Saturday, July 31, 2010

"Six Word Saturday..."

Monsoonal conflict...
churning and bubbling within.

See other Six Word Saturdays here...:)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

"Celebration...X's Three...!"

Special birthday wishes are sent with love today
to three lovely summer blossoms:
Our twin nieces...Joya and Jillian...age 8...
and Scott's granddaughter...
Lexi...age 7.
What a sweet little trio...Hugs and kisses girls!
XOXOXO

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

"Blooming Batiks..."

...for day wear...
...or a night time rendezvous...:)
Happy Blooming Tuesday!

Monday, July 26, 2010

"Have it YOUR Way...:)..."

...A Stylized Cactus Flower...
all dressed up in fancy tooled leather-
perfect for a night "out on the town" boot skootin'...
...or, the same flower
all dressed down...in comfy threadbare denim-
just right for a lazy summer day at home.
Which ever suits your fancy...
have a super great "dressed up or down"
Cactus Monday y'all!
;)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

"Six Word Saturday..."

"Monsoonal Palette"
...such artistically Divine brushstrokes!

See other "Six Word Saturdays" HERE...:)

Thursday, July 22, 2010

"Thursday Already?...More Mail Art!..."

...I begin today with a "Zinnia and Fern" from
Carolyn in Wisconsin...
...then, from Maria Clara in Spain
comes this black and white zentangle garden...
...from Sher-Minn in Malaysia
comes these three custom beauties..each featuring
"water blossoms"...
the first two forming a diptych.
(This is the second set made for me as the first set
was lost in the mail...
an enormously heartbreaking risk of trading art.)
...from Melody in Utah
comes a "Uni Corn"...in a wonderfully layered collage.
...from Anne in England...
a young girl with wings...and a smashing yellow collage
complete with a foreign postage stamp.
...and, lastly, from Erika in Canada...
a magnificent magnolia...she even sent along
the reference photo
she took of the flower just for fun!
(Be sure to click on any of these images to enlarge...
the details in these cards
are amazing!)
Indeed...
beautiful art from art filled spirits has once again
graced my desert mailbox.
I am truly thankful for the joy and smiles
each piece brings.
I am truly thankful also for each
and every one of
your continued individual blog visits...
whether they be regularly on a daily basis
or sporadic...
as time allows...the occasional "pop-in"
just to see "what's up".
It brings me such great joy
(and many smiles)
to belong to such a wonderful blogging community
of art enthusiasts!
For all this I am most thankful!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

"Off to Canada Now, eh?..."

Yep!
These seven little art pieces...
as of Saturday..
have flown with the wind to Canada
as my contribution to the
August 2010
Ink and Watercolor Swap at Illustrated ATCs.
I will be sure to post my returns...
Can't wait! :)

"To stay ahead,
you must have your next idea waiting in the wings."
~Rosabeth Moss Kanter

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

"A Bloomin' Heart..."

...for a "Happy Bloomin' Tuesday"!

To hide the key to your heart
is to risk forgetting where you placed it.”
~
Timothy Childers

Monday, July 19, 2010

"Just Chillin'..."

...and hoping that looking at this might cool me down.
Dang! It's HOT!!!
...115 degrees high here this past week...
...WITH humidity...
(cuz it's our so called "moonsoon" season now.)
Have a cool and refreshing
Cactus Monday all!
:)
PHOTO SOURCE: azcentral.com

“What dreadful hot weather we have!
It keeps me
in a continual state of inelegance”
~Jane Austen
(British Novelist and Writer, 1775-1817)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

"An Abundance of Artistic Mail..."

