Y is for Your this, your that or your other word ~ The A to Z challenge of one word messages

Windward Farm Garden Retreat
lettering by Wayne Stratz
background by Margaret Almon

This has been all about one word messages and I will get back to that in a second. But truth is, some things can't be said in one word, when Dorothy Ernst contacted us to make the above sign, we did not tell her that she had to change her business name no matter how much easier that would have been.

As I have travelled from a to nearly z, some of the words have been mine and some have been Margaret's, and some of our words have been made for your situation. At Nutmeg Designs, we love to be inspired by you. 

Info about commissioning us can be found here. 

because it is all about YOUR... 

• Your Baby's Name
• Your Daughter's Passion
• Your favorite animal (I have also done Siamese Cats, a Pug, Red_Winged Blackbirds, and a Collared Lizard by request)
• Your City (or state, town, or village)
• Your Word of the Year 
• Your House's Name

W is for Welcome ~ the a to z of one word messages

Welcome Sign
background by Margaret Almon
lettering by Wayne Stratz

Welcome is one fine word to call out when some emerges into your life. In my classroom, at church, at home, or in our booth at a show. 

Welcome. 

A simple way to say, "Yes. Your presence is desired."

Welcome Sign
background by Margaret Almon
lettering by Wayne Stratz

Welcome Sign
background by Margaret Almon
lettering by Wayne Stratz

Q is for Queens ~ The A to Z of One Word Messages

Queens
background by Margaret Almon
Lettering by Wayne Stratz

 One of the more interesting commissions we have received at Nutmeg Designs was for six place names.  Fortunately for me one started with a Q. I can't say Queens is a one word message to me, but to many it will be. What one word takes you somewhere? 

Margaret has been blogging an A to Z of places that mean something to her.  Some are more than one word.  Some of them are places special to her from before I met her.  But some are names of places that bring back a flood of memories to both of us (plus she has been scanning some classic photos).  

Bethlehem

Dunmore

Illinois

Lansdale

Oregon

and

Philadelphia

Philadelphia Mosaic Sign
background by Margaret Almon
Lettering by Wayne Stratz

L is for Love ~ the a to z of one word messages

Our First Love
was a fruit of the spirit
Lettering by Wayne Stratz
Background by Margaret Almon

Love. Lets get rid of all the extra words. One word suffices for now.

I Love You.

Our second Love
commissioned by my parents
Lettering by Wayne Stratz
Background by Margaret Almon

Our third commissioned love
celebrated a wedding anniversary
Lettering by Wayne Stratz
Background by Margaret Almon

This love is for sale
Lettering by Wayne Stratz
Background by Margaret Almon

K is for Kindness ~ the a to z of one word messages

Border by friend and client and artist Suzanne Halstead
lettering by Wayne Stratz
Background by Margaret Almon

Kindness is one of those words we need to reflect upon as our day comes to an end. It is a message to seek out moments when we met the call to be kind to both friend, stranger, and nemesis. And then go deeper and see when missed the call, and failed to respond with kindness. And then hope for a better response to the world when we awake to a new day.

Kindness. 

May we seek out opportunities to provide some to a person in need. May we see all as those who are in need.

the crew of us celebrating
the completion of the
Fruits of the Spirit

J is for Joy and Jazz ~ two one word messages

Joy Mandala
Design, lettering, big pieces by Wayne Stratz
dark to light background by Margaret Almon

Jazz shimmers
letters by Wayne Stratz
shimmering background by Margaret Almon

Joy

• The most important moment in my teaching career was when I decided the number one thing that mattered in my classroom was the presence of joy.  Not that I have anything against peace, love, and understanding (and Hope!)
• Besides hope, no other word has emerged as many times from our studio.
• I have a splendid friend named Joy, who I miss and who I hope to see this June.
• Joy is a full immersion one word message.  It resonates from your heart and fills your entire body.

Jazz

• My 21st rule on my classroom wall ~ feel free to enjoy the jazz.
• My musical tastes have changed my entire life.  Who knows what the future holds, but for a decade plus jazz has ruled the day.
• Jazz concerts are joyful.  The musicians are truly playing with each other.
• The one word message.  Jazz unfolds with my life. It is in my classroom, my commutes these days (today I sat in a long line of traffic stopped by a train and enjoyed listening to Miles Davis), it is in my studio, and it randomly flows from six CD's when we have friends over for pizza. 

What brings you joy?

What word represents a presence in your life, like jazz is present in mine?

