day on the 14th! xo ❤️

Beautiful Poem Lost Then Found…

08 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by in beautiful, Lauren DiMarco, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Writing

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© Joan Currie – Lauren DiMarco asleep in the morning light.

Poem Lost Then Found by Joan Currie

Did a poem visit me during the night?
I asked as I stirred in the morning light.

Did some verse try to rouse me from my bed,
But settled then in someone else’s head?

Some disparate words rattle in my brain,
What do they mean, will others come again?

The day unfolds and at last they are clear,
I pen my poem before they disappear.

It is fascinating to learn what creative connections occur during sleep!

Beautiful Lingering Longer…

01 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by in beautiful, Daily Life, Lauren DiMarco, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Work

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© Lauren DiMarco – Lauren DiMarco sleeping in the morning light.

Lingering Longer by Joan Currie

Another day awakens, sunlight gently streams,
Yet, I lie entangled in elusive dreams.
Mountains of tasks, a daunting array,
Head heavy with the weight of the pending day.

The dawn whispers of responsibilities vast,
A symphony of to-dos, shadows cast.
Bed’s comfort tempts, a refuge to stay,
But, the world outside demands its sway.

The ache in the head, the burden of thought,
Projects loom, battles to be fought.
In the warmth of the sheets, a plea is said,
To linger longer, and avoid the day ahead.

Ah! If only I could luxuriate in bed for a few more minutes!

Beautiful Lynx…

25 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Art, beautiful, Lynx, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a Lynx in Repose

Encountering a Lynx by Joan Currie

In the moonlit glade, a lynx appears,
Fur-tipped ears, green-gold eyes quelling fears,
A guardian wise, like an androsphinx’s grace,
Yet, ponder, do we anthropomorphize his face?

All-knowing aura, mystique in his stare,
Yet, does he ponder life with a thoughtful air?
Do we project our musings, a human reflection,
Onto the lynx, seeking a shared connection?

In the silent forests, mysteries untold,
Does the lynx ponder more than hunger bold?
Hissing and yowling and screams in the night,
A startling assertion of nature’s might.

The lynx is my children’s favorite wild cat. :)