April Showers …

in our Virginia garden

“A flower touches everyone’s heart” ~Georgia O’Keeffe

WS: Tim Holtz

this week’s challenge at Wednesday Stamper/Mittwochstempler is anything  to do with Tim Holtz … his style … stamps or other products … of which there are many

forgot to photograph my favorite starburst stamp by Judikins too

I used several rubber stamps from the Tim Holtz Stamper’s Anonymous line

a double click of my postcard will show you the texture in my painted and stamped background

collaged scrap papers on watercolor postcard … paints … a Dover horse image … stamping with ink and white paint

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live” ~Flora Whittemore

Tea and Gratitude … just because

the naughty cup seemed the perfect choice for T today

so many of my thank you’s lately are long  overdue … so here goes

Marit in The Netherlands found out I really Love India

so … just because … she sent me a postcard from when she was lucky enough to visit India some years ago  … along with a card from her homeland … how sweet is that!  I am inspired by her magazine envelope too …  Marit is currently offering two online classes that you can pop over and have a look at …  her lively and ever creative blog is here

*****

Penny of The Linen Shelf and The Hen House … TWO  lovely blogs … shared this very nice award with me

I certainly do appreciate being thought of and being included in her list … naughty me for not playing along … just because … see why I chose that tea cup

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look at these wonderful ATCs from my Queen Bee friend, Linda, of Linda Jo’s Obsessions,  wonderful textures in person … along with a couple of her sweet moos … a little surprise in the mail …  just because

another Queen Bee friend Nathalie of An Artist’s Legacy shared a piece of her family’s homespun hand loomed linen from the old country …  yes …  just because … you can visit her here to find out a little more about it

if you don’t know already … Nathalie is a treasure huntress and shares lots of what she finds in her RubyFloy etsy shoppe

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AND …  just because …  Linda from Norway sent me the most wonderful collage along with so many other special goodies

I had been smitten by her Celebration of Women collage done for a recent Wednesday Stamper challenge

holding it in my hands is WOW … it is even more wonderful in person … gorgeous postage stamps on the package too

oftentimes words pale to try and express the true kindness of others

and … just because … Kimmie … the mistress of T Tuesday’s sent out sweet stitched tea bag holders as thank you’s for playing along in her fun T Tuesdays … she is the Queen of Inchies and Twinchies … among other things … as you can see above … full of creativity

would you believe I still have people to thank … generous … talented … kind friends … I {heart} you all … just because you are you!  oxoxo

“Whoever is happy will make others happy too. “~ Anne Frank

grace under pressure

Mr Magpie was busy at the anvil yesterday

flattening cutlery … I Love altered cutlery in every form and fashion

hammering letters with metal punches that we have had around for some time now

my job was to think of the words and where they would go and then rub some paint on to highlight each letter

it started with “thyme”

we have had the idea for a while now and most recently saw this very thing in an Anthropologie catalog sold as plant markers

more words on the way

many thanks to Dot Ferrero for the beautiful feathers … in a future post I will have to tell you more about Dot’s  hens and chicks

“Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you’ll reach out and take it.  Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too.” ~unknown

Tenth Post Replay

saw it on Pat’s Artfully Ooglebloops blog … repost your 10th blog post

sounded like fun

so I went back to October 2007 and here is what I posted way back then:

Art is our one true global language…….~Richard Kamler~

October 13, 2007 ·

I began this canvas with a peeling paint technique. I like the aged look it gives. I did some stamping on dress pattern tissue. It melted into the canvas very nicely! I like the way the grain of the canvas still shows through.

