"A Tisket...A Tasket..."

...A hand woven cactus basket!

(Just another little Illinois treasure craving some

bloggy world limelight.)

Happy Cactus Monday all!

"A-tisket a-tasket
A green and yellow basket
I sent a letter to my love
And on the way I dropped it.

I dropped it, I dropped it
Yes, On the way I dropped it
A little girlie picked it up
And put it in her pocket.

She was truckin' on down the avenue,
Without a single thing to do
She was peck-peck-peckin all around
When she spied it on the ground
She took it she took it
my little yellow basket
And if she doesn't bring it back
I think that I shall die.

(Was it brown?) no, no,no, no,
(Was it red?) no, no,no, no,
(Was it blue?) no, no,no, no,
Just a little yellow basket."

~Late 19th century American Nursery rhyme

"Wrapped..."

in a wreath of red roses...

is another card in my Sacred Heart Milagros ATC series.

This one is drawn to

celebrate the Illustration Friday theme : "Wrapped."

It is posted this day in loving memory

of Jan and Diane

two of my sorority sisters and dear friends from college...

the news of their passing

just reaching me this weekend.

“My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God

wrapped around us,

and will know in our hearts

that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him.”
~Billy Graham

" A Zentangled Saturday..."

...and an Illustration Friday...all combined into one!

This piece is entitled "Cellular"

and was designed for the Zentangle swap at

Illustrated ATCs.

Illustration Friday Theme: "Magnify"

"You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills."

~Jim Rohn

"Thankful Thursday...(#10)..."

My holiday in Illinois began two weeks ago with a splash of color

when these delightful painted daisies

greeted me

sent from Teri in Wisconsin.

How serendipitous it was too that they arrived on Blooming Tuesday

and that they were the first piece of mail received in Illinois.

...Then our A/C went berserk, yadda yadda yadda,

and the rest is history...

Sorry for this really late post Teri...:)

(BTW...Since I have no photo editing software here on my laptop...

be sure to click on each image to enlarge for detail...

No cropping available at this end...Waa! Waa!)

This unique zentangle triptych was part of a 3:3 trade made

with Katie in Alaska.

It is a real stand out...what a beautiful composition!

I met Katie through the Illustrated ATC group.

This is our second trade!

I can't wait to get back into the swing of drawing and trading...

So much to do...So little time!
I know...

All in good time...:)

"Wordless Wednesday...(#10)..."

"Going All Girly Girl..."

...with my Bitty Blossoms

for a

Happy Blooming Tuesday!

“I don't want to be stinky poo poo girl, I want to be happy flower child.”
~Drew Barrymore

"Desert Melodies..."

...keep a callin' my name...Mmmm:)

Happy Cactus Monday from the land of tall beautiful corn!

"A melody is not merely something you can hum."
~Aaron Copland

"Coifed in Copper..."

...Heart #6 in my Sacred Heart Milagros ATC Series.

Soft and warm...worn with time...
she is
painted by nature
in glowing shades of verdigris.

"The world is an old woman,
and mistakes any gilt farthing for a gold coin;
whereby being often cheated,
she will thenceforth trust nothing but the common copper."
~Thomas Carlyle

"Searching For Zen..."

...in a Midwest Illinois world of humidity...

a broken air conditioning system...

furniture moving...

carpet stretching and cleaning...

downsizing...

prehistoric appliances...

and readjusting to life outside of my desert environment.

Whew!

But...relief has finally come

disguised in

refreshing rainfalls...

invigorating and breezy cool air...

a brand spankin' new A/C unit...

my return to art...

and time to breathe and enjoy it all....Ahhhhhh!

This is one card, entitled "Primordial",

of a 6 card series for the zentangle swap

at Illustrated ATCs.

"Smile, breathe and go slowly."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

"Out of the Night..."

...and into the day...fully revealed!

Confirmation has been received from overseas

that

Bitty Blossoms #3

has been signed, sealed and delivered to Marianne

in the Netherlands. :)

Happy Blooming Tuesday All!

"If you reveal your secrets to the wind

you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees."
~Kahlil Gibran

"Night Blooming Cereus..."

...One of my all time favorite cactus loves!!!

