November: Through the Looking Glass {A Linky Party}

 

I had a pleasant read this morning over at the Kanelstrand Blog. 

After indulging in a bit of chunky knit scarves then hopping and bopping around her site I came across some great buttons to add to my site and a chance to join in on her linky party featuring the beauty of nature through out the seasons. 

Sonya's beyond-gorgeous photos of Norway just blew me away. I fell in love with her image above. {& the one below. I'm a sucker for the sea}. As soon as I saw them all I could imagine was these turning into large scale oil paintings, in an impasto style, & hanging over a stone fireplace {which I unfortunately do not have}.

But a girl can dream, can't she?

For my own 'seascapes' & nature wonders, I found myself perusing through folder upon folder of photos. Ones I'd really like to start with were taken last November. Seems like a good place to start!

 My husband, Jamie, and I took the girls down to the lake to rest assure our summer memories of beach combing and picnicking. One last look before the grips of ice and snow would befall the land.

The wind blew hard, sending streams of sand transpiring the the shoreline into a flat, smooth plane.

{{   Presque Isle on the shores of Lake Erie {Erie, Pennsylvania} may be one of my all time favorite images I've ever captured. }}

It was only for a moment, as we reached the car parked near the end of this pathway, that the sun penetrated through the unyielding sky of cold, voluptuous clouds. The sleepy grass illuminated. Golden and brilliant. A fervor of yellow brass.

Often, this particular photograph reminds me of the movie James and the Giant Peach. When James is celebrating his birthday with his parents on the beach. This was the only still I could find from that part of the movie, but if you enjoyed this movie as much as I have, you'll know exactly the parts I'm thinking dearly of. 

A moment of blissful happiness verging on the cusp of a giant rhinoceros stampeding into their lives, unraveling everything as James knew it to be.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

So, there they are folks! My mish-mash of nature. Bound into all their glorious beauty!

♥

Back in Biz

A quadruplet of sisters fresh from the studio. For as cute as they turned out, I was having a helluva time creating their faces. I just couldn't decide what to make them look like. I always like to do "test faces" on a scrap of fabric I'm working with. Since they are made of flannel instead of the usual cotton, I had some challenges facing me {oh my, I just couldn't help it} beginning with the application of paint.

So I chose both faces!

These are so darling I can't even take it.You can find all these little Indie Rag Dolls in my Shop.

{{{I also take custom orders! Feel free to send me a message!!}}}

♥

Photo Life

Isn't it funny when something you love, need, and use so much breaks & you find yourself dying with out it? Only to find when it returns in working condition- you don't even use it.
This has happened to me.

My beloved camera, the filter between the world and my eyes, had taken a bit of a tumble this summer. Resulting in a bad sorta 'boo-boo' but still worked presumably well. Obviously this was something that needed attention 

{sooner than later}.

It allowed me to take photos & document the kind of things I like to take into account. 

So I just kept going.

The pictures came out just as they should. 

All up until Halloween.

Of all places, Mr. Camera decided to stop working so nicely at Sophie's Costume Parade at school. 

Gah! How could this be? Did I change a setting? What is that clicky noise coming from the lens?

.....This. Is no. Good.....

It's unmentionable the amount of things I was unable to capture. Memories only. Unable to play early catch up photographing new items, editing and choosing photos for my shop. Missing some stellar nature shots. Not to mention- how much is this going to cost me to have this thing fixed? 

Yikes. Merry Christmas to me {I suppose}. 

Suddenly there was a click and a flash. My sister, out of the goodness of her heart, let me borrow hers. 

Yippie! Back in business. 

That was 3 days ago. Ha. I haven't even taken it out of its case. So, I got nothin. No pictures to share.

{Except, you know, for these ones} :)

♥

The Little Fox {A Giveaway}

Hop on over to The Little Fox Blog to check out this amazing Facebook Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive two 8x10 prints

(one of 'The Runaways' and one of 'A Balancing Act') 

plus an oval pendant of 'The Love Bandits'!

I think I'm in love with these beautiful musing by Ms. Fox!

Here are a few others I simply adore from her shop:

Seriously. Adorable!!

♥

All I Want For XMas: Part I

You heard it! 

These are only some of the things I want this year for Xmas....for myself and to share!

Flintridge China Sa... AtwoodVintage $10.50	Round Mirror Bamboo... CamilleMontgom... $179.99	Going Hunting- Blac... barkdecor $41.00	Fines herbes - Arom... evajuliet $49.00
Striped batwing boa... jaffic $47.00	Hanging fabric bask... granatina $35.00	Fruit still life, O... JogitasART $50.00	De (From the presse... chellegilet $20.00
Step-by-Step PDF In... radmegan $5.00	Vintage 1950s Opera... MaudeAndLola $21.00	silver castle ring,... lynncobb $275.00	black and white pla... eclu $58.00
Necklace Dress Blac... outofline $120.00	Brown and Creme Fel... blueeyedfreckl... $30.00	Antique Vintage Lac... hollystalder $140.00	Green Demantoid Gar... Specimental $245.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio. 

♥

Sneak Peek & Mid-Day Dance Party

I've been on the search for A. Some decent outdoor photographing weather {It's been dark. Gloomy. & SUPER rainy. P.U!}

B.  A person. Someone. ANYONE to be available to photo my Scarflettes on for the shop. I like to see what things I make look like on real people. I mean, that IS who will be wearing it, right? 

Though, I was on a massive search through nearly every thrift store imaginable around here looking for an old, beat up mannequin bust {mainly for the Wine Fest show}. I had some pretty sweet ideas on how to spruce it up....Unfortunately, those things are pretty hard to come by. Or they are seriously expensive. I even tried to get my sister to raid the prop closet in the drawing/anatomy building on campus. 

Much to no avail.

I suppose my mannequin bust and I are not meant to be, as of yet. 

 The Scarflettes are hand knit by me. I used 100% Baby Alpaca Yarn, hand spun and dyed by a local woman who owns the farm herself. 

To visit her unbelievably beautiful yarns click here:

Annadele Alpacas

As you may know, or may not know- I love making cards for people. 

Birthdays

Holidays

Rainy Days

Sunny Days

or any other kind of days....

& So it began. Painting up these little cheery, hand made cards for other people to send! The only problem is; I need to make custom sized envelopes before I list them in the shop. 

In a hurry I might add!

Some smaller ones will come with a pretty vellum envelope I've already sized and made with a black tissue paper insert {so no nosy peekers can glance}. 

So there you go! 

Now, for real, let's dance!

♥

The Eels: Souljacker

Beside from loving them since the early '90's {um, yeah, I had some seriously awesome taste for music back then. Just sayin'}.

I think Mark Oliver Everett - or better known as E.- has the raddest beard in this video I've ever seen!

Just look!

It's AMAZING! 

 

I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way either! 

Next on deck is one snippet song from

Kasabian's Album: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Which I've been rocking out to {fully} while the kids are at school and I have cleaning or artsy fartsy stuff to do {such as BLOG!}.

& One more. Just for good measure.

From their  New Album 'The Whole Love':

Wilco- I Might 

For some more seriously awesome facial hair visit: 

Beards

♥