Discover Italy in the Fall.......

by joining Tracie and me on a FABULOUS Adventure.

Every day spent in Italy is one filled with new discoveries and this coming fall will be no exception. We will enjoy an architectural tour of historic building styles evident in nearly every street in Orvieto. This will offer a rare look at the vast layers hiding beneath many common sites in town. Layers of history will be revealed before your eyes. You will see Estrucan sites from 600 BC that were eventually taken over by the Romans. Elaborate mosaic floors in excellent condition will enable you to imagine what a Roman temple may have been like. Christians followed and took parts and pieces of this historic past then reconstructed a church, adding even more layers. Feeling and seeing this historical site will make a vivid impression on you for years to come.



Orvieto is a welcoming town with an architectural style than can only be absorbed through the experience of being there, touching and smelling the air.


Gardens and ancient walkways will capture your heart and senses. The plants growing freely on the landscape will present a visual delight.


Shopping at the market provides a discover of lucious foods and wines to enjoy. This will be experienced as we cook and eat the Italian way.


Tracie and I invite you to enjoy and discover with us on our Adventure In Italy this September. Visit Kirstin and Bill Steiner's website for all the details. Space is limited to enable the experience to be one of personal one-on-one learning and quaintness. I encourage you to not wait to get signed up for this experience.

See you in Italy!

My Heart Was Touched By An Angel......

when I received an unexpected phone call from an acquaintance.

As many of you know my mother passed two years ago the day after Thanksgiving. Well, yesterday I received a very unexpected phone call from one of her friends. I only met this friend a couple of times but I knew my mom thought a lot of her and truly valued their friendship. Her name is Norma.

She called me to let me know that she had been thinking of me and knew that the holidays were a difficult time for me. She wanted to let me know that she missed mom also. She shared some of the good times they had together with friends shopping, playing board games and bingo. She told me how my mom was always thoughtful and giving to those she knew were less fortunate than her or those who had no one. My mom would always make sure they got some little something for Christmas. One part that touched me deeply is that I knew my mom truly cared about others....especially children.

When I hung up the phone with tears welling in my eyes I said a "Thank You" to God as I needed that phone call. Norma was correct I do miss my mom a lot during the holidays and Norma is the Angel that touched my heart and I could see why mom called her "Friend"!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas Family and Friends!


Thinking of all of you and the blessing you bestow on me by being there for me, giving me strength and love.

Days fly quickly for time waits for no one and every day is a precious gift.

As we celebrate the birth of the Christ Child and focus on the love and peace He brought to the world, please take time to call a friend or loved one.

I will be celebrating this Blessed of Days with family as will most of you. Many will not.

Remember those who are alone.
Remember the soldiers far from home.
Give thanks for all that you have
And remember those who have less.
Pray for peace.

Give those you love an extra hug and tell them how much you love and value them!

Merry Christmas to All and to All Peace, Goodwill and Love!

Marylin

Books on Sale at Cloth Paper Scissors

Cloth Paper Scissors is offering 10% off on featured books. L
K Ludwig's book, Collaborative Art Journals,(where I have work along with an inner-view featured) and Tracie's new book, Nature Inspired are two of the books.

I am thrilled to have work relating to the INchie Swaps I host included in LK's book.

Tracie's book is full of fabulous artwork, detailed instructions and photos. It is a beautiful book and a MUST for your reference library!















CHECK THEM OUT AT CLOTH PAPER SCISSORS

OFFICE TURKEYS

Last night I searched through my studio to see if there were any items that could be used to create turkeys. As I looked at all the ephemera that was lying about I couldn't begin to guess how the items would be assembled to create the turkeys that would decorate the office.

With bags of "turkey makin's" in hand I headed to work anxious to see the creative genius that was sleeping in the minds of the audit staff. Today was the day to make turkeys from the pumpkins and gourds and various other items from my studio. These fabulous creations came to be from gluing silk flowers, leaves, pipe cleaners, beads, paper, and other miscellaneous onto the pumpkins and gourds.

What a GREAT group of artistic talented people I have the pleasure of working beside.

Couldn't wait to share as the turkeys are so cute and unique.

AUTUMN

What with a glory goes and comes the year!
The buds of spring, those beautiful barbingers
Of sunny skies and cloudless times, enjoy
Life's newness, and earth's garniture spread out;
And when the silver habit of the clouds
Comes down upon the Autumn sun, and with
A sober gladness the old year takes up
His bright inheritance of golden fruits,
A pomp and pageant fill the splendid scene......

