a Swan Dream…

the lovely and very talented Sue of My Arts Desire and I recently swapped altered kitchen size (approx 5″ x 2.75″) match boxes …

I was immediately charmed when this package arrived from Sue…

the layers of her Bobolink bird tag are so special…under the lovely lace she added a piece of river birch bark from a tree in her garden …soft like suede…

the unveiling was such a treat … look at the swan tape she used…need to find out more about that…

Sue is a master of wrapping and packaging … and a collector of the finest ingredients…vintage bits of this and that…trims all the way from India…

isn’t this exquisite … it takes my breath away … reminding me of a Fabergé creation with the crystals and rhinestones that she wove around the precious swan image…

BIG WOW…

I caught myself gasping at every turn … really…

the touch of turquoise millinery with a velvet leaf no less … silver heart … delicate clock face with three perfect touches of bling …

oohing and aahing…trying to remember to take photos along the way… precious ingredients…

no surface left unadorned …isn’t her handwriting pretty and special too…

and as if the gorgeous lined box was not enough … tucked inside were THE most wonderful things … I adore Forget-me-nots … see the button…vintage hat pins…pink paper roses that remind me of one of my favorite rosebushes…The Fairy Rose…along with more lovely trims from India…

Sue even sent me this gauzey bag with an amazing array of Indian postage stamps…goodies from India were mailed to her in that bag…now if that doesn’t stir your wanderlust…

but wait … there is more…don’t want you to miss a thing…

I have a confession to make…last year for my birthday Sue sent me THE most amazing big box of delights …a sweet surprise beyond my wildest dreams…I was feeling challenged keeping up during that time of year and never posted about it and really did want to share her thoughtfulness … I feel that one person’s kindness is a gift to many even if they are not the actual recipient … there are people we meet … be it a virtual connection …that have an impact… touching our lives … teaching us about goodness…generosity…kindness and caring … supporting and inspiring us all along the way with their creativity and grace …

sharing here with you all … is a way to pass these good feelings  along … thank you SO much dear Sue you inspire me again and again … I continue to be amazed at the beautiful bridge that blogging builds  oxo

Sue did a lovely post about our swap here…she’s a real doll

Leaf Peeping on Skyline Drive

a favorite haunt of ours just a couple of hours away is Skyline Drive…

a scenic byway in the Shenandoah National Park …

over the weekend we entered the drive near Charlottesville and headed toward home on the drive after a nice lunch at a favorite sidewalk cafe …

I needed more bird nest wire at a great bead shop in Charlottesville called Studio Baboo …

my three year blogging anniversary giveaway is a bit overdue…

more on that soon…

lots of the leaves seemed to have already fallen …

Skyline Drive is a fun place to visit…

any time of year…

Fall may be the most popular season according to the park records …

we have enjoyed winter visits with ice and snow…

lots of deer…

feeling safe and protected…

black bears are sometimes spotted too…

“October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen.

It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations above them once again.” ~Hal Borland

Hoping everyone is safe and sound after the “monster storm” that hit a big part of the U.S. …

we just had heavy rain and some wind …

it is unusually humid for the end of October oxo

*Note: I am entering this post in Ana’s Friday Archive Dive here*

imagination

my final piece did not take long to create … it was the idea that took some time and pondering…

while looking through a button tin I came upon this small (1.5 x 1 inches) metal shrine charm with a glass window…

perfect for my Picture Show (St Paul, MN) woman bound stamp … I cut the word “imagination” out of the Tim Holtz tissue tape…

the piece of red sari ribbon from Sharon was the perfect finish…

my little shrine charm is for two challenges: Wednesday Stamper’s Glass challenge and Mixed Media Monday’s (MMM) Shrine challenge  … I am hoping to be able to play along with MMM more often now that they have shifted to a monthly schedule

Tea and California Dreaming

seems each time I visit our vacation photos from earlier this month…

I get lost..

