May 7, 2009

I am a lucky girl!

Please be sure to read this whole post - I know it's long, but there is an award at the bottom I want you to be sure not to miss.

I told you it's been like Christmas around here. I've received so many lovely things in the mail recently, some in trade and some just because I know very sweet generous people. The first few pictures show two lovely pieces I got in the mail from Becky of Heart in my Hand blog. I've been drooling over her dolls and I think I might have hinted a bit about how I'd love to have one. Becky still doesn't have an Etsy which I hope you all will help me convince her she should open. I cannot thank her enough for this lovely surprise out of the blue. I am so touched. I put some detail shots below each main image. Here is the lovely doll I received from her.



So beautiful . . .



And, this is my favorite part . . .



And this is the second piece I got from Becky . . .





Look at the stitching . . .



Here are a few of the lovely mail pieces and collages I've received from several artists.



Starting from the top left and working clockwise, a postcard collage from Cathy of Cathy Parmelee's Art + Life, a postcard collage from Donna of Donna's Inky Corner, and two wonderful little collages from my buddy Tracey (aka Angellea) who is blogless but has a wonderful flickr you should visit at http://www.flickr.com/photos/28757002@N03/ Tracey, this is where I would be giving you a mini-feature IF YOU HAD A BLOG! (some of us keep trying to get her to start one so we can bother her more but maybe she is being smart - maybe we would bother her too much.)

These next two pieces were sent from Melissa of Honey Girl Studio and also known as Tootieu on flickr. This is a very lovely collage on canvas that I again commented just enough to sweet talk her out of it. As a surprise she also sent me this beautiful pendant made from a poker chip!



I received a package of loveliness from Kate of The Kathryn Wheel as well, but I'm saving it to post when I finally make her some trade pieces, which I have just started trying to figure out.

And then one of my newer friends, but one that I have been so lucky to have had lots of recent conversations with, Pam of Yoborobo, sent me this gorgeous print of one of her collages. I am going to feature Pam soon on my blog so I will save some to tell and show you later.



Pam also recently gave me this lovely blog award, The Renee Award. I am so proud of it. You can see what she wrote about it on her post at http://yoborobo.blogspot.com/2009/05/renee-award.html



Snipped from Pam's post about this award, “The Renee award was created by Bella and Ces in honour of their friend Renee. In Bella's own words "this is a brand new award and I have the pleasure and honor of spreading the seed, watching it grow. I hope it finds it's way to those who are like Renee: the acorn, a small package becoming a tall and sturdy oak, giving more acorns, becoming tall and sturdy oaks, giving acorns…” I, too, went to see Renee's blog, Circling My Head, and agree it is worth every second of investigation. The art images she shares are incredible only to be matched with eloquent and humorously real writing.

So, I am to pass this award onto 8 others. I could have given it to about a hundred. I settled on 9. If any of you 9 have an award-free blog, no worries. Just enjoy my little thank you for sharing all you do. I chose to share some new blogs I've discovered recently and have enjoyed visiting in hopes it will connect you with some people you might not have met yet. To me, connecting with folks all over the world with all kinds of voices and things to make, sing, write, and do is one of the richest experiences we can enjoy in our lives. If you know these blogs already, you can enjoy them again as I do many times a week.

Sunshine Dew (New Zealand) Pherenike writes some of the most beautiful posts I've ever read. She reminds me to appreciate and find the beauty in everything and to be looking for it always. I especially love her thoughts of gratitude at the end of each lovely post. She serenaded me, in a way, in one of her comments and I am still singing to myself, "every little thing is going to be okay".

Sophism Press (Australia) I've told Chrisy that she is officially one of my appointed Life's Tour Guides along with Ginny's Small Studios and Linda Crispell who are all the best at finding beautiful things and people and art and places that none of us should miss. Be sure to check out her very cool Etsy while you're there. I want her Anatomical dishware but I have several of her pieces on my wish list.

Lumilyon (United Kingdom) I've just met Lumi and I must admit I'm shallow. I was attracted to her images and art before anything else. I'm a visual gal first I guess. Turns out she also has one of the sweetest souls ever so it makes it that much more wonderful to enjoy her beautiful work. I wish I could have a bit of her style in my work, I love it so much. We have connected in our metamorphosis philosophy and I have enjoyed our writing back and forth and sharing our journeys.

Francis MK (Brazil) Another artist whose art I am in love with. Maybe you will see some similarities in the work of Lumi and Francis. There is some sweet melancholy surrealistic dreamy quality to their work that takes my breath away. Francis is a poet too. Since I do not speak or read Portuguese yet, I have not had the chance to appreciate this talent of hers, but someday we will find a way for me to appreciate that as well. Francis also has a kind and beautiful soul and I have so enjoyed our messages to each other.

The Kathryn Wheel (UK) Kate is someone I've recently met and fell in instant love with her art and wonderful personality. I go to her blog for pure instant visual gratification. I love the sewing details she adds to many of her pieces. Her colors are rich and her images fun and endearing. She is always one of my favorite and first visits to make.

