Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Something About Alice


My latest Alice watercolors on Vintage Alice Book Pages.

I have an Alice in Wonderland that is falling apart, so I took individual pages from it and put watercolor illustrations on them. I will be offering these in my Etsy store, OhMy1. I plan to add more stuff to the store in the coming weeks---be watching!!!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

New Adventures of "Alice"





I found a site that has complete downloads of some of the books that are now out of print. While trying to find out information about John Rae who wrote this book, I discovered this site:

http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/New_Adventures_of_Alice/pages/001_New_Adventures_of_Alice.htm


The illustrations in this book are beautiful and the price is up there for any volumes of it you can find. The condition of mine isn't very nice, but I don't mind that usually. The illustrations are still in great shape.


I've been real interested lately in transferring some of these illustrations to fabric for making fabric collages, etc. I can't wait until my craft season on the road is over so I can take the time to experiment. Visit my craft blog to see what I am up to. http://shebrews.com

Thursday, November 13, 2008

A Purpose for This Blog


I have decided that this will become my blog to discuss what I am reading. I have such a love for books, and such a need to talk about what I am reading. Currently I am reading James Michener's Chesapeake. I added a link on the sidebar for a site I found where you can exchange books for just the cost of shipping. I haven't done any trading yet, but you list what you have available, and then go on a hunt for what you want. Meanwhile, you can hook up with other bibliophiles. I love it!!!
I will be back to discuss Michener's book.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Who Rang that Bell????


My son, Michael, and I decided that you can never have enough Wizard of Oz things. So, we pooled together to get the latest Wizard of Oz publication. It is the centennial edition of the annotated Wizard of Oz. Hardcover. It is loaded with illustrations and information. I can't wait to have time to read it!!!



I have been working on these original Oz ornaments. I plan to take a tree full of them to the first inside art/craft show I am in.

I showed these to a few of my artsy/crafty friends who seemed to really like them. I plan to have a couple of little quilties, too. Then, I discovered the Mc Donald's Wizard of Oz figures that they have been putting into Happy Meals. We stopped at a Mac D's for supper and behold, there they were. I don't hope to get them all, as they have been selling them a while now. Pooh. I wish someone would have told me. I don't even remember them being on tv. What are they thinking?????


So, here are a few hanging in my Pier One tree I purchased at Easter last spring. I knew I would find a purpose for it!!!

I regularly update my other blog, http://shebrews.com so be sure you visit that when you are done reading here. I needed a blogger blog to be able to post on some blogs, so I am currently trying to keep up three blogs.....oh, my!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

busy, busy, busy


Oh, so many projects, so little time. If you want to keep up with me you need to visit my other blog that is updated regularly. I am barely catching my breath while trying to keep up with all I signed up to do, and then all the rest life just plain throws at me.......and me, a mother of five and a wife, grandmother of five, 45 art/craft shows a year.........yeah, and now, silly me, signing up for four different blogs.........(I always wanted to be a writer.....) (rolling eyes)........:)

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Just too busy.....

Be sure to check out my busy blog: http://shebrews.com . that is where I am doing my most work. I needed a non craft blog, so this is it, but I have little time else after artsying and crafting....lol.



This was a neat little hand built creek that I want put into my back yard. It would be a little shorter, perhaps, but, nevertheless, as beautiful. I want my son Jon to do it. He is a landscaper. I found this one in Door County when I went there last weekend.


From the top of the creek..........


I can just imagine the birds and rabbits and squirrels playing in this. I want it in front of my studio windows. We are going to start collecting rocks from the fence line at the land.

My wisteria is only showing signs of life, but no flowers so far. Little green shoots are appearing on the branches.......I think pulling it down from the roof shocked it too much. It makes me sad.


