Secret Garden Giveaway Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated by describing your five must-haves for your own Secret Garden! Hammocks, waterfalls, ponds, roses and hummingbirds were some of the top must-haves. Check out all of the creative comments at the end of this post.

Three names were drawn at random to receive their choice of a Secret Garden pendant or print from my Etsy shop.

SJ who said... "My secret garden will have a waterfall, porch, lots of sunflowers, trellis of beautiful flowers, and a tree". Check out her blog called Homemaker on a Dime, where she hosts blog hops, link parties, and other fun activities.

Newlywed Briana said... "my secret garden would have a cozy cottage, a koi pond, a little bridge, waterfall/stream to the pond, and roses!"

Sandy Prenzi from The Hive said: "My secret garden must have Fairies fluttering from flower to flower ~ A deep blue pond surrounded by weeping willows and inhabited with the beauty of Swans ~ A soft breeze whispering through the willows and the sweet music of the birds as they flit from tree to tree". Be sure to check out her wonderful clay creations at: Sandy's Creations in Clay

Congratulations to all!!!!

When Crafty Cat Ladies Collaborate...

I was quite excited a few months ago when Cat Lady and Bead Artist Chris Maj asked if she could buy a pendant or two from me, but without the bail attached. She wanted to try to use one as a "cabochon" in one of her intricately beaded necklaces. Just the fact that she referred to my glass pieces as cabochons won me over (I just love that word), so of course I said yes.

Here is one of the cabochons that she picked out:And... [insert drumroll here]
here is what she did with it:

I am quite confident that you are saying "WOW" inside your head right now, because that was exactly what I said inside my head when I saw it. Except I think I said it out loud too, and with an exclamation point. Chris estimates that there are between 1,500 - 2,000 tiny beads in this necklace. WOW!

Here is her description: "I've surrounded this sweet 'Fanciful Garden Cat' cabochon [there's that word again!] with seed beads in the coordinating colors of fuchsia, purple and green and then accented it with a cute little czech glass purple kitty dangle. The pendant is suspended from a beadwoven spiral rope necklace with coordinating seed beads... I made this necklace as a weekly challenge for a color combo group I 'play' with. It matched perfectly with this week's color combo. "


If you love this pendant as much as I do, you are in luck. It is currently for sale in Chris' Etsy shop Beadn4fun, where you can see more of her exquisite beadwork. And it gets better -- Chris does custom work and will make a made-to-order pendant or brooch using any of the glass cabochons that you'll find in my Etsy shop. Here are a few that are available:

(click on the image to see more available designs in my Picasa photo albums)

Chris says: "I would be happy to make this type of necklace or brooch to order with beads that coordinate with whatever picture you choose". You can contact her through her Etsy shop to find out more about prices, time frame, and to make arrangements.

Chris is cat mom to two gray tabbies who are rescue kitties: Harry (7 years old) and Amelie (8). "Harry keeps my husband and I entertained all day long. Harry thinks he's a dog and loves to 'fetch' foil balls (made from the wrappers of Dove chocolates, my addiction). Amelie keeps a running conversation with me throughout the day and critically observes my beading... I love wearing my beaded jewelry around the house and when I bead, just as much as I love putting on a special piece before I go out. I think it just makes you feel better about everything...and don't we all deserve that?!"

Yes, I think we do!

So Many Secret Gardens, So Little Time!

I'm just loving all of the beautiful descriptions of special garden hideaways in the Secret Garden Giveaway, aren't you? They all sound so beautiful and peaceful. I'll take one of each, please!


Katy~The Country Blossom said... The five must haves for my own secret garden would be roses, lots of roses! I would love walls covered in ivy (like in the book and movie the Secret Garden), a swing, growing herbs and a bench in the middle! :)

Fage said... My secret garden would have thousands of colorful flowers, a quiet, still pond, lush green grass good for laying down and watching the clouds, a gazebo for picnics and last of all a huge tree for shade... Am i there yet?

Chrissykat said... My secret garden would have a screened in porch (so the kitties are safe & so are the birds), Lilac bushes full of hummingbirds, a birdbath, a water fountain & thousands of daisies.

Birgit said... Anything goes in my secret garden, doesn't it? Well then... In my secret garden there would be a hedge labyrinth with a comfortable bench in the middle, the magic apple tree from "Garden Spells," lots of birds and butterflies, millions of flowers in every color, and, of course, a handsome gardener who helps me keeping the garden perfect and secret.

There is still time to share YOUR five must-haves for your own secret garden...

