Vintage Victorian Easter Bunny Treasure Keep on ebay

A sneak peek at a paper mache box created with storing Easter treasures in. I've taken a Victorian Woolsen Spice card and copied it, then added it to this hand painted and embellished box. Aren't the little bunnies darling? Stop by my ebay auction to see more. Easter Bunny Treasure Keep
Here's to a wonderful Monday.....

Bernice Bunny on American Holiday Artist's Studios & Marketplace

 

Bernice Bunny has gathered her colored eggs and a sweet little chick to get ready for Easter.

 She wants to get ready for the Easter parade, Shhhh, don't tell her it's a bit later this year!

 Doesn't Bernice look lovely though, in her sweet homespun dress and sparkly little hat?

Bernice had me use the best trims and ribbons to dress up her outfit. As I was sculpting her she made sure I gave her big beautiful eyes, and nice bunny ears so that the big boy bunnies would be sure to be smitten. Bernice has made her debut at our American Holiday Artist's Studios & Marketplace for this coming month. Easter is already hopping at our marketplace so pop on over and enjoy!

The Layers of Life and Art

I've been reading "Of Human Bondage" by W. Somerset Maugham. It's the story of a young man with a club foot, who is orphaned at a young age. His discoveries in life and human nature take him through a period when he is in his late teens and early 20's, where he thinks he wants to be an artist, in fact he is sure he has the "genius" for it. He soon finds out though, that his aptitude for art amounts to being able to copy others quite well. After much soul searching, and a compatriots death by starvation and suicide he finally realizes that perhaps he hasn't got what it takes, and asks others their opinion. He is told that while he is good at the mechanics, he has no real "genius" for art. His friends have the mind set that you must have the overwhelming drive, the "do or die" attitude towards art, where all else suffers, even family, so that one can paint. The idea of making money wasn't as important as creating. But, without money, you have no resources to create. Quite a dilemma, wouldn't you say?

That got me to thinking about where my artistic journey is taking me. I love to create holiday figures, or storybook figures such as this White Rabbit, from Alice in Wonderland.

I made him a couple of years ago, and he was sure a fun challenge. I have a tendency to be very literal in my thinking, and that spills over into my art. As much as I would love to create whimsical figures that delight and bring smiles to those who see them, I have an even stronger drive to paint and sculpt in a more serious vein. I would also like to make money at it, so that we can do the things we want to do when hubby retires, and not feel like we have to pinch pennies all the time. Then you throw in the human factor of the needs of those around me. I am so in tune with those around me, that I can't seem to step back and let them find other resources or support so I have more time to create. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, but then am I being arrogant in thinking I'm the only one who can do it right, or do I truly care those around me and want to be helpful.
I find it interesting that I should get "Of Human Bondage" at a stage in my life where I'm assessing where I want to head with my art. Do you ever have those sorts of life coincidences? What are your challenges in your creative ventures?

Abstract Art- Challenging Myself...

 Awhile back Alyice Edrich of The Dabbling Mum shared a youtube video of work by Paul Bozzo. It was fascinating to me how he put his pieces together so I decided to try my hand at his technique. My first piece warped as I used a bare canvas, but this one didn't as I used a piece of standard board which is a type of lightweight sheet rock. It's easy to cut, and easy to work with.

Then I gathered stamps, doilies, and tools to create texture just as Paul does. I took a different approach than he, more a spring time theme for the fun of it. It was a blast to try this, and I may do more, perhaps with different themes. Layering the paint and sealer was also interesting as I like bold color but am still learning the whole "what comes first" thing. It's different for different media, some you would start light to dark, others dark to light and this ended up being a bit of both.
I would sure love some feedback on this and how it turned out. Thanks for stopping by. :-)

I'm not goofing off, really I'm not....

 Okay, rules for taking photos #1 Never wrap something until you know the photos are clear and sharp....  Ahhh well, what can I say, live and learn right?
Among the many projects in my studio were creating this pair of earrings for a family member who has a birthday coming up shortly. Simple with spring colors to perk up any pink lovers ensemble, I sure hope she likes these.

Here's the box I jazzed up to hold the earrings. It's always nice to have "stuff" on hand to make gifts out of isn't it? One of the advantages of being a creative spirit.
Well, back to the studio to work on 3 dolls that were commissioned to go along with my last Queen of Hearts doll, as well as a new art technique I'm testing and a bunny for the upcoming AHA Spring launch. What is going on in your studio these days?

Horse is finished, yay!