...Two soulful collages of beautiful elegant women
from Anne in England...
(And, as always, click on any image to enlarge
to see details...)
...Some lovely layered stamping and watercolor
from Karen in Indiana...
...A spectacular custom made geisha card
from Lori in Illinois...
...Two fabulous ladies one mysterious...one magical...
from Margaret in South Africa...
...more geisha ladies for my growing Asian collection
from Janet in Texas...
...two spectacular zentangles and two watercolor batiks
from Cindy Michele in Tennessee...
...A sparkly zen and a lofty mountain view with
a cool stitched border
from Veronica in Colorado...
...Multi layers of loveliness
using collage and illustration in two cards from
Amy in Wisconsin...
...A funky cool pink lady
(who actually reminds me of one of my neices)
from Lindsay in the U.K.......An perky origami grasshopper perched on bamboo
from Carey in California...
...Three rich Oriental collages from Marianne in Denmark...
And lastly...two delightfully sweet little collages
from Cheryl in Utah...:)
My! Oooooh MY!
I am so thankful for the beauty and the friendships
that art has brought into my life...
Each and every one of these artists
has a whole treasure trove of goodies awaiting
your perusal
by a mere click of your mouse.
I hope you have the time...if not I hope you have
enjoyed what has been posted.
Thanks for stopping by for a visit today...
Big smiles from me!! :)
I leave you with my favorite quotation,
which especially lately,
has proven to be my mantra:

“Art washes away from the soul
the dust
of everyday life.”
~
Pablo Picasso

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

"Heartfelt Words..."

“Breathe.
Let go.
And remind yourself
that this very moment is the only one
you know you have for sure.”
~Oprah Winfrey

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

"Midwest Blooming..."

There is something to be said about
experiencing
the change of seasons in the Midwest...
especially
when coming from a hot, dry,
summer-browned desert.
The vegetation we saw in Illinois these past weeks
was so dense and lush and vibrant
it actually hurt my eyes!
(Go figure...I think I must be color deprived!)
The corn...which traditionally they say is to be
"knee high by the 4th of July"...
rose in thick, proud, untassled rows
and
stood shoulder to head high
turning
gravel country roads into canyons rimmed
with nature's emerald bounty.
Actually, the fields
were so incredibly deep, deep green
my brother-in-law claimed they were almost blue!!!
No kidding...!
Wildflowers were blooming almost everywhere
they could take root.
Queen Anne's Lace held royal court
over clusters of sky blue chickory and thistles....
painting weedy roadside ditches
in colorful soft washes of floral beauty.
Mmmm...really nice.
Soooo...
inspired by all this bountiful blossoming
I have started
a series of summery floral heart ATCs.
My first one here is
inspired by the sturdy and joyful coneflower.
I post it today
in celebration of two birthdays
in my family...
my brother Mark in Illinois...
and my sister Susan here in Arizona...
both were born this very day
exactly
two years apart!
(They still claim to this day that they are twins.)
HAPPIEST of BIRTHDAYS
TO YOU BOTH!!!
May your day bloom with love and joy
and your hearts be
filled with sweet and special
memories.

Monday, July 12, 2010

"Agave and Friends..."

We are back home now...
adjusting to
the "new normal" that invariably follows
tragedy and loss.
Scott and I want thank each of you
for your prayers, cards, comments, and emails
of sympathy and condolence
regarding the passing of his father
"Ollie."
Your words and thoughts lighten our hearts.
Ollie, who was an artist and woodcrafter,
loved to watch me draw
especially during these last months.
As I look through my sketchbooks
filled with the many sketches I have yet to paint
fond memories
of him and our visits flood my mind.
At some point, when I feel ready, I will finish them...
and post them for you to see.
For now though...
I will keep them tucked away...
and
attempt to slowly work back into the
blogging universe
where
all of you wonderful artistic friends
make my spirit soar.

Happy Cactus Monday...Cherish the day...:)

"Today a new sun rises for me;
everything lives,
everything is animated,
everything seems to speak to me of my passion,
everything invites me to cherish it.”
~
Ninon de Lenclos

Friday, July 9, 2010

"Ollie and Me...May 2010..."

