Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Wildflowers in Winter - Weekly Themes and Drawing Information

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Every winter I find myself longing for spring. I just love the warming rays of sun and the wildflowers that start to open. It is my favorite time of year. Wildflowers bring me so much joy.

So, I propose some wildflower fun this winter to take us into the first days of spring. I will have a different theme each week through the middle of March. Join right in by making a post on your blog fitting the theme. You may copy the theme image for Wildflowers in Winter onto your blog entry, and link back to this blog so others will know where to look for more information. Then come back to my blog and enter your information in the Mister Linky at the bottom of the page, so we can all see your post. Late entries will be accepted up to March 12. My daughter wants me to make sure and let you know that children can participate not only in the children's art contest, but in all aspects of the Wildflowers in Winter Theme, if they have the photographs or skill to do so, and thus be entered in the drawing.

Please do spread the word so your friends can also enjoy Wildflowers in Winter. I would love to see lots of entries. It will brighten up my gray winter days.

For each post you make about the wildflower themes and enter in the Mister Linky, your name will be entered in a drawing. The winner of the drawing will receive a set of wildflower notecards (yet to be created) made by me.

Here are the themes listed by week, so you can plan ahead are as follows:
Click on the highlighted words to go to an entry with more details about this weeks activities.

Week 1 - January 16 - 22. Your favorite wildflower photo from your files.

Week 2 - January 23 - 29. Wildflowers in Winter, a winter image of a flower in your area.

Week 3 - January 30 - February 5. Literary Wildflowers - Stories, quotations or poetry about wildflowers written by you or someone else. Or write a book review about a book that features wildflowers, such a guide book, picture book, travel guide or something about wildflower gardening, etc. Or Write about some special places/trails/areas to go searching for wildflowers that you are familiar with. Tell about the best time of year to go there, and what you might see. Share photographs if you have them.

Week 4 -February 6 - 12. Wildflowers in the Home - Decorating with wildflowers. Show us dishes or other decorations made by you or someone else that you have in your home. Save the fabric decorations and paintings or drawings for the next two weeks.

Week 5 - February 13 - 19. Stitching up wildflowers - creations made with textiles (fabric, yarn, thread etc.) and featuring wildflowers in some form, made by you or someone else.

Week 6 - February 20 - 26. Wildflower Art - Share art made by you or someone else that features wildflowers. I am thinking of paintings, watercolors, sketches, drawings etc., elaborate, detailed, free style, or very simple. Something from your nature journal would be appropriate too. If you can't find something in your house to photograph and share about right now, this week you can sit down and draw or paint one. Come on, don't be shy. It is really lots of fun, and may chase away those winter blues faster then you'd guess.

Week 7 - February 27 - March 4. Kid's Wildflower Art Contest - Post a photo of a child's art creation featuring wildflowers (or other favorite spring flower, I won't be picky) on your blog or theirs. You have until Tuesday night, March 4 to get them up on a blog. If you don't have a blog, email them to me, and I'll post it on my blog for you. Come back to my blog and enter your name followed by (week 7) and then enter the link where the art work is found. Then on Wednesday, March 5, we will open up the voting, which I will keep open until Thursday, March 6, at 6:00 P.M. PST. take time to look at all the week 7 entries, choose your favorite and then send me an email with your choice to: morninglightblogger at yahoo dot com. (Remove the spaces and fix up the email so it will work.) The winner will receive a really cool Dover Publications Wildflower Coloring book and a neato set of Prang watercolors, some watercolor paper and a piece of graphite paper. If you have any questions be sure to ask.

Week 8 - March 5 - 12. The First Wildflower of Spring photo challenge. Be searching for wildflowers in your area. Try to find the first one blooming and post a photo of it on your blog. If you don't know what it is we will try to help you identify it.

I'll be leaving this post at the top of my blog for your information until Wildflowers in Winter is completed.

When you enter your name place in parentheses which week you are working on, for example "Elizabeth Joy (week 2)". I can only use one Mister Linky in my blog at a time, so we will enter everything in this one. (I'm not entering myself in the Mister Linky, but I am blogging about wildflowers myself, so if you want to see what I have posted, scroll on down through my blog.)

