A Shower of Gifts

I must share these beautiful gifts with readers!!  Last week I received a very large package from my friend and fellow Blogger, Wanda-Maria, and was totally overwhelmed at the contents [still am].  Thank you so much to Wanda for your generosity, and caring spirit.  I have put together the above collage, which when enlarged, will show mostly handmade gifts, and some purchased souvenirs.  The little door hangers and porcelain clogs are simply too cute, and the richly embroidered bags show Wanda's passion for embroidery and colour.

I have also taken a few close-up photographs to share the wonderfully flamboyant way Wanda has used fabric and stitch.  There are rows and rows of machine stitching, and the floral trims are so full and exotic.  You really have to feel them to know how much work has gone into making each one.  I honestly have never seen such full handmade blooms.  Mine are really puny compared to these!!!

I do hope you all enjoy seeing such colourful work, and thank you sincerely Wanda for showering me with such an abundance of gifts.

Mailday Goodies

I've been having quite a field day with mail lately, some gifts arriving, and then of course, some things I had to pay for........LOL......  Above is a beautiful postcard I received as a gift because of my involvement with the TOM on the Three Creative Studios Forum.  You can see more information about the TOM programme here:  http://threecreativestudios.com/forum/index.php  I have had the pleasure of receiving a number of Sue's postcards, and I keep saying it.  She always creates work that is second to none, giving everything a professional finish.  I feel privileged to now be the owner of these little art pieces.  You can see more of Sue's explorations here:  http://suebleiweiss.com/blog/    Do try to visit her blog, as you will be rewarded with an abundance of mixed media techniques.

I was also fortunate to have had my name drawn out to receive a  give-away from Judy.  Judy does beautiful embroidery, has a love of the world around her, and recently rewarded her followers with several lovely handmade gifts.  Not only did I receive this gift, and the card, but Judy included some more fabric, ric-rac, and a lovely handwritten note.  Check out Judy's blog here: http://cjstitchingandblooms.blogspot.com/
Judy has a love of all things pretty and genteel.

Now down to the purchasing part of my mail deliveries.  Recently I have had a splurge on books.  The Gloria Loughman book 'Quilted Symphony' I purchased from a store in Sydney - Oatley Cottage - http://www.oatleycottage.com.au/   The other two books, Drawn to Stitch [Gwen Hedley] and Embroidered Books [Isobell Hall] were both purchased from The Book Depository -http://www.bookdepository.com/
I am thrilled with all purchases, and have spent hours digesting the contents of each of these wonderful publications.

Last, but not least are a selection of things I received from an American store.  I've been trying to locate clear postcard sized envelopes for some time, and thankfully the hunt is over [thanks to Sue Bleiweiss for her generous link information].  Of course, one can't just order one thing now, that would be a waste of good packaging and postage!!  I also ordered black glitter [why!!], some tiny, tiny micro marble beads in purple, and something new to me, ie Mylar paper [I saw reference to it in one of the above books - and a little on how to use it].  The store where these goodies were purchased can be seen here:  http://www.blockheadstamps.com/index.php
This store was exceptional to deal with, handling my order quickly, and even placing a credit back into my Paypal account due to the site calculator over charging on postage.  The order was packed extremely well, and arrived in a very short time.  I'll definitely be shopping with them again.

I hope everyone enjoys seeing my goodies, and finds the links of interest.  I only receive two mail deliveries per week here, Tuesday and Friday.  I am sure our mailman must wonder how it is that I seem to live a reclusive life, yet receive all these wonderful packages.  Oh well, let him wonder.  Thank you ladies for continuing to visit, and comment on my work.  I have been encouraged by the generosity of spirit that abounds in the blogging community.