what do you see…girls with parasols…

time for my first reveal in the Queen Bee 5 “what do you see” swap…

I have a thing for paper parasols…large and small…

what fun to see that Nathalie included one along with the other lovely Asian bits that she sent for our swap for her…

the big challenge here was working on a four inch round (10.16 cm) coaster with nothing hanging off the edges per Nathalie’s wishes…

I do enjoy collage…the red coaster was so nice it was hard to cover it all up…I added some sparkly fabric from my stash (thank you sweet Jean) along with the metal dangle and some collage pieces that Nathalie sent…including a piece of the turquoise parasol…

I decorated both sides using a favorite image of mine on this side of three young girls with parasols…

the last touch was adding

ICHI…NI…SAN

One…Two…Three

in Japanese…

you can see my coaster for Nathalie  here … she shows the box the coasters will be stored in when they all return to her too

Enchanted Spring…

…is another Heaven…

tender shades of green…

are where my creativity led me for Wednesday Stamper’s “Enchanted Spring” theme this week…

a four inch (10.16 cm) square painted canvas….three quarters inch (1.9 cm) thick that I collaged papers and images onto along with a piece of paper measuring tape along the left side…

I like how words often reveal themselves when you’re working on a piece…

lots of people in the northern hemisphere are longing for Spring…

it is definitely one of my favorite seasons here in Virginia

sakura tea

 

sakura is Japanese for cherry blossom…

it is that time of year again in our nation’s capital to enjoy the gift of 3,000 young cherry trees…

more than a dozen different varieties…

a most generous gesture of friendship from Japan to the United States back in 1912…

the gifts that keep on giving…

delighting visitors that live near or travel far…

almost everyone is carrying a camera…

OK maybe not the joggers…

this makes the third year in a row we’ve made the trip into the city to see the cherry blossoms do their thing around the Tidal Basin…

we decided that it was too good to take for granted…

it’s easy to do that when things are close by…

the Thomas Jefferson Memorial has been under construction for a while now involving a huge project of vital repairs to the seawall to help keep the monument from sinking…

last years Cherry Blossom Festival was jam packed with visitors in t-shirts and shorts…

we got hot and thirsty…

what a difference a year makes…

it was chilly willy this year…

we got up bright and early to find there had been a dusting of snow over night…

Mr Magpie spotted a perfect clump of snow caught on this old tree trunk above some blossoms…

much colder weather meant good parking and fewer people to dodge…

some hardy souls were actually out in the paddle boats…

we had the fun idea of bringing a tea cup and saucer along…

and couldn’t help but notice people taking photographs of us taking tea cup and blossom pictures…

too funny…

a Japanese lady said in her sweet accent with a beautiful smile …”very good idea”…

we thought so too …

in fact we have some ideas for our traveling tea cup …

more on that in future posts …

wishing each of you a Happy T Tuesday…

be sure and visit the other T Tuesday blogs over at Kimmie’s Mr Linky list…just click on the Happy T Tuesday above…

all are welcome to join in…

tea or coffee…

whatever you fancy…

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”
-  Hal Borland

Halle’s Tip Ins

awhile ago Halle and I agreed to a swap…she had a quotes altered book in the works…

very special thanks to Elizabeth for getting us together on this fun exchange…

here are the two tip ins I created for Halle…

each measuring approximately 5.5 x 8 inches…

I am a big fan of quotes…picking just two was challenging…but oh what a lovely time I had creating with paper and fabric and more…

while I was getting my creativity going again Halle sent me THE most beautiful fabric collage piece…

she used some of her neat Citra Solv papers creating wonderful layers with fabric and paper…

every detail so very special…

that piece of coral colored clip on jewelry reminds me of a bunch of currants…

a perfect touch…

the magnificent tree speaks to me of wisdom and strength…

I thought the German text was especially wonderful too…

you can click for a closer look…

as if that wasn’t enough…

she also made these super 4×4′s for me…what a great swap…

Halle’s Hobbies is a fun place to visit with her Friday Freebies…lots of inspiration and more…she has an Etsy shop too!

Healing for Japan

this week’s Wednesday Stamper challenge is “fabulously colourful”…

turquoise and purple are among my favorite colors…

my postcard has a painted background…with layered papers…the turquoise near the bottom is deli paper with orange silk ribbons to finish…

sending continued healing energy and prayers for Japan…

this quote by a Japanese monk inspired me…

“Flow,  flow,  flow, the current of life is ever onward” ~KoboDaishi

Charm City Tea …

sort of…

we thought about having tea or coffee…

I’ll explain…

on Saturday we headed to nearby Baltimore to visit a favorite museum…

more about that cool spot here

it was the perfect opportunity to also visit a favorite eatery in the Fells Point historic district which is where The Wire and the crime drama Homicide: Life on the Street (1992-1999) were filmed…

the menu is very appealing…portion sizes are generous…homemade soups daily…everything is prepared fresh and oh so tasty…

even Mr Magpie didn’t miss the meat in this raw taco…it was really delicious with some seasoned nut meat to give some crunch…

there is a nice coffee house atmosphere with changing art displays…coffee and tea are special here as well…

we opted for one of the fresh juiced blends…not easy to decide on just one…

we went with the Red Pearrot…made with organic carrots…pears…red delicious apples and pomegranate…

we learned on previous visits not to succumb to the temptation of ordering two juice drinks…they are so satisfying…you might not have room for lunch…

there is always a slab of live wheat grass on the counter…not my cup of tea but full of healthy properties…

we were happy to see they are remodeling…surely a good sign in this economy…they were busy at 3 in the afternoon…

be sure and stop by Kimmie’s for more Tea Tuesday bloggers

what makes us smile…AVAM

“It better befits a man to laugh at life than to lament it.” ~Seneca, Roman Philosopher, mid-first century A.D.

a day filled with art and quotes…blue skies and memories…

not exactly the celebration we had planned for my dear Mutti’s 80th birthday this spring weekend…

my mom left this world on 8 February peacefully…in her sleep…

Mr Magpie and I wanted to get out and do something to celebrate her special day…so we headed to nearby Baltimore, Maryland…also known as Charm City…

we visited a museum we have enjoyed on several visits in the past…

the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM)…

known for its outsider art collections…brilliant mosaics… sculptures and overall feeling of joy and celebration…

and there is my favorite tree…

the breeze creates the most magical tinkling sounds with the glass…

the sunshine reflects and dances all around…

after seeing it…I always want to go home and glue beads and mirrors to something…

so much to enjoy each time we visit…

it just so happened that the featured exhibit is  What Makes Us Smile...

we did not check ahead of time thinking whatever they were exhibiting would be enjoyable…

turned out it was a perfect reminder to SMILE and lighten up…

a bench lined with self inflated whoopee cushions made everyone giggle…did you know that the sale of whoopee cushions skyrocketed after the American Great Depression…

wish we’d had this printout before we went to the museum...lucky kids that get to go on school trips to AVAM…and you can just imagine what fun they have on the Razzberry Cushion bench above…

the No Photography inside the museum had me chomping at the bit because I did think of you all and how you would appreciate the humor and art and creativity…I could have shown you photos and not have written so much here…

you just have to see the mannequin of the life size man with huge fantastic mosaic mirrored wings hanging sideways/upside down…he lowers and rises again and again from the third story to the first floor…sparkling and dazzling…and WOW…

AVAM does have a nice website with photos to click…but truly it is just one of those places you have to see in real life to try to take it all in…

Patch Adams and his incredible Gesundheit Institute and aromatherapy work were featured…and so many great quotes…

“Humor is the shock absorber of life, it helps us take the blows” ~Peggy Noonan

one artist was inspired by Washoe, the first chimpanzee to learn American Sign Language...MORE TICKLE was one of her favored signed words…as in tickle me to make me laugh…animals laugh too…

