A Touch of Spring

If April showers bring May flowers, then there better be some truly spectacular blooms next month.  Normally I kind of like the rain.  But lately even I am getting sick of this drippy nonsense going on in Portland.  The ground is perpetually squishy, the gutters are a slimy mess, and my poor car is getting a little green scum in the nooks and crannies where the carwash can't reach. Ugh!

So, here's my temporary antidote - some lovely blooms.

These bright lilies remind me what will be showing up in my yard when the sun finally gets warm enough.  Something to look forward to.

Dylan and I are going to start planting our little garden in a week or two - strawberries and pumpkins, and some zinnias for color.

I love walking in the woods in the springtime and stumbling upon the pretty little irises hiding among the ferns.  They always look like fairy flowers to me.  Ever since I watched the first Tinkerbell movie, I can't help but imagine little sprites painting all the flowers when nobody is looking.

Hope you find a little magic in your day.  Thanks for stopping by.

Wheels

There are days when I am happy to just sit and sift through all of the cool little doodads that I've accumulated.  It fills my head with daydreams and memories.  It makes me crave period films and Louisa May Alcott books.

Inevitably, art ideas emerge and I have to stop dreaming and start designing. 

Who else out there stuck playing cards in the spokes of their bike wheels?  Yes, I'm old, but some things really were better way back when.  We used to raid our mom's wooden clothes pins and beg the jokers from the card pack.  And you had to get the alignment just right to get the perfect clickety clack sound.

I found some great metal buttons in a grab bag at our local antique store and decided to use them on a nice old fashioned guy card.  This one reminds me of leather furniture and silk ties.  Shiny black wing tips and pipe smoke.  I've always kind of liked the smell of pipe smoke. 

Speaking of tobacco...my mom and I had a chuckle on Sunday of "card weekend" because my fingers were so stained with brown dye that I looked like I'd been rolling my own smokes!

Well, that's it for today.  Hope all is well in your world.  I'll be back later with a touch of spring...

Le Cirque

Finally finished getting all of my card pictures taken and onto my computer.  So without further delay, a peek at some of the results of "card weekend".

I thought I'd start with two of my favorites.  Graphics 45 has this great paper pad that is all vintage circus images. 

Making these made me want some warm peanuts and popcorn.  Maybe some cotton candy too!

I'm not sure if I could stand watching captive animals perform for people any more, but I do remember how awed I was by the circus when I was a kid.

As an adult, Cirque du Soliel has become an annual tradition.  We're going to take Dylan next year and I can't wait to see the look on his face!


That's it for today.  I'll be back with more....stay tuned...

From This, to ...

Ahhh... A whole weekend of papercrafting!

That's right, I packed up some of my stuff (see first pic) and headed on down to Eugene to spend the weekend papercrafting with my mom.  Just the girls.

Our tradition actually started with a whole group of friends getting together each November to make our holiday cards, drink, eat, stay up late and generally just have a great time.  As the years have gone by, it's gotten harder to get us all together in one spot.  Children, sporting events and geography have all eroded our tradition.

A couple of years ago, my mom and I decided to just get together ourselves.  This last holiday season we decided that we should do another weekend in the spring to stock up on cards for all of the many other occasions that happen throughout the year.  And that's what we did!

My neatly packed boxes ended up covering half of my mom's lovely kitchen.  We set up on opposite sides of the kitchen island, and had another table as a cutting and embossing station.  Totally cool!

My dad played it safe and went golfing :)

Over two days, I managed to make 36 cards.  No two alike.  I got to play with all my neat goodies that I've accumulated.  There are not a lot of things that could make me as happy as making art for a whole weekend. 

Except coming home to my boys at the end of it.  They are so great about allowing me to do this periodically.  And of course they had a very nice boy weekend - t-ball, cycling, pancakes...

I'll try to share the cards I've made over the next few posts.  See you soon, thanks for visiting!

First Art Show of the Year for Dylanbug!

Save the date!  Come on out and have some fun, say hello, and enjoy the local artists.  It's a great neighborhood with lots to do.

See you there!
Pam

Steampunk?!

So, I'm pretty behind the times on certain terms used in the artsy/craftsy world.  "Steampunk" is everywhere and has been for awhile.  I know it when I see it, but couldn't really describe it.  I know I love it.

So, I looked it up on Wikipedia (of course) and there are some great descriptions and references including:  "Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them; in other words, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc"

So, when Graphics 45 came out with a paper line called Steampunk Debutante, I knew I had to check it out.  I can't get enough of it!

There are so many possibilities with the vintage, metal, grungy elements.  My imagination just won't stop.  I've picked up a lot of weird little scraps of metal, chain, tarnished jewelry and buttons.  I can use them all at once!

I love the colors on these images.  Reminds me of bronze and copper with that green patina of age. 

I'm especially attached to the circular design, but I put her in the store anyway.  I know she'll go to a good home and whoever receives her will be thrilled.

Take care of yourselves, and don't forget to daydream a little today.

Funny Faces

Happy New Year!  Well, after a loooonnnggg hiatus, I'm back.  The real job has been hopping and holiday festivities have kept us all busy around here.  No time for art or blogging.

We had a lovely little winter vacation in Vancouver and Whistler, BC.  We got to see some of the Olympic sport centers  and even skied on the biathalon course!  How cool is that?

Christmas was the usual lovely old-fashioned cozy time at my parents.  They go to such lengths to make things wonderful for Dylan.  Of course he just ate it all up.

I even had a little time to play with new art supplies and make a few things.  How about these little guys?

I found these images on dafont.com.  They have the most fun Dingbat fonts!  I just enlarged a couple and printed them on kraft paper.  Every time I look at them they make me smile.

They will be available in the store page shortly.  If you want them, you'll have to hurry.  I might steal the birthday one for a friend soon (wink).

I'll have more new treats in the store over the next few days, so keep your eyes peeled!

Here's hoping your new year starts off with a bang and just gets better.