It's supposed to start like this.......which it isn't. And then, ultimately look like this:




And then, finally, like this:




Alright, a trip to Hobby Lobby today and back to work. Next trip to Minocqua.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Calligraphy


I used to do a lot more calligraphy than I do now. I do little things, and I like to embroider calligraphy, but I have been trying to be different than the things I find available in stores and craft shows. I make my little calligraphy into bigger collage things now. I realize this isn't a clear picture of the collage, but it gives you the idea.


I like using fabric instead of mats, and I embroider the borders and any titles. I used vintage postcards and some older first day of issue commerative envelopes by various companies or artists, and sometimes doing my own. These pieces make up a greater part of what I do at my art shows. I hope you will visit my crafty blog if you come here first. I meant for this one to take up all the other things I do besides crafts......I needed a blogger blog for posting reasons, but I already have an established typepad blog
that perhaps you haven't visited. Well, I must be on my way....have a good day!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

A good Book and a Dog.......



This is a first edition Howard Pyle, "The Garden behind the Moon". My boys enjoyed reading "The Adventures of Robin Hood and His Merrymen" by Pyle. He authored a four volume "Story of King Arthur and His Knights" and "Book of Pirates", but I did not have this when they were still home. It is in sad shape with what appears to be fire damage---soot surrounding the exposed areas, as if it was on a shelf when it happened. Water damage on the cover back.......could be a story in itself.....who knows? I don't remember where I purchased it, I just picked it up browsing through my bookshelf looking for something new to read or re-read......

And here be the dog.......my barista set it before me and said enjoy the "dog"......perhaps you can see the little circle around his eye? All of the sudden it reminded me of my gLove dogs
that I make. The barista knew nothing of my glove dogs, so it was like a little secret "wink" from them....you know what I mean? lol. I can be such a child at times.....tee, hee.

I wish I had that latte right now........it looks yummy....... Well, here is to Chere' who found a new home today......I had fun packing her up......and wish to send off many more.........

Monday, April 7, 2008

Alyss Wonderland Wars

So, my youngest son and I are big Alice in Wonderland fans. I purchase all of the versions of Alice I can find, and am thinking about other Alice collectibles, but prefer the books right now. I have an old Card Game that has Tenniel's illustrations. This weekend I found a neat Alyss book. This started with "The Looking Glass Wars" by Frank Beddor.


This is a modern version, or alternate version of Alice in Wonderland, only it is Princess Alyss of Wonderland. This weekend I found her scrapbook. What a neat eye-candy for Alyss fans, and Alice fans alike!




Frank Beddor wrote another sequel to the "Looking Glass Wars" titled "Seeing Redd". You should check out these books if you are an Alice fan. Meant for young readers, my son, (24) and I found them fascinating.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Life of a Bibliophile



Oh yeah. You thought I was kidding. Well the next few posts will show you I am not. I really have a book problem, only, I really, really read them and if I like them, several times.....and if I really, really like them, I wait to be alone and read them aloud.......if I can't be alone, I pretend I am reading for another person.......


This is only a sampling of what I own in books. Many have made their way to other places, and many I have borrowed and had to buy another because I forgot who I borrowed them to. If you borrow a book, unless someone says "I don't want it back", you should be sure to bring it back.......


My bookshelves are not in their best order right now, but I wanted to post before I leave for the weekend, and fixing them would have entailed time I don't have this morning.

My bookshelves are a mixture of children's books, nature books, many many devotional type and biblical study type, and lots of "character building" ones---which I am not sure one would testify have affected me....lol. I hope they would, but, I fear that I display far too many social weaknesses to prove it.

Funny, when the blogger asked what my favorite books were, I was stumped, because first of all, they would probably be "B" side books, ones you never heard of, and probably because I tend to have favorite "authors" vs favorite "titles".

I enjoy reading turn of the century writing the most. My library consists mostly of that, but I have learned to appreciate some newer writers also. I stopped reading novels quite awhile ago, first of all because I couldn't find a novel writer I liked with the exception of Victoria Holt and all her alias'. But, I find my reading time is so limited that I tend to read "learning" type things.

