Gifts and Give Aways

 I want to let you all know that the creativity group I am in is having a give away on our blog, Fox On the Run Meanderings.  Check it out here http://foxontherunarts.blogspot.com/2011/02/our-first-give-away.html  I hope you will enter, one member of the group is giving away a beautiful altered book as our first gift.  Go!  Sign up!  I will wait for you...............................
are you back now?  Good.

Needle felted heart by Maggi 

Maggi at To Dream to Stitch 
recently sent me this most gorgeous package containing a stunningly beautiful needle felted heart in my favorite colors.  She had heard that I got a needle felting machine and sent me all sorts of beautiful usable items.  The heart was supposed to be a Christmas gift but was lost in the mail for a couple of months.  I'm so glad it finally arrived.

I just love the subtle blending of the elements, and these luscious beads she attached.

This is the back side.  Of course the photos don't do it justice, it is so much more lovely in person.  She has some glittery metallic elements that you can just make out if you click on the picture.  What an inspiration for the possibilities of this machine.

Above are the rest of the things she sent to help me on my new journey with the machine.  There is a great book, Surface Tension by Dale Rollerson that explains many techniques for the machine.  Some orangy organdy, Oliver Twist silk roving, some sari silk ribbons, and some gorgeous Maggi dyed wool locks in beautiful autumn colors.  I have already used a bit of some of these elements and will be using more in the future, real soon.  Thank you Maggi!  You are so generous and thoughtful, I love each and every one of these gifts.

 Lorna at Artymess
As if that wasn't enough for one striving artist to absorb, I also received this stunning heart made by Lorna.  We did a heart trade but she is obviously way better at this than I am because I don't think my fabric hearts stand up in comparison to Lorna's or Maggi's.   But this isn't a contest, just a trade between friends.  I think I'm the winner though;-)  Lorna used lots of sari silk strips and all sorts of embellishments including those cute dangling balls around the edge.

Here is the back side, it is a luscious royal purple velvet.

Plus she included all these extra ribbons and lacy bits.  I need to get busy and make some more fiber hearts, I have lots of wonderful new supplies to work with thanks to these blogging friends. 

 Corrine at dosfishes
Somehow Corrine heard how much I admired her embellished bottles (probably because I gushed about them so much every time she posted about them) and surprised me with one of my own!  Wow, people are so talented and generous and Corrine is no exception.  I love my bottle!

  Look at this marvelous texture!  This is so cool!  I love all the colors and fibers and the waxy drips.

I am rather overwhelmed by the generosity and talent of all the bloggers out there that I have been fortunate enough to become acquainted with.  It never ceases to amaze me.  I could sit and gaze at these lovely gifts for hours but instead I need to get my lazy winter behind in gear and get busy in my studio!  Thank you so much my friends, I will treasure these gifts for ever.

Don't forget to keep watching the Fox on the Run blog where we are having give aways all through the month of March.  March Madness!  Sign up!  I'll be giving away one of my Dooleybobbers there later.

I hope you are all surviving the winter and keeping healthy and warm.

P.S. It is Maggi's birthday today, Feb. 21, stop by her blog and say hello.

Be well.

The Gift of Friendship

Thanks to Anne Huskey-Lockard at http://elmilagrostudio.blogspot.com/ I have received this award. I am honored by her gift and the friendship she has extended to me for all these years. We have never met IRL but I feel that she is one of my most trusted friends. She is always there to listen to my petty problems and my big ones too, offering sound advice or just a shoulder to cry on. Now I will need to consult her as to how to put this award in my sidebar! I have much to learn about blogging yet. Anne outed me on her blog today. I had not told anyone that I had started a blog, just wondering if people would discover me on their own. Finally I did tell her, and this is the thanks I get;-)

Now I have the privilege of passing this Deborah award on.

First I want to award it to all my friends in my creativity group, Stitch 'n Bitch, aka S&B. April, Mary, Pinky, Karen and Joan are all members. We have been gathering nearly weekly for over 8 years now and Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week because of these gifted and compassionate friends. Mary started a blog to keep track of all our doings, check it out here: http://foxontherunarts.blogspot.com/. These gals are all so full of creativity and always supportive, I don't know what I'd do without them. Seriously.

I would also like to pass this award on to another friend who I have never met IRL, Martha at http://glitterbones.blogspot.com/ . We met through Internet connections nearly 2 years ago and have become fast friends and mutual supporters. This award really tells it like it is, "Friendship isn't about who you have known the longest, but who came and never left your side." I have a feeling that Martha and I will be friends for a long time. She creates some beautiful, whimsical, very colorful creative items. You really ought to pop over and take a look. She has a couple of other blogs too, one is about her farm life in Pennsylvania where she raises horses, cats, peacocks, chickens and soon a dog with any luck.

All these women are such a positive influence in my life and I am grateful and fortunate to be able to call them friends. After all, friendship is the best gift of all in my book. Thanks to all my friends.

One last thing, thank you all who have become my new followers today. I have tried to send private messages to you all but I don't know if you will get them or not so let me thank you here and now. My followers have doubled in one day and I appreciate the support. It makes it just that much more fun to have the blog.
Be well.