(excerpt from AUTUMN by Longfellow)

With autumn in the air and the color of the trees beginning to fade to make way for winter's white blanket I created this wall hanging. It colors are brilliant like autumn's painted landscape.

The sunflower is painted on a transparency so that when hung the sunlight can shine through it or when hung on a wall the color of the wall creates an added hue.

BLOG WINNER

Ann Bell is the lucky winner of my blog drawing.

Please visit Ann's FABULOUS blog to see her work. She is a very talented painter!

CONGRATULATIONS, ANN!!!

Please see the information on the upper right of my blog regarding giveaways and do visit ofter!

COME JOIN US ON THIS FABULOUS ADVENTURE

This is an invitation for you to join Tracie and me on a memorable trip to Italy. Next September 2010 we will embark on a most wonderful journey to Orvieto where we will record our moments in special one-of-a-kind journal. We will share secrets for bringing the cherished experiences and the breathtaking surroundings of this ancient Italian hilltop town to life through paint, collage, and journal entries. The result is stunning "art pages" imbued with the colors and textures of Orvieto, as well as new found skills for use in future journals.

You will learn how to take photographs and turn them into your own work of art to cherish and enjoy. The techiques will enable you to keep a record of the natural beauty that surround Orvieto. Distressing fabric will be taught so you can add an "old" unique look to the journal.



Lovely architecture and gardens will capture your heart as you spend the day enjoying a trip among the local inhabitants of this romantic and captivating town.



Your heart will whisper "Thank you for this gift of beauty to myself!"

Vist Kristin and Bill's site, Adventures in Italy, for the details. And Please contact them, Tracie or me if you have questions.

Wheggies for Art and Soul - Portland

I have been working away in my studio creating for the Art & Soul vendor show. Decided to make a few of my Wheggie ornaments. These are figments from my imagination based on adventures I have been creating for a couple of years now. Following the pictures on this post I have included a brief description of what the Wheggies are all about.

As I stitched heads, wings, tiny bodies and dresses I am always touched by the meaning of the Wheggies and wanted to share that with you. Each of these small creatures represent a loving and giving way to share in the caring and nurturing world around us. Their tiny stature, only about 5 inches tall, contains a large heart!

This is the group of Wheggies that are waiting to be packaged carefully for their adventure to Art & Soul and, perhaps, a new home with one of you.














Closeup of the "Sand dollar Wheggie" hoping to move closer to the ocean than I live. She is seeking a home with the smell and feel of the sea.



















Meet the Wheggie that found a lovely piece of Vintage jewelry in hopes of finding the owner or someone who will love the piece an cherish it.







Packaged and ready to go: (I am only bringing 12 Wheggies as that is all I could get assembled.)






Here is a brief synopsis of the Wheggie Adventures and what the Wheggies are all about:

In all the land that is near, Wheggies scurry about spreading joy, happiness, beauty, and love. Wheggies are small angel fairies present everywhere. They are various colors and no two look alike. Individuality plays an important part in the role of a Wheggie with its name being indicative of the work it performs. Each instinctively knows its purpose and immediately pursues its daily tasks with vigor and purity of heart.

While all humans enjoy the fruits of Wheggies’ labor, rarely are they aware of the Wheggies’ presence. Often the only time a human will experience awareness of a Wheggie’s presence is when a slight touch is felt but nothing is seen ...or when a gentle drop of moisture falls unexplained upon the cheek. The slight touch that tickles the skin is a Wheggie’s wing brushing gently as it swishes past. The moisture drop is the gentle kiss of a Wheggie.

Words cannot describe the feelings of joy and happiness within a human that the loving, caring nature of a Wheggie creates. The love of a Wheggie is “felt”.. not seen or touched. The love of a Wheggie rests within the heart.

Some Wheggies go about their daily tasks during the day while others work under the cover of the darkness of night. Regardless of when it works, a Wheggie always sleeps in a willow tree beside a babbling brook. During the nighttime hours the leaves of the willow surrounds the sleeping Wheggie like a curtain of moonbeams..... And as the Wheggies of the night sleep during the daylight hours the willow creates a gentle curtain of shade protecting them from the bright sunlight.

From time to time humans lose pieces of treasured jewelry that go unfound no matter how diligent the search. When a Wheggie discovers a lost treasure it places the cherished gem in its hair or on its garment. It is considered the ultimate act of love to rescue a lost gem. The Wheggie wears the gem forever with pride and joy.

