Audrey Eclectic

Turning a new page....

2011-06-26T18:49:00.007-05:00

Well, its been something I've been thinking of doing for, literally years. I've decided to give the ol' Audrey Eclectic blog a new and fresh start. I've agonized over it for a while, because I know that so many of you come here every week to visit me (Just look at the follower's list! Hundreds!) but I think a good fresh start is important ever so often and I feel the need to declutter. I also feel like my blog name and address should be more in line with my business and really, when I began this space, i didnt even have a business, let alone the brand 'Audrey Eclectic.'

It is my hope that we can just slide on over to the new place and not miss a beat. You can find my new blog here, http://audreyeclectic.blogspot.com/ and I hope you add my blog to your blogroll! If you've got this blog linked on your own blog, I would appreciate it very much if you updated the link.

Obviously, I dragged my feet on this for 4 years, so I dont anticipate changing up blog addresses for a good long while.

Again, thank you for being my reader. Let's start a new adventure, what do you say?

PS: I've got some good news to share on my first post at the new blog! Come see! :)

The story of a bathroom

2011-06-23T08:49:00.008-05:00

There once was a girl who dreamed of living in an old house. With high ceilings and wooden floors and built in bookcases and mysterious stairwells and maybe a benevolent ghost or two. However, the girl didn't live in an old house, but a modern little house, with central heat and air, and builder's grade amenities. So she decided...she'd paint it old.

You know who I'm talking about ;)

I consider myself genetically predisposed to decorate. You can literally see it coming down the generations. My grandma tells stories of her grandma, a little old lady who lived in a rustic little log cabin in the Missouri Ozarks. There was a woodpile stacked high against the outside wall where grandchildren would ride goats. There wasn't running water, there wasn't even an indoor bathroom. But inside it was decorated to the hilt with little doodads and as much frippery as one could get on the side of a mountain. Perhaps its a magpie nature to constantly search out the pretty. Who knows. But all I know is sometimes I get the overwhelming urge to paint over the 'builder grade' vanilla I live in and make it something more myself :)

Take the bathroom, above. Its pretty standard, a small master bath with white cabinets, vanilla walls, and nothing to make it special. Add one can of 'hand cast pewter' Home and Garden paint and voila....

It's a whole new world!

You wouldnt think painting a small space an extremely dark color would make it feel larger (honestly, I couldn't imagine it feeling any smaller, so I had nothing to lose!) I think what helped was painting the ceiling so that it feels like the color reaches higher than it does.

To go with the dark walls and match the white cabinets, I decided on a white cotton shower curtain, which aside from the paint, was my only new purchase. I hung a black chunky frame from the hallway and surrounded it with doilies stretched on embroidery hoops (my new favorite decorating trick!) and it really changed up the whole space.

Ah, I love a fresh coat of paint!

Another thing I learned (and it should have been obvious) is that bathrooms need a different type of paint than the rest of the house because of the steam and the wetness. Our builder evidently didn't think of this, and so we had some crackling going on. But now that its this lovely water resistant semi-gloss, I think we'll be able to enjoy this new color for years, and many baths, to come :)

What do you think?

What Would Ma Ingalls Do?

2011-06-22T07:30:00.003-05:00

Well, I've not only dusted off Tasha Tuesdays but "What Would Ma Ingalls Do?" as well :) in fact, I have given it its own blog :) I thought it would be fun!

For a while I've thought WWMID? should be its own entity, set apart from the regular art stuff of Audrey Eclectic. My idea is to make it more humorous and 'every day life' based, with an emphasis (of course) on motherhood/family/life issues. Not too serious, but some good food for though. I'd also like to take contributions from those of you who also love Ma (actually, I'd be up for contributions on Tasha Tuesday as well, just send me a message if you'd like to contribute!)

And so, without further ado, I give you the blog "What Would Ma Ingalls Do?"

Be sure to follow if you like, and share with your friends! I also have the blog button I can share with you if you'd like to post it anywhere :)

Thanks so much dears!~

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 46

2011-06-21T08:00:00.009-05:00

Well guess what is back this summer ;) Tasha Tuesdays! I thought it would be a fun return, and have had some comments about how much it was enjoyed. And so here we are :)
This Father's Day weekend found me doing a strange amount of baking. With me, it has to be something I'm in the mood for. Usually, I need to to be hungry for it too ;) and with it being a holiday to celebrate my husband and Audrey's daddy, what better way to tell him he's special than to stuff him with homemade goodies, right? ;)

Making things from scratch always makes me think of Tasha. I love to get out her cookbook and try something new or an old favorite. It still blows my mind that she did so much of this stuff by hand--- not just the cooking but the animal care, the housework, the child raising, and also managed to have one of the most successful illustrating and writing careers of any American writer/illustrator. How did she do it all? Surely they had some soup and sandwiches for evening meals, just like the rest of us busy families ;)

I made this spiced plum cake from a recipe in the latest issue of Victoria Magazine. It was a bit of an experiment because you bake the cake in a skillet in the oven. I'd never had plums in a cake either but oh....goodness. Are they good. I think the recipe would also be really good to make little tarts in cupcake tins, putting a slice of plum on the top of each.

Of course, Victoria Magazine is also a Tasha connection, as she was featured in its pages several times over the years, I think she was their 'resident artist' at one point? It's just so funny how things start to overlap sometimes....
That coffee cup is my new favorite blue-and-white china purchase! Anyone read Russian? Surely is says something nice, right? hehe...
EDIT: My savvy husband was able translate it online and the cup says "Christ is Risen" :)

When I was baking the cake on Sunday my husband was watching some war/outerspace/lots of shooting movie, haha, so I shut the door and put in the Take Joy dvd. It was good for ambiance ;) watching it is always inspiring, and is it just me or do you get a little teary eyed when they show the photos of her children as little babies and that bittersweet music? Ah, I digress ;)....

It's spoken of a lot about how some people think Tasha was leading a life of huge escapism. They disdain the fact that she wasn't, like many people, just wallowing in sorrow and whatever the modern world threw her way. There's an idea that, in order to be a real part of the world, you have let the world, particularly its ugliness and sorrow, be part of who you are. But is that really true?

I can't help but wonder if the world would, in fact, be a better place, if we all chose to create our own worlds like Tasha did, instead of let the world form us. There's the idea of 'fake it til you make it.' What would happen if we decided we wanted a world that was beautiful and sentimental and inherently good? What if we chose kindness and compassion as if those were the only options? Treated others as we wanted to be treated? Took joy instead of misery? If we lived in a good fashion...after a while...would that lead to more good in the world?

Well, something to think about, at any rate? ;)

Hope you're having a beautiful Tuesday morning. Here it was actually cool outside when I went to feed all the animals. I couldn't believe it. Its like I'd forgotten how it felt to walk through air that was cool and light, not hot and as heavy as a steaming blanket. I wish it would stay for always! Until then, I guess I'll keep popping in the DVD and imagining myself in Vermont until Autumn, haha!

Happy Tasha Tuesday.

Not familiar with Tasha Tudor? Visit her family website HERE.

Monday's Winner...

2011-06-20T08:05:00.003-05:00

Hello and Good Monday everyone! Hope you had a good father's day weekend!

Just wanted to thank those of you who posted on my 'getting to know you' post and entering to win a free print :) As of this morning, a winner has been chosen!~.....

...And the winner is: Dakota!

So come on up to the print trunk, Dakota, and pick yourself a print! :)

(And dont be scared of the creepy dolls....although if you're like me you'll like them ;) )

Print selection can be found HERE

How is everyone this morning? The sky is clear and blue here, and the wind sure is sweeping down the plain! The rabbits are complaining its messing up their hair. Picky rabbits.... ;)

China Blue

2011-06-17T10:06:00.004-05:00

This may sound odd, but I really didn't realize my love affair with the combination of navy blue and white until I reorganized my closet a few weeks ago and found these colors took up a large chunk of my wardrobe.

They're great for summer, with their nautical feel, but also so timeless. I think I resisted blue in my decor for a long time because when I was a kid we got wall-to-wall blue carpet put in our house (this was during the country cutesy phase of the early 90s) and we were all sick of it by the time we finally moved ;)

But the love for blue seems to be seeping back into my life, and I really dont mind :) I find that I am really drawn to old blue and white china, and had collected a few cups and saucers a while back with a blue and white pattern (English countryside patterns, of course!) Not only would they be cheaper to acquire than an 'official' set of dishes, but they'd have more personality.

Yesterday though I had a sort of epiphany about china! You see, I often complain about the mysterious mountain of dishes that pile up in my sink. How do they get there? How on earth do three people, one under 4 foot tall, use so many dishes? It was ridiculous. I also broke yet another of the dishes in the set we got when we were married (nearly 7 years ago) and that left us with only 3 dishes in the set. So. I had an idea. I would collect old vintage plates, the more mismatched the better, and I'd use them as our everyday ware.

I'm a firm believer that everything tastes better in pretty dishes (hence, the start of my own ceramics line! lol!) and I realized that when you use a dish that has to be hand washed...you wash it after one meal, set it on the rack to dry, and then its ready to use for the next meal. No languishing in the sink or dishwasher waiting for the next wash cycle. Perhaps this is genius?

I bought the dishes shown above at the antique mall for $5 a dish (out of all the blue and white china I saw, they were of course on the more expensive side...but I couldnt live without those sail boats. The back says its a harbor scene of Bristol, England.) Then I needed something fancy to serve on them for their inaugural meal.

I knew the perfect thing! Recently Shayla had made this post about brown butter strawberry banana bread and I knew I had to have some too. The bread with its pretty red strawberries on the blue and white china were quite patriotic, don't you think? :)

It's perfect with a little blue and white china cup filled with coffee or tea or even milk. Because, even though it really didn't need the help, it all was marvelous on a pretty dish....

Come, sit a spell

2011-06-16T09:58:00.002-05:00

Henry and I take a rest and people watch during one of our walks

So. Have a seat. Tell me, what have you been up to? How have you been? What's new? I'm always so glad you stopped by :) I don't know if you know, but one of my favorite things about this blog is seeing when people come to visit and where they're from, even if they don't leave a note. However, imagine me luring you to the comment section with a big slice of homemade cake and maybe some coffee or tea ;) aw, don't be shy!

Let's be friends!

It's one of those lulls in the week where I need to go grocery shopping and clean out my house. I hate doing it, but I'm always so glad when its done. Its sorta like a clean bathroom ;) but even with no painting on the table, we can still chat! Tell me about yourself :) want me to go first? ok!

I love art. I love it so much I can't imagine what people do with themselves if they dont do it. What do they do? (thinks hard) it's such a cliche but yes, I started drawing when I was little. At the dining room table, I'd write all sorts of badly spelled stories and illustrate them. My parents provided me with all the notebooks I could ask for. I thought maybe they thought I was a prodigy--- as a mother now I'm guessing they were just relieved they'd found a way to get me to be still and quiet!

I failed math in college. I married an accountant. So it worked out.

I seem to be genetically predisposed to decorate. It's a family problem. I now see it coming out in my daughter. I wonder, what prehistoric impulse created this? Is this how cave paintings came about? lol....more about that later though :)

It recently came to my attention that I am fair-skinned after two medical professionals told me this. What? You mean me being .0000000064% Cherokee wont guarantee me a good safe tan? Oops. So on goes the sunscreen and sun glasses. I'm embracing the pale. I guess it was a bit much to think that one Native American great-great-great grandma could undo the paleness of generations of English and German heritage ;)

And speaking of....one day I'd really love to visit Great Britain. Obviously, it's my homeland ;) I enjoy rainy foggy weather. I like tea. I'm evidently rather pale. I own a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (see above) and was recently confirmed Anglican (Episcopalian on this side of the pond) I look good in hats. Seems meant to be, don't you think? ;)

(I've noticed too I get a lot of visitors from England.....I'm especially curious about you darling folk....)

And so. Now it's your turn :) and because I really cant give you a piece of cake and some tea, I'll give you another sweet deal. From all the comments gathered here in the next few days, I will select a winner to win a free print. Any print in the shop. How does that sound?

So....about you.... :)

Book Love: John, Paul, George & Ben

2011-06-15T07:51:00.010-05:00

Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite children's books, "John, Paul, George Ben." For those who think children's books are just for, well, children, you have obviously never been held captive by a four year old demanding a series of dramatic readings before she blesses you with bed time! For all those mamas and daddies who ever approached a busting bookshelf and secretly schemed "tonight we're gonna read my favorite..." well, here's one to add to your list:

"John, Paul, George, and Ben" (plus a rouge Tom) follows the silly childhood antics of five precocious little boys in colonial America. You probably know them and John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Each little boy has a silly habit or does some silly thing that we learn, ultimately, helps them become what made them special during the American Revolution and founding of our nation.

This book was written and illustrated by author/illustrator Lane Smith, who has written and/or illustrated several amazing children's books.

What makes this little book so fun to read is the tightly written comical stories that blend so well with the beautifully drawn illustrations that only enhance the comedy of the story. And yes, there are some slight Beatles references ;) (John, Paul, George...you know those guys!)

And although there is mch to love about this book, I think what I personally love most is the way Smith has taken the idea of Early American folk art and traditional 18th century illustration and given it his own twist and created a world that is once unique to his personal style but at the same time so very familiar.

This book is also special to me because years ago when it came out (2006) I was able to interview Lane Smith about it because he's something of a 'local boy' with his parents living in the area. In fact, I first reviewed it off a copy lent to me by his mom ;)

He was gracious enough to let me use images of his book here for your enjoyment, because I knew you would love it! Art lovers, history lovers, comedy lovers....it's got something that will entertain just about any discerning four year old and her very weary reading parent ;)

You can find a copy of this book at your nearest bookstore (Locals, I found several copies of this at Books A Million) or online. For more information about Lane Smith and his latest projects, you can visit his website, HERE.

Enjoy! And have yourself a little revolution!~

*Images used in this post copyright Lane Smith, Hyperion Books For Children

This That and the other....

2011-06-13T19:42:00.003-05:00

Well, it may just be mid-June but it feels like full-on July. Perhaps its my English heritage, but I get a little testy when things are too bright and too hot. I like a little rain and mist to mix things up. I get a little whiny when the forecast is just a generic graph of mind-numbing blue and 90*+. How uncreative, weathermen!

Of course there's nothing like a little patriotism to make the heat a little more bearable ;) This General Washington folk art painting is just one of several that are now available at Blue Heron Mercantile Antiques in Jenks, Ok.

Also, just a reminder, my auction of the little angel painting with all the proceeds going towards the American Red Cross is up in less than 24 hours! So get your bid in while there's time! Who doesn't like to buy a little art and help those in need?

The auction is still going on HERE and I thank those of you who have already placed bids! You're the loveliest :)

Very Good Things.

2011-06-10T08:42:00.002-05:00

So some very (very) good things are going on in Audrey Eclectic right now! I wanted to share them with you :)

First, I just listed a little Guardian Angel painting that I have now listed on eBay in order to offer the proceeds of the painting through eBay Giving Works. Lately episodes of extremely violent weather have made a huge impact on many of my fellow Oklahomans, neighbors in Missouri and others on the east coast. I'd like to do what I can to help through my art, so I'm offering this painting, with 100% of the proceeds going to The American Red Cross. Bidding starts at just $8! Click here for more info.

Another very good thing is that you can now buy original Audrey Eclectic artwork at Blue Heron Mercantile Antiques in Jenks, Oklahoma and I'm so excited about this endeavor! As far as I know, Blue Heron is the only place in Oklahoma where you can buy quality early American antiques, and they also offer a variety of handmade and American made folk art and decor. Their items range from the curious spooky (an antique rocking horse made out of....a real horse!?!) to sweetly homespun (beautiful samplers, candles, handmade stuffed animals in the vintage style) I've been a shopper for years, and now I'm happy to be a part of the magic :)

You can find out more about there store HERE.

