grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Architecture of the Ozarks

November 13, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Spring Street (or thereabouts…)
wordless wednesday

upper spring

storefront shell

grotto

along hiking path

moss

face in stone wall

“…just close your eyes and breathe softly through your nose; you will hear the whispered message, for all landscapes ask the same question in the same whisper. ‘I am watching you — are you watching yourself in me?’― Lawrence Durrell, Spirit Of Place: Letters And Essays On Travel

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

How to Make an Altered Book

November 12, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

I know it’s sinful to deface a book. But, if you think about it, an altered book is recycling a volume that no longer has value to a reader. And yes, there are out-of-date books no longer read such as Encyclopedias or textbooks on antiquated subjects.

This was my first attempt at making an altered book. I am in no way an artist or paper crafter. (Yes, a disclaimer.) I forged straight into the project with minimal research to see where my mind would take me without prompting. As the basis for my altered book, I used an old Better Homes and Garden binder purchased at a flea market. The original book was filled with loose-leaf pages about landscaping and gardening which tied into my Grace Grits and Gardening theme (not that the original book needs a tie-in). My goal was to update the original book, allowing a portion of the old to blend with the new.

My supplies included a few pieces of scrapbook paper, four dated magazines, Mod Podge, Gesso and scissors.

Here is the before picture of the original book.

Original book

Here are a few of the ‘before’ pages from the book.

I added Gesso which makes the individual pages stronger and ready for embellishment.

For this page, I cut a heart shape into about twenty pages, then glued the pages together to make one thick page. I coated the front and back in Mod Podge to stiffen, added words and paint, then added a picture to the back so that it showed through the heart cutout. A 3-D page…

glue individual pages together

add words and paint

3-D heart page

Several of my pages drying…

The after cover. Some of the original artwork and lettering still peeps through.

After

Over time, I plan to add many more pages, including blank pages for journaling and additional decoration such as buttons, pictures, fabric. This is definitely a work in process. Maybe I’ll post more on this project later.

Have you ever made an altered book or art journal?

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Civil War in Helena, Arkansas

November 11, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

(Note: Helena Advertising and Promotions Commission sponsored this blogger trip. Opinions are my own.)

Freedom Park

On this Veterans Day, I’m thinking about my recent Civil War tour of Helena, Arkansas. Arkansas is rich in Civil War history and Helena in particular has a unique past as a Union stronghold. Yes, Union… Although a pro-South state, the town of Helena (population 1,600 at the time) was largely untouched by Civil War until General Samuel Curtis marched into town with twelve thousand Union soldiers.

This year marked the 150th year of the Battle of Helena. I’m embarrassed to say until my recent trip to Helena, (courtesy of Helena Advertising and Promotions Commission), I wasn’t aware of this battle. I was always more concerned with diagramming sentences than history, and this particular battle slipped through the cracks of my Arkansas education. Plus, perhaps understandably the Battle of Helena was completely overshadowed by Gettysburg, which occurred the same day.

My quick glimpse of Civil War sites will not do justice to the incredible history lesson that is Helena. Visit Civil War Helena for a more comprehensive look. Better yet, drive on over.

Freedom Park

Camps at Freedom Park housed most of the slaves escaping through Arkansas. This was Arkansas’ first stop on the Underground Railroad.

Re-enactor Jack Myers (Delta Cultural Center) at Freedom Park.

Freedom Park includes five exhibits with illustrated panels,
life size figures and statues, and structures representing a plantation house and refugee dwelling.

Fort Curtis

From inside this earthen fort, the sky looked the same, yet the ground felt hallowed.

Fort Curtis

Battery C

Strategically placed along the tip of Crowley’s Ridge, Battery C was perfectly positioned to defend from Confederate land attacks as well as control the Mississippi River. A truly breathtaking view, the land has been preserved and protected by a tangled growth of kudzu.

View of the Mississippi from Battery C

Battery C under development – Wire structure to represent original earthen battery.

Helena is a must see for history buffs. Even if you’ve never considered yourself a fan of Civil War history, you’ll probably change your mind after a visit to Helena. How could you not?

On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls…This is the great reward of service. To live far out and on, in the life of others;…to give life’s best for such high sake that it should be found again unto eternal life.― Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

talya

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

P.S. A big thank you to Jack Myers and Ron Kelley (Delta Cultural Center) for tours of Freedom Park and Fort Curtis and Cathy Cunningham (Southern Bancorp Community Partners) for providing a fascinating look at Battery C under development.

Check out my other Helena blog posts by clicking on the links below…
King Biscuit Time and the Music of Helena
Canoeing the Mississippi River at Helena

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