Visit the Secret Garden Giveaway and share your recipe for a perfect secret garden and you will be entered for a chance to win one of three prizes. Three names will be drawn at random on Sunday, August 28th, to receive their choice of a brand new Secret Garden print or pendant (includes chain) from my Etsy shop ($16-18 value, plus includes shipping to anywhere worldwide).

Thanks for participating!!

Secret Garden Must-Haves Are Revealed!

Question:

What Are The Five Must-Haves
For Your Own Secret Garden?

Pine Ridge Treasures said...My five secret garden must-haves are: a gentle breeze, colorful birds, pretty pansies, a comfy wicker chair, and a wise owl.

Cat Mom said...My secret garden would have a big old oak tree with a swing hanging from one of the branches. There would be a faerie garden with a little brown toad keeping watch over the wildflowers and giant sunflowers under which a garden of pumpkins would be growing. A tiny saw whet owl would would make her home in the big oak and a family of feral cats would feel safe enough in the garden to call it home.

Artistic Diva said... My secret garden would include a wild rose arbor, a water fall, a shade tree filled with birdsong, a lovely garden swing, and two or three beautiful black cats. That would be heaven.

Join in and dream a little...What are the five must-haves in your own secret garden?

Visit the Secret Garden Giveaway and share your recipe for a perfect secret garden and you will be entered for a chance to win one of three prizes. Three names will be drawn at random to receive their choice of a brand new Secret Garden print or pendant (includes chain) from my Etsy shop ($16-18 value, plus includes shipping to anywhere worldwide).

Thanks for participating!!

My Secret Garden Giveaway

Question:
What Are The Five Must-Haves
For Your Own Secret Garden?

Paprika the Garden Cat Says: "A secret garden is a quiet place to be still and thoughtful with your hopes and dreams; it's a beautiful place to spend time with your special siblings-- daughters and sons of Mother Earth, just like you and me and Sunny Sam.."

In the last post we found out that Annika's must-haves for her secret garden are: tulips, a wise owl, ginger garden cats, a tiny green beetle, and the perfume of the flowers on the wind.

In my own secret garden my must-haves are peppers, tomatoes, basil, busy bees, and a garden fairy...



What are your five must-haves? Tell us in the comments section of this post and you will be entered to win one of three prizes. Three names will be drawn at random and will receive their choice of a brand new Secret Garden print or pendant (includes chain) from my Etsy shop ($16-18 value, plus includes shipping to anywhere worldwide).

My inkjet prints are printed on high quality matte photo paper with Epson Durabrite Ultra inks. The print will be signed by me. Matting and frame are not included. The print may be placed directly into an 8 x 10" frame, or matted in an 11 x 14 matting that has an 8 x 10 opening. Now available in my Etsy shop!


A mini print of my whimsical artwork has been preserved under crystal-clear glass, then hand-crafted into a sparkling pendant. The glass tile features a silvertone bail. Now available in my Etsy shop!

Giveaway ends on Sunday, August 28, at 8 p.m. Pacific Time.

Entries will also be accepted in an identical post over at The Hive.

Please make sure that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner, such as a link to your blog or e-mail address . You may send info directly to my email if you don't want to make your contact info public. If you visit www.susanfaye.net , you will find an email link. Also, if you encounter trouble with the Comments feature, you may send your entry directly to my email.

Thanks for participating!

Story Time in Annika's Secret Garden

Words and images copyright 2011 Susan Faye. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in ANY form, including electronically, without express written permission of the artist. Thank you for respecting this policy with regards to ALL artists--it's good karma!!

Welcome
to the secret garden.

I am Paprika, the Garden Cat, and this is my boy, Sunny Sam.


Come with me through the garden gate, but shhhhhhh, don't tell anyone how you found it. It's a secret, you know...


A secret garden is a quiet place to be still and thoughtful with your hopes and dreams; it's a beautiful place to spend time with your special siblings-- daughters and sons of Mother Earth, just like you and me and Sunny Sam...

...just like Annika, my girl, and the Gardenkeeper of the secret garden. With food and water and a sprinkling of love, she encourages all of us to grow and thrive...


...like Horace the Owl. He likes to sleep during the day but will always wake up long enough to greet visitors whenever they stop by.





"Whoowelcome friends," he croons before his sleepy eyelids flutter back into place.





...like the fragrant flower blossoms that sway to the music of the breeze. Listen...can you hear the wind song too? Annika loves how the tulips tickle her nose with their delicate perfume and make her eyes dance with their sweet candy colors.




...and like the little green beetle that lives in the perfectly peachy tulip, three pink blossoms to the right of the shade tree.


Hope you have enjoyed your stay in the secret garden; you are welcome back any time. Your sisters and brothers will be waiting for you.



All under the watchful eye of Mother Earth,

And her mom, Grandmother Sun.

It's one big happy family. Aren't you happy to be a part of it?


Thanks for visiting! Come back soon!





Prints of The Secret Garden are now available in my Etsy Shop.
Click here to see several versions... Secret Garden Prints

The Secret Garden

Welcome ...

...to the secret garden. If you want to find it, it's tucked away in the hills next to the woods near the forest just a stone's throw away from the pond across from the creek. It involves a small greenhouse that the Mister and I built from a kit several summers ago so that we could grow some heat-loving lovelies in the cool of the Pacific Northwest . Take your sweater off and come on inside...

...where you will find four kinds of basil...

...and five kinds of peppers
and eight kinds of tomatoes...

...and bees are always welcome!


And...SURPRISE!
There's even a secret garden within the secret garden...

...where a garden fairy lives with her three cats. They enjoy afternoons sitting beneath the bright umbrella blossoms of petunias and butter-yellow nasturtiums...

...and there's one more little friend in the secret garden's secret garden.
He gets to stay only if he promises not to eat the nasturtiums.

Do you have a secret garden? I'm so in love with the idea that I just finished a new illustration called...what else..."Secret Garden"! Here's another little snippet of the painting. Can you find the little green garden beetle? I'll reveal the whole painting in my next blog post.

In the mean time, I think I've got a little watering to do...

Thanks for visiting!

Cutting Edge Caption Winner Announced!

Congratulations to Cat Lady Linda B. whose name was drawn at random in the On The Cutting Edge With Buttonwillow Caption Giveaway.

She will be receiving her choice of 3 catnip toys from my Etsy Shop. Here is the cute caption that she submitted:

Thank you to everyone for submitting your cute and funny captions. And although Buttonwillow still insists that she should be Scissors Qualified,

I still say "NO".
Firmly.
Often.

Learn more about Linda B. and her beautiful and fun beaded jewelry at her website: Linda B's Blog

Captivating Captions...Giveaway Ends Tomorrow

Have you entered the "On the Cutting Edge with Buttonwillow Caption Contest" Yet?

Here are just a few of the ideas submitted so far:

It's not too late to submit your caption. Visit this link: Caption Giveaway to see the other entries, then add your own in the comments section of that post for a chance to win a set of catnip toys from my Etsy Shop. One name will be drawn at random tomorrow, August 6, and will win their choice of three catnip toys from the selection pictured, a $14.00 value, including postage.

Have fun and thanks for participating!

Sticker Winners and Snail Mail Results

Congratulations to our sticker winners in the SWAK giveaway! Three names were drawn at random:

Fat Dormouse said: I'm a new reader...and I voted! I used to send more letters than I do now - my mum loves letters so I ought to make the effort more. But I do enjoy sending handmade cards for birthdays.

Jean Williams said: I am pretty bad at even remembering to send my own Mother a card but I want to get better at it because I feel guilty when someone sends me one and I forget to send them one, but I would like to get better at it. I'm 58 so I'd better change fast! :) I love the BIRD BRAIN stickers the best! ;) It makes it more fun to send cards when you have something to decorate them with ;)

Laura in 'bama said:
I do still write letters occasionally and love to make actual cards to send out - and decorating the envy is as much fun as making the card!

Congratulations ladies! Please send me your mailing info--you'll find a link to my email in my profile section or at www.susanfaye.net. Please pick out which stickers you'd like--you will receive 3 sheets, and you can mix and match from the sets below:

Nature Lover

Bird Brains

The Garden Shed

The Poll Results

The majority of responders (a little over a third) are just like me, and send a card or letter via snail mail whenever there is a birthday or anniversary. About 20 percent write once a week, another 20 percent write once a month and the other 20 percent send something out once in a blue moon. One reader sends out so much mail that it might actually average out to one a day:

teaberry said... I said once a week, if you average mine out, once a day would be closer! That's because I send out homemade cards of my fat cat Melon to an array of friends and relatives on holidays, including Father's Day and Independence Day. For the big holidays (Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween) I send out between 50 & 60 cards. . . Christmas is about twice that. I also send cards for other occasions. I still look forward to going to that mail box and hoping to find a personal card or letter!

I'm so happy that the art of letter-writing on paper and snail mail card sending are not forgotten arts! We need to keep our letter carriers busy and employed! Thank you to everyone who participated in my Very Scientific Poll! Didn't win stickers? Don't fret--they are now available in my Etsy shop...just click on an image for more information.

And don't forget to enter my Cutting Edge with Buttonwillow giveaway for a chance to win a set of catnip toys. Giveaway ends Aug. 6.