a breath of spring

we have been having a “real” winter for the first time in many years … with more than our fair share of snow

breaking snow accumulation records set back in the winter of 1898 – 1899

here is some of what is still left in our back garden which gets part sun

I have enjoyed it very much … we may get another snow or two before it’s said and done … Cat speaks so eloquently on snow in her recent post here … be sure and read what she has written as you enjoy her photography … she lives in the land of snow … a fun thing she shared with me was someone who had this to say about snow … “it’s not like it’s attacking us!” … too funny!

there is some magic in enjoying the season you’re in … embracing it for what it is … remembering  that nothing lasts forever

that said … I am a huge fan of flowers

I spotted these cheery windows recently at our local Anthropologie

fantastic what they did with recycled plastic bottles and spray paint … you can double click for an even closer look

beautiful … can’t wait for them to redo the inside of the store too … their displays are always so imaginative and lovely

speaking of a breath of spring … you will not want to miss the wonderful and magical giveaway here !!!

as we ring out the month of February … enjoy the full moon tonight

and in the words of William Shakespeare

“Why, what’s the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?”
~ Much Ado About Nothing

LaWendula’s CRAZY SWAP

here is a peek at what I sent to LaWendula in Germany

for a look inside … you can visit her here

we had agreed to keep it simple, but she got snowed in for a bit … and had a very big package put together for me

so many goodies!

impossible to show everything

many thanks FM!!!

You are doing so much to join bloggers together again and again … a shining example of building a bridge around the globe

sort of “Steampunk”

here are a few Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) that I created back in 2005 … WOW … five years ago already

that was when I first started making ATCs and before I knew anything about  “steampunk”

somewhere I have a nice collection of the sprockets (I call them) which made great eye bling

BIG thanks to Angela for rescuing a bodacious box of vintage music and sharing it with our local altered arts group … some sheet music dating back to 1924 !

Steampunk: Aquatic Toy

Steampunk is something I have wanted to try for some time now … the lovely and talented Martina chose it for the Gothic Arches challenge this week

the duck images are from Karen at the Graphics Fairy, who continues to delight blogland with her fantastic free images … the great German numbers at the bottom a surprise gift from Trina

the odd embellishments are mostly from my father in law’s cigar box of treasures … some of them rusted to perfection … I also added a bit of wool for texture and to fill in the blanks on the sides of the gentleman

fun to finally give “steampunk” a whirl

Go Ask Alice

Hermine’s theme for Wednesday Stamper this week is

“Alice in Wonderland”

I created a postcard on water color paper … adhering  junk paper for the background along with a piece of the inside of a security envelope … tucking Alice into a photograph of our forget me not teacup

*click if you would like to see details *

I hand colored the black and white image of Alice, using paints, the image is from this great website

here are the stamps I used for my postcard

I can hardly wait to see the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland movie due to be released in the US on 5 March … we saw 3D previews and it looks fantastic!

*Note: the ‘handwriting’ is a Lewis Carroll font that I picked up at the same website as the Alice image, see above for link*

Tea and the 70′s

Chriss in the UK is the T hostess this week and has chosen  “the 70′s” as the theme … I immediately thought of our avocado green enamel fondue pot from back in the day, which we still use … but we never have had tea and cheese fondue together

then I thought of something very special … someone actually … the 70′s made me think of my sweet Mother (Mutti) who just happens to be in her 70′s …

a lady of many talents … she still bakes and cooks up a storm

I have the nicest memories of Saturdays as a girl … my Mom and Dad would make homemade pizza and serve it with hot tea … while pizza and beer is a popular combination … pizza and tea really tasted great together

I did not have pizza today … but did enjoy some wonderfully delicious and fragrant Kaffir Leaf tea that Steph sent to me all the way from Singapore

stop here for more T Tuesday places to visit

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle … a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl…the anticipation nurtures our dream.” ~Barbara Winkler

Dress Up – February

it is Dress Up time again at Margaret’s Alice and Camilla blog

my February dress is made of collaged bits of paper … white gesso … rubbed with red PanPastel … edges inked with Adirondack Red Pepper ink

peel and stick lace … a bit of zigzag stitching

feather trim … and a vintage red button attached with Heavy Gel Medium

I got excited and finished my dress for March before I started my February dress … March will be here before we know it

as the weeks go by you’ll want to check Margaret’s blog often as dress links keep arriving from all over the world

*Note – I will post my March dress next month *

* * * * *

just had to share this precious tea towel that a sweet and talented quilting friend … Lina made for me … just because

it looks cute enough to wear …  it is designed to hang over the oven door handle … two pretty tea towels for the “skirt” … the “bodice” is double sided and lovely on both sides … Lina does impeccable work

Thank You so very much dear Lina!!! oxo

Warm Wishes and Kind Regards …

… all the way from Steph in Singapore … oh how it stirs my wanderlust

to think of the long journey this special envelope made

too bad you can’t smell the fragrant Kaffir Leaf Tea … ummm

*click for a closeup*

or feel the crackle finish on Steph’s mail art envelope full of  beautiful depth and interest!

blogging is a bridge … a wonderful amazing bridge that links heARTS and minds all around the globe … pretty amazing stuff when you think about it!!!