This card now resides with Cheryl

in the state of Utah!

Happy Cactus Monday all...

Be sure to enjoy one of your favorite loves this day! :)

"A Teensey Tiny Heart..."

with a whole lot of soul...

my Sacred Heart #5 in the Milagros collection.

(Actual heart dimensions: a bit shy of 2 inches square)

"Every single life only becomes great

when the individual sets upon a goal or goals

which they really believe in,

which they can really commit themselves to,

and which they can put their

whole heart and soul

into."
~Brian Tracy

"Thankful Thursday...(#8)..."

As of this past Monday noon

these are the treasures which arrived in my mailbox this week...

First, a perky patriotic quilted card from Jodie in Texas...

The stitches on it at so very pretty and so well done.

A wonderful addition to my collection!

(Click on any image to enlarge to see details.)

Then another western cowgirl ATC,

all blinged out,

arrived here on the desert scene

sent from Cheryl in Utah.

Entitled "These boots were made for walking"

she strolled in all fancy like and made herself right at home...

she even brought along some lovely little paper goodies.

What fun!

And finally, this beautiful monarch from Angela in Minnesota

joyfully fluttered into my heart

the nano second I laid eyes on her...

What exquisite color and design...so luscious and yummy...

an exceptional painting!

Thanks so very much everyone for your lovely trades!

Just a short note:

Since I am away on holiday

several of your cards arriving after Monday will not be posted until

after I return...I apologize for this

as I know it personally

makes me so very nervous

wondering if the cards I sent have landed safely.

I am sending positive thoughts and vibes

into the postal stratosphere...

keeping fingers and toes crossed that treasures land right

where they are supposed to.

:)

"Almost Wordless Wednesday...(#9)..."

...back in Illinois for a bit! Ahhhh!

"A Night Vision..."

...of Bitty Blossoms #3...

her "daylight" twin has already winged her way across the Atlantic

and is hopefully awaiting the happy homecoming of a

blogging friend away on holiday.

(Fingers and toes crossed...)

Likewise,

as I wing my way eastward in the predawn hours of this day to

the green, green grass of my midwest home

I say "adios" to my desert palette

for just a wee bit...and

anxiously await the vibrancy of lush Illinois late summer blooms.

(Fingers and toes crossed...)

Have yourself a

"Happy Blooming Tuesday"

...no matter what color palette hits your fancy! :)

"The greatest masterpieces were once only pigments on a palette."

~Author Unknown

"An Aerial Perspective..."

...it's all a matter of how you view things...:)

Happy Cactus Monday to you...How ever you may be

taking in your view of life today,

may it be filled with

wonder!

"You must look within for value, but must look beyond for perspective."
~Denis Waitley

Another Shimmery...

...and shiny Sacred Heart Milagros Sunday!

#4 in the series...

Enjoy...but beware of the thorns...:)

"Life is thickly sown with thorns,

and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them.

The longer we dwell on our misfortunes,

the greater is their power

to harm us."
~Voltaire

"Thankful Thursday...(#8)..."

The week was started off with this lovely card

from Cynthia in Kansas,

She is a member of Illustrated ATCs...a group I recently joined.

The card is called "Assimilation" and she spoke to me

the minute I saw her.

The colors are so soothing and serene...

and the imagery is awesome!

Then, from Marianne in the Netherlands...
a sweet little cactus ATC and another ATC card with gold leaf...
stunning...so was the fabulous color of her note card!
(Click on any image to enlarge for details..well worth it...)
From Katie, in Alaska, also a member of Illustrated ATCs,
this luscious piece entitled "After Hiroshige".
It is made with ink, marker, and colored pencil...
The colors here are so scrumptious and delicate...mmmmm!

Katie designs beautiful zentangles also!

A surprise envelope from Anna in Germany arrived next...
Anna does not speak or write in English...
and my German is below minimal...
but ART is a universal language...well understood by all.
These cards are beautiful...
and are all made of cloth with intricate top stitching...so sweet!

From Deb in the U.K. came some wonderful cowgirls...
Ye HAW!
I just love them...and have even started a collection of them.
These have nice layers and embossed stamping...
and again they called out my name!
(After all, like many, I wanted to grow up and be Annie Oakley
when I was a kid!!! )

These two beautiful sunsets come from John in the U.K.
He makes all kinds of cards...
including watercolors.
My favorites are his trees silhouetted against the sky.
Such nice atmosphere painted here!

