Sunday, October 31, 2010

"No Tricks...Only Treats..."

...especially of the ATC variety. :)
(Click on photo to enlarge for detail...)
There is a major Art-athon taking place this weekend
These are several of the pumpkin themed cards
I made yesterday...
with more to add to the collection today.
I will post the cards I receive
at a later date.
Right now I am pretty much "pumpkined out"!
Happy, Happy Halloween
to those of you who celebrate it...
and a special Happy Pumpkin Festival weekend
to my good friends back in Sycamore.
Have the time of your life...
Miss you!

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin...
and have it all to myself...
than be crowded on a velvet cushion."
~Henry David Thoreau

Friday, October 29, 2010

"Skywatch Friday..."

A solitary wing...
found soaring over my head
in the western skies
near the White Tank Mountains in Arizona.

See other Skywatch Friday photos here.

“Don't wait for someone
to take you under their wing.
Find a good wing and climb up underneath it.”
~Frank C. Bucaro

Thursday, October 28, 2010

"Forever Stampin' Love..."

...in case you haven't seen these yet...
they are the new "Forever" stamp just issued days ago
and now currently
available at your local U.S. Postal office.
Whee... I love new stamps!!!
:)

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

"A Soulful Mirror..."

"The eye
sees a thing more clearly in dreams
than the imagination awake."
~
Leonardo da Vinci

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

"Black and Orange Blossoms..."

...a Pumpkin Squash mandala...
...and a funky Halloween bloom...
both
decked out in their seasonal costumes
all ready for treats...no tricks...:)!
Happy Halloween week Blooming Tuesday All! :)

Monday, October 25, 2010

"A Pumpkinized Cactus..."

...perfect for kicking off Halloween Week...:)
Have a Happy Cactus Monday All!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

" 'Tis Day One..."

...for me
of yet another sensationally fabulous
"trip around the sun."
YAY! ♥ :)

"Because time itself is like a spiral,
something special happens
on your birthday each year:
The same energy
that God invested in you at birth
is present once again."
~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Thursday, October 21, 2010

"Lisa's Labor of Love..."

...landed smack dab in my heart
late this summer.
After making a long distance postal trip
from Indiana to Arizona
this special gift was then forwarded
to Illinois where I was in August and September.
What a complete surprise!
You can only begin to imagine
the wonderful joy this little handmade treasure
brought...
the best part of which was a thank you call to Lisa.
What a special moment it was indeed
to be able hear her voice
and
to connect with her person to person.
We have all intertwined
our lives deeply...both personally and artistically
through this magical world of
blogging...
but it is until we actually meet...
either in person or over the phone that
some magic happens...on a most special level.
I treasure this beautiful journal
and
the thoughtfulness which brought it to my heart.
Every page I turn...every stroke I pen...
every memory I create in it
will be tied back to the skillful hands and
most generous and loving heart
of our dear Lisa.
So much to be thankful for...:)
"...a good friend is a connection to life-
a tie to the past,
a road to the future,
the key to sanity in a totally insane world.”
~Lois Wyse

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

"How About..."

...another autumnal heart?
This one is
draped in rich brown suede...(cowgirl style)
and is
all blinged out with a pair of
"flirty-girly"
copper colored cactus flowers.
She rises,
full of energy and curiosity,
in the rosy dawn of another beautiful
Arizona desert morning...:)
Hmmm...
What will this day bring???
Have a "Happy Blooming Tuesday" all! :)

“Slow buds the pink dawn
like a rose
from out night's gray and cloudy sheath;
softly and still it grows and grows,
petal by petal, leaf by leaf.”
~Susan Coolidge

Monday, October 18, 2010

"Canyonland Autumn..."

Here's hoping that the temps this next week will
become a bit more fall-like and cool
here in the desert!
Happy Cactus Monday All! :)
And
in a personal note to JGL:
The Arizona canyons are calling your name!!! :)

Should you shield the canyons
from the windstorms you would never see
the true beauty of their
carvings.”
~
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

"Heart of the Canyon..."

