As the snowflakes fall I have been spending some time sewing… bags mostly (although I have plans for other things). I have lots of fabrics and bits of lace and trim stashed away. I made this large tote out of pretty gray heavyweight floral fabric which I bought a few years ago and I have been admiring ever since. The fabric is heavy, a mix between canvas and denim.

It’s perfect for lugging my sketchbooks and whatnot around.

I am going to be doing a giveaway here in the next few days, to celebrate all my new readers (and “old” ones as well). Here’s a little snippet of fabric (which is a tiny hint to the theme of the giveaway)

Can you guess which painting will be featured? Another hint is that the giveaway will be wearable art. And the third hint is that it will be part vintage. Can you guess?

We had a sweet valentines day. I came home to beautiful winter white roses (to match the newly fallen snow).

Quiet corners.

Twilight, after the huge storm, beautiful.

Lace

Sewn of thread and absence,
lace belongs at the hem of a garment,
pinned to a collar, near the face,
or clinging to a tabletop amongst teacups.

Like frost, lace paints a pattern
on edges and surfaces. In lace, fine line
and space loop around one another.
It is true that skin under lace appears more

visible, that veils and drapes of lace
let in light, and yes, pull a viewer’s eye.
An ivory web of flowers does what?
Embellishes. Decorates. Even as it claims

to cover, to conceal, lace invites air
and sun and gazes. Place this
punctured shield wherever there is longing,
delicacy: table, skin, bed, window.

Poem by Hannah Stephenson from the Storialist.

Hannah writes poems inspired by found images. This poem was inspired by my painting, “We Come From a Delicate Place”

A snippet:

Thanks to all who commented on my feature in Artful Blogging. Much appreciated!

I am super excited to announce the good news I mentioned awhile back. There is a 6 page article about my blog in the lovely Artful Blogging Magazine. The magazine hit the newstands at the beginning of the week and I was finally able to get my hands on one. I wrote an article about my process and inspirations, and features some of my favorite blog photos and artwork. This year my blog will be six years old (where has the time gone?) and I was completely honored to be asked to be in this publication! So here’s a little sneak peak (you’ll have to get your hands on a copy of the magazine to read the article).

i just love melting winter snow!

Also, I want to repost some of my favorite photos here that were featured in the magazine. My artwork images can be found here.

A corner of my studio- one of my drawing desks (although my Mac resides on this desk now).

A beautiful vintage pendant (that contained a mini print of my artwork) that sold last year.

Blackberry summer breakfast (in my favorite vintage ship teacup) along with my favorite Indian scarf.

A sweet haul from an antique treasure hunt.

Summer dreaming and petals- outside homage to Louis Janmot.

Another pendant I made (a mini print from one of my oil paintings.

Thanks for visiting today! I have yet another bit of good news…really BIG news but I am going to keep it secret for a wee bit longer…

Things have been quiet, cold and very still. I was, very unfortunately, sick since the holidays. Last weekend was the first time I was able to walk outside and feel the winter sunshine on my face. Since then I I have been taking solitary icy cold (and very bundled up) walks to uplift my spirit. I think it’s working a bit. Once I started feeling better I was treasure hunting and sketching again, although at a much slower pace. I hope for a shift in energies soon. Everything is cold and grey and I am dreaming of sunshine and lushness….flowers and meadows and picnics and laying in the grass with bare toes.

I have a few favorite things that I acquired recently. I’m inspired.

I want to to wear embroidered gardens (or sail in a ship atop one)….

I am still inspired by ancestor-ship imagery (not all ships with masts are for pirates!). I was lucky to find this little scrimshaw-inspired sterling silver brooch in an antique shop last week, along with a pretty adorned clutch.

And a little corner of my studio where my favorite jacket (featured above) hangs. Sunny corners and pretty clothes are enough to brighten me on a winters day.

Thanks to all your comments on my post from the beginning of January. I hope to reply to everyone today! I am full of gratitude that each and every one of you come back to visit, despite my recent lack of postings. Happy February.

I am hopelessly consumed with mapping out my plans for the new year (more on that later), sketching, making lists and preparing for the year ahead!. Today I made a wish box full of antique lace goodness and sparkleys. And colorful tights. I know I always say this but I wish for more color in my life, in my surroundings, in what I wear. Juicy, lush color and pattern. So today I wore a garden to start the year off right!

