French Poppy

Show & Tell & Thank-You's

Good Thursday morning everyone! Just wanted to pop in to say thank you for all the well wishes, as I am trying to get over this flu.  This week has gone by so fast, I really can't believe it's Thursday already.  Last thing I really remember was it was Sunday night and then poof here we are.  I have been in the delirious state of flu I guess.  Also wanted to send my hugs and kisses and well wishes to my baby girl Kayla.  She came home for a visit this past weekend and took back with her this lovely flu.  She has missed her classes all this week, so I hope she is feeling better soon.  Thankfully she has super nice college teachers who have been understanding of her missing class.  I wish I was there to take care of you baby. 

Now for my show and tell.  I was pretty thrilled to receive a complimentary copy of Romantic Homes magazine.  My first ever published illustration is in the new April issue.  I am quite humbled and excited all at once.  I look at the illustration in print and immediately became critical and saw fifty things I wish I would have changed.  I suppose artists are never really truly happy with their work, I just have to learn to let be--let it rest and stop being so over analytical. 

I have to say that this particular issue of Romantic Homes is really great! And I am not saying that just because I got to contribute, but let me tell you if you haven't seen it yet, you will love it.  It is full of french inspired homes, and just some really great articles.   Corey has a great article about her beautiful French home; and let's all send our prayers out to Corey for her dad today, she has been going through such a rough time.  Tara and Heather have a great little article I know you will love.  All and all this issue is just a keeper.  I hope you enjoy it too.  And please take the time to read the story I illustrated for, it is really touching.  I admire people who go out in the world and get to experience such amazing things.  We all have our special talents, and I contribute thanks to blogging for helping me and so many others reach some new heights whether you are into interior design, art or writing; I have seen many women really get to experience great things from blogging.  From publishing, to starting their own websites, experiencing connections with new friends; what a great outlet this has been for us. 

So on that note; enjoy your weekend, as I probably won't  post again until next week, unless I have enough energy to participate in illustration Friday.  Thank you again for all of your well wishes!!! 

Tc

**sigh**cough**cough**sniffle**sigh*; need i say more...

Illustration Friday ~ Multiple

Illustration Friday - Multiple

I picked for show my multiple botanical flowers; part of my scrapbook paper collection I have been working on. 

Handdrawn and then played with in photoshop. 

More Illustration Friday works by tons of artist found here.

I'm Two-Faced

Yes I am two-faced, there are two sides to me.  One is bohemian-ish, the other wants to be a little uptown.  There is the artistic side along with the business side.  i.e. artist/accountant.  I want to dress very free with my flip flops, flowing skirts and linen, but also really get excited over some cute business clothes and pumps.  The free spirit part wants to live in a really old house with creeky hardwood floors which some may have been painted over different colors.  But it would be no matter because I have cool rugs on them.  It has old kitchen cupboards that have been painted many different times, and funky non matching furniture.  Then how I would love to have a brand new built home, with beautiful granite counter-tops and glowing cabinets, with lots of spacious room and big high ceilings.  New hardwood floors and matching furniture and of course the window treatment would match.  But then I love my big chunky chipped white dining room table I have now with a mix-match of white painted chairs.  Oh but a nice formal dining set tugs at my heart at times too.  This carries over into scents even. Perfumes, I love so many; I wear my Estee Lauder scents proudly and my oh so feminine favorite Jessica McClintock, but also love to throw on a little patchouli and like that smell in my home too with a little Nag champa scent hanging around too.  Hairstyles range from my messy fuzzy curly locks to a great straight flat iron look.  So there you have it, I wear two faces, they intermingle with each other most of the time, but ~sigh I guess this makes me who I am.  Now as long as I stay the same person with the same name we are in good shape~no split personalities going on! :)

Life isn't about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.

George Bernard Shaw 

Disconnet Day

Tuesday is my day to disconnect.  While visiting Rebecca's blog, she offered up a little challenge.  A challenge that I have actually been contemplating to do.  I am unplugging tomorrow, from the computer and my ipod; two things that unintentionally distract me.  I daydream while listening to my music, I space out while reading blogs, articles, emails on the computer.  So tomorrow will be a gracious day to re-connect with what I am about, what I am doing and listen to where I am going.  It will be a day of silence, crisp white paper and a pencil.  Also, I have been trying to read A New Earth, you know the new Oprah phenomenon.  Those two things are on my agenda along with making some banana bread.  Challenge yourself to get unplugged from your distractions and take the time to breath in your bliss and listen to your inner self, we just may discover many new things.  Feel inspired, feel creative, feel spontaneous.  This may become a pleasing once a week habit.

photo; my baby Penny lounging with her pillows. 

