Fresh

First up this week we have "Tracks," a fine art photo by Miss Kristin of loveartstudios. Kristin says "At first I was thinking 'springtime' fresh, like some of my flowers, then I thought...'Wait! Fresh like fallen snow and tracks leading away into a Bright New Year! Every journey begins with a single step and off we go with a 'fresh' start into 2011!'"

Winter Wonderland

First up we have Amarilys from To Mommy's Scrappin'. She entered her super cute Let it Snow Christmas Card. Chock full of glitter and dimensional snowflakes, this card would be like receiving your own personal winter wonderland in the mail!

Pearl from Beading Gem is up next with her cute little Silver and Gold Crystal Snowman earrings. These festive fellas are made from crystal encrusted balls and high quality Chinese clear crystal. They also feature a crystal collar (for a scarf!) and a sequin and gold-colored bead that make up their hat. How cute!

Last but not least is the Vintage Christmas Snowman Fun Pack from Melinda over at Crabapple Vintage. This adorable little collection includes: 1 green snowman cookie cutter (1970s), 1 postcard of snowman and woman skating, 1 packet of metallic candle-shaped sequins, 4 full sheets of Christmas stamps, plus one partial sheet (missing a Santa) and one extra stamp.

oh so quiet

First up we have Leslie from Leslie Lee Art with her infinitely calming "Seeking Center" limited edition giclee print. As Leslie says, this pastel (which depicts a yoga studio in Portland, Oregon) is "oozing with serenity."

Next is Kristin from loveartworks with her AWAKEN - Simple Soul Buddha with Gold Leaf Clay Wall Hanging. Kristin says "When I see this image of Buddha that I carved out of the clay, the closed eyes, the peaceful grace of the profile/portrait, my mind immediately starts to go into a calmer state and quiet begins to come in the midst of the constant stream of thought. It's actually an image I can use as a Meditation tool because of it's simplicity."

Last but not least we have Dona from Random Order with all of her thinking-outside-of-the-box fabulousness. Dona entered her Mary and baby Jesus necklace. As Dona says, the natural mother of pearl pendant looks like a peaceful mother and child...

A Time for Reflection

Our first reflective entry is from Ngan of Daily Dose. Ngan entered her Introspection necklace. The center of this necklace is a gorgeous genuine agate slice pendant which is accented by a tiny rough natural pyrite bead and a gunmetal chain.

Rebecca from Knee Deep Originals is next with her Homespun Girl CD. Rebecca chose her CD as her entry "because songwriting is very often a time of reflection and meditation."

Last but not least is Melinda from Crab Apple Vintage and her Vintage Santa Claus Cookie Cutter. Melinda says:
"This may not be the most profound entry, but when I look at this cookie cutter I envision my grandmother's kitchen and the frosted ginger cookies (Amazing!) that she made for Christmas. She frosted this shape in red. As a cookie, it's a bit of an odd Santa shape and you need to look at it closely to figure out what it is.

Specifically, I picture her drop leaf table (with bowl of fake fruit) where she would leave out pies and cookies for special occasions. At some point my dad stripped the green paint from that table and refinished it. It is gorgeous and after many years as my kitchen table it is now my sewing table.

It has been difficult for me to stay on topic because taking a moment to focus on this one idea lead to so many more memories. I'm alternately tearing up and smiling as I write this."

First Frost

First up, we have this glittering stunner from Stevie of Designs by Stevie J. Dubbed Ice Crystals, it's no stretch to see the connection between this bracelet and the brilliantly shiny crystals they're named after.

Next we have "Sugared Blur," a cool fine art photo from Gabriele of emmarts. This pretty macro is part of a kitchen series and was taken in Gabriele's Vancouver backyard.

Last but not least, we have this amazing shot from Kristin of loveartstudios. Entitled "Cracking," I love Kristin's description of how she happened upon this shot: "The air on this wintery New Hampshire afternoon was so brittle that I felt as though my breath would shatter as it left my body. The snow had that thin layer of ice on it that reflected pinpoint diamonds, and as I rounded a turn in the path, I glanced up the hill and saw these 5 trees lined up against the low glaring sun, and they looked as though they were cracking the sky."

