Sunday, August 24, 2014

Marjolein Bastin Decorative Gallery

Welcome to the Decorative Gallery of All Joyful Things Marjolein Bastin and a lot of joy! Each Christmas Holiday Season, we bring down our bins of Christmas collectibles and decorations from our attic. Over the years, we have amassed many decorative items that have precious memories.

Marjolein Bastin natures sketchbook
It is because of one such decoration that I have written this tribute page to The Decorative Gallery of All Things Marjolein Bastin! My favorite Christmas decoration, that I treasure over all the rest, has the signature of Marjolein Bastin. It is the Hallmark Joy Santa Candle Holder from the Nature's Sketchbook line. I treasured the JOY so much that I bought a second one that I have showcased on top of my fireplace mantel.

Looking at the beautiful line of Marjolein Bastin, I feel an unbridled form of JOY -- joy in its purest sense. Let's see if you too can experience some unbridled joy! As you look a little further, you will discover the double Christmas JOYs that I personally own. Look for my JOY on my fireplace mantel.

Photo Credit: Hallmark 2011 -Love Grows-2011 Marjolein Bastin - Natures Sketchbook.

Marjolein Bastin JOY J
The "J" in Joy from the Marjolein Bastin
Hallmark Nature's Sketchbook Joy Santa Candle Holder

Oh my! Talk about serendipity and being in the right place at the right time!!! Did you know that a Hallmark designer discovered Marjolein's artwork while on a trip to Holland in the early 1990s? Oh thank you to that Hallmark designer -- I say!!! Today, thanks to that serendipitous discovery, we can find stationery, greeting cards, home decor, and gifts in Hallmark's Nature's Sketchbook by Marjolein Bastin!

LeKinff art and marjolein bastin joy
My Christmas JOY ~ Copyright JaguarJulie

The JOY of Marjolein Bastin : Double Christmas JOY! The proof is in the pudding! See that incredible photo? It is a picture of Ellen art by Linda LeKinff that sits above my fireplace. In the photo, you can see a black cat. And, you see black panther sitting on my fireplace mantel right below! That's from Royal Haeger who manufacturers their pottery collectibles in the USA! Last, but not the least, there are two JOY Santa Candles on either side of the panther. Marjolein Bastin!

marjolein bastin joy candle

The Decorative Works of Marjolein Bastin. Over twenty years of decorative designing experience!

1985 – My Name Is Vera (Vera the Mouse Series)
1985 – Vera’s Special Hobbies; Vera Dresses Up; Vera and her Friends
1986 – Vera the Mouse
1988 – Games With Vera; Vera in the Garden; Vera in the Kitchen; Vera in the Washtub
1991 – Nature Diary; A little Dog for Vera
1994 – Flowers A to Z; From My Window; Nature’s sketchbook
1995 – Gardener’s Companion; A Walk in the Woods
1996 – Seasons of Friendship
1998 – Butterflies – Winged Miracles of Nature
2004 – View From a Sketchbook: Nature Through the Eyes of Marjolein Bastin

The Decorative Nature's Ornaments by Marjolein Bastin are delightfully decorated and will put a smile on your face daily!

Simple Gifts 1st In The Marjolein's Garden Series - 2014 Hallmark Keepsake Ornament is the collectible you'll want for this year.

From Publishers Weekly: In this open sketchbook, Dutch artist and naturalist Bastin invites readers on a nature walk through the wet, dark woods of her native Holland; the hardy, waving grasses of the Missouri prairie she purchased and restored; and the shell-strewn shores of Grand Cayman island where she often retreats.

Best known in the U.S. for her line of Hallmark greeting cards of "uncannily lifelike birds, and animals, and flowers, suffused with color," she reveals her passion for preserving nature's splendor through conversations with garden writer Martin, personal interjections highlighted in sidebars and a rich collection of agreeable watercolors. The brief, illustrated chapters-featuring her herb garden, her bird feeders, her goose pond, etc.-are grouped according to the four seasons and offer a delightful annual tour of the natural world. 100 watercolor illustrations.

Marjolein Bastin's glowing, detailed illustrations have charmed nature lovers in the U.S. for more than a decade, as they have done for fans in her native Holland and throughout Europe. From the smallest bird, blossom, or leaf to the complex interaction of forest and prairie, Bastin's art demonstrates her unparalleled skill at capturing the fleeting beauty of the natural world. Now Bastin's many fans can follow her creative process through the seasons in View from a Sketchbook, an intimate portrait of the best-selling artist at work.

Through numerous walks and talks with garden writer and editor Tovah Martin, the reader gets to know Bastin's homes and studios in Kansas City, Missouri, Holland, and the Cayman Islands; sees her gardens and natural surroundings; and comes to understand her early influences, and her passionate commitment to preserving and restoring the natural world.

Thanks for dropping by the Marjolein Bastin Decorative Gallery.

We appreciate you taking time to drop by and stop here to offer your comments in our guestbook. Do you know, I am recollecting my thoughts as I actually had something very profound to say. I said it and saved it. BUT, when I came back to this guestbook it was gone! Dog-gone it I say. It was something really good — so now I am sitting here trying to compose that thought again. It was a fleeting moment. Oh well.

So, is it not serendipitous for me and you that the Hallmark designer happened upon Marjolein Bastin’s work that one day on a trip to the Netherlands? Well I for one am so thankful. You see, this Joy Hallmark Santa Claus Candle Holder by Marjolein Bastin means so much to me. I only paid $9.95 for it all those years ago. And, you know what? I would have paid more than that because when I saw this decorative, I knew it was special.

Did I ever tell you that I have a friend by the name of Joy? Yes indeed. And, every Christmas Holiday when she is visiting us and sees this Joy candle holder, she smiles! Thank you. Happy Holidays to you!

History: The Decorative Gallery of Marjolein Bastin was originally created on Squidoo by JaguarJulie on December 3, 2009. Highest lensrank ever achieved: #5,762 overall. Lens #602 in the quest for Giant Squid 700 Club.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

What size candles do you use for your joy? I have the same one and can't find any that fit. Thank you

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