Neno's Award

Many thanks to Beth N., who surprised me with this very special Neno’s Award! I am touched and honored both by the award and by her fountain of encouragement. Thank you, Beth!

Now for the history of the award:

The award is given to those who love blogging
And love to encourage friendships through blogging
And to help others seek the reasons
Why we all love blogging.

It is now a joy for me to nominate the following five blogs to also receive this beautiful award, as a small way of saying, “Thank you for the inspiration you provide through blogging by sharing your world…”


Lambsworld…come along and play! http://lambworld.blogspot.com/
Linda’s beautiful mixed media artwork and creative spirit are an inspiration, and her gentleness and generosity are reflected in her lovely creations. I have the great pleasure of knowing her in person, and am so grateful to her for her encouragement along my blogging journey. Thanks, Linda for your friendship – you are a lovely soul.

I am Dreaming of Castles http://dreamingofcastles.blogspot.com/
Lyneen is truly the Queen of Cards! If you want to know the latest scoop on what’s new in the scrapbooking – card making – blogosphere, check out her blog. Her enthusiasm and energy will rub off on you, both in person and through her posts! I am blessed to also know Lyneen in person and am so grateful to her for her encouragement and blogging tips. Lyneen, thank you for your friendship and for bringing so much laughter into our world!

Everybody Loves a Story http://evagibson.blogspot.com/
Eva is a gifted, talented writer. Her vivid imagery is captivating and her life wisdom inspiring. Her words from the heart will surely touch yours. Thank you, Eva, for sharing such beauty through the written word.

the last door… down the hall http://thelastdoordownthehall.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth’s photography and digital artwork will blow you away – such rich, layered images and soulful colors. Impressive and thought-provoking. Thank you, Elizabeth, for sharing your beautiful creations!

Beth Niquette Fine Art http://bethlniquetteart.blogspot.com/
Although Beth gave me this award, I’m not shy – I’m giving her one right back! She truly embodies the nature of this award. Her friendship through blogging has been one of life’s nicest surprises and has encouraged me beyond measure. Her amazing artwork and boundless imagination will capture your heart. Thank you, Beth for sharing your unique way of seeing the world!

Variations on a Theme

Spring and summer are wonderful here in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the surrounding beauty of the Puget Sound, our own yard captivates my attention due to the variety of birds that frequent our abode. With bird-egg-nest-feather-filled thoughts, what else could I do for our recent swaps but something “bird-y?” The birds sweetly assisted by dropping molted feathers within my reach; their contributions were greatly appreciated!

Happy Father's Day!

I’m so blessed to have a wonderful father! One of my favorite pictures of him was taken on the Santa Barbara Courthouse steps in 1937, when he won first prize at the Old Spanish Days Fiesta for being so nattily attired. His mother made his costume by hand, using real silver threads in the embroidery. I think they made the right choice for the prizewinner that year, don’t you? Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

A "Steller" Performance

Steller’s jays can be quite comical, and our resident fledglings are no exception. This particular baby scrutinized my every move, while humoring me with cute and quizzical poses. Their antics provide hours of amusement, though I’ll admit I’m easily amused!

Herons

The tide was just right a couple of days ago for a heron family photo-op! Here are two of my favorite pictures from that lovely afternoon.

Vintage Downloads

To commemorate the Westminster Dog Show this year, I used these Victorian scraps to make an ATC mini-book for one of our swaps. I cleaned up the tattered images in Photoshop and have sized them appropriately for your own ATCs. Enjoy…Woof-woof!

Repertoire of a Crow

A crow obligingly posed for me yesterday after we (the crow and I) had a conversation about my need for a few “artistic” poses. I feel quite well equipped now, thanks to the theatrics of my main subject!

From this repertoire, I present: Garden Statue, Maltese Falcon Crow and Nevermore. I do believe there’s an art quilt in here somewhere…

Golden Beauties

When a pair of goldfinches surprised me in the garden yesterday (or was it the other way around?), I realized we didn't have a niger seed feeder. I promised them I would get things in order, and they graciously checked back in with us this afternoon.

Nuthatches on Parade

The Nuthatches have fledged! And, oh my.... are they cute....!

Garden Magic

Life doesn't get much better than this... sunshine, food on the grill and surprise guests for lunch!

Bearded Iris

Of all the beautiful bearded iris in our garden, the mahogany are my favorite. Don't they look like vintage velvet? Hmmm... perhaps they will find their way into a fabric collage sometime soon...

Babies' Day Out

In follow-up to Mamma gray squirrel’s recent disappointment over the “squirrel-proof” feeder, here’s what she’s been up to the past few days! We’ve never seen such tiny baby gray squirrels… they had fun exploring our geraniums and sweet peas, and she seems very content to finally have nudged them from the nest. She’s now mastered the art of dining while reclining; is it any wonder why she is exhausted at the end of the day?

Morning Sunshine

Caleb is one of the sweetest, happiest dogs I’ve ever known! So, for Caleb’s fabric portrait, I chose to make him look like a little ray of sunshine! The portrait, like Caleb, now resides happily in Dolores’ home.

Construction Info: The original photo was cropped and the hue/saturation manipulated in Adobe Photoshop Elements to give Caleb a sunny yellow glow. The altered image was then printed on Printed Treasures inkjet fabric, backed with Misty Fuse and mounted onto a collage of batiks and Kaffe Fassett fabric. The words (French for “Morning Sunshine”) were also printed on fabric, then dyed with mixed yellow shades of DynaFlow. Many thanks to Mom for her addition of free-motion machine stitching with rayon thread. The piece is backed and bound with batik, and rings were added for hanging.

Full Rose Moon

Today’s full moon is aptly referred to as the Full Rose Moon and the Full Strawberry Moon. I don't have a bowl of strawberries handy, but here are a few favorites from the garden. Happy Full Rose Moon, everyone!