vintage moon studio

Join me!

2008-06-29T18:30:00.003-04:00

You are most welcome to come and visit me at:

http://vintagemoonstudio.typepad.com

2007-03-08T11:13:00.000-05:00

Blogger has been very fickle about providing me access to post here... I am trying to keep this blog alive to direct any latecomers to my new home at http://vintagemoonstudio.typepad.com See you there!

NEW HOME!!!!!

2007-02-21T16:50:00.000-05:00

This bird has flown the coop and landed in Typepad! Please follow me there @ this link:

http://vintagemoonstudio.typepad.com

I hope you will all find me there and change any link you may have on your blog.

Look forward to welcoming you to my new nest! I am still in the process of setting up and may not post there too much for a while, but stay tuned... I am planning on a new art give-away sometime very soon!!

Sleeping In The Forest

2007-02-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

I thought the earth remembered me,
she took me back so tenderly,
arranging her dark skirts, her pockets full of lichens and seeds.
I slept as never before, a stone on the riverbed,
nothing between me and the white fire of the stars but my thoughts,
and they floated light as moths among the branches of the perfect trees.
All night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me,
the insects, and the birds who do their work in the darkness.
All night I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling with a luminous doom.
By morning I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.

poem by Mary Oliver

Familiar Phrases

2007-02-04T17:39:00.000-05:00

I will not be posting much artwork for a while... am in the middle of completing some long-term projects...but thought I would share these interesting little tidbits I found today in a really unique old book titled "Modern Book of Thoughts" published in 1930. The book contains a lot of quotes from Shakespeare, English poets and Proverbs. One section in the book is "Familiar Phrases" which gives the origins of phrases that we still use today. I thought it was really interesting to see how old some of them actually are:

"Birds of a feather flock together" - Plato
"As busy as a bee" - Chaucer 1386
" Cherchez la femme (Find the Woman)" - Alexander Dumas
"As pleased as Punch" - Charles Dickens in "Hard Times"
" A closed mouth catches no flies" - Cervantes in "Don Quixote"
" Here's you hat, what's your hurry?" - B. Costello 1904 song title
"Swan Song" - Plato
"O.K." - archives of Sumner County in Tennessee 1796 - was a mistake for
"O.R." (Order Recorded)
"Who loves me loves my dog also" - St. Bernard 1150
"By hook or crook" - John Wycliffe 1380 - based on the custom of allowing
tenants as much timber as could be gathered with their hook (staff) and
crook.

And that completes my lesson for today!!

I also want to thank everyone who has sent me get well wishes and prayers... am on the road to recovery and I have gained much strength from my friends!

Have a great week everyone!

Artwork above from an altered mini composition book

2007-01-24T10:43:00.000-05:00

heart is 8" tall

Doodle Days (Daze)

2007-01-19T20:24:00.000-05:00

I know.. here's a woman with way too much time on her hands... but oh, it is SO much fun to doodle!

My Word for the New Year

2007-01-18T16:53:00.000-05:00

My sweet friend Liz (check out her wonderful blog here!) shared a link to the blog of Christine Kane, who writes about her perspective regarding New Years resolutions (see her blog here and scroll down to read "you say you want a resolution". Her approach is to choose a single word to focus on and hold in your thoughts and actions throughout the year.

It took all of 3 seconds for a word to come to mind for me... "persevere"...and once I read the dictionary's definition, I knew I had chosen the right word.

Since I am doing a fair amount of "couch potato" activity while I am recovering, I took out my brand spanking new set of Neocolor crayons and black Castell pens and went to town. The little girl is an image from a vintage photo - the rest is drawn. If you have never used these water-coluble crayons before, I encourage you to give them a try. So much fun!! And I ended up with something that is as close to a journaling page as I have ever come... there IS hope for me yet!

What is your word?

2007-01-15T16:26:00.000-05:00

After a very long time away from the studio, I finally finished the fabric dream journal that I started months ago. The cover was re-worked a bit and I also added a hardcover paper journal inside. I decided to add this to my online Etsy shop if you want to take a peek! It feels great to be creating again...