Well, at the morning its a lovely cool and cloudy morning. All the critters are fed (Henry would never dream of letting me forget that!) and it looks like it might rain. I wish it would stay like this forever....but I know that a steamy 92* day awaits. Tomorrow will be 87* though! Oh my, I'll need a sweater, surely?! ;)

Thanks for your visit!~

Folk Painting: Mary and Martha

2011-06-08T11:40:00.003-05:00

These girls came about on an unexpected free afternoon :) I hadn't initially meant for them to even be twins, but they sorta came out that way :) And so I decided to name them after the only other set of girl twins that were in my family--- Mary and Martha. They were my great-grandma Emma's little sisters. Number 11 and 12 of the Reid brood. Sensibly, after that, their mother decided that that was enough kids ;)

Inspiration for these girls came from my trusty copy of The Way They Were: Dressed in 1860-1865 which I picked up a few years ago at the Pea Ridge Civil War battlefield museum in Pea Ridge, Ar. The book is a photo reference meant for reinactors, but I find it priceless for inspiring art. Just looking at all those little children in their perfectly combed back hair and off the shoulder dresses....like tiny grown up folks, what must their lives have been like in the midst of such a life and culture changing time?

Still have more paintings on my brain, and its still hotter than hot out here. Guess that just means I'll stay in and paint....

Pretty Adalaide

2011-06-06T13:16:00.003-05:00

I seem to be getting my second wind with painting, and of course that's a relief! Call it a growing pain, a funk, whatever it was, I am happy to be working through it. I'm also falling back in love (was I ever really out?) with the more old old Americana style of painting and subject matters. While it's always ok to dabble a bit, it's good to revisit these old fashioned portraits like this new one, Adalaide:

Some nice spring colors for a change, and I've been trying my hand at creating portraits that look like they are old family heirlooms. You know, found in a trunk after a house fire and an indian raid ;) that's my art aesthetic. This painting has such gritty dark detail to it, I wish the camera could really capture the depth to it.

I am very pleased with this little painting though, and its always a relief to get that first painting down after a difficult period. So now I am happy at the painting table again, and even happier to share with you this pretty portrait that Andrea over at Little Big Head (where Ada Shares) has made the sweetest little portrait for me--- of me and Audrey! It is the cutest and I love it so! You can see the portrait and the rest of her lovely and whimsical art HERE.

Hope its a good week for you. I'm hoping for steady and productive :) I'll get it done one thing at a time....

Tea Time with Jane Eyre

2011-06-04T10:21:00.003-05:00

Yesterday on the news they said we're having the hottest June since 1911. We're beyond the Dust Bowl. I'm hiding inside with tea and cookies :)

My shop is nicely stocked with pretty little mugs for your perusal. I'm always thinking of new designs, and always willing to take suggestions! My only stipulation is that with literary characters, they must be classic (public domain works) so that I can respect copyrights.

Anyhow....its surely hot here. I have a frozen water bottle snuggled in with the bunnies and a fan on them. My lettuce has grown 8 feet tall (perhaps a slight exaggeration) and is sprouting the prettiest yellow flowers... my husband asks, "is it supposed to do that?"

I think I'll spend this sweltering summer in complete denial and just paint halloween paintings ;) I need a good stock of autumn items anyway, because this year Indie Emporium is Sept 30- Oct 1, and I'm super excited! It's going to be in a completely new venue as well and my plan is to have a large booth this year.

So...In other words...this mama needs to get painting!

Thanks to all of you who've been so sweet and supported my little shop. I appreciate it so much :) Every new order is always a treat, and I love sending my creations all over this country and world. At least a part of me is well traveled, right? :)

Have a good weekend and stay cool!~

When all else fails....go Halloween.

2011-06-02T13:32:00.002-05:00

So yesterday was one of those days. Audrey was at preschool and I hour upon precious hour to create. And nothing would come. It was hard and completely frustrating. Some times I get in this funk where its like there is just too much coming through the filter and I just freeze not knowing which direction to go in.

And so, that afternoon, I grabbed a bunch of old autumn season magazines and just leafed through them, soaking up some images and ideas. And that's how I got Eugenia:

She's super old-timey, bonnet and all. And you know I can't resist a good pumpkin. It's been a while since I've painted a painting this old and home spun. I've been lost in the 30s for a bit. But its good to do a change of pace. And I do love some old timeyness....

I've just listed this painting on etsy if she strikes your fancy. I dont know about you, but I love halloween all year 'round. It's never too early or late for a pretty girl and her pumpkin, right? ;)

See the listing HERE

Inspiration....?

2011-06-01T13:19:00.002-05:00

Nothing left on this corner but some old front steps....

It's one of those days. I've been sketching and starting and stopping paintings for hours. Nothing is coming. Inspiration is...gone. Dont you hate that? I know enough to not worry too much...it'll come back. I think I am worrying too much about what others will want and not what I want to paint, and that always saps up the inspiration like no body's business.

Pondering if I should start on halloween. Or something else all together. Maybe I need to go to the antique mall. Surely the answer to all the tough questions in life await in a pile of discounted old tattered goods?.....

Summer '31

2011-05-31T10:07:00.003-05:00

This is a painting I just finished up this weekend :) I wanted to do something that was all about summer, and the seaside, and boats. And so "Summer '31" came to be :)

You can find the painting in my etsy shop this morning :) Visit HERE

SOLD! Thank You :)

Ghost and Wildflowers, a rambling walk...

2011-05-30T16:29:00.005-05:00

Over the holiday weekend we were visiting family in the Ozarks, and it was so nice to be out in all the flowers and wildlife, although hints of the ravaging storms that so recently passed through the area were still there.

We want on a good long rambling walk and I snapped lots of pictures, such as this Queen Anne's Lace, above. One of my most favorite wildflowers...
On a winding country road we came upon this sweet little sight--- all these little butterflies flittering and drinking from this bright pink flowering 'weed.' I think it's a Milk Weed? Is that right? Well, it must be delicious because these little guys let me get right up on them and photograph them, they were much to busy with breakfast to be concerned about me....

There was also some utterly amazing thistle growing out there! This clump stood about as tall as I do! The shadow and the light make it look rather intimidating, doesn't it?

And at the end of our visit we stopped by Eureka Springs and wandered around the Crescent Hotel just because. Audrey looked so Alice in Wonderland in their gardens. I wonder if any ghosts were peering out the window at that moment? You never know!~

And now. Trying to paint and wrangle some inspiration. Hope you had a good holiday weekend...

Very Happy, Tiny Happy

2011-05-26T15:22:00.004-05:00

Recently I received the most lovely little package in the mail, all the way from New Zealand. I was so excited to open it up and see all these little treasures handmade by Melissa at Tiny Happy-- I was the very happy winner of her giveaway at her beautiful and oh-so-inspiring blog.

When the package arrived I found a square of her beautiful fabric featuring her own watercolor designs, note cards, and a handmade and embroidered bag! Lovely!

Thanks so much, Melissa!~!

And I encourage you to go on a little adventure and visit her corner of the world. It's endlessly gorgeous and inspiring. :)

Wishy Washy Rainy Days

2011-05-26T13:40:00.002-05:00

Perhaps I don't have to tell you what a crazy and rainy last few days it has been. Storm after storm has rolled through, and sadly, some of them very violent. However, all is well here at the little house. Today the sky is blue and nearly cloudless. It's amazing how well the weather can recover and the natural world move on, almost as though nothing has happened.

Almost like the weather itself, my inspiration to paint has been extremely wishy-washy, with dark grumbling undertones of not knowing what the next step is. I know I have the whole summer to get organized....and a whole new world of time once *someone* is in school full time 5 days a week (what will I do with myself?!) Starting to think hard about how best to promote my art and if craft shows, as much as I love the people and comradery that goes with them, are the right venue for what I'm making.

Lots to think about....there's changes in the air. Hoping for clarity and new direction.

Do you have big plans for passions this summer?

Almost an Angel...revamped!

2011-05-23T13:27:00.004-05:00

You might have noticed that over the last year or two my art has gone through some big changes. I started out doing a lot of collage work and painting over collage, and have slowly started progressing towards a more acrylic/wood block style of painting. I think I'm getting a lot stronger with my painting and to be honest, a lot of my paintings that I did even just a couple of years ago now make me cringe ;)

This is my new rendition of "Almost an Angel". It's now available HERE on etsy. She's got some gritty crackle going on. I like to imagine this painting pulled out of an old dusty circus trunk. Wrapped up in old news clippings from carnival appearances from long ago.

And just to compare, here is the original "Almost an Angel." Actually, I still like this painting pretty well compared to some of my other older ones, but I wanted to try it again....

What do ya think?

Sweet Darlin Giveaway

2011-05-20T12:33:00.002-05:00

Just in time for some weekend shopping! I'm very happy to be featured over at Sweet Darlin, a beautiful site that explores art, life, and crafts in Oklahoma and there's a chance for you to win a free print!

And as an added bonus-- there's also a coupon code for 15% off your entire purchase so that everyone can win something :)

Come CHECK IT OUT :)

Tea and Poetry

2011-05-19T16:37:00.003-05:00

So last night I got inspired and came up with some new ideas for some new mugs! I've recently had some special requests for some of my literary characters with custom quotes, which I think is a great idea!

With custom quotes in mind, I came up with this special mug, called the Emily Dickinson pick your quote mug :)

For Emily lovers, I'm offering this mug with my rendition of a portrait of Emily from the famous photograph. On the back of the mug I will paint your favorite Emily Dickinson quote! For this particular mug I used one of my favorite quotes "there is no frigate like a book to take us lands away" which is not just good for Emily Dickinson lovers, but book lovers too!~

I also painted up this pretty little mug with inspiration from the Gibson Girl era. This mug features a pretty portrait of a young woman with a large beautiful Edwardian hairstyle and the phrase "An Old Fashioned Girl" on the back.

If you'd like one of these mugs, I'd love to make you one! And if there's a particular Jane Austen or Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre quote you like, feel free to let me know! I'd love to make you whatever you dream up :)

You can see all my mugs, including these new pieces, at my SHOP online :)

Art Crush: The Film Sweet Land

2011-05-18T19:24:00.006-05:00

I don't know about you, but I think there's no love sweeter than a love you just stumble upon by accident. And so it is with my enduring love for the film "Sweet Land."

I happened upon this film while scanning through the instant queues on netflix. It was the film title poster that caught my eye, frankly. Because its stunning. Plus it was a love story. Plus it was set in post WWI middle America. And it involved some political intrigue. And oh yeah, did I mention a love story ;)

I put the movie on while I was finishing up a dress for Audrey but soon I found I was getting very little sewing done. Not only is the storyline so tender and lovely (if you don't find yourself fighting back tears within the first 5 minutes, you're a hard one indeed!) but the imagery of the film is amazing. Almost every frame is worthy of a painting.
A brief synopsis is: Norwegian-born Minnesota farmer Olaf Torvic sends off to his homeland for a bride in the years just after "The Great War." He's all set to marry her at his local Lutheran church and bring her back to the farm to work along side him in the fields. The girl who arrives, however, is not quite what he expected.

Inge, who is played beautifully by Elizabeth Reaser ("where do I know her from", I wondered for at least two viewings; then I realized--- she's the mom vampire in Twilight! Lol!) is not a Norwegian girl, but a German girl. And it's not cool to be German in middle American when the country has just finished up several bloody years of battle against Germany.

Top that off with her innocent interaction with a socialist party member, and you get a pretty interesting story about two simple people who just want to live a good life and end up falling for each other-- while those around them do their best to get in the way because of social prejudices, ignorant hatred, and a blind sense of patriotism that leads them to foolish actions.

I was also really impressed with the use of language in the film--- and the Norwegian or German spoken was used without subtitles, so that it sort of adds to the idea of the confusion of being in a strange land and not knowing what others are saying. Reaser does such a fantastic job with her German (and having a stomping, yelling, hissy-fit in German!) that it's easy to believe that she's a native speaker.

There are also some quirky characters--- like the best friend played by Alan Cumming who can't start his own car but is madly in love with his wife and has a passel of kids to prove it and the reverend who waivers from being part of the judgmental masses and having compassion for their plight.
The storyline is also beautifully woven in with two other points in time--- the 1960s when Olaf dies, and a more modern present time when Inge dies. The movie opens with a funeral, which is a bit of a tear jerker, yes, but it really adds some depth to just how long this couple loved each other and what they went through to just be together.

And as a lifetime lover of the prairie, the sweeping scenery of rural Minnesota is just achingly beautiful in this film. The director really approached this film with an artist's eye and I know it has inspired me and my brushes :) the music choices are also unique and whimsical, with almost an Amelie-like lightness and sweetness.

So. Do I recommend this movie? That would be a resounding "Yes!" I also recommend the fiction work of Minnesota writer Will Weaver, whose short stories inspired the film. Not long after watching this I got a collection of some of his stories, and he has a wonderful writing style that brings you close to the hearts of mind of those who life the agrarian life.

And so....more sweeping summer prairies to paint! I better get back to work!

Til next time,

Rambling Walk: Through a prairie in bloom

2011-05-16T09:07:00.003-05:00

Ha, I suppose by now you've heard all the hub-bub about blogger going bonkers and erasing all the posts and comments made after Wednesday. Well, fear not, for I was unabashedly lazy and didn't post between now and then! However, I'm sad that I lost a majority of the comments on 'Clare in the dunes.'

But I'm sure the perfect way to shake ourselves out of that silly mess is to go on a nice long walk. Shall we?

Look at this. Just look at this. My mom's clematis. It's not fair how gorgeous and abundant it is, when mine is rather puny. Ah well....flower envy...

Now, want to come saunter out my back gate? We did yesterday, it was time to go exploring. The prairie is back! No longer just brown dull stuff. It's completely and utterly in bloom:

Of course I went along with a professional rock tosser, so who knows what dainty little minnows or tad poles had been frolicking there before we showed up. Ah well ;)

And there's no sense wearing boots built for wading if you're not going to go in the water, right?
As we walked along we found a secluded little beach along the creek full of long cattails and good skipping stones. I wonder if this is where the coyotes we heard last night were prancing along? Luckily, on this particular afternoon, it was just us and the minnows...

Clare on the dunes

2011-05-11T12:02:00.003-05:00

We've already had some hot and humid days here, and it's only early May. The calendar may insist it's still springtime, but I can feel summer breathing down its neck with sweltering heat and rumbling thunderheads.

It's funny, although we are hopelessly landlocked (if you don't count that trickle of a creek behind the house, ha!) I'm feeling very nautical. I'm longing for a beach. I'm thinking of lighthouses and my strange curiosity about whales and I have a feeling, they'll be coming out in the paint pretty soon :)

Then I saw seamstress Anna Allen's new collection of beautiful summer dresses and all this jumble of summer in my head came out as this:

Ever since I read Sarah Plain and Tall when I was a little girl I've had a fascination with the beaches of New England. And then there was Anne of Green Gables and the impossible lovliness of Prince Edward Island. I think my next few paintings will find themselves summering at far away beaches I've never seen. Lol, with the price of gas these days, I suspect this will be my most economical vacation!

Detail of painting

I'm calling this painting "Clare on the dunes." I think its a nice start to any sort of story you'd like to conjure up for her. Where she is, what she's doing, is she alone or with friends? Is she watching the sea from the distance, or on a windy hillside looking down on a tiny village? I made this little moment, now you can take it from here :)

What are you looking forward to doing this summer? What things remind you of summer, or bring back a summer memory the moment you see/taste/smell it? Who knows, your meanderings might inspire a painting....

EDIT: Now available as a print! Click HERE

New Looks and Long Walks

2011-05-10T08:17:00.005-05:00

Good morning!~

Perhaps you've noticed our new look here at the blog! What do you think? I really like it :) I had an impromptu redecorating session last night to make the blog more in keeping with the new look of audreyeclectic.com. I've really pleased with how my new main site looks!

I'm still getting some of the kinks worked out and everything arranged just so, but so far, so good I think!~

Of course its always good to take a break from working and take a little walk. Want to come around town (and country!) with me?

First, I wanted to show you this adorable little nest of baby birds! Their mama and daddy decided to keep house in the middle of a fern on my granny's porch. And I have it on good authority that the day after I snapped this pic, they all learned to fly!~

Here's a particularly pretty little field full of cattle down the road a ways from my house. It was a beautifully green and misty afternoon, freshly rained. I'm so glad to see green again!

Oh, and some more buildings from my rambles down town. This was such an interesting scene--- the sky was all gray and cloudy from passing rains and there was a group of pigeons gossiping at the top of the Bowden building (right) this building is particularly special because it belonged to my great-great-grandmother Lula Mae's second husband, the man who helped her raise her young son (my great-grandpa) His name is still engraved on the top of the building, it used to be a mattress factory! I sorta daydream of saving it. And first thing I'd do-- rip those boards off the top windows!
An interesting view from one of the alleys. What I love about this little town is that the alleys aren't scary and dark. Many of them have these cool retro paintings on them inspired by businesses that used to be in town. When I worked down here at the paper I was always traipsing around, taking secret shortcuts and discovering quirky little places off the beaten track. I need to take a photo of this strange little doorway I found that would only fit a child in it. I wonder what its story is...