Changing Space

I think I have the winter time blues, and decided to paint blue instead.  This wall used to be a deep chocolate brown color, and now has been lightened up by a nice in between robin egg blue and celadon color.  I have a rather large living room/ dining room combo, and can't decide whether to paint the whole room this blueish color or break it up with another color.  Either way it's getting lightened up, changed, colors added.  No more tans, browns, aged, colors.  I want a whole different look.  The black frame idea totally came from a spot in Sara's house, where she has some black frames together.  I love these black & white images up against this color of wall, just the look I was after. 

 

I am ordering these curtains from here, and adding some etsy art I have bought along with some of my daughter's art ; putting them in some cute little frames.  I want to find some Antrhopologie type pillows at a cheaper price, do you know of any?   I really love their pillows, but to pay $68 for one pillow is just not realistic for me.  I have my vintage suitcases I will still keep and really anything vintage looking stays, just brightening up and changing colors a bit. 

Have a great weekend, I am off to paint!    

Sending Valentine roses to all of you!!  xoxoxoxoxo

Picture Frame Project

I wanted to share my photo frame project with you.  I love the look that this piece may have been part of an old building or an old wall or something like that.  I tried to put my vision of an old world type surface on this frame, but have other little subjects I am going to redo also.  So I will leave some step by step instructions and you can make one too or something similar if you like it. 

You will need vintage papers, decoupage or glue, plaster of paris, a little bit of instant coffee crystals, and if you do not want to use coffee, you can use the color of paint you think might work better, like a cement color, or a little brownish, it's all up to you.

Start by glueing down your papers onto your subject.  I found this little wooden frame at Walmart, but you could use just about anything you want to re-cover.

After you have all of your papers glued down, you will start adding your plaster of paris.  For the plaster of paris just follow the directions on the box, the consistency I had was a little thicker than pancake batter.  I just started applying it on the frame a little here and there, you want to get the affect of a cracked wall or what an old building might look like.  I left spaces untouched so the paper is showing, so it will look like the cement has been chipped off, broken off.   

Here is where your instant coffee crystals come into play.  While the plaster of paris is still wet sprinkle your coffee crystals around and swirl the granuals in with the plaster of paris.  It really adds a very aged look to the mix. 

After it was all dry ( I let it sit overnight), I added a little graphic and as you can see I forgot to add my plaster of paris to the inside of the frame.  So if you are using a frame like this, don't forget to do the inside also.  I just added a little cement colored paint after I noticed I left it untouched.  Also, I added a little coloring after it had dried, there were spots that were a little too white and I wanted a vintage look for this. 

I hope you have fun with this technique, and if you make something, please let me know, I would love to see it!!  Have fun!  

New Cards!

Just wanted to share the new cards I have for sale at my Etsy store.  These particular cards have been aged.  Image printed on aged linen fabric, sewn on an aged linen card.  Each one will come out a little different than the next.  They have a real vintage feel.  So if you are looking for a unique greeting card to send, these might be something  you pick. 

This weekend was just spectacular.  We went to visit my daughter and her fiance at their college town and had a really good time!  Stupidly I didn't take my camera while we were out on one of our adventures, so I can't share with you this art we stumbled across.  Inside this big huge mansion were these ladies making lace for the day.  I have never experienced how lace was made and it was just fascinating.  They showed us the process and all of the different tools it takes and honestly these were the nicest women!  They have their own society even.  It was just a really neat experience.  I was very impressed with the intricate  details of this craft.

 

This is a picture of my daughter's vintage hat wall.  She loves everything vintage; suitcases, hats, artwork, really anything.  She has her own very electic unique style.  It's killing her that she can't paint the walls in her apartment.  Kayla is very artsy, and I am sure when she gets her own home and starts to paint, it will be very vibrant!  Her little apartment is so cute and very artistic.  I felt like I was in an a apartment with an artist who might live in Paris.  Hopefully she will get to do that someday! 

Okay, have a great Monday, I am off to the eye doctor, I am having white flashes happening in my right eye, not sure why, but hopefully it can be fixed, I keep thinking something is passing on the side of me but it's just a burst of light, very weird and irritating.  Have a wonderful day!!

Illustration Friday ~ Choose

"Fleur de Rouge"

Illustration Friday ~ Topic:  Choose

Mixed media on canvas made with vintage papers, new papers, acrylics, inks, oil crayons, and stamps.

First piece for my "art a day"  (mon-fri) goal.

"If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise."  ~ Robert Fritz

Selling a print of this piece here.

More Illustration Friday art here.