Love is the Gift that Keeps Glistening
On occasion, in this rather crazy and serendipitous world of ours, you may be fortunate enough to meet a person who shares with you a number of characteristics or traits, whether they be a soulmate, or just a like minded soul.
Well, thanks to Flickr, I have "met" (not physically but mentally and spiritually) a number of such like minded souls (since I already have my soulmate). If you follow my photostream you will know that I am blessed to be surrounded by a number of artists, including the artisan who gave me this present, and more so, a gift that goes far beyond the present itself. Made with love, it really is the gift that keeps on glistening.
I am one of those people who really enjoy Christmas. I enjoy it for many reasons, not least of all because I get to give gifts I have gathered throughout the year to my family and friends, and I get to wrap them up in beautiful papers and bows. I don't do it for the accolades, or even for a word of appreciation. I do it because I really get so much pleasure from the gift of giving, and the art of gift giving. This artisan friend of mine is exactly the same, and a rare individual who truly appreciates the art of giving and sharing art. I feel exactly the same when giving gifts. Often it is far more than the gift itself, but the experience of receiving the gift and the delight, joy and anticipation of carefully unwrapping a piece of art, to reveal a piece of art that I am giving.
Imagine my excitement and sheer delight when my artisan friend from half way across the world sent me the most wonderful gift of a handmade tassel. This collage is made up of images I took when I received it, with the tassel at its heart, and details of the tassel tall around it.
The present came presented in pink tissue paper. As the tissue paper fell away, it revealed an ornately decorated box featuring an actress from an Eighteenth Century opera by Rameau or Lully, performed for the Sun King, as well as a beautiful French court shoe, tied with a pink satin bow decorated with bejewelled lace and silk flowers. Inside on the underside of the lid was the actress' male theatrical companion, whilst wrapped up in a star spangled transparent bag, the beautiful tassel sat on a soft bed of padding.
The tassel itself is made up of carefully selected ribbons and laces, and even a few skeins of woven wool, mostly in shades of dusky pink (one of my favourite colours), decorated with the most remarkable collection of silver charms, all of which are connected to me in a personal way: teddy bears and a hearts, love tokens, kisses, stars and a wonderful book of faerie tales which reads "once upon a time".
As you know, if you listen to my teddy bears, I'm an old softie - even more than they are - so by the time I reached the tassel, I was a blubbering mass of tears, not because I was unhappy, but because I was so touched that my artisan friend took the time to create a gift of art, so deeply faceted with layers of her careful observations of me, my likes and passions, that it quite stunned me!
I shall be forever grateful to this wonderful friend, who truly is proof that love is the indeed the gift that keeps glistening!
Merry Christmas to you all!
Love is the Gift that Keeps Glistening
On occasion, in this rather crazy and serendipitous world of ours, you may be fortunate enough to meet a person who shares with you a number of characteristics or traits, whether they be a soulmate, or just a like minded soul.
Well, thanks to Flickr, I have "met" (not physically but mentally and spiritually) a number of such like minded souls (since I already have my soulmate). If you follow my photostream you will know that I am blessed to be surrounded by a number of artists, including the artisan who gave me this present, and more so, a gift that goes far beyond the present itself. Made with love, it really is the gift that keeps on glistening.
I am one of those people who really enjoy Christmas. I enjoy it for many reasons, not least of all because I get to give gifts I have gathered throughout the year to my family and friends, and I get to wrap them up in beautiful papers and bows. I don't do it for the accolades, or even for a word of appreciation. I do it because I really get so much pleasure from the gift of giving, and the art of gift giving. This artisan friend of mine is exactly the same, and a rare individual who truly appreciates the art of giving and sharing art. I feel exactly the same when giving gifts. Often it is far more than the gift itself, but the experience of receiving the gift and the delight, joy and anticipation of carefully unwrapping a piece of art, to reveal a piece of art that I am giving.
Imagine my excitement and sheer delight when my artisan friend from half way across the world sent me the most wonderful gift of a handmade tassel. This collage is made up of images I took when I received it, with the tassel at its heart, and details of the tassel tall around it.
The present came presented in pink tissue paper. As the tissue paper fell away, it revealed an ornately decorated box featuring an actress from an Eighteenth Century opera by Rameau or Lully, performed for the Sun King, as well as a beautiful French court shoe, tied with a pink satin bow decorated with bejewelled lace and silk flowers. Inside on the underside of the lid was the actress' male theatrical companion, whilst wrapped up in a star spangled transparent bag, the beautiful tassel sat on a soft bed of padding.
The tassel itself is made up of carefully selected ribbons and laces, and even a few skeins of woven wool, mostly in shades of dusky pink (one of my favourite colours), decorated with the most remarkable collection of silver charms, all of which are connected to me in a personal way: teddy bears and a hearts, love tokens, kisses, stars and a wonderful book of faerie tales which reads "once upon a time".
As you know, if you listen to my teddy bears, I'm an old softie - even more than they are - so by the time I reached the tassel, I was a blubbering mass of tears, not because I was unhappy, but because I was so touched that my artisan friend took the time to create a gift of art, so deeply faceted with layers of her careful observations of me, my likes and passions, that it quite stunned me!
I shall be forever grateful to this wonderful friend, who truly is proof that love is the indeed the gift that keeps glistening!
Merry Christmas to you all!