Well, I must be off now and pack for the weekend, but I hope you leave a comment if you drop by. Let me know if you love books as much as I, and if you blog about it, I would like a link. Thanks.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

For the love of Reading



I cannot look at this book without feeling the excitement I felt the day I opened a new one in my one room school house. I believe it is the book that I learned to read with as I have no memory of another before it. Just looking at it now I can remember and relive the wide-eyed entering of a new life, one where I could discover words for myself, instead of memorizing the script.

I had long been able to read a book to you, but it is because I had it read to me so many times that I had it memorized. Honestly, it is probably the richest I have ever felt, when I learned to read.



I still feel the flush in my cheeks as I page through the illustrations and simple dialogue. Of course, I could not help purchase the volumes one by one as they transported me back in time at each stop where I found them. It wasn't that my childhood was so romantic-----I used reading to escape a very unhappy real life. Reading has become an obsession with me. I found the word "bibliophile", and though it sounds like I wouldn't want to be called that, it is indeed what I am. I cannot live without a book tucked somewhere on my person.



Unlike a lot of others, I do not mind waiting for a train, waiting for a meeting of another, waiting for someone I am with to do an errand....as long as I have a trusty volume of something to read. It is a little like "bonus time" to me. Time I don't get to read otherwise.



Of course, the internet works wonderfully for me, a reader, so much at my fingertips, so much in my own home. But, alas, there is nothing like a good old page turning. There is nothing like the yellowed page with hand-written notes in the margin. Did you ever watch "84 Charring Crossroad" ? Oh, my what a good movie! It is a story for those who love, love, love books. It is with Ann Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins.......

Ann's character chides the bookseller for sending her a book as a gift without as much as writing a to/from in it. He, afraid to "ruin" the book. Oh, it is a love story too, but the love of books is the star of the show.

Anyway, all this is to say, that I think the purpose of this blog is to discuss my love of books, which ones I love, and why I like them. I especially love good illustrated children's books.

I am a word freak, so I especially like books that are delicious to read aloud. It is a test of a good book, when reading aloud is necessary to get all the joy from it.

Today, I read in William Barclay's Gospel of Mark, this delicious sentence: "The experts in the law were hoist with their own petard". It is a sentence that I want to use someday, in some conversation to make me look smart. LOL. I am going now to look up the silly words, they make me laugh, but somehow, I know the writer cut to the quick.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

It's My Birthday



It's a Saturday, so I don't anticipate doing anything really. Yesterday I got to go to Barnes and Noble and hang out by myself, which is probably on my favorite top five things to do. If we had one in my town, I would treat it like a Library.....although, I stopped going to my local library years ago. It's so much easier just finding what I want on the internet and either reading it there, or purchasing used copies from ABE.com .

Last night I was a little misconjumbled, and I looked through a lot of things and handled a lot of things for inspiration, but I just couldn't find my groove.......so, after some surfing on Etsy
(problems posting) (argh!) anyway, I found this online painting class for mixed media backgrounds! OhMy! Just what I was looking for, only I didn't think I would actually find a class. It might be a problem because I start shows shortly, and it is a rat-race to keep up all the stuff I have to do. Paulette has six seven minute painting videos on You Tube that I watched last nite. They are lightening speed, but very inspirational. Since I enjoy doing faces most of all, I cannot wait to try some of her technique. Hopefully, I will allow myself some messy painting!!!

Since I enjoy painting on other surfaces besides white backgrounds, I think I will like adding things and playing with templates, etc.

I used my heat transfer machine for postcard backgrounds, but I ran into a glitch that I hadn't expected when planning......I cannot iron on appliques to them, because they cannot be ironed......that will make me have to hand-applique the additions I wanted to do to them. Overall, I am happy with the transfers themselves, and more time should prove worthy.

I think today I will probably spend mostly in the studio, creating. I have my second show next weekend and I really need it to count.

