Free Image Art Pieces.....Mail Goodies....Thanks To All.....

Look at this sweet cigar box assemblage piece by the talented Miss Sue whose blog is called When I Get Around To It. I LOVE that name girl! Thank you so much for using the image in your art. I can't tell you how thrilling it is for me to see it in an art piece. Thanks sweetie!

I also got a special ATC from super talented Mrs. Nancy Maxwell James of Vintage Papers. It came in it's own handmade card and was made using one of my free images. What a sweetheart Nancy is to share that with me. I love them both Nancy!

Well, today is also devoted to all (all of you!)the wonderful artists out there who inspire and make my heart go pitter-pat:) I have some lovely things to share that the mailman brought me during my vacation. I'll start with the super talented Miss Lori from Faerie Window! Boy, does she spoil me. This is my consolation prize and console it did! Look at those sweet art pieces. Her talent, attention to detail and craftsmanship is above none! Thank you so much for your support and friendship sweetie!

Next, the fabulous Corey Moortgat at Corey Moortgat-Collage Artist sent this wonderful package of goodies as a thank you to me and I love every piece of it!!! Thank you so much Corey. I can't wait to use them in my art!

This wonderful piece of art was purchased from the very talented Tricia Scott at A Little Birdie Told Me. Not only did I receive this wonderful beeswax collage (I love those eyes) I also received some fabulous goodies from Tricia. Thank you so much for inspiring me Tricia!

I also was thrilled to see some very wonderful pages from a 1912 book called The Book of Knowledge on her ETSY site. I bought these because my copy of the book (see photo above:) is not so great and I love the print of the dolls from around the world. (see photo below:)

Colette Copeland of A Bird In The Hand who makes wonderful fabric art, collage art and even paints:) She is a dear and this is the sweet cabinet card assemblage I purchased from her. I love how she wrapped it in fabric and the sweet Thank You tag. Wonderful work Colette! And last, but not least! This is the beautiful piece I purchased from the super talented Linda Harre from Studio Stuff. I have been in love with it ever since I first saw it in Somerset Studio magazine. Linda has so much beauty in her and it comes out in her art. Thank you Linda!

Good to be Back in Blogland....Art....Free Image Tuesday.....

Did ya miss me? I missed you!!!!! I am so happy to be back and getting back into a routine. Mom's visit was awesome and the boys and I miss her terribly. She is such a fun grandma and spends all her time playing with the boys. They love it! Except for her getting sick, it was a perfect visit.

I spent yesterday cleaning out my art closet (really, it's my clothes closet, but who cares about clothes?) and I have come to the conclusion that I have too much stuff!!!! I better start making some art on a more regular basis and stop buying things! LOL!! I am making it a goal to end the spending and I am only buying supplies like glue, gesso or having copies made of photos. Really. Promise:) I am going to really try hard. I pretty much have everything I need right now. It's just hard to get past the "wants but doesn't need" thing I have going on right now. So my goal is less spending and more arting!!!! Here is the piece I just finished this morning.


Here is the free image. I don't know anything about this cutie except that the photo was taken in Guilford, ME. I think her eyes are fabulous! If you use her let me know and I will post your art:)

Tomorrow I am going to post and show you all the wonderful things I have received from the postman since I've been gone. I am blessed. It may take some time to get around to you all today, but that's my goal:)

Miss You Guys!!!...Free Image Tuesday....

Oh, how I miss you all and my time here in Blog Land. Mom has been sick and is only now feeling better, so I think I will not be back on until she leaves on Thursday or Friday. I can't wait to catch up with all of your fabulous creations and say hi to you all!:) To make up for my absence I am posting three awesome photos today!

Meet Willard and Carl Shinn. I don't know how they made those feisty boys sit still to get their hair curled, but I bet it wasn't easy. I can barely get a comb through my guys' hair in the mornings!

There are no names on the back of this one, but I so love the sweet expressions on their faces. This photo was taken in Philadelphia.

This beauty is Miss Belle Davis from Burlington, NJ. She looks like a very independent gal to me. I wonder how long it took to get dressed in all those layers of clothes?

Free Image Tuesday...My Sweet Mom!....

My Mom is here for the next two weeks!!! Yeah!!!! The boys are so excited that their "Boo" is here to play with them. I love it when she visits:) She came bearing gifts and I am sharing them with you today for Free Image Tuesday. I don't know how much computer time I will have while she is here, but I will visit when I can and post when I can. I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July and be careful with those fireworks!

It's Time for More Bad Art......

This was my first (and last) attempt at sculpting polymer clay. When I was growing up my parents and I always went to the State Fair in Columbia, South Carolina. We would do the rides and games, but my favorite thing (elephant ears with powdered sugar) was to see the animals and to look at the crafts and art submissions. I would walk up and down the isles looking at the paintings and drawings. That was where I saw my first ever "fairy in a jar" art. It was a large jar and the fairy was sculpted out of clay. She was so delicate and her wings shimmered and she wore a tiny burlap dress. She was standing with her hands pressed against the glass looking out at me. All over the inside of the jar were the tiniest muddy hand prints where she had fluttered around trying to get out of the jar. The jar sat upon a stack of antique books about fairies and there was a large magnifying glass lying along side. It was the most enchanting thing I had ever seen. I looked at it for so long and then would have to move so others could come by, but I would go back and stare.

That had to have been 18 years ago and I have always remembered it. I was so thrilled to see the new fairy jars start to emerge in the mixed media art world. Soooo, I thought I'll sculpt a fairy and stick her in a jar too. Well, this is my attempt and it looks like the missing link:) Not fairy like at ALL! LOL!!! I might try again someday, but for now I am going to leave this to the experts:)

Free Image Tuesday...EBAY find...Journal page...

Look!!! Sweet Mrs. Nancy Maxwell James of Vintage Papers made a card with one of my free images!!!! Yeah! It is a beautiful card. Thank you Nancy. I am tickled that you used it and shared with us:)

This is a full plate tintype I recently purchased. It is about 8 by 6 in size, so large for a tintype photo. The coolest thing about it to me is that I think it is a tintype copy of an ambrotype photo. So it really is one of the earliest forms of photocopy. Cool, huh? You can see the edges of the ambrotype and where the original photo had been in an oval frame. I also love the little girl and the sad face of the mother.

This next photo I found on EBAY and it went way to high for my pocket book:) But I wanted to share it because it's so unusual. Poor little things. At least they were found and taken care of by someone who cared. You can enlarge the back of the photo to read about them. It says,"I found them in a stable on one of the coldest days in winter without fire, or clothing. Their bed was in the dirty straw taken from under the horses. Parents drunk and of the most unpromising kind."

This is a journal page.

New Favorite Thing and Journal Pages.....

First here is my newest addition to the living room. I found it at my favorite antique store although it is not an antique. It was one of those things that you see and immediately you know you have to have it. My husband is not so sure about it yet but I will make it grow on him:)

These are journal pages. I can't stop painting the eggs! I should just call my journal '"The Egg Book". LOLOL!! Sometimes my fear of creating something poorly is a tremendous block. I freeze instead of work through it. The last page addresses that blockage.