Hmmmm blogger is up to no good again...lol. I have been slogging through back pain and mental fatigue trying to get this piece done, and finally! So I've taken the photos, filled out the entry form for the show, and it's off to the post office in a bit to send the entry off. 
I knew it! As soon as I try to add another picture below the text, it pops underneath the other photo, oh well. So here is El Caballo De Calabasa II, a gourd horse who has a bronzed and silver look. Hubby wants me to start on the next one now, while I'm in the groove...:-) It's so nice to have his support. My house is upside down right now, but it will get put back together next week, I think. I now have 3 art dolls as a commission to do, and so it goes. Thanks to all who were cheering me on. I look forward to seeing what you've been up to. Oh, if you want to see what is happening and more information on this art show here's the link. Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts  I'll bet you've never seen a more beautiful and inspiring place to have an art show...;-)

How do you help....

 

As I sit here today sanding away the rough spots on my latest sculpture, my heart wishes it could wipe away the pain our community is feeling right now. We lost a bright young lady this last week to a tragic death. We've been told the perpetrator is in custody and has made a confession. No one has the details yet, and hopefully they won't be splashed across the news as there is already pain enough in our little town and this usually only serves to sensationalize the incident and hurt those who've lost their loved ones. 

Both of these young people had promise, and now one is gone, and the other will be put in jail for a very long time. How do you help all the families involved? How do you reach out to them, unlike my sculpture you know the cracks in their lives will be hard put to be repaired if ever. You can't give back a life, and you can't take back an action against another, once committed. So many people were involved in these young lives, and so many will be hurting for a very long time.
And then there's our family, and the struggle with trying to deal with my niece's father's murder in January. We still have no why or who in that tragic incident. Her mother died 6 years ago in a sad and awful way, so my niece has lost both of her parents in a short span of time. We have little contact as she hasn't had the opportunity to be around us much and has her own life with her husband. Yet I know that she will miss/misses her parents. My first instinct has been to want to gather all my family close so I know they are okay. I can't do that as one daughter is far away in Alaska, the other in Alabama, and my son in Oregon. My one grandson is in Arizona. The only consolation I have is that no matter what, I know Heavenly Father is there, and He knows what we need. Please pray for us in Wendover and West Wendover. We are trying to sort this all out and want to be a support to anyone who may need it but sometimes it's so hard to know how....your prayers will surely help.

WIP's for Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts

 Oh boy, I told myself I wouldn't be in this predicament again, trying to get something done last minute for the show. They changed the jury process though and want to see the actual pieces for the show so this fella has to be done by the end of this week or so to get my photos and such sent in. Yipes!

 I still have the leather tooling design to add to the base, and then painting the piece. Or and smoothing out the rough areas a bit more. Although I do rather like a bit of texture to imply muscle.

So back to work I must get, as the time is flying and it's already March tomorrow! What a whirlwind week this will be for sure! What are you working on right now?

The Circus is in town....

Have you heard the news? The circus has come to American Holiday Artists Studios & Marketplace! So grab your popcorn, cotton candy and take a trip down memory lane, or see the goodies to be had....

AMERICAN HOLIDAY ARTISTS STUDIOS & MARKETPLACE

"UNDER THE BIGTOP" SHOW

Treat boxes for your sweetie....

 Two designed treat boxes that I created as part of a challenge that May Arts Ribbon was having for Valentines Day. There are a lot of wonderful entries. Not sure why they don't have the description for my project, and all the photos, but that's okay. It was fun to do, and I have a bit of scraps of ribbon to use for other projects. Here's where you can view the other entries... May Arts

What did you create for Valentine's Day?

How Do I Love Thee?

Another Ruffles Folk Art Easter baby has been featured in an etsy treasury!

etsy treasury

Another Ruffles Folk Art Easter baby....

It's really starting to look like Easter over at my esty shop! Bunnies and chickies and lot's of love to share. So take a moment if you would and see all the bright and colorful Spring items that are popping up at etsy. Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Ruffles Easter Bunny is hopping over to etsy!

I have so much fun creating these little Easter babies! An egg shape is perfect for all sorts of Easter baby delights, so there will be more to follow.
With the advent or hope of warmer weather, which we will have a taste of this weekend (yippee!), sometimes we have to deal with the rain or muck or melting snow and slush so decorating for Easter is a great way to brighten up your home. I like to bring Spring indoors early by spreading a little color through out ours with my hand crafted Easter goodies. This year I'm hoping to have a feather tree in pastel Easter colors, and I can just imagine how one of these little fellas would look underneath it. In the mean time, I'm offering some one of a kind creations in my etsy shop for you to enjoy as well. :-)

Give a little love this Valentines...