Pumpkin Corner

2007-01-14T15:19:00.000-05:00

A while back I regaled you all with my apprehensions about

painting my very drab kitchen a shade of warm pumpkin. After looking at sample after sample of orange (who knew there are so many varieties of pumpkin!), I finally settled on something called "Aged Clay". A not-so-inspired name for a beautifully warm Tuscan color, just right for the kitchen. Always one to jump in feet first, the room was immediately transformed into the best room in the house. To say I love it is to put it mildly. A recent tree trimming session in the front yard yielded the branches (complete with nest!) for the corner and the bay window is the perfect spot for sitting with a cup of coffee to watch the birds. The gorgeous birdhouse was crafted by a dear family friend that I have know my whole life, a woodworker extrordinaire. All of the elements I adore in one little cozy spot. Life is good.

Those in need....

2007-01-13T13:21:00.000-05:00

How many times have you seen a need and want to fill it? Seen an injustice and want to right it? Feel the need to just "do more"...
My dear friend Annie is spurring us on to do just this for children in need in Afghanistan. Please visit her blog and read about it here and about Frida, a human rights activist living and working in Afghanistan here.
A quick trip to Target will make a world of difference in the life of a child... one of our world's most vulnerable citizens. A quick trip... will you help??

A New Year Begins....

2007-01-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair. Chinese Proverb

Emily Dickenson said it best.... "My friends are my estate".
Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes. I am rich.

A New Year's Gift

2007-01-05T11:22:00.000-05:00

My Lesson in Compassion
This past year has been a difficult one in my family, particularly for my 84 year old mother, who has struggled with multiple major health issues over the past 20 years. About 10 days before Christmas, she fell at home, and shattered her pelvis. After a painful and complicated surgery, she was placed into a nursing home on Christmas Eve. This is one of several recent stays there for her and now her future is uncertain. My Dad has become unable to care for her himself and they have adamantly refused any outside help. This particular quality my parents possess, one of fierce self-reliance, has been equally frustrating, infuriating and also strangely admirable. A steadfast marriage of 60 years has served them both well.

On New Year's Eve, my own health disintegrated and I was admitted to our local hospital. Some of you know that I was a critical care nurse for most of my adult life, and I have always prided myself on providing technically excellent and compassionate care to my patients. This turn of events, where I find myself on the receiving end of that care has provided me with an unexpected gift - a realization of a minute fraction of the life my Mom has endured for years. To be literally at the mercy of a total stranger - most of them kind, most of them competent, most of them believing that they are also compassionate and empathetic.

I sit here looking out the window of my hospital room, knowing that my stay will hopefully be brief... wondering. What fragment of life is my mother gazing at outside her own window. How is she adjusting to the uncertainties, knowing at some level that the life she has loved and lived has become something so beyond her control?

God please grant her the peace of acceptance.

Mom - I send you my love and my strength.

(written 1-4-07)

Merry Christmas To All!

2006-12-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

Tradition

2006-12-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

Magic

2006-12-17T20:44:00.000-05:00

A little help from my friends....

2006-12-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

We trust in plumed procession
For such the angels go -
Rank after Rank, with even feet -
And uniforms of Snow.
~Emily Dickinson

Words cannot begin to express my gratitude to all of you who have sent emails of support and prayers for my Mom and me. Her surgery went well and we are hopefull she will be out of the hospital and into rehab before
Christmas. I love you all.

She was told to be good....

2006-12-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

I finally finished this fabric piece ( 12" x 16") that I have been working on for several weeks... the tags hanging in the tree say "She was told to be good... and so she lived her life with both feet planted firmly on the ground".
The tags on the bottom read "cherish, create, love, hope, fly, believe, dream, grow".
The background fabric was painted with acrylics and the fabric pieces were both sewn and glued down.

6 Weird things MeMe...

2006-12-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged (challenged!!) by Christine to tell everyone 6 weird things about me... only 6, Christine??? LOL!

~ I cannot sit in any room with my back to the door.

~ When my eldest son was a little boy, he and I used to have the same dreams on the same nights.

~ I frequently have dreams I can fly.