Rainbow by Margaret Almon
classic black by Wayne Stratz

background by Margaret Almon
peachy keen jazz by Wayne Stratz

one of our best
background by Margaret Almon
Youghiogheny Jazz by Wayne Stratz

small blue pieces by Margaret Almon
lettering and big blue by Wayne Stratz

H is for Hope ~ the A to Z of one word messages

a friend's desire for Hope, a commission
design and made by Wayne Stratz

Hope in the Desert
lettering and bottom by Wayne Stratz
Top background by Margaret Almon

Lettering and large background design by Wayne Stratz
small pieces and swirl by Margaret Almon

Rainbow of Hope
lettering by Wayne Stratz
Rainbow by Margaret Almon

Hope ~ the missing Fruit of the Spirit
lettering by Wayne Stratz
Blues by Margaret Almon

Stained Glass Hope
designed and created by Wayne Stratz

F is for Faithfulness ~ The A to Z of One Word Messages

Mirror Image of the beginning
of our Fruits of the Spirit Project

I am humbled by the faith that occurs when a client contacts us to create a piece of art. If it is their one word message, they have asked us to create something intimate. What about nine one word messages?  What if they were inspired to celebrate the fruits of the spirit. 

No matter the size of a project, before we can begin, colors must be chosen. When our friends commissioned the fruits of the spirit, we had them over for pizza. Then we headed into our studios. Orange was good. Green was less favored. Then they left, but trusting us to take their hope for beautiful words, the colors they dig, and the faith that humbles us ~

The Fruits of the Spirit
words by Wayne Stratz
Backgrounds by Maragret Almon
Borders by Suzanne Halstead

E is for Endless e's ~ The A to Z of One Word Messages

a word with many e's
by Wayne Stratz and Margaret Almon

Having been cutting out many a glass letter, I have decided that I do not dig e's.  But the font above is a nicer font for an e than the usual one we use.  And e's show up in so many words.  It is strange how creating signs has made us more intimate with the shapes of letters.  Oh, and yes, Margaret does not dig the tiny space I leave in each of the e's.

Ok, that is as much of a rant as you will see in this A to Z.  But maybe it goes back to elementary school when I could have been a straight A student if only I didn't get low grades for my handwriting.  Ironic that now I am known for finely crafted signs.

"g" by Wayne
background and innerground by Margaret

and what about this ~  Well, it has been a rare thing, but a lowercase "g" was quite the adventure.  Just don't ask Margaret about filling in two spaces within one letter.  ;')  But just look at her name.  There is a g, 2 a's and of course an e.

The A to Z of one word messages ~ The B's are Believe, Bloom, and Breathe

Believe sign by Nutmeg Designs
Wayne Stratz on the lettering and large blueness
Margaret Almon on the background and filling in the oval blues

 Sometimes your last hope is to believe all things are possible. That healing can happen. And then celebrate. Our first believe came from that place. The in-laws gifted this to a woman who emerged to health after months of illness. Believe!

Bloom sign by Nutmeg Designs
Wayne Stratz on the lettering and large greens and Red Rose
Margaret Almon on the background of the letters

This was our choice. I love flowers, as I said yesterday, they Awe me. But it is about the emergence. When watched the bloom. The plant shows an inkling to do something special. Watch it closely. We too have that inkling. Bloom!

Breathe sign by Nutmeg Designs
Wayne Stratz on the lettering
Margaret Almon on the vibrant background

Another commission here. Breathe. How many times has our client at Windward Farms Garden Retreat whispered that message during her yoga sessions. Breathe. And I who have taught for 26 years, how many students cope by doing this simple thing? Be calm. Breathe.

Do these words resonate with you? Any other B messages?  Maybe this one is in our future.  Be. Margaret went to Bethlehem

The A to Z of one word messages ~ A is for Awed

word in progress today:
April 1, 2013

At Nutmeg Designs we specialize in one word signs, and even though we have done more than one word those occasions have been rare. This month I am going to focus on words we have made and words I hope to make.

Over on Flickr I sometimes leave a simple one word comment and often it is "Awed."

What do I mean? I hope the photographer understands that I mean I am overwhelmed by beauty, by talent, by colors, by shapes, by emotions, and by the generosity to take the time to share it all for my eyes to see. To be awed is truly splendid. To show you what I mean I made a gallery featuring one photograph from 16 of my favorite Flick friends.

I am awed by flowers, jazz, friends, scientific discoveries, art, glass, birds, and love. I am awed by a God who is involved in all of this.

And finally I am awed by Arlee Bird, who came up with the idea of a to z and has created quite the phenomenon.

So what are you awed by?

Mosaic Woman is going places on her A to Z and today she celebrated a piece of Canada... Alberta