in the nicest way…

revisiting the strikingly beautiful Sonoma County coastline…

the dangerous cliffs and exhilarating air…

the crashing swirling waves…

with magical mists that often burn off by noon time…

we could hear constant scuddering through the grasses and underbrush…

we found out later these cute and elusive furry critters are called Salt Marsh Harvest Mice…

we are a family of nature Lovers …

our youngest son has been a climber since he was a tyke and opted for a tree climb instead of a rock climb because of time constraints … did you hear my sigh of relief…

he REALLY wanted to go down to that beach…

he was wearing the new vibram shoes he picked up in Santa Rosa and was eager to try them out … they were not as good for tree climbing … a little slippery but that did not stop him…

the five finger shoes are all the rage among hikers who want the feel of going barefoot with a bit of protection… a little tuft of hair and they would look like hobbit feet to me…I will have to try on a pair sometime…

and now for a bit about some yummy tea I had…

the label called to me … Chai Baba Chai … it reminded me of my homemade Yogi Tea and was so delicious…

you soak labels on vacation and bring them home too don’t you…

enjoy your Tuesday … thank you for stopping by for T… you can visit Kimmie’s sidebar for the list of other Tea Tuesday bloggers … won’t you join us

***footnote: I am entering this post in Ana’s Friday Archive Dive: Time***

Ten.Two.Ten

a perfect day for an outdoor California wedding…almost a month ago now…

with birds singing …I heard one perfect bee buzz by in the hush…

our gorgeous and smart niece…the blushing bride…

we were not at the best angle to get a good picture of her handsome groom … he is smart too and he cooks like a trained chef…he made a good bit of the delicious food that day…

the wedding quilt that the groom’s family organized with blocks made by friends and family was put together by the groom’s mother…each of the blocks were so personal and special…you can find out more about the block we made here...it ended up in the center…

it was a beautiful day to be outdoors…and eventually under the starry skies…

~Apache Wedding Blessing~

Now you will feel no rain
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now each of you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

Queen Bee Stitchery Round Robin Reveal

it is finally time for more than a sneak peek at the stitcheries that have been popping up the last several months…

back in May some of my talented friends … the Queen Bees (QB5) … started a stitchery round robin … each of us did a bit on our own piece … me … not so much …

my TAP transfer lady … a favorite postcard image of mine … had humble beginnings on a scalloped and stained linen dinner napkin…with a an old doily behind her … a bit of hat netting along with a vintage flower  …

seems I stitched her on a bit cockeyed … more about that later …

time to send her off to her first destination … a visit with Nathalie in Missouri…

just look at the delightful corner Nathalie filled with stitched goodness in gorgeous threads  … a sweet birdie singing “Tra la la” … “I SO needed to stitch today”… along with pretty tatted pieces too…

next stop with Linda in Texas … she stitched the lovely “breathe” … a swan … YES a swan … the pretty tea cup… “Tuesday Tea”and the plumed birdie on its lace perch … just found out Linda added the pearls around the center piece doily too… just perfect…

on to visit with Margaret in Switzerland…a precious pink seed bead and button heart stitched with “my heart’s desire” along with beautiful bits of lace and buttons and more lovely beads and special bits on the right side too…

last stop with Carole in New Zealand…who is celebrating her birthday this weekend … as she said … she crowned it with “lots of yoyo Love”… wee little yoyo’s made out of pretty flowered fabric … along with other special bits and layered goodness…

I am totally charmed and in awe of what was returned to me … beyond my wildest dreams…so worth waiting for these five months…

I got so excited when my stitchery arrived … I was inspired to stitch … to do something…

I decided to remove my lady transfer and add a piece of old pink hat netting behind her … giving me a chance to straighten her out a bit … funny enough … she is still not completely straight … she obviously has a mind of her own … which seems just perfect to me … I added a few other bits here and there including one of my wire birds nests …

found a bee bead while cleaning out a drawer … I had picked it up two years ago at a bead shoppe in Sebastopol and tucked it away … the perfect final touch…

after months of making her way around the globe … my lonely lady returned to me surrounded by Love … beauty …  kindness and thoughtful creativity … an absolute treasure!

LaWendula’s Paper Swap: Vintage

my partner for LaWendula’s Vintage Paper Swap is the talented and lovely Guriana …

imagine my delight in seeing this package in our mailbox from far off Poland…

everything was SO thoughtfully and artfully wrapped…

lots of beautiful vintage photos and playing cards…

vintage postcards … papers … postage stamps…and more…

SO many special treasures…

Guriana’s 6 x 8 inch stretched canvas absolutely took my breath away…it says:

ZAWSZE SŁUCHAJ GŁOSU SERCA

and here is Guriana’s translation: Always listen the voice of the heart…or less accurate –  Always listen to your heart…

you can see some great photos of her canvas here...

as if all that wasn’t enough … she also created this beautiful tag…

Dziękuję z głębi serca dear Guriana…

thank you once again to the amazing LaWendula for joining together so many like minded artists from all over the globe … you can find out all about her ongoing Paper Swaps here on her sidebar!