Donna's Inky Corner (UK) Donna is someone I've been getting to know the last couple of months. Again, her blog and artwork delight me with her whimsy and creative style. She collages, paints, draws, you name it. I love all of her work and gaze at it for long periods of time trying to pick up just a bit of her expressive quality.

Broken Heart Art (New Jersey, USA) Susan is just my kinda gal. She is s Jersey girl and I mean it in the most complimentary way. I just left a job that had me working with some East Coast gals for several years and let me tell you, they have such a perfect way about them - real, bold, funny, true blue, and in her words "take names and kick butt" approach to life. I need me some of that! I have enjoyed our offline messages as much as her blog, but you can enjoy her take on life and cooler than heck art on her blog too! Some of us are trying to convince her to open an Etsy - see what you can do.

Creative Chatter (Illinois, USA) I'm not sure how I found Shari. I found her flickr first and had to write her a note about her work. I just adore it. Her work has a vintage quality I cannot recreate though I would love to. Her buildings, especially, just entranced me. I would love to combine her vintage beauty with Lumi's and Francis's surreal melancholy and I think I would have found the voice I've been looking for. Anyway, Shari and I connect in lots of ways with our trying to make art after long dry spells and in the midst of a lack of confidence and artistic searching. Be sure to tell her how amazing her work is. It is!

Queen of Arts (New Hampshire, USA) Last but not least, I present to you Kim. Kim's blog attracts me in so many ways. She is on a journey, maybe more than one. She is so good at writing about what she is thinking and pondering and I relate to almost everything. She is good in connecting other writings and music with her own story and uses them perfectly. Her art work is personal and gorgeous and a reflection of her journey that she bravely shares with everyone. She has even started a movement. She sells and leaves rocks with messages on them everywhere she goes and has many people that share in this mission of paying good thoughts forward. I just know one of these days I will find one. I certainly need to leave some.

I leave you with these connections to make or to reconnect with again. I hope you enjoy them all as I have. Thank you, Pam, for the award and the opportunity to bring the world a little closer. In that light, later tonight or tomorrow I'll be sharing the Playing for Change videos on my blog which coicidentally I found on Shari's Creative Chatter blog while preparing this post. It is so relatable to this idea of connecting, it made me tear up when I watched it.

15 comments:

Veronica said...

Hey You! Thanks! :) You made my day.

Im working, working, working trying not to let myself get distracted by the internet and then you go and post a whole list of links to tempt me.... Ah well it is a Friday and nearly 3pm... thats not to early to knock off and go blog surfing is it?

Becky Bunn said...

Marsha, Thanks I'm so glad you like her.

Nettie Edwards said...

You have just made my day Lovely Lady! Thanks so much ox ox ox

June said...

Hello my friend what a fab post and choc full of amazing art and news. congrats on the award too thats fabulous
I have been a little unwell and my son too has been ill and so i have been kept busy lately so not a lot of time to get blogging but have not forgotten and have been working on the backgrounds i promised to send and hopefully will soon be sending them off to you ... should be fun ... hope you like blue lol
I will let you know when they are ready to post
Hugs June xxx

indybev said...

I treasure my visits to your blog, Marsha. I love your generous spirit, your benevolent attitude, and your wonderful artistic talent. (There, now, does your head still fit through the doorway?!!) Your work has inspired me to try a different approach in my digital art, which is giving me much pleasure. As I go back and look at your earlier work, I see your talent growing and growing. I think wonderful things are in store for you!!

Terri Kahrs said...

Your creativity is only exceeded by your generosity and kindness. Thanks so much for introducing us to wonderful, new artists and their works. What a yummy and delicious post! Enjoy all of your goodies - they're fantastic, and Happy Mom's Day!!!! xoxox

Kim Mailhot said...

Thanks so much for the loving, Miss Marsha ! It means so much to me to know that my blog has inspired and touched you. That's what my whole purpose behind it is - to connect with other like-minded souls in a meaningful and open way. It has been a gift getting to know you through our blogland friendship !

I hope the weekend has lots of Marsha-mom treats in it for you !
Much love !

Cathy Spivey Mendola said...

