A Fanciful Twist

A True St. Patrick's Day Tale...

A girl in a sleep so deep.  Visions of sprite lights twinkled.  A sunny day loomed over the great desert mountains.  She was slowly awakening from a slumber, feeling much better, for she had been under the weather...  A song tugged at her toes, reminding her of the day...

      

For years and years, she searched for a sign of those magical wee little folks.  The ones with pots of gold and such...  She had been told by Mister Ireland, in his thick Irish accent, that it was all myth.  But, being the sort of girl she was, she did not listen...

 

She searched in pockets of clover like greens...

In golden flowers she peeked and quietly listened for a sign, a song, a tiny voice..

   

    

She asked the gnomes at the orange tree crossing, if perhaps any Leprechauns had been to visit?

    

    

    

All nodded their head, no, not today Miss.

She searched through vines, asking the bees...

   

    

  

They had no answers, they were on their own mission...  

    

As she searched and searched, she began to realize, she needn't find a Leprechaun to bestow magic upon her, for...

    

Spring had sprung, and magic, on its very own, from mother nature, had begun...

Herbs whispered "hello."

 

Flames of red burst into sight, with blooming aloes, overnight...

    

And, volunteer ornamental fruit trees, simply glowed with buds and caused beautiful sighs...

        

30 year old rose bushes, reached for the skies...

        

Could all of this have happened, while she cozied up and got better?  New life, and perfect weather, embraced her.

        

So, on a lovely St. Patrick's day, there was real bliss.  Real magic.  Because, you needn't an imagination, to be forced to stand still in awe, at the sights of spring...

And just like that, she stopped her Leprechaun search.  Yet in the second, that her search had ceased, she caught a glimpse of that very green light her grandmother spoke of... Where, if you see a glimmer of the green Leprechaun light, out of the corner of your eye,  you sit very still, and hope to be swooped away for the day.  So you sit still and outloudly say...

 

"I shall dance around you for today, I shall hold your secrets deep and sway,  I shall continue all my life to frolick and play, and know that in my heart, I am a girl for now and always, and never shall I let my child-like outlook fade away..."

With that, she put one toe, into the garden where the green light glimmered, and disappeared...  Just for the day.  Now if you plan on joining her, reapeat the above lines, and she'll see you there ;)

Cheers to all that is green, and all that is in the memory of Saint Patrick...  Don't forget to dance around your living room today, or office, or wherever you fancy really ;)

  

Actual video here.

See you sooooooon ;)  xoxo, V

ps:  Carnival Drawing name is......  Miss Kimmie at Once Upon a Blue Crow, yipppeee! (e-mail me your addy Miss Kimmie)

pss:  All Saint Paddy's Free B's (cards and pin templates) are here all the time.  In my right hand side bar.

A Magical Carnival Soiree Dream (or was it?)

A girl named Vanessa Valencia & a bevy of other folks, were invited to a Carnival Soiree.  A magical one.  A magnificent one.  She dreamed of what she might wear, what treats she might munch, what rides and games and shows she might see. 

   

She heard from an old fortune teller, that she could travel back in time, to an old fashioned carnivale circus the very day of the Carnival Soiree.

         

All of these thoughts fluttered in her head, as she drifted to sleep one evening.  Her dreams found her standing on a hill, watching the spectacular sight of a Carnivale Circus pull into town...

 

As she stood on this hill in her dream, she realized she best get home and get ready for the festivities to begin.  She couldn't wait!

Later that day, in the distance, she saw rides and circus tents, become assembled.  The excitement boiled over!!

   

She made her way to the Carnivale, as the scent of popcorn and corn-dogs and cotton candy filled the air.  Children screamed as they looped through the air on rides, and people giggled in sheer delight.

     

      

 Little children lined up for treats.

  

          

         

And the grounds were beautifully decorated with remnants of tickets, bits of sparkles, popcorn and shreds of crepe paper...

  

     

    

There was nothing more exciting than a Carnivale Circus coming to town.  Nothing.  Clowns greeted the masses, smiling ear to ear...

        

         

Balloons decorated the skies, and as the sun started to go down, lights bounced and glowed with twinkling magic...

      

Making everything look like you were seeing it Through the Secret Keyhole... 

        

As it got even darker, a certain kind of deeper magic began to take shape...  Her painting titled, Stranged Beautiful Lady Carnivale, seemed to be beckoning her, to believe she could enter this place created of paint...  She couldn't tell if she was still dreaming... 

        

But little by little, it seemed more real...

         

         

Until, she could no longer believe her eyes.  The night had turned into the Carnivale in the painting.  She could feel herself, walking right into it...

