Prizes, and Swaps, and Gifts, Oh My!

It's been a couple of days since I posted ... I feel like should be singing 'Back in the Saddle Again" as I write this. Hmmm. Maybe that's just the result of spending time working on finding and acquiring retro/vintage western stuff for K.C.Willis' Lipstick Ranch Collage Camp. I'm feeling very western. Well, I'm feeling really vintage, anyway.

I've been making a few things ... finished up this little theatre that I started a week or so again and never got completed thanks to the nasty ear infection villain. Speaking of westerns ... I was ready for an old fashion showdown at the OK Corral with it! I think it's under control now - it's not gone - but it's 85% better.

Anyway - I think I'll list this piece on Flea Market Friday this week. I wish it were easier to photograph it - but, well, it's not! LOL There is so much interior detail that just won't show up in photos. Ah, well. So be it!
I also finished a lot of swaps up for the Marie Antoinette Mail Art group. These are a few altered envelopes that were fun. Each of the envelopes has another envelope with a tag that has all the artist's information on it. I also did about nine sets of ATC's, but didn't take pictures ... just trying to get them all out in the mail so my commitments are honored.

And...on that subject (the one of swaps with the Marie Antoinette Mail Art group) I received this lovely package in the mail. It had a cellophane envelope with shredded paper padding and cards and ribbons...
and an intriguing little tissue paper wrapped package.
It was my accordian book swap piece from Becky Swartzlander! It is beautifully held together with a lovely piece of plaid and embroidered ribbon (Marie would definitely approve!).
This is one side of the book - very fanciful with fun ideas...
and the second side, also carefully crafted and filled with wonderful images. It's very special and I just love it!

THEN. This wonderful little package arrived, and inside was another pretty tissue wrapped package, tied with ribbons and lace ...
As soon as I opened it and saw the card I knew who it was from! This was a gift from Joy at Cupid's Charm. She had a marvelous Marie Antoinette party on her blog a few weeks ago to celebrate the publication of the new magazine "Marie" in which her work was featured. I knew that I had won a prize ... but didn't know what it was going to be.
Well, I was simply gobsmacked. It's a wonderful wonderful piece of her handcrafted jewelry! A keychain, complete with a soldered frame of 'toinette and fleur de lis danglies and sparkles. It's simply enchanting.
When I told her it was going to go into my "special treasures" display case, because I know that if it spent one day in my jeans pocket it would be totally destroyed!, she suggested a different use...as a rear view mirror embellishment for the car! Isn't that a great idea?! I haven't had anything dangle from my rear view mirror since I was in college and I had a Grateful Dead teddy bear hanging. From the Dead to Marie Antoinette...now, who says life isn't full of surprises?!

If you aren't familiar with Joy's work, be sure to click on either her website link above or her blog link above and stroll through her offerings. Many many special things to see there!

Then ... can you believe it??? MORE! ... this week was like Christmas! This package arrived ... covered with art papers and rubber stamps and vintage images ... and I knew from the return address that this was my prize from Malisa for coming in second at the Moonlight Hollow scavenger hunt! This was going to be fun!
Inside was a treasure trove of goodies!
The hugest blue pom pom fringe I've ever seen (this could be used to embellish a CAR), wonderful long length of yummy gold chainette fringe, a beautiful vintage powder box with Marie on the top (I don't know if she knows that I love Marie Antoinette findings, or if it was a - very good! - coincidence!), and a selection of Moonlight Hollow's new black and white greeting cards line. These cards are delightful! I hope you will check them out on their website when they come up for sale ... they're really going to be a hit, I believe. Not only are the images charming, but the paper and quality of printing is first rate! This was a much appreciated group of goodies!

I thought that was going to be it for the week ... but ... yesterday a box arrived from Canada! Because of the return address, I knew this was from Gabriela at Gabriela Delworth, who has one of the most beautiful websites out there. She also was featured in the new publication of "Marie" and held a week-long Marie festival at her blog ... a full week of wonderful information and images. I also won a prize at this Marie Antoinette soiree! I never win anything - and this week I won twice!

I loved the story behind this prize. The prize (which was pictured on Gabriela's blog) was a lovely black and white glittered confection of a crown. But, she wrote to me after the event and said a friend's young child had come to visit and become smitten with it - so she gave it to her and made me another one (how special is that?!) So, though I knew what it was going to be, I didn't know what it was going to be.
Well, I love it! It's a crown, of course - but this one is red with a big fleur de lis, which is even more appropriate as a memento of the Marie blog event that won it for me!
As you can see, it has lots of glitter and trim and ribbon and just about everything a person could want in a personally made crown! I'm feeling very Louis about the whole thing! If you aren't a regular at Gabriela's site, you should be! She's very generous with her knowledge and skills and tips for making beautiful things...be sure to see her tv appearance about making beautiful gift wrappings!

Okay. That's enough. I'm going to leave you with these gorgeous images from Tim Holtz's visit to South Africa. I am just enraptured with the exuberance and freedom that they've exhibited in painting their homes to represent the joy and excitement inside! I can just imagine what our Homeowner's Association would say if I painted our place like this! Who am I kidding? They wouldn't say a word. They'd have a collective stroke.

Well, if you've stuck with me this long, thanks for holding out to the bitter end! I hope you're having a wonderful week, and that you're enjoying Spring weather where ever you are!

And, welcome to all the new followers! It's nice to have you here with us!

Now - go make something beautiful!

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(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