little purple flowers and pen nibs

…and ships on cigar boxes and the sea. Everything is so incredibly lush! Little purple flowers were the perfect backdrop to my old cigar box stashed with pen nibs from decades ago. I have been writing and sketching lots in my journal. The feel of the nib running over the smooth surface of the watercolor paper is sooo addicting! Just a few more days til I have some time off, my birthday and a much needed visit to the seashore and more walks in the woods…perfect timing as spring is in full bloom.

poppies

A locket work-in-progress that will go up in my store tomorrow night and will be adorned with a silver chain and a ribbon bow. Poppy Locket …and there will be two this time!

I was reminded of the poppies when I uncovered by this very old postcard from Switzerland, purchased in an antique store. Followed by the newest 20’s girl in my collection, bought on Etsy. Theres something about her eyes and the printed blouse ruffle around her neck.

The Very Curious Locket…

Clearly I am exhausting my stash of jumbo vintage lockets but I just had to offer this one. Opened, with mini prints from The Very Curious Fox and tied with a vintage gingham bow!

This one-of-a-kind locket and additional photos can be found here while it lasts!

Just another Wednesday

Midweek blahs. But I do have this wonderful find to share, an old print! I have no clue who the artist is but I just love this image. It was sitting in the back of the Salvation Army and something about it caught my eye. Must be the magic.

A boy (clothed in a poet blouse, what attire!) and his pet rabbit…

Posing after a magic show performance in the back yard? Must be.

A big old post because I’ve been away so long…tangled hair teacups and sketches

Where did the week go? And someone tells me its March already… spring will soon be here! I am so awaiting the sweet colors of spring and sitting out in the grass. Anywho, lots of inspiration and sketching here. I have been collecting pictures of flapper-ish women, muses and models for paint and sketching maybe. This one I had for years. I found her in a cigar box in an antique shop (I have another photo of here too, in a differernt pose!) She had a very, very sad life the past couple of years though. You see, she went missing, but the good news is that she was found last week. I was cleaning out my wooden box with drawers, and she was wedged between the underside of the bottom of the drawer and the dresser. She was all folded up, like an accordian, which damaged the photo and made me very, very sad.

To make me feel better I bought this gem of a little photo on Etsy, just look at these sisters! The photo came in a set which included a boy but I threw him into my scrap box, as I really don’t care about photos of boys that much. But these two sisters..I am definitely going to use them in my painted imagery.

They fulfilled my criteria for the photos I collect.. post victorian (preferable 20’s and 30’s)…soft waves in short, shiny hair, slightly out of place and frizzy…a certain facial expression that I can’t quite put my finger on, and oh the sepia…

A very cold windowsill this morning, strange little bird family, icy outside

Oh my and I bought the most pretty golden teacup earrings, at the thrift shop of all places!

They have these little saucers and even little golden spoons! And my hair always tangles all around them.

My friend bought me this pretty mug yesterday during out treasure hunt.

and the other side, sewing machines!

hehe for pure fun and whimsy… a love of tangled hair in strange places…

Which leads me to share a new love for wooden hair sticks! I bought these from Etsy and they are in need of beaded ends, which I will add. I looooove hairsticks (and my hair loves them too, they are really gentle on the strands!)

Been filling the pages of my journals with sepia tones watercolor sketches, which helps so much with underpainting and its a good reference source too. Creating a visual log of my own personal imagery for more narrative pieces in the future.

I am SO inspired by this painting by John Everett Millais:

Isn’t she a dream? She’s been a springboard for some new ideas. More sketches and other things to come!

a few new things…

I am so excited to offer these cameos featuring mini prints of my paintings! There’s only three though, and here they are:

They are listed here

And I have been painting her (name forthcoming)…

A week or so when she’s dry I hope to make her into a new print. I am starting another one tonight. Hooray for days off and days (and late nights) of painting!

And yes (a few of you guessed in my previous post) the little plastic blue case is a sweet, sweet typewriter! ‘Twas a lucky find for three dollars at one of my favorite thrift shops.

My initial idea was to make an all-blue shelf and stash my blue book collection behind it. I wanted to display a birds nest on the type writer with robin eggs inside (because I know it is very unlikely I will use it much) but it won’t fit on my shelf, despite its small size.

Today was complete spring trickery! I went for two walks today through the woods with my spring jacket on. It was warm breezy with raindrops on and off, sun peeking through the clouds and going back in. I hope hope hope that it freezes over tomorrow because I bought a pair of ice skates yesterday. And how nice and smooth will the skating pond be after thawing and refreezing?!

Warm tea…

All that is needed right now, cups and cups of it! Been sick and in s-l-o-w mode, and I have lots of things to post (a whole pile, oh dear). But in the grogginess of the morning I was so excited to see my name as one of the winners on Marmee’s Valentine’s drawing!

Must be the season but I am collecting vintage tea cups, I can imagine them delicately piled on my bookshelf… this one from last week:

My friends and I have been planning an elaborate outdoor tea party with little cakes, dresses and vintage hats, so I am longing for the warm weather. Right now we are in the middle of a snowstorm and it is so cold and blustery outside!
Green is and had always been my favorite color. But I find myself being drawn to all shades of blues for the time being. Maybe becasue I keep finding pretty blue things. I would like to fill an entire shelf with all things blue. A little pile of things from last week:

and I was looking for a whole year for a very certain treasure, found inside of this bright blue plastic case:

Resisting to look on ebay, I found it in real life last week. It’s a pretty shade of blue. Can you guess what it is? (I’ll have a picture soon!)