    

She had the time of her life, more magic was happening than she could believe.  If you closed your eyes, and envisioned the carnivale circus of your dreams, magic floating in the clouds, this would be it...  And for a split second, she even felt like she was the Paper Dress Queen of the Carnivale...

         

And, true to fairytale form, just as the magic was spinning in a perfectly iridescent soap bubble, she felt like she was falling.  Tumbling tumbling, through the sky. 

    

She was tumbling quickly, and the carnival was becoming intangible...  It started to fade, as the tunnel got darker...

    

Just then, she realized, it was all a dream!  Her eyes still closed, she could tell she was in her bed.  She tried to make herself fall back to sleep.  Oh no! It really was all a dream.

The light streamed in her windows, telling of a new day, morning...  She twisted and turned in her bed...

   

She felt something tickling her wrist...

    

She still had her eyes closed, as she faded in and out of sleep, but leaning more towards waking...  She wondered what the strange feeling on her wrist and fingers was.  Like she was twisted and tied...

         

She slowly opened her eyes, and what she saw, made her let out a silent scream...

         

There was only one explanation for what she saw.  She had brought back a red balloon from her dream.  Her dream was not dream at all.  She had in fact visited a Magical Carnivale Circus, and had proof tied to her wrist...  How oh how, did this all happen??  Traveling through dreams?

   

But, it gets even better, in her left hand, she held a bit of circus tent fabric.  Oh me, oh my...

      

She must have grabbed a hold of it as she spun back to earth through dreamwaves...

You see, there is no way to deny, that you really were there, especially when tiny bits of the carnivale charge up your hand...

        

And just in case, physical proof still hasn't erased all doubt that you really were at the Magical Carnivale Circus, just ask your dream-keeper...  She will whisper the truth...

        

"You really were there..."

Thank you Miss Lisa for a lovely event, and for all the magic you share!! 

I have a little Carnivalee Fun pack giveaway of fanciful artsy treasures for for this event.  I'll draw a name in a few days ;) (leave a few little words and in the hat your name shall go)

♥, Vanessa

ps: Beautiful wooden carousel that plays a lovely tune was a surprise gift from my beloved friend Paris Parfait.  Opening the parcel caused me to positively faint!! (I have thanked her profously xoxo)  Black and white circus images, were loose pages found in an antique store.

Birds of a Feather...

From my window where I work and type, I spy a bit of life fluttering about outside.  There is so much bird activity around, chatter and song, such a delight...

   

When my office out here in the country is complete, I will have to make a special bird sanctuary outside of that window.  Which looks upon this open space below, where black birds visit often...

   

I bet you are wondering why I am here today, when I should be getting my gown ready for the carnival soiree?  Alas, I have been working on a huge website project for a dear friend.  And just put in a day and a half of computer time to get it closer to almost totally done.  So I am giddy and happy, and feeling freer, and wanting to shout out Happy Friday from mountain tops!!  ;) ;)

I don't know about you, but I don't like to have loose ends here and there.  I wanted to tackle this project sooner rather than later.  So about 17 hours of work later, I am pretty much done, and I want to do cartwheels and handstands I tell ya!!  In the thick of it, I got a little crazed, and the only thing that kept me sane, was chatting with the birds...

      

So, I thought it prudent, to pop in and tell you about a "regular" at the bird feeder hitching post...  Since some of these lil' guys are my special friends, and keep me company day to day...

You see, there is this little guy called Joey.  He comes right up to my window when he needs more seed.  He hangs out at the bird feeder I made.  He thinks I made it just for him ;)

   

Joey tells me things about the other birds.  The quail drive him insane. He thinks they are rather selfish and full of themselves ;)  He tried to talk to a quail baby, you know make friends, but mama quail ushered the babes to hide, and then skipped along, snooty as can be, hurried as a bee...

   

Joey thought her quite silly.  He says the quail act rather suspicious and nervous... (I love them all the same)

Joey likes to stuff his face, in the most unsightly manner (don't tell him I said that), but I don't mind because he is so cute...

   

But, like I said, Joey thinks I made this Froggie feeder (which I don't think he realizes is a frog, tee heee) just for him.  So he gets rather cross when other birds want in...

What, what's that you say?  There is another bird on his way??? asks Joey.  

    

So, Joey forgoes sharing a little, to spend his time guarding "his frog."

Joey the Watchman ;)

    

    

But then, he spies a lovely plump birdling gal.  And just like that - he abandons his seed...  And all you are left with is the memory of his being there, and a glimpse of his tail as he flutters away...

   

Because, what I have learned you see, is that even birds, like you and me, just want to be loved, and will abandon any treat, no matter how delicious, to cuddle cheek to cheek... 

        

Canoodle canoodle, snuggle snuggle, bird love ;)

Happy Friday!!    (Hope I get to see you tomorrow)

♥,V

A Few Little Truths, Tid-bits & Lovelies...