~ When I worked as a nurse in the hospital, I knew that 3 patients had brain tumors by just looking at them (before they had any tests). The doctors I worked with were stunned.

~ I cry any time anyone that is near me cries... for whatever reason.

~ I know when my kids are in trouble even before they call me.

~ I have a photographic memory for graphic charts and written music.

Okay - I have let a few skeletons loose... now it's time for Kristen, Lelainia, Shari, Sandy, Deb T., Kathy and Sombra to open their closets up a bit!!! Tag - you're it!

small treasure

2006-11-26T20:17:00.000-05:00

A friend asked me to accompany her the other day to a lecture she was giving in Sturbridge... a town well-known in Massachusetts for wonderful antique shops. We had a little time on our hands, so of course we headed for a favorite of mine. Knowing I did not have the luxury of hours of aimless wandering, I tried to focus on the search for old photographs and cabinet cards. It appeared it would be a fruitless search, when at the very last minute I spied this old leather album tucked away on the bottom shelf, gathering lots of dust. It's rather large - 12" x 15" with silver metal corners, metal hinged binding and a unique metal closure. The gold embossed leather cover has its old age wrinkles, the interior needs a bit of rehab... but I think it is just a beautiful book, destined for a new life!

Happy Thanksgiving

2006-11-22T16:57:00.000-05:00

Spice

2006-11-21T12:34:00.000-05:00

If you had asked me at any given time, during most of my life, what my least favorite color is, I would tell you without any hesitation ... orange.
Given the fact that I have a fairly quiet and calm personality, orange always seemed to grate on my senses. Too loud. Too brash. Just so...not me.
So why am I considering painting my kitchen a luscious shade of this formerly abhored color? I just cannot seem to get enough of the lovely shades of pumpkin... cinnamon... curry... paprika.... I am feeling the need to be enveloped by it. It now offers me a feeling of warmth, coziness and happiness. My kitchen has a large bay window looking out over the back woods and receives all of the morning sun. There is no better place to curl up with a good book and a warm dog.
This dichotomy also extends to my artwork. My prefered palette when working with paper and found objects is subtle, aged, sage and sepia-toned. I find these colors warm and reassuring. However, when working with fabric, I am usually drawn towards bright and colorful pinks, mauves, raspberry and yellows. What extremes!
What are your preferred palettes?

Gentle Giant

2006-11-20T21:27:00.000-05:00

Edward Andrew Sitzer: June 1896 - Nov. 1960

Embodiment of the meanings of:

honesty
integrity
humility
gentleness
kindness

Grampa - I miss you still.

Dream Journal

2006-11-16T15:44:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this fabric journal for the past few days and only have the paper "book" part of it to be finished and inserted into the interior pockets. It measures about 6x6 , is padded and handsewn into a little pillow shape... meant to be used as a decorative piece on a bed, handy for writing down those 2 A.M. inspirations! I fell in love with the interior fabrics, one a script print, the other a street map of Paris. Hoping to finish it by the weekend!

Birthday Blossoms

2006-11-13T11:55:00.000-05:00

"Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these." Susan B. Anthony

Many thanks for all of the beautiful thoughts I've received via email for my birthday....I cherish all of you more than words can say!

Never Forgotten

2006-11-11T21:06:00.000-05:00

My Dad landed at Omaha Beach in the first wave landing on D-Day. He never spoke about the war as I grew up and it wasn't until I visited the beach myself that I understood why. The enormity of what happened that day is something I cannot fathom. I honor him and every other man and woman who define the word sacrifice.

Waiting for Winter

2006-11-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

Using the "good stuff"

2006-11-03T19:29:00.000-05:00

How many of us have tucked back in the dark recessses of our art spaces those precious items we are saving "for good"? I don't know if this is a generational thing... when I was a child we had clothing "for good", china and silverware and table cloths "for good". I have to admit that it did make special occassions all that more special, using items that were only lovingly brought out only once or twice a year. However - that concept of saving things that were considered "special" has carried over into my art life. I have drawers full of paper, embellishments, photographs, fabric that are awaiting their debut in a particularly wonderful project. I am partcipating in a Christmas matchbox ornament swap (hosted by sweet Danielle) and sat down today to rummage though my piles of "stuff". And came upon these cute vintage angels given to me many years ago. ... which I was saving "for good". Well - the decision has been made - today is the day! No more hoarding unique supplies. The value I place on these things can't even come close to the value I place on those people that will receive these little pieces of art. Why wait?! What has given me pleasure will hopefully bring some measure of joy to someone else.
Now off to dig out those beautiful garnet colored crystal glasses... dinner tonight will be "special"!!!!

