Wordless Wednesday: Somewhere in Time

Somewhere in Time

Flowers, Butterflies and Hummingbirds

A storm is brewing as I type this post. The constant singing of a female mockingbird has been temporarily replaced with the roll of thunder. Tiny specks of rain land on the window, each drop a bit larger than the one before it. The wind starts to wail. An intense tropical downpour. The first of the season and much needed. Seems I got home just in time from a morning out shooting flowers, butterflies and hummingbirds at Butterfly World. Here are a few of my favorites from today. Enjoy!

Summer Days

 Cains Birdwing

Pink Coral 

 Water drops are the latest fashion!

 Russelia Sarmentosa

Winged Rose

Sparkling Violet Ear Hummingbird on Takeoff

Fashion Photography with a Twist

Oh how I loved to play with paper dolls when I was a little girl! My favorites were Mattel's Rock Flower Paper Dolls (I even had the actual Rock Flower vinyl dolls too) and the Nanny & Professor Paper Dolls (remember that show?). I still have some of those, although they are in much-loved condition.

Playing with my Paper Dolls, 1970

Recently I have rediscovered that love, thanks to a new collage technique book called Collage Couture by Julie Nutting. I had pre-ordered it from Amazon and once it arrived, I read it cover to cover, oohing and aahing over the beautiful images created from paper and paint. Although I have yet to attempt any of the tutorials or techniques shown in the book, it inspired me to get out my pens, paper, scissors and glue and get to work creating my own paper dolls. What fun I had! And what a mess I made!

Fun in the Art Room

After I had made a few paper dolls, I decided to drag them into Photoshop and combine them with some of my travel photography. Just like when I was a little girl, my imagination had them going off on fabulous adventures wearing the most delightful fashions. A girl must always look her best when traveling! 

Streets of Siena

Out and About in D.C.

Kew Gardens

I've made each of these available in my Etsy shop as an 8x10 print. They will also be available on Zazzle as individual note cards and postcards. Eventually, I hope to make a set of paper dolls in matching fashions and make them available as note card sets with the paper dolls on plain white backgrounds. And, of course I hope to try some of the techniques shown in the book. So much to do, so little time! :)

I also did the first two pages of my Sketchbook Project. The theme is "Travel With Me". I started with a city that I have spent a few holidays in: Paris, France. My friend Phoebe is there now..am I jealous? Maybe a bit!

She's posting pictures and blogging from Paris right now! Lucky girl!

Travel with Me: Paris

Should I point out that the architecture for Notre Dame is all screwy? Ah well, that's the nature of the beast. Sometimes you have good sketches and sometimes you don't. But it's all about the journey, right?

And finally, I picked up Pi's ashes yesterday. She is finally home where she belongs. I'm still emotional about it. Going from feeling guilty to acceptance and then back again. We have decided to adopt, either next month or in August. One never fully heals from the loss of a pet but we must honor the memory of one by saving the life of another. And that's what we shall do this summer. :)

Collectible Photographic Note Cards

It's been a rough week. All of your wonderful messages of love and support have helped so much. Or course, I'm still grieving for my precious Pi but I did manage to make four new sets of collectible photographic Note Cards. These come in sets of 12 with white envelopes and gold seals. They are wrapped in cellophane and tied with pretty bows, ready to give as gifts!  The note cards are blank inside and can be purchased on my website or from my Etsy shop.

Notes of a Forgotten Age; Set of 12 5"x5" blank note cards with envelopes and gold seals.

Carmyle Cottage; Set of 12 4"x5" blank note cards with envelopes and gold seals.

Phoenix Rising; Set of 12 4"x5" blank note cards with envelopes and gold seals.

Four Seasons; Set of 12 4"x5" note cards with envelopes and gold seals.

Finally, Charlie was out of town when Pi passed away so I went through it alone. She was a poppa's girl so he was pretty devastated. When he got home we cried together for about two hours, watching videos of her, looking at pictures. He brought me a Hello Kitty cat and some white carnations to represent her spirit. That next day, a single red rose suddenly bloomed in my garden. I like to think it was from Pi, letting us know how much she loved us. ♥

Life of Pi

This blog post is dedicated to my number one girl, Pi. She passed away today at the age of 15. She had the sweetest disposition of any cat I've ever had. And the softest fur, like a bunny. We called her Bunny Cat, Pi Girl, Princess Pi and White Cat. She was an inventor of games and loved to play with her toys. She loved to scratch on denim, eat Boar's Head deli turkey and sleep in boxes and baskets. Cancer slowly whittled her body away but she never lost her determination to keep going. She was a gift from Charlie when we first moved in together and has been there with us our entire relationship. She will be greatly missed. A hole in our hearts that will never be filled. Until we see you again, sweet Pi Ling. xo

To view a slideshow of Pi click here

The Week in Art

Most of my time this past week has been spent caring for Pi, my 15 year old cat with cancer. Of course, it's all I think about which is why it's so important to get time in for art, to help take the mind away from the situation for a couple of hours. I even managed to make a few things for my much neglected Etsy shop! :)

The French Artist

Necklace available in my Etsy shop

Packaged in a gift box featuring a painting of a French artist.

 Inside, a tiny scroll tells a short bio on the featured artist.

Expression of Dance

Mixed media on canvas

The above, original piece is available in my Etsy shop and the version shown at the top is available as a necklace and mouse pad in my Zazzle shop. Note cards can also be made, just email me. I hope to get them into the Etsy shop soon.

Winter Tree

Mixed media on canvas

Winter tree had been sitting unfinished in my art room for about a year. I had all the materials, just never took the time to create it! Finally, it's finished and available in my Etsy shop!

I started my Sketchbook Project this week also, finishing up the front cover. My theme is "Travel With Me" and I'll be filling the book with small sketches of my favorite places in the world. Just need to figure out what country to start with first!

Come Travel With Me

Pen and colored pencil

I've made the cover available as invitations for a "Girls Only Getaway"! The invitations are listed as singles, so you can purchase just the amount you need. You can find them here in my Zazzle shop.

I completed two more pages in my Doll Dreams art journal.

All crows are liars

Queen of Hearts

And, let's not forget about Photography! I processed two images this week. A sad number considering I have hundreds sitting in my travel files. :)

The Ghost that Walks

(oh yes, inspired by Karen Elson's song!)

Langdale

(This gorgeous pic of Gina and I was taken by Ray and I processed it)

My "to do" list for the upcoming week is to work a bit in the watercolor journal, make some cards for the Etsy shop and process some more photos. I will probably do a couple of pages for the Sketchbook Project and I may even finish The Spirit of Adventure piece that I started last year!

Here's wishing you all a creative week ahead!

Wordless Wednesday: The Old Way

The Old Way