54 bouquets of wildflowers (Comment here):

Barb said...

Great idea.

I will try to get to this tomorrow afternoon and make a blog entry and post a wildflower photo...question.

Do you want a current wildflower or could it be one from last summer or spring?

Let me know so I can participate.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/harmonyartmom

Mountain Heather said...

I've added some flowers to my blog. Come visit my flower garden. :)
http://joyfulmountainsong.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

What a beautiful idea! Makes me feel much warmer. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi!
good idea. As a landscape coach, I take lots of pics and I love wildflowers.
Just posted a Cleome on www.manu.braveblog.com

Barb said...

Elizabeth Joy,

Just wanted to let you know that you can always send in your sketches "late"...they will just be in the next week's blog entry.

So go ahead and send any you want to and I will post them the next Tuesday.

Thanks again for the wildflower ideas....it has lifted my spirits.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

ellen b. said...

Hi Elizabeth Joy!,
Here's my entry for week 2. This is fun. Thanks for hosting this...

Kylee Baumle said...

What a great idea! I found your site through Jodi at bloomingwriter and while I'm one day late for Week One, I still wanted to do that one, so my post is up!

Linda said...

I will put together a post to cover the first couple of weeks. I have lots of wildflowers in the garden.

Linda said...

I just put up a post for week 1.
Stop by and see my favourite wildflower.

Marcie said...

I just posted week 2. Sadly, it is very colorless (especially compared to my photo from week 1!) *grin* I'm really enjoying this event - both participating and finding new blogs to enjoy! :)

Hope said...

Just posted for week 2. It is really cold here so I haven't found any fresh flowers but I did find "proof" of flowers. LOL!

Anonymous said...

You have some very nice photographs here and the flowers are nice too.

Shady Gardener said...

Just posted #2! This is fun. :-)

Kylee Baumle said...

My Week 2 post is now up!

Anonymous said...

I posted for week one but, for some reason, the link for week two (a winter image) doesn't seem to be working. I tried to go in to place a comment saying I was done with #2 but only a blank page opened.
Also, as a clarification, I signed up as A Still Small Voice but posted with my nickname "Potter's Clay" by accident. I'll continue to use my nickname, so you don't get mixed up, but I just wanted to let you know.

Entangled said...

This is a great idea. I missed week 1, and inadvertantly posted something that fit week 2. I'll try to intentionally post something appropriate in future weeks. ;-)

Pamela said...

huff pufff.... whew.
I'm in just under the wire!!!!

Hope said...

Really having fun with this! Just put up week 3 on my blog.

ellen b. said...

oops forgot to say week 3 after my latest...

Jenni said...

My week two post is up a little late. I'll be working on week three soon and hopefully have it up before the week is done and it's time for #4!

La Tea Dah said...

I'm enjoying this so much, Elizabeth Joy. I think I'll post twice this week. Is that okay? I posted 3-A today and will post 3-B a little later this week.

What fun we are having with this!

LaTeaDah

Beth said...

I was so delighted to have "stumbled upon" your blog. It's been balm to my winter-weary soul!

And I enjoyed posting about one of my favorite literary scenes involving wildflowers. It's been great seeing what others have posted. Blessings!

Anonymous said...

Week 3 is up!

Barb said...

I am proud to present your blog with an award. Please pop over to my blog to see for yourself.

http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com

I really think you have an excellent blog and I am so grateful for your Wildflowers in Winter project.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Linda said...

Week 4 of the challenge is posted.

Hope said...

Just posted for week 4. It made for an unexpected trip down memory lane and some new insights. Thanks!

Unknown said...

I've got my Week 4 post up too. It was a bit of a challenge this time, but I think I rose to the occasion nicely! What was even more interesting was going outside to walk around (haven't been out for a few days due to weather and knee) and looking at how things have changed, and what's obviously wildflowers and what's other things. We still have lots of snow and ice.

Shady Gardener said...

