NeoVictorian Adventures

Here is a piece that I've been working on for the past two weeks. It's not quite finished yet. The caption is, "Everyone admired her graceful movement." I'm still trying to decide if those words belong in  the piece, or under the piece. It is 22 inches tall, so the words will have to be pretty large if I do decide to put them in. And, I'll have to figure out how to get them in there.

This piece is a mixed media collage. Most of the images were taken from late 1800s issues of Scientific American and early 1900s issues of Ladies Home Journal. I only have two more weeks to work on it, so I'll let you know how it turns out. As always, suggestions are welcome!

Creative Anachronism

Cabin Fever is finally starting to set in. I just can't think of spring and blossoms, right now, so I've begun working on some Halloween projects that I didn't have time for back in the fall!

I'll wait until this fall to post them. In the meantime, enjoy this Valentine's Day greeting from one of my favorite artists, my daughter. And I'll enjoy the peppermint patties and snow caps that my husband and kids got me for Valentine's Day. Hope your day was full of sweet surpises!

Heartfelt

I've often said that February only has 28 days because we just couldn't take any more than that. Just when I thought I'd had enough of the snow, I happened upon this gravity-defying curl that brought the magic back for me again. I can't imagine the complex set of circumstances that had to occur for the snow to end up like that. Look at the angle of the icicles on the bottom of the curve! (You can click the photo for a closer look.)

Another benefit of the snow is that it's forced me to stay in and get some projects finished. Janet Moss had the perfect word for me: "Heartfelt". I was looking for something short and sentimental, and heartfelt summed it up perfectly.

After I had my word, I framed it in a brass frame, punched some holes in the frame and added some dangles from an old pin that I had.

This year, I'm working on using the items I have, instead of hanging onto them in case I need them for something better later. In that spirit, I used not one, but two of my precious tatted doilies - a white one and an off-white one. I made the heart on top, and aged it with instant coffee.

In the meantime, the original flower I had disappeared. I suspect my fabric-loving cavalier Bordeaux had something to do with it. So I created a new one. I've been doing a lot with these flowers. I'll show them in another blog post.

Here is the finished product. I think sweet Charlotte looks right at home in her new surroundings. Heartfelt thanks to Janet for her inspirational choice of words!

Help me, I'm stuck!

This little penny doll  is Charlotte. I've been spending a lot of time with her lately. I was so inspired by Janet's quilt, that I had to try some "French Rose" art for myself. I know better than to attempt an entire quilt, so I made some shabby little  flowers. I've done all kinds of things to distress them, and I'm very happy with the way they turned out. Here is the whole piece so far:

Nothing is sewn down yet, and I plan to distress the pink hearts uner the doily in the same way that I distressed the flower. Beyond that, I am stuck. I think my dear Charlotte needs some words, or more shabby flowers, or some text that has been soldered under glass...but I don't know what. I went to some thrift stores looking for inspiration, but it didn't work! If you have any ideas, please leave a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page. I'd love to have her done in time for Valentine's Day.

In the meantime, we are snowed in again! I am so happy that it's on a weekend, and I don't have to worry about school or work closings. We are all here safe and sound. Here's a look at the water crock outside my kitchen window.

We have at least 8 inches outside and it's still coming down like crazy!

Elizabeth Woodford's Auction for Haiti

Hi Everyone,
It's been a hectic week, but I wanted to get this blog post in today. Elizabeth Woodford is auctioning off this fabulous beaded cuff bracelet to benefit Haiti. Her blog post has more photos, and more of the back story of her connection to Haiti as well. Please stop over and take a look: http://www.elizabethcreates.blogspot.com/. Her auction ends today! This is a wonderful opportunity to own a piece of Elizabeth's art and do good in the world at the same time. What could be better?

Victoria's Hardware Secrets - Leslie Brier Mixed Media Collage Artist

Can you keep a secret? It's been an artistically challenging week. I had an idea for a piece that I wanted to do and I had a deadline. But getting from point A to point B was really difficult for me.

I had been pondering the idea that historically women have used a lot of "hardware" in the process of trying to beautify themselves. Hair curlers, hair pins, underwires, bra hooks, corset boning and garter clasps came to mind.

At 6:00 the night before the deadline, I was almost ready to give up. I had put a lot of time into collecting and creating elements, and I still couldn't decide whether I was going to do 3-D, or 2-D, Vixen or Victorian. I was digging through bins and drawers for inspiration, and realized I was messing up my newly cleaned studio in the process. Besides, if I didn't submit to this particular show, no one would know but me...

 Finally, I just decided to stop overthinking it and commit to putting something down on the board. I decided it was better to try and fail than not try at all.  Slowly, the pieces started to come together. The next thing I knew, it was 10 pm. The project was finally at a point where it was creating itself. The pieces were falling into place and I knew exactly how I wanted to finish it. By 11:30 I had everything nailed down and most of the color laid in.

The next morning, I framed it out with vintage erector set pieces, photographed it and submitted it. And most importantly, I really liked it when it was all done. So what if I put all that work into it and it doesn't get into the show? I'm fine with it. It'll be our little secret.

Janet Moss' Amazing Technicolor Dream Quilt!

Janet Moss is a good friend of mine who is often my partner in crime when it comes to auctions, flea markets, or trying out a new art technique. As it turns out, she is also an amazing quilter! Who knew?
As a gift for her daughter's graduation, Janet created a quilt that is actually two quilts in one.

This side shown above has her daughter's favorite t-shirts. Those who know me well may recall my "Frankenquilt" Incident of a few years ago. It was a t-shirt quilt that killed my machine and caused me to utter words in combinations heretofore unknown. So, the fact that she was able to complete a t-shirt quilt with her sewing machine and her dignity intact, to me, is a feat unto itself.

But wait! There's more! This is the OTHER side of the quilt. It's the French Rose pattern and I adore it!

Here is a closer view. I love the color combinations. And the stitching pattern in the background. (She would want me to tell you that another seamstress did the actual quilting part.) But she did TWO quilt tops and made them work together. Beautifully, I might add.

So now, of course, I have this crazy idea in my head about doing something similar, but smaller, with pastels and hearts, and doing it  before Valentine's Day. My family members are hunkering down in their bedrooms and hoping the mood passes before I kill again!