New Journal, New Pages

 I started a new journal a few weeks ago.

 This is one of the ones I made during 

Mary Ann Moss's Full Tilt Boogie Class.

 And the second one, from the class,
that I've used as a daily journal.

 The cover is from an 1890's series of essays,

 lovely marbled paper on the book boards.

I made the signatures out of vintage and repro ledger paper, 

and vintage-y scrapbook paper.

A wide striped ribbon  wraps the spine
and does duty as a bookmark. 

 I really like this one and am having
a lot of fun working in it.

Tag - You're it!

Call it not paying attention or brain glitch or whatever - but this was the first holiday season when it occurred to me to make my own tags.

I had recently purchased a package of medium sized shipping tags from Staples and they were sitting on the art table and (light-bulb over head moment) it dawned on me that I could use them, along with rubber stamps and ink, to make tags for presents!  I know, right?  Don't ask - I don't get it either.

So, here are some of the results -

once I started it was hard to stop.

Great results, so quickly.

I used Distress Inks for the backgrounds, and Archival Black for the stampings.

Now I wonder what else I haven't thought of?

Life on the Coast

A spectacular weekend sunset here in Morro Bay.

From the Bookshelf

The Art of Urban Sketching is a wonderful "get lost in" book.  Sit in front of the fire on a winter's evening, when you have a few hours free, and travel around the globe, stopping in numerous cities with dozens and dozens of urban sketchers.  The art work is varied, colourful and meaningful.  Each artist provides a mini bio and a handful of annotated pieces.  It's a labour of love put together by Gabrial Campanario.  At this holiday season a perfect present for a sketch loving friend or - gift yourself. "See the world one drawing at a time"!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

A day to remember and give thanks.

A day to reflect and ponder.

A day to celebrate.

A day to rejoice.

A day for our Lady of Guadalupe.

Decoration Time

 Here are the contents of last Saturday's
suitcase up on the trees.

Our cats who are wild two year olds keep us from having a 

traditional tree and because we love them, this is OK.

Someday they'll be older and calmer.

Until then we decorate bunches of
curly willow around the fireplace.

Not the same as a big fragrant spruce or pine,
but beautiful none-the-less.  

Suitcase Saturday

 This is a vintage brown leather train case that

 I picked up at a local swap meet.

 It provides an off season home for my collection
 of small ornaments that decorate a bunch of
 curly willow branches in our great room.

There are many from Wendy Addison's Theatre of Dreams, 

collected over the years.

And other small vintage stars and bells. 

 Soon they will come out of the suitcase and

 be hung up to enjoy throughout  this  holiday season.

More Esty Fun

Also now available in our Esty shop - 4ARTGIRLZ -

These vintage invoices dating from 

the 1890's through the 1920's.

 I've altered them using rubber stampings, cigar bands 

and vintage fiscal and postage stamps.

Over a dozen available, all different - $10.00 each.

 The perfect gift for the "all things vintage" 

person on your holiday list.

Just in Time for the Holidays!

I've added some new art to our Etsy Shop - 4ARTGIRLZ.

Eight delightful clown collages, on 5x7" canvas panels.

Even collaged on the back!

Check out the entire group here.  $25.00 each.

Life on the Coast

Our "pet rock" here in Morro Bay.