More magnificent miscellany . . .

You may remember that my blog friend Kate of The Kathryn Wheel and I decided to swap fish art awhile back. I posted my piece here. Just before I left to take care of my dad, I got mine from Kate . . . along with some moos and pretty flower and butterfly ephemera. Oh, I wish you could see this in person. It is so beautiful in every detail! I simply love it!



Several weeks ago, June of Arty Retreat and I spoke and decided to swap ATC's. We had a plan. She was going to make the backgrounds and send them to me. I was going to add some fairies and send them back. She's going to add some final touches and then keep one and send one back to me. All is going well with this plan accept for my inability to find my muses, wake them up, and have something artistic flow out of me instead of me struggling to pull something, anything, out at all. Here are the backgrounds June sent to me.



And here are the fairies I made on the tops.



June, the kind and generous lady she is, also sent me these pretty presents . . . another ATC and a lovely necklace! Am I a lucky girl or what? I am, I am! There is nothing nicer than being away and coming home tired and beat up and finding a little present full of magic waiting for you!



So, even with my sleeping muses, I struggled through a little something to send in return. Oh, I am losing my touch but this is the best I could pull out today.



You may recongnize my fairy girl, Eva. She is one of my favorites to use. My friend and customer, Charles, did some photoshop work on her for me and she is just delicious to use again. I loved visiting with her last night and today as it has been awhile since I've worked with her. Now, though, I kind of wish I would have saved her for something else but I had already started things when I realized what June is going through right now. I really need to send June some happy pieces and Eva is a little pouty. June is going through a tough time with her grown son and his serious medical concerns (he had a stroke in February). He is having surgery today, I believe, so if you believe in prayer, send a few her way.

My friend Nancy of Something to Crow About has a new blog! Her old one isn't "on" right now, so be sure to visit her new Crowabout blog and help christen her new adventure there. Many of you know Nancy from her flickr Collage Play with Crowabout group. If you are looking for a fun challenge group with lots of juicy things to play with, this is a group for you! While you're at it, click on Nancy's artwork below and visit her delicious Etsy! (hope you don't mind Nancy, but you've let me post your work before - it's linked to your Etsy)



I also want to send you over to my new friend Lorrie's Lily lovekin tails blog. It has been so wonderful to watch her blog bloom from almost the start not long ago. She just made some amazing stamped fabric artwork you must see! You can visit her Etsy here too. I would show you some of her work but I haven't asked permission so you will have to trust me!



You can download the elephant picture above - it's from the Library of Congress. I am eating the proverbial elephant one bite at a time and it is slow going. (I would never really eat an elephant, you know. My friend John would always tell me "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.") I have been trying to clear my desk and scratch off the "to do" list and I am still way behind. But yesterday and today, I've been feeling that my muses won't wake up until I clear my head and shake the obligations a bit. I have some emails I still haven't answered and still have some trade pieces to start and finish before I think I will feel "right" about just cutting lose and working freely. So, I am off to try and do some of those things! Enjoy the rest of your day!