What to do with a cute little pocket that had hot cocoa in it I wondered. The plaid pattern was too nice to just toss the pocket away, so I trimmed the top flap off, added all sorts of doo dads and fluff, and whaalaa! a Victorian style Valentine treat pocket for that special someone. This inspired me to create some of my own by hand, and they will be showing up soon. For now, this little goodie pocket can be found at my etsy shop.

Queen of Hearts Doll on etsy

Just added her to my new etsy shop and she already has been featured in a treasury! etsy

A gift for my daughter, hand made stationery

As I talked to my oldest daughter recently she mentioned that she was thinking of hand writing letters to her friends in Alaska. With her birthday coming up this week I decided to experiment and see if I could make some art stationery for her. I first thought of scanning all sorts of lace trims and such and then it donned on me, oh duh! I have some of my art sketches on the computer already, so why not try those?! 

These aren't too fancy mind you; hey it's a start, and I'm going to experiment with different scanned items to see if I can add a touch of vintage to my stationery as well, but these turned out pretty nice. My favorite is the Pansies with it's lavender lines. I created lined sheets without the art as well, so she could have the first page with the art and the rest just for writing. These are done two to a standard sheet of paper so they are smaller, the half sheet size, which I personally like more. She will get a stack of all three designs with a request to let me know which she likes the most. So here's to a happy birthday for my Stephanie!

Teenie Tiny Topsy Bunny WIP

I'm trying to make a mad dash in to share one of my latest WIP's. We shall see if blogger cooperates. :-) This roly poly little bunny is about 4" tall. I have a little chicklet that's waiting for it's ruffle but I will wait until the twins are down for a nap again. I'm even thinking of a little kitty in this style. These are so much fun to make that I may end up using all my egg shapes to create more, perhaps a puppy as well? I'll keep you posted. What are you working on right now?

Adorable Vintage Style Sketches

 

My mother-in-law creates the cutest little sketches! Considering the fact that she is almost legally blind I think she does fantastic. Coming from that era where they lived by the motto, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without", she will put little illustrations such as these on presents that she's wrapped with white paper she has kept, or on the corner of a birthday letter envelope or even the letter itself. She will cut out pictures of flowers and such from magazines and ads to use as stickers as well. I've been saving all I've gotten from her to use for embroidery designs on baby blankets and such. Our nephew and his wife just had their first baby so I asked Mom to create some pictures I could use to make something for the new little one. Here's what she did for me, so I'm using the one on the top left in a wall hanging with the baby's name and date on it. I can't wait to show you what it turns out like. It may take a little bit though as I save working on it for when I'm with Mom and Dad so I can do it while chatting with them. After I get the embroidery done I will be covering the mat with a quilted cover that has tiny buttons from great grandma's button jar and "pearls" from a little necklace this little baby's grandma had when she was little. A little bit of history in the design that I will type up and add to the back of the finished work. I found a shadow box frame with mat at the DI store that will work perfectly for all of this. So many of you have inspired me with your creative ways, so I credit you for all you do. I will share a photo of what I'm doing soon.

My angel has flown to ebay....

This little angel has flown to ebay....

She's a bit shabby and a bit chic, with a design for keeping your Valentines, or a sachet, or perhaps a vintage handkerchief or two.

Playing with clay and texture

One of the very talented members of Creating the Hive shared a video with us this week, which had me looking at more by this artist so one thing led to another..... Alyice Edrich shared this  video Bozzoart   So I gathered buttons, stamps, stencils, wood, and clay as my texture paste was too sticky. Now I have to wait for it to dry and see whether clay works for this. I know there may be cracks, but am keeping my fingers crossed.....

The Queen of Hearts revisited....

I'm not sure why the Queen of Hearts theme has been my muse this year, but it's been an adventure for sure. The is the last of the ideas I wanted to work out, so now I can move on to other ideas that are fighting for space in the front recesses of my tiny little brain. 

This lovely lady was created using clay, wood, wire, fabric and lots of embellishing trims. She is now up for consideration on ebay. I wonder where she will end up?
So now I'm on to bunnies and western art....

American Holiday Artists Studios & Marketplace is getting a facelift...

 

We area getting a face lift and new digs but our site is still under construction. Here's a sneak preview or our new look. There will be a big launch and grand re-opening coming in February. In the meantime you can still find great art by our members by searching AHA art on ebay and AHA or AHAteam on etsy.