Sweet Little Goblin

2006-11-01T10:17:00.000-05:00

It doesn't take a whole lot of work for a 13 month old chicklet to be adorable... but I think all of those tricks and treats got the best of her!

12 Days of Christmas

2006-10-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

After working furiously on my presents for a 12 Days of Christmas swap (hosted by the lovely Lelainia!) I finally have them all wrapped, packed and ready to head off to all corners of the US, Canada and England. Can't wait for everyone to open their goodies!!!

“It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life.”

2006-10-23T21:47:00.001-04:00

Things are not always as they seem...

2006-10-15T21:11:00.000-04:00

I just do not have it in me right now to write a long, philosophical discussion of my time at Art and Soul. There was much I learned about other people, myself, the new path I believe has been chosen for me. Things that I thought to be true have been challenged. I am looking at the world with new eyes, and this is very unsettling. In my art - in my life - things are not always as they appear.

Way too much fun ~

2006-10-13T22:44:00.000-04:00

Beckah Krahula is a total joy to be around... and taking one of her classes was another highlight of my week at Art and Soul. She is energetic with boundless passion for this artform - repousse or embossing on soft metal. Bleary-eyed at the end of a two day workshop, I have been bitten by the bug to do more of this interesting metalwork.
The heart (about 4" long) was a warm-up exercise that I think will eventually be part of a small journal cover.
The book is 5 x 7 with a tooled cover, spine and back. The picture on the front cover is a "faux tintype" of a window in an old Paris corset shop! These tintypes are so much fun to make and even this "transfer-challenged" gal managed to make something presentable!
It has a simple criss-cross ribbon binding and is filled with plain black pages just waiting to be journaled on!
Thanks, Beckah, for your infectious enthusiasm!!

Sweet Nina

2006-10-12T18:11:00.000-04:00

There is much I want to write about Art and Soul but need to gather my thoughts a bit more. One fabulous workshop was with Nina Bagley, who is one of the most fun and generous people to work with. She has endless enthusiasm and patience for all of her students. THANK you Nina!
This necklace was one of the things I made in her class... the rock is one that was tumbled by my Dad and the resin charm was a blast to make.
Everyone created wonderful pieces of art!!

Wheeeeeee!

2006-10-02T09:32:00.000-04:00

Off to 7 glorious days of nothing but ART and FRIENDS at Art and Soul in Portland, Oregon! Thought I would leave you all with a new blog header and this favorite mini quilt I created several months ago for a swap. See you all soon!

New Art Deck Theme

2006-09-28T22:08:00.000-04:00

Cowgirls!!! Decided to go digital this week...

New Art Deck Cards

2006-09-27T18:30:00.000-04:00

Vintage Children theme: 5 x 7 paper collage
Architecture theme: 5 x 7 paper and stamped transparency collage

New calendar pages

2006-09-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

Two more calendar pages - August and April - for Ms. Christine's rr calendar. April is a photo tranfered onto fabric and then hand beaded. August is a paper emphemera and transparency collage.

Family Album page

2006-09-23T19:57:00.000-04:00

This is the the front and back of my contribution to a wonderful project being hosted by sweet Laura Duet... all of the participants have created their own "faux relative"... mine is (naturally!) a woman with a bit of a "jaded" history - lol!

Brimfield find...

2006-09-22T17:36:00.000-04:00

Those of you out there that are not familiar with the Brimfield (Massachusetts) Antiques Market are missing out on one of the most entertaining events in the state. Thousands of antique dealers bring their goods and sell for one week, 3 times a year, in tents along the main street of a lovely New England town. It can be quite the circus! I try to attend at least once a year, just to poke around and search for unusual pieces that could be used in my artwork. This time I happened upon this tintype - it stopped me in my tracks - the dealer thought she was probably one of the most "facially challenged" tintypes he had seen in a long time - lol! So of COURSE she had to come home with me!! I will have to think long and hard about where she will eventually end up!

