Pay It Forward (and a work in progress)

 Hello again!

Thank you for dropping in, I am a mite bit tired today, having only got six hours sleep under my belt but I was determined to do this post as it's going to involve gifts!

(my cheery red £1.00 gerbera sitting on my table ~ isn't it lovely?!)

I was up until almost midnight last night, reading a book I'd picked up recently in a charity shop by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, it's called The Angels Game, and I scared myself half witless with this dark, menacing story set in the tormented streets of Barcelona, but could I put it down???  Not a chance!  Anyway!! Come six o'clock this morning, I was wide awake as I heard the other half setting off for Peterborough and could NOT get back to sleep.  And the harder you try, the more sleep will evade you as you all probably know...and the reason I couldn't go back to sleep this morning was because an idea I'd had for a new painting crept into my conciousness...

Yesterday saw the idea beginning to take shape in my sketchbook...

This idea was born from the imagination, but sparked I think, from the inspiring farm and moorland scenery that surround our home; watching a line of sheep piling through a hole in a drystone wall whilst dry seedheads bobbed in front of me in a chilly breeze - an idea for a farmer, driving his sheep homeward, with his sheepdog dancing about up ahead began to take shape...welcoming lights of the farmhouse cottage spilling onto the ground in a fuzzy warm glow...the palest of pale suns, setting in a creamed apricot sky...

The original sketches had a sea view included, but since then, the work has evolved to be a purely rural piece...and I'm liking how it's taking shape.  I love sharing work in progress with you, so you can see how a painting transforms and changes during its production.  I wonder what you will think of it so far?  I've decided to call it 'Heading for Home' and here's the first glimpse!

Now...at the beginning of this post, I mentioned GIFTS.  Yes, that's right.  I was very, very lucky to be one of the first three people to comment on The Patchwork Heart's Blog way back in September which meant I became part of the Pay It Forward movement!!

This is a really blissful way of spreading a bit of Goodness in the world without expectation of anything in return...just giving for the sake of giving, to make the planet a bit more cheerier (and oh it works, it really does!!)

Yesterday afternoon, the postie rapped on the door and dropped a parcel into my hands.

I opened it up to find some beautifully wrapped gifts in blue tissue paper, secured with a red and white polka dot ribbon (forgive me, no pictures of this, far too excited was I to see what was inside!)

And inside dear people, were these generous presents that I love so very much, and which made me literally GLOW with happiness!

A beautiful gemstone heart, a gorgeously shabby chic heart to hang on a lonely, unadorned door, and the prettiest of needle books (which I've been wanting for an age!!)  Heather is so clever, and I can't tell you how delightful it is to receive a gift like this!  Thank you so much Heather!

If you would like to take part, then you need to be one of the first three people to leave me a comment on this post.  I will get in touch to ask you to send me your address, and in due course I will post a little something out to you!

The first three people then in turn, will send out a little goodness to three others and so the love and the happiness continues to spread around our little globe!

There is no time limit to this by the way, within the 365 days should be time enough!

Sending love to you, thank you for reading!

Julia x x x