“The only cure for vanity is laughter, and the only fault that is laughable is vanity.” ~Henri Bergson

there was an artist that spoke of his devotion to his parents … he created pieces with his fathers shirt and necktie fabrics…you can have a look here…very powerful in person…

“The burden of self is lightened when I laugh at myself.” ~Tagore Rabindranath

wish I had written down more artist’s names … then I may have been able to locate links to them…we were busy jotting down quotes…

“Can you tell a smile from a veil?” ~Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here

Gloria Garrett…the mother of makeup art has a wonderful story that puts a smile on one’s face too…

they have a great gift shop with lots of wacky stuff for sale…catering to all sorts of humor…great books and cards and more…it is always a happy place to visit…

we were on a mission to gather items to include in a box packed with snacks for our son’s childhood friend Matt who is stationed in Afghanistan…a couple of years ago we loaded up on items to send him in Iraq…

as you enter the AVAM museum there is a huge Mae West quote on the wall that reads:

“Too much of a good thing is wonderful!”

good night supermoon…Happy Spring

what do you see…just a peek for now

our latest Queen Bee swap was quite a challenge…

early in the year each of us gathered approximately a dozen or so items along with a substrate…all going in completely different directions with our ideas…

we sent the same surprise package of bits to each player so they could create something and return it to each of us…

I was inspired by kippers for my substrate…

Yes…Fish…a good source of calcium and iron…

funny…when I was a young girl I would run in the other direction when my parents ate sardines and such…

Love the long shape of the tins (about 6.25″ . ..16.87cm long)…way too good to throw away…

I grilled them and smashed them with a wooden mallet…punched a hole in one end so they can all be put on a metal ring when they are returned to me here in Virginia…

these are the items I sent to everyone…some of the gals said I sent strange items…hmmmm…

here is a peek at one side of my kipper tin that I made for myself using some of the same bits that I mailed out to everyone…

our mission was to try and use at least half … if not more of the items sent to us…

adding a few bits from our own stash…

this post is a small peek at what I created for everyone…

first was Linda’s house from Texas…

next … Nathalie’s Asian coaster from Missouri…it says one…two…three in Japanese … created before the recent tragic events…

Margaret’s bingo card from Switzerland…

and Carole’s wooden hoop from New Zealand…

this swap proved good therapy for all as we coped with death and earthquakes and more in our group…for me it felt good to know I still had some creativity that I could tap into…

thank you to all that inspire me on a daily basis…

the next step is to get these packaged up and in the mail to everyone…

when they arrive at their destinations we’ll be doing a full reveal on each of our blogs

Happy St Patrizio’s Day

St Patrizio’s is what a local mom and pop Italian eatery is calling St Patrick’s Day…

“When the first light of sun, Bless you.

When the long day is done, Bless you.

In your smiles and your tears, Bless you.

Through each day of your years, Bless you.”

~Irish Blessing

Bless you sweet Ana in Canada for helping me make photos clickable to another link … if you click on the first picture above…you’ll see what I mean   oxoxo

 

 

WS: Pens, Pencils and Brushes

the Wednesday Stamper challenge this week is using pens, pencils and brushes in what you create…

*you can click for a closer look*

I used a painted tag I had done awhile ago with a failed transfer…

too good to throw away…

I sanded it…stamped on tissue paper and on the tag directly…

one of my favorite pencils is the black Stabilo Aquarellable for Paper-Glass-Plastic-Metal…it was just one of the wonderful things I learned at a Misty Mawn workshop some years ago…she is one of THE best and most inspiring teachers I have encountered…

you outline with it as light or as dark as you would like and then touch it with a damp brush…it gives a great shadow effect and can be repeated if you wish…

I finished the tag with a piece of sari ribbon

…morning tea…

March is/was my mother’s birthday month…

my Onkel Sepp and Tante Erika bought her a lovely Royal Albert flower of the month (Anemones) plate and tea cup for her birthday one year…

