"A Vintage Sunflower..."

...gifted to a wonderfully artistic friend in the fens of England.

Happy Blooming Tuesday! :)

"Every friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also.

He attracts and follows."
~Jean Paul Richter

From My Heart...

...to Yours! :)

Happy Cactus Monday!

This "Heartangle Series" ATC has already been taken...

but more similar to it are available here.

"I love writing.

I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle

with human emotions."
~James A. Michener

"I love drawing...

I love the swirl and swing of the lines as they tangle

with my paper and my spirit."

~Me

Hey!...thanks for the quotation idea J.M...LOL :)...!

"Once, Upon A Sheet..."

...Of glass...in a land not too very far away...

a potion of pure pigments in potent colors was poured.

Through this magical mixture a sheet of 30 pt. coated cover stock

was artfully pulled by hand

and, in the blink of an eye, was transformed into a

dreamy monoprint.

After being left in the desert sun to dry that day, it was taken

"home to the castle"

only to be stored high on a shelf and, in time,

eventually "forgotten".

However, one day an artistic Muse felt like playing.

She resurrected the massive curled print...

cropped its edges, and,

with the fine ink lines of a trusty Pitt pen, gently kissed its surface.

Truly, it awakened and was given a new life.

Reminding her of soft batik fabric...well worn and faded by the

tropical sun

it now lives here..."happily, forever and ever"...

in the Kingdom of Blogland

as her

interpretation of this week's challenge prompt for

Illustration Friday: "Worn"

"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale."
~Hans Christian Andersen

"Skywatch Friday...(#4)..."

...The end of the day ...June 25, 2009...looking west from my patio...

The end of an era...now remembered in the soundtrack of my past...

Michael Jackson...1958-2009.

"I'm gonna make a change,

for once in my life.

It's gonna feel real good,

gonna make a difference

gonna make it right . . .

I'm starting with the man in the mirror...

I'm asking him to change his ways.

And no message could have been any clearer

if you wanna make the world a better place...

take a look at yourself,

and then make a change..."
~Glen Ballard,

Siedah Garrett

and Michael Jackson

See more sky views from all over the world here.

"Thankful Thursday...(#4)..."

From Melody, in Utah...actually our third trade!

Incredibly precise three dimensional collage compositions...

each card a unique treasure...(Click images to enlarge...)

From Lolo...a special surprise...a twilight cactus ATC...
(We are all thinking of you these busy, exciting, and bittersweet days!)
Hugs!
From Marjee in Montana...a spectacular fossil triptych...

I feel we share a

kindred spirit for things of the past...I love how our paths have crossed.

From Francis in the Netherlands...Two beautiful collaged cards
and samples of paper with Dutch writing to collage or make a
more amazing treasures from...love these papers!
From Ranie...A masterful California zentangle artist...
I literally drool over her spectacular and intricate designs...
can't wait for more!
From Marva in Colorado...another zentangle...complete with an
amazing three dimensional feel to it...
The card is of a really cool painting of hers.
From Fadwa in Dubai..an exchange of a different type...
She had enjoyed several cards of mine and offered me
one of her gorgeous beaded anklets in exchange...OOOh MY!
(Need I tell you its even more spectacular in person!!!???)
And finally from sweet Soulbrush
a U.K. gal you just cannot keep down...a wonderful collaged ATC,
three little "inchies"...
(and, YES, I refuse to start making those!!! LOL :)
and...
a spectacularly vibrant and energetic
tea towel from South Africa a lucky draw win from Soulbrush's blog!!!
What a treasure trove of goodies dropped
at my door this week!
These trade are sooo much fun!
Thank you, each and every one of you...
a thousand times over.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it
is like wrapping a present
and not giving it."
~William Arthur Ward

"(Almost) Wordless Wednesday...(#3)..."

Summer, 1984...
Where have the past 25 years gone???

"The Stained Glass Blossom..."

... ATC Series!

(#3...is above all nice and ready for a trade...)

More ATC blossoms for trade can be found here...:)

Happy "Blooming Tuesday" all! :)

"People are like stained-glass windows.

They sparkle and shine when the sun is out,

but when the darkness sets in,

their true beauty is revealed only

if there is a light

from within."
~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

"A Happy Birthday Cactus..."

...arriving from my

brand new "Desert Jewels" ATC series

all blinged out and ready to party

...is presented here as

an artistic little "somethin' somethin' "

made with lots of love for my Dad

who just happens to be celebrating birthday #87 today!

Now...

"Close your eyes and make a wish...LOL:)"

Join in on the party and have a Happy Cactus Monday all!

"Enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things."

~Robert Brault

"The Artistic Touch of JW..."

...has influenced my life

and my spirit from the minute I was born to this very day.

Happy Father's Day

to the most wonderful, imaginative, and loving dad

a daughter could ever have.

I love you...:)XO

"Fly Away With Me..."

...this first day of Summer...out here in the "Old West".

The first day of Summer is earlier in western North America:
For the years 2009 and 2013,

people in the Mountain and Pacific time zones

and farther west greet the first day of summer a day earlier,

on June 20.

So when people ask what the first day of summer is,

it not only depends on the year

but on where you live.

See this Source for more info...:)

“Imagination is the true magic carpet.”
~ Norman Vincent Peale

"Skywatch Friday...(#3)..."

The view from my patio to the northwest...

...and the view from my patio to the northeast.

The photos were taken seconds apart...at about noon today...

camera held in horizontal orientation

for both shots...