Orville Krahenbuhl 1917-2010

Orville "Ollie" Krahenbuhl, 92, of DeKalb, Ill.,
passed away Wednesday, June 23, 2010,
at DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center, DeKalb.
He was born July 8, 1917,
on a farm near Bristol, Ill.,
the eldest son
of John and Gertrude (Gittleson) Krahenbuhl.
He married his college sweetheart, Lillian,
on Sept. 19, 1942,
at Calvary Lutheran Church in rural Lee.
They were married for almost 65 years
before her death in 2007.
Ollie was a graduate of Rochelle High School, Class of 1937.
He also was a graduate
of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
Ollie, a three-sport star for Northern Illinois
from 1937-41
who was inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame
in 1985.
Krahenbuhl earned 11 letters in football,
men's basketball and baseball for the Huskies,
playing for
legendary Huskies' football head coach
George "Chick" Evans.
A fullback and punter for the
Northern Illinois football team,
Krahenbuhl was named
to the "Next 100" of the Huskies' All-Century Team.
He was a first team Little 19 Conference fullback
in 1938 and 1940,
helping the 1938 squad to its first Little 19 Conference title.
Krahenbuhl still owns
two of the longest punts in Northern Illinois history
as his 90-yard boot versus Illinois State
in the game that would decide the Little 19 title
stands as the second-longest punt in school history.
His punting was said to be a key factor
in the Huskies' 2-0 victory that day.
He added an 80-yard punt versus Central Michigan
in 1940
which ranks third on the all-time list.
The four Huskie football teams Krahenbuhl played on
posted a combined record of 20-8-5
and
never had a losing season.
"Ollie Krahenbuhl is the greatest punter I ever saw,"
Evans told the DeKalb Daily Chronicle
in 1968.
Krahenbuhl also earned
a Little 19 Conference Championship
on the basketball court as a member of the 1940-41
Huskie hoops team
under head coach Ralph McKinzie.
That squad won the league crown
with a 15-3 record
with Krahenbuhl serving as the team's co-captain.
In his three years as a basketball letter winner,
his NIU teams never had a losing season.
The 6-0 guard was named to
Northern Illinois' All-Century Basketball Team
in 2001.
Krahenbuhl was also a four-year letter winner
in baseball from 1938-41,
with the team's most successful season
during his tenure in 1940 with a 14-12 record.
Ollie served in the Navy and the Army in WW II.
Following the war,
he returned to the area and served as athletic director
and coached four varsity sports
at Harlem High School in Rockford
and was a coach and teacher at
Shabbona High and Malta High Schools
while also running his family farm
near Lee and Steward, Illinois.
An avid golfer,
he was a longtime member of Kishwaukee Country Club,
as well as the
American Legion and Rotary International.
He was a longtime member of Calvary Lutheran Church,
teaching Sunday School,
holding a position on its Administrative Board
and serving for many years as an usher.
He and his wife, Lillian,
traveled widely around the United States,
often on visits to or for activities involving their children and grandchildren.
They spent their winters in Arizona from 1981-2001.
He is survived by his five children,
Gary (Richey) Krahenbuhl of Tempe, Ariz.,
James (Jean) Krahenbuhl of Earp, Calif.,
Scott (Peg) Krahenbuhl of Surprise, Ariz.,
Debra (Jan) Hueber of Steward and
Doug (Sue) Krahenbuhl of Steamboat Springs, Colo.;
15 grandchildren;
16 great-grandchildren;
and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lillian;
his parents;
and his brother, Eugene.
An emergency flight to Illinois the evening of
June 22nd
landed us well after midnight
but
enabled us to see Ollie and be with him
in his last hours.
We felt very, very blessed.
Yesterday would have been Ollie's
93rd birthday.
We celebrated it with smiles and tears of joy
but also
with a big hole in our hearts.
I absolutely know he was smiling down on us
"with love from above".

"Perhaps they are not stars,
but rather openings in heaven where the love
of our lost ones
pours through and shines down upon us
to let us know they are happy."
~Eskimo Proverb