“Capable” by ~*~ Patty Szymkowicz

“Art is our one true global language. It knows no nation, it favors no race, it acknowledges no class. It speaks to our need to reveal, heal, and transform. It transcends our ordinary lives and lets us imagine what is possible.” ~Richard Kamler~

*note: that original post was before I started getting comments on my infant blog *

having a blog has been such a great way to help record this creative journey I am on

show us your tenth blog post

… ce que vous voulez

“whatever you want” is the theme over at Dans ma maison

it has been way too long since I played on their challenge blog and I have missed it

Dans ma maison il y a … ce que vous voulez

some time ago the lovely Linda of Blue Eyed Girl sent me a wooden house shape that her husband had cut … I have been saving it for a special occasion and used it for the center of my three houses … they are not connected

I got excited and took a midnight photo here … I will try again in daylight … but wanted to get this posted for now

Mr Magpie cut the two smaller houses for me out of wood intended for stakes

the tallest peak measures not quite 3 inches tall (7,62 cm)

I used images from Altered Bits and Last Door Down the Hall

here is a photo taken out on our back porch in morning light … this one with a bit of glare … my block pics are very wabi sabi

here are some other mini wooden chunkies I made last March … where does the time go … I had every intention of making more of these

Earth Day on the Farm

not far from here there is a farm

managed and run by Fairfax County Parks and Recreation

a magnet to school groups

it has been forever and a day since I popped by there

it occurred to me that early spring is a good time to see the new arrivals … this spring they are expecting 10 ewes, 4 sows, 4 cows and 2 goats to deliver

Ginger the calf enjoying some peace and quiet

two very bouncy Alpine kids…finally having a rest

it was the piglets that I remembered from visits when our boys were young

in all stages … and ages … piggies everywhere

so darn cute

challenging to get a really good photo … so many people there and animals move around alot and I did not want to use my flash in the barns

it certainly was a fun visit and this is the first time I had ever been in the 1930′s farm house

“The earth is what we all have in common” ~Wendell Berry

LOVE your MOTHER … EARTH

It’s a GIVEAWAY

the sweet and lovely Sue of My Arts Desire is having a VERY special giveaway

one you will definitely not want to miss for several reasons:

it is most generous

it comes from the heart

AND it helps where help is much needed

*image used with Sue’s permission*

you can pop by here and read all about it

it’s easy peasy … you have until next Wednesday, April 28th, 9PM EST to leave a comment

while you’re at My Art’s Desire … do yourself a favor and look around … Sue shares so many lovely thoughts and things and the way she frames her blogposts is very inspiring as well  … if I had not dropped out of digital art school I might have picked up a few tricks like that … still dreaming!

Spirit In the Sky

Norman Greenbaum‘s song Spirit in the Sky came to mind with Linda’s imaginative theme for this week’s Wednesday Stamper

“In the Sky”

using some stamps that I seem to be drawn to again and again … along with the photo I took of a beautiful wooden goddess

I am also submitting my postcard for The Three Muses‘ great theme this week: “Hats Crowns Wings and Things”

I used pearlescent paints, tissue paper and white gel pen to create my postcard

… it was challenging to find a clear recording of Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky song from 1969

“In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to be true.” ~ Buddha

Collage Box Project #1

the talented and ever inventive LaWendula of Germany started a really neat project back in March

here is what she came up … a box with bits of this and that would make its way around the globe … each person would take 12 or 20 items out of the box and add 12 or 20 items back into the box sending it on its way … this was so popular … a second collage box is making its way around the world too

I was headed out to the grocery store today and checked the mailbox … I got so excited I had to come inside and open the package which arrived from Lisa (sorry I do not have a link) as she said … from almost down the street here in Virginia.  I Love the stamps on the envelope!   I took a quick look and decided the grocery store could wait until tomorrow

above are the items I removed from the box

and the items I added

this all happened very quickly … I did not give any thought to what I would do with anything … just picked what spoke to me …

LaWendula also made up a cute little sign in book

I used a new postage stamp that I had been saving … my last one

I will take the box to the post office tomorrow and send it on its way to Joy in Ohio AND get busy on creating something with my collage box goodies!

many thanks  to LaWendula for another great collaboration … her Paper Swaps are such fun and very popular too!

