Lost Ladybug Project and Other Favorites

I have hit a bit of a dry spell in my blog (you clever readers will likely notice the photographic metaphor above shot by my stringer photographer/daughter in drought-plagued Texas.) .

I have missed blogging so much, but my brain has been devoted to a work project, so that leaves little time for making, researching, or writing. But I just wanted to stop in briefly to say that I'm still here and reading all my favorite blogs and ooh'ing and ahh'ing over all the wonderful things that people are creating out there (even though my comments have been sparse lately).

Here are some of my favorites from the last few days, so be sure to check them out:

**Photo inspiration from maya*made's trip to NYC. I love the bright, saturated colors of the MOMA floor and her cool finds in the shops and on the streets of Brooklyn. Her street art mosaic (above) is a work of art itself!

**Textile artist Sara Lechner's new blog, The Revisited Stash. Lechner is chronicling her process as she creates a beautiful throw out of her astonishing, decades-worth "stash" of buttons, fabrics, and trims.

**Das Kaninchen's lyrical piece of paper, photo, and fabric art that she created for a button (!!) swap. You must check out how she was inspired by the fabric she chose to create an assemblage of items that represents the idea of home.

**Kathyrn Ivy's "myriad mushrooms" patterns to knit up. These are not the run-of-the-mill kawaii softies, they are the real deal--organic-looking and more botanically accurate.

**Resurrection Fern's textile-and-nature art--mushrooms, snails, and more, oh my. Her delicate crocheted designs cover rocks almost like virtual hugs for the natural world that she sees so clearly and protects so fiercely. Leave a comment on her blog today to get a chance to win one of her lovely creations.

Resurrection Fern's photograph (above) of a ladybug at the beach (a lady needs a vacation every now and then; tending the garden is hard work!) segues nicely into a fun--and environmentally important--project for the whole family.

The Lost Ladybug project, headed by Cornell entomologist John Losey, asks kids to go outside and search for ladybugs. Kids can then email photographs of the ladybugs they find to the project. This citizen science project will create a population survey of ladybug species and help researchers figure out why native species of ladybugs have dwindled--invasive species, habitat loss, and pesticides are possible reasons. The site shows kids where to find ladybugs and how to catch and photograph them safely.
Ladybugs are nature's alternative to chemical pesticides and are great to have in your garden to eat up all those nasty aphids. For other ways to "green" your garden and lawn without pesticides, check out the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns. Canada seems to be leading the way in North America for banning pesticides on lawns and public parks, and Resurrection Fern has been part of that effort. See The David Suzuki Foundation (ladybug image above courtesy of the Suzuki newsletter) for ways to connect with this movement in Canada (thanks for the link, Margie!).

Hope you are having a happy, green summer!