Hangups

Yes I have a few but that's not what this post is about LOL....this weekend I caught up with all my "frame and hang" projects that I've been putting off and this is what I got done...

I really love thrifting old frames and reusing them. This frame originally had a rather colouful drawing of a cat which both Mr. Darcy and I agreed had to be removed.. I found the picture in a separate thrift up at the cottage in frame that was in really rough shape. This is now hung in the coffee/tea corner of my kitchen. 

This frame originally had a sketch of a street scene (somewhere in Europe) which is actually going to get added into an art journal I am working on. I have always loved this page which came from an old poetry gift book - you can read my original post on how I found a collection of these here at a book sale. It's not very big (4 1/2 x 5 1/2) so I am going to leave on the stand.

I recently came across this art piece by Perky Nihilist online. I like the sentiment so I purchased a print ....

...and placed in this rather ornate frame - but I think it goes well with the castle theme don't you? This hangs in my office. 

Finally - talk about a quick project - I gathered some vintage quilt squares I had, old button cards and sewing ephemera to come up with this collage. This now hangs over my kitchen window.
So glad I finally got around to this - slowly filling in all that white space on my walls! Enjoy. Jewels

Lovin the Stamp People

I have had fun doing Stamp People lately which you will have seen in recent posts. I have come to appreciate how diverse and beautiful old stamps can be. It is not quick process to select just the right one - but it does force you to look at stamps more closely and see the art in them. Jo, Lenna and I did a Mail Art Exchange to try this and here is what I received.

Jo's showed up first - she has a wonderful sense of humour which I really appreciated with this postcard...

Get it, get it? And the envelope was just as grand LOL...read more about it here...

Lenna's card was rich with colour and...

...embellishments which really make her card pop! Sadly, I have misplaced her envelope ( I am certain it is in a "safe place" as usually happens around here). When I opened it a flurry of little paper birds fell out that she had added...very appropriate for her card given the stamp image.

I know I will do these again as they really stretch your imagination. But next up we are doing a Renaissance Mash Up (however we each interpret it LOL) - mine are started I just need to get them final. It was actually quite fun to put together. Enjoy. Jewels.

Advise

It seems sad to live in old shoe boxes - for the most part face down. Coming out every now and then to be admired.

We are all "vintage" (well, 1960's for sure). I am probably the oldest (50's?) - a Klumpe Rodan felt doll an Aunt gave to my owner.

We were a Christmas present in 1967 while the family was in England visiting relatives.

Even the boys are a little miffed about living in a box....

So here is the pickle - do we stay in the box or come out? And if we do come out where do we go? A little strange to be on display - so any suggestions? We could actually move out all together but our owner says that ain't happenin (phew sigh of collected relief)... Jewels

Valentine Swap

It's been awhile since I did an ATC swap. Kimberly always has great ones so I decided to participate in her latest challenge. I suddenly realized the deadline was only a week away!!! So this weekend was spent getting them done.

I did a lot of hem/haws - vintage photo? cute cupids? or??? till I found this image over at Magic Moonlight. 

The background is an old cutter quilt I found years ago and have made very good use of. Then just rummaged through my bits and pieces.

All three are done - need to pack up and get in the post! Enjoy. Jewels

Seaside Twins

Yes it has been miserably cold of late...so thinking about a trip to somewhere warm and on a shoreline seems quite natural LOL. But the best I can do is "art" the whole thing....This was a last minute request from Beth to Leslie and I to create a Stamp People for her 2014 Sketchbook - check out the pieces both have been making.

I wasn't really sure where to start when I was sorting through the stamp box. I found a number of stamps from Japan that looked promising and started to play with a vintage photo....

That happened to have not one but TWO individuals enjoying themselves on holiday...blue water and sunny skies...

So Twins they became on a background I made using my gelli plate (experimenting still).

There was some empty space at the top that I had to add some words to - and those images of fish, hearts and stars are my first attempt (EVER) at creating my own stamps (in this case with a potato :>)...

Here is the full piece - acrylic and watercolour paint, stamping and some little extra doodling here and there. Not a composition I would usually do but I have been having fun trying new things - you can be as whacky as you like when making Stamp People. Putting in the post shortly! Enjoy. Jewels

Stamp People

Another wonderful Mail Art challenge with Lenna and Jo! I was inspired by Beth’s postage stamp people (THANKS B) and I Googled to see what others had done – what fun (and imagination). So I floated the idea with my peeps and they agreed to try it out. I have not received theirs yet but they both got mine so I can share. I have a stash of old stamps that took some time to go through to find the two I wanted to use. It was not as easy as I thought it would be! 

And finding a “body” to fit was just as challenging….but it was all good. This was one I definitely wanted to use...

 

First up is Lenna’s – while the text came later it just seemed so perfect for her…Lenna DOES have an inner warrior and I was so happy to do this one for her. The background was a scrap from a less than successful attempt with my Gelli Plate. I thrifted a wonderful book old book, International Library of Technology: Brick, Stone and Poster, which is where the architecture graphic came from.

I got rather silly with Jo’s  - I found this great graphic at Artefacts...

The background was left over (shush) from our last swap and the colours matched! I explained to Jo that my Mum’s maiden name is Halsey (seriously) and I immediately thought of the Paul McCartney lyrics while doing this one for her. Such fun!

Will post theirs when they arrive. Next theme is Renaissance hmmmm. Enjoy. Jewels

Filler

Oh my goodness - has it been really that long since I posted!

Harbour First Day

Well filling a little bit with photos from my time in Canada during the Thanksgiving break here in the States.

Ice at the Public Dock

Went to my cottage to make sure it was shut down properly for the winter. It was COLD for the first few days (-7 C one night)...

Early Morning Hoarfrost

Hard to tell from the photos as there really was not that much snow - just frosty in the morning. Lots of shades of "brown" which can actually be quite beautiful...

Old Wooden Ladder

Lots of coyotes around this time - even found some scat around the cottage (need to be sure they don't see lunch aka Mr. Darcy)...

 Ice House

Any who hoping to get some serious arting done the next little while and posting again! Enjoy, Jewels