"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

"Two Buds Left..."

...nakedly leafless...trimmed down to the very nubs

and

currently propped up in a squatty bit of a

hand made vase.

Happily rescued from the inevitable

and

terminal fate of the rest of their

droopy headed sisters...

they now enjoy a fresh new life within

the bulging pages of my red

Hand.Book. journal.

Illustration Friday: "RESCUE"

"Rescue me...

Oh take me in your arms.

Rescue me...

I want your tender charms.

'Coz I'm lonely and I'm blue...

I need you...

and

your love too...

Come on and rescue me!"

~Sung by Aretha Franklin

"A Raven Landed..."

...in Arizona after flying cross country from the

gifted hand of Laurel.

And...

my heart went pitter-patter...thumpety-thump,

woohoo, woohoo!

A paper bag has never looked so good!

What an amazing journey.

xoxo

“The moments of happiness we enjoy

take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them,

but that they

seize us.”
~Ashley Montagu

"Cross Country Health Care..."

A bad cold and the sniffles started it all...

Then Lolo sent these tissues...all the way from Rhode Island...

...and my pens took it from there...to my Zen Journal...

...and then, um, a, er, well, that addictive mouse click
got the better of me again! :)
Ahhh...
Feeling and breathing much better now.
Thanks Laurel! :)

P.S. I have loads of art goodies
received over the holidays that I will be posting
during the next couple of days...
I haven't forgotten...I'm just having stubborn uploading
problems with my ol' computer...
I think it is losing its memory...seriously!
LOL :)

"Health is the greatest gift,
contentment the greatest wealth,
faithfulness
the best relationship."
~Buddha

"Thankful Thursday...(#18)..."

If "Luck Be a Lady"...
then I am one REALLY lucky lady...:)

Arriving from Malaysia and the artful hands of Caroline

was this intriguing package

complete with lovely exotic stamps

and beautifully wrapped...

And...inside was a gift I won in a drawing
held by Caroline for the opening of her Etsy shop...
...this gorgeous floral journal!
I plan to draw only exotic beautiful things in her!
I love it Caroline...Thanks so very much!

Then...from Laurel in Rhode Island
came this delightful Cactus Snowman Mirage ATC card!
There was even a special winter card made by Laurel
nestled in the envelope, too!
Laurel your imagination knows no boundaries!!
Thank you sooo much for this little surprise!

The card above then arrived from Sandra in Oregon...
we have traded several times now...
and plan to continue to do so...:)
It is made on special mulberry paper and
is really stunning.
Sandra has more zentangle art to see here...:)

I made this private 3:3 trade with Amy in Illinois...
I "met" her
at the Illustrated ATCs trading site...and
we decided to exchange Ancient Egyptian cards.
Amy's colored pencil work is flawless...
Be sure to click on the images to better admire the details...
Amy even sent a fourth card as an extra little
"something something"...:) Lucky Me!!
Mmmm! I am fascinated by these cards!
I think she would have been a master crafts person
in King Tutankhamen's court
for sure! :)
My last little treasure of the week
fluttered into my mailbox all the way from Virginia

and the deft paintbrush of Rebekah.

Rebekah is a member of Illustrated ATCs as well.

This was her first trade on this site.

I absolutely love the color palette she used here.

It is even more dazzling in real life...

as are they all.

Thank you each and every one
for this magnificent treasure trove
of delicious eye candy.
Many artistic muses gifted me royally this week. :)

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."
~Seneca, Roman Dramatist

"Thankful Thursday...(#13)..."

Whew! What a variety and assortment of art this week!
Just like the multicolored fall leaves

fluttering from the trees...

gorgeous art has again landed on my doorstep!

Above are the 6 cards

I received in the Zentangle ATC Swap

over at Illustrated ATCs.

In order from L-R top row: These cards are from

Kat, Angela, and Katie.

The bottom row are cards from:

Patti, Marta, and Livia.

(Be sure to click on each photo posted today to enlarge it

as there is a lot of detail in each grouping.)

Then yet another trade with Melody in Utah

brought this little Egyptian beauty

and wonderful trade goodies to accompany her.

The card so unusual as it is cut to the shape of the portrait.

I absolutely LOVE Ancient Egyptian art!

Then, from Yoon See in Malaysia

came this bountiful cultural packet of all sorts of treasures.

I love the commemorative stamp

and it gorgeous fan shaped folder to pieces.

Whew! Just look at all these goodies!
I am totally fascinated by each and every one.

Thank you so much Yoon See :)

Finally, A beautiful acrylic monotype card

entitled "Arctic Poppies"came

from Katie in Alaska.

(One of her zentangle cards is in the group photo above)

I have made several private trades with Katie

through the Illustrated ATCs group...

and each trade I make

with her is an artistic delight.

I hope you find yourself today surrounded by

artistic beauty of some type...
Fully drench yourself in this beautiful autumnal season!

"A Vintage Sunflower..."

...gifted to a wonderfully artistic friend in the fens of England.

