Mona Lisa on My Mind

I have her collaged on a tin can.

She hangs from a bull clip on my sunny back porch.

She smiles from a boxed set of photo albums sitting on the faux mantle in my studio.



So it should be no surprise that she has recently invaded my sketchbook. In a slightly different form.
This is not exactly Mona. It's her sister Giselle.

Valentine Inspired Button Card Angel

I found these dainty glass heart shank buttons and was first going to put them into my shop for sale. But then it occurred to me that they looked like a row of buttons down a shirt front or torso.

And so the transformation started from button card, to torso, to...




...Button card angel. I am joining in an angel swap in the Christian Paper Artists yahoo group.

If we gave each other more grace, peace might have a chance.

Many more button card angels to come!

Teacup Swap

I think it's funny how what we choose for others says so much about ourselves.

Last week I received this sweet hand painted demitasse from Yvonne in a teacup swap hosted by Pat.

My first impression of Yvonne is that she is "earthy"- as in down to earth, decorates in earth tones, drinks tea from earthenware mugs and her poetry makes me think of her as an earth mother.

But the delicate cup and saucer she sent me is bright, blue and hand painted and makes me think of her water color paintings.

Every time I see it, I will think of your art, Yvonne.

Thank you so much!

For more Tea Tuesday posts, visit Kimmie's blog.

SNOW, Snow, snow, snow

We are buried. Wednesday night 9 inches of the lovely white stuff fell over mid Missouri. Today over an inch flurried down. Sunday we are expecting another 4-5 inches. That's nothing for Buffalo, NY, but unusual for Missouri.

Our jockey looks like more like a pointy hatted, bearded gnome!

I still need one more person to send art to. It's not to late to join! See the rules here.

The Mess Under My Desk

I can procrastinate about something for over a year and then suddenly be as tenacious as a pitbull. I rediscovered this tin of buttons the other day (that I had sorted with my mother over a year ago!) and this afternoon suddenly decided it was time to dive in and see what I could list in my etsy shop for sale. I know next to nothing about truly old buttons, so the research is taking time. But the more I learn, the more excited I become and as tired as I am now (after midnight!), I am just not ready to shut down the computer and turn off the light.

I have celluloid and possibly even some bakelite buttons!

Novelty plastic buttons from the 1950s and some truly gorgeous mother of pearl.

Wood, leather, oxidized metal.

I hope to price these to sell, because I have a mess under my desk.

AND you can still join in the "Pay It Forward" game!

Katie and Sarah have enthusiastically said they would play.

That leaves 3 openings.

Read my last post for the rules then leave me a comment that says, "count me in!"

Edit 9:40pm:

I have two more players-

Rhonda and Pat!

I just need one more person to send art to.

And all you have to do is create 5 tags, or 5 ATCs, or 5 exquisite inchies to mail away.

You are not required to paint a Sistine Chapel ceiling (5 times)!

So won't you join in?

I can't wait to start making something!

Pay It Forward

I saw this on Jo's blog on a day when I was rummaging through my stash of art stuff and thinking I should make something, but then what do I do with it?

Eureka!

So I am joining her "Pay It Forward", which she joined from someone else and so on, and so on backwards (see how far the links take you ;). There are a lot of people participating!

Here are the rules...

I promise something handmade to the FIRST 5 people who leave a comment here. However, to be eligible, you must repost this status, offering something handmade to 5 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade (or homemade) by you and it must be sent to your 5 people some time in 2011. Ready, set, GO!

I further promise to not make you wait all year to receive art from me.

I will mail you something within the next month or so, and probably some of my stash too!

Surely you want a piece of this?

Tea Tuesday- Cups of the Past

You need to look up the shop, Cups of the Past. I stumbled over this gem of a place while searching for something else (you know how rabbit trails go...). She sells the kind of things I love AND she has a section of her shop entitled, "orphans"(!) for those odd pieces missing a cup or a saucer. Is that the best, or what?

I need to mention (because I am getting many undeserving compliments),

that these cups pictured are not mine.

They are from Cups of the Past!

So if you like what you see, check out her shop!