Time is Drawing Near........

..... for you to sign up for a Fabulous trip to Orvieto, Italy with Tracie and me. If you have been thinking about accompanying us on the Adventure the time to add your name to the list is here. We have fun, excitement and artful experiences planned and would love to have you share time with us in this captivating part of the world.

This will be a small group so we will be able to share many experiences together. Tracie and I will be showing you how to create a memorable journal using finds from the local landscape such as; florals, foods, soil and other unique items. We will be showing you how to relive this experience through looking and feeling the adventure captured on each page of your journal.

Not only will you be creating a artful journal based on the natural surroundings but you will be learning to cook as only the Italians can, as well visiting the local vineyards and tasting the wines.















Sunsets will captivate you and the sunrises will fill your heart with anticipation of the day's adventure.

Please visit Adventures in Italy for the details on this trip. Once you have decided to join us you will become part of our group that shares the excitement and planning for this ....a spectacular adventure.

We would love to begin the new year spending time with you, our friend.

If you should have any questions please contact Bill and Kristin, Tracie or my. We look forward to planning this trip with you.

MY CHRISTMAS WISH

Each year Christmas has a special meaning for me. Not only is it the day to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but it signifies a new beginning. I always have special memories from the year gone by and This, the Blessed Day, reminds me how precious each moment is. It gives me joy as I look forward to the new year that I will be sharing with family and friends.

I especially love this time of year as my family gathers together sharing fun and laughter and building memories that will last each of us a lifetime.

Tracie shared a Christmas poem and asked if each of us had one to share....here is mine:

Christ was born today to give us hope and joy, as
Heavens rang with songs of love.
Remembering all the moments
I have shared filled with
Special friends and loved ones dear..
Time, that while it is now past..lives in
Memories that gave me strength
And happiness forever in my heart...
Savor the moments and cherish the memories.



My Wish for each of you is that you, too, will Savor the Moments and Cherish the Memories!

Winter's Bitter Greeting

The wind is blowing wildly
And a chill is in the air.

A quilt of snow is everywhere
Covering the earth as gently as a mother covers her child.

White is the color seen from my window
Except for tiny specks of black peeking at me.

I hear a small chirp as the birds anxiously wait
For me to sprinkle seeds atop the snow.

As I enter the door into my house
I hear a sweet song of thanks.

A smile comes across my face
And a warm feeling enriches my heart and soul.

The small gift is appreciated by both the bird and myself.

No Pictures Just Words

Well, today I am home recovering from having a bone graft on my lower left jaw. The past year or so I have had a lot of pain in the area and kept telling myself if was just an ear ache. But when I had my dental checkup and the dentist did an x-ray he said something was going on with the bone. He sent me to a Periodontist who said I had some infection in the bone.

So yesterday I went to have the area treated. The bone area was like a sponge so the Doc had to cut out the bad bone and build it back with some kind of cement stuff. It was the pits getting it done but I can say that I am happy it is over and I am on the mend.

After a restless night last night and a pain pill every 3-4 hours I feel much better today. My dear husband took good care of me last night.

I am hoping that now I can get back to my artwork and get some things done around the house. Of course, it will be a week or so before I can get those things accomplished but it is great to have this behind me. I was dreading the whole procedure and wish I could say it wasn't as bad as I thought - but I can't- It was the pits!

In about a week I will get the stitches out and then I am sure I can say "It is better now!"

Thanks to my family and friends for all the kind words and thought! I cherish each of you!

Have a great weekend!

Marylin

Winter's Arrival

When I awoke this morning Winter greeted me with a lovely soft blanket of snow. The ground was wearing a silky white gown and the trees swayed in the breeze. It was a beautiful sight to see as the sun began to peek over the horizon.








Wind of the North,
Wind of the Norland snows,
Wind of the winnowed skies, and sharp, clear stars,
Blow cold and keen across the naked hills,
And crisp the lowland pools with crystal films,
And blur the casement squares with glittering ice.......

Charles Henry Luders

ThanksGiving

(Picture is copyright of isccharger on flicker)

ThanksGiving, a special day for giving thanks.

I am:

Thankful for the family that surrounds me with love...

Thankful for the friends that show they care...

Thankful for a country where I am free to express myself...
Religiously, Educationally, Verbally, Artistically,Emotionally, Politically, and Spiritually..

Thankful for the time I share with those around me...

Thankful for the beauty in the world...

Thankful for the experiences I have every day...

Thankful that life has led me down the path that has put me where I am today..

Thankful that everyday gives I have an opportunity to see the sunrise, the sunset, the moon and the stars...