As a Wheggie flies swiftly about the land, the fullness of its hair creates a breeze that blows gently to assist the bees and other insects as they move about. The hair is a distinguishing mark of a Wheggie and flows about like a soft cloud floating in the sky. The Wheggie’s garment, hair and wings reflect the colors surrounding it as it works, thus enabling it to blend with the environment and remain unseen. The gem it wears reflects sunbeams creating a prism of color. Clouds capture the colors then transform them into a beautiful rainbow following a gentle rain.

So, as you smell the sweetness of a breeze, see a beautiful flower, or admire the twinkle of a star, think about all the Wheggies working in harmony and synchronized in the feelings of love. Don’t brush away the tickle felt on your arm...... Don’t wipe away the gentle drop of moisture on your cheek..... Instead, smile and enjoy the warmness in your heart as you have been touched or kissed by a Wheggie as it passed closely by you.

Art and Soul - Portland

I discovered an old pattern from 1978 for fun little rope dolls so I decided to attempt them. This is the result...fun and whimsical little 8 inch dolls with wild hair. These were so much fun that I had to share and figured I should bring to Art and Soul for vendor night















What a cute little gift for a special little girl or the "little girl" in you!



Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Then, you will also be entered into the drawing for the September prize!

Well, back to creating for vending at Art & Soul!

AUGUST VISITOR WINNER

Well, I have always believed in "better late than never" and this post is surely a testimony to that belief. My sincere apologies to my dear and wonderful readers and commentors. I am so late with posting the August winner for the prize. No excuse... just can say life has interfered with my blogging lately.

The winner is "paperbird" and if she will send me her snail mail address I will mail the prize. There is a print of Monet's "The Water-Lily Pond", Vintage pictures and buttons, one of my fused papers, one of my fused fabrics and an altered notebook. I hope you enjoy this small appreciation for visiting my blog.













Please see the upper right had of my blog regarding my monthly drawings. I will be doing a special drawing in December for those who have been an faithful follower during this year.

THANKS Paperbird for visiting!

Art Unraveled and Sharing Time with Friends!

Spent last week at FABULOUS Art Unraveled! It was a time for creating where an atmosphere of talent and friendships filled the air. Linda, Chuck, Lori and all the other helpers made this an event to remember.




Started with an evening event for "Meet The Artists". Once the table was ready and the doors opened many friendly faces and smiles greeted me and warmed my heart. Hugs and sharing stories since last we met, students and friends surrounded me enjoying the time to visit and reminiscing on memories of times shared.

The next morning it was time to teach a class on the "Painted Nature Pendent". This was a great beginning for the week of teaching classes. The students were eager to learn, loaded with talent..... anxious to share laughter and fun for the day. Here are the BEAUTIFUL results! WOW! Tracie and I are so proud!

Thursday began relaxing at breakfast followed by a meeting with the INchie Divas so I could give them the journal I had made each of them.









We headed out to do some shopping and ended up at Mystic Paper! What a store!



Kim and Jennifer are terrific! The store is AMAZING!




Around the top of the store are vintage photos of their families. CAPTIVATING! Love this store. If you get to Phoenix it is well worth a trip for shopping.















After dinner it was time for the "Petite Painted Portrait" class. This class was ready to spend the evening creating and showed up to class with a lot of enthusiasm. As the evening progressed we watched these talented artists create a collection of BEAUTIFUL tiny works of art! Look for yourselves!

Friday came and we took the day slow. Didn't have a class until evening so we visited a couple of places in Phoenix then went to have lunch with friends. Visited with friends the rest of the afternoon before getting ready to teach our evening class. As students arrived they were anxious to begin creating and the results of the class speaks for itself. Look at the "Petite Vintage Journals" created by these wonderful artists!

As we hugged students, friends, Linda and all her crew we bid them a fond farewell until next year.

We were leaving quite early on Saturday to return to our midwestern homes.

Sad to be leaving our friends yet excited because my middle son was returning from Afghanistan an hour after Tracie and I would arrive home! The ending to a fun filled week!

See My Work At.......

For the past year I have participated in a monthly art collaborative creating a themed piece of artwork. Now our group's work will be on display at the Sixth Street Gallery in Vancouver, WA.

You are invited to view our original pieces as they will be on display for the month of August. Pieces will be sold during the gallery show or after the show at our blog Nature Gathered

Art Unraveled

I will be teaching at Art Unraveled this next week. This will be a fun filled week in Phoenix, AZ hosted by Linda Young.