Another back-alley scene--- I do like the look of elegantly peeling paint and brick :) I'm sad that someone actually bricked in all those windows. Why would you do that? It makes no sense. Who thinks "What this building really needs is to be dark and dank with zero natural sunlight." Crazy talk.

And so. That is the walk for today :) Hope you saw some interesting sights!

Now back to internet cleaning!~

Have a little beard with your coffee....

2011-05-08T21:42:00.002-05:00

I tease my husband that he quit shaving the night we got married. Pretty much from then on, he's been a little scruffy :) I didn't realize until years later though, that we were really part of some strange cosmic pull...you know what I mean...bearded boys and crafty girls...

There is just something about a crafty girl that a bearded boy just can't resist. And seemingly, vice versa. Have you ever been to an indie craft show? Who is it that's helping all these crafty entrepreneurial girls set up their tables and take money? Bearded guys, that's who!

And so in honor of this special little love, I decided to do some beard-loving mugs to add to my collection :) first is the cup (shown above) which also reads on the other side "bearded boys love crafty girls." See more at the listing HERE.

And then there is this dapper gent, with his impeccable mustache and crisp collar. Very Downton Abbey, dontcha thing? The back of this mug simply reads "Dapper!" See more HERE.

Til next time!~

Old time music in paint

2011-05-06T06:15:00.000-05:00

I recently did this little series of musical paintings. I've really been loving doing portraits that look like they were done in some old fashioned studio, inspired by old photos. Since my last show was also a music festival, I wanted to paint some musicians and these folks sprang to life.

They're now all available HERE for you to purchase :) Just by looking at them you can tell they have interesting stories. "Harold and Josephine" ran away to play at the Grand Ol' Opry. "Benjamin" is a quiet and soulful fiddle player, while "Ginger Lynn" can weave magic with her quick fingers on the banjo.

When I was painting these three I was thinking of music like THIS. Love some old timey melodies, don't you?

Handmade from Near & Far

2011-05-05T13:13:00.004-05:00

Somehow this great big world is getting a little smaller. And we can now enjoy handmade loveliness from right in our own backyard, or oceans away. Don't you love that? This past week I was able to gather several pretty little things to add to my collection, like this simple and lovely feathered headband made by my friend Julia who runs Feather By Feather.

If the royal wedding had you in the mood for big audacious feathery fascinators, she's your gal. But she's also started doing these sweet little understated pieces that are good for everyday. I liked this color because it matches my hair and is just enough texture to be eye catching without being over-the top. It is now good to know when someone asks what color my hair is, I can respond with confidence "quail!" ;)

And then, made very far away from the prairie, I got this precious little piece all the way from the Ukraine:
It is so dainty and gorgeous! This little piece of hand embroidery is nicely framed in a pendant that hangs from a long silver chain. I got this piece from the shop Skrynka and to be honest, I had a hard time deciding which of her lovely creations to choose. Her prices are reasonable and there's free international shipping.

It just makes me happy that we're all able to share our creations around the world and down the road. This level of sharing and selling was impossible a decade ago, and now the world of crafting is flourishing. Makes a crafty girl feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

So in the spirit of crafting, I'm prepping some little originals I had saved for the show last weekend and will be listing them very soon. Its exciting to wonder where in the world they'll end up. But I know they'll go where they're meant to be :)

Have a crafty thursday...

Weekend Review

2011-05-03T07:46:00.002-05:00

Well, what a weekend! It's already Tuesday and I'm just now recovering ;) Throw in an overnight trip to an all day craft show ending with a very late night drive home and then mix in a child who has been sick for days now, and you get a very worn out crafting mama. But let's review!

I hadn't really planned to watch the royal wedding live, but I had to get up with a certain little someone at about the time it was starting, so we just curled up on the couch and watched the whole thing play out:

One of my favorite images from a hysterical blog called "Kate Middleton For The Win"

I don't know why so many people insisted on being so jaded about the wedding (or maybe that was just my facebook feed?) but I loved it. Sure, when all you watch all day is Dinosaur Train and Sesame Street, I probably didn't have the level of media saturation on the event that many had ;) But I think in this day and age where its so easy to get swallowed up by the fear and uncertainty of the world, the economy, etc. it is ok to appreciate a pretty girl in a pretty dress and let your heart be warmed by thousands upon thousands of cheering revelers. I mean, when is the last time you've seen a crowd of that magnitude gather and it wasn't a riot, a protest, or some violent event?

So I don't feel the least bit guilty for feeling a little excited by their excitement or hopeful that perhaps our generation, whether royal or not, can possibly get it right :) in more ways than one!

And on a much more local scale, lol....

On Saturday my friend Beth (of Art By Bethany) and I pitched a tent and sold our wares at the Dustbowl Arts Market in downtown Norman, Ok. This was my first show down in Norman, and (so sorry Dad) I thought it was a really pretty little town. It was also endlessly entertaining to people watch and we met some really nice folks!

Of course with every show I learn something new. The mugs did really well. I dont know that anyone even picked up a plate. Some folks thought I somehow printed the images on the cup, but nope, each one is done free-hand! Strangely, no one seems to want to buy an original-- even though I had some that were just $10 more than a print! I think back now to my first booth I ever did and how it was only original paintings. Was it a miracle I sold anything? ;)

I'm happy to settle in now for the whole summer to prepare for Indie Emporium. Surely with from now to September, I can get a good stock pile going :)

And now....if I could only get this little gal to feeling better, things would be going pretty well!

Til next time...

Beards and Mugs

2011-04-27T19:06:00.002-05:00

Here's a little snapshop of what I've been working on this afternoon. Sort of an ode to the bearded man :) I have one of my own! This little mug shows a knitting girl and a bearded guy that says "Bearded Boys Love Crafty Girls."

Things are going slowly but surely getting ready for the Dustbowl Arts Market this weekend in Norman, Ok. The funniest thing happened happened the other day when I was getting my new prints made up. As I was opening up a box of plastic sleeves and backing boards something shiny and metal clanged out onto the floor.

When I picked it up, I realized it was a ring! And it was engraved! It was obviously very special. One phone call later, it seems I found some poor man's wedding ring that he lost while packing up my order--- in December!

I felt a little bad that it had sat in a box in my garage for nearly 6 months, but I'm happy to report that ring is now headed back to where it belongs. And hopefully there will be one happy wife when it arrives!

Anyhow....I guess its back to the mug painting factory!

Til next time...

A rainy rambling walk....

2011-04-25T08:56:00.004-05:00

Hello this monday morning. Its a very soggy and gray one here on the rain-soaked prairie. How are things where you are? Ready for our rambling walk? Let's go...

Didn't get too far today in the pouring rain ;) This is Henry at the front door. And that's what we call his 'Elvis Face.' He gives this expression when he's not quite sure/happy about something, or is a bit suspicious. It's hysterical. Henry thinks all this rain deserves the Elvis Face.

A snippet of my rain-spattered garden. The hostas are up now.It's always nice to see them. I planted them in a shady corner of my flower bed with shoots from my parent's yard. Now they're big and beautiful, and its hard to imagine that for a whole barren winter they weren't here.

I recently planted all my garden seeds from Bakers Heirloom Seed Company and I'm anxious to see how my vision of a rambling cottage garden works out. Giant zenias, delicate pink Chrysanthemums , Canterbury bells... they're all stuffed in there and masquerading as delicate little green shoots at the moment. Little does this neighborhood know its about to get the Tasha Tudor crazy garden treatment in the next couple of months ;)....
And here's a special photo, though its a bit blurry. I took it yesterday, Easter morning, at our church before service. They really know how to create some ambiance over there :)
We had a very special Easter this year, as my whole little family was baptized at the Easter vigil amongst candle light and rumbling thunder. Sounds epic, right? ;) Maybe I was baptized one and a half times, because my little gal held onto me every step of the way with hers. A little extra aon only help, right?

I know its hard to tell in this photo, but they have the most beautiful icons at this church, and the Easter one was no exception. You know it makes me pretty happy to see art so venerated and important. The patron saint of our parish was even a crafter! And there's a resident corgi. How could it not be the perfect place for us?

So, anyhow....that's our soggy walk. Do you have a walk for us in your hometown? If so, leave your link in the comments! We'll travel along together! I hope to make the monday walks a weekly event, so plan to come along and participate whenever you feel the inspiration :)

Til next time...

Art, Interviews, Giveaways, oh my!

2011-04-21T09:20:00.002-05:00

Remember how I talked about how I was going to take it easy the other day? Ha! Strangely, that started a rather bustling period where I got a lot done. Go figure!

Some things I just finished last night (and freshly sealed this morning!) are these two little paintings that I am really happy with. They're old timey musicians! I haven't even named them yet. But she's a gem on the banjo and he's a rather dapper fiddle player. Bearded, of course.

These two pieces will debut at the Dustbowl Arts Market which takes place alongside the Norman Music Festival on April 30. If you're local, I hope you come out to say hi!

And speaking of local, I'm featured on a really neat local blog today-- Birds For Brains. Thanks so much to Shayla for featuring me! Its so awesome to meet other people who are passionate about buying and supporting local endeavors and are proud of their Okie roots.

Another fun Audrey Eclectic event on the web is this giveaway on author Laura Frantz's blog. Enter for a chance to win one of my hand painted mugs!

So, yes, its busy times! But its also good times :) And don't forget about the SALE!

Off to make more folk art beautifulness....

Another Rambling Walk....

2011-04-19T08:06:00.003-05:00

Forget texting. My favorite part of my new phone is the hipstamatic ap. What I love best about it may be the lack of control, because you're never really sure how it will turn out, but it usually turns out quite interesting. Through some magic of color and texture, it takes things completely mundane and every day and turns it into magic!

So, since everyone seemed to enjoy my little snapshots of my little town, I had an idea....What if we turned 'rambling walks' into a weekly thing? And what if you did them too (well, if you want to!) We could pick a day of the week and designate them as rambling walk day, and I would post whatever odd/pretty photos I had from the week of my place and time, and you could post whatever snap shots you'd taken of where you live. Because everyone lives in a place that is utterly unique unto itself. I think we should celebrate that. And something that is completely mundane and everyday to you could be completely fascinating and unique to someone else. What do you think? We'll pick a day, and then you can leave a link to your walk in the comment section and then we can all go on a giant world-wide walking tour!

Here are a few of my favorite pics. I walked by this little house downtown a while back. It's fascinating to me because it is such a time capsule. I really think even the screen door is original! And look closely-- behind it, it still has the original horse stalls. You don't see that every day! Super crushing on old houses. Although I have a hunch this one does not have central heat and air ;)

Ooooh, and we couldn't get this close to Easter without putting a bunny in a basket! Look at Miss Lilybel! Isn't she darling? She's getting so big now that I really have to stop and look to see if I'm dealing with the baby or the mama. They're still getting along well. Lilybel is positively doted on. Both mama and daddy rabbit will sit and groom her and she loves to snuggle with her dad which warms my little pea pickin' heart.

These rabbits are so hysterical to watch, if nothing else. They have such a funny family dynamic. The other day Lilybel sneezed maybe 15 times in a row. It was the funniest thing I ever saw. I guess all the pollen is getting to her too ;)

So. Let me know what you think of the tour idea! Would Mondays be good? Start the week off right?

Also, don't forget about my Easter sale! 15% off your whole purchase through Easter Sunday :)

Til next time,

Easter Sale

2011-04-16T20:48:00.004-05:00

We spend so much time in anticipation and celebration of Christmas, that I thought it was only appropriate to do a little Easter celebrating in the shop as well :) This Easter season in particular is very special and celebratory for me and my little family. It brings with it such a sense of peace and hopefulness for the future while also having reverence for the past.

If anything, it would be my wish that these feelings could be conjured up in you when you receive a piece of my art. I've been thinking a lot about how we're all given certain gifts, and we all get the opportunity to use them if we're brave enough. So with my paints I want to use my gift for art to give you something to treasure and make you smile.

And in celebration of all this, I'll be offering a sale at BOTH my stores (the main store and my etsy store) from Palm Sunday (4/17) to Easter Sunday(4/24). Just enter the code easter2011 while checking out and receive 15% off your entire order.

A very happy Easter to you and yours,

The Whirlwind

2011-04-15T11:45:00.003-05:00

Ah, Friday. Glad to see you again. It's a windy gray day out today. I don't know if you by chance heard about our stormy weather here yesterday. For a while the girl and the dog and I had to pile in the bathtub with our pillows and wait it out. It's a yearly occurance around here. Dealing with the literal whirlwinds of weather.

Of course Audrey ended up being perfectly content to lounge in the tub playing on my fancy phone, but I was anxious to get out of the tub and have the weather move on because I had stuff to do. I always have stuff to do. One thing I have to do is share these beeee---uuu--tiful new mugs with you. I've found some nice over-sized mugs that paint up so beautifully. I'm going to switch my designs over to this new mug size, and the first switched mug is Lost in the Pages.

I think she came out pretty adorable if I say so myself :) so now I need to paint up some new examples of my other designs and get them listed. See, always something new to get done!

In the middle of all my running around and painting anything that will stand still, these pretty ladies returned home from their merry jaunt to California:
Here they are! It's Minnie, Nora and Sadie of Prims Magazine fame :) They seem pretty proud of themselves for adventuring all the way out to the west coast. Lucky girls, I've only ever been as far west as Arizona :)

Goodness. I am ready for the whirlwind of 'things to get done' to settle down. I know I do it to myself though. I need to make a conscious effort to reign myself. I admit, I'm getting tired. I know that the next few months will bring a lot of changes, especially since my little gal will be headed off to full time school. I don't know what it is about me that I think I need to take over the world with folk art right here, right now, right this very minute.

My friend Laura had a post recently about how no one has ever done great things without first encountering a period of waiting. Life doesn't always happen on your time and schedule, there's a bigger plan going on. And while I know that intellectually, it's sometimes a hard thing for me to put into practice :)

So as hard as it is for me not to sign up for every show, volunteer for every project, and push myself to my limit until I'm utterly cranky and uninspired, I am going to try (try!) to sit back and relax for a bit. Perhaps I'm coming to that time every artist has where they need to put the paint brush down and just listen to what inspiration is trying to tell me.

Anyhow, I'm going to give it my best shot :)

Take a rambling walk with me...

2011-04-12T18:03:00.005-05:00

Like it or not, we are all a product of the place we call home. Some of us do our best to run off and get away from it. Other nestle in and take root. But no matter what, everything about us--- our perspective, our experiences, our thoughts on life and family and love and faith, are all colored by where we ramble.

Would you like to ramble around here with me?

I took this photo while out walking downtown with my dog one evening. This is one of my new favorite things to do while my daughter takes her dance lessons down town. I leash up Henry and we set off on an aimless adventure. I've always thought my home town had a particularly pretty down town. I am thrilled at the thought of my great-great grandparents and the rest of the family traipsing around here in decades long past.

And here's a picture from the local feed store where I buy my rabbit chow 50 lbs. at a time ;) Did you ever think there were so many bits and bobs that went into riding? If you're someone who loves accessories, this sort of thing should be right up your alley. I'm not much of a rider, but I can appreciate a pretty pony and hand tooled leather :)

Oooh, and boots! If you live in Oklahoma, you must have boots. These are rows and rows of the prettiest leather boots. At the feed store of course (although a different one than where the saddles were from, because yes, we have multiple!) you can also buy your wranglers and cowboy hat and hip waders and work gloves all here. As well as your baby chickens and garden seeds ;) now that's convenient!
Another photo from one of my down town walks. I remember this day it was cloudy and trying to rain. This church is so tall and ruddy colored with beautiful stained glass. It looked so pretty rising up against the darkening sky. I have a soft spot for pretty little churches. They really don't make them as pretty as they used to, do they?
And this, the final photo, is one of my favorites. This is my family's store where my dad and brother sell and repair and refurbish tools. And yes, that's a buffalo head on the wall! There's also a deer head and a mounted fish in the back office ;) Now that is what I call ambiance! My little gal loves that buffalo. He doesn't mind being petted in the least :)

Some of you have received packages from me in boxes that were once used to ship nails or saws or drills. This is why ;) My dad lets me have all the free boxes I want so I can ship art out to you! I am also fortunate to have a lifetime supply of sandpaper :)

And so....this is a walk through my town. I'm curious if its much different than yours? Do you live in a small town or a large city? If you were to photograph the things you see on a daily basis, what would they be? I suggest you try it, and then try looking at them with new eyes. There's often magic in our mundane. It just takes some looking :)

New treats, just for you....