Dress Up – October * Poe

finally my October Dress is out of my head and ready for Margaret’s Dress Up Challenge this month…

it began with a piece of red polka dot tissue paper that Katie wrapped some lovely gifts in for me earlier this year …

Edgar Allan Poe was also my inspiration…

a piece of beautiful black lace that Marit in The Netherlands surprised me with was begging to be used …

just look at the lovely treasures she sent to me just for playing along in a recent journaling challenge…she teaches some really inspiring on line journaling workshops … you can get info on the latest one here…it starts soon…

look what I found while looking for something else … I picked up this paper doll some time ago and forgot about her…

it just so happens that most of the dresses I created this year for Margaret’s challenge fit her PERFECTLY … I could not have planned it better…isn’t that fun!!!

and here she is wearing her newest October dress

Hope Soars and Heart’s Desire

Hearts  have always been special to me for lots of reasons … back in my other craft life in the late 1990′s … before mixed media and collage … I had a little herb and dried flower business called Works of the Heart … I came close to naming my blog that three years ago …

which brings me to Linda’s lovely challenge theme this week for Wednesday Stamper …which happens to be Hearts…

my little canvas measures not quite 2  x 2.25 inches …

a sweet Paper Whimsy girl … some ink and paint … book text … and a piece of map…

plus these stamps … and an orange gel pen for a bit of contrast…

speaking of hearts…I have to share with you what I won over at Sharon’s Livewire Jewelry blog…it was my lucky day to be a winner in her recent giveaway…

this layered piece is so lovely in every detail … she has stamped onto cotton streamers at the bottom “follow your heart as long as you live” … my photo really does not do it justice…you can click on the picture for a closer look…

here are some really nice extra goodies she tucked in too…thank you so much dear Sharon for touching my heart with your art again and again … how lucky am I to have a piece for my very own!

“There is a light that shines beyond all things on earth, beyond the highest, the very highest heavens.  This is the light that shines in your heart.” ~Chandogya Upanishad

Tea at 75 Hagiwara Drive

welcome to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco…home to the Japanese Tea Garden…the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States…

each time we visit San Francisco we are drawn back to the peaceful gardens to stroll and enjoy a cup of tea…

this time quite by chance we arrived before 10am and admission was free…saving us fourteen dollars …

we easily spent that much on sandwiches … miso soup… and Genmai-cha tea…

and we could not pass up the Mochi ice cream treats … they were served with chocolate dipped Pocky… Estivalia in Chile introduced us to Pocky before we visited the west coast two years ago…we found out then that there is a whole world of Pocky out there…in Vancouver BC, Canada…they had Pocky stores…with every flavor and combo you can imagine…

the garden is definitely a place where it was not hard to snap photo after photo…

beauty and tranquility everywhere you look…

“After a meal and a pot of tea

I sit on a rock by the pond

and count the fish.”     ~Stonehouse

wishing each of you a Happy T Tuesday…so glad you could come with me to the Japanese Garden today…

there are more Tea Tuesday blogs to visit…you can check Kimmie’s sidebar for the list

Six Players: Mexican Folk Art Theme

as promised … here are the tip in pages I created for Dianne’s Mexican Folk Art theme … each player has chosen a different theme and varying page sizes…

lots of paint and gesso went into my pages … I printed a skull image onto transparency paper … highlighting with a white pen … I placed it behind the opening I cut in the front cover … the final step was using Golden brand Gold Mica Flake (Large) around the edges of the page … it gives nice texture and shimmer…

*these pages measure 8 x 16 inches*

it wasn’t hard for me to decide to go with Frida…

I created a tin foil frame by rolling and smooshing foil together … stitching it onto the page with bits of colorful fiber… the  flower  is rubber stamped and hand colored…

on the left hand side I used assorted papers to help affix the skeleton transparency dry brushing with gesso and adding a loteria game card at the bottom … el corazon means “the heart”

I painted the back page with blue paint and used a piece of torn wax paper that I had used some time ago for making mono print pages … glad I saved it as it made a perfect layer under the shrine stamp that I used as a frame for the black and white Frida image … white gel pen helped add interest to the stamped frame…

Frida has a lot of powerful quotes … I chose

“I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best.”

