Parting Post Addendum...

I never expected to be welcomed into this community of blogging like I have been. I hold you all dearly and I'm filled with gratitude for the friendship and love I get from you daily...  

I wish you all peace and joy and a year full of light...

Haiku my Heart... Parting Post 2010

Go wander the world

little girl in all your grace.

Find your blissful way.

DDD2010

Hope and Healing...

For Allegra...

Tuesday Tea on Wednesday...

I was going to post this yesterday, but went to visit family, who has cats... I am allergic to cats and when I got back I took more antihistamines and went to sleep.  I did have a wonderful time with cousins, my Auntie M and her new fiance (who is just delightful and will make her very happy) and my beloved Uncle Jay.  While there, my cousin Lynn shared her newest favorite tea with me.

It was wonderful and I had several cups! I will be getting some!  Anyway, last week, I bought the latest edition of Sew Somerset (my first)...

It has this lovely little stitched tea cup art quilt on the cover, so of course I had to get it.  But I also wanted to get it in preparation for this...

My Christmas present, which should arrive sometime this week!  I'm so excited!  More on it when it comes...

Hope you all had a wonderful Tea Tuesday and I'll try to be on time next week.  For more post from our little group, visit Kimmie's side bar to find us and see what we have to say.

Taking a break for the Holidays...

I'm going to take a break from blogging for a bit. I may show up at yours and leave a comment, but I won't be posting much, if any.  I would have done a Tuesday Tea post tonight, but have a major headache right now.  Anyway...

I wish you all a Wonderful Holiday Season and a Joyous New Year!

Rainy day...

I canceled out on the wine fest today because it's raining and will be all day...  So I guess all that Christmas stuff I made will be packed up for next year... or given away to friends and family.

Do you think these cinnamon tea sticks will keep for a year if I seal them up really tight? 

Altered journals...

Look what can be done with $1 bin spiral notebooks...

Not to shabby (or just shabby enough), if I do say so myself!  They will be for sale tomorrow at the wine fest and in my Etsy shop later (hopefully there won't be any left to post and I'll have to make more). 

Haiku my Heart Friday and Magpie 45...

(Photo provided by Magpie Tales)

She looked upon him,
her heart filled with love and awe...
for her Holy Child.
DDD2010

For more Friday Haiku visit Haiku my Heart.

Tuesday Tea...

I'm having Tazo Rest tea tonight. It is a blend of rose petals, valerian root and "citrusy" herbs.  It's very good and helps me sleep.  In the spirit of Tuesday Tea...

Here are a couple more orphan tea cups all ready to go to new homes...  Aren't they gorgeous?

Be sure to see what the other Tuesday Tea ladies are up to by visiting Kimmie's blog and looking for us on her sidebar.

What have I been up to?

Well you all know that I've been selling my creations at a biweekly wine fest. I made these last year for gifts and decided to make them to sell this year. 

As of today, I've sold all of them I made this year.  I've been making other Christmas ornaments too...

Like these fabric covered spheres... I bought a couple of fat quarters and ripped them into "ribbons" and used them to cover the styrofoam balls. 

Then I added the bows and jingle bells to the bottom... Rustic and cute huh?  And I have the left over "ribbon" to do something with later.

I also made these felt Christmas birds with jingle bells.  I didn't have any polyfill so I stuffed them with gauze.  They are hand sewn... since I don't have a sewing machine. Maybe I'll get one for Christmas!

Tuesday Tea...

My allergies have kicked in big time! So... tonight I'm drinking Tazo Calm... hoping that it will help me feel better. Anyway... remember my Orphan Tea Cup Adoption Program idea? Well... I implemented it Saturday at the Winery anniversary.

I had two lovely orphaned tea cups that I put up for adoption along with beaded heart shaped tea balls and a sample of custom tea from Tea for all Reasons.

A lovely lady adopted this one and took it to its new home...  Obviously, I still have more orphans for folks to open their hearts to...  But so far I think that my adoption program is a success!

Happy Tea Tuesday everyone and please visit our other participants at Kimmie's.  Look on her side bar for us!

Restocked Etsy Shop...

I've restocked my Etsy shop Pieces of D with various items...

including my Butterfly Conservatory Christmas Ornaments!

The Anniversary Wine Fest was fun!.  Didn't sell as much as I usually do, what with people out at malls and discount stores, not to mention it was kinda chilly.  But it's always a wonderful time... My friend Lois came and set up and my friends Boxer and Chrystie were there too... and we met some new vendor friends as well... It's always a great day under the oaks...  You should come out on Dec. 18 if you're in the neighborhood...

I'll post the link as a reminder before it rolls around.

My Art Journal Giveaway...

Don't forget about Diane's Blogaversity Giveaway!
I'd wish you good luck, but I want to win!

Little Christmas Birdies...

I've been wondering what to do with the orphaned tea cups I acquire...

Here are two that I turned into nests for little birdies... Aren't they adorable??? 

The little white cup with the gold rim is some sort of lustre ware... It is really offwhite with an iridescent glaze...

