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Hi there! I spent all day, making you a little gift that I couldn't wait to share. I am delighted to do so, because I think you are extra lovely & all that wonderful mushy stuff with cherries on top!
So, these are like little elfin fairy creatures, that you can use for any occasion, but look very very cute hugging eggs...
Here they are on real eggs. I had not seen a white egg in ages. We usually only get brown or mint green color eggs locally. I think the eggs would look lovely natural or dyed a faint shade of blue or pink...
All you need is a tiny bit of tape on the back flaps -
If you are using those plastic openable eggs to hide a tiny gift in, fill your plastic egg up with goodies, wrap it in tissue paper, and put your Elfin on the oustide, like below...
Voila...
You can even dip the edges in a little glue and sprinkle them with glitter...
Easy as eating pie. Make sure to click blue link below for the crisp printable file.
You must click the blue link above, to get the actual printable version ;)
Print, cut, tape, enjoy! I printed mine on a nice cardstock, but I tested some on regular paper, and they worked just fine.
If you use these and would like me to post what you did with them, send over a couple photos, I would be delighted to share, just delighted!
I asked lovely Sarah Wallis if I could post a photo of what she did with hers... She even used one in a card. Fun idea Miss Sarah! You can really use these for any occasion, don't you think?
Miss lovely Gillian and her girls printed theirs in black and white, and used fairy crayons to color them, isn't that fun?? Endless options ;) Thank You Miss Gillian!!
Isn't this fun? A husband & wife egg decorating team ;) Miss Amanda and her hubby shared these below. Thanks you two!! Fancy with feathers, oolala!!
Soooo, let's see, in my world news, I saw December Boys yesterday while sculpting, it was delightful. The quail babies are not here yet, but I am waiting with bated breath. I searched for 6 hours the other day, for some baby quail pictures I had that are squeal worthy cute. But I can't locate them. So now I wait for this year's batch. I wonder how much longer ;) "Are we there yet?"
Oh and, my lovely camera died today. Edited - so I ordered a new one :) :) Eeeks!
Okay, I best be off to cut some of these out myself...
Perhaps new adventures? Will you notice little tiny things? Isn't it incredible how our perception, can totally change our outlook? Actually, it can change a whole experience...
I brought you the first rose of the season. (Oh, how I love this one rose bush we have that gives cake frosting roses...)
Or, do you feel sorta grouchy? Grouchy is good too, gives us a chance to let it all out (without hurting anyone of course). If I ever feel grouchy, I go into my room, and I scream as loud as I can, "I AM SOOOOOOOOO GROUCHY." And then, I feel worlds better. Although sometimes, I have to say it a few times. Have you ever noticed how sometimes the grouch monger visits for no good reason? What's up with that? ;)
I think the key is to purge those feelings so you can continue to skip and not stomp down the path ;)
Days at the country house can be so peaceful and lovely, a stroll outside with the extra loud birds, is food for the soul. This morning, I was out there just wanting to hug the air it was so warm and cozy.
I watch nature do its thing, with bees buzzing around with pollen...
Nature is just soooo amazing, isn't it?
Baby is soo adorable, when you go out walking around the yard, she finds you and strolls with you, and is just so tickled to be with you... Now that's love. We go down paths lined with wild flowers, that sit between my gallery and my soon to be office.
Everything around here was lined with metal by the owners who lived here for 30+ years. If it was standing, it got covered in metal siding. Mister Lovee bought the property ages and ages ago, because of the amazing views and the land, with fruit trees etc. We make the best of all the metal, thank goodness, my room is not metal... But it can be cute too. I mean, I love my little metal barrio style gallery... And, with the woodpeckers around here, maybe metal is a good thing?
The woodpeckers at my parents have sawed perfect holes, lots of them, through this lovely door they have out back. Isn't that awful?
Anyhow, I think I'll hide out in the gallery for a few days, since I am still not ready to tackle the studio. We are doing a little exciting construction in the back of our property that will take a few years, so the gallery is now housing a bunch of stuff while we turn Mister Lovee's old workshop into storage. It is chaos of stuff here, I tell ya, just chaos. But, it keeps me busy, and that is good.
See, I veered again, sheeesh. Okay I was telling you about strolling with my pooch. Our favorite place to stroll and play and hideout, is through a little corridor of trees and shrubs. It is easy to get lost in your child-like imagination right in there...
The sun peeks through ever so enchantingly...
A little slice of heaven lives in all things that grow...
And we leave, paw prints in the sand ;)
As we stroll, random thoughts appear. I wonder, where my Raggedy Anne doll from childhood is? Did she survive? I found this faded photo of me in my nursery, surrounded by dolls, and it made me want my Raggedy...
