Come Into The Garden Maud

I'm posting this little scene from my garden to invite you over to my new blog. Do I have time for two blogs? No, not really, not at all, but I wanted a place to post occasional rants about the slugs in my garden; post photographs of lost gloves and occasionally have friends around for tea.  It is also my intention to share items from my ephemera collection, a small way of thanking you all for your wonderful support and encouragement.  

There are two freebies waiting there now but please don't go yet because I want to take this opportunity to pass on the sweet award given to me by Lula of Sailor and Lula Designs. Lula is a kind and clever lady: a graphic designer who makes digital scrap kits in her spare time. For a while now, she has been giving away amazing free kits on her blog but she is opening a store soon. All the best for your new venture Lula!  Here's the award:

Many of the blogs I visit make me smile but the following make me do a little Happy Dance and these bloggers have literally helped me to turn my life around:

Kimmie: visiting Words On Paper Scraps is like going around to your best mate's house, sitting together in the garden, having wonderful conversations and sharing ideas for art projects. You also get a smashing cup of tea there!

 When I visit Lynne's blog Heart and Life  we walk through magical woods and drink from clear crystal waterfalls where Lynne leaves little shrines and offerings to nature. Lynne shares her beautiful, soulful heart and art and I always come away re-spiritualised and inspired.

Marsha (Fairy Artist extraordinaire) is so bloody talented and brave and is somehow finding the time to wage a Stop Arts Piracy campaign which we should all get behind. You can visit Marsha's wonderful Tumblefish Studio here and contribute and artwork to Stop Arts Piracy  Flickr group here.

How many artists have been introduced to each other through Seth's The Altered Page blog? His Disintegration Collaboration and Buried Treasure initiatives have introduced me to so many new, lovely people. He is a tireless supporter and champion of other artists and I can't think how he finds the time to create his own, glorious altered artworks. 

Alberta's Amusing Muses features her glorious art: full of life, colour and love, and her playlist includes my favourite version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". She is the art teacher that I would love to have had.  I am extraordinarily  jealous of her studio and garden, but we'll let that pass for now...

Now, I'm only supposed to pass this award on to five other people but rules are made to be broken and I have recently found another blog that makes me smile and feel good to be alive, so I have to mention:

Lani because her beautiful blog Lani Puppetmaker is everything that Art Therapy should be but often isn't. Lani, I just visited to get your link and discovered that you have posted an item about my blog. thank you SO much x

Ladies and Gentleman, please take this award and bestow it on five other bloggers whose blogs make you smile.

Oh, and here is the link to my new plot in blogland, freshly dug and ready to be cultivated. Please drop by, preferably wearing wellies and carrying a spade. Seed sharing always welcome x