2011-04-07T08:33:00.003-05:00

I can't tell you how relieved I am to see that spring is finally here. There is green coming up everywhere now, and even our little twiggy trees in our yard are sporting a new festive fuzz of spring green. The flowers are up, the birds are out, and there just seems to be such a sigh of relief in the air. Winter is done. And what a long cold and crummy winter it was! But its over now, and its time to celebrate the season of renewal.

I'm very happy to announce that just in time for the best of the spring holidays--- Easter and Mother's Day--- I have some new card sets available! As well as a variety pack of all new designs :)

This is the "Lamb of God" set and I think its perfect for easter (although strangely my mother's day set would work for easter too!) I am offering these sets in packs of five and this time the postcards come with beautiful perlescent red envelopes (red with a bit of a shimmer) and packaged in this pretty little clear box to make sure that the cards and envelopes stay perfect until you have an occasion to use them.
This card set is called "Madonna of the Blossoms" and I'm so pleased with how she printed up-- it may be hard to see in the photo, but the crackle effect on the painting shows up beautifully on the postcard. This painting depicts the sweetness of new babyhood, as well as hope and love. Both these paintings, for me, conjure up a feeling of deep peace and hope. Something I think we all need!

I originally printed these sets up (they come in sets of 5 also with the red envelopes) with Mother's Day in mind, but I think the addition of the lamb and the baby would make it appropriate for Easter as well.
And then, I decided to make a new variety pack of cards to offer with some designs from the past season or two that haven't appeared in postcard form before! I'm extremely pleased with how they came out. Although I call this set spring 2011, there is a card here for every season, so chances are when you find yourself in need to send a little something to someone special, you'll find something here no matter what time of year it is.

These are ALL available and ready to buy in both my shops HERE and HERE. And you bet your britches I'll have them at the Dustbowl Arts Market in a couple of weeks!

So. Heaving a sigh of satisfaction over here to have these all done up and ready to go. I feel like this spring has been so crazy and frantic that I often times don't know what's what. Things are extra busy with my husband's school schedule, my little gal's school and activities schedule, and me trying to get a little painting and scheming in when I can. I really feel like I'm on the edge of something though, and I keep watching the paintings to see what that is.

I don't know if you know this about me, but I tend to spill myself through my paintings, and sometimes I don't even know it. Perhaps its because painting is like a meditation process for me. Secret wishes and aspirations sometimes come out through the brushes even before I'm willing to take them on myself. Funny how that happens ;)

But good things are happening. And I hope that you can feel it too when you see my new art. I'm always anxious to see what's next. Hope you are too :)

Jane & Lizzie

2011-04-05T09:07:00.003-05:00

This weekend I started working on some new designs in anticipation of the show coming up at the end of the month. Of course I had to do an Jane Eyre....

And when i think of Jane Eyre, I can't help but think of....

Well, I thought it was funny ;)

I also made a Lizzie Bennet mug since I have a Mr. Darcy mug and a Jane Austen mug.

Have you ever felt like 'Lizzie Bennet made me do it?'

You can find these mugs both HERE and HERE.

I'm also excited that all my supplies to make postcard sets complete with pretty red envelopes arrived yesterday! I'm getting some packaged up now and I'll have them ready to sell very soon. I'll have an Easter set, a mother's day set (which also looks sorta Easter-ish) and a mixed collection of some brand new cards.

Well, guess I better get busy!

WWMID? On Frippery and Finery

2011-04-04T08:47:00.005-05:00

"One day in the very last of the winter Pa said to Ma, "Seeing you don't object, I've decided to go see the West. I've had an offer for this place, and we can sell it now for as much as we're ever likely to get, enough to give us a start in a new country."

"Oh, Charles, must we go now?" Ma said. The weather was so cold and the snug house was so comfortable.

"If we are going this year, we must go now," said Pa. "We can't get across the Mississippi after the ice breaks.".....

(So) Everything from the little house was in wagon, except the beds and tables and chairs. They did not need to take these, because Pa could always make new ones."

Little House on the Prairie

Chapter 1, Going West

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

For the past couple of springs, I've taken my little gal on a pilgrimage up to Kansas to visit the Little House on the Prairie site. There, just off an unassuming ribbon of highway in land that is still fairly rural, sits the remains of Pa's well and a replica little house and wagon. When I first saw the wagon, with my adult eyes, I was amazed at the size of it. Because, well, it was tiny. Comparable to the storage space in my Honda, Pilot, which I can stuff to the gills just packing for a craft show alone. I can't imagine having to pack everything important to me, both practical and sentimental, in a tiny space like that. But Ma Ingalls did, and she did it several times over her life.

A recent antique mall find, an old pin cushion doll. Perhaps she was something special to someone long ago?

If anything can be learned from Ma and her traveling regimes, it's 'pack light.' She didn't seem to be overly sentimental about much. Her must-haves to put in the wagon after her cookware and clothes and supplies were probably the family Bible and of course, the china shepherdess.

That little shepherdess, with no real function aside from looking pretty, seems to have been Ma's one little luxury.

It's interesting to wonder about what it was about this simple little piece of china that Ma adored so. What would make her tote it from the big woods to the prairie of Kansas, north to the prairie of Minnesota and then finally west to the Dakotas. Perhaps, through this little shepherdess, we see that Ma was a little sentimental. And that she liked pretty things. And that she could find little ways to bring some beauty and finery into her life, no matter if she was literally living in a hole dug into a creek bed or some little rickety shanty.

Two of my most favorite little dolls, made by Christine Crocker. They'd be in my wagon!

Today, most of us anyway, don't live in a situation where we'd need to be able to pack all we own in the back of a wagon and leave the rest abandoned, with no sentimentality. If you're anything like me, you delight in the pursuit of constantly looking for that next treasure. Of making little collections out of things that are not the least bit useful, although are very pretty.

I think if we can learn anything from Ma's gypsy ways, its that the little fripperies we collect aren't really what is important. A beautiful life can be made just as easily with a happy family, no matter where you are.

But then again, if you find something you really love, and would be willing to tote across the forbidden landscapes, you must always love it and take care of it and appreciate it. Even if you only have just one little pretty thing, it will always be your little pretty thing, and its the love and importance you place on it that makes it so.

In an essence--- its quality, not quantity.

Thanks, Ma!

Audrey Eclectic goes Dustbowl

2011-04-02T17:29:00.003-05:00

Well, the grass is greening up and the flowers are starting to bloom, so you know what that means-- spring show season!

I am happy to report that I have been accepted into a new show at the end of this month, the Dustbowl Arts Market that will take place at the end of the Norman Music Festival.

My booth from Deluxe last winter, my last show!

I'm curious to do this new show in a new town with many new vendors (although some friends will be there with me! Most importantly Art By Bethany who will be sharing a booth with me! :) )

If you're in the area I'd love to see you! The art market will take place at the end of the festival on April 30, and so there promises to be lots of great music and things to see and shop.

In slightly related news, if you're a crafter or an artist trying to make a business of your passion, my friend Holly has done a series of great articles on the Deluxe blog about branding and how to find your voice as a business and make yourself memorable. She goes over everything from choosing a brand theme to merchandising and customer service. It's a must read series! Go HERE to see it.

Well, this afternoon I've made a few new cups and need to get some new spring items made for the show! Can't wait to try something new, and really glad to have friends there with me to give it a go!

Happy Spring,

Sacred Heart

2011-03-29T09:03:00.004-05:00

Not too long ago I had a customer request a little sacred heart painting, done out of my own imagination. I always love those projects where the customer says "do what you want!" ;)

I finished it up last week and mailed if off, and now that she has the Prairie Sacred Heart I thought it was time to share it here :) Of course my little heart takes place over a sleepy prairie village with a pretty little white church connected to a cluster of homes. And you know me, had to douse it with some crackle finish. Everything is better with crackle!

I've loved the look of sacred hearts, though I cant say I've ever painted one, since I was in high school. I was rather obsessed with Romeo + Juliet when it came out in the '90s, I even painted an angel Juliet on the wall of my bedroom :) I think that movie inspired a love of catholic-style religious imagery, talk about ambiance!

And speaking of religious imagery and art, I recently borrowed these books from our church and they're pretty fascinating. I've always liked icon art with its strong lines and deliberate distortion. That probably sounds familiar when you think of my own art ;) These books are interesting because they describe painting, especially when working with icons, as a form of prayer/meditation which I totally relate to. Painting seems to be the only way I can quiet my mind and fully focus without random thoughts popping in. No wonder I'm addicted to it.

It's only natural then to ask, how does painting (or crafting or writing or whatever you're passionate about) make you feel? Why do you do it? Does it give you something you get in no other way? I'd love to hear about it. And I hope you get a chance to do a bit of it today and every day!~

Til next time...

PS: Many thanks to the blog Once Upon a Tea Time for this lovely little feature on my artwork! Very, very sweet :)

What Would Jane Austen Do?

2011-03-28T09:31:00.004-05:00

It seemed only appropriate that Jane should have her own mug. And what more fitting lines to ponder than 'What would Jane Austen do?" I just finished this mug last night and I think it is already one of my favorites! This one I've listed on etsy, and you're welcome to go take a look...

Lately it seems I've been indulging my inner-Anglophile :) the weather has turned gray and chilly and misty, and I find myself pretending I'm out on the moor instead of the old soggy prairie, you know, just for some ambiance ;) My friend Holly also turned me on to this new BBC drama, Downton Abbey which you can watch instantly on netflix. Oh the drama and intrigue! Oh the pretty outfits and hair!
And speaking of anglo-drama and Austen, I thought you'd like an update on the rabbits :) Just last week we found the last baby boy a good and loving home and are down to our final family unit! Mr. Darcy, poor chap, did go get fixed last month so that he is able to live with the ladies now. It was only a few days ago that I reunited him with his longtime love, Lizzie, and introduced him to his daughter, Lilybel.

Rabbit relationships are a tricky and delicate business, not unlike people. I worried that my adult pair would fuss at each other, or fuss about the baby. But it's all been quite precious. When Mr. Darcy first saw Lizzie, he started humming like a bee and nuzzling her face-- the humming being a noise of supreme happiness that rabbits do only rarely.

When they were settled and rebonded (yes, rabbits do make bonded pairs!) I tentatively introduced the baby girl, watching very closely to make sure no one got overly territorial and tried to hurt her. Instead, Mr. Darcy gave her a sniff and started grooming her, adorable daddy behavior :)

I feel really lucky and relieved that they all live together so relatively calmly, and hope it continues once Lilybel reaches hormonal maturity (knock on wood!) I think most of the success stems from the fact that my adult pair has lived together since they were very small babies, and the daddy rabbit probably took to the little one so well because she has Lizzie's scent all over her.

And so...Bunny Pemberley is complete :) Just as Jane would have wanted it :)

Oh la la! More Maries!

2011-03-25T12:05:00.002-05:00

Hi guys! I've been busy painting on anything that will stand still ;) This time its soap dispensers! Aren't these ladies adorable? I just listed them HERE in my shop :)

Prims!

2011-03-22T22:13:00.004-05:00

So yesterday it finally arrived in the mail--- the latest issue of Prims Magazine.....

I was so excited. Not just because its one of the most beautiful art magazines out there, but because three of my little dolls appear within its pages! And not just on one page...or two pages....FOUR pages dedicated to my Sisters of Button Place:
I was pretty much beside myself with excitement when I saw the proofs for the layout a few weeks back. It was one of those 'call and tell your mama' episodes :) I love how they arranged my girls and brought out their beauty. These three dolls are called Minnie, Nora and Sadie, all after women long passed in my family. Minnie was my great-great grandma and although I never met her, I often played with a large rag doll she made my granny when she was a little girl. That doll is still around and still lovable and sweet. So its only fitting perhaps that these little dolls were a nod to her.
There are some great artists in this magazine, and I'm amazed to share ink with them. Junker Jane's dolls are a particular favorite, and I love love love Nicol Sayre.

I am just so excited to get to do these things that I've been in love with since I was little, and that people like to see it and actually put it in magazines, or buy it for their homes. It's such an awesome and amazing feeling!

I hope you enjoy the magazine--- its just pure magic from cover to cover. It hits bookstores and craft stores on April 1. Enjoy!~

Japan Auction Ends Today!

2011-03-21T08:04:00.002-05:00

Just a kind reminder--- the auction for my painting Mori Girl ends today! 100% of the proceeds goes to aid in Japan. It's a great cause, and a cute little painting!

Go HERE to place your bid! :)

Oil Field Beauties

2011-03-17T09:13:00.005-05:00

I think this probably happens to everyone when you grow up. You feel like everywhere, anywhere, is better than where you are. Friends go off and explore big new cities, they move far away as if the only way to find the adventure in life is to get away from here.

However, as one who didn't get away from here, I see it as a good decision. Sure, there are times when I'd like to go on some wild adventure, but here is quite alright too. Just like Dorothy found out, sometimes all you need is right in your own backyard. And mine just happens to be in the middle of America, where cow pastures abound, oil rigs are a part of the everyday landscape, everyone owns a pair of cowboy boots (sure, I got a pair! They are embroidered with flowers though, lol) and people look each other in the eye and even smile as they pass. I think that's quite alright :)
I can claim my Okie status back about 4 generations. So we've been around a bit. We must have liked this place if we've stayed this long. Erratic weather, wide sweeping plains and little towns must suit us just fine. The other day I was thinking up another old timey painting, when I thought about the photo above. Taken in the 1920s, it shows my great-grandma Pansy (standing on the right) with some girlfriends on a dusty country road, probably in Kiefer. Grandma grew up on an oil lease out in the sticks. Family photos of her as a young woman show her dolled up and coiffed, with oil derriks standing like bashful strangers in the background. It's just so country and so Oklahoma.
I love these girls' faced and their fancy hairdos contrasted with their country setting. Because country girls like to get dolled up too!

The original for this painting has already been claimed :) most fittingly by a family member and we've named these girls Ella and Carolyn after her grand-daughters. And incidentally, all of us are descended from Grandma Pansy, whose photo inspired the whole thing.

But don't fret if you like these girls--- I'm offering prints! You can have your own little country girls by visiting the shop HERE.

And of course--- my auction of an original painting to benefit Japan is still live! Please do go take a look if you're interested. Get some original art and help a nation in need, what could be better?

Til next time,

Art for Japan

2011-03-14T15:49:00.003-05:00

As you've read here on the blog, my whole family has become besotted with Japan in some way or another over the past few weeks. So you can imagine how sad we were to hear about all the terrible natural disasters and emergencies going on in Japan because of the earthquake, tsunami and now nuclear crises.

The other day I was thinking to myself about what I in particular could do to lend a little help when it hit me-- I could paint for Japan. So that's what I did. I created this painting, called "Mori Girl' and I've listed it with eBay to auction off to the highest bidder. 100% of the proceeds (after eBay fees) will go to the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund - a GlobalGiving Project.

A few years ago I took part in a group art auction to benefit those effected by Hurricane Katrina and it was a really satisfying endeavor. I can offer help by using my own personal talents, and you can offer help and get some pretty art in return :) pretty win/win/win I think :)

If you'd like to place a bid, please go HERE to my auction.

And if you're wondering what a 'mori girl' is, well, I just learned myself! "Mori Girl' is a type of fashion/lifestyle in Japan. 'Mori' means 'Forest' in Japanese, and the aesthetic is a winsome, old fashioned, nature loving girl who looks like she might dwell in the forest. Once I heard of it and saw 'mori girl' fashion, I was totally smitten with it! It's like 'Little House' meets Kyoto. Its dreamy and sweet and off-beat.

So if you'd like your own little Mori Girl, and help the people of Japan at the same time, please do make a bid! Lets help our Japanese friends.