Those were the days ;)
When I went inside, I passed by one of my dollhouses and noticed, an unknown visitor.
Yes, a new addition to my family, left by a male fairy. Mister Lovee Fairy Twinkle Toes. Remember last year, he left a little tiny girl in my big yellow dollhouse? I love it when he leaves treasures hidden like that for me... No matter how silly they are. Is this a cake topper or something, haha ;)
We love her.
Well, I best be off to check on my shoes that I did surgery on yesterday. I am so proud of myself, I hope my work holds. I really should have done this ages ago to the gold and silver woven ones...
I used clamps and anvils to hold them down while the stinky but wonderful epoxy dried. I am tickled, you just can't tell I did any work on them. You know, I go shoe shopping, but nothing tickles my fancy, like my old tattered shoes I love so...
Oh, and I finally got to play with my super cute mushroom loves from Miss Sonya's mushroom swap. It was a ton of work, and she did a lovely job, thank you Miss Sonya!! (she also has a brand new space, wax and wool, yipppeee!)
Have a great day my friends!! Let's all giggle a little (or a lot), they say it's good for the soul ;) I am itching for my netflix to get here so I can get back into my clay today. I love to have a movie on while I sculpt, that or This American Life, and I am happy. I made a few little creatures this weekend ;)
Later I will scrounge up the courage to tell you about the dreams that I have that seem to be connected to reality. It is all very strange. Mom believes me, Dad says it is just coincidence :) All I know is that I dream. I don't have cable or a radio with news in my room, so I am not getting subliminal messages. And I am not crazy. Am I? ;)
♥,V
ps: I saw, vampire flick, Let the right one in - good, not cheesy at all! I also saw Tell No One - good too. Saw a few others and can't remember? My mind I tell ya...
Yes that means you too. "This is the way, to start off your dayyyyyyy." I know, am I still singing that grade school song? Often, admittedly...
So, it has been one crazy central week. First of all it's April. Wasn't it just Christmas, like, last Tuesday? Is my life slipping out of control???? ;)
I spent 8 hours packaging day before yesterday, so that creatures could go on adventures. I said my goodbye's and off everyone went...
Oops, darn, I just spilled salsa in my keyboard. Yes I am having chips and salsa, and taffy for breakfast. Not all mushed together, don't worry, I haven't totally fallen off my rocker. Yet...
Thanks for the Taffy and sweet goods Miss Christine ;)
Maybe I am rebelling against real (or sensible) breakfast? Maybe it's because I see myself like this little gal below. I saw this little girl this week and thought, hmm, I wonder if I should ask her where she got her outfit. Of course, my mom knew where I could get one just like it ;)
I didn't know the little girl, but I snapped a shot anyways. I nudged Mister Lovee and whispered, "I see myself as her." He nodded and said, so do I. Scarily, sometimes I freak myself out when passing a mirror, and ask, hey, who let that lady in here? I drag mister over, "Lovee, do you see her, there is a weird lady in the house, look look (pointing in the mirror)." HAHA ;) Oh wait, that's just me.
Quite honestly and truthfully. I don't really care what age does to me. As long as I don't loose sight of my 5 year old self in my mind's eye. Now that, that would be much more tragic than lines on my face and gorgeous silver streaks, for sure. OH goodness, even the thought of losing my inner child makes me feel sick ;)
Anyhow, I veered again, did you see that? I was telling you about my crazy week. So, as not to bore you silly, I will share quite simply...
First of all, there was this hawk looking at me really weird for a few minutes early this week. I think he thought I was lunch?
Then I had to build this while singing and skipping to this...
To protect these from my pooch...
Because a mama Quail plunked them right in the middle of the back, and they were so not safe. Plus, I have been crying rivers of blue tears because my pup had baby bunny pâté this week.
Mister Lovee says it is the circle of nature or something like that, but it still made me very sad... I think that is the Momma of those poor bunny souls. We have soooo many wild bunnies, I can't tell them apart...
In happier news, my sister had a birthday this week, chock-full of...
Sangria
Paella a la Valenciana
Beautiful Music...
Oh... There is Mister Lovee in his lavender blazer (his fave color) carrying our gift.
And by the way, I am soooo grounded for, as he says "making him look like a goofy dope who has all sorts of mishaps." Tee heeee ;) I wish you could hear him in person, so funny...
As he says, those three incidents that I have decided to focus on, were the only incidents in almost 10 years. Oh, okay then ;) says the grounded girl. Can I go out and play now?