Gather

Audrey from Audrey Garden Lady was first to enter this week with her Bountiful Thanks Charm Bracelet. Made from cute little fruit and veggie lampwork beads and an eclectic assortment of charms, this sweet bracelet is a yummy little gathering of farmers market goods!

Our next festive entry comes from Tina of Adorn Me Jewelry. Tina entered her Nature's Bounty Acorn and Pine Cone earrings. Made with square root beer brown distressed Czech glass beads, green melon beads and antiqued copper pine cone and acorn, each earring is different yet totally compatible and perfect to wear while gathered around the Thanksgiving table!

Entry number three comes from the talented Leslie of Leslie Lee. Leslie entered her note card entitled "The Dilemma," which is a print of her original painting (which hangs in the lobby of an investment firm). Leslie says "Gathering can be a dilemma, especially when we get obsessed with what we gather, or are afraid of losing what we have. The result is sometimes that we miss opportunities that present themselves because we are holding on so tight there is no room to receive anything else!"
Next up we have Miss Julie of Oooooh Shiny! She brings us her set of six quirky and whimsical wine glass/beverage charms. These fun charms are perfect for your next gathering! Julie says: "I made these little scrabble tile wine glass charms for all of my family and friends so we can keep our drinks sorted out during those festive holiday gatherings! They are fun and kooky-- pretty much like all of my family and friends... LOL"

Our fifth entry this week comes from Joe of Prospero's Bookshelf. Joe entered his Comp'ny Comin' Postcard. This postcard from 1975 is by the well-known American folk-primitive painter of rural Southern life, Queena Stovall. According to the website dedicated to her work, "Queena is a Southern memory painter, who often portrayed her black neighbors as well as her own family." The family portrayed in this particular painting is busy getting ready for some important visitors.

Our final entry comes from Stevie of Designs by Stevie J. Stevie entered her Confetti necklace, which was created from a mixture of precious and semi-precious gems. Stevie says "When I got the idea for this necklace, I wanted to make sure I had exactly the right colors and the right beads. You should have seen me gathering all the supplies to put this necklace together. It look me a while and thankfully I had all the beads, so I could create it as I imagined it."

Rememberance

Our first entry this week comes from Stevie of Designs by Stevie J. Stevie says this bracelet, called Bracelet the Bride Loves, popped into her mind as soon she saw the theme of this week's Challenge. Stevie said "This last July my niece (Noelle) got married and asked me to make all of her jewelry and the gifts as well... I gave her this bracelet awhile ago, and she treasured it so much she made this color one of the main colors in her wedding."

Julie from Little Altars Everywhere brings us entry number two with her gorgeous Inspiration Altar Picture Frame. The words on this mixed media beauty say it all:
Memories - the priceless treasure of a life well spent.

Melinda from Crab Apple Vintage is next with her cool little vintage Cmielow Straw Mug Souvenir. As Melinda explains, this was probably a souvenir brought back from travels to Poland, and possibly for its original owner, a reminder of home.

Rebecca of Knee Deep Originals and her original oil painting Sweet Soul are next. Rebecca says: "I painted this a couple months after my precious Bruschi died, after months and months of illness and seizures. It was a release for me, and a way to honor him and his faithfulness and friendship. I used a very loose style and didn't paint him exactly as he looked (so I wouldn't have too hard a time letting it go) but instead tried to capture his soul. Haning on my wall is a portrait I did of him in a more realistic vein, with exact coloring and markings, but Sweet Soul is a more spirit-filled piece."

Our next entry comes from the always amazing Kristin of loveartsworks. Kristin entered her Hope Hummingbird Dish which is meaningful in oh-so many ways. I think it's best to let her words do the talking: "My Dad passed away last Spring and you may remember that the EPE Blog went live, actually on the day that he died, which at the time seemed bizarre, but now makes sense. My first Blog post which was 'published' 4 days later was titled "hummingbird Soul" and was all about gathering Strength and Hope. I actually took a lot of that post and reworked it and read it at my Father's Memorial. This dish was painted in Memory of my Dad, and it's for Charity Donation for Hospice, which were so amazing, I don't know how things would have gone without them."