Boo!

2006-09-21T16:10:00.000-04:00

ATC's for a Halloween swap....

June 26,1897 to Sept.8,1983

2006-09-08T22:06:00.000-04:00

My Nana... a fun-loving but sensible, practical but indulgent, simple but wise woman that I adored. I miss you still.

jump!

2006-09-02T23:50:00.000-04:00

The conversation went something like this:
Mom: "If everyone else jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you jump too?"
Me (at 5 years old): "Well, I don't know... are they having a party?"

Well - it appears that I am indeed taking the plunge that many fellow artists have made lately and opened an Etsy shop to offer a few pieces of my artwork for sale. And a scary jump it is! I hope that you will take a moment to peek at my store. I stink at shameless self-promotion... (sigh).
Any and all comments will be gratefully accepted!

Passion

2006-09-01T19:21:00.000-04:00

Don't you love it when your artwork just makes itself?
Three pages for a calendar round robin...

simply... amazing

2006-08-29T22:11:00.000-04:00

Isn't this incredible? Completely unretouched... new camera (Casio) and I am one HAPPY camper!!!

Sweet dreams

2006-08-27T17:46:00.000-04:00

Spent a rainy afternoon fussing around with this 8x10 collage, which will be one page in an art group's calendar.

calendar pages

2006-08-26T15:30:00.000-04:00

Two pages for a calendar round robin... the gesso police are coming for me.

A "2-fer" day...

2006-08-20T19:16:00.000-04:00

No, dear friends - I did not run out of gesso and to prove it I am posting a new card for the art deck. The theme is "repetition".

Obsession

2006-08-20T15:45:00.000-04:00

You must excuse my present obsession with gesso. A studio staple that I have only used in the past for priming canvases (and I also use it on beeswax collages!) ... for whatever reason I can't get enough of the stuff. So if all of my artwork looks more than vaguely familiar for the next few days (weeks, months - lol!!) - please cut me some slack ....I am under a spell!! The dog, however, is not quite so forgiving (as I furiously scrub a large splotch off his cute little Pug nose!) Sorry, Moose!
Photo: 5x5 calendar cover for round robin.

Alphabetique ATCs

2006-08-08T18:35:00.000-04:00

How does one grown woman get covered from head to toe with gesso and gel medium and end up with two tiny little ATC's??? You would think a bomb went off in my studio - lol! At any rate - here are the next two in my "Alphabet Francaise" (with apologies to my dear high school French teacher, Madamoiselle Ellison)

Time

2006-08-05T14:35:00.000-04:00

Finally jumped out of my slump a bit and finished these cards for the art deck - the Ace of Diamonds (theme: favorite quote) and Ace of Spades (theme:music). They are both 5 x 7. The Ace of diamonds is a paper and wood collage... Ace of Spades is a paper collage.
In case you can't read the quote it says "Time stand still best in moments that look suspiciously like ordinary life".
Also finally made the first card for the Alphabet ATC series that we are doing in creative journeys. I have decided that since I adore all things French, my series will all be in the language of love!

Treasure in the Cellar

2006-07-25T16:20:00.000-04:00

It pays to poke around your basement occassionally... tucked away behind some old paint cans and canning jars was a roll of embossed wallpaper from a long-ago project. I painted large pieces with grey paint that contains iron particles and then covered that with a rusting solution. I love the colors that appeared!
The rest of this 5 x 7 piece is text from an old French dictionary, a daguerrotype image and old butons...

Weekly Challenge

2006-07-25T15:52:00.000-04:00

This week's theme challenge for the Art Deck is "Maps". This is a 5 x 7 collage of paper, transparencies and text.

A little laugh... Altered CDV's

2006-07-19T17:29:00.000-04:00

Ace of Clubs

2006-07-19T17:26:00.000-04:00

Just finished my card for the art deck... this week's challenge was to use the first letter of your name.