My Funny Valentine.....

 My funny Valentine.....

Sweet comic Valentine!

You make me smile,

with my heart.

Your looks are laughable...

Unphotographable.

But you're my favorite

work of art!

Ah Jacques, my funny Valentine, you finally found yourself! After sitting around for years waiting to become the real you, your creator was inspired by your winsome and melancholy look to dress you to play a fool for love. The little Valentine you carry must be a subtle way of asking for my heart, but alas, my heart belongs to another, so search you must, for that special someone who will cherish and love you. So on to ebay you go, to see who will be that sweetheart you look for. I know you will find this special someone, just keep on doing what you are doing....

A simply lovely Valentine for your sweetheart.....

 Small and sweet, a little Valentine ornament to tuck into your sweethearts goodies.

She's on ebay right now, wondering where she will end up for the big day. I hope you've had a great Monday so far.

Tonight's movie special wips.....

Sometimes I start a project, just to see if I can do it, and then it sits there unfinished like a story waiting to be written. Such is the case with the doll you see to the left. I created the head about 3 years ago, when I first started sculpting. I antiqued and crackled him to give him that aged look, and there he sat, no body, no limbs, no clothes....months went by and I would look at him and try to envision him with a Little Lord Fauntleroy style suit, or perhaps a little boy in bibs, and I just couldn't quite get inspired. He has a somewhat forlorn look to him, and although I know I had something in mind when I first started on him, apparently it didn't quite make the grade because I can't even remember what I had planned originally. Valentines Day has really inspired me this year, so much so that I can see this little man pining away for his lost love perhaps..... the rest of the story will be shared when he is finished....

So I had so much fun watching Ever After last night and working on my little fool that I decided to continue with him and an ornament while watching another movie tonight. What to watch is the dilemma hmmmmmm... Shadowlands? Maybe, but then there's The Other Side of Heaven, or perhaps The Shop Around the Corner, or maybe Silas Marner.... any way I go I can't lose....hope you're having a great weekend....taa taa!

I Have a Plan, Really I do......

I had to laugh when I noticed what I'd done here. Can you see the hole drilled in the dowel? You're probably wondering what sort of creature I'm trying to put together that would need a hole drilled near the bottom of the dowel. As usual I was working on 3 projects at once, the dovetailing technique in overdrive, and while shoes and hands were drying on one piece I decided to glue the base and armature of a future piece together. I thought I was so cool, actually drilling the hole in the dowel before I glued the base on so it wouldn't be so awkward to drill.
Yes, well, I suppose I needed a lesson in not getting ahead of myself. So now I will knock the base off and start again. Thank goodness I hadn't nailed the darn thing in place and really made it difficult to change. Oh sure, I could probably try and drill a hole on the other end, but lining it up would take more time than knocking the base off and re-gluing, after I turn the dowel right side up that is. :-)

The Queen of Hearts is looking for a new kingdom....

 Oh so bored with where she's at right now, the Queen of Hearts is looking for a new kingdom. It seems her servants are not meeting her expectations, so she must find a place where she can start with a whole new crew, and new life.

She's heard how well other famous figures do when selling on ebay, so she's stuck her toe in the water so to speak to give it a try. I would think she would look for a kingdom up for auction, but no, she would rather someone bid on her and take her home with them. She feels that they will appreciate her more that way. We shall see where she ends up......

Primitive Valentine Queen Snowman Doll

 Do you ever have a hard time trying to title your ebay auction? I was befuddled with this one as this is a snow lady, but who would search for a snow lady on ebay? No one I know of sooooooo...... I put snowman in the title.

 This little dolly has a vintage chenille dress, with a muslin body and sculpted clay head.

 She's a prim dolly, with loads of vintage buttons as well, and a valentine ornie for whomever takes her home.

If you have a moment stop by my ebay auctions and see what I've got to offer. I've been on the computer most of the day and am getting weary of creating graphics, so it's off to dress a doll or two and perhaps get some sculpting done. Have a great evening!

Americana Uncle Sam...a double feature!

 It's a red, white, and blue sort of trend with the new year, the newly elected officials in Washington D.C. and the upcoming patriotic month of February. There's never a bad time to be patriotic, so I have two Americana offerings on eBay this week. The first is my hand sculpted Uncle Sam ornament.

Above I am also sharing a hand sculpted Uncle Sam and mixed media wall hanging or shelf sitter.  Click on my ebay link to the right for more on these handsome fellas.