I simply pivoted on my feet...from left to right...

What an

amazing contrast in "verticality!"

The second photo reminds me of smoke signals

or even a bit of a "cloud tornado".

After bring these up on my computer screen

I decided to take some more shots of the vertical cloud formation...

But...

it had simply vanished

into a thick milky white cloud bank of a canvas

as if washed away

by a wet paintbrush in an artist's hand.

See other views of the sky today from around the world here.

"A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction

and at such a speed...

It feels an impulsion...this is the place to go now.

But the sky knows the reasons

and the patterns behind all clouds,

and you will know, too,

when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons."
~Richard Bach

Thankful Thursday...(#4)

"Happy Mail"...

sent from around the world

landed in my mailbox this week...and today it is posted on my blog

for all to see!

From Lynn in California...amazing bobbin art cards!
Lynn is always up to something...her plate...better make that a platter...
is always full with imagination and energy.
She has a special blogspot for her ATCs here.

From Rhonda in Kentucky...some cool contemporary ATCs

and special watercolor papers to have fun with...

some spattered with color...the some gessoed in gold...

Yummy!

Check out Rhonda's new front door sunflower project here.

Rhonda love to works in a variety of mediums...

and she's great at them all!

From Marianne in the Netherlands...a bountiful batch of surprises...

It is so hard to keep up with her...

she is the

"mistress of mandala magic"!

You can check out here special ATC site here!

Finally, these hand painted beauties are from Judy in Tennessee.

What a fun gal and delightful artist Judy is...

She also has a blog journal which

you can visit it here!

The intro is simply serene...turn on your speakers!!

This past week has been a wonderful whirlwind...

47 total ATC cards sent out...

22 sent internationally...

25 sent stateside...

each tenderly nestled into 20 decorated envelopes

addressed to a total of 20 individuals...

which involved 7 separate visits to the post office.

Cost of this week's adventure:

PRICELESS!

Now,

do you see what happens when I am left alone

to make mischief??!! LOL :)

And, by the way...

who is responsible for starting all this anyway??? :)

"Life is either a great adventure or nothing."
~Helen Keller

"Wordless Wednesday...(#2)..."

"Good, Good, Good..."

..."Good Vibrations" ATC series...LOL:)

#1 ^ Gifted to Lolo...

#2^...Available for trade...
#3^...Available for trade...
#4^...Traded to Lynn.


Happy Blooming Tuesday All!


"Good, good, good, good vibrations (oom bop bop)"
~Beach Boys

"Tying Up Loose Ends..."

...and organizing my ATCs...What a crazy job! LOL :)

"Desert Mirage" Series ATC Card(new) #5^...traded.
"Desert Mirage" Series ATC Card (new) #6^...Available
"Desert Mirage" Series ATC Card (new)#3^...Available
"Desert Whimsy" Series ATC card..Barrel Cactus (new)^...Traded.
"Desert Whimsy" Series ATC Card #6 (new)^...Traded

So...
at long last...I have now somewhat organized my ATC cards
and have created a special file on my Flickr Page
HERE...for those cards which available...
and
HERE for those already traded or pending trade (reserved).
If you are interested in a trade...drop a note here
or Flickr mail me the info.

Have a restful and "put together" Cactus Monday all!

"The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious."
~Marcus Aurelius

"400 Sun Songs..."

...and glorious droplets light paint a joyful feeling in my heart

on this my 400th blog post.

I dedicate this post to my late mother-in law...

Lillian Mae...

who would have celebrated her 89th birthday this very day.

We all know she is singing in heaven tonight!

“And in the end,

it's not the years in your life that count.

It's the life in your years.”
~ Abraham Lincoln

"...Life is oh so good..."

~Lillian Mae

February 2007

"Skywatch Friday...(#2)..."

This is the "skyview" looking west from my back patio...

A beautiful

and unseasonably cool day in Arizona's Valley of the Sun today-

Highs to reach only into low 90's...

Currently 86 degrees at 11:00am...cool and delightful outside!

Now, if this could only last all summer!

Enjoy your view of the sky

from wherever in the world you are today!

Touch it's magic!

(To view today's sky from all over the globe...click here! )

"Only from the heart can you touch the sky."
~Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Persian Poet and Mystic, 1207-1273

"Thankful Thursday...(#3)..."

Another week of special surprises and wonderful snail mail...! :)

...Presented by Fadwa in Dubai...
an artist, writer, and jewelry designer extraordinaire.

... Presented by Soulbrush in England...
who is currently "over the moon" in blogging joy and "Maggie-ness."
...A balmy tropical ATC trade with Lazzelle in Virginia...
What a glorious array of ATCs she has created! Pop over for a visit!
...A second trade...this time a 2 for 2...with Melody in Utah-
again, beautiful papers included as a fun extra...
I hope to hear from her soon on a third trade...fingers crossed.
And finally, yet another magical and wonderful "trade package"
from Marianne in the Netherlands.
(Simply click on images to enlarge and enjoy.
Click on highlighted names to visit individual artist's work!))

I want each of you to know
that
each precious bit of art that crosses my door...
each little comment you share on my blog...
each time you just silently pop in for a peek...
EACH OF THESE
is dear to me.
They are the magical "stuff" that makes me smile
deep inside
that place in my heart where my Muse lives.
Lately, she has been dancing
and leaping with
joy!

"Muses work all day long
and then at night get together and dance."
~Edgar Degas