Thankful for small simple gifts that life gives me every each day...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ON THIS SPECIAL DAY OF THANKS

Nature Gathered October Challenge

Here is the piece I completed for the October challenge of the Nature Gathered Group.
It is constructed of fiberfusion and I have painted it.

I loved doing this piece and I saw the perfect poem right after I completed the artwork. How timely was that?

Thought I would share it with you, my friends.



Title: Notes of the Empy Nest



The birds of the forest are calling for thee,
And the shades and the glades are lonely;
Summer is there with her blossoms fair,
And you are absent only,
No bird that nests in the green-wood tree,
But sighs to greet you and kiss you,
all the violets yearn for your safe return,
But most of all I miss you.
Harry B. Smith

The Dream IS Within Your Grasp.....

While looking at the WONDERFUL brochure about Orvieto, Italy I have fallen in love with this quaint and picturesque village. What a ROMANTIC and ARTISTIC adventure to ponder as I dream of the experience that lay ahead.







DEPOSTION is a beautiful marble sculpture created by Ippolito Acalza and dates to 1579. What details and OH, how it has survived the passage of time. I can hardly believe I will stand close to it and observe it's beauty first hand.









The Renaissance cloister of S. Glovanni church founded in the year 900 then was rebuilt at the turn of the 17th century. WOW! I have only dreamed of seeing this timeless beauty close up.











The senic view of the this BEAUTIFUL and CAPTIVATING village where art abounds and creativity is felt in every breath. I can hardly wait to watch the sunrise and sunset surround each structure with a colorful glow.




Tracie Lyn and I are planning a nonconventional journal class for our students. We want them to capture the surroundings in a way that will continue to remind them of the fun and excitement of walking the enchanting streets of Orvieto. We plan to show how to incorporate the botanicals and other elements available into a journal filled with memories of a time with friends whose talents and creativity come together in a place where the greatest of past artists also gathered and created.

We would LOVE to have you join us on the FANTASTIC journey! It will be time to go before we know it so if you are thinking about going please contact Kirstin and Bill for the details. You will be traveling and creating with friends so this is a GREAT opportunity to see Italy in a way you would not see it on an ordinary trip. This experience is planned with the creative soul in mind.

PLEASE PLAN TO JOIN US!!!

Getting Ready for ArtFiber Fest

Getting ready for ArtFiber Fest has been a lot of fun. I have spent many hours creating away in my studio.




This is the pin cushion for the swap. Very serious little guy is keeping a quiet watch over me as I prepare for the trip to Port Townsend.















Next I started working on the plushy swap. Making these little octopi for the plushy swap has made me laugh during the entire process.



As each one was created it seemed to be watching me making the rest of its friends. They look so angry that I can't stop laughing everytime I look at them.




I gave Tracie hers and she,too, says she laughs everytime she looks at that angry little face. I hope that each person in our plushy swap has has much joy with these little ones as I have had.

Artful Experience!!!

Teaching classes is something I dearly love! And the students are BEYOND terrific! The artful experience of Art & Soul was again filled with the LOVE of SHARING, HUGS from FRIENDS, and every breathe fresh from CREATIVITY!

Each class, every moment is a memory that I have lived over and over since my returned home.

Tracie and I began this adventure with teaching the Painted Nature Fabrics. Each student created a most BEAUTIFUL piece...filled with color and unique creativity! Tracie has the pictures for this class on her blog, so please visit and gaze at these treasures!

Next we taught the Yummy Fused Papers. The students were eager to learn and the results speak for themselves. The bookmarks and tags were made using pressed botanicals from my garden. The gift wrap papers are just BEAUTIFUL also! Wouldn't you love to get a present wrapped in these?!!

Here are some of the LOVELY creations these ladies did on Thursday evening:









































Friday began with a meeting of our Nature Gathered group. Jan Harris, Andrew Borloz, Paula McNamee, Bee Shay, Cynthia Mooney, Tracie and I loved the "coffee" talk" and planning for our future creations. I feel so humbled to be in the group with these talented artists.




Friday....Tracie, Jan Harris and I went to visit Katherine Dunn at Apifera Farm. What a TRULY LOVING lady! She is as giving and kind as her blog reflects! We loved seeing her studio where she creates and then the walk out to see the animals was FANTASTIC! These captivating creatures see Katherine and they come running! She loves each one and you can sure see the love is reprocated. Here are a couple of pictures we took with Katherine......





















Later on Friday evening we taught the Lusious Layered Fusion Fabric class. The classroom was filled with talented artists eager to begin creating these BEAUTIFUL fabrics....










Sadly Saturday morning we had to return. My day job as a Medicare manager required that I return to those daily duties, however, the memories, fun times, new and old friendship have a SPECIAL place in my heart!