Winter Celebration

Last year I put up a Winter Heart Tree, after taking down my Christmas Tree decorations. The origin of this idea was something I had thought about for a long time, but never mentioned out loud, until last year. Every year I would love having the Christmas decorations up and then feel so let down after they were all put away. Because then it was just grey and blah outside. I thought that I should create some Winter Hearts so I could celebrate Winter instead of disliking it so much. (Having handmade hearts on my tree was already a tradition.) So I mentioned this to my hubby and he loved the idea. I got busy and created lots of quilted handmade hearts in shades of blue and white. This year I added some baby's breath and silk flowers ... hope you like it.

Christmas Lost ... and Found

This year, the first thing I did was trim my tree. So I got out the big plastic box with the little dividers that holds all my precious ornaments and transformed our tree from a Fall Tree to a Christmas Tree. (For a picture of the tree, refer to the previous article.) But when I opened up the red box that holds my Christmas House decorations, the box was almost empty. My Christmas Hearts were not there. I was stunned. These hearts had been lovingly made by hand, quilted, some embroidered, and I used them to tuck into nooks and crannys, nest into bowls, and hang across the bookcase. I didn't know what to do. I went through both boxes again. I went through my box of Fall decorations. Then I began, one by one, to go through all the boxes of Christmas "Stuff" that I have saved but never display because there isn't room in the loft for everything. I came across a lot of wonderful memories, gave up a lot of them to go to Goodwill, but didn't find my Christmas Hearts. Somehow, I knew I wouldn't, but it was like I had to go through everything anyway.

Then yesterday as I was walking through the bedroom, I got a very clear picture in my mind's eye of the upper cabinet of my computer hutch. I hesitantly walked to the hutch, not wanting to be disappointed again, but somehow, somehow, I had a feeling. And when I opened the hutch doors, there they were, all carefully packed and protected. Now they grace my living space, and it feels a little bit like a Christmas miracle.

Way to Go! ~ Christmas Give-Away

I won a "Give-away." What is a Give-Away, you ask? It's when an artist gives away one of his or her art works for nothing. I'm constantly amazed by how many artists do this. And I just won a Give-Away - my very first one. Some artists put their Give-Aways on their blogs, other on their FaceBook pages. You enter the Give-Away by leaving a comment. And I finally won!

I won this wonderful elf made by a friend of mine, Cindi, on one of the Etsy threads. I knew I had won it, so couldn't wait for it to come in the mail. And when I opened it I was amazed. It was perfect, beautiful, cute, etc. I could see all the care that went into making it, down to the smallest detail. And, of course, I immediately hung it on my tree, where it looks right at home. Many thanks to Cindi for her generosity in making this wonderful ornament and making it possible for me to win it. To see more of Cindi's creations, visit her Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ClayItAgain

October Surprise ... Sunrise

October is gone, and November is on it's way. Before the fall is completely over, I wanted to share this ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) with you. I entitled it October Sunrise because of the colors, but in one of the forums I frequent, someone called it October Surprise, which I also liked. An ACEO is 2.5" x 3.5". Here it is:

Bubble Bubble - The Littlest Witch

This little witch may have a secret. Is she a real witch masquerading as a child? Or a child masquerading as a witch? What surprises may she have up her sleeves? Whatever the answers, she will be a lovely little witch, going house by house to get her treats and perhaps leave a bit of magic. In case you haven't guessed, she is a good witch.

This little witch is an ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals) and is done with pen and colored pencils.

Time for Fall

My Fall Heart Tree is finally done. Yea! It took a bit longer than I had hoped, but at least I got it done before the first official day of Fall. For those of you who haven't seen my other seasonal trees, it all got started last Christmas. I was taking down the Christmas decorations and grousing about winter. I told my hubby, David, that I wish I had some hearts to put on the tree to celebrate winter because otherwise, it just was grey and blah. He said "do it!" He said, "We'll leave the tree up all year." So I did it. First was the Winter Heart Tree, then the Spring/Summer Heart Tree. And now we have the Fall Heart Tree. I think I like this one the best because, in addition to the hearts, there are dried flowers tucked in between the branches. Because I don't have a sewing machine, all the hearts are completely, lovingly handmade. I hope you like my Fall Tree.

Last Days of Summer

It's nearing the end of August, and people are getting in their last picnics, last family barbeques, last vacations and last trips to the beach. It's even possible, depending on where you are, to fee a bit of a chill in the air in the mornings, like biting into a crisp Red Delicious Apple. This colored pencil drawing is about the last day at the beach for one little girl. Do you remember yours? As a child, time sees timeless, and yet, it inevitable passes, drawing summer to a close and bringing the excitement of fall ... new clothes, new school supplies, going back to school, etc. But enjoy the summer while it lasts. (And one really neat thing about this piece is that it was purchased by a woman from Portugal.)