I hosted an INchie Swap and will be meeting many new friends and renewing friendships with old friends I haven't seen for a while.

Here is a sneak preview of the INchie made by the members of the swap.



Goodies for me from the INchie Divas!!!























AND My Gift to the INchie Divas!!!



There is still room Tracie and my classes so I hope you will join us for a creative fun day at Art Unraveled.

July Drawing Winner

Patty Wolvington is the winner for the July drawing! Congratulations Patty and THANK YOU for visiting my blog!
I will deliver your journal to you in week or so. Am heading to Art Unraveled for a week but will get the journal to you once I return!

To see how to win a prize on my blog Please click the link on the upper right of the screen. It will detail how to be a winner!

Come With Us On An Adventure in Italy

A Typical Day


So you are thinking about joining us on our trip to Orvieto. What will a typical day be like? It will be a mix of artistic expression and cultural exploration. You will learn and eat and play and explore and simply enjoy!





You will awake to a peaceful quiet, perhaps punctuated by bells out in the city. Each room has its own bathroom in which to prepare for the day. Descend the stairs for breakfast in a room sporting 15th century frescoes. Cheese, fruit, cereal, coffee, bread – a Continental breakfast greets you.



From there it is to the classroom for a morning of exploration and learning. We might be in class or you might be out on an assignment, an excursion in which you explore a bit of the city. We will gather for lunch with any spouses and friends who have joined us on the trip, comparing notes on our morning. Good food is a given, whether we picnic with food we have bought or go to a very local restaurant.






We'll have a bit of quiet time after lunch. Some of us may nap, some explore the city, some get into the studio to do a little work on our project.
Then, later in the afternoon, we will head out on a cultural adventure, exploring the Italian way of life, the things that make Italy and Orvieto so intriguing and appealing.



An olive oil and wine tasting in a space inhabited by Etruscans, a cooking class where we make pasta and other goodies, a visit to a vineyard where we get to sample local wines, a look at the incredible cathedral, or Etruscan history, or medieval architecture.




Sated with culture we will enjoy one of Orvieto's many wonderful restaurants. Whether for pizza which is indescribably wonderful, or a traditional multi-course meal, we will eat well. Then back to the quiet of our B&B, maybe grabbing a gelatto to enjoy along the way.

Mmm, I'm looking forward to more tomorrow!

There is limited space for accompanying ua on this fabulous adventure so I hope you will visit Adventures in Italy and sign up. We will have fun, excitement and a cultural experience you will remember for a lifetime.

Tracie Lyn and I look forward to sharing this time with you.

Thinking of a Friend

I have a friend who is ill so I wanted to send her a little something to let her know I was thinking of her. Put together this notebook for her to carry in her bag or lay by her bedside. It is a small notebook 3x5 inches so is a good size to carry.

Using fabric scraps from fabrics I created I covered the front and back. Trimmed with bits of lace, ribbons and yarns then lined the insides of the covers with pieces of a printed fabric.




Fun and easy way to create a small gift from the heart!





I will be creating one of these on a larger scale for the July monthly giveaway. Please click the link on the upper right of my blog for the details. All you need to do is leave comments on my blog and you might be the winner!

Cassie is Home!

We got to bring our precious Cassie Kitty home today. She has improved much but still needs to eat more. We are so very happy to have her home again.

She has wandered through the entire house.....every room...every special place she likes to lay and.....the screened in porch where she likes to watch the birds.



"Look Mom. See my boo boo. This is where Doc Ron stuck me with a needle. It hurt!"

Cassie held her little paw up for the pic.


I will miss her in my studio but never as much as I was missing her this past couple of weeks. I am so VERY grateful that she is on the mend.

THANKS to ALL of you who have sent me messages of good wishes and asking how Cassie was doing! I APPRECIATE ALL of you, my FRIENDS!!!

Hugs!

June's Winner Announced

I am happy to announce that Summerset Banks is the winner for the June drawing. I will be mailing her the great packet of goodies.

THANKS Summerset! For visiting my blog and leaving a comment. Please visit frequently.

For all you faithful visitors please don't forget to leave a comment each time you visit so you, too can be eligible to win a monthly prize and be entered in the drawing for the grand prize in December. It will be a very personalized and special gift!

Details can be read by clicking the link on the upper right of my blog page!

Side note: I always send a little surprise along with the drawing prize.

I will be posting a picture of the prize for the month of July soon!