My letter box beareth a pretty gift

Sometimes in life people do the sweetest things. A little while ago my letter box beareth the prettiest  of gifts. It is always exciting to receive a present in the post; sooooo much nicer than a nasty bill, which unfortunately appears much too frequently. The gorgeous Jeneta from Plum Jam gifted me this treasure which she had found at an op shop, taking it home to live with her. This treasure sat......sat some more .........and sat even longer in Jeneta's lovely home. Jeneta said, try as she might to find the right spot in her home for this pretty, 'it' just wasn't at home.  Jeneta said she felt very strongly that this pretty should come home and live with me. I can think of no lovelier gift to come and live with me in my humble abode.

It is a lovely impressionistic-like printed canvas with dainty cross stitches interspersed here and there. 

There are two young ladies of a bygone era, dressed in pretty lace trimmed dresses, carrying  parasols; and a little girl standing in a meadow of dainty flowers. This pretty really is exquisite.

This lovely print brings to mind those paintings of the Impressionist era. The Impressionist era is my favourite period of great art works. I have enjoyed many a bewitching hour strolling through art galleries drinking in works by Monet, Renoir, Manet, Degas and the like. These artists, especially Monet, strike a chord deep within me. In my mind's eye it is easy to visualise Claude Monet painting these ladies plein air in one of his flower-filled meadows in Giverny.

I deliberated for a while what I would do with these ladies. I thought of stitching a cushion but then I remembered I had a shadow box like frame in which I could place it. The shadow box frame is 46cm x 38cm so the lovely canvas would fit perfectly.

Of course this pretty cannot sit in the shadow box unadorned, now can it. Though the canvas is beautiful just as it is; me wouldn't be me if I didn't embellish.....if only a little. Besides, the embellishing of this pretty makes for a more alluring post.......does it not??

Once again I found myself rummaging amongst my snippets of lace and crochet doilies and all those little bits that would add a little  pizazz when embellishing.

I gathered together various visually pleasing French and vintage laces, carefully stitching them around the border of the canvas.

I espied a crochet basket of flowers hiding in my plethora of pretties. I stitched it to the canvas, filling it with a beauteous, floral arrangement using a melange of crochet flowers that I snippety snipped from doilies. I added various leaves, fluttering butterflies and tiny silk flowers to fill in the gaps.  I do find the prettiest things in my lace and doily stash!!

A basket always looks so much more appealing with the addition of a pretty bow.

I twirled and swirled the ribbon in a rambling fashion across the top, meandering it's way down the side and across the bottom, adding swirls and swirls of other ribbons, cinching them down with various pearls, buttons and a few pieces of vintage ornamentation.

The embellishing of these ladies has been such a delight. I spent many a happy hour in my sunny sewing room this week playing.......stitching a button here......stitching a pearl there......swirling ribbons round and round till they happily found their resting spot.

I spent many a happy moment in my sunny sewing room reflecting what a blessed gal I am that Jeneta should think of me and gift me this lovely treasure.

Yes indeedy, my letter box did indeed, beareth the most wondrous of gifts.......thank you, Jeneta, from the bottom of my heart!

Wishing you all the most wonderful week. Until the next time...........

Linking up with the lovely Stephanie's 'Roses of Inspiration'.