Gifts From Canada...

We've been exchanging gifts for over a year, but it's never expected. I was thrilled and delighted to find a Canadian package from Margaret B. of The French Bear, in my mailbox last week.
ACORNS!!!! Yippee! Inside my package were wonderful things I'd never seen before! A magnetized acorn needle-keep, a mother-of-pearl thread sorter, and two wonderful, brazzy acorn ornaments. (They were heavy!)
There were coffee-stained tags with acorn motifs (and a closeup of the mother-of-pearl thread sorter).
Acorn drawings that Margaret purchased from Michelle Palmer for me, and felted acorns inside real acorn caps!
The final gift in Maggie's wonderful gift package was a handcrafted Christmas tree. A patchwork of pinks and girly fabrics, with a velvet tree trunk and a brass ring at the top from which to hang it. Jingle bells and seam binding for another festive touch.

Maggie, my dear. I can't tell you how much all your generous gifts mean to me. I really was so tickled. The more I looked, the more wonderful gifts I found! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You know a package is going to be heading north to you, right?!! Hugs and much gratitude for the package of goodies...but mainly for your gift of friendship.
I have more gifts to share with you, my friends, but I want to give my blogging friends their own post to show my appreciation. I'll be sharing more in the upcoming days. I've been receiving some truly wonderful things and I can't wait to show them to you!

It All Started With An Acorn...

Imagine my glee as I opened a package from
Debbie at Mosaic Magpie
to find all these wonderful gifts! Debbie had told me that she had a little
surprise for me, and that she also wanted to make an ATC for me...only
her second one ever...but, I never expected everything else she added!
Shell...Can you see all the sweet bunnies Debbie sent my way?

Look! Here's the sweetest little acorn cookie cutter!
Debbie also included laces, those bunny embroideries, a charm
and more ephemera that I just can't wait to use!

Debbie, dear. I love your ATC! It's so cute and clever and PERFECT!
I'm sure you're gonna be hooked on making and sharing your artwork.
I know I'm thrilled to have a piece from you, and the acorn and "extras"
are all over-the-top generous! I so appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Your artist trading card will be on its way Monday!
You are truly a blessing and I'm very grateful for you and your gifts.

All those wonderful goodies - and then another package arrived
from Canada. I'd had an alert that this was on its way, but I
really had nooooo idea! I was just giddy with anticipation.

As Mum taught me, I opened the card first and read the message...
it was from Margaret B of The French Bear!
I had sent her a gift of one of my knitted Bead Fringe Scarves and
she said she was going to send a little somethingone my way.

I have to admit, I was curious and just wanted to tear open the

beautiful wrapping...but I carefully undid the ribbons and bows to reveal......Friends, I'd like to introduce you to "Nutmeg".
This sweet thang has jointed legs, soft white pads
and
The. Sweetest. Face.
MUAH!
And, when I straightened up her tie, I found a tiny
acorn charm hanging around her neck!
Margaret, I promise that Nutmeg will hold court in a place of
honor in the studio. I love her and will care for her forever.
A thoughtful and beautiful gift from the hands of my Canadian friend.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And to think, these wonderful gifts all started with an acorn - The mighty oaks, the talented and strong women who I call friends. Not just those in today's post, but all the friends I've made here in Blogland. My heart is full because of you.

PS. I finished the quilt top last night!! I'll take photos to share with you this week. Once I put the backing together, I'll be taking it to Harbor Heights to machine quilt everything together! woo hoo!

A Gift From The French Bear...

You know how there are the most generous souls out in Blogland? I know you've probably already met at least one of those angels who likes to send you a smile from time to time..."just because".

I can tell you that there are wonderful women with whom I've corresponded since I started blogging. We just seemed to "click". Women with whom I've exchanged gifts and thoughts on our lives.

I won't embarrass them by mentioning them in this message to you today, but I post about them from time to time, and share their gifts to me unless they ask me not to, of course.

My latest gift came from my friend in Canada. As she is getting ready to fly to Cuba to celebrate her stepdaughter's wedding, she took the time to send off a gift to me!

How did she know that I've fallen in love with Michelle Palmer's work? How could she have known that I've been purchasing some of Michelle's beautiful images, with plans for projects just swimming in my head? I know she didn't know that I had recently commissioned Michelle to create a small collection just for me...beautiful squirrels, and my beloved acorns and oak leaves? Why, I hadn't told a single, solitary soul.

But I opened an envelope on Saturday, to find a sweet card from Margaret B. from The French Bear, and inside...an acorn and vintage buttons, created and packaged by Michelle, the "Arteest" herself!

When I took this photograph, one of my little squirrels just had to get into the act!

I know that I'm not the only person to know Margaret's generosity first-hand, and I'm positive many of you already visit her beautiful blog. Such a soothing and creative place to visit!

I am so grateful for these friendships - sans gifts - but to know that someone took the time to shop just for me, and to then send me a gift is humbling beyond words. Thank you, Margaret for your Random Act of Kindness. Thank you so much! I love it!

Safe travels, my friend. Have a wonderful time celebrating, and then hurry back home.

Some Days A Girl Just Needs To Dream...

Do you find that some days, no matter how hard you try, you just can't focus? I have so many ideas swimming in my head right now that I couldn't settle on a single project to tackle in the studio yesterday.

I sorted and chose fabric in lovely colors, patterns and fibers to make a few new things I've been thinking about. Then I sorted fabric. And I moved a few things around. And I looked through a few new magazines. And I made a cup of tea. Then I called my mum to chat. Handsome was gone most of the day, and I had planned to accomplish so much in the studio in his absence. I guess I was just too scattered.

At the end of the day, all I had managed to do was mount and decoupage two reproduction cabinet cards onto fomecore. They are lovely gifts from my friend, Margaret B. (The French Bear) that I had decided to protect and decorate for the studio. I'm going to embellish and finish them later today, and then I'll share them with you. Not much to show for a cold day here in south Florida.

I'll leave you with this image of the vignette on my studio work table that I enjoyed for most of the day. Acorns and beautiful fibers. The day was not lost.

Canadian Acorns...

Remember my request for acorns? Monday, I received a package from Canada! It was from Margaret B., of The French Bear blog. I couldn't wait to open it! This is what was inside...

Such pretty packages! I was tickled already.
At that point, I was still just looking at the beautiful trinkets
on the wrapping! Then, I opened each of the packages!

Can you even believe the generosity of sweet Margaret?
I knew she's talented with a needle and thread, but, Oh, My!
Here, look closer and I'll show you what I mean...

A fabulous, gorgeous (did I say fabulous?) acorn needle book
and matching acorns pincushions! All handcrafted by Margaret B.,
her very own self! And can you see the acorn stamp off to the side?
I can't wait to use it. And, as if that weren't enough...

There were two acorn place card holders
(which I'll be using in the studio to hold the cards
Margaret included in the packages), and two large
wooden acorns, which are already taking up residence
among the big bowlful of Brenda's East Texas acorns.

The antique photo cards are beautiful in their own rite,
and I'm going to keep them out where I can look at them.
They make me smile.

Dear Margaret, you'll be receiving a proper thank you in the mail very soon, but I want to publicly thank you for your creativity, your ingenuity (I never expected these acorns!), and your incredible generosity. If you had been in my home when I opened this package, you would have heard my exclamations as I opened each package. You would have seen the tears in my eyes that you would have gifted me with these delightful acorns...and the work of your own two hands. I love everything. Tthank you very, very much, my friend.