Five years ago a wonderful journey was introduced by Lisa Swifka, who has an amazing blog called "A Whimsical Bohemian. Her magical journey each year would take the participants to places that otherwise most would never have known existed. I discovered this fantastic event last year and am so happy that I did. I made some amazing and awesome friends that I still...to this day...keep in touch with. Thank you Lisa!! Thank you..thank you...thank you!!! This will however be the final year to fly with Lisa's OWOH so I hope that YOU will fly with us and discover just what all the rest of us have learned. There are so many others out there...all over the world...that we share common bonds with and all we have to do is reach out!!!
Lisa started this as a way for us to learn about one another....to show who is behind the blog and all the post that you read when you visit. So with that being said let me tell you a bit about this quirky artist sitting under the Southern Ooaks tree. My grandfather use to tell me that I was born with a crayon in one hand and a gift of sight to see what others failed to see or didn't want to see. Yes..of course...my grandfather was one of the quirky ones too and I'm so blessed that his artistic genes were passed down to me. I have always loved to design and bring the characters in my head out into the open. I refer to this as "letting my muse whisper to me" although sometimes she YELLS the ideas at me.....the whispering would be just fine by me though. I'm not hard of hearing...well...actually I am a wee bit. Hummmm...think it was because of my muse...well harumph!! I don't have one certain art that I like more than the other because that would be limiting myself. NOT that that's a bad thing....for some....but it's just not how my brain is wired...LOL I have passions for drawing, writing, needle felting and jewelry designing. My biggest artistic passion however is my love of designing clay sculpts. My characters are those that walk on the whimsical side....the ones I see in my imagination. AND OMGOSH..yes..that is one very vivid imagination. I can be sitting and reading and look down at the rug and suddenly see a faerie or wizard looking up at me. ^_^
Of course the quirky artist is not my only role in life....although it is what makes me who I am with others. A free spirit...a soft spoken person...a wanderer...a beachcomer.....a treasurer seeker. I am a wife, a sister, an aunt, a GREAT aunt (gulp), a Godmother, a best friend, and a late in life mom. Some said eight years ago, I either a.) was the bravest woman in the world or b.) went temporarily insane....I think maybe a tiny bit of both but I am so blessed that God granted me the ability to be able to have one more child at age 44. Yes...I said one more because I have three grown sons (29-25-23) out in the world doing their own thing. My youngest was also born with a crayon in one hand and a muse that has been singing to him since he was a wee tot. Yet another quirky artist in our household....the poor, poor hubbikins!!!
Where I live is a coastal town in Alabama. It's not a big place but it is the perfect place to raise our son, call HOME and find so much inspiration for my art. Much of that inspiration is found on our beach walks. Let me show you.
I don't know what the Chazman would have done if he had caught up with the bird..LOL
God's world is a canvas and even he spills his paints now and then!!!
A beautiful morning is awaking and the seagulls are enjoying a hardy breakfast.
Now that I have told you a bit about ME....let me tell ya'll about what you might receive for just stopping by for this visit. A big hug and thank you gift. Isn't that wonderful? Well....YES....of course it is!!! Who doesn't like to go visit someone and receive a great big HUG and a "thank you for stopping by". My "thank you" is one of my fabric rose corsages.
It will look so pretty on a sweater..shirt..scarf..hat...jacket or even attached to a cloth purse. That's what I love to do with them. I even put them in my hair when I wear a ponytail. Pin her right to the scrunchy. Then I wonder why someone is following me and wants to know "Where did you get that?" ^_^ If you would like to read more about this piece just go HERE and see just what all was involved in making it. I hope that you will explore many of my past post while here.....I know you aren't here just for the gift. Ri iight? I know..I know..so many places to go and see. I do hope that you will come visit and often after our amazing journey is over. My door is always open and I always have a big pitcher of sweet tea in the frig.
I'm so looking forward to having my guest come to visit and for me to fly on the wings of my OWOH muse and go visiting too. I would like to go over some things with you so that everyone will have the most awesomeness (yes that's a word because I said so and ya'll know how us Southerners love to make up our own words...LOL) journey. So here they are:
1. Although you do not have to participate in the event, you MUST have a blog to be eligible for the giveaway- otherwise this event is open to anyone, anywhere in the world.
2.My giveaway is a way of saying thank you for stopping by- All you need do is leave a comment and a way for me to get back to you should you win- please don't forget to include your email in your comment if it is not on your blogger profile!
3.Comments will close at 10 am on February 17-I will be using the Chazman bowl again this year to determine the winner. If you aren't familiar with the Chazman's bowl then let me explain. As each comment is posted...I print it off...fold it up and place it in a glass bowl. On the 17th..the Chazman (my 8yr old) will pull one of the folded pieces of paper out and Tahdah....a winner!!!
4. I will notify the winners via e-mail. Important: if your profile page doesn't contain your e-mail address, or you are not an active blogger, please include your e-mail address in your comment.
5. Since we must mail our gifts out within three days after the event, once I have notified you, you will have 48 hours to respond with your mailing address. That means I must hear from you no later than the 19th.
Now let's go and take our last adventures and amazing journey through a OWOH door. This is going to be a fantastic year. I just feel it. I hope that everyone has the time to visit each and every blog that is participating. Best of luck to each and everyone on the "gifts" too. Depending on the amount of wonderful folks that come by to visit with me I may add another prize or two along this journey. To me though...I win not matter what because I always seem to find someone as quirky as me to call a friend.
Until next time.............Hugs, Regi
Added 2-4-11: WOW..I can not believe that I have had so many comments in just a few days. I LOVE IT!! Ya'll please keep coming to visit. With all the new friends and old friends..well.... not calling YOU old but that I know you already..hehe..coming to visit I thought that I would add another "Thank you" for a second winner. To keep it fair when the Chazman pulls from the bowl the first person pulled will get to choose which gift they want.
This is Shibee (pronouced Shy-be) He is one of my weebies...which if you don't know what that is let me tell you. It's one of my tiny desk sitters. He is just under 3" tall or would that be short....well let's just say tiny!!! He is fully hand sculpted (clay) and then washed with several different colors of acrylic paints. His eyes (pupils) are tiny glass beads. His heart is also sculpted out of clay and he is sitting on a pretty black feather. I have put "OWOH 2011" on his heart so he can be a OWOH keepsake.