These sensational pieces came from Joss (a.k.a. "Soulbrush")
also from the in U.K.
I adore her African pieces...aren't they simply a joy?
So much love here!:)
Notice the inchies, too...No, I have not succumbed to these...
Never! LOL :)

From Jen (a.k.a. L'angelbleu) came this powerful pomegranate.
You should see it in real life...WOW!
She is also a member of Illustrated ATCs...and a "tatoo medicine fairy."
She requested I make a pomegranate for her in exchange...
I will post it here after I am sure she receives it.
(Remember my journal spread of various poms?
Well, this trade was what is was for.)
Click here to check out her shop "Sanctuary Tatoo" in Maine...:)
From Margreet in the Netherlands
came this amazing example of her phenomenal paper cutting expertise...
You can check out her spectacular handiwork HERE...
totally worth a visit!
Her designs are complex...her work impeccable!
The postcard is from the area of the Netherlands where she lives...
Don't you just love these colors???

Okay...I admit it...I am a Marianne groupie...:)
Another piece from Marianne arrived this week...
How does she manage all that she does!!!
It is stunning in detail..and fabulously rich in color and design.
Of course, there is that extra little sparkle on it that
Marianne does so well!

I made another trade with Melody in Utah...
She had a whole series of these bass cards...
each one more clever than the next...
also to accompany my fish were some beautiful papers...
...always a fun treat. :)

From Outi in Finland came "Sir Rhino".
I fell in love with him at first sight!
Outi is also a member of Illustrated ATCs.
I look forward to many more trades in the future...
Her style is so unique and full of visual impact.
Sir Rhino is currently spending time getting acquainted
with his new ATC buddies
in my collection. :)

This little gem came from Cheryl in Utah...
It is so beautiful and elegant. I love the simplicity of the
composition...it really fits the image well.
Her cards go as quickly as she can make them...Whew!

And last, but not least...
this lovely collection of goodies is from Angela in Minnesota...
Angie is also a member of Illustrated ATCs...
actually,
we both were accepted for membership about two weeks apart.
What a small world!
Angie's cards are rich in color and layers of depth.
She even included a little extra piece made
while waiting for paint to dry!
Such treasures all!

I hope, that at some point, there is some time in your day
to visit each and every one of these
wonderful artists
and enjoy their work as much as I have.
I love discovering new things...it makes my artistic heart sing.
Hope your heart sings as well...
Enjoy!

"Those who wish to sing always find a song."
~Proverb

"Wordless Wednesday...(#8)..."

(Click on any image to enlarge...)

"Remembering Switzerland..."

...Hiking above Grindelwald,

solo...

the cool crisp mountain air swells in my lungs

with each joyful breath...in and out.

Rays from a potent alpine sun sear my face and legs

yet gently warm my heart and soul...

I feel so very much "at home"...so serene and at peace

and so totally in "the moment"

simply

lying on a grassy alm surrounded by clusters of alpenrose

and

thoughts of fragile forget-me-nots.

I listen to the mountains speak...and I think and wonder...

Ancient cow bells clang lazily in the distance...

and muffled voices and faraway song

mull around in my mind

as my head rests propped up on my backpack pillow.

Snow peaked mountain sentinels...wise with time

surround me.

A vast and glorious azure sky is canopied over my head.

Each tenderly yet protectively

keeps watch over my little universe

and

blankets me in sweet, sweet dreams.

Mmmm...

in remembering Switzerland...

there is oooh, so very much

to cherish...for a lifetime of forevers.

...Click HERE for a photo taken that day...:)

Happy "Blooming Tuesday"...

May many pleasant memories blossom for you this day.

"Mi Casa Es Su Casa..."

...come on over for an artful afternoon...

but let's make it in the winter

when the weather starts behaving in a more friendly manner...

...112 degrees today...Whew!

Have a cool Cactus Monday All!

"Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."
~Christian Morganstern

"Every Rose..."

...has its thorns...

Sacred Heart Milagros Series...#3