I post this card
in the wee hours of the morning today
as a tribute to honor
the brave Chilean miners
being successfully rescued this very hour.
What a miracle.
These next anxiety filled hours and days
will be a test of all that is
good in mankind.
I send wishes of happiness and joy and peace
from here
in the desert valley of Arizona
to Camp Hope...high in the Chilean desert...
to the loyal and loving families of the trapped miners
and along with it
my deepest appreciation
to the problem solvers...their heroic rescuers.

Hope is the dream of a soul awake.
~
French Proverb

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

"A Seeded Autumnal Heart..."


...It seems to me
that most people in the northern hemisphere
really enjoy Autumn.
Personally...
it is my most favorite season
of them all.
So...
in celebration of this glorious time of year
I have put a "heart into my art"
and designed several
seasonal pieces with which to
share my love.
Enjoy them all.
I just had to digitally flip this one for old time's sake...:)
Happy Bloomin' Tuesday!

"This very moment is a seed
from which
the flowers of tomorrow's happiness grow."
~Margaret Lindsey

Sunday, October 10, 2010

"Amazing Artisits...Amazing Trades..."

...From Myrthe in the Netherlands...
a beautiful and demure Oriental woman
in a traditional hat...
...A "Menopause Goddess"...
complete with hot flashes
created just for me...from Ang in Canada...
...a hauntingly beautiful
"Protector of Deer" from Lindsay in the U.K....
...From Sabrina in Canada...
a sassy gal who loves her exquisite jewelry...
... An absolutely gorgeous alluring mermaid
and
a wide-eyed sweet jester
from Connie in Michigan...
...A spectacular botanical collage...
complete with multiple complex layers
and topped off with a crackle finish
from Kati in California...
...Fabulous bead work and intricate stitching
and quilting
from Denise in Utah...
...a really fun and funky tattooed chick from
Bob in Texas...
Two spectacular eyes...simply magical to look at...
from Monika in Lithuania...
A joyous tree of light from Robin in Wisconsin...
...A sweet little man in the moon
from Ardith in Alabama...
... A lavishly graphic and intricate floral design
from Erika in Canada...
A energy filled spirit flower and elegant Nautilus shell
from Kathy in Nevada...
..A precious and powerful earth guardian
from Cathy in Vermont...
...A surprise zentangle
potpourri of goodies from Sandra in Oregon...... A sweet tiny tidal pool origami piece
from Carey in California...
...A solitary crow...
made with a hand carved stamp...
from Randi in Tennessee...
...Two teency tiny lovebirds
nested in a bed of intricately designed golden leaves
from Alina in Canada...
... A powerful and soulful Spirit Seeker
from Kathy in Nevada...
...and lastly
a trio of delicate and expressive tree limbs
with beautiful patterned backgrounds
from Nicole in Ohio.
I have been truly blessed to have not only crossed
paths with each of these talented artists...
but to also have in my collection
pieces of their beautiful work.
I know this has been quite a lengthy post...
but I hope you have enjoyed
at least peeking into the creative talents
of some wonderful souls.
Possibly, when time allows,
you might come back and click on their names and
travel to their personal galleries
for even more
delightful eye candy!
No tricks...just treats... I promise you!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

"Such Is Life..."


...sometimes we run as hot as a pistol...
seemingly unstoppable.
Then, out of the blue,
we suddenly screech to an abrupt halt
turning as cold as ice.
Sometimes we see things
perfectly crystal clear as black and white...
other times
they are hazy, foggy, and muddled gray.
I am currently
artistically suffering from a major dose of
procrastination...
trying to catch up "bloggywise"
with unfinished Illinois travel journal pages,
posting results of massive ATC swaps,
and
keeping up with Moleskine exchange intensities.
All in all it is a classic case of
"over-doing-it-ness".
I am ever eager to draw and lavishly paint...
I feel really great about that...
but
just like this drawing in my zen journal
curving its way across the page from thick to thin
I think I am doing the same.
I am running thin
on blogging energy these days...
but yet
moving ever forward to those "thick times"
when my blogging pages will be filled
once again
with artistic goodies.
As they say..."Such is Life..."
Well...enough said...
it's back to the old drawing board...
with
sincere promises to hit the old keyboard
again soon! :)
Many thanks...as always
for your visit!