Thankful Thursday: Abundance

I honestly am lost for words sometimes.

I don't even know how to describe how blown away I am by the deep friendships I have made on this blog.

My mailbox was brimming today with more gifts from dear friends, old and new.

The top drawing is a postcard Marianne's son Felix drew for us. On the back is the sweetest message for all of us to get better soon and that we are close in his heart.♥ 

He also told our dog Emma that she is one of the nicest dogs and he loves her!

That is one special boy, let me tell you.

We love you Felix! We will see you again.

  

In the same package was this ATC made by Marianne wishing me a Rainbow Day!

She also included a CD by Alisha Keyes!

And this beautiful ATC was in the package too!

Hummingbirds have a special meaning to our friendship.

She also sent a "Leo" bookmark from Egypt I believe. It's made from papyrus.

And then...

She painted this picture to cheer me up. Well, it made me cry!! But it was a happy cry.

This is a picture of our cat Bliss that Marianne took when she visited.

This touched me more than you'll ever know, especially after nearly losing her last week.

This painting will be framed soon and will hang in the living room where the photo was taken. Marianne, you are so very special to me. I love you♥

Thank you so much for everything!

Next we move on to sweet Lori. All I did was mention that I loved the banner she made for her daughter Hannah and sure enough one showed up in my mailbox not long after!

I was beyond touched by her kindness and generosity.

This will have a place of honor in the guest bedroom which is done in a vintage style. It will be perfect there. 

Here's her signature ♥ card with the sweetest note on the back.

And another view of the assortment of fabrics.

Thank you, dear Lori. Your heart knows no bounds.♥

I finally got to meet Suki at KJ's YART this year. It was a short but meaningful meeting.

Suki came bearing bags of gifts for all of the bloggers!

Here we have her wonderful Peace card, a pretty umbrella photo card, a magnet from New hampshire and a lovely porcelain ♥ from Annie, the Blissful Bohemian, and a felted bear she bought at a craft fair.

Suki also gave me two of her handmade books and a handmade card. The pictures don't do them justice! The colors and textures are delicious, truly!

I hope to fill this purple one with ravens and then perhaps have a blog giveaway!

Thank you Suki. I love all of these thoughtful gifts and I'm thrilled we finally got to hug for real! Hopefully there will be more visits.

~Namaste~

xo♥

And last but not least, this wonderful "Raven Queen" print came today with a plush cat I ordered from Pam at Yoborobo.

I love this!! It is SO Lolo!

I'm not showing Vernon the cat because he's wrapped so nicely and I'm shipping him to Canada. Trust me, he's adorable!

Thank you Pam, new friend and talented artist.

♥xoxo♥  

I hope I haven't forgotten anyone. I get so many gifts and I don't always have time to make a post. If I have forgotten any of you I apologize. I love every card, letter and gift that graces my mailbox and my life.

Thank you for your friendship, all of you.

xo

Lolo

Thankful Thursday: Tinker's Talent

I have a dear friend in California who is an amazing artist and jeweler. For years she has spoiled me with many gifts on my birthday, this year being no exception.

Besides all the other things she sent, I just want to showcase what she made for me.

This beautiful necklace with a bluebird pendant delicately crafted with the softest colored green stones and fresh water pearls. My photography doesn't do it justice. Please click the photos to enlarge them.

The amazingly delicate acorn earrings were made by her but given to me by another dear friend that I miss, Gloria♥

I wore everything as a set yesterday and I felt special!

I really miss my California girls! ♥

Catherine also sent me this bird dish made by her talented friend, Sandy Kreyer. Maybe some of you are already lucky enough to have some of her things in a collection.

Each piece, every flower, leaf and color is handpainted on her potter's wheel!

I have four things made by her now, three of them given to me from Catherine, The Tinker's Daughter.

Here are the links to their Etsy shops. Stop by and feast your eyes and say hello!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TinkerBelleDesign

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SandyKreyer

I'm grateful for friends, near and far, young and old.

And I'm grateful to have so many things made and given with love.♥

Thankful Thursday: My Morning Walk

Today I'm keeping my post short and sweet.