I am busily working in the studio, all sorts of fun things on the horizon.  I know I have been saying that for a month (or two).  But I have a busy behind the scenes, and also shipped out a bevy of secret loves and deadlines over the last two months.  Here is a tiny teeny peek at one of the girls on a voyage...

      

Now I am saner, err, well, my schedule is getting saner ;)  and I am back to finishing up shop treats... 

So, in keeping with the post title...

Actual Truth. 

There are new loves in the studio almost complete for a shop update.

   

  

The Elfin have their base coats on and are on their way to almost done...

 

Random Truth. 

I am getting worse about reading details.  But when I read this, the memory of pouring over love notes, reading into every letter, made me nostalgic for dramatic love letters (I still have all mine from beaus, even elementary school ones).  I am ever thankful for this wee book sent to me amongst many other treasures, from beloved Miss Deborah...

       

Tid-bit. 

Sometimes I sleep with paint on me.  My thumb looks like that now :)   

Actual Truth. 

My friend Laura rocks.  Plain and simple.  I can't explain how wonderful she is.  I am lucky, not only to have her has a long distance friend, but for the fact that she got me back into letter writing.  She sends snail mail letters that I crawl up and savor.  They make me laugh, they make me feel so alive and so, "she gets me."  I have finally written her a 12 page letter.  (note to self - send that bad boy out already)

        

Actual Truth & Lovelies. 

I write all my letters (okay, one letter so far) with this fab ring on, from beyond talented Ann-Denise Anderson...

      

 While decked out in this totally wonderful scarf she made me (isn't it sooo good?  Love it!)

       

Tid-Bit. 

I knocked this over and didn't bother picking it up.  Ever.

    

Truth. 

This is how my table in the center of my studio looks now.  There is even moss growing.  I should be ashamed of my mess.  But I ain't...  I say I am, but I am not really truly.  If I was, I suppose I would pick it up.  I just can't.  My limbs won't do it.

   

Actual Truth. 

I just ran down to the studio and grabbed a gumball and am chewing like a mad woman.  

Random Tid-bit. 

A Mister Moose overlooks the goings on in the studio.  ( from darling Miss Deborah ;)

   

Very True Lovelies. 

I love butterflies.  I like to collect them.  They say Vanessa means butterfly?  Who knows...  But I have nests with butterflies and speckled eggs all over my studio.  Have for years.  They make me happy for some reason. 

      

Actaul Truth. 

The ones under glass make me a tiny bit sad (I got the ones below at an antique store).  When I was a kid my grannie's garden had so many butterflies it was outrageous and astounding.  A true phenomena I think.  Us kids, would catch them in jars, and my Aunt Denise would yell at us, and make us let them go.  She was right.   

        

Unbelievable Truth (literally). 

I showed Mister Lovee my dream-boat greenhouse that is in Country Living Magazine April 2009.  It is unreal, grab the issue if you don't have it.  Start your letter to Santa :) 

I asked Mister Lovee if he would build it for me on the slab where my old bath-tub used to be.  He said Yes!  I said, when can you start, he said, I'll start on it tomorrow.  Ummm, I don't know about you, but I don't think he took my request very seriously at all :)

   

There is other wonderful goodness in Country Living this month (April 09).. YUM!!

    

Funny Truth.  

Martha is all about butterflies and speckled eggs in the April 2009 issue.  Check out the beauties in this months Living Magazine spread.  Right up my alley!!

   

    

And there I thought eggs and butterflies were my pairing?!?  ;) ;)   

Okay, so how about a few more random truths...

I am totally double jointed.  I can do weird thing with my hands and toes.  I can touch my toes to my head.  I can touch them both to my head, at the same time too.  Mister Lovee thinks it is crazy, but I bet a lot of you can do it?? 

I run around our crazed wacky country property looking like a hagette.  I get in a bad mood when the kitchen is a mess, that is the one place I try to keep tidy.  And the sink is always sparkly.

And the last piece to this most non-sensical blog post...  Mister Lovee had me go outside and take these for you a few minutes ago...

I am so glad I did.

   

  

Oh wait, there is one more thing.  Don't forget, St. Patrick's day is right around the corner, and my free brooch tutorial is still available right here....

         

Look at that!  One last Crrrazy Unplanned Truth.

I just got an e-mail from Mister Ireland (12 seconds ago), inviting me to his world, and this place.  Too bad he is a little too late (years late in fact).  Anyone want to join him?  haha!

I best be on my way, my dancing partner (Mister Lovee) awaits my computer departure, so we can take a little spin... ;)  xoxo, V

ps:  See you Saturday at the Carnival Soiree!!  (Details in last blog post)