********************************

Also! I didn't forget that the giveaway ended today! I just selected the winner at random (after my hand quick aching from writing out all the names, lol!) and the winner was Geri Centonze. Congrats Geri!~

Giveaway! Mr. Darcy hand painted mug

2011-03-10T20:33:00.003-06:00

Oh, Mr. Darcy. He's been captivating readers around the world for nearly 200 years. Not too shabby for a man who sometimes botches marriage proposals and doesn't always know the right thing to say. Yet still, millions of us seem to love him any way :)

It's been a good long while since I had a giveaway around here, and so I thought we should change that! I am now offering one of my hand painted mugs with a portrait of a dashing young regency man with "My Heart Belongs to Mr. Darcy" written on the side.

Because really, what is better than curling up with a little Jane Austen than curling up with a little Jane Austen and a cup of good hot tea. (or coffee! or cocoa!) And we all know everything tastes better when it's in a pretty cup ;)

And so I'm giving you the chance to win this mug so that you can enjoy a little Darcy with your tea and crumpets :) All you have to do is leave me a comment here on this post and you'll be entered to win!

So--- who is your favorite literary hero? Do you have a Mr. Darcy in your life? Are you a Lizzie Bennet in a Caroline Bingley world? Well, we all know who wins in the end ;)

Can't wait to hear from you! And good luck! Contest will end Monday March 14 when the winner will be announced.

Okie-Tokyo

2011-03-08T12:54:00.005-06:00

So lately we've had a pretty family-wide obsession with Japan. I blame my smitteness on THIS SITE. Goodness gracious. I've never seen such adorable things! I bought some fabric from there but I was a little nervous to take the scissors to it just yet, so I made this little dress to practice on:

I'm glad I did it-- the dress came out nicely over all but I did learn a ton about creating my own pattern and just sewing a dress in general. The bright floral fabric seemed a bit Japanese-esque to me, so its only fitting it was the practice run, right? now my little miss is lounging in it watching a Hayao Miyazaki movie (her current Japanese obsession!)

So far, this one, Spirited Away, is her favorite. They're pretty interesting films! It's interesting to me that Japan seems to have its own little love affair with western culture, and you can see it in their animated films like this one, and even their crafts. I think that is what is so appealing to me about it all--- seeing vaguely familiar things like little dutch girls or Russian stacking dolls viewed through an eastern perspective. It's pretty darn adorable. I mean, just look at these craft books:

I've seen some pretty adorable little outfits on the web that came out of this little book. Alas, this particular one is in Japanese so you'd need to be able to follow instructions by graphics alone. At Super Buzzy they have a good stock of these Japanese books in English though, and I'm sure one will make it's way to me some time down the road :) Just looking at them makes me melt a little, that's for sure :)

Anyhow, that's what's going on over here. A little Okie-Tokyo love :)

What's your current obsession?

Made to order

2011-03-05T13:35:00.002-06:00

My business manager, er, husband had a great idea yesterday. He suggested that I decide on a set number of styles for some mugs and then offer them made to order. So if you're coveting a Marie then well, I'll make one up for you real quick!

You can find Marie mugs, the Mr. Darcy mug and the Regency reading girl mug all made to order HERE in my shop. And boy do I have more ideas!

I'm so glad you all like the dishware idea! It's been lots of fun :)

A note on the made to order stuff though--- it takes me a good couple of days to get each mug completed and ready to be used, so it will be at least 48 between purchase and mailing. But that's not too long of a wait for hand painted loveliness, right? I thought not ;)

A lady and a gentleman

2011-03-03T15:53:00.002-06:00

I've been painting more mugs :) these are some brand-new designs. I thought I'd go more modern than my 17th century Marie Antoinette era...to the Regency era ;)

The mug featuring the dapper young gent says "my (heart shape) belongs to Mr. Darcy." It's super cute :) And the cup with the bookish young miss says "lost in the pages." You can see more photos of them in my shop, HERE.

What are you up to this early spring day?

Spring Romance

2011-03-02T12:45:00.004-06:00

Lately I've been romanced. By warm days and birds tweeting and little crocus popping up and trying to sweet talk me into believing its spring. I know that it's probably too good to be true, but I don't mind being lied to ;)

Of course it didn't help that my seeds arrived the other day from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. If you've never heard of them, you must check out their catalog. It's gorgeous, and full of so many interesting and old timey plants. All of them heirloom and passed down from generation to generation. The stories themselves are even amazing, from the Okra seeds that were given to a rural family 100 years ago by a Creek Indian woman, to heirloom watermelon from ancient Iraq, many of the seeds come from backgrounds worthy of a novel.

We actually went to the Spring Planting Festival at Baker Creek which is in Mansfield, Missouri (sound familiar? It's also the hometown of Laura Ingalls Wilder! Hello!) last spring and had a wonderful time.

This year, more than ever before, I'm really gung-ho about being more self-sufficient and buying local. I've got lots of schemes about planting a new vegetable bed, I've started trying to make more of our snacks and breads on my own, and find ways to buy things on a more local scale. I was excited to find that in my area there is a winter option to the farmer's market so you can buy lots of locally made products all year round.
The market is called The Tulsa Clean Food Market and I was able to get a tub of real butter, fresh from the farm breakfast sausage, lavender sugar and a dozen eggs for under $20. I opened up my pack of eggs today and was so enamored by all the pretty colors and shades and speckles that I had to snap a photo ;)

All these little things has me feeling very motivated and exciting for the coming year. It may not seem like much to plant a packet of seeds or buy a bag of groceries from a local farmer instead of the grocery store chain, but all of these things, when they are added up, I really believe it make a difference.

If we want to make a change for ourselves and our world, we can vote everyday for the change we want. And that vote is cast by our dollars, and by our actions. And when you're a little Type A like me, that's a comforting thought :)

Now, who wants an omelette? ;)

Belle Marie!~

2011-03-01T12:37:00.002-06:00

I just finished another plate! Who doesn't love Marie, right? :)

"Belle Marie"

This plate with hand painted and is one of my favorites. I just can't stop with the big hair ;) I think those old decadent looks go well with the line drawings too. They had so much detail, in their dress and their hair....
I've listed it just now in my shop, so take a look if you're interested! Hope all is well with you and yours :) Its so sunny and nice out today here. I hope that means spring is really on it's way!~

Spring Wedding

2011-02-25T13:22:00.002-06:00

"Spring Wedding"

What can I say, I am ready for spring. We've had some good days where she's shown us her face and whispered sweet promises, but then there are days...like today...when its so gray and cold and spitting snow that you fear it won't ever truly get here.

That is not the case in the art room though! I just finished this painting and its all about love, weddings, riots of spring flowers, and clear sunny days. This painting is set up a little different than I usually do, because the people are more recessed into the background and the background itself takes more of a center stage.

If you're in need for a special gift for a spring bride this season, or if you yourself were a spring bride....this will make such a pretty keepsake (if I say so myself!)

I was an autumn bride, but I can definitely appreciate the loveliness of the spring season. New beginnings and fresh starts. Our hyacinths and daffodils are peeking up finally. And on sunny days you can almost feel things starting to think about greening up. But not today.

Ah well, it will get here soon enough! Until then there's always plenty to dream up and plan out in anticipation of spring....

Rabbits & Roses

2011-02-22T15:29:00.003-06:00

I love pretty and girly clothes. Clothes with an old timey vibe and soft well-worn fabrics. It is also very true that I have anthropologie tastes and a Target budget ;) it's been on my to-do list ever since I got my fancier sewing machine a few months back that I learn how to sew. So yesterday the yearning got to a bit of a fever pitch and lo and behold, I made my little gal a skirt!

The fabric was left over from curtains I made for her bedroom (How very Sound of Music, right?) and the pattern I found online HERE at this amazing site that I am little bit in love with at the moment. The pattern is free and it's also very easy to complete. It's got me feeling brave and much more confident in what the possibilities are with creating clothes for my little one and even myself.

Of course she had to pose with a bunny--- our time with these sweeties is nearing its end and its both a little sad and a little exciting. We're going to keep one, the only girl, so that she can stay with her mama. Mr. Darcy has an appointment tomorrow morning to, ahem, adjust his daddy parts, so that this will be our first and last litter. It's a little sad, but something I decided to do for everyone's happiness. He just misses his Lizzie terribly and until I know that putting them together wont result in unplanned babies, he has to stay in his own little hutch.

We have friends that are going to take two of our boys and buy our old outdoor hutch so that means just two other little ones will be needing homes. I'm hoping that will be easily done, especially with Easter coming up. I'm not necessarily an advocate in buying a living creature just for the sake of a holiday, but easter was when I got my first rabbit as a child, and ironically we got Lizzie and Mr. Darcy just a few days after last easter. So it's a good a time as any :)
Here's a current picture of our growing babies as of this morning. The white and spotted boy on the far left is available, as are the brown ones. It has been amazing to watch these little ones grow so quickly from wiggly ugly little naked things that looked, honestly, like little baby mice into the fluffy and hoppy adorably little sweethearts. I hope wherever they find a home, they will be loved and adored. Things are looking good in that direction :)

Food for thought and reading

2011-02-21T09:36:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I went on a baking bend and so this morning we had left over coffee cake for breakfast. Not just any coffee cake though, it was Tasha Tudor's recipe. I swear, there is nothing I don't like out of that cookbook. That's pretty amazing.

And as you can see, I've spent my winter dreaming about food. Obviously, I'm getting quite the foodie collection. Some I've been given, some I've even won in a blog giveaway. Others are just more food for my obsession. Come on, spring time!

Headed to the post office and the library today. I always feel like I'm getting away with something when I get a big armful of books at the library without spending a single dime. And maybe we'll stop by the antique mall too. Just stop. No harm in looking, right? I can do that, can't I? ;)

Oh and don't forget! I've got some new painted ceramics in my shop! You can find them HERE.

A Springtime Interlude

2011-02-20T16:07:00.003-06:00

The strangest weather has been happening out here. Two weeks ago we were peering out our windows at a swirling blizzard and feet of snow. This past week found us gallivanting around in tank tops soaking up weather more suited for May than February. What can I say, it's been marvelous!

Of course with spring-like weather thoughts turn to spring. And as soon as all that pesky snow melted off I started plotting about gardening. Because this year.... I am so ready to get my hands dirty and start growing some pretty and delicious things :)

I've always loved the idea and philosophy behind homesteading--- doing it yourself, growing your own. Embracing handmade and supporting your own culture and arts community. But this year I want to make even more of an effort to get behind these ideas.

Sure, I have been reading a lot of Micheal Pollan lately (everyone should) and day dreaming about the day when I'll have my own farm (or even just a solid acre!) but I've also decided that its no good to wait for the perfect scenario or perfect time to start becoming more self-reliant. Now should be as good a time as any.

I just started reading another book about a family that takes up the challenge to live and eat locally for a solid year. Its a fascinating prospect and one I'm excited to read about. However, the whole premise of the story revolves around the fact that oh, they just happened to own this entire farm in Appalachia that was just sitting around waiting to be lived in and harvested. Um, well, the rest of us really don't have that luxury.

I live in an agricultural area, but I do live in a neighborhood and my house sits on a little plot that measures somewhere like .00000000001 of an acre (give or take a zero, lol) And guess what, it slopes! But after reading about savvy urban homesteaders who make do with the likes of apartment balconies and rooftops, I'm a little more motivated that I can do some homesteading around here too :)

I went back and forth about whether writing about this sort of thing was appropriate for this blog. I've been a part of Mama Says Vintage which, you may have noticed, has been a little dusty just because lots of life got in the way for both me and Miss Holly. I wondered if topics like real food and gardening and old timey living would be better left there, but after consulting a few readers and searching my own mind, I've decided that I'll just lump it all here. Because I think everything--- the art, the garden, the Little House mindset--- it will all make much more sense when it's taken as a whole. So you've been warned :)

Of course I'll keep on painting. I even finished some more mugs! (see them here) and keep doing shows and the like. But I think this blog is about to blossom in more ways than one, and I hope you'll enjoy reading about it.

I have great hopes that 2011 will be a year of lots of possibilities and growth. Goodness, this will be the fourth year of this blogs rambling existance, can you believe it?

So here's to brand new things, and some good old things as well....

Things get dishy

2011-02-16T12:36:00.003-06:00

I've been busy. What else is new? But this is something really new. I'm dabbling in painted ceramics!

I love coffee and tea. And that only leads to an infatuation with and pursuit of the perfect cup. Because we all know that when you drink something out of a pretty cup it tastes better ;) right?

Well after doing some reading I decided to try a new medium! Painting on ceramics. I've been playing around with Pebeo paints. There's a freedom to doing line drawings and more simple color combinations. Playing with pattern and line instead of the line just being the backbone for a larger more complex painting. With this, the line takes center stage.

I'm excited to debut these at upcoming shows. It's always interesting to see how customers will respond to new products. You never know. But I'm hopeful these will be a hit. And who doesnt love useful art?

A note about the paints though-- in France, where these paints are made, they are considered nontoxic and food safe. However they haven't received this official stamp of being food safe in a direct contact context in the US by the USDA. Because of this, I'm promoting my plates as decorative only. However, the mugs are safe to use since the paint never comes into direct contact with what you're ingesting. Another handy dandy aspect of these paints are that they are dishwasher safe, which is important to me as a consumer, and I'm sure to you too.

And so! I've listed some new mugs and this place in my shop. Go check it out! Hope you like it :)

WWMID? Weathering a Storm

2011-02-14T07:46:00.002-06:00

Laura stood at the window. She had cleared a peephole through the frost but she saw only blank whiteness. She could not see Pa at the door nor tell when he left it. She went slowly back to the heater. Mary sat silently rocking Grace. Laura and Carrie just sat.

"Now girls!" Ma said. "A storm outdoors is no reason for gloom in the house."

"What good is it to be in town?" Laura said. "We're just as much by ourselves as if there wasn't any town."

"I hope you don't expect to depend on anybody else, Laura." Ma was shocked. "A body can't do that."

- The Long Winter

Chapter 13 "We'll Weather the Blast"

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Many times over the last two weeks I've been thinking about this little family and this book in particular as the snow fell and fell on our little prairie home and left us literally stranded inside for days at a time. For the first day or two we were content just to be. We laid around and watched movies, made cookies, stoked a fire. And then more snow fell. And we started climbing the walls a bit. As news channels broadcast footage of bare grocery store shelves and pleaded with citizens to stay in their homes and not even attempt to get out and about, my worrisome nature, like Laura, started to get the better of me.

"What time is it? I mean what month is it?" Laura asked stupidly.

"It is the middle of February," Ma answered

Then spring was nearer than Laura had thought. February was a short month and March would be spring. The train would come again and they would have white bread and meat.

"I am so tired of brown bread with nothing on it," Laura said.

"Don't complain, Laura!" Ma told her quickly. "Never complain of what you have. Always remember you are fortunate to have it."

-- The Long Winter

Chapter 23 The Wheat in the Wall

By Laura Ingalls Wilder

I must admit that peeking into a book like The Long Winter while trapped by a blizzard myself was a bit of a comfort. Because if anyone had it worse that I did, with my nice heater on full blast, electricity and plenty of food, it was definitely the Ingalls family. They were living in a little wooden structure with 1) no insulation 2) no heat source outside of a stove running off of twisted hay and 3) doh! No trains could get through for months and so they had a severely limited food supply.

As an adult to go back and read these Little House books, and The Long Winter in particular, I am continuously amazed at Ma's fortitude, ingenuity and positive attitude. As much as Pa was the family star, Ma was the family glue. She made these stories into what they are--- happy tales of a family pulling together and making it--- instead of tales of the loneliness, isolation and severe poverty of rural pioneer life.

It's amazing and comforting to know that something as simple as your attitude when approaching a task can make or break a situation. Caroline Ingalls, during this long and hard winter, was looking around this tiny room at her children who were living off of a potato a day and having to grind raw wheat in a coffee grinder in order to have a little bread at the end of the day and decided to have a good attitude about it all. I wouldn't have blamed the woman if she'd had a hissy, ranted about being dragged from her pretty little home in Minnesota to the God-forsaken wilderness, and demanded to be put on the first train out of town. But she never did. She always seemed to know that they'd make it through whatever was going on, and it was best done cheerfully.

This is a real lesson for me and one that is a real struggle some times. But I realize that if these people could get through those sort of struggles, then by golly I can get through mine. And I have a feeling that spring will be as sweet for me this year as it was for the Ingalls family so long ago.