Steph’s artwork and words are very special … give yourself a treat and take some time to visit her at her Purple Lotus Art blog

thank you so very much dear Steph for making such a sweet connection 9,670 miles around the world

*************

Mr Magpie wanted me to thank you all for such lovely birthday wishes … you all extended a bridge of kindness so sweetly oxo

* Felicitations *

to my beloved Mr Magpie

XOXOXO

“Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese” ~anonymous

and from Rumi

“Drunk on the milky light of the stars.     Anyone staggers.   And if you see that you are too.  Be glad.” ~Rumi

… doodling about

Zentangling and the Olympics make nice partners … I have been doodling away the last couple of evenings and have created more than two dozen artist trading cards (ATCs)

here is a sampling

I like starting out by stamping an image with permanent ink  … I am using Bristol board which is nice and smooth along with Copic Pigment Ink pens … adding words is  something new for me this time around … I was hooked for awhile last February (see below)

these were all photographed within minutes of one another  and in the same location … interesting that the middle batch has a blue hue to it?

Sherry Goodloe got me going again with her wonderful Zentangle cards recently … you can visit her here and here for examples of her inspired doodling

it was last year around this time that I tried my first Zentangles … if you’d like to see some of those … type the word “zentangle” into the “search” spot on my sidebar which is located just above the

Have a Heart for Haiti Blog Event button

a warning should come with this activity … I dare you to make just one

WS: Carnival

my choice for the Wednesday Stamper theme this week is “CaRniVaL”

*clickable to see details*

Mardi Gras time is here again … I would Love to be there sometime… seems it is one of those things to experience in life or maybe a trip to Rio for Carnivale … sounds pretty nice too … a girl can dream

quite a few stamps and supplies ended up going into the making of my PARTY GIRL postcard

Water Tea

I am enjoying a cup of Passion tea compliments of the lovely and talented, Dot Ferrero … she surprised me with this pretty card … thank you so much Dot

this Tuesday is the beginning of something a little different for Kimmie’s “T”ea Tuesday’s … there will be a theme each week if you choose to play along … the more the merrier

my theme choice for this week is WATER

seeing that our winter here in Northern Virginia has been all about snow … the most snow ever recorded for this area

I have posted so many snow photos already this winter … just had to include this peek of the neighbors very fine icicle display

swans and mermaids are two things I am drawn to again and again … it just so happens that they have everything to do with water

here is a sampling of some pieces I’ve collected over the years

below you can see a precious mermaid created on foam core by my artsy friend Michelle

did you know that when your cursor hovers over a photograph a name will appear … sometimes telling a little about the photograph … at least that is what I see on my computer screen

five swans a swimming

our youngest son made this beautiful ceramic fish in kindergarten

below is the cover from a mermaid themed altered book

I liked it so much … I sliced it off the book and added wire to hang it on the wall

“Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium.  There is no life without water” ~Albert Szent=Gyorgyi (Hungarian Biochemist)

to visit other T Tuesday participants … you can click the names below:

Kimmie

Pat

Christen

Chriss

Penny

Jean

Judy

“Meadowlark Days”

Dianne

they are from all around the world and lots of different time zones

Chriss from the UK will be hosting T next Tuesday on 23 February … her theme will be “the 70′s”

* Heart U *

“A hopeful heart

– handing out illusions –

Worn atop a satin sleeve;

Naivety was dripping out delusions – …” ~Mark R Slaughter

much “L”ove to you and you and you and a song for you!

“Only do what your heart tells you” ~Princess Diana (1961-1997)

trail of hearts …

all of you dear hearts out there

*lavender filled heart photographed on a cigar box with the mother of all golden ‘flimmers’ … collected long before I knew about the chocolate ones*

you know who you are

*blue cotton velvet from dear Jean … last tiny lavender bud harvest and a way to use my wee wire birdsnest*

you continue to touch my heart so sweetly

*recycled rose fabric and a vintage button on my 25 cent thrift shop plaster hand … the hot pink sticker glowing to the right … the white fur in the background was a surprise gift from our youngest son when he returned from boy scout camp one year*

Bless You One and All

*great “crackle” fabric from Lesley Riley’s clean out sale last year and a wooden hand charm*

lavender is soothing … I spent the evening stitching hearts with lavender buds tucked inside … all of us have hearts that need mending sometime or another … wish you could smell these and that I could stitch enough to send to each and every one of you

oxo

“Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses” ~ Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism

your Birth Day

 

well meaning and lovely people have often said  ” celebrate his life … bake a cake … he would want you to be happy …”

I am still here … doing the best I can … just not feeling ready to bake that cake … quite yet

*thanks once again to ACF for the lovely lady image and to Michelle for the gorgeous lace*

Your Birth Day by Sandy Goodman

Yesterday,
there were tears
sad thoughts
long sighs
and a bleakness
i had not visited in a while
your grave was cold
the rose beside your rock dead and brittle
bubbles meant to send love your way
frozen
and useless
But today,
one day closer
the sun shines timidly
and I pull my thoughts
out of myself
and share them with those who know
i light candles
say your name
touch your picture
your silly grin warms the chill
i will find my way
around the fear
and come to the place
where I can celebrate your first breath
rather than mourn
your last.
Written by  ~ Sandy Goodman

remembering our Dear Alex today and every day

a happy boy on a Thanksgiving day many years ago on Skyline Drive

this priceless canvas from Bags of Love is the first thing I see each morning … sweet memories … it is no wonder I Love snow

Happy Birthday Precious  One … Ich Liebe Dich fur immer und immer   OXOXOXOO

Waves of Light

journal pages inspired by a Rumi quote that found me and spoke to me today

the flower border is part of an envelope that my dear friend Lennie sent to me back in 2004  … I washed it with yellow paint … the angels face is from Paper Whimsy

Mr Magpie wondered where her arms are

and here is another quote that came my way today …

“Winter teaches us about detachment, numbness.  But it’s a way to get through.  From winter we learn silence and acceptance and the stillness thickens.” ~Gail Barison, The Winter Solstice of my Soul

*footnote = it happened after looking at my pages on the computer screen …

they clearly needed a border at the top*