I woke up to the most glorious, crisp fresh air and wispy clouds which made for a perfect walk. I thought I'd share a bit of my view with you today.

I'm thankful for the hint of Autumn in the air. It has put the spring back in my step!

Here are a few more pictures of this morning's walk.

 

I hope your day is as lovely as mine is turning out to be ♥

A Tardy Thankful Thursday

I can't believe how late I am in posting these wonderful gifts from the past few weeks. Forgive me!

This postcard was painted by Cris in Oregon and it arrived as a total surprise to me!

Most of you know that I'm a raving raven fanatic and I often feature them in my work. To receive one as a gift really touches me.
Thank you Cris. I love him!!

I'm afraid these next 2 photos are a bit blurry and yellow. I apologize. The lighting in here is bad sometimes and even worse with a flash!

Marianne sent this vinyl pouch made from recycled materials with pictures of world stamps. The envelope comes pre-addressed to "My Darling Planet Earth."

Imagine my surprise when I opened it to find 2 wonderful notecards and my gorgeous 'yoga' atc from our exchange, but also...

 

...the stamps she has been collecting from her mail from all over the world! She knows I use them in my collages so she sent them to me. How sweet! And there's also some money from Hong Kong in case I want to go shopping there ;)

Some of these stamps are unbelievable, like that huge one on top from Malaysia!

Thank you M...you spoil me rotten!!♥

And finally we have this beautiful package from Caroline in Malaysia.

Here is a close-up of the hand painted envelope...so pretty!!

We all know Caroline loves red poppies! I think these may be from some paper napkins I sent her, collaged on and then embellished.

And look at all this stuff!! A beautiful fabric fan, so much appreciated in this heat and humidity!!

She also sent me one of her lovely hand made sketchbooks which I plan to do something special in to share at a later date.

And there are some tiny gift tags to match the Asian theme and LOOK!!! She had the same idea and sent me postage stamps too. These are all birds. (I see a bird theme coming up in the sketchbook.) And this stunning feather~the irridescence is unbelievable. I tried to capture it but I failed.

She doesn't remember what or where the feather came from~possibly England, possibly a duck!!

What beautiful, thoughtful gifts from three special ladies.

Please be sure to visit them to see more of their work.

Thank you, my friends. ♥ I'm a lucky girl!

Thankful Thursday: A Bird and A Bowl

I have no idea who linked me to this generous lady's blog, but I was the lucky recipient of this wonderful cut-paper bird giveaway! I had totally forgotten I had entered. I just love it and will frame it for the guest bedroom. Thank you Norma!

Many of you know I had the pleasure of stopping by Mim's house last Sunday.

The meeting was short but sweet, each of us having to dash off in different directions.

It was so wonderful to see her beautiful home and the wonderful spaces and places she has to create her amazing art. And I saw original Miss Ems!! It really is something being in another artists space, especially if it's one you adore ;)♥

On my way out she handed me a gift wrapped in the most luscious, colorful textured paper. She said it was for my birthday "whenever it is!" Too funny.

I handed her lilies from my yard which looked pretty sad by the time I got there :P

Anyway...This is what I saw in the box! A handmade paper bowl with a bird's nest (real) and egg.

I had been lusting after this bowl ever since she posted it and I kept checking to see if she listed it on Etsy. Nope. But now it's mine!

Look at the stars on the inside....love them.

ooops, too dark!!!

This is a little better. I wish I could get a clearer picture to show off the colors. Maybe if you enlarge it you'll see the wonderful details!

I absolutely love this bowl.♥

As if that wasn't enough, she included these three ATC's. She said the last one reminds her on my dog, Emma, although Em would really be the size of his head! When she visited me over the winter she and Emma hit it right off. That's not usually how it goes with my little ankle-biter!

I really love these atc's and all the time put into them.

Thank you Mim!! Now I can get to you with my eyes closed :)

(Did I mention I was over an hour late which is why our time was cut short? Um, well, I was lost because I programmed my GPS wrong! Hey, I was born a blonde.) 