Just posted Week 4. Thanks for creating this set of Wildflower post opportunities! :-)

Mom2fur said...

What an adorable and cheerful idea! We haven't had much of a winter here. I'm not a fan of winter, but I think there should be at least one good snowstorm a year! Crocuses peeking up through snow rate high in my 'top ten cute spring things' list.
Thanks for the nice comment on the child's dress I'm making. It would have looked cute on my daughter...about 21 years ago, LOL! (She's 23.) I'm not sure who is getting it--I have a few friends with grand daughters!

molly jean said...

what a lovely idea. Someone said that God laughs with flowers and they do show His creativity and maybe his sense of humor! I love to paint wild flower pictures. You have to scroll down on my blog to see the most recent painting I did of wildflowers.

Jenni said...

Literary Wildflowers is finally up on my blog!

La Tea Dah said...

I lost Mr. Linky again. . .I'm so good at that! Is he here somewhere on your blog and I'm just missing him?

LaTeaDah

Carrie said...

I have been reading Gracious Hospitality posts on Wildflowers in Winter. This morning I found that I could participate in the stitchery posts, with two framed embroideries.
Thanks for hosting this lovely feature.
Carrie

Carrie said...
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Carrie said...
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Anonymous said...

Hi! I've loved your comments at my blog! And I love your wildflower blog! I've been so busy but I would love to participate. But I don't think I have anything to show. I have tons of flowers, but not wildflowers. My screen name is a wildflower! ;) Can I do the weeks I missed? Maybe I can think of something!
Blessings,
Laurie

Barb said...

So I finally finished my week 5 entry and then I labeled it week 6....ugh. I really did mean to type 5 but I am sure you will all figure it out.

Thanks so much for posting these challenges. I have enjoyed completing them more than I can say. :)

Thanks Elizabeth,
Barb-Harmony Art Mom

Shady Gardener said...

Week 5 is "up!" :-)

Kylee Baumle said...

I've got Week 5 posted! :-)

Hope said...

Finally found a moment to post for week 5!

Carrie said...

I just posted for week 6.

Last week I posted week 5 but forgot to put the week. Is there a way to edit that?

Linda said...

I've got my week 6 posting up for Wildflowers in Winter.

Pamela said...

I'm so sorry I drowned out the past few weeks.

I actually didn't blog for a couple and then I just haven't had the goods. I was going to paint a watercolor... but I had nothing there either. Just no creativity.

I am going to start looking for a first spring flower tho.

Hope said...

Whew! Just got this one done. Has been hard to find time (during daylight)to do what I wanted for this. :)

Carrie said...

I just added a post for week 4.

Linda said...

Week 7 of the Wildflowers in Winter challenge is up on my blog.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I just posted week #6.

And, in case anyone is interested, I'm holding a nature photo contest for people of all ages.
For more information, go here:
web.mac.com/astillsmallvoice

Hope said...

Just posted for week 7 on my blog.
http://www.thesinisterscribe.com Both kids excitedly joined in on this one. :)

Shady Gardener said...

I've technically posted my 7th week of Wildflowers in Winter... but I noticed that I entered week 67. Now, THAT would be record-breaking, wouldn't it? ;-)

VaQueenBee said...

Hi,

I tried to send you an email to vote, but the email address didn't work. I typed in joyinthemorninglight @ yahoo dot com (written correctly of course). Will you please email me at ihomeschool247 @ yahoo dot com, and then I'll reply with my vote.

Thanks.

Shady Gardener said...

What FUN this was! I've very much enjoyed participating in your Wildflowers in Winter meme. I can't imagine all you did to prepare for this. Thank you, Elizabeth Joy! Now, perhaps, your life can return to "normal?" ;-)

Mountain Heather said...

Thanks so much Elizabeth Joy for hosting this wildflower extraveganza. It's been so fun!

Hope said...

Finally! A flower, huzzah!!
http://thesinisterscribe.com/2008/03/14/first-wildflower-of-spring/

Molly said...

Even though Wildflowers in Winter is over, I have one last belated post. Thank you for hosting this cheery event.