Have a beautiful New Years!

Been working on a lots of new paintings.

White-washed layers have been consuming my painting time.

Sketchbook pages, ideas, plannings. For the new year and now. I keep playing around with variations of a sketch of this one woman….

Bits.

I found the loveliest roll of 1940’s wallpaper along a driveway, discarded.

Last Saturday I went for a snowy walk oh so early in the morning. So cold but I got to see the sun rise over the silvery trees!

Another brooch from tinyhappy. So lovely…not only because of the teeny-tiny artistry that goes into each one, but because they are made with real wool felt and hand dyes threads. These little touches really make them so uttely amazing!

I am so excited for this new year! I have some exciting art news for you that I can’t wait to spill!
Happy Holidays Everyone!

I don’t really want gush over my new kitty too much here, but I’ve been spending all of my time with my sweet persian, Maximilian Cream Puff. He has the most beautiful blue eyes and softest fur, I am in love!

The days are so short. Too short. Its completely dark 4:30. I’m having a hard time with the lack of light.

Sun drenched afternoon wildflower fields, late fall.

Very soon I’ll be back from my blogging break.

Hello beautiful crisp days!

We just got back from hiking at the nearby Wick farm. The New England style farmhouse above is from 1750. Despite the clear skies and November sunbeams, the inside of the homestead was so dark and smelled of creosote from ages past. A little fire burned in the kitchen and herbs hung from the ceiling. The surrounding fields were the home to 13,000 soldiers during the Revolutionary War. I can’t wait to go back next weekend!

Thanks so much for all your comments on my windowsill collection and things! I have been busy, computer turned off and out of sight, outside playing in the sun (and will be until it’s too unbearably cold to be outdoors).
Have wonderful weeks, all!

and walking in the dreamy woods…

But first I would like to say that I just put a larger, ORIGINAL drawing (11″ by 14″) of “From Within” in my shop.

It’s a darker version, similar to this one, from a few post’s ago, with the birch trees at night. Yes, I sketched a third one! I wanted to try her without the ribbon around her neck. I am so happy to offer it in my shop (and it is so hard for me to let it go)

I’ve been thinking about wildflowers and all things green and lush (yes, very unfall-like of me). I pulled out one of my favorite found embroideries and hung it on my wall. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I received this package. I took photos of the queen annes lace embroidery and posted them here last year, but I just love it so much, so here’s more!
Beautiful detail.

And knowing that winter will soon be here I have been adorning my windwsill with this and that, summer memories and other things, found.

The sandy bottle was a wash up at the beach. It’s very old! The other, smaller bottle I found in the early spring during a walk through the woods. Did you know that the frost pushes old bottle and other discarded items up out of the ground in the spring?

I have been painting too. This is a piece in the earliest of stages…just the underpainting and I’m sure it will change and morph into something totally different. But the concept will stay the same for the most part. The raw umber scribbles you see in the right hand corner are actually a grove of willow trees with a piano in the middle. I imagined a procession of birds soaring out of it.

The leaves were in their glory over the weekend! They are now falling. To everyone in the northern hemisphere, enjoy the remainder of autumn bliss !

Such lovely textures from the weekend! Felt brooch and autumn tree bark from the beautiful campus of Princeton.

I received my beautiful package from the amazingly talented New Zealand artist tiny happy. Such pretty packaging with a gocco botanical print and delicate green string.

She does such beautiful stitching and sewing and I absolutely love to read her blog. And I love her felt and embroidered brooches! She is such a dear to give us this tutorial on how to make them! When I saw this daisy pin I had to have it… while it’s tempting to try to make one myself I prefer to have the original work straight from the artists hands. Plus, I don’t think mine would come out as pretty.

Another inspiration- the most curious frozen fox, entwined in vines, then set in stone on the exterior of the Princeton University Chapel. As many times as I’ve been by this amazing building from the 1920’s, I’ve never noticed him until now!

Thanks to all for your comments on my newest print! We have been so busy doing autumn things…taking walks and traveling all over the place to see the leaves and revel in the fall light. And now it’s cold here so I think I’d like to stay indoors.