Akasagarbha, Tiger's Guardian

boundless space treasury

...

wisdom and creativity

Journeys with Baby Beep
Day 1

more : the Magnificent Parade of Pastries!

gifts from the magical day : the Salade Composee

the ghostly beauty of the Tiny Enchanted Banquet

Peach Pie! The very best of Summer!

Little Farmer

Teacup we sent to M.B. in New York. I love the teacup swaps!

Here is the lovely teacup, aromatic tea, and letterpress book (truly beautiful, with the poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock) from my wonderful teacup swap partner J.F. (also from San Francisco!). What an elegant and thoughtful package! Thank you so very much!

Real fresh berry pie!

Playdough Petit Fours!

I love green food!

Some apothecary/laboratory bottles that I've filled with photographs

I had such a fun time with the black+white theme swap on Swap-bot.com. There are so many beautiful subtleties in black+white. Here is a list of the contents:

1. A vintage wooden “R” (my recipient's name starts with)
2. Richard Kostelanetz’ limited edition (black+white) concept book One Night Stood
3. 2 vintage slides of Blackpool, England
4. 20 vintage Czech black+white leaf motif beads
5. 2 vintage buttons – one has what seems to me like a tiny “landscape” on it, the other is just 3" big and fun!
6. 2 vintage wooden spools of thread - one black, one white
7. 50 white lollipop sticks!? Still looking for a lollipop recipe to send… Interesting – the candy part is always sweetly colorful.
8. 1 small black+white eraser
9. some black old-fashioned photo corners
10. an envelope I made out of recycled woven plastic packaging and a black pompom
11. an apothecary/laboratory bottle I used as a “frame” for a black+white photo of the Statue of Liberty
12. some white tea
13. a vintage fabric white magnolia

Hoping my swap partner likes it!

For so long, I have had an obsession with bags, purses, luggage, and suitcases. I travelled in my youth... so many possibilities and adventures. Later, it had something to do with escaping to safety. Now, it is about reflection, choices, and simplification... and gratitude.

some future projects : cases and music boxes

colors and patterns

Some images of home... the black dog from Cornwall, a painting I made a long time ago, a happy orchid, and some printing blocks that I found at the flea market.

Found this today, after a weekend of rejuvenating my home and seeing how wonderful it is to improvise and be surprised - by the beauty of simple things ... things paired with other things to create the unexpected.

A place to read. Still making my way through Cryptonomicon. Next : Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Then : the Gormenghast books.

This morning, our car broke down on the way to school! The inside filled up with what seemed to be a giant cloud. More clouds surrounded the car on the outside too.
Here is our car, after the clouds disappeared, hooked up to the tow truck.

More Magic Playdough, this time in tins decorated with vintage toys...

Magic Tea Party Playdough

This is the playdough K. has been selling (in our shop 'DelightfulSurprise' on eBay and to our friends at LoveJoys TeaRoom) to earn money for a trip to Paris. We've sent it all across the country!

I started this blog awhile ago as a "gallery" for the tiny worlds the children created to play with. It was called "Teacup Diorama". I still hope to post some of these miniature and fantastic environments, under the heading : I think I'm seeing things.
Hopefully, the Funky Valise will become a place for some of the things I am currently inspired by and working on.

Finding this card
coincided with the beginning of a wave of creativity.

What's next?