Happy Blooming Tuesday! :)

"Every friend is to the other a sun, and a sunflower also.

He attracts and follows."
~Jean Paul Richter

"Thankful Thursday...(#3)..."

Another week of special surprises and wonderful snail mail...! :)

...Presented by Fadwa in Dubai...
an artist, writer, and jewelry designer extraordinaire.

... Presented by Soulbrush in England...
who is currently "over the moon" in blogging joy and "Maggie-ness."
...A balmy tropical ATC trade with Lazzelle in Virginia...
What a glorious array of ATCs she has created! Pop over for a visit!
...A second trade...this time a 2 for 2...with Melody in Utah-
again, beautiful papers included as a fun extra...
I hope to hear from her soon on a third trade...fingers crossed.
And finally, yet another magical and wonderful "trade package"
from Marianne in the Netherlands.
(Simply click on images to enlarge and enjoy.
Click on highlighted names to visit individual artist's work!))

I want each of you to know
that
each precious bit of art that crosses my door...
each little comment you share on my blog...
each time you just silently pop in for a peek...
EACH OF THESE
is dear to me.
They are the magical "stuff" that makes me smile
deep inside
that place in my heart where my Muse lives.
Lately, she has been dancing
and leaping with
joy!

"Muses work all day long
and then at night get together and dance."
~Edgar Degas

"A Thankful Thursday Post..."

...about some splendidly serendipitous surprises!

This beautiful collection of artwork came from

Marianne in the Netherlands...Queen of the Mandala...

and generous of heart!

It appeared last Friday...the day of my surgery...

arriving in my mailbox from all the way across the pond

to welcome me home!

And a beautiful close up below...(click on images to enlarge)

As you can see...

these cards are certainly all bejeweled and blingy...I LOVE them!

I traded my midnight lace card (above on the left) with Melody in Utah...

her trade ALSO arriving Friday, the day I got home!
Whew!

What a super treat to find that, in addition to her lovely "Love Birds" card,
were 5 blanks of the most gorgeous textured decorated paper ever!
OOOOH MY! You know I can't wait to do something fabulous with these!
What a clever idea to trade papers too...don't you think!?
I must admit all these art treasures shown above are quite a "catch"...!
But wait...There is MORE...!!!
Tuesday...I went to the doctor for my post "surgery" follow up"...
and...upon returning home...you guessed it...LOL :)...
this batch of artistic goodies arrived from Lynn in California.
What a way to be welcomed home AGAIN!!!
Lynn has the artistic touch for turning fabric, fibers, and thread
into sewn and quilted masterpieces...dancing with magic...
the backs of these are just as gorgeous as the fronts!

AHHHHHHHHHH!
Life is certainly good.
Many thanks for these "splendidly serendipitous surprises" All!
This artistic world of ours never ceases to amaze me!
Oooh...BTW...
Yesterday I posted 4 new ATCS for trade...FYI! LOL :)

"A great attitude does much more
than turn on the lights in our worlds;
it seems to magically connect us
to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities
that were somehow absent before the change.”
~Author Unknown

Zapped and Thankful!

Thanks for all your kinds words and thoughts...

I've taken up slacking for a bit.

I promise..really I do...that I will get back to blogging pronto.

I am beginning to see

the artistic light at the end of the tunnel...LOL :)

A happy "post blast" Blooming Tuesday to All!

“Politicians are people who,

when they see light at the end of the tunnel,

go out and buy some more tunnel.”
~John Quinton

"The Sky Rained Mail Today..."

...and created a multicolored rainbow of ATC delight!

...From Cris in Oregon...
...From Soulbrush in England...

...From Lynn in California...

...and from Teri in Wisconsin...

What an imaginative garden of artistic blooms!

Believe me...

I watered it well, too, with joyful tears upon opening each envelope!

Each card is simply spectacular in detail and

exquisitely joyful in color.

OOOOH MY!

I cannot even begin to tell you enough

how rich an experience it is for me to hold another's original art

in my very own hand...it energizes my spirit.

Thanks for sharing your JOY

dear ATC friends!

What a "Thankful Thursday" indeed!

Tomorrow morning

I head over to the hospital for a bit of out-patient "surgery"

...more specifically entitled a

"Left Extra Corporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy"

in which water, sound waves, anesthesia, and a bit of "voodoo magic"

will all combine to hopefully

smash my kidney stone to "smitherines"...

I am thinking of leaving my sketchbook home for this one...

But...one never knows what one will do...

...does one! :)

(Written while rather nervously LOL ...:)

“Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.”
~Melba Colgrove

"Partying in the Desert..."

Today

is my brother Jack's birthday!

(His wife, Sharon, celebrates her birthday later this week.)

The birthday card

Scott and I are giving them is shown above...front and back.

We found it in Tubac, Arizona on our recent trip.

I had no intention of embellishing it...

but my hand and colored pencils felt differently!

Our family...

Mom, Dad, Susan, David, Joya, Jillian

Sharon, Jack, Scott and I

are meeting for dinner at Grayhawk Golf Club tonight

to celebrate.

(Click on the link above to check out the place...it beautiful!)

This is the first adventure "out " for me

after "getting stoned" last week!

Can't wait! LOL :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK AND SHARON!!!

"Artful Gifts..."

...from across the pond

awaited me on my return from Tucson!

...From dear Soulbrush in London...

3 whimsical soul-filled African themed ATC cards

made for our trade...(click images to enlarge...check out the stamp!)

(Soul...yours will be flying from the desert soon!)

...and from Marianne in the Netherlands...

(a.k.a. "Queen of Mandalas")

two beautiful cards from her Etsy shop which I won

in a lucky draw by Felix...

...a very sweet note...an ATC card for our trade...

and a joyful mandala-filled bookmark!

Aren't I a lucky girl??? LOL :)

"Every gift from a friend is a wish for your happiness."
~Richard Bach

"SURPRISE...!!!..."

...hey there, "SISTA"!!!

...an award from the "Queen of Blogging Soul" herself...

Soulbrush in London...
WooHoo!!!...How fun is this???!!!

And then...arriving last Monday via "snail mail"...

...was a delightfully lovely Cactus Monday ATC surprise

( L*O*V*E !!!)

received from Laurel at Studio Lolo.

She individually designed a special little 'Somethin' something"

for each

tried and true Cactus Monday

participant!

Now I ask you...how cool is that!!!???!!!

“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them,

but that they seize us.”
~Ashley Montagu

"...Ain't Life Grand !???"

~Me

"What a Treat...!"

Coming all the way from Dubai...to the Valley of the Sun...

...my name "Peg" in Arabic...

along with some very humbling descriptors

written around it which translated read:

"artist, sensitive, humane, beautiful, creative."

This stunningly lovely and generous gift of calligraphic art

was beautifully written by

Fadwa....in Dubai.

Click here to visit her site...it is an inspirational delight!

I love her unique journal pages...and the way she

alters books to write stories.

She also designs gorgeous beaded jewelry...

and you can check that out here. :)

Thanks, again, Fadwa...I am on "cloud nine"!

Blogging is a unique way to share one's little corner of the world.

I think its richness and diversity makes each of us

better citizens of this planet.

I cherish the openness of hearts in our artistic blogging world.

There is a lot of beauty to see, and inspiration to find,

and fabulous people to meet

in this world...

and the best thing about it is that they are all simply

one little mouse click away!

"Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful,

for beauty is God's handwriting."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Happy Birthday Anita Davies...! "

Palo Verde blossoms,

Float through the sky

Quails flittering about

So quick and spry.

The cacti is in bloom...

spring air swirls all about,

That the desert is alive

there is absolutely no doubt.

In my heart are these wishes

from me sent to you...

Joy, Peace, and Happiness

in all that you do.

Now as I close

from across blue sea,

I send from the desert

A "Happy Birthday" to thee!

WooHoo! :)

Of Special Note:

I consider Anita Davies a special mentor.

I treasure her as a person and and applaud her as an artist.

She lights the end of my tunnels.

And,

On this day of her birth..I both celebrate her life

and thank her for all she does.

:)

A Sweet Little Succulent..."

...just a perfect little "something something"

to brighten your day!

Happy April to you!...No Fooling! ;)

"Spirit Blossom # 2...For Phyllis..."

Here are just two views of my latest "Spirit Blossom"... made for my friend Phyllis. The entire gourd's surface has been drawn upon...top...bottom...and all around the sides. More specifics and details about the design, the process, materials used, and the quotation can be found by linking here to my "Spirit Blossoms" blogspot. There are several more views to enjoy there as well.

I especially delighted in making this for my friend. It brought me alot of smiles. The quotation is one which has always had special meaning to me. Working with a natural object enhances the spiritual connection for me in my art...just like painting or drawing out of doors does. There is a special awareness of life, a peace in the heart, and an energizing of the spirit that results in doing something like this.

Oh, and did I forget to mention... it was alot of fun as well?! :)

This piece now sits is a special place in Phyllis's home where she can enjoy its simple beauty and be renewed by its serenity...and..I get to visit it whenever I want. ;)

"Woo Hoo!...It Arrived! ! ! ..."

I was so happy when the mail came yesterday I almost cried. Tucked in with the bills and the usual flyers was a small soft-padded envelope from the UK. My special token from the Pay It Forward exchange from Anita arrived...and special it was...just in time for spring. My gift is a TAB (Anita's term for her Tiny Art Books) and every part of it was created by Anita...I'd even believe it if someone told me the girl wove the ribbon herself...she is so amazing.

Anita Davies has truly been my guiding star on the jumbled road to blogdom. Her professional and sincere ways and her artistic enthusiasm has influenced me greatly. Our paths may have crossed by chance but her specialness will be in my heart always. I hope, in turn, I can do for someone else just starting out what Anita has done for me. She truly lives by the spirit of Pay It Forward.

P.S. There is still time to join in on the Pay It Forward campaign. Just follow this link for information if you are interested. Hope to be hearing from you! :)