Another Thankful Thursday with so many good things to share, one of them being friendship.♥

xoxo

lolo

Thankful Thursday: Full Plate

A couple of weeks ago (I'm so behind) my good friend Joss sent me this inspirational magnet.

She knew I was trying to find more time to be creative. She always tunes into me:)

Thanks, dear friend. I look at this every day!♥

A new friend Martha passed this award along to me. Thanks Martha!

Please check out her blog to see her wonderful drawings and paintings. She's also an animal lover and a dog trainer at Petco!

For those of you who have given me awards in the past you know what I'm going to say.

Please help yourselves to this one!! You are all beautiful bloggers to me ;)♥

Teri sent me a sweet card with my ABC/atc "U is for Undies"  in it as well as this extra atc of sweet pink flowers. The front of the pop-up card says "You're Special!"

Thanks Teri! So are you :)♥

Please check out our abc blog here. It's fun to see how our minds work!

This very pretty postcard arrived from our traveling friend, Marianne. What delicate orchids.

It's nice to be thought of no matter where we are. Thank you Marianne! ♥

I have a new friend in the Netherlands now, Marja, introduced to me by Marianne!

Marja lives part of the time in a beautiful part of France. Check out her blog for stunning photos of her Rhodesian Ridgeback, Beaudor as well as shots of her homes.

She recently posted that she was going to Edinburgh for a short trip with her husband. I mentioned my Grandfather was born there and the next thing you know I got these gifts in the mail from her yesterday along with a beautiful card.

There is a small book of Favourite Scottish Recipes. Most of them are bizarre, but some of them sound intriguing and I remember my mother making versions of them.

Here's one I chose for my sweet-toothed pals!

And then there's this HILARIOUS book from 1913 titled "Don'ts For Wives."

You just KNOW Renee is howling over this!

Here's a snippet....

"Don't grudge your husband his little luxuries~his cigarettes, or his pipes or his books.

Who has a better right to them than the man who earns them?"

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I told you this is hilarious!

And look at the little wine bottle kimono she bought in Hong Kong with Marianne!

Beaudor (her dog) was hoping it would fit Emma so she could model for him :P

Thank you Marja!! These are very thoughtful gifts. ♥

Remember when I painted a mural for my friend while she was in Arizona?

She brought back this wonderful original painting on home made paper. I just love it!

And last but not least, this wonderful book was in today's mail from Suki with a sweet little note sending me blessings as I continue getting settled in . She said if I read nothing else, at least read the chapter on the raven.

I can't wait to begin it and read the entire book. I love nature writing, especially if it's an area I'm familiar with. I have a feeling this will remind me of "The Gift From The Sea."

Thank you Suki, that was so thoughtful of you. ♥

Whew, that's a lot to be thankful for!

Love and blessings to all of you. xoxo

Thankful Thursday: Smatterings

This week I'm starting with gratitude at home. My landlord asked if I had any use for this counter. I knew right away it would be perfect for the studio so I could have a place to sit with friends and draw or paint. I recently bought comfy stools in chili-pepper red (not shown here) and they give the studio a little pizzaz! Come on over!

Here's the view from the dining room doorway.

I have to tell you I'm in the studio all the time. I just love it and feel very lucky to have stumbled upon this place after the first fiasco we lived in. Things happen for a reason!

This is my memory board where I keep treasures from all of you. I have to constantly change it because I can't fit everything on it!

Right now it has things from the following friends: Soulbrush, Renee, Marianne, KJ, Mim, Teri C, Debra Kay, and Lynn. Can you find your art? (click to enlarge)

Beieve me, all of you who have ever given me anything has been represented here and will be again. Thanks so much!

Many of you recognize this beauty by Marianne! She sent it to me recently with my amazing letter "P" from our abc/atc swap. I can't show it yet because it's not time. Besides, I don't usually show things from the other blogs I participate in on this blog. 

I probably should because not everyone goes to the other places.