Besides that, my friend, Mary gave me a basket of gardening goodies to start me off when the ground gets workable. There are gloves, and a spade, seeds, a little shepherd's hook with plaque, a welcome sign for my studio, hand lotion and body spray in the fragrance of "cucumber"---which I like, because besides "vanilla", I don't like smelling like fruit or candy.....lol. Actually, there was a store in the mall that used to carry a scent called "fresh cut grass"----I LOVE that. But, they don't anymore. Anyway, that's my day!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Spilling the Beans.......


I still find each day too short for all the walks I want to take, all the thoughts I want to think, all the books I want to read and all the friends I want to see......John Burroughs.
John left out a few more things I can't find time for.......projects. All the projects I want to learn and do before I cannot see or use my hands......I feel like the robot on the eighties film which I cannot remember the title for: "Input, Input"......I seem to walk around sucking in whatever my eyes and ears can take. My hands just can't keep up with it all.


Since moving my things (most of them) out to the studio, I find I don't work so long into the night and so I am not putting in the hours and not getting to as much as I would like to, either. I know summer will bring more daylight hours and so I will work out there longer, but I am in a little panic just now. Don't get me wrong, I love being able to shut the door and walk away without having to put everything away only to have to take it all out again in a few hours. I do like being able to differentiate home work with house work. I do like the feel of it being two different tasks. I just feel off-balance a little.

It feels a little like a grind trying to balance on-line production with off-line production. I have two different audiences and it is a little of a juggling act. My plan is to diminish my off-line trail somewhat. I do far too many road shows. Currently I am booking around 43 shows. It is just too much. Some of them I never get to do because of inclimate weather, but I still have to plan and oft times "show up".

And even though I am "pressed" for time, I LOVE it all and couldn't ask for a better way to make my living. I am glad that I got in when it was first a "hobby" and then by the time it had to earn my keep, I got a lot of the "kinks" worked out. Now, I find myself changing direction again, but with the risk of having to "earn my keep" while changing up----a little more intimidating. At any rate........
I plan to keep it a good "brew". Stay tuned.........♥

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

I love painted dishes



It's not like I don't have enough dishes, but these painted ones get me all the time. I don't know what it is about dishes that looked like they have been newly water-colored, but I can't resist lingering in their presence and touching and handling them, and even doing a bit of fantasizing........

If I were a potter, I know I would definitely have to paint on my dishes like this. When Tracey Porter was new in the field, I liked her things very much, but something happened to her designs, they are not as appealing as I once thought they were. They are not fresh and simple, but more foreign looking and overkill.

I like dishes that look like vegetables and fruit, too. Like bowls shaped like watermelon, or head lettuce, or dishes that are a half carrot. At Easter there seems to be an abundance of vegetable shaped dishes.

This particular set came from Mackenzie-childs and run a whopping $98.00 per dinner plate, $65.00 per mug, $65.00 per tea cup and the saucer another $40.00. The wonderful tea pot $185.00. They sure are delicious to look at, though.

I may post some pictures of the dishes I actually own.....I have some really neat ones and I use them, too. Take care until I write again!









Monday, March 24, 2008

Just Me Blog


I joined a group of artists that do softies on Flickr and they started a blog about their work as a joint effort, so I had to get a google account to post to it. It seemed only logical to use my account to have another blog----afterall, what am I ever going to do with all my free time??????LOL.
The blog is called PlushParade
and it will be fun to be a part of it. This blog I desire it to be more of a natural flow of me, and not strictly for my crafting as Shebrews
is. Shebrews is all about what I am doing in the art and craft field. This blog I just want to be about anything.
I wanted to sign up for a blogger account at first try, but for some reason my computer would never load it. I tried and tried. The good news is now I can post on other blogger blogs that don't have open invitations. So many I have wanted to write a comment, but they were not accessible through type pad bloggers.

Two blogs will be quite challenging, but since I love to write, perhaps a little serendipitis? If you find me, let me know.