And here is the birthday girl, opening her fab gifts...
After we ate til we couldn't walk, we went to Hotel Congress', Cup Cafe for dessert. But first, Mister Lovee got in a phone booth, while I attempted a photo.
Then there was dessert. Of which I did not partake because I couldn't move from all we munched at dinner...
We sat outside, it was a glorious evening...
We have also started our spring and summer juicing. Beets and carrots and all sorts of good stuff everyday... I love cooking with the beet tops. They are sooo yummy! A little garlic and olive oil and spices and yummy, good on brown rice or pasta.
Week before last, I made limequat curd, but you can use lemons too. I served them in little almond tartlettes. I ground my almonds in the blender... I used this recipe at Who Wants Seconds, and as a side note, because I couldn't find it in the recipe, I baked my tartlette shells at 325' for 8 minutes or 10. I followed the curd recipe exactly and used a candy thermometer, and sealed my bowl with saran wrap right away after cooking, and refrigerated it, and it really worked!!
We both agreed, the tartlette shells are so good, they could be cookies on their own, with jam.
Mister Lovee was smitten beyond words with his curd...
Yesterday I was going to clean my studio - here is one little corner of it, but the whole thing is wacky after all the creating and shipping etc., you can imagine. Even though I have a little shipping station in the office (which will be totally complete one day soon, I hope), I still end up packaging in the studio... What a wreck!
Early morning weird lighting shot... (I guess that isn't a good excuse for my mess ;)
Thank goodness there is one nook that is graced by a treat from the absolutely fabulous Tristan, that looks happy all the time ;) (I got new over-head bulbs in my studio, and they make everything a weird salmony butter color, I don't like them at all, must get new ones today)
The quality of Tristan's creation is incredible, and sooo sturdy and professional, I just love it!!
Instead of picking up my studio yesterday evening, I opted painting into the late night hours. Which makes so much more sense than cleaning, don't you think?
Anyhow, I best be off, I am meeting my parents for a little cafe, even though I stopped drinking coffee over a week ago. I don't know why, I just did, we'll see what happens... I had been sipping 2 or 3 tea cups of black coffee everyday for 2 and a half years or so... I might still want a sip or two every now and then though ;)
It took me forever to write this post because I got stuck in YouTube. Does that ever happen to you? I love watching that T-Mobile dance, which I have seen oodles of times and I know you have too, but still love it...
I looove the old ladies dancing in it. I want to be just like them if I make it to 80. Then I got sucked into watching the making of it and then the reactions... You know how that goes, the YouTube spiral... I have seen it all before, but I love watching people dance and I love watching the making of things, do you?
Oh and did you see the freezing in place at Grand Central Station? Loved that too...
I best be off, I am sitting here with hair the size of a lion and must get ready to visit with my parental units. I slept with my hair wet last night, so my head looks like it's got its own at-mospherrrre...
I'll leave you with spring, springing about...
Oh, and I will make sure to see if I can snap a shot at the quail babies hatching! Yippeee ;)
♥, V
ps: If you see typos in my posts, I make sure to go fix them, I don't spell check formally though. I am nutty like that. So, I fix as I notice them...
Would you say there are fairies spreading fairy dust in all sorts of venues? Like, let's seeeeee, ummm... Hotels maybe?
Remember when you were at that nice hotel and stole (I mean, borrowed forever) a lovely hard cover book that talked about local and statewide delights? All those nice glossy pages?? I have a collection of San Diego ones myself ;) Even one from Santa Fe & I think I have one from New York too...
Well, you can imagine my surprise, when a certain LA based art director contacted me from the creative hub of such books. Nah, I thought. It ain't for real, it just is not. Must be a scam. They must want to bill me for all the books I have collected from hotel to hotel... Yep, that must be it.
But this certain art director, I'll call him Mister M, seemed very serious. He had a list of all my photos and creations he liked. He wanted them, to use. To use, asked I? Hmmmm, what's it gonna cost me? Asks me ;)
Now that I look back on it, he must have thought I was a certified nutcake. I sounded like that kid in home alone, asking oodles of questions, and the guy he is asking questions to, is like, "get lost kid..."
So, I pondered and pondered. And finally, went for it. I didn't understand how they wanted to use my photos, but I obliged. Maybe they would just scatter them around I thought? So, I got all FTP savvy, and got ready to upload my photos to their server. Although, I think I e-mailed them in the end. Either way, I sent them off and that was that...
