Inspiration for a Gloomy Day

{textile jewelry by tinctory}

It has been quite awhile since I have posted on the blog ~ life has gotten in the way!

Since it is such a grey and gloomy day here, I thought I would share some subtle and understated images that demonstrate that grey doesn't have to be dismal and depressing ~ in fact, it is rather beautiful.  Take a look at these gorgeous images from a variety of artists & sources.

{papier mache silverware by ann wood}

{nature collection by geninne}

{beautiful spools of vintage seam binding from here}

Stylishly Smart Secret Accessory

Don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining, but over the last couple of months I have lost more than 30 pounds. So, while I am ecstatic about losing the weight, it has caused some problems with my wardrobe. Needless to say, I am my father's (thrifty engineer) daughter, so I have come up with the perfect solution so I can continue wearing many of my pants and skirts ~ the binder clip, medium size!

As you can see above, the simple binder clip keeps everything together firmly and is comfortable to wear ~ plus as long as you wear a shirt or jacket untucked, no one will ever know! Then again, this could give you some trouble at airports ~ I haven't tried it out yet.

When I was in junior high, I remember coming up with similar solutions to avoid sewing ~ I'll bet there are others out there who have masking taped up a hem now and then, right? Well, just thought this would be a helpful hint for someone ~ binder clips are now a permanent part of my wardrobe ~ try one, you'll see!

Inspiration ~ Louise Bourgeois

EUGÉNIE GRANDET 2009

I happened upon this grouping of art by Louise Bourgeois and just had to share it with you ~ isn't it beautiful? As the artist is primarily known as a sculptor, I had no idea that she did this sort of work as well. One of her best known works is a sculpture entitled Maman (Mother in French), shown below ~ this work coined her the nickname Spiderwoman.

I only became aware of her as an artist when she died a few years ago at age 98 and a friend had mentioned it to me. Reading her bio here, it appears as if she had a full and interesting life and career ~ she was still creating art until weeks before her death. I am especially drawn to her "Fabric Drawings" that she did in later life ~ she interpreted fabric as a way to remember the past. The article describing her show also mentioned that her work was that which supported the hoarder ~ again, something I can relate to and made me feel better about all the stuff I have collected over the years!

DAWN 2006 ~ Fabric Book
{click on images for sources}

I wish I had gotten to see the exhibit where most of these images came from ~ it must have been fabulous! I thought this quote from Louise Bourgeois helps explain her fabric drawings work in better words than I can.
“I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. The sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole.”

Utilizing My Antique Purchases

Today has been a busy day so far, but I thought I would take a short break so I could get a posting in. I bought these rolls of antique sheet music quite awhile ago from Beth at one of the Old Summit Antique shows ~ I loved the way she had displayed them by rolling them up and tying them with a simple cotton string. I kept thinking I wanted to take a photo, so I left them as I bought them and put them in another of my McCoy vases ~ they are so useful for way more than flowers!

The time has come though ~ I'm excited to see what I will find when I open these up! I think these will be nice to scan in and use in my artwork in one way or another. I'm sure not only will the graphic treatments be interesting to look at, but even a page of music can be a nice item to collage with ~ digitally (of course!), as I can't stand to cut up my papers unless I have duplicates or the book is in such lousy shape there is nothing to be done for it but make it into something else.

Break time is over ~ time to get back to work! My evening will consist of scanning and designing as I am working hard to complete my artwork for Surtex, which is coming up fast!

Vintage Paper Cuts

{source here}

Spotted this interesting CDV on Pinterest today ~ look at the size of these amazing paper cut snowflakes! I don't know that I have ever seen a vintage photo like this before ~ I can't figure out if it was taken to show off the skills of the performer or if it was just a whimsical grouping of props. I love the fact that these are such a large scale ~ everyone is familiar with cutting a paper snowflake, but how many have made such large versions? Something to think about for next year's holiday decorations!

The photo was originally shown on Cabinet Magazine in an article about sepia photographs, but other than it fitting into that category I didn't see any additional information about this specific photo. Makes you wonder!

Luck of the Irish

I know I am several days late (thanks to National Button Week!) and at least a dollar short as I did not find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow yet, but I did find these intricate shamrock decorations for celebrating St. Patrick's Day. I found these at an antique show a few months ago and was intrigued by the thread and wire work used to create these ~ it is actually similar to some of the old Victorian hair work techniques. The pipe on the light green decoration is die cut and embossed paper, while the little hat is ceramic ~ if you look carefully, you can see the label that says "Made in Japan".

