Roaring like a lion?

ROARRRRRrrrrrrr!

roaring lion at Kruger National Park, South Africa

www.123rf.com

Is your March coming in like a roaring lion?

March comes in like a lion...

and goes out like a lamb.

That's a saying we have here.

I have no idea where from, I've just always heard it!

pottery from www.BountifulGoods.etsy.com

I thought today it would be fun to feature some

roaring lions!

a charging lion, photo by Steven, 7/10/12

www.9wows.com

These big boys are not happy.

In fact, they look down right grumpy!

But then, sometimes a lion looks like he is roaring,

when actually he is only yawning!!

www.DavidLazar.com

Or maybe he just has an itch....

www.bhmpics.com

"Death was afraid of him

because

he had the heart of a lion."

- Arabian Proverb

But then again,

maybe he is really just not happy!!

photo by Jeffrey Buck, www.woodwardspine.com

"A lion sleeps in the heart 

of every brave man."

- Turkish Proverb

original watercolor, www.WatercolorByMuren.etsy.com

coloring page from www.twistynoodle.com

"I am not afraid of an army of lions

led by a sheep;

I am afraid of an army of sheep

led by a lion."

- Alexander the Great

credit Patricia Daniel, 2008

vintage engraving, spencelionfairy

"I was not the lion,

But it fell to me to give the lion's

roar."

- Winston Churchill

lion cub, www.designyoutrust.com

coloring page courtesy of www.honkingdonkey.com

"It's better to be a lion for a day

than a sheep all your life."

- Elizabeth Kenny

lion and cheetah roaring, art from Mexico,

www.HardysCreations.etsy.com

sketch by MuraART, www.deviantArt.com

vintage pin, www.CedarfoxStudios.etsy.com

Hope you have enjoyed a bit of

ROARING

today!

...and may your Spring arrive with not too much roaring!

inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

and on pinterest - 

kkloberdans

Peace and the Hunt for Happiness

isithangami

"Peace" in the Zulu language,

spoken in South Africa

also found:

"ukuthula" as the word for 'peace',

couldn't really find verification at a reliable source.

Do YOU know how to say 'Peace' in the ZULU language?

Tell us!

'Zulu Girl' found at www.africanimpact.com

there was also a note that it had won 2nd place in a 2008 photo contest

I think she is just lovely!

"Those who are free

of resentful thoughts

surely find peace."

 - Buddha

found at www.anniesnewletters.blogspot.com

How has your Week of Hunt for Happiness going?

I had grand plans, but then I've been sick for 2 days.

Bleh.

Still, I managed to find a little happiness in each day!

One of my 'happy' spots is the video and story

of the deep sea divers that were able to set a wild dolphin free

from its' entanglement in a fishing hook and line.

Big smile here!

a sheet of artistamps put together by Lisa Vollrath

You can join her 'group' and she gives lovely images away for personal use.

"When the power of love

overcomes

the love of power

the world will know peace."

 - Jimi Hendrix

found at www.portaec.net

Take a second look at that peace dove.

Do you see what it is protecting the world from?

Another 'Happy Moment' found?

I was feeling bad, and my husband offered to come home and fix me dinner,

even though he had another meeting to go to first 

and dinner was part of the meeting.

That just struck me as soooo kind and thoughtful.

(I told him no, I could always find something to eat).

"Peace begins with a smile."

- Mother Teresa

by Mary Engelbreit

found on www.OrigamiBears.com

What are a few of your "Happy Moments"?

Do share!

I know I am not the only one that tires of hearing only

BAD NEWS

and reading of only

BAD NEWS.

The news organizations say that only sensational news (i.e. BAD NEWS)

brings in readers and watchers.

Is that true for you?

Perhaps we don't need an hour by hour update of a tragedy occurring?

That is just encouraging the news agencies to keep the BAD NEWS coming.

I frequently find that if I read a headline, that is more than enough for me.