I used nests and mushroom birds from the craft store.  The moss is also from the craft store, but the lichens I collected from pine tree bark at my daughter's.  I also added glittered fern leaves for a little bling...

Tuesday Tea...

Saturday, my friend Lois made Russian Spiced Tea...

She had made a large batch of the dry mix and packaged it to sell...

She has the loveliest handwriting...

It's delicious, warm and very calming...
It tastes a bit like mulled cider, but there's nothing apple in it...

and it tastes even better in my little orphaned Nippon tea cup...

For more Tuesday Tea, visit Kimmie's sidebar...
Happy tea everyone...

Open House at Loieland...

Once a year between Thanksgiving and Christmas my friend Lois has an open house to sell her amazing creations.  She invites some of her creative friends to set up as well.  Then she promotes it on FaceBook and by word of mouth.  She makes sangria and this wonderful Russian spice tea to serve.

Lois had her creations set up all over her house, garage and yard.

Linda and I set up in the back yard. Linda makes beautiful wire wrapped jewelry with her own stunning lamp worked beads.  I'll feature some after the next wine fest, as she has decided to participate.  Lois is too!

It was a beautiful day of talking art and craft, drinking lovely concoctions, making new friends and just having a wonderful time... and selling some of my creations was icing on the cake!

I found these little guys (see the snails on the Magnolia cone?) while looking for "art supplies" under Lois' Magnolia tree...

Gratitude...

Yesterday, in America, was Thanksgiving. As always my daughter's home was filled with family and laughter and love.  4 year old Austin said a wonderful grace before our feast and both he and little sister Ansley fought naptime vigilantly... and won.  I'm so grateful for my family and times like these... for the love I have surrounding me.

I'm also grateful for you, my lovely blog friends... and for your lovely words and inspiration...
and for beautiful works of art like these...

I won these in Marie's giveaway at Lost Bird Studio.  Aren't they exquisite? I absolutely love them! Thank you so much!

Magpie 41

(photo provided by Willow)

She woke to the chime
feeling him breathe against her
feeling time stand still.
DDD2010

For more Magpie visit Magpie Tales

Time to catch up...

I've been all but absent in blogging the last couple of weeks. With traveling for work and beginning holiday shopping, getting ready for today's wine fest and Thanksgiving later this week, it's been quite hectic.

So now that I may have some time on my hands... I guess I should start those commission paintings, make ornaments to replenish my stock and catch up on my blog hopping!  Oh yeah, I've started a few altered bottles to finish too...  Anyway, I'm off to visit my favorite blogs... I feel like I've been away for ever...

Haiku my Heart Friday...

sitting quietly
listening to the night's breath
withholding my own
DDD2010

For more Friday haiku visit Rebecca

Taking Tuesday Tea Off....

Thanks so much for all the help I got from my last 2 posts.  Anyway, I'm packing to go out of town again and, to tell the truth, I'm just tired.  So, I'll see you all when I get back later in the week.  To my Tuesday Tea pals... I'll see you next Tuesday (or sooner).  Have a good week.

Can you read this now???

Is this better?

Can you read this???

I've had some complaints that some of you can't read my text because it is too dark.  I'm a bit perplexed, as on my computer it is against a white background.  Am I missing some setting to determine the color of the background?  I want to fix it... Any suggestions?

Haiku my Heart Friday...

Mother Earth...

(photo source forgotten)

She lies quietly...
holding us to her bosom...
hoping we save her...
DDD2010

I got this photo from one on my blog friends blogs. If it is yours please let me know so I can give you credit!

For more Friday haiku please visit  Haiku my Heart.

Tuesday Tea...

Another orphaned tea cup...

I think I should start an orphaned tea cup adoption agency...

Anyway... It's a lovely cup to drink my British Blend decaf from...

For more Tuesday Tea, visit Kimmie's blog and look on her sidebar...

Featured Paintings...

 These are my grape paintings.  They are oils on gessoed, archival scrapbook paper.  They are now being featured in the Florida Estates Winery tasting room for sale! Ron invited me to paint more grape clusters to place there as well!  I'm excited!

Haiku my Heart Friday - Myakka Prairie Post 4...

She gathers pollen
making preparations for
the long wait for spring.
DDD2010

For more Friday haiku visit Haiku my Heart.

Myakka Prairie - Post 3

Tomorrow I head south... again...

to Myakka...

to the prairie...

to teach...

to learn...

to breathe...

See you Thursday or Friday... or Saturday after the wine fest....

Florida Estates Winery

Trick or Treat!!!

Halloween!

A sneak peek of my costume!

The roses are made of wide, wired sheer ribbon. The leaves are natural lacquered leaves....

No, that's not me modeling it... I thought Jack-O-Lee lantern  looked absolutely fabulous in it!  Don't you?

Haiku my Heart Friday - Myakka Prairie Post 2...

She tries to escape
the eye, resembling a leaf,
but the lens spies her...
DDD2010

Visit Haiku my Heart