Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays to all.  My dear art friends and just great buddies celebrated with our annual tea yesterday.  A wonderful time was had by all and much food eaten and beautiful gifts exchanged.  I just hope you all have such wonderful friends to share the holidays with, and of course, your families.  I'm in the front, to the right of our hostess, Darlene (her left side). ~Lou

An Elf and Me

A special Elf I found who I love very much!....and her tree hat too, and her boyfriend who is not named Jake and I try not to embarass relatives, but isn't she beautiful and she graduated from GO BUCKS!!!!! (sorry Michigan friends.)

CHRISTMAS IN A TEACUP

I finished my Christmas in a teacup swap (on the right) with a bag of goodies for my swap partner.  The little Charlotte doll has a scrap of paper that says, 'Shine.'  I hope you all shine for Christmas this year!
Now if I could only get myself in gear to shop for Christmas- it's Black Friday and I'm probably the only person out there that has no desire to go shopping.  Would rather eat leftovers and watch football with my cat. I do have some goodies on Ebay though, check my store out, "Simply Antique Country."
~Lou

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

I had so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, I even volunteered to cook!  The bird was a huge one and I had to get him in the oven by 6am to have him cook in time.  We had just 8 of the family over, but lots of boys, so ate heartly and always great to have leftovers today.
What am I most thankful for?  My hubby sitting at the table, my family there who supported us through sooooo much this year, my wonderful friends-and yes- that turkey on the table.  Blessings to you all. ~Lou

Edgar's ATCs

So, I couldn't resist making some Poe ATCs for a swap either (Kim- you must stop reading my mind.)  My first card has a miniature skull and is called, 'Vital Organs', next is 'Busy Bee' (wasn't he?) and lastly is 'Birds of a Feather' (...written in script on the ribbon, and he has a raven on his shoulder, and birdcage, etc.)
I like to make individual ATCs most of the time- more like little artworks, I think. ~Lou

POE is the Man

Seems to me Edgar is quite popular nowadays, with a big spread in Somerset and lots of swaps going on.  Personally I feel he was a tragic and brillant soul, lonely and misunderstood, and today would have had trouble finding a publisher for his gross subject matter.  I am in a journal swap featuring EAP and choose a diecut large album of 14 inches in length that I found at a scrapbook store on sale for 50c.  It spelled something else-can't remember what- I took the letters apart to make 'POE' (the 'p' had been an 'r' I remember.) I put an old image of him inside the opening of the 'P', added a real feather pen, wax 'bee' seal, letter written with 'Jane Austen' font about the 'Pit and the Pendulum' (don't you just love handwritten fonts on the Dafont.com?) 
There are plain ecru pages inside. ~Lou

Halloween Cabinets

I made two altered cabinet Halloween cards for a swap- the one on the left more artsy, with bat appendages added and green skin, with text, "Want to go hang out?"  The other has a piece of embroidery that looks like a web with black glitter and two spiders, the baby is 'trapped.'  I tend to lean towards the bizarre, so prefer my boys to 'hang'  with!~Lou

Cabinet Photograph Swap

I did it again.  I became attached to one of my swaps and had to make another one!  I made 'All the Rage' first, on the left, and just had to keep her for her bird-nest hat, so I made the 'Cherish' butterfly baby to mail instead. Hope you don't mind, Marsha!
I still love to alter and paint old photographs-it is so easy to add pieces of lace (apron on the baby), photo-copy wings, napkin images (bird nest!), and of course, glitter (buttons!). Photos are still a bargain at flea markets-pick them up for less than a dollar whenever you can.  I mean, look at all the money ya all spend at craft stores and ya can get the real deal for so much less at a junk store! Or search for a 'Lot' of photos on Ebay.~Lou

One of the Best Moments of My Life

Renewing of our vows after 50 years on the beach at the Outer Banks, North Carolina.  The kids and grandkids gave us a great party too, with a catered dinner.  Since Tom almost didn't make it with health problems this last year, we were especially thankful.  God is good. ~Lou

MID-SUMMER NIGHTS DREAM

I have started to get the creative juices going with a few swaps, such as a large matchbox swap using only vintage and antique items.  I am thankful that there are others out there that appreciate the uniqueness of the old items, that I feel, tell a story.  My 'Mid-Summer Night's Dream' is a fairy Queen's cradle for an old china Charlotte doll, peacock feather, old German text strips, moss and a jewel.  The 'queen' is an old tintype painted with Golden's acrylics and placed on a brooch, two screen brass numbers added, a tin corner adornment put on top, and all arranged on a velvet half of an old photograph case.  I made a similar one to keep. ~Lou

Inspiration~

~ I always seem to find new inspiration in a view, a talk with a friend or family member, an old piece of artwork or new one seen.  Recently I ran across a small canvas I did a long time ago using a transfer image from a tintype of my great-grandmother. She is only 15 yrs. old in this photo and I believe this is her wedding photo, as that was the age when she married.  Alice had a hard life as a farm wife and I think she was very lonely.  She has become my current inspiration, telling me through her image that life is tough, but there is strength through family, friends and the good days.
On the left is an ATC I'm making for a 'Mid-Summer Night's Dream' swap. 'Tis' Almost Fairy Time' reminds me that soon I will be escaping to the Outer Banks and a moonlight beach-can't wait! ~Lou

I'm Back!!!

I can't  believe it has been almost a year since last posting, but it has been a difficult year.  My husband Tom has been in the hospital most of that time, beginning last October with emergency gallbladder surgery and a subsequent heart attack.  Then he went for emergency open heart the week of Christmas and then another admittance in February for pneumonia and COPD exacerbation.  The stress took a toll on me and our family and I certainly lost my creative drive. So Tom is on the road to recovery, thanks to cardiac rehab 3x a week, and I am trying to get my art gene to return.  A trip to Artiscape recently in Columbus helped, as I took a great class by Wanda Montgomery on techniques.  Also just being with good friends and a change of scenery!
I have also joined a few art swaps that are vintage in nature and using antique images.  My CDV photos (carte de visite) above will be made into a book by the hostess, after swapping. Some are dimensional, as the real dog tag on the first one.  I have found that small art projects are very soothing for my spirit and hope it is strengthened by continuing to make 'for others.'~Lou