Every Inchie Monday ...Friends...today I was blessed with Sarah and Cora

My little Inchie today was all about the value of friends and today I met two wonderful people who have captured my heart. Sarah is a woman who helps others maintain healthy strong bodies in order to live a full happy life. Cora is a delightful eight year old visiting from South Carolina and discovering the Joys of making her very own Art...today we played with collage and bright colors, ribbons, the magic art pencil and of course wonderful buttons. For about 90 minutes Cora captivated my heart by gently trusting me to guide her through the process of working with sticky finger tips and applying layers on top of each other. She was creating a beautiful blue dog...much like her beloved Cocker Spaniel. Once again ... I realize the incredible power of working with a child open to just exploring a new medium. We have made some decisions on how to frame her canvas and selected special buttons for the design elements to make the final details. We have made plans to paint a portrait on Wednesday....I think I may have discovered a new dialogue or conversation for Cora to employ as she makes her way through her education. This lovely little girl has her elementary school right on the beach in Myrtle Beach...how great is this to grow up in the awesome beauty of the ocean. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did being with this soft spoken child of light.

My dear friend Marcia gave me a sacred family heirloom...a box of exquisite antique buttons. I was absolutely amazed by the generosity of this gift from the heart. These special buttons had belonged to her husband's mother and now they were entrusted to my hands to add to the personal narratives I am creating...at a snail's pace but .... my next quilted works for the continuation Women's Work. I am eternally grateful to the loving trust and support Marcia has given me over the years as I continue to grow in my life as an artist.

The sun was brilliant this afternoon and I went to capture the glorious tulips that are blooming here in my little city. I stopped by the Webb House and strolled their gardens that coming to life now after the harsh Spring we have experienced. I have been attempting to rescue a black and white kitten/cat for the last three months and tonight I spoke to Kelly and her sons for further information about PC...that is the name the family has given her ...but they cannot keep her because of severe allergies. After close examination...well as close as she would let me...I now realized she has a serious injury to her back leg. Was she hit by a car? Attacked by a coyote? Injured by a very mean grey and white male cat? Kelly's 13 year old son Julian tried to catch her for me so we could feed her but to no avail. Julian and his smaller brother now are the proud owners of a beautiful lab mix puppy named Max ...with the most mesmerizing green eyes and a personality to melt the heart of just about anyone! We will work together to save and protect these vulnerable creatures that have been abandoned ..."in the country"...they can always adopt another dog...another cat....where do these heartless people think these tiny creatures will go for food, shelter or proper training and care???

I worked on four collage gold gift bags ...to use up the bits and pieces of the afternoon's exploration with little Cora. I hope you have been blessed today in your life in your studios. Tomorrow I have about 50 to 60 young professionals visiting the studio after their scavenger hunt in downtown Newark. The young professionals will begin at the Gallery of Dreams.... and end up for drinks and snacks at The Grill Deli and a visit to my "Whispers and Echoes Studio". I love my life!!! Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart