The clouds do get in the way,

But, generally I can take this advice from Liz. It arrived in time for Christmas and will serve me well as I make my New Year resolutions! Thank you Liz

Mea culpa.

Yep, maxima culpa! I have received a number of etegami from my dear correspondents over the last month or so and I haven't acknowledged them. Sooo, for the sake of  brevity I shall bundle them all in one post and hope they forgive me.
First from Carolyn in Melbourne, one given when she visited me (accompanied by the pin illustrated, Oh frabjous day!) and another sent.

Thank you Carolyn.
The next a picture of fresh leeks from Lisa in Perth done in traditional etegami style and intent, a response to something we see but do not often appreciate the beauty of.

Thank you Lisa. Hope it cools off for Chrissie.

Fumiko has sent Christmas and New Year greeting cards. The zebra, "a horse of a different colour" celebrates the year of the horse in 2014.

Thank you Fumiko.
Charline has used one of Shungo's handmade cards to paint this one. Is the pear a Riviera variety Charline? In any case a nice classic style of etegami.

Thank you Charline and a Happy holiday season to you!
Tatuaki's Santa looks a little sad but Tatuaki's sure hand with a brush perfectly illustrates traditional etegami and the sentiment on the card is for peace for the world.

Thank you Tatuaki, happy holidays to you and your family.
Yoshiko, one of the true artistic talents in our group on the Etegami Fun Club page on Facebook has sent two cards, a little worse for the mailing but charming nonetheless. A Christmas card and in the spirit of "A Game of Thrones", "Winter is coming!". It is 32 celcius here today and very humid so that is a cheery thought!

Thank you Yoshiko, Happy holidays!
Despite the probably hundreds of cards she sends out each year Debbie, our mentor, has not forgotten me with her imaginative card.

Thank you Debbie blessed was the day I stumbled over your blog, the gift that keeps on giving.

Oh my hat!

A cute "not Halloween pumpkin" from Linda Austin expressing something we all feel at some time, for example just after getting a disastrous haircut...it's okay I tell myself, it will grow.
The pumpkin is what we call in Australia a "Turk's hat" variety and delicious it is too.. I may just buy myself a hat  or possibly a big bag to go over my head!
Thanks Linda.

Paradise with plums!

Yoshiko has found me at my new address with this lovely card.
I am calling the place Paradise because that is how a friend described it (they haven't been woken at 4am by the boat pilot going out in his helicopter of course) but we are getting used to the differences in our new place and it is all good. The sentiment on Yoshiko's card is a timely reminder to those of us getting on in years that time does seem to go ever faster, so seize the day!

Thanks Yoshiko.

A new address...a new "foul Hole"

Well, it wasn't a foul hole before but looking at some of my many posessions scattered around waiting to be dealt with...
Debbie's card has found me at my new address, the first of many I hope. Thank you Debbie and thank you for your good wishes. So far it is "all good"!

Eureka!

I have found the missing etegami, some of them I am ashamed to say are well overdue for acknowledgement.
I will bundle them in this one post so inboxes will not be awash with my posts.
The first is from Masami, a cute Ronald MacDonald type figure  a long with a beautifully decorated envelope as well as a chopstick case, riches indeed!

Thank you Masami
Next a clump of woodland loveliness on a chatty card from Kasia.

Thank you Kasia.
Carol  from California remarked that we share a birthday month with a yin yang sign...all good!

Thank you Carol.
And a jolly red telephone box, a memento of her trip to the "old Dart" from Jennifer. I do hope they keep them as they are so iconic along with the red double decker buses but as Jennifer says they are fast becoming redundant in this age of universal cell phone usage.

Thank you Jennifer.

Thank you Fumiko.

The latest etegami to arrive have been rescued from the maelstrom. Fumiko's exquisite cut paper mask, a picture of a delightfully puzzled Tororo  as well as two origami coats.
Thank you Fumiko.

Thank you Shungo.

Luckily  Shungo's delightful etegami survived the frenzied packing operation and here it is! Thank you Shungo.

Apologies to all.

Apologies for not updating this page and for being disorganized enough to pack away (who knows where) some of the etegami I have received in the last couple of months while in the process of moving house. So I apologize to those of you who I haven't acknowledged but be assured I do have your cards (somewhere).

Thank you Peggy.

At painting Peggy is not prolific but she does come up with some lovely cards when she can spare the time. This delightful embossed stamp and artful calligraphy (friend), made my day.

A glorious morning...

When I got this lovely etegami fron Shungo, along with a couple of his handmade cards. As always his light touch is so refreshing.

Letters to a fan...

A lovely fan shaped etegami to celebrate the Japanese festival of Tanabata from Debbie. The card features the milky way and she has thankfully translated the Japanese as "I want to be the wind with you". (learn about the festival here http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2283.html.)

A second delightful surprise, Debbie has sent her two part recipe card which she submitted to "They Draw and Cook" and subsequently had published in their cookbook. I am humble!

Thank you Debbie.

Roses in the winter.

A card in Yoshiko's signature delicate style arrived today. Her lovely roses stimulate the senses and bring a welcome hint of summer in our winter. Thank you so much Yoshiko.

Punny duck.

Last week one of Alison's punning blue ducks flew into my mailbox, I am as fond of a pun as I am of blue ducks so thank you Alison from DC!

Where do es the time go?

It seems like yesterday that Charline was going to have a baby but it is surely longer than that as the little tacker is a toddler already.
Two cards from the busy mum to cheer up these grey days plus a lovely note written on the back of a print of some of her abstract artwork. Nice to see that you have a little time to draw breath Char and are back into the etegami.

The Japanese writing is "den den mushi" which is kid slang for snail. Thanks Char.

Tohru san is on fire!

A trio of Tohru's bitter melon drawings. His experimentation with different techniques using this ordinary object is fabulous!

Cut 'n' paste.

Carol B., the lady with good Karma (and the eponymous cockatiel who loves chewing cards) has sent me a rather fun object to cut and paste along with an eyeful of avocado! Never a dull moment at the B. household I'll be bound.
Thanks Carol.

Sproing...!

Well judging by the etegami coming from Japan, spring has well and truly sprung. It is interesting to have a window into how the Japanese people over the centuries have marked the appearance of each  new plant as it pokes its way through the snow, bringing summer just that much closer. Last week people ate "Seven weed porridge", no doubt a great anti scurvy remedy after a long winter.
Shungo has sent me a card with a flower that is used to prepare a face balm, perhaps one reason why Japanese ladies stay so young looking! He also sent me some of his handmade cards unfortunately putting me in jeopardy of being hunted down by the quarantine service whose 'watch list' I am already on. Thanks Shungo!

Wise owls.

Friendly owls from Tatuaki symbolize the friendship we in the Etegami Fun Club extend to each other, a kindly friendship, an appreciative friendship and a creative friendship but mostly a wise friendship, we meet on the internet and help each other through the day... a precious gift!

Thank you Tatuaki.

The child within...

It is lovely to meet a kindred spirit, one who appreciates the sometimes quirky things that you like. Things that others may overlook, bird's nests, old toys, rusty iron...Carolyn is one such person and she would know how I love this card!

Thank you Carolyn.

An iris for my eye.

A lovely early summer flower from the talented Yoshiko.

Thank you Yoshiko.

A cut above!

Yet another amazing cut paper card from Fumiko, thank you so much Fumiko.

And I thought...

that storks only brought babies but Ina assures me that if they live on your roof they will bring harmony to your house, at least Lithuanian storks do! Thanks Ina, my newest correspondent.

And summer, and winter and...

Supermarkets are full of produce from the whole wide world but only on a card from Debbie do the words fit the situation so well, happy spring in Hokkaido Debbie, even though it is a little late in coming this year. Thanks.

And smell the roses!

I love the admonition from Linda to "pick more daisies" but I love her cat print even more! Thanks Linda.

She,

 of the cockatiel besotted, ukelele playing tribe has sent a plea from a bee, but beeing busy is a GOOD thing, thanks Carol.

In the face...

of a hard and sometimes nasty world comes this shout out...thanks Dan.

A new friend

Lovely cards from a new friend in Japan, Masami who celebrated his birthday last week.
The first is to mark Girl's Day and the second is to celebrate life! Not only two delightful cards but a beautiful Koinobori decorated envelope as well.

Thank you Masami.

A card from corrugated card.

Valerie from France has taken the idea of using corrugated cardboard, cutting away the surface and painting it and turned it into fine art! She has posted a series of enchanting bird themed etegami on Facebook.

Thank you Valerie for this lovely blossom branch.

Hey Mr Camellia Man...

Thank you Shungo for the cards featuring your favourite flower. The Kokeshi looks especially Spring-like.

Thank you Shungo.