{back view}

I'll bet these were added to corsages or hats or as a boutonniere to show your spirit ~ I have no idea when they were made ~ just wish there were such things on the market today. At any rate, wishing you all a month of the luck of the Irish ~ hope you all had a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Objets Trouves ~ Found Objects

{rusty nails & tin lid}

Today was beautiful and sunny so during one of my breaks, I took a few photos of the found objects I picked up during one of my weeks of walks. My assignment for myself was to find something that was either inspiring in some way or interesting to me ~ something that I could take with me as well.

{giant bowl of sticker balls ~ love these when they are bright green too!}

Aside from the usual suspects, ie. pine cones and sticker balls, I really love the seed pods - they remind me of matzo crackers.

I also found a few simple twig fragments ~ the first, I really love because of the beautiful colors of the moss or lichen that covers it. The second had a different variety of fungus ~ a very deep dark almost black color, combined with a pale minty looking covering.


My favorite find of the week - and also what spurred the whole assignment were the groups of rusty nails ~ loved the pattern and the rusty textural finish ~ I'd never seen nails like this before. To me they looked pretty old and I did have to dig them out of the ground, but worth it, right?! The flattened tin lid was also beautiful and ended up having lovely color on both sides!

OK, so what do you think? Trash or treasure? You can probably guess my answer! What is your favorite item?

Inspiration ~ Tramp Art

Happened upon some lovely pieces of tramp art over at Candler Arts. Every now and then I see tramp art at various antique shows or stores, but it isn't something I run into very often ~ and it is usually on the expensive side.

Long ago I bought a made in Thailand large wood cabinet for my dining room with the thought of making it unique by adding my own version of tramp art decoration ~ needless to say, the project is not complete ~ or even started! I did finish a practice piece ~ a small tramp art star shaped ornament. No picture to share, but I did gain even greater respect and admiration for the folk artists that created this type of work. I wish I could hire a tramp to come and finish off my cabinet!

{beautifully decorated sewing box ~ love this!}

I don't know if this last piece would actually be considered tramp art, although it does look like some of the details are similar to some tramp art techniques I have seen. The description states that it is a handmade squirrel coffin from Shamokin, PA ~ wondering if the man that made it had a pet squirrel?

All images from Candler Arts
Candler Arts blog here.

Inspiration ~ Embroidered Monograms

Several years ago I remember finding a set of embroidered monograms at the AMVETS Antique Show in Walnut, Iowa ~ the dealer that sold them to me told me that they were used to personalize underwear. Well, I didn't plan on sewing those I bought on my underwear ~ I just thought I would buy them to use in an art or craft project. To tell the truth, I'm not really sure where mine are at the moment!

Yebisu, an Etsy seller, has an amazing array of these embroidered monograms ~ I am tempted to get one of the alphabet lots ~ they are just beautiful. According to the shop description, this is Swiss embroidery made between 1890 and 1950 in St. Gallen.

I think one could come up with many more creative uses for these other than underwear tags, don't you? If you want some for yourself, you can get them here. What will you do with your embroidered monograms?

Yebisu also carries a selection of these beautiful copper stencils ~ for embroidery and cross stitch. I SHOULD get the JR, shouldn't I?

{all images from here}

Window Shopping in NYC

A few weeks ago Gina and I took a trip to NYC to shop, see the sights, and visit friends, museums, Surtex and the Stationery Show ~ all in a few days! One cannot visit NYC and miss the wonderful shop windows ~ these are from a walk along either 5th or 6th Avenue. The Louis Vuitton windows were my favorite as they were so unusual and creative ~ they certainly made good use of the ostrich as a theme!

Unfortunately, we did not have time to make it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Alexander McQueen exhibit, Savage Beauty, but we did get a little taste via these window displays. The cream colored backdrop of the first window is dripped wax which artfully surrounds the poster and collects at the bottom of the window. The second window is a fabulous display of red feathers. While the backdrops are pretty over the top, they did a great job of complimenting the fashion designs of Alexander McQueen. Makes me want to plan another trip so I can see the exhibit ~ it looks pretty amazing!

The three dimensional acrylic flowers combined with a swirly vine gave the Van Cleef & Arpels window a springy look.

I also liked the use of the Rorschach inkblots in the following window display ~ very striking!

I wish we had had more time to window shop ~ always so inspiring! Makes me wonder what kind of budget these stores have for the displays?!

Color Inspiration ~ Design Seeds

A few weeks ago I came upon design seeds ~ a site for all who love color. This is a lovely site to explore for both beautiful images and inspiring color palettes. Each day a new pairing is presented, so there is always something new to take a look at. One can also click on palette search and search for specific colors, color collections or themes. So, if you are looking to freshen up your home decor or looking for some interesting color combinations to add to your wardrobe, visit design seeds ~ I don't think you will be disappointed! Here are a few of my favorites.....

{all images from design seeds}