I like things with dead insects imbeded inside. I have a few little frames with butterflies mounted, their wings tattered from age. This paper weight has a giant creepy beetle inside. The peachy petals of the flower remind me of the tulle on a 1950’s prom dress I have packed away.

Yum cross-stitched birdie and an old post card with poppies.

Wishing I could get more done. On Sunday the sunshine was pouring into my tiny painting corner, and everything looked so untouched, which makes me very sad but hopeful at the same time. I have some new paints that I can’t wait to play with as soon as I am feelign better! Nothing feels better than new paints.

Oh, and I got this pretty vintage floral jumper dress on etsy. I just love the little white buttons on the shoulders and the bold floral print against the black. It reminds me of Frida, which remindes me of a certain exhibit which we are going to see soon. I was jumping for joy when I heard about this one, and what fun to visit Philly!

I have some more little cameos and lockets to post soon, and some sketches maybe.

vintage rosebud locket with mini prints

It’s hard for me to let go of this sweet treasure (I doubt I’ll ever find another locket like this) but it holds the mini prints so well …

This one-of-a-kind locket is in my store

Oh, and the belt is from abstractpretty on etsy. I will soon own three of her belts…they are so so perfect for cinching in that too-loose vintage dress and prettying it up a bit!

A quiet week. I am looking forward to a restful weekend with lots of outdoors. Today I bought new paints and brushes, a book on terrariums and a polka dot shirt… and that was my excitement for the week. Yesterday it was 62 which left me craving spring.

busy bee weekend

Weekend sketches in my giant deckled-edge thick-textured page book…my favorite (but very heavy) one to tote around right now:

Oh what a very busy (but wonderful) weekend! Friday night we went to Tarrytown to the most quiant, magical old theater to see Neko Case and it was fabulous. We were on the balcony but the space was so cozy that it felt very close to the stage. The theater was like stepping back in time. I was mesmerized by the antique feel of the place, and in combination with Neko’s voice it was bliss! The lighting fixtures were pure magic with their graceful silhouettes and sepia-casting glow. Like like forest spirits dancing all around us. mmm…..a peek!

We got her to autograph a few albums at the end of the show. She was so nice! I tend to get very shy around celebrities but my husband made me wait in line and on the way out I was happy we did!
Saturday was spend sketching a bit, taking a long walk and lots of other chore-ish things. I have been thrifting like crazy (in person and on etsy) and I had a pile of delicate dresses and cardigans from last week to wash. Last week was the best thrifting week in a very, very long time. I got a baby blue typewriter that I am going to display on my shelf with my blue book collection, two very pretty blue vintage dresses, red gollashes, some cardigans from the early 60’s, and a billowy floral sundress for summer. Lets see…oh and on a Sunday morning flea market trip with friends I found the most wonderful little treasures! (all of it below minus the giant lockets but more about that later)

I am going to wear all of it! Little nature-y pins and things, handpainted wooden pointy shoes (to wear pinned to a cardigan) a pocketwatch, skeleton key pin, cameo, and a lucky horseshoe! There were tables and tables of these little treasures and it was so fun to root through it all. The pocket watch is acting stange…it was broken when I bought it but the minute I brought it into my studio room it started to tick-tock and hasn’t stopped since. The best part of the flea market was a stall with a woman selling piles of vintage clothes from her old shop. I bought a sweet gingham dress with a matching cardigan and a sweater that looks like a garden is growing all over it! Also, this bag, which is also a minature embroidered garden…

The bag didnt fit into my scanner but it is so pretty and now I am stocked for the spring and summer…if they would just get here already! I am dreaming of wearing a garden with animals and birds wanding amongst it’s strange made-up flowers…

And I haven’t taken this off since I got it’s parcel in the mail last week:

A sweet dictionary-page glass necklace from found and made on etsy. I’ll have to take a picture of it on because the glass orb pendant is very bit and its just so cute! Also swiped up this shirt on etsy for spring:

Its so soft in person and since most vintage things usually aren’t I was so happy! I am super excited becasue I have been busy making necklaces with assorted giant-sized vintage lockets and old ribbon tied in bows, which I will offer in my shop very soon. They are going to all be one-of-a-kind with mini prints of my paintings inside. Oh, the lockets I found are just so darling! Please come back to visit very soon!
xoxox

A little bit of sewing projects

I spent a wonderous afternoon working on some paintings and sifting through little lacy bits and fragments of fabrics. Which reminded me…
I have this pile of vintage dresses, skirts and long wooley sweater coats hanging from my easel in the corner of my studio that must be tended to very soon. It consists of all my goodies from Etsy and Salvation waiting for more desirable hemlines, interesting buttons and sewn lacy brooches.

I bought the prettiest mocha caved floral buttons from The Hemline and they arrived the other day. They will be the perfect addition to a blah winter coat.

I started to bundle up my fabrics, tieing them with strands of lace and ribbon. I found these little dutch ceramic shoes somewhere in the mix, I think they would look so splendid patchworked with fabrics just like my teapot from a past giveaway

And finally, something that looks as though it needs to be sewn but no, it’s staying this way. A assymetrical, frayed chocolatey jacket on my manequin for inspiration with other goodies.