An Arty-choke

2006-07-14T19:26:00.000-04:00

"These things are just plain annoying. After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps. Have the shrimp cocktail instead." Miss Piggy

Played with watercolors (Twinkling H2O's) today. I had to do a page for an accordian book that is being hosted by Hope C. - the theme is "art". Couldn't resist being a bit silly :0)

Queen and King of Hearts

2006-07-12T14:12:00.000-04:00

New cards for the art deck (all of which from the participating members can be seen here ). The theme for the Queen of Hearts is "Alice in Wonderland" (of course!) and "Windows" is the theme for the King of Hearts. Went a little 3-D on that one with raised elements (roof and direction signs) and opening windows. And now I am finally caught up to date! Yay!!

Procrastination Payoff

2006-07-10T16:11:00.000-04:00

I have been working on this altered book for more time than I care to admit. It has been sitting on my shelf, awaiting that "final touch", so that I could finally declare it "finished". Now I realize that elusive concept of "finished" will never visit my studio! So today I added an old French postcard and pocket and know that I will always be searching for that final perfect touch.

2006-07-10T16:06:00.000-04:00

TGIF!

2006-07-07T21:06:00.000-04:00

After way too long away from the studio, I finally had a chance to finish these frames for a Paris-themed frame swap. Paper collaged wooden frames wih stamped button embellishment and copper tape edging.
Have a fabulous weekend, all!

An Egg A Day...

2006-07-06T23:24:00.000-04:00

Berkshire Reverie

2006-07-06T23:19:00.000-04:00

Love me, love my dog....

2006-06-27T16:53:00.000-04:00

New card for art deck - 5 x 7 paper collage.

Somerset Studio

2006-06-24T22:21:00.000-04:00

I was fortunate to have these 3 pieces published in the latest July/August issue of Somerset Studio magazine. The sepia pieces are 3-dimensional created with foamcore,canvas boards, inks, vintage French dictonary text and altered photos of Paris I took 2 summers ago. Each measure 5x7. The Eiffel Tower piece (titled "Elle reve de Paris") is a collage of photos, acrylic paints, inks, text , tissue paper and stamping and is 9x12. The theme was "Paris". Who could resist?!

forward or back?

2006-06-22T11:42:00.000-04:00

Those of you who know me well, will understand when I say I am the queen of the "transfer challenged". This is a woman who, in my nursing career, could help deliver a baby, pick the overcome father up off the floor and marvel over the wonderfully beautiful squalling baby with one hand tied behind my back... and when it comes to transfers, that competence all comes to a screeching halt. Yes - I have tried them all. Ok, I admit....packing tape transfers I can do. Yesterday I decided that it would be THE DAY that I would conquer that (to me) elusive technique of gel transfers. I had some watercolor paper gessoed and inked - put down a thin layer of Golden gel medium, placed the image on top, rubbed away... and these are the results.*Something* is going wrong here. Yes... this is an unabashedly shameful plea for help from those of you out there who could at least point me in the right direction. Another technique, maybe? Tips? Any and all comments will be most gratefully accepted!!!

Legacy

2006-06-20T17:26:00.000-04:00

Recently I became the very lucky recipient of these two tintypes. One is a portrait of my great-great grandmother Emma and the other is my great grandmother Fanny with two unidentified cousins. They were both badly scratched and I have tried cleaning them up a bit with Photoshop, without losing the integrity of the originals. I plan on making necklaces using the photos and some optical lenses for my sister , cousin and myself. Can't help but wonder what these women were like... I've been told they were both very independent and strong women with mischevious streaks!

summer solitude

2006-06-16T18:51:00.000-04:00

Altered photots

“A bird sang sweet and strong In the top of the highest tree,

He said, "I pour out my heart in song

For the summer that soon shall be."

But deep in the shady wood,

Another bird sang,

"I pour My heart on the solemn solitude

For the springs that return no more."”

George Wm. Curtis

A Gift from the Heart

2006-06-15T17:45:00.000-04:00

The daughter of a friend is graduating this weekend and I decided to make her a journal. She loves to write and sketch, so the book is filled with heavy charcoal and watercolor paper.