I didn't let it enter my mind again. Until I got an e-mail from the delightful Miss L (Editor-in-chief from the Scottsdale branch). Who informed me that, the photos were for an article about art and craft in the Arizona Guidebook. (by the way, Mr. M and Miss L, were beyond super delightful to work with)
OH me oh my, says I ;) There really must be fairies!
Miss L asks for my address to send a copy when the 2009 book comes out, and I go one with my day to day activities for a couple of months ;) Like, saving Mister Lovee from well, himself really (ya, I didn't tell you about how he set himself on fire and was covered in it from head to toe all over the back of his robe did I? Umm yep, that is his version of making breakfast, teppanyaki show style I guess - oh and ps, don't turn on the stove when you have threads hanging off the cuff of your robe), and quail eggs from the dog, and bunnies from the dog, and puppies from the dog...
And, and and... Somewhere in there I get in some painting and creating, and squeezing limequats... Hey, speaking of fairies, seems I am like the fairy of our dirt parcel to Mister Lovee and the creatures, or maybe, the creatures here see me more as a Garden Gnome? Who knows...
Anyhow, fast forward to Tuesday. Off I go a merrily skipping along in 3 night gowns and 4 crooked crowns, in the dirt, and check my mailbox. Only to find a parcel so lovely, I squeal. Mister Lovee is driving down the driveway towards me as he is leaving for the office, and I throw myself on his car, I roll over it, and wonder if I should roll in the dirt too?
I skip and squeal, and exclaim, "I want to roll in the dirt!!" Of course, if there was grass, I would opt for that, but since there is only dirt, you get the picture...
So, I am overreacting, because this is what I see when I rip open Miss L's lovely packaging and open the book to the smack center...
WHAT? I never, not ever, not in a million years, expected THIS!
Wholey Guacamole, it's my BABIES!! What, who, where?? Oh goodness me, I must roll in the dirt out of glee!
There are a couple of snippets of my verbage throughout, and even an plug for wonderful magnificent Etsy!!
And, really, all I have to say for today is that, I am tickled to no end, but the one thing that really comes to mind is this...
I believe! I believe in magic and working hard, and holding on to your dreams. I believe in love and life, and even through loss, I believe in the enchantment of memories and heart strings and hope and SMILES...
In my late teens and early twenties, lots of people I met in the world, tried to break me down. Tried to hurt my soul, tried to tell me what I did or what I made, wasn't good, just to be mean. Sometimes I fell, and cried, and got incredibly hurt, but I always got up, and kept holding on to art and creatures and ideas. I learned how to nix the negative out of my life. I built my life around art, made all my life's decisions with art in mind. Art saves me, little faces save me. So, when I see my creatures in a little book as such I smile, and it fills my soul with such bursting joy.
In my humble way, I say, we should try to never let go of our dreams.
And above all, we should smile & believe...
My little dream in life has always been, peace in my soul, slices of happiness, health for my family, not too much worry, and a little space to make things that I enjoy, and perhaps others might enjoy too... I clasp my hands tight in prayer before I go to bed. I repeat my little dream like a mantra, I give huge thanks...
Today, I am sending all the fairies in my neck of the woods your way... Let me know if they arrive ;)
♥ , V
ps: So, if you read a few paragraphs above, I eluded to Misters Lovee's fire incident (it happened last year). Can I just tell you what he did? Please don't tell him I am outing him here like this. So, there he is making a simple dish called, Oatmeal a la fireball. I am sitting at the computer, where I can see into the kitchen. All of a sudden, I notice the entire back of his robe is bright orange with a blue glow over the top, and flames around his neck. And I scream, LOVEE YOU ARE ON FIRE!! YOU ARE ON FIRE!!! He looks at me, puzzled, wide eyed. Then realizes what I am saying, and rips off his robe. Luckily, it was when he had that long ponytail last year, and so, he just lost a bit off the bottom... He had some threads hanging off the terry cloth robe, that I guess caught on fire, and traveled up the back of his robe, from top to bottom. I guess Ralph Lauren doesn't believe in fire resistant night garb?
Anyhow, do you concur, Mister Lovee will be the death of me via heart stopping freak out? ;)
Please tell me your plus one gives you scares too? Poor Mister Lovee, he isn't that bad. 3 stresses a year is okay. But only three ;)
pss: Did you watch Marley and Me? Oh goodness, I cried so hard last night, my heart felt like it was cracking. Off I go to hug my pooch til she begs me to leave her alone.
Hello, my name is Vanessa Valencia and I am an artist living in a lovely part of Arizona. I make all kinds of art, from painting to clay sculpting. I love tending my gardens and cuddling my dogs. This blog is about art, lifestyle, gardening, cooking, crafting & every single little magical thing in between ♥