Thank you Marianne! You know I love this dragonfly in my colors ;) ♥ 

I was lucky to get a popsicle stick bookmark from Teri C! She even put crows on it. And she also sent me this cute puppy! I love his wonky ears! Thanks Teri! I love them. ♥

 And finally, Miss KJ sent this Easter raven to me from Babs etsy shop! It was a real surprise! It hangs from my paper storage cabinet which is right where I can see it all the time. Thanks KJ! You're always so thoughtful and generous! ♥

One last note, I entered 3 paintings in a local art guild show which I recently became a member of. Not one of them was accepted! Funny, they raved about my work when I posted it on their site, but for some reason none of them were selected.

That doesn't make me feel too welcome. Still, I'll continue to paint in this wonderful studio and have my own damn shows! ;)

Today I'll pick up my rejected works and hold my head high and thank them for their consideration. It's a tight knit group there. I'm sure no one knew my name and that was that. As long as I know who I am, that's what matters ♥

Thankful Thursday: Mellow Yellow

This post has taken a turn from my original plans. I was going to post some goodies I was lucky to receive from some of you wonderful ladies, but now that I opened my mail not fifteen minutes ago I knew I had to make this post about Renee.

I promised myself to always keep fresh yellow flowers in my studio as a way of always having her spirit with me. Yellow was her favorite color and she adored fresh flowers.

So after putting the flowers in water I go to the mailbox and there's a package from Margaret at Waterblossoms. Most of you already know her and love her as I do.

She did a post about Renee (here) on March 15th. Margaret really picked up on the essence of Renee's spirit immediately and conveyed it beautifully in her post and in the beautiful ATC she painted.

Today, as part of the package she sent me is the original ATC and printouts of the post and all the comments and a beautiful card thanking me for introducing her to Renee.

This is the original ATC in all its glory. It's a sight to behold in person, really.

Peg said that as she painted it it was as if she had a butterfly on her shoulder telling her muse what to do, line by line, brushful by brushful. She went on to write,

"It sang of renewal and light and rebirth...it sang of the lessons I personally gleaned from Renee...it sang of a free spirit and serenity. This original belongs to you~I will have it no other way...thanks for sharing Renee with me!" Peg ♥

Thanks so much Peg. You have no idea how much that moved me.

This is the stunning card and envelope it came in. Sorry for the shadows, I was just trying to find some natural light and the kitchen was the only sunny spot.

More goodies from her (and more shadows!)

This wonderful tin box really intrigued me. I opened it up and saw a string hanging out which contained this little pink package with a tag that read: "Handmade bookmark~I use mine in my sketchbook. The beads on yours reminded me of your clarity and focus and spirituality. Notice one bead is for your life in California too!"

I wish the pictures were better, but I think you get the idea of the beauty!

And look what was inside the box besides the little bookmark. Another stunning ATC of one of her amazing hearts. This one is called 'Rhapsody in Blue.'

It reads : Thinking of you and the love and positive energy you give to all. Thanks for your insights and freshness. I always feel a warm wave of serenity from your art." 

Ditto Ms. Margaret (Peg) Waterblossom! ♥♥♥

Here is the stunning original!

And here is a wonderful ATC print that was in the butterfly card saying "May your artistic muse continue to flourish and grow in this season of renewal."

I can tell you it flourishes because of all of you and your continued support ;)

On a closing note, KJ is putting together a chapbook of what Renee meant to all of us. If you'd like to know more about it and would like to be included no matter how briefly you knew her, please let KJ know on her blog. The book is "Renee's Book of Love."

I haven't been too well for some time now and one of the gifts Renee gave to me is when she said she wished she had taken better care of herself. I've heard those words from so many people, myself included, but it was just lip-service. This time I heard them loud and clear and decided to do what it takes to get back in the race and be healthy. I've had a lot of tests lately, some results are not so great but I can turn all of it around.

I'm on a good pace and I'm not looking back. I'm looking ahead to at least 40 more years!

In her dying words she gave me the gift of life. Maybe because I was ready. Or maybe I was just waiting for the right messenger. Either way, I'm on my way to good health and I'm grateful.

Please run over to KJ's!! Thank you, and lots of love from me. xoxo ♥