And with that, I wish you a happy Valentine's Day! And may your spring come quickly as well!~

April Flowers

2011-02-11T07:06:00.002-06:00

Well here she is, my first painting of the season in cool spring colors. I do like how she turned out :) she's in sort of a 1920s style but also timeless, surrounded by pretty stylized flowers. This is April Flowers.

I've got lots of plans for some new things this coming spring :) I'm in the mood to start some dolls....wont that be fun??? I've missed that a bit. And don't worry, I'm still working on the book illustrations. But the luxury of doing it on my own, is doing it on my own time :) I do have the third illustration on the board right now though.
If you're interested in pretty little April Flowers, you can find it for sale HERE.

Oh, and last night I looked all the baby buns over closely and it appears we have FOUR boys and ONE girl! So I guess it's obvious who we're keeping--- and she's the spitting image of her mama. Now, what Austen-esque names shall we give them until they're in their forever homes? Willoughby? Mr. Bingley? Oh that sounds like a good bouncy name for a bunny ;) What else....hmmm.....

Spring cleaning

2011-02-10T08:22:00.004-06:00

I don't know if you ever do this, but a few days ago I moved one piece of furniture in my house and then ended up destroying half my house trying to rearrange things to accomodate the move ;) and the real kicker is--- I'd moved the furniture in anticipation of buying a new piece, and then when it came down to it, I didn't even buy it! Oy!

Something good did come out of the massive shuffle though. I reorganized my entire art room, something that I'm fairly sure I would have never tackled otherwise. And I have to say, I love the results! Already I feel more organized and 'official.' This is a real productive creating center now, now just a room with a massive amount of clutter stacked everywhere ;)

The reorganizing has also got me rethinking my thoughts on color and theme as we prepare to head into another season. I have been very comfortable painting in the dark and earthy tones of autumn and winter for many months now, but its time to shake things up. I dont want any of my paintings to look like the same old thing. So I've switching to a lighter color palette, and here is my new inspiration board to keep me going:

I'm working on this small painting now done in earthy pastels that will be finished soon :) and its all about spring colors and spring flowers! It's been a long time since I've painted a flower. It's been more snow covered pine trees around here, but it's time for a change! We may have a foot of snow on the ground at the moment, but warmer days are ahead! It's supposed to be 60* out by Tuesday. Suddenly Oklahoma's schizophrenic temperatures don't seem so crazy now that I'm longing for another season :)

Oh, and on the bunny front-- they are getting so big and so adorable. Their little personalities are coming through now and they are precious. When I enter the room they clamor for my attention (I'd like to think it's because they love me so much, but I'm pretty sure they're looking for snacks, haha) by March 1 I will officially be placing them in their forever homes. Although I think I may keep one baby...I just couldn't stand to take them all from their mama. She would be so upset! She really is a great mom.

If you want to see how they're doing now, I have a new video HERE. But be warned, they are so cute it hurts a bit ;)

Ok, off to start a new day!~

WWMID?

2011-02-07T13:30:00.004-06:00

Once upon a time there was a young woman. She had three little girls and a handsome bearded husband. She packed up all her special things and practical things and put them in a wagon and headed off to a far away land. There was no one else but her little family and little house for miles. Everything that was made or done was by her hands. Because she was Ma.

Being positively snowbound for nearly a week has made me think many times about those people long ago who were stuck for weeks and months on end on desolate land claims. On lonely wagon trails or making homes in dug-outs, tiny wooden cabins or shacks made of sod. Really, I don't have it so bad when I think of this situation that way ;)

I do, after all, have a truck with 4-wheel drive ;) I have access to a grocery store when the going gets tough, central heat and air and a telephone.

When I start feeling mopey and climbing the walls, wishing desperately to go to the antique mall (ok, I did have my husband drive me there yesterday. How good it felt to get out into the clutter again, haha!) I am determined to remember that others were in much more dire straits and they made it through with flair and imagination.

So I've decided to start a new segment here on my blog! I've pretty much retired "Tasha Tuesdays" and now I have decided to do something a little fun and old timey minded :) I've decided to call the new segment for 2011 "WWMID?" Or: What Would Ma Ingalls Do?"

For so long Ma Ingalls played second fiddle to Pa (ha ha) and was a quiet supporting character of all the Little House books. But as I reread the books as an adult, I am amazed at her ingenuity and fortitude. It was often her presence and intelligence that turned many situations that the characters in Laura Ingalls Wilder's books encountered from being nightmarish into easily overcome.

And so! This year I've decided to renew my interest in urban homesteading, home made living and sharpening or gaining skills that our great-grandmas and beyond used every day. What better role model and teacher than the ultimate-- Ma! So I hope you join me for WWMID here on the blog. I'm sure she's got a lot of wisdom to share with us :)

Til then,

Another Illustration~

2011-02-05T08:01:00.004-06:00

Good morning friends! The sky is blue here this morning and I can see ice sicles on the eaves of the house next door. That must mean we're having a little bit of a melt! Hurray! Not going to get too excited though, because I've heard more snow is coming. And I'm not trying to think too terribly much about The Long Winter ;)

But one thing I am going to do is show you my latest illustration!:

This painting actually pleasantly surprised me. It's a scene from the middle of the story, I've decided not to follow the storyline but to just paint whatever scene I'm in the mood for at the moment. I love how the mom turned out, and the feel of the cabin and the snow scene outside. I think when I get the book all done up I'll offer prints of each illustration individually, in case there's one you like in particular. It's an exciting but very slow process. I'm sure I could go faster if, oh, my child's school hadn't been closed for a week and I could get myself into a regular routine ;) but with snow in the forecast next week and mounds of it still on the ground, I'm thinking we'll be in for week two of "stuck in the house with mama." Sorta like the children in this painting, I guess ;)

In particular I like how the mother in the painting came out. She's making decorations to fancy up the little cabin. And speaking of people who lived in little cabins in the rural far-off, the other day I found this photo in a little old wallet among some family things. I didn't even realize I had it, but it made me smile. Not sure who it is, but it seems to be a relation of my great-great grandfather George Elbert Reid, if it isn't truly him himself:

Don't you just love those boots? And looks like my love for rabbits may be a family thing! But, er, I think we show our "love" in slightly different ways ;) I can't even count how many rabbits he's got here. And it looks like he may have some slung over his back. He's standing in a few inches of snow and there's a wagon and team of horses behind him. I'm sure someone would be able to date this by looking at his clothes and hat, but I'm not sure. This side of the family was from rural Missouri, Laclede County to be specific. It's so funny how these past people and things can be so far gone and yet so present. Just the other day I made snow ice cream for my daughter for the first time. I learned how to make it from George Elbert's daughter, who was my great-grandma. She was in her eighties.

Well, speaking of little ones, mine is up and ready for the day. Her first words to me, as usual, were "where are we going today?" lol, not far! Maybe we'll go out in the snow for a bit....

2011-02-04T14:51:00.002-06:00

Hello there! Let me peek out from this snowdrift and greet you! Hope you are safe and warm. We are snowed in, and it just keeps falling! This morning my parents came to get Audrey and I and take us to the grocery store. As we waited for them fat little flakes began to fall....and they're still falling....

I'm relieved to have a good stock of food again and I'm making no plans to peep my little head out of the neighborhood for a good long while. It is just....epic. This is like, Minnesota snow. Arctic Canadian tundra snow. Oh dear, my library books will be late. I'm sure they'll understand ;) I've got plenty of stock to make enough baked goods to keep us fat and happy though. And coffee. And hot cocoa. We'll get through this now!

This is a little piece of the illustration I'm working on this week. I really like how its coming along. It's so funny to be painting a picture of a family snug in a little cabin while snow falls outside....while being snug in our little house while snow is truly falling outside. Life is imitating art, or vice versa around here.

What are you working on this early February? Are you snowed in as well? Be safe and hope all is well in your part of the big woods~

Little House in the Blizzard

2011-02-02T08:29:00.007-06:00

Goodness gracious! Our world has turned white. Looking out my kitchen window this morning, the sun is rising peach and pristine over a landscape of sparkling white. A snowdrift has waved up to the back porch and stand hip-high to me. It's an amazing scene to behold. Especially here, on the southern prairie, where we might get 6 or so inches a year. Yesterday we got a little more than 12" (at least! Nearing 20" in some places) we broke our all-time snowfall record and the outside world has come to a standstill. Luckily, we're safe and warm in the little house...

This is me shoveling out a path for poor Henry yesterday. However, he was totally uninterested even after all this work. Can you tell that my hair was fixed really cute? ;)

The snow started falling in the night and didn't stop until the middle of the afternoon. I've promised a certain little someone that we'll get out and play in it today. Who knows when something like this will happen again? I'm feeling very Tasha Tudor locked in my little house under mounds of snow ;) And like Tasha, I decided it was time to get some good snowed-in painting done:
We kept a fire going most of the day so I spread out a quilt and my paints and turned on a movie (or two!) and painted away. The illustrations are going nicely :) it's nice to be working on a new one. It's handy that my story is set on a Christmas Eve snowstorm, the current landscape is very inspiring!

Something else that I busied myself with as the snow swirled down, was cooking! I made vegan orange scones to munch on (I'm not vegan myself, but I do love to try some recipes from time to time! I got the recipe out of THIS book) and can you believe there wasn't a crumb left by sundown?

I also accidentally invented a new recipe for dinner that turned out rather good! I thought I'd share it with you. I've named it....

Snopocolype Fiesta Pie

Hehe, pretty catchy, dontcha think? It started out with me trying to make chili for dinner and then realizing after I'd cooked my meat that I didn't have all the core ingredients for it. So I turned it into a chili/mexican hybrid (because I could eat mexican food everyday, love it...) and added some veggies for good measure (I did, after all, eat near my body weight in scones! They were vegan though, lol....)

Here's the recipe:

(Snopocolypse) Fiesta Pie

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey (or you could use beef)

Mexican meat seasoning

1 can black beans

1 small can tomato paste

handful of grated cheese (mexican blend, cheddar, pepper jack, whatever)

1 pack Jiffy cornbread mix

handful shredded lettuce

chopped tomato or Pico style salsa

Sour cream (optional)

To start I browned my turkey meat in my dutch over. When it was cooked through I added the mexican spice with a little water and let it simmer for a while. Then I added my can of black beans and tomato paste, stirred together and let simmer for a while.

Meanwhile, mix up your package of corn bread mix (or make your own, if you're so inclined. I made this with a box of Jiffy corn bread) when the meat mixture has simmered together, sprinkle the meat with a layer of cheese and then pour the cornbread mix over the top and spread evenly like a pie top. Put the lid on the dutch oven (leaving a slight crack for steam) and let simmer for 25 minutes.

Check pie periodically and when the cornbread top seems cooked through, take dutch oven off of heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then cut up the 'pie' and put on plate. Top with shredded lettuce and some tomatoes. Add a dollop of sour cream if you're so inclined (and I always am!)

Serve!~

***********************

And so....we're just eating and painting and hanging out over here! Trying not to think about what it will take to get this frozen world going again. It will melt. Eventually! No matter that we're having such bone chilling temperatures (-7 tomorrow morning?!) and perhaps more snow next week. No....we will just continue our hibernation and dreaming of spring.

Hope you are safe and warm on this winter's day.

Til next time...

The illustrating commences....

2011-01-31T13:37:00.002-06:00

Well, one down....a few more to go ;) I finally got the first illustration completed for my little story. I admit it was a little slow going, its hard to get inspired to paint the exact same painting that you just pained ;) I was never good at that....the sketching and reworking and reworking. Because in my case, you always like the first try better and then you can't recreate it. That's why I dont draw facial features when I sketch. Better to save the spark ;)

But no matter that she's the 'second time around girl', here is the illustration:

Pretty much the same exact scene but some subtle changes. I made the bearded traveler stand out a little better from the path and moved her gaze up to eye level with the reader instead of down to the side. My husband says he likes this face better, although I sorta like the first face best (as per usual!) but someone had commented that she looked sad in the first one, so I tried to perk her up ;) to me, my girls don't look sad. Just thoughtful. Is being lost in thought sad? Surely not! But here's a closer view:

She's got little knit mittens and hat, and a fur lined coat (it's obviously very cold where she's at!) I'm really excited to share my little story with you guys when its all done. It's got a big dose of Old Timey to it, that's for certain. It's something I would enjoy reading at any rate, and whether I like it or not has always been my gauge of the success of anything I make. If you dont even have your heart in it, why would anyone else?

On the home front, we're settling in for the big snow storm of the season. It was literally 76* out this saturday. We had all the windows open, I had on a tank top and a hippie skirt on Friday! It was so much like spring that I knew I'd have a hard time letting it go. But led it go we did on Sunday. Its back to frigid temperatures and its just gray and miserable outside at the moment, the literal calm before the storm. We could get a foot of snow dumped on us tomorrow and while that's not much in many places, it sure is a lot for us out here on the southern prairie. Although we do get snow a few times a year, each time people just freak out and forget how to deal ;) you couldn't pay me enough to go to the grocery store today with all the people trying to frantically buy last minute provisions (ok, maybe I'd go for $200, but I'd complain and stress out the whole time!)

But we have a full fridge and pantry, and some wood stacked at the back door. There are enough books to read, yarn to knit, pictures to paint, rabbits and dogs to cuddle to get us through the next few days.

Stay warm and stay crafty my friends!~

Rules to Art By

2011-01-26T20:29:00.006-06:00

Whatever you would do, begin it. Boldness has courage, genius, and magic in it. ~Goethe

This is my quote of the week. Thanks to Laura, for sharing it with me. But do you know sometimes how you’re trying to work through something, and then suddenly you hear what you just needed at that moment? I love when that happens.'

2011 is going to be about trying new things for me. It is, in many ways, me coming out of my comfort zone to boldly go after something I’ve wanted for a long time. Like since crayons J

Often times though its easy to talk ourselves out of big dreams. And one of my favorite ways to talk myself out of stuff is to think “but what do I know about doing this? How do I even begin?” But then I realize that, three years ago, I didn’t know how to get my art out there for people to buy. And I slowly figured it out.

It wasn’t a perfect process. In many cases, I learned by messing up. By having those experiences that you cringe to think about but they burn themselves in your brain and make you stronger. And sometimes the lessons weren’t painful at all--- sometimes a kind soul would share their wisdom with me and open a little door for me to crawl through and get closer to the world I longed for.

I’ve been daydreaming this post for a while now, but I thought it was high time I took action and become a kind soul to any of those new artists (or crafters, or anyone) out there who is little down the path from me but wants to come along. So, with no further fan-fair, here is a little about what I’ve learned along the way to the business of arting:

photo taken by Tara Mason

You must believe you’re worth it before others will believe you’re worth it. This pertains to everything from fighting for your time to pricing your artwork. I know as artists, or wanna be artists, its really hard to say no to things or to price our work above bare minimum. Because we feel sorta snotty. Or like ‘who the heck does she think she is?’ It took me a while to finally gain my backbone and think “hey, my time is valuable. And so is my talent.”

Mind you, I’m not selling $1,000 paintings because I also feel strongly about regular people being able to afford artwork that they love. A painting does me no good if I price it sky-high and then it sits in my studio for years with a dusty price tag. You want things to be priced so they sell but also at a rate you feel like your time was well spent. With this in mind, be very wary of offers that go ‘I’m writing a book and I need an illustrator. I can’t pay you but you can have the portion of a the profits….” I hate to be a cynic but do you know how much profit a book who can’t even pay its illustrator up front will most likely make? Well, it probably wouldn’t buy you a pack of colored pencils ;)

If the proposition sounds shady, then it probably is. We all, at some point, will get the email. Someone loves our paintings. They want to buy them all! Or darn near all of them. Except….they don’t live in your country. They can’t purchase through your online shop. But gee, they’ve got lots of maneuvering ideas on how to make this purchase go through! You just need to follow all their specific plans…..

This, M’ Dear, is a scam. Sad but true. There are people out there that troll the internet and look for kind hearted, hard working people who just want to make their customers happy and make a big sale. There are countless scams out there, from having you send money to them so that they can ‘send’ you theirs, to stolen paypal and eBay accounts, you name it. The best way to protect yourself is to only make a transaction through your secure shop, be it eBay, etsy, bigcartel, etc. Because if you do your transaction through a secure site, you, as the seller are more protected then you would be otherwise.