Summer Sweetness

2006-06-13T15:16:00.000-04:00

One of the loves of my life (my son Adam) with the love of his life ~ Mariah.

Background gone wrong...

2006-06-11T19:12:00.000-04:00

The day started with good intentions. I planned on making several background papers for future projects and had some very specific ideas for color schemes and design. "The best laid plans"..... I was so unhappy with the way they were turning out, I tore them up and sent them to the "circular file". At which point they suddenly transformed into something totally new and this collage was born. Oh, how I love buttons!!

I also wanted to try altering some cabinet cards (thank you Maija!!) and came across this old card that I had tucked away - actually almost threw away - as being totally uninteresting. New life for the little garcon!!

What's it?

2006-06-10T12:40:00.000-04:00

Here's a little puzzle to keep you busy this rainy Saturday... I purchased this vintage piece the other day and have absolutely no idea what it is! The holder is brass, about 10" long and is embossed with various letters where the holes are for the pins. The larger pins themselves are 6" long, very thick and have corresponding embossed letters on the heads. The smaller pins on the bottom are 4" long. The seller sold it as something that was used at a public swimming pool locker room... but the pins are way too substantial to be used for this. I know pins like this are (or were) sometimes used in the military for marking and identifying laundry... but why such large, heavy duty pins? Any ideas out there?

Les Fleurs

2006-06-09T15:58:00.000-04:00

Only in Paris... a beautiful side street in Montmartre.

Sweet Lady of Sorrows

2006-06-08T21:54:00.000-04:00

Some of the most beautiful artwork in Paris lies in Pere Lachaise Cemetery.
I'm not sure why this stone had this wonderfully rusted color, but with the basket of flowers sitting off to the side, it was a burst of color in a black and white landscape.

Weekly Art Card Challenge

2006-06-04T19:22:00.000-04:00

Ribbon! 8 of hearts... 5x7 format

Summer rain blues

2006-06-03T16:21:00.000-04:00

It's been cool and rainy for the past few days... wish we could send some of these showers to those who need it! Gloomy in the studio, but I played a Cd I received from Kristen with some of her favorite music - full blast - and got lost in this week's art card challenge of using the wonderful sherbert colors of lime, orange and raspberry. Just knew I had to use these adorable little boys eating their cones!

header

2006-06-02T23:11:00.000-04:00

Vision

2006-06-01T16:48:00.000-04:00

New card for the art deck... 6 of hearts

Insomnia

2006-06-01T01:46:00.000-04:00

sleep
wild dreaming
of colors
with no name
and wake
on the verge of knowing

Luscious

2006-05-27T16:51:00.000-04:00

That is the only word I can find to describe these yarns! The amethyst and lime green are for a new bag I am in the process of knitting and then felting. The striped bag in the sherbert colors was my first attempt at felting... complete with a fabric and beaded flower to top it off!

2006-05-26T16:52:00.000-04:00

Thought I would post a photo of one of the little art shelves I have in my livingroom. It holds just a few of the wonderful pieces I have received from my talented art buddies. I adore being able to sit here at night and look at all the love that was put into each and every piece!The little silver cups lining the bottom of the shelf are antique children's cups that are all engraved with names (like Zelda!). I call these little gems my "orphans".... cast-offs that I have rescued to preserve the spirit of those who used them long ago. They are battered, dented, tarnished and very well loved!And look at these pricelesss little children's plates! The plate with the circus dogs is part of a set I found in a fleamarket. I purchased them with theintention of selling them in my antiques store, but ended up being unable to part with them. Aren't they wonderful?

A little piece of me...

2006-05-25T17:31:00.000-04:00

Today is photo day... I took these pictures over the past few days while spending some time in my most favorite place on the planet - the Berkshire Hills. Tweaked them all a bit with Photoshop! Enjoy.

And the deck goes on....

2006-05-17T20:49:00.000-04:00

This is my new card for the art card deck ~ this week's theme is "numbers".

One of those days...