OK, just when I had a moment to come back and re-visit the "beauty" post I find an extremely long but very lovely and oh so interesting post!
What I am to do?
I guess the art will have to wait because this is probably going to be a looooong comment! And I just have to go visit the links you have posted about. You are always so generous to everyone. Thanks for sharing all the wonderful blogs and people that you have found. I've been remiss in searching out new folks lately and I realize that I'm missing out so I must get better at reaching out.
The videos "Playing for Change" are just fabulous. After reading what you've written and watching those I realize that my blog friends are truly amazing and we've created such a community that even though we may never have met, I feel like I know some of you so well. It would be wonderful to gather together with all of you in person one day. (like the weekend I just had at the lake with my old friends!) So now, I'm singing the song... "make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold".
You are so good at expressing your feelings. You say the things that I feel and can't type! When you said you were a born a musician and artist but have trouble expressing it, my mouth dropped open! I have always felt I was born loving art and music and want desperately to be able to sing and play the piano as well as create beautiful art. Well...I took 5 years of piano lessons and you wouldn't want to sit and listen to me play. UGH! And singing? Ha! Only when I'm alone and can sing my little heart out. Oh... if I were only musically talented!I LOVE music! Any and all music! Just don't have that music gene.
As for the music on your blog...Honey, it's your blog and if you love music, KEEP IT! I love to hear what other people have on their blog. I did have music on mine but removed it temporarily. I was getting tired of listening to the same music and I haven't had a chance to change it yet. But I love it! So I'm putting it back on.
If folks don't like it they can turn it off.
On to the next topic-
Your art...LOVE everything you've done since I visited last week.
I commented on your 'love boat piece yesterday, just wonderful!
The others that you have done-
Fabulous! I love Venus and her pink boots, but I think Circus Fairy is my favorite new one. Although Puppet Fairy is a close second. They're just amazing.
OK, now the real reason I stopped by...Your post on "Beauty".
WOW! Love the you-tube video. And after spending a weekend with old girlfriends the video is just perfect. It's not what we look like
on the outside but how beautiful we are on the inside.
BUT, you ARE beautiful on the outside as well. When we see you, we see something different than what you see when you look in the mirror. Just like your art. We see it with different eyes. I think we are all our own WORST critics not only with our art but with our bodies as well. If there's one thing I wish for it's that I could see myself through someone else's eyes. I've always been hard on myself; my body and my art. I wish I could go to the store and buy some self esteem! Wouldn't that be great!
Point is, we ALL need to loosen up our idea of what we think we're supposed to look like. Perfect figure, perfect hair? What is perfect? I look at my sagging boobs and realize that they are the way they are because I breastfed my daughter. And that's something I should be proud of. She has grown into a beautiful, healthy young lady. The laugh lines
around my eyes and mouth are there because my life is fun and I'm able to smile and laugh! No plastic surgery for me! I want to wear my wrinkles proudly. Of course I'm still trying to find a reason my butt is so big...Guess it's from sitting at the computer and my work table in the studio. And if that's the case then I should also be proud of that because I'm able to work in my own studio doing what I love and I'm able to sit at the computer and make new friends like you!
So, I think maybe I touched on everything I wanted to say...
Sorry it's lengthy but it's been so long. And rather than leave a comment at each post, it's ALL right here.
I hope you have a wonderfully, relaxing Mother's Day weekend my beautiful friend!
xoxo
cathy

yoborobo said...

I now have a blog 'do-list'! All these artists and writers sound so fantastic. I think later, when I get an hour or two all to myself, I will treat myself to a little virtual 'road trip' - and meet all these wonderful folks.

Happy Mom's Day Marsha!! xox Pam

thekathrynwheel said...

Woop! Woop! Thanks for the lovely award. I'm so honoured that someone like you wants to give me an award! I'm so pleased that we have bumped into each other in blogland - every day I look at what you have been creating and take great inspiration from it. And I just got my copy of Somerset Studio (we're a bit behind over here!) Fab fab fab things you have in there - congratulations :-) Haven't had chance to blog my award yet but I will do later. Thanks again......
P.S Seeing as you asked - I always have my computer set to 'mute' and then if I want to hear the music I turn it on. Simple!

aliceinparis said...

Lovely post full of beauty, and generosity and Marsha verve! Congratulations on your award! You deserve it:))
I will have some visiting to do:)

Susan Sager Brown said...

Thank you, Marsha, for bestowing upon my humble blog this award. I have had many visitors from your link and some lovely comments. I cannot wait to check out the other blogs you have listed. With your talent and taste I am sure they are all top notch!!! um, I wasn't including mine in the top notch thing.....you know what I mean. teehee. xoSusanPS I love your music. Don't take it off, would be my advice, it's part of your essence and that is what we are visiting for in the first place. I have a disclaimer on my sidebar telling visitors how to turn off the music if they so desire. Maybe that would work for you? I issue an invisible demerit to everyone who clicks my music off.....teehee

Unknown said...

Hi Marsh I visit your blog a lot. I am a big fan of your work. To me its is the best and most unique paper art out there!!.. But HMM I wonder way your blog has that weird comment glitch, Oh well, this time I stuck with it and made it past the glitch "gatekeeper" Thanks for the origins of the acorn award. I have seen it around and also the new blogs to check out. It gives me something to do when I have insomnia which is almost every night ,comes with the 50's I hear . I love all the trades you got too lucky you and the doll from Becky !!!. I just did a Round Robyn on my blog it was fun!!!-Julie

Chrisy said...

Thank you so much dearest for your appreciative comments...they mean so much...and I'm so looking forward to going and checking out all your other recommendations!

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