Do I need to know that the teen boy that (allegedly) murdered his parents and 3 siblings

was also a talented musician, good student, and not a monster?

No.

I don't need to read about what a horrible person he is either.

When I read of the tragedy, my first thought was prayers for the teen boy and his family.

How very tragic that he thought this was the only solution for his situation.

How devastating for the rest of the family.

How lonely he must feel right now.

I have no desire to follow the sensationalizing of this tragedy.

I certainly am not going to read about it every day;

or try to make sense of it.

There is no sense or comfort from evil.

There is only chaos.

And we are each capable of evil.

That's what the Bible means when it says

'There is no one righteous*,  no not one.'

Psalm 14:1-3, Old Testament

*can be translated as 'pure' (I John 3:3), 'without blemish' (Ephesians 1:4),

or 'grounded in love' (Ephesians 3:17)

a tomb detail of an angel

"The most valuable possession

you can own

is an open heart.

The most powerful weapon

you can be

is an instrument of peace."

- Carlos Santana

I don't need to read about how awful other people are

to make me feel good about myself!

angelpostcardgfairy

Well, it's time to step off my soapbox, I suppose.

:0)

I do challenge you today to search out some

GOOD NEWS!

for the next 7 days!

Let us know what you find out...

because there's always room for more....

GOOD NEWS!

Kuwait children, Kuwait City

www.gulfnews.com

inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

"Peachy Keen" original Collage Art Doll by inkspired

using all recycled junk mail!

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

Comments, Seashells and coloring books

Salama

"Peace" in the Swahili language, spoken in South Africa

Nelspruit, South Africa

www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk

Welcome to my blog today!

I have a blog all set on 'SEASHELLS',

but first I need to address a nasty comment submitted.

I suppose this happens to everyone, eventually, who writes blogs.

However, it is my first time, and I feel so wronged!!!

First, the person didn't leave any way for me to return a comment.

Frustrating.

no photo cred, found at www.ethnicwords.blogspot.com

Second, the accusation was completely untrue!

Hurt feelings here!

www.CartoonStock.com

The comment went something like -

'you are an in-your-face photo thief who never gives photo creds'

ouch.

The funny thing is, by leaving only a first name, I'm guessing

the author was a photographer from a photo that I DID credit!!

So, let me reiterate (wonderful word of the day) -

If you find a photo, or puzzle, or anything on one of my blogs,

and you know who is the creator/photographer,

please

let me know so I can add the proper credit!

...as I have said again,

and again,

and again!

no photo cred, found at www.psychadminpartners.com

Now, on to more fun things!!!

:0)

Like Seashells!!!

www.seashellsupply.etsy.com

I've been workiong on a line of notecards to sell in my mainly paper shop -

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

Here are just a couple of samples of the base images:

hand colored seashells, from Dover's Seashell coloring book

by inkspired

When I am in pain, and watching tv to get my mind off of it,

mostly movies that is...

I don't feel very creative.

But, I can't just sit there, so I color.

I have loved coloring since I was a small child.

We always had coloring books, and good crayons.

soy based Prang crayons, found at: www.ladyandtheblog.com

My mom liked to color also, so we would sit, sometimes just the 2 of us, sometimes the 3 of us (with my sister). She had a special box of crayons just for her, that were all sharp and new looking in the Crayola box with the fold up top and the crayon sharpener built in in the back.

Good times!

So, I continue to love to color. It is very relaxing.

I love the Dover Books series of coloring books.

I have many.

Dover coloring book by Jessica Mazurkiewicz

After finishing off some seashell pictures, using my new Fine Point permanent Sharpie marker set my Michael gave me, I really liked the finished result.

When turning the pages, I noticed that the back side of each page had such pretty designs from the permanent markers bleeding through!

Inspiration!

Here are just 4 examples. I'm not sure if I am going to add sparkle or glitter or whatever, yet.  I will be putting sets up for sale at:

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

Here are a few coloring pages for you to have fun with -

I like this one because it tells me what the different shell names are,

from Dover.