I used black fine marker to accent the pages too…

here is the tag I created to go along with my tip in … I certainly did enjoy this theme …

next month I will be working on “Trees”

Fabulous Fall and a Festival or two

cooler Autumn air arrives here in Northern Virginia…

brilliant colors…

starting to show …

with Saturday appointments out of the way… Mr Magpie and I made time to let the rest of the day unfold … we happened upon a flea market at a fire house in Maryland…

fire hoses hung to dry … wayyyy up to a tall tall ceiling … I have never seen that before…

found two canvases that will be great to paint over and are ready to hang with backing papers already on them … a dollar each … SCORE…had to have those little dolls…can’t wait to see what I do with them…

*this is not their newest model *

the firehouse was raising money for a new fire engine … a nice opportunity to step inside a fire house and find a few treasures…

our next adventure took us to the Herb Cottage at Washington Cathedral … I have been lamenting about our non blooming Snail Vine out front and wanted to check on the vine there … I have been lusting after the beautiful pink flowers ever since last October when we spied these amazing blooms … the cathedral vine was a bit further along (WHY didn’t we snap a pic?) … but no blooms yet … at least they have promising buds…good reason to return again in a couple of weeks to check on their blossoms…

a nice stroll down the street we came upon a Fall Harvest Bazaar…sorry I do not have any icon pics to show you … some of the artwork was amazing…

I intentionally avoided one of THE best rummage sales of the year this weekend … my dear friend Lennie has volunteered there for several years and when good bloggie friend Pat lived closer she volunteered there too … that said … I weakened when I saw the Russian books and travel bits today … and yes Linda … a bird book too … don’t miss the chance to pop over and visit Linda … you have to see her bleached trees!

back to the fall bazaar … the aroma of the church ladies cooking drew us into the cathedral basement … even with plasticware and styrofoam plates (never high on my list) … everything was delicious … a blintze with caviar … and the fried cabbage … oh YES…we shared…

another lovely day in the “neighborhood” … hoping you are enjoying whatever season you are in…Happy Weekend All oxo

Six Players Six Months

six of us will be exchanging tip in pages over the coming months … each person has a different theme…

I chose INDIA for my pages … they are sized to fit into a Simple Abundance book cover that I will alter when all of my pages arrive in Virginia …

my photos do not do justice to these wonderful pages from Marylnn … the paint has given the pages an extraordinary rich look AND feel…

Love the clever shadow effect in dark blue behind the Taj Mahal … Marlynn is an excellent cutter too…

wonderful metal tree branches from New York … a golden crown and other fabulous layers …

wouldn’t I just Love to be lucky enough to be peeking out of the Taj Mahal some day … notice the lovely lady’s bindi … Marylnn is all about details … Love that …

and the tag she made …

just look at all of the goodies she included … teas from her travels … I’ve already tried the Indian Spice and it is wonderful…

truly a gal after my own heart … she rescued a lavish embroidered Indian tunic and shared a piece with me … the pages were in this neat Taj Mahal file folder and tucked in the special “Anuschka” bag … Marlynn has done several posts that will tell you lots more about her creative process along with some wonderful photos too … what a grand beginning to our swap … thank you so much Ms Honeysuckle Breeze …oxo…

last but certainly not least …

the frosting on the cake was this gorgeous glittery Swan Boat card and bookmark that she brought back for me from a trip she took to Boston … oh did those make my heart swoon … just perfect for my swan obsession … one day Mr Magpie and I will get to ride on the swan boats …

soon I will show you the pages I created for Dianne’s Mexican Folk Art theme … sure had fun with that topic!

Roberta … just a girl and her art

the recent wedding of our dear niece near Santa Rosa gave us the opportunity to head west again …

you may want to grab a cup or glass of something … lots to share here

a little more about the beautiful outdoor wedding in another post …

in chatting with a special art sister/twin 3,000 miles away … we hatched a plan to meet in Santa Rosa a day after I arrived in California … what a wonderful treat to get to meet someone in person that you admire …and a blog friend no less …

Roberta is a talented, sweet and generous artist that I met online about five years ago…

Mr Magpie, our youngest son and I stayed at a hotel near Railroad Square …

with some charming shops and restaurants …

Roberta and I got lost in the Whistle Stop antique shop …

we shopped and talked …

talked and shopped …like old friends seeing one another again … free and easy … quite wonderful and magical …

each of us drawn to so many of the same things (same goes for our art preferences … Misty Mawn … Michael deMeng and more) …

Roberta wrote a beautiful post about our visit together here… with a peek at what I made for her … she is really good at writing too …

she drove almost two hours (each way) to meet me (told you she is nice) … AND treated me to a delicious lunch …

just  look at the beautiful gifts she surprised me with …

the bag could be framed or used as a book cover … “adorable” …

being on the same wave length … we both created containers/boxes for one another …what you cannot see in the photo is the wonderful layer of mica on the top …

Roberta’s altered box is so so wonderful to hold and open …

again and again…

this tiny treasure … not quite one inch tall … was also tucked into the bag … she bought this wee little eggshell tea cup at an art show and thought of me … it is darling  … she knows what I like … it continued its travels tucked into Mr Magpie’s leather shoe for protection …

if you’ve not had the chance before … do pop by and visit Roberta … she is not only a most talented artist … but very prolific too … I could not have had a more fun or warm welcome back to California … now we must content ourselves to communicate across the miles and air waves again … I will always treasure our day together …

blogging is a bridge … a beautiful bridge connecting hearts and like minds … thank you so much dear Roberta oxo

if you are anywhere near the San Francisco Bay area this Saturday … 16 October … you’ll want to find out more about the annual Book Arts Jam that Roberta will be participating in … sounds fabulous !

*footnote: Terri and Ana commented on the yarn wrapped light posts … just got the info on that street pole sweater project here

along with a great article on the knitted street poles

“Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things.” ~Unknown

WS: Faces

my “Bird Brain” postcard was named by Mr Magpie …

it is my offering for this week’s Wednesday Stamper/Mittwoch Stempler “FACES” challenge …

with thanks to the talented Martina for inspiring me with her creation using this handsome blue eyed boy last month and to the generous Land of Nod for originally sharing the precious image … thanks also to Jolette for the beautiful forget-me-not paper that I won in her giveaway last month …

torn papers … the inside of a security envelope … some gesso … Pan Pastels for shading …

a bit of the Tim Holtz tissue tape at the bottom … and one Postmodern Design stamp at the top and side …

it’s a good thing I created my postcard before I went away … I am not back to creating quite yet …

“A man finds room in the few square inches of his face for the traits of all his ancestors; for the expression of all his history, and his wants.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

Russian River Tea

Happy T Tuesday one and all … thank you for your sweet and thoughtful comments while I was away …

still trying to adjust to being back home …

I look forward to visiting everyone …

today my tea post is from our visit to California …

about a 90 minute drive north from the Golden Gate Bridge …

along wonderful country roads … some along the Pacific Coast Highway…

is the town of Jenner with a population of 107 … we had no tv … no cell phone or computer reception in our rooms …

being unplugged was refreshing and different … there was spotty internet in the lodge and we did not mind …

we had panoramic views of where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean … we could hear the crash of the ocean waves against the thin strip of sand separating the two …

the view from our bath tub gave the feeling of bathing out of doors…

two locals dropped in for morning tea …  there were lots of hummingbirds too …

such a tranquil and magical place …

it was amazing to watch the sun drop into the ocean each evening … something different for us east coasters …

we had such a lovely time in California … from beginning to end and took over 1,700 photos … I promise to only share some with you over the next few weeks …

photos are a way for me to relive sweet memories and what better place to record some of those memories than on my bbb (blogblogblog) … I find pictures of people’s travels are the next best thing to getting to go on a trip myself … doesn’t take much to stir the wanderlust in me …

be sure and visit the other tea bloggers on Kimmie’s sidebar …

“Walking in the morning … time smiles in my hand … This dawn lasts all day.”  Awakening Gatha, Deena Metzger … found embedded on brass plates in the sidewalk in San Francisco near the Ferry Building