I personally do 99.9% of my sales through PayPal. It’s just a safe and secure way of doing things. If you come into contact with someone who doesn’t use paypal, after kindly suggesting that they start, your next alternative should be to request that they send you a money order. A money order is like a check, but better. The buyer has to purchase the money order with cash, so it is as good as cash. But since it is a paper document and is only filled out to be cashed in by you or your business, it is more secure to send through the mail than actual cash. Honestly, these two options are your safest options and my only options as a vendor, for my protection. When it comes to payment, make sure you are in control so that you can make sure everything is on the up and up. If someone wants to finagle with you or do some strange sort of money switch-around, then giant red lights should be blinking in your head and you should start running in the opposite direction. Politely of course.

And one more thing about paypal. When someone is paying you via paypal always send the item you are selling to the approved address on the paypal address. No acceptions, unless you know who you are selling to and feel comfortable doing so. But on a first time sale, it is never a good idea to send an item ‘to my cousin in Estonia for her birthday’ when your buyer is supposedly from Indiana. This is because a) the paypal address is probably hacked and now they’re trying to illegally buy your items with someone in Indiana’s paypal account and have you send the goods to them and b) most importantly--- many selling sites like eBay, for instances, wash their hands of any seller protection if you send your item to an address that was different than the paypal verified address. Then, do you know what happens? When the funds are flagged as stolen, they are returned to the victim’s account out of your paypal account. Think that sounds like a bum deal? It is. So don’t let it happen to you!

Ah, so there you have it. Those are some pretty big chunks of advice that I take to heart, anyhow. And often times learning them can be a hard lesson. So I hope I save someone a trip down that road. Often times, as artists or people who are self employed, it can often feel like a one woman show and that we’ve got to get it all figured out on our own. That’s not always the case. I hope that you’ve found this info helpful! Come back again and I’ll be back to pretty things and fun projects. Til then,

Shop Update

2011-01-25T14:08:00.003-06:00

I am happy to report that I finally got several original paintings listed and ready for new homes! They are now located in my little shop online, perhaps there's one there with your name on it? :)

"An Old Fashioned Romance"

Most of them are a grouping of my little 1930s era girls. I really love these paintings. They look like old photographs come to life. You just know that they all have a story.

"Jacqueline"

Yesterday was errand day and today was house cleaning day. I am very much looking forward to painting day tomorrow! What have you been up to this January? Hope you're having a good winter~

Sunrise, Monday Morning

2011-01-24T07:26:00.003-06:00

Sitting here this chilly morning with a dog at my feet and a sugar-laced cup of coffee. Been up before sunrise and on purpose! My husband and I are waking up early to exercise a few mornings a week.

It sure is frosty out there though. And today is errand day. With the new year I've tried to get more organized and that means a routine. Which is nice because I can look forward to allotted time to paint instead of franticly trying to just make it happen sporadicly.

I wanted to say thanks about all the book encouragement! And that I've been working on it :) this weekend I completed this little painting for it, only to realize that I dont like the surface I painted it on. So, this is an out-take:

I made this on a canvas board and while it looks very nice in person, it didnt scan well. The light from the scanner bounced off the texture of the canvas to create tiny fragments of glare. No good. I'm just glad I realized this before I had several done! So now I plan to do the illustrations on wood, which has a much smoother, glare-free surface.

But I wanted you to see my characters and get a feel for the story. It is, of course, an old-timey tale :) I want it to feel like a classic. Like Little House on the Prairie meets Tasha Tudor. That's the goal, anyway!

So, this week it will be back to painting for me. But don't worry, I will have new offerings in my shop. It finally occurred to me that I have several paintings that I held back for my fall shows that I have yet to list online. Many of them are dear favorites, so I hope that you'll like them :) of course I'll let you know when they're up. I'll be photographing them and writing up the listings starting today.

Here's hoping its a good week for all of us!~

PS: Oh, you want to see some more baby bunnies, you say? Well, we made another video ;) you can see it HERE.

2011-01-21T11:13:00.003-06:00

It's hard for me to sit still. I don't know why, but I always have to be busy doing something, although some days I stop and think "what did I even do? Whatever it was, I was busy..." haha.

I've been thinking lately that I really need to get myself in gear about my lofty dream of writing and illustrating. I've had a little Christmas story written that I've wanted to illustrate for about two Christmases now ;) it's time to set things in motion. Because there's nothing that drives me nuts more than a plan that's not in motion.

So I've been rereading the story, editing, trimming and fancying up vocab words, making a storyboard and prepping canvases for my illustrations. I. Am. Going.To Get.This. Done. That is why I'm telling you now! I guess I just need support and some nudges to keep focused. When trying something new it is so easy to talk yourself out of it. And as a Libra, I have a special talent of talking myself in and out of nearly anything ;)

My plan is to self publish, for a variety of reasons. Control. Time. I know there are lots of great self publishing options now where you can get ISBN numbers on your books and even sell on Amazon and various other places. I want it to be a book of quality though. Perhaps I'll give you little peeks as I progress? And fingers crossed, it'll be finished in time to enjoy by Christmas 2011 :)

Oh, and of course a post couldn't be complete without some more updates on the bunnies! They are getting bigger and friskier and even more adorable day by day! Audrey and I pretty much squeal and laugh every time we go by their hutch ;)
On this January 21, they are now 19 days old. Their bright shiny eyes are open and their ears are perked to see and listen to this strange new world! They still love nursing but they're starting to nibble on hay and oats. Its pretty hysterical too to see them itch themselves with a mile-a-minute back leg and groom themselves. And they adore their mama, who also adores them.
It's amazing to think they're edging on 3 weeks old. In another month they'll be ready for homes. I have high hopes for them to go to places where they will be loved and adored! Rabbits are such a fun little pet, great starter pets too. You can bet that these little ones will be super loveable and tame. They've been handled and coddled since they were born. Someone remarked on the bunny video I posted that our mama rabbit seemed remarkably lovable. I'm certain that this is because she came from a loving home to begin with and that since we had her since a 6 week old little wee one herself, she (and Mr. Darcy) have grown up with us and consider us just part of the warren.

Because rabbits, for all intensive purposes, are at the bottom of the food chain (above lettuce at least!) they are by nature fearful animals. Did you know that a rabbit can be scared to death? Because of that, I think raising them in a calm and loving home is very important.

So, if you're in the neighborhood and looking for something cute and fuzzy to love and adore, I've got one with your name on it ;) lol, I've got five actually.....

Well, back to the drawing board! ha!

Have a great weekend,

January Meanderings

2011-01-19T12:29:00.004-06:00

So it seems I'm wandering aimlessly through January. Does this happen to you? For the past few months leading up to Christmas I had such a set schedule and deadlines to meet. I was focused and I do secretly love a list I can cross off. And then Christmas was over and the holidays were through and here I am....wondering what to paint!

It's not all been wasted time. This past weekend Audrey and I got the fantastical idea to 'big girl-ify' her bedroom which was still done up in in baby pale pink and green. Those colors just aren't us really. And while Audrey is girl, she certainly isn't dainty. So with some paint, a new bedspread and some fabric, I'm slowly taking my love of all things Swedish decorating and making a folky swedish inspired bedroom for her. Above is a little pic showing some of the new bedspread (Which I love! And it came from Marshalls!) and some little critters that some of our friends have made for Audrey over the years (Our friend Holly made the bear, and our friend Beth made the rabbit.)

When the room gets finished you know I'll share some photos, but like what seems to happen to the rest of my January plans....that seems to meander. Perhaps I should just be hibernating?

Henry obviously has made his choice ;) this boy practically lives on the couch! He's particularly fond of this pretty little pillow that we got from local crafty gal Christine Sharp Crowe, which is so sweet (And if you're on the other side of the Red River, she makes them with "Texas" too!)

And while I am just sort of hanging around looking for some inspiration, it's good to be surrounded by the creativity and prettiness from others. I can't help but be inspired by it. And I know that my inspiration will come again and I'll be painting as fast as I can go so I can capture all thats floating around in my head. But creativity is like that. It ebbs and flows. But right now, I'm just on a quiet ride :)

But don't fret....I'll have more things to show you soon enough!

Til then...

Baby Bunnies! Live! ;)

2011-01-18T06:55:00.001-06:00

My Swedish Romance

2011-01-12T13:32:00.005-06:00

I should have known from the moment I opened up that Kirsten doll the Christmas I was 9 that I had an intense love of Swedish things. I just didn't realize it ;) I mean, I have never been to IKEA. Yeah, take that in ;) lol, but it seems to have stayed with me through the years in everything from my intense love of the color red (come on! it's practically a neutral at my house!) to my habit of painting on the walls. I've slowly come to realize that what I thought was just a random and kooky sense of design and fashion actually has an origin. It even has it's own country!

And oh, it even has books! So sign me up! I have been waiting for days for this book to arrive from California to my little prairie mailbox. Its called The Swedish Room. It is full of pages upon pages of my dream rooms. Paintings everywhere on the wall....a slight air of decay but at the same time clean....decadence and simplicity. Oh, be still my Swedish lovin' heart ;)

Here is a sneak peek at some of my favorite rooms:

This room is what I imagine would happen if I were locked up in the attic Jane Eyre style ;) Slowly but surely the entire room would be covered in paint! I love the figure painted in the landscape as well, you dont see that a lot in home folk painting. I also sorta love the addition of the mounted 'head bone' as my daughter calls those things ;) mixes just enough raw rustic vibe to what could be a really intensely formal room.

And this little bedroom? How gorgeous is that? I love again how it somehow manages to mix the ornate with the completely simple into a look that really works. I love old timey things, but I'm not a fan of frou-frou. I think this is a perfect marriage of simple and regal. And I totally want that bed.

Doesn't this bedroom look like a secret attic hideaway? You could probably guess from my paintings that I like things to look a little roughed up and old. This room looks so old that is is positively a fairytale. It's enough to make you want to take a hammer to the crown molding ;)

And this doorway is my favorite! You would think that several rooms that are stenciled would look overwhelmingly busy, but because the colors are so complimentary, it works in a big way! I love this because perhaps my favorite thing about my own house is the area where you can see then stenciling of the livingroom, into the kitchen with its stenciling, and then off that the bold color and stenciling of my bedroom. Its a lot of paint and things going on. But because the stenciling are all complimentary colors, it doesnt look jarring (it actually looks pretty awesome, but I'm just sayin....lol....)
And this. Sigh, the prettiest bedroom ever. At this point in the book I would turn to my husband and ask "so you think you could live in there with me?" (he usually says yes) Those flowers on the walls...amazing. I am just so stunned by the beautiful art and detail of these old rooms and walls. Most of these paintings too were done by itinerant painters--- professional craftspeople who just went from home to home and village to village fancying things up. You know that's what I'd be doing if I was born back in the day. I love too the colors--- red, green and cream right now are just my favorite color combination. I know for most people it says 'christmas' but I think done in a discrete way, like this, it is timeless and works for any season.

Ah, so that's what I've been doing. Getting lost in the land of Swedish style. It makes me eager to be braver in my own house and decor. I'm not usually one to be afraid to draw on the walls (My mom let me paint murals on my wall when I was a teenager) so who knows what this spring will bring ;) The little house is turning Swedish, can't you just see it? And maybe some day I'll drive the 4.5 hours down to dallas and see an IKEA for myself ;)

Til then....

Madonna of the Blossoms

2011-01-11T10:52:00.003-06:00

This time around I decided to try my hand at my own style of a Madonna and Child. And this is what I came up with, "Madonna of the Blossoms." Of course as I painted her, snow fell softly just outside my window ;) after all these snow scenes I've painted, this is what I was doing when snow finally decided to fall ;)

"Madonna of the Blossoms"

It's such a sleepy day here this morning. Yesterday we just stayed in our PJs. What was the point of getting dressed to look out the window at falling snow? ;) I put this painting in my SHOP, just in case you might need her at your house!~

And because I'm sure you're anxious to see how they're doing, here are the little babies yesterday morning at 8 days old:

Awwww, right?! They are pretty furry now and so soft and sweet. Their ears are fuzzy now and not so 'stuck' to the heads, so now they're soft and floppy :) I'm curious to see how their ears start to 'lop', although as adults they'll be able to perk their ears up. My bunnies do that, they'll cock an ear up to listen closely, they love to be nosey ;)

I noticed yesterday that the babies now have their whiskers. Did they grow overnight? I'm not sure, but they're pretty darned adorable! Some are now getting bigger than others, although everyone looks fat and healthy. The larger spotted baby always insists on peeing on me when I pick it up ;)

Their eyes should open in the next few days...they're 9 days old and I read it usually happens around day 10-12. I cant wait to see them and them to see me! And you know I'll take photos ;)

Now....should I get dressed today? Hmmmm....

The Queen Has Spoken

2011-01-09T14:10:00.003-06:00

It's a very cold and gray afternoon our here on the prairie. Our first little flakes of snow for the season are softly falling outside. Winter is here!

And while it is cold and gray outside it is warm and full of color inside as I day dream about royal jewels and fancy dresses and strange furs (because what animal is all white with tiny black flecks like all the royals love to wear? Is there such an animal?)

This is the latest painting I've been working on, inspired by a portrait of Elizabeth I of England:

I'm still in my renaissance mood :) This time I've gone royal though, and I'm currently reading Antonia Fraser's "The Wives of Henry VIII" so...there ya go ;) I love looking at all the detail work of these old paintings, especially the royal portraits. I'm surprised though at how homely everyone looked back then ;) Or perhaps homely to me in 2011 was total gorgeousness back in the 1500s? At any rate, I took some artistic license with Elizabeth's face to give a prettier look while still keeping her features pretty similar. Here's the finished piece:

Of course this painting looks so much prettier in person (as they usually do!) the scan just doesnt capture the nuance of color and shading in her face. Or all the crackle, which is subtle but more noticeable in person. The colors are deeper in person too. Ah well, maybe you'll just have to see her in person ;)

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Oh, and the baby bunnies are doing well! They are the cutest and fattest little things! Which is amazing to me because I have yet to see my mama rabbit nurse. She does it on the sly ;) rabbits only nurse twice a day--- late in the evening and in the early morning hours. Ah, how handy that would have been when I myself was a nursing mama ;)

But I know from their fat bellies that they're well fed and they're moving around in the nest and mewing at eachother like little baby kittens! Here is a photo of two of my little babies and the two main colors we have:

The white with spots is a 'broken torte' and the darker one I believe is my regular torte. I also have two black tortes, which look much like the regular torte but the gray parts are a darker deeper color.

If you want to keep up with more photos of the babies as they grow, you can visit THIS album in my flickr sets. I dont want to be abnoxious with too many rabbit photos here on the blog, but I just cant help myself from taking photos ;)

And if you're a local friend and are considering a rabbit for yourself, I am certainly looking for homes for all these little guys! Their parents are both purebred Holland Lops with papers and everything (the babies dont have papers because I'm just raising these guys as pets and not show animals) they get to be about 3-4 lbs in adult hood and make great pets, and are pretty easy to care for. They also make great apartment pets or small home pets because they dont need a ton of room, are kept in a cage or hutch and dont make lots of noise.

But anyhow...I need to go check on my little brood right now! And decide what next, or who next to paint. So far I've gotten requests for Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Queen Victoria :)

Botticelli Study

2011-01-06T09:25:00.003-06:00

Lately I've been in an even more old-timey than my usually old-timey mood ;) I'm talking Renaissance era! It probably has to do with the fact that I got hooked on THIS program by the BBC that explores the entire English Monarchy. My favorite era is ofcourse the Tudor era (well, so far) and the art and grandeur of the time.

My piqued interest sent me looking through my tattered old art history text books from collage and I've had the idea of doing some studies of classical pieces, beginning with one of my my favorite paintings, "Madonna of the Book" by Botticelli. And here it is:

This really is just a small snapshot from the whole painting. I've sort of focused in on the Madonna and Child. And of course I am no Botticelli and so I tried to just make this 'my' take on it instead of taking up the undoable task of actually trying to capture the master's work (because that would be an epic fail!) taken as a simple exercise I've fallen in love with my humble piece! I even crackled it a bit to give it some age and depth. Since it came out so well I did a test printing run and that came out beautifully as well! So there are prints of this for sale HERE.