A coloring page courtesy of Jan Brett.

She has wonderful coloring pages you can download for free!

www.janbrett.com

A wonderful large stamp from Peddler's Pack.

I LOVE their large stamps like this one!

Ruth Heller has a series of Designs for Coloring books printed by Dover

I especially like them, as the design is printed on one side,

and on the back side it is blank.

That means if there is bleed-through, it won't damage a second coloring page!

I really like that.

I have finished coloring in 'NatureScapes' by Patricia J. Wynne,

a Dover coloring book. I love the designs, but they are printed back to back, so I can only choose every other design to color, due to bleed-through.

Oh well.  Here's one I have finished:

NatureScapes by Patricia J. Wynne, Dover Books

colored by me!!

If you haven't smelled the familiar smell of crayons

or played with colored markers in a while,

why not color a coloring page today?

It truly is very relaxing,

 and then you'll have something you can hang up on your fridge!!

That is, for all you non-children households.

If you have kids, the space is all taken up with report cards,

art drawings, photographs, hand made magnets, etc.

Here are some seashells to inspire:

no photo cred - do you know?

Cloth of Gold Cone seashell, www.seashellsupply.etsy.com

knobby starfish, www.beachgrasscottage.etsy.com

Have a grand day!

:0)

inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com

dominoes@myinkspired.com

Fanciful Homes and their Paper Dolls

Kuthula

'peace' in Siswati, spoken in South Africa and Swaziland

This is a pattern for a beaded safety-pin pin.

I am starting to feature the countries that

   a.  are readers of my blog                         

b.  are participants in the 2012 Olympics

It should be fun!

Nothing fancy, just a little pattern for a pin

or a coloring fact sheet

or....?!!!

Now on to fanciful houses

and the *imagined residents of some of them!

*(aka paper dolls)

'Garden Conservancy Open Gardens'

www.10awesome.com

'Ladya' would possibly wear her first gown to a country function -

perhaps a dinner party with card games afterward.

The second dress might be a morning dress that she would wear when

visiting her sister in London, or double as a gown for a country masked ball.

a dollhouse created from paper

www.cinderellamoments.etsy.com will recreate your home!

'Bungalow Cottage'

www.cinderellamoments.etsy.com

West King Edward Street, Vancouver, Canada

circa 1941, built perhaps by William H. James

This cottage could perhaps be like the one that Cinderella grew up in?

Can't you see Leslie Anne Warren sitting in the cinders, by the fireplace?

:0)

found at www.tippr.com

I believe this is a Thomas Kincaid 1940's cottage.

Now let's check out some Hansel and Gretel type cottages!

They lived in the forest....

'Fairy Tale Cottage Home in the forest'

www.cdn.home-designing.com

Arthur Rackham's Hansel, Gretel and the Witch

This house is actually called the 'Hansel and Gretel House'.

You can find it in California, USA.

a Kay Nielsen illustration, courtesy Dover Books

Here is another home called

'Witches House' in Beverly Hills, California, USA.

www.worldtoursusa.com

a felt doll house found on etsy

Next are some 'city' fanciful homes:

unknown names and sources

Perhaps these lovely sisters lived in one of them:

I'll share half today, and half tomorrow.

I don't want to 'over whelm' you, but mostly

I will not write a book

I will not write a book

I will not write a book

Happy, Michael?

:0)

courtesy of OrigamiBears - THANKS!!

Tomorrow I will have 3 more pages of costumes.

'Wistful Manor'

rock painting by www.mygardenrocks.etsy.com

Have a super-duper day!

Thanks again to all my readers in South Africa.

Good luck at the Games.

inkspired

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com

www.inkspired.etsy.com

dominoes@myinkspired.com

'Princess in Yellow'

Collage Art Doll by inkspired,

created exclusively from junk mail

www.collagepaperpainting.etsy.com