2006-05-10T14:27:00.000-04:00

I was in my studio early this morning, full of ideas for the two 8x10 canvases I am working on for trades with friends. The first, "Open Door", had a mind of it's own and came together quickly. Love it when that happens! The second, "Time", was an experiment using crackle medium, along with a rusting medium for the background. The clock was printed on rice paper and collaged on using Perfect Paper adhesive. All in all I was fairly happy with the outcome - picked up both canvases to take inside and promptly spilled an entire cup of hot coffee all over both of them. After spewing a few unprintable words, I wiped them down and voila! Instant aging! So to whomever ends up receiving these pieces... it's not your imagination... yes, they DO smell like Starbucks!!

4 of Hearts - Bird Theme

2006-05-08T11:59:00.000-04:00

New card for art deck... transparencies and photos.

Inspire Me Thursday

2006-05-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

This is my first project for the Inspire Me Thursday digital challenge.
I love the endless things you can do with Photoshop!

Tagged!!

2006-05-03T13:55:00.000-04:00

Have been tagged by Audrey this afternoon, so here goes!
5 things in my fridge: leftover lasagne, wine (always!), Brie, asparagus, scallops
5 things in my purse: small sketchbook, a Mother's Day card to send, baggie of beads, Tums, dog collar (don't ask!)
5 things in my closet: riding boots (I was last on a horse 15 years ago), a nun's costume from Halloween, parts to build a dollhouse, my mother's wedding dress from 1945, my grandmother's fur coat circa 1920
5 things in my car: stack of paperbacks, a gazillion Dunkin Donut coffee cups, new art supplies I'm hiding from my DH , favorite necklace (I know it's in there somewhere), styptic powder (again, don't ask!)

Pretty normal stuff, IMHO!!!

Am also posting a photo I found today of a box I constructed while teaching at the high school... the students were studying "tramp art" and I had them construct "faux" tramp art boxes out of cardboard and a cigar box base. They were pretty neat!

Box Book

2006-05-02T21:41:00.000-04:00

Small accordian book housed in a cover made from a 3x3 cardboard jewelry box.

More Art Card Deck...

2006-05-01T20:12:00.000-04:00

And the deck goes on... 2 of hearts:

And the 3 of hearts: And can you believe I spelled Specimen wrong??????

Nature Triptych

2006-04-28T18:26:00.000-04:00

This is a triptych (4" x 8") for a swap with the "nature" theme. Materials are painted decorative paper, sun transparency, shells and starfirsh and clip art. Edged with gold-colored rattail. Mother-of-pearl square buttons on front from "Joggles" (one of my favorites!). Yarn and seaglass beads on the ring hinges.

Art Card challenge

2006-04-18T13:05:00.000-04:00

"Time" theme. Composed of digital elements, watercolors, brass and copper embellishments and transparency overlay collage.

drifting...

2006-04-15T17:10:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling like I need to head in a different direction with my art lately and am drawn to more organic styles and elements. Since I had 2 decos to work in, I decided to play and see what happens. The first piece is a library card deco from Marcy, that is already filled with wonderful artwork. I had some patinaed wire mesh left over from a workshop I took with Nina Bagley (the queen of organic in my book!), copper tape and a mica circle. I also used a tranparency (vintage, of course - lol) for the card.

The second piece is a 2 page spread for Kristen's mini Nature book. I used things that I had picked up at Moonstone beach last summer... time for another trip there to search for treasures!

A bit of vintage whimsy

2006-04-14T23:06:00.000-04:00

A little fun

2006-04-03T21:55:00.000-04:00

Paper purse day

2006-03-30T17:18:00.000-05:00

Spent the afternoon making these little paper purses... pretty quick to put together once I got the kinks out of the template! Gotta love Basic Grey paper. And I received a surprise package from my friend Audrey with some beautiful fibrous paper today, which will make some nice purses!

Rust!

2006-03-29T18:31:00.000-05:00

I have discovered the wonderful world of rust! Spent the better part of this past weekend rusting various objects in the studio (some unintended - lol) and created these three little 4x4 collages today. Thanks to everyone that has emailed me about my new website and blog. I promise to post as often as I can :0)

2006-03-28T17:47:00.000-05:00