A picture is worth a thousand words....

The new Somerset Apprentice.

Thor's Day

More St. Paddy's Day tags. This one has a two-sided medal: St. Patrick on one side, and St. Brigid on the other. [Medals from mantofev.com]. The tag set is available in my Etsy shop.

Quotation of the day (better still, quotation for forever): "We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."  -- Carl G. Jung

I would add: if you can't accept, at least don't condemn. And don't confuse "accepting" with "approving."

Tags encore

A dreary day but not cold. I made some more tags; they soothe me. A set of St. Patrick's Day tags with Irish postage stamps and little shamrocks. I used to watch the St. Paddy's (not Patty) parade from my rooms in Trinity College Dublin, which overlooked the main street.

And continuing my love affair with fabric gift bags and pouches, I made a quilted folder with the idea that you could put a little gift in it, or a greeting card and even a letter. The tags, having a mind of their own, made their way into the pocket and claimed it.

You can see the whole folder in my Etsy shop.

Snow and flamenco on ice

It snowed today on the heels of a couple of almost spring-like days. I'd almost forgotten what it was like. Snow, that is.

Last night I watched our Canadian couple do a breathtaking flamenco on ice in the Olympic games. After that, I lost interest. My sister is the winter sports fan. But I'll watch anything that's flamenco.

Texas a few months ago, with my sister and my niece, Kiley in the middle. I'm smiling happily probably because I'm thinking of those incredible fish tacos my sister introduced me to.

Day off

I'm taking a day off today, not because it's Sunday, but because I feel depleted and I have to watch my immune system (I refuse to catch a cold or worse!). I can pace myself, but events sometimes don't allow it. The last couple of weeks have been crammed with with all manner of things and people, and while most of it has been good and exicting, it still creates stress. And the wise person will sit back and take a day off!

I love the softness of this Colonial Blue (Memories Dye Inkpad). The stamp is Vintage Blouse from my collection.

Then I thought what if I add a face? This one was nice but wrong period. So I tried another one.  OK, well the arms don't work, but you have to think outside the box. And then I realized you could make paper dolls with this rubber stamp.

Have a soft Sunday!

Friday's child

Spring may not be in the air yet, but the days are definitely getting longer.

Never mind two peas in a pod; these two pods are in love!

These tags were made with the prototype of one of my rubber stamps that I named "Podcast". When I receive the full set, I'll be making samples that you'll be able to see on Stampington.com. Meanwhile, you'll see more of these stamps in the upcoming Somerset Apprentice, a project I was excited to do with editor Jana Holstein, one of the nicest people I've ever met, and who does some pretty nifty work herself.

Happy weekend!

A day in the life of

With Open Heart

Some tools of my trade

And the remains of the evening

My favorite North American marché aux puces

From the photos, you might think I shop at some brocante in France. No. I can't really afford that. I shop from home at mantofev.com owned and operated by my friend Sara Hopp. Two reasons: She finds the best things and fits my budget perfectly. I've posted about it before. I don't believe in keeping secrets!

La Poste

If you know me, you know that I love postal paraphernalia, especially rubber stamps, not just any rubber stamps, but interesting ones. Note to Nick Bantock: Would you ever have those funny postal stamps re-issued please?

These came from Blade Rubber in the U.K. Funnily enough, I watched the movie Blade Runner on the Space Channel recently...... Well, you have to smile, don't you.

This collection, presented in one of my fabric gift bags is available in my Etsy shop. (SOLD)

WIP

"Love is everything it's cracked up to be. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk everything, you risk even more." -- Erica Jong



(work in progress)

While cupcakes were flying around yesterday, Valentine's Day, I was making potatoes. I tried to capture the "primitive" look, but haven't mastered it yet. You should know that faced with a cupcake or a bag of potato chips, I always choose potato chips.

Today is a holiday -- Family Day. So to my family: love you, miss you.

O Canada

Did we ever give the world a show tonight! From our Lieutenant-Governor Michaelle Jean (who is of Haitian origin, and I remember how she broke down over the Haiti disaster) all the way to the Great One, Wayne Gretzky! And Bobby Orr, what a blast from the past. And KD Laing's incredible voice combined with Leonard Cohen's incredible words that really moved me! And the fabulous aboriginal personalities and dancers.... And all that went on inbetween.

I am so proud of my country ... "de plus brillants exploits..." (did anyone catch that in the CEO's speech in English? It's from the French version of our national anthem).

And in the middle of all that, I kept thinking of my sister watching in the U.S., glad that I'd sent her a pair of the Olympic red mitts -- as worn by Donald Sutherland, Anne Murray, Wayne Gretzky, Betty Fox and all of them!!! Haha!

CTV also showed our troops in Khandahar (Afghanistan) watching the opening and it moved me beyond words to see grown men tear up when the national anthem was sung. May they all come home safely.

Friday's child........

.......... is very happy! I have three of my rubber stamps in my hot little hands; I purchased them from Stampington and they arrived today. The quality is top-notch. Here are two of them, a crumbling little old house stamped in olive-green, and my beloved moon girl.

Have a heart

This is for Rebecca and her heart sessions.

Objects of my affection

Listen to your bones. Speak with your spirit. -- author unknown

Tis the season

To all my friends, and people I don't know, who are suffering from the flu, my sympathy and get well soon.
And...if you need a shot, get it!!!

Houses in flight

I like crooked little houses (if you want a rubber stamp of a crooked little house, check my rubber stamps in the left-hand menu!), and I like wings. So I combined them.

I drew the wings in pencil on the back of the paper, and cut them out. The house I cut out of a paper bag (another use for paper bags!); the bits of lace were remnants from another project, and the Canadian King George stamp was on the wrapping paper from a gift I received recently.
Keep it simple, and may your house fly!

Shop

And some new items in my blogshop, Fancy That!

Favorite things

...of which these are a few.
A tattered photo from Ireland.
A bird pin from Belgium.
A scrap of an antique postcard.
Two pebbles that I wrapped in old lace.

Friday's child

So I came across these tiny paper bags, and I looked at them, should I save them, should I not? Kitchen or studio? Then that mysterious part of me took over, the part of me that says "do this, do that" and I obey without hesitating. I fashioned a mini "mushroom" -- and then tied some string around the stem and secured it. I added a small lace doily on the top, and finished it with an antique millinery leaf and vintage seam binding. Et voilà! A very pretty flower.

Happy weekend/Bon weekend

Details

Details. They say God is in them.
They also say the devil is in them. I don't believe in the "devil" as an entity, but I understand the idea.
It's the details that tell the story.

Sweet nothings

How to wear your heart on your sleeve

I have a little supply of Edwardian collars, little dress panels, and bits and pieces. I bought them because they were beautiful to me. I looked at this piece and saw it as a cuff. So I lined it, stitched it down, and added a velvet heart composition that I put together.

Anatomy of a rubber stamp.

From this

To this

Rubber stamp by Stampington & Company

WIP

Cleaning out a box of old paintings from years ago when I worked in watercolors, I came across some angels. They were inspired by the Mexican carved angels and I really thought they were lovable. So, I started painting some new ones.

May they shower you with blessings!

A date to remember

February 2, 2010:

The release of my line of rubber stamps.
AVAILABLE HERE.