Tea and Fairy Spuds

third time is just as charming

I got to visit the bluebells one last time with two dear friends

here are photos from visit one and from tea last Tuesday

if you would like to see more bluebell pictures

the hairy vines going up the tall trees to the far left and right are poison ivy

Spring Beauty flowers (Claytonia virginica) carpet the entrance to the bluebell trail at Bull Run Park

Native Indians and settlers used the tiny corms/bulbs of the flowers like potatoes … thus the name Fairy Spuds

as with most of my photos, you can double click for a closer view … you can almost see the snake smiling *ggg*

each walk in the woods had special surprises … this time it was the tubular kind … I have a friend so afraid of snakes she cannot even say the word

Lennie was just a few steps away and spotted him …  we all froze in our tracks … giving him complete right of way … he was not interested in us at all … just wanted to get to the other side of the path … it still made the hairs stand up on the back of our necks

here is what we came to see … even though the bluebells were waning … there was still lots of lovely blue to behold

after our stroll through the forest

we went to a local tea spot … which has changed owners

I missed the quaint cozy feeling of the old British Pantry … we did enjoy our tea and conversation

it was a lovely day in the country … missed you Pat

thank you for stopping by for tea … be sure and visit

Kimmie’s Art in Red Wagons for more blog stops

Many many thanks, again, Kimmie for the sweet surprises you sent in the mail oxo

Pink Bells …

yesterday I showed you some photos of our

white lily of the valley and promised to show you some pink ones too

Convallaria majalis var. rosea

my mother-in-law used to grow them in her garden

as you can see they have just a blush of pink

in the photo above … the top stem is pink … the bottom stem is the traditional white lily of the valley … best seen if you double click for the closeup

the fragrance of each is equally splendid

the green sprigs on the table are new shoots of Lemon Balm just coming on in the garden … Melissa is another name for it which means “honey bee” in Greek

some folklore has it that you can put Lemon Balm leaves under the pillow of a grumpy person and it will lighten their mood

lots to know about Lemon Balm … it smells wonderful and makes a lovely tea AND it spreads like mints do … so caution when planting it is in order

May Bells …

… that bloom in April … these are for you Estivalia … I hope to have a photo of some pink ones soon

whether you call them lily of the valley … lirio del valle …  maiglockchen … monwalia … muguet des bois … mughetto … lelietje-van-dalen …

they all smell SO sweet

this year I am focusing on filling my flower press

it takes about two weeks in between pressings

that should keep me busy as the parade of spring blossoms keeps rolling along

last year I altered the top of one of my flower presses

spring fever has set in … I decided to plant a little fairy garden

using a deep bird bath that we’ve had for awhile … a dish garden on a pedestal just off our back porch … still room left to tuck in a few more plants

“Where scattered wild the Lily of the Vale, Its balmy essence breathes.” ~James Thomson

bloomin’

how often do you find that one thing leads to another … and another … and …

if you would like to know how to make chiffon flowers you can click here for Linda’s quick and easy tutorial … I certainly am having fun with them

AND look what you can do with wool roving and flowers

you won’t want to miss Jean’s tutorial on transforming silk flowers into something really charming … thanks so much for the goodies Jean

many thanks to all of you lovely sharing and talented people

I {heart} you one and all

I have had SO many goodies arriving in my mailbox … I am quite behind on thank you posts

oxo

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence.  When mindfulness embraces those we Love, they will bloom like flowers.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

remember …

… not just today

Peace and Blessings to All

note: this is my 1, 113th blog post

Bethesda’s loss … Frederick’s gain

hello … we’re off again

Mr Magpie and I are celebrating our anniversary this week

we took a little road trip to the historic town of Frederick, Maryland

just about an hours drive from home

many thanks to my friend, Carmen, for telling me about a wonderful and amazing shop there at 151 N Market Street

charming Andrew with his South African accent says hello Carmen

Accessories of Old moved from Bethesda to Frederick about five months ago

it is in a great location and full to the brim with treasures of all kinds

impossible to really do this shop of delights justice in a few photos … the button selection is WOW!

seeing so many vintage items in original packaging ... really cool packaging … is a rare treat

as Andrew says … once they’re gone, that’s it, they are gone

there is good news … if you can not visit the shop in Frederick … you can check them out on line

you’ll want to take some time to look into their great web page which offers some interesting behind the scenes information AND there is a lovely blog too … Andrew’s wife, Lisa, is very talented

as you can tell it was a lovely day to be out and about!

a little more about Frederick in a future post … thanks to Lynn Fox for telling me about the Community Bridge … also not to be missed