I am not sure she ever used it…

I do know she kept it in a place of honor…

taking apart a home is hard work…

what to let go of and what to hold on to are very emotional for me…

coping with loss and grief is so different for each of us…

the lovely quilted piece was a gift to me from the very talented and generous Lina LaMora…

it makes me happy each and every time I look at all of those beautiful fabrics and stitches...

my sweet friend, Jo Ann, from Pennsylvania sent me a nice article recently from Country Woman magazine about a special tea spot in southern Iowa along with this perfect quote:

“Sipping tea reminds me of my mother — warm and strong, with a touch of sweetness.” ~Lori Lau Grzybowski

continued thanks to each of you kind and thoughtful readers…

come join us for T over at Kimmie’s Art in Red Wagons

 

Ana’s Friday Archive Dive: Inspired

another fun Friday over at Ana’s I Made it So … I searched my Posts for this week’s theme of INSPIRED...

and decided on this post…too good to miss and such fun to revisit…for the whole story you can visit here…

why not join in Ana’s fun Friday Archive Dive here…the button for that is on my sidebar…

wanted to share my March 2011 calendar quote with you…we all have trials and things to get through…so here you are dear ones:

“Though the way may seem fraught with dangers, remember that within you lives a dauntless spirit of courage.  You were born with this courage, as a baby is born with the desire to stand and to walk.  Walk forward bravely, my child, and I will catch you if you fall.” ~from Angel Spirits, Sulamith Wulfing 2011 Calendar

OWOH * Martina Style *

 

had to share what recently arrived from Germany…

I was the very lucky winner of Martina’s OWOH giveaway…

which included this beautiful etched metal triangle canvas that she artfully altered…

along with this lovely Triptych ATC…

gorgeous both inside and out…

she included so many special creations…

I adore arches…

Martina is not only a very talented artist…

but most generous as well…

I am so grateful for all of the beautiful connections here in blogland…

danken Sie lieber Martina so sehr sehr viel oxo

Pick a Letter

the challenge over at Wednesday Stamper this week is to use a letter of the alphabet as inspiration in what you create …

my creativity is a bit flat just now …

another part of my challenge was to get a true photo of my postcard…

the closeup above is a photograph…

below is a scanned photo that you can click for a closer look at the layers…

I did have this postcard in the works on my work table and was able to add the She along with some additional color/shading/stamping and more …

all are welcome to join in the Wednesday Stamper challenges…the only “rule” is that you use at least one rubber stamp in what you make…

S is for …she …sacred …silence …simple …strong… swan… silver… soft… sad… sea… shabby… soothing… spirit… sun… surreal… sparrow… San Francisco… Switzerland… spin… sparkle… sentimental… shadows… seasons… surrender… Spring…

“A letter is an indivisible sound That is fit for writing; A letter, to define it better, Is the smallest part of a composite sound.”~Gulheim Molinier

spring has sprung…

a favorite haunt any time of year…

feels like you’ve stepped into a magazine…

with new things to delight the senses each and every visit…

The Cottage is in a cute nearby town…

they never disappoint…

this visit I got to meet the Lavender lady…

fun chatting and dreaming of a June Lavender harvest again this year…

a little retail therapy is a good thing…

always a fun place to visit

a host of angels

the sweet and talented Katie of Ragamuffin Gal’s Studio had a giveaway in January and I was the lucky winner….

the most precious angels and I got to pick one…

I confessed that it was impossible to pick and that I would be delighted with whichever one Katie surprised me with…

and surprise me she did…

not one but all three angel creations arrived in my mailbox…

so beautifully wrapped…

each one so dear…

with really lovely details…

I still cannot pick a favorite…

each one has its special charms…

thank you dear Katie for being your sweet…talented and generous self…ALL ways…

* * *Katie will be giving away pieces of her beautiful artwork each month this year…YES…it’s true…you will feel like a winner just stopping by for a visit* * *

“These things, I warmly wish for you-
Someone to Love,
Some work to do,
A bit of o’ sun
A bit o’ cheer
And a guardian angel
Always near.” ~Irish Blessing