However, I thought you all might like to see the painting in a couple of steps before it got to this final stage. Here's a shot of it sketched out with only the skin tones painted. So far so good!:

Once I started filling in the colors it was looking a little bold and clean for my tastes. You know I like my art dirtied up a bit ;) but this is how it looks all fresh and new, perhaps what our classics looked like just a few hours after their paint was dry:

And so, that is my Botticelli study! Hope you like it :) I'm now itching to try more classics. You just never know what will catch my fancy ;)

Oh! And as for the rabbits, they are doing wonderfully! They are now 4 days old and although their eyes aren't open yet they are getting to be rambunctious little things! When I was checking them over this morning they were so squirmy and fat, and they would squeak and wiggle at eachother as if to say: "You kicked me!" "No, you kicked me first!" "Move over!" "Stop hogging all the fur!"

Lol, they're precious ;) they're also getting a fine fur all over so they have the appearance of being made of soft velvet. So lovely and I cant wait to see all their little eyes open and when they start being more mobile. Miss Lizzie will have her hands (er, paws) full then!

Til next time...

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 45

2011-01-04T09:00:00.005-06:00

Hello my friends! Welcome to another Tasha Tuesday--- #45, can you believe it? As an artist I admire and a person whose lifestyle I admire even more so, there's always food for thought with Tasha. She was imperfect, but inspired. She was willing to go her own way and that I think is something to really admire. Something else I love about Tasha is her love and care of animals.

Obviously, with our new baby bunnies in the house, we've got baby critters on the brain! I honestly have a hard time understanding people who don't fall madly in love with animals. How is that possible? How can little puppy-dog eyes or soft pretty fur be resisted? It's unthinkable to me ;) These little guys don't even have their eyes open or any fur yet, and I already love them:

This is Lizzie's nest of babies! All fat and happy and snuggled and warm. They've all got fat round bellies and appear perfectly made and active. Yesterday I inspected the nest a little more and found an extra baby--- so we have 5 pretty little Holland Lop babies! Three of them are dark skinned and two are pink with dark little spots. The pink ones I'm thinking will be white with spots like Lizzie and the dark ones will either be dark brown like Mr. Darcy or, perhaps, silvery gray. Our breeder said that because of my rabbits' lineage, they had a good chance of producing solid gray bunnies. I can't wait to see!

It's hard to fathom where she found the time, but while she was also a full time illustrator, mother to four (and a single mother of four later on), owner of a house with no modern trappings like oh, electricity, she also raised and cared for animals. Along with goats and birds, she was also an avid breeder of corgi dogs, a breed she was very passionate about and immortalized many times in her art.
Obviously, Tasha was not immune to puppy dog eyes or soft cuddly fur either ;)

So on this Tasha Tuesday I'd like to know--- is there an animal that melts your heart? Do you raise any animals? And if you have a little critter, no matter if its a gerbil, bunny, pup, or horse--- give it a little hug and a treat. Because it is, after all, Tasha Tuesday!

Who is Tasha Tudor? Look HERE to find out!

The Heirs of Pemberley (Baby Rabbits!)

2011-01-03T08:05:00.003-06:00

You may well remember that last spring we got two Holland Lop rabbits which we named "Miss Lizzie" and "Mr. Darcy" in honor of the Jane Austen novel "Pride and Prejudice." Well, I am thrilled beyond thrilled to report that the Darcy Rabbits have a new litter of tiny precious baby rabbits, born just yesterday evening! They are, of course, the heirs of our rabbit Pemberley ;)

Lizzie proudly watching over her new brood

I don't think I've been this proud over babies since I had my own ;) Our first litter was all lost very tragically due to cold weather. But we moved everyone inside after that and Lizzie and Darcy were soon making plans for their second brood ;)

I had given her a box full of nesting materials and some newspaper which she industriously tore into bits and lined the box with. Then yesterday I noticed her pulling hair for the nest and I knew....babies were hours away! I feel fortunate that this time I was able to more or less witness the birth (in most cases owners don't see the birth at all because rabbits tend to have babies at night. But these were born at about 9 p.m.) She is such a good mama rabbit and covered them with a thick layer of fur, no one was getting too cold this time!

This morning I fed her some oats (which according to our breeder helps her milk come in. I must say it's been so handy to have a breeder to call with questions about the rabbits, they are full of so much information and advice you can't get from a book) and petted her so that I would get her scent and then very gently opened the top of the hutch and looked into the nest. While I only slightly touched things (I didn't want her to get too anxious or upset) I was able to count at least four fat little naked baby bunnies all lined up in a row snuggled together. When Audrey woke up we went to peek at them and heard one cry, they sound like baby kittens!

It just warms my heart, and I'm so excited ;) I will be posting more photos as they grow so we can all see what baby bunnies are like. I'm just so glad that this time everyone seems to be safe and happy!

A very good start to 'the year of the rabbit' indeed!~

Gretel and the Rabbits

2011-01-02T09:02:00.003-06:00

Happily for me, yesterday I was able to sit down with a painting and take it from start to finish. This is the little black canvas that was sitting on my desk in the photo from yesterday. And here it is now! Gretel and the Rabbits:

Obviously I'm still in a folktale girl sort of mood! And I wanted to paint some rabbits. So, here ya go! This painting is so rich and pretty 'in real life.' I'm having issues lately really capturing things how I want. Because of the high gloss sealer I used, the scan bounced some light off the painting and so I'm not 100% thrilled with how it turned out. Wondering if I should scan before final sealing now....but the sealing is what really makes the color pop.

Trying out a new signature method for the new year too ;) More old fashioned and substantial. Signatures are so fun. Really, I'd been using the same style that I was using in high school art class. So it was about time to change things up, dontcha think?

For this new year I'm tentatively starting work on some embroidery. Cross stitch for this particular pattern, but hopefully with Alicia's book I'll be doing all sorts of fun projects. I am also dying, simply dying to make this bag into a purse for myself. How I love Stacy Nash! It's the perfect 'embroidery meets pirates' ensemble and I love it. However, even I with my always grand ideas know that this might be a bit to take on for, oh, my first real large scale embroidery project? do you think I could pull it off? It's just like painting, right? Oh, if it were paint I could whip this up in a jiffy ;)

Oh no, now I'm in the mood for pirate ships again ;) and folk art girls. And rabbits. And so many other things that catch my fancy. I am in a bit of information overload right now. But I'm sure I'll figure it out ;) so stay tuned....

Day One, again....

2011-01-01T10:53:00.004-06:00

And so here we are, another year! Time to take stock and to look ahead. Just a moment ago I went back and looked at my January 1, 2010 post and wondered at how it seems at once so long ago and just the other day. Time again to sit back and ponder and hope for a new and better new year. Look forward to gardens planted in the spring. Shows to do. New paintings to create. To follow the muse where ever she may lead.

The studio, today....

And so, as this year beings, here's what's on my mind...

* How much I love coffee and drinking it out of pretty cups ;)

* Continuing to paint wintery folk art girls but knowing I need to turn my attention to spring soon...

* Hoping 2011 is a year I can focus on publishing. More writing, pursuing illustrating. But realizing dreams happen on God's time and not mine and taking pleasure in just being along for the ride.

* Excited to meet at least six little babies this year! Several family and friends are pregnant. And I am always willing to do some sympathy eating. Or baby name pondering. Whatever is needed ;)

* This fall my little one starts Pre-Kindergarten, which is full day in my state. I am excited and curious to see how all that freed up time will effect Audrey Eclectic! (I'm sure in awesome ways!)

* Really learn to embroider. I've started it up a few times in the past year but always lost focus. I think this book will help inspire me.

* I want to read more. This will be a pleasure!

* I want to celebrate my 30th birthday this year in grand style! I'm dreaming about taking a trip....perhaps...Williamsburg?!

I'd love to hear what your wishes for the new year are! Or what you'd like to see for 2011 from Audrey Eclectic. more print option? More original art? More dolls, cards, jewelry, or something other? I'm all ears! And ready to begin....

Happy New Year!~

English Lit meets Mixed Media

2010-12-30T19:36:00.004-06:00

I can still remember reading The Secret Garden at my little desk in the fourth grade. I had fallen in love with Jane Eyre by sophomore year. Something about odd girls wandering the strange and expansive heather-covered moors with old spooky houses and ghosts and kooky characters fascinated me.

Fast-forward a dozen years or so and now I've got a married name that comes from an obscure moor in northern england. My husband's middle name actually means 'from the moor.' Is this literary fate? Surely so ;)

So when I took on the challenge of creating some paintings inspired by classic literature, how could I not choose the likes of Jane and Mary? I made these paintings on some wood blocks that I had lying around, haha. There's no better supply than 'found' supply, right? I don't do much mixed media any more but I thought it would be fun to add a little 'extra' to them.

I added some cheese cloth to each of the paintings--- I used it for Jane's white collar and again for mary's red scarf. Totally love this stuff. I also used some bits and bobs of lace and ribbon to frame the pieces and give them some added weight and detail.

And so, there are perhaps my last paintings of 2010 (pretty good chance of that since it's the evening of Dec. 30!) I hope you've enjoyed reading along with me as I've tried some new and different things and taken some turns with my art. I know I've enjoyed having you!

Also, I've decided that this coming year I'm going to do daily readings from this book-- Simple Abundance: A Day Book of Comfort and Joy. You can find it in most book stores around the country, and definitely on Amazon if anyone wants to read along.

Well, I suppose that's it for now. Hope the new year is bright and exciting for all of you! Let's see what 2011 brings....

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 44

2010-12-28T08:52:00.003-06:00

Good morning and happy Tasha Tuesday, a celebration of the art of my favorite artist, Tasha Tudor. I thought this would be a great painting to share for today:

It's called "Laura in the Snow" and I believe Tasha painted it of her grand daughter. So many of you have snow right now.....not here, of course! I will try not to be too jealous. I think this is such a sweet painting though. Tasha often said that she preferred painting snow to painting green landscapes because it was so much easier. I believe she was right!

Hope you are warm and safe this tuesday,

Russian Intrigue

2010-12-27T08:56:00.005-06:00

Have you ever felt a love and kinship for a place you've never been? Or even know very well? I have a place like this. A place I've loved since I was a little girl, and I really have no idea how it sparked. The place I love from far away? It's Russia.

Photo of Moscow found here

I'm not sure how it started. I can remember the love blossoming as far back as grade school when a teacher read us a Russian fairytale. I love the art, so dark and mysterious but vibrant. It also dovetailed beautifully into other interests of mine, such as ballet and figure skating, stories and art. I had a Russian pen pal, collected Matryoshka dolls, and I even had a string of Russian named cats--- Sasha, Natasha....there was a Katerina Witt-skers, but she was named after a certain German figure skater ;)

Then as a teenager I became obsessed for a good long while with anything Romanov. They were the last ruling tsarist family of Russia. I read anything about Anastasia, truly hoping that she had escaped the family's sad fate. And I was probably more pleased than your average Okie when the whole family was declared saints by the Russian Orthodox Church.

The last Grand Duchesses of Russia from the book "Anastasia's Album"

Lately I've been thinking more and more about Russia and my love of the art and stories. At Deluxe a pair of little girls who study Russia and its culture came to my booth and said many of the paintings reminded them of Russian fairytales and folk heroes. I wondered, had it seeped in subliminally? Then a friend of mine bought me some little Russian-inspired trinkets because, she declared, I was obviously secretly Russian ;)

And so, with all this spinning in my mind along with wintery snowscapes and fairytales, Katusha was created:

"Katusha" is a small but rich painting and I really wish the camera and the scanner could truly capture her rich depth. She's a pretty little Russian child wandering a snowy country landscape in her snug fur-lined cape and beautiful cardinal red ribbons. You'll probably notice she looks a great deal like my banner girl, "The Cardinal's Carol." What can I say, I guess it's always been beneath the surface ;)

You can find Katusha for sale HERE, and she's priced not too much more than a print...so if you're in the mood for a little after-Christmas treat...or to celebrate the New Year as they do in Russia....well, be my guest! :)

And if you want to see some truly haunting and amazing photography out of Russia, please click HERE and see these gorgeous old abandoned houses that have been intriguing me as of late.

All for now,

A Happy Christmas To All~

2010-12-24T07:29:00.002-06:00

Wanted to share with you one of my most favorite postcards from my collection of vintage "things" on this dark and cold morn of Christmas Eve.....

On the back, in the sweetest almost illegible writing it reads (I think!): "Wish I could go to ride with you on your sled." I think she signs it "Caitie." She fondly calls him "Teddy.".....

As for me, I have no sled and we have yet to have our first snow. Remember last year, Okies? Oh, we had a whole blizzard on Christmas Eve! Truly a Christmas to remember as we were all snowed in. Luckily I had a turkey thawing in the fridge ;) we stayed in our pjs all day. It was absolutely quiet and fun!

This year though, it looks to be a biting cold day. A good day to snuggle up with those you love and quietly wait for Santa, and tell all those stories that are best told on this very night....
A very merry Christmas to you and yours! Thank you for coming to visit me this year, or for many years for some of you! I hope that our 2011 is Merry and Bright!

Love Always,

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 43

2010-12-21T13:28:00.001-06:00

During this Christmas, may you take Joy! And also take Peace!

Happy Tasha Tuesday.......

*Illustration by Tasha Tudor*

~Deluxe 2010~

2010-12-21T08:48:00.004-06:00

So remember the other day when I was ranting and raving about people not buying handmade things and having themselves a merry little China Christmas? Lol, well, after vending at Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar earlier this month, my faith has been restored a little bit in people :)

Audrey Eclectic booth 2010 Deluxe!

I am happy to report that it was a great show for me and pretty much everyone who showed there! People were excited and interested and willing to consider handmade goodies for themselves and for loved ones! I sold paintings of all sizes--- including the largest one I brought (Eliza and the Fox has a great new home now!) and lots of ornaments, postcards, and prints. So a big thank you to everyone who came out. It was the most successful show of the season!

Close-up of the dolls and other goodies

I was lucky to have my good friend Jenny come to stay with me for the whole show--- she even stayed when I realized I had forgotten to bring chairs, lol. I swear, it's alway something! We were right next to our good friend Beth who does Art by Bethany and our friend Tony was on the premises to help style the booths and track down maybe-shoplifters and give them the evil eye ;)

I saw old friends and met new ones and felt all warm and fuzzy and glad to be a part of this handmade event and lifestyle. And I even met some of my readers and Audrey Eclectic Facebook fans for the first time! *waves happily* it was so nice!~

This is me with my booth, I've taken to dressing like an English street urchin at these shows, surely it's not too much, right???

And as this year draws to a close I'm feeling a little better about shows. I heard on the news the other day that this was the strongest season for Christmas shopping since 2007. I hope our confidence in ourselves is coming back. And I hope a lesson we learn from all this is to support local, support American (or the local craftsmen and workers of where ever you may reside) and that more isn't always 'more' when it's cheap and poorly made. Lets choose quality over quantity!

Now it's time to burrow in and do some pleasure knitting and think of new and fun projects that don't have to be completed at a frantic pace. I'm not sure what my spring show schedule will be, if any, but I'm quite certain I'll be doing Indie Emporium and Deluxe again.

Happy Holidays!~

Dark Dollies

2010-12-20T16:18:00.002-06:00

The moment I saw her, I was entranced. Sure, some of my friends didn't know what I saw in her. Some were completely creeped out by her black lace ensemble and odd little face. You can tell this girl's been around the block and lived to tell the tale. And that's what I find so endlessly fascinating about her!

My boudoir doll. I got her at a craft show a few weeks ago. I'd never seen anything like her before, but she seems to be all original and from the 1920s or 1930s. Do any of you know much about these types of dolls? They have a fascinating and strange history.

And hey, we can't be all snowflakes and glitter this holiday season ;) gotta throw a creepy doll in every once in a while ;)

Childhood delights

2010-12-17T11:02:00.003-06:00

Our holidays delights start tonight! This evening we're taking Audrey to see "The Nutcracker" and we're all pretty excited. I admit, one of the most fun things to do with my little one (aside from dressing her up like a live doll, haha) is enjoying the things I enjoyed as a child with her, and seeing it as a child again through her excitement.

I'm excited to see what she thinks of "real live" ballerinas and if it perhaps inspires her to love dance even more. She asked me "are they going to dance on their tippy-toes?" They sure are!

I hope in this week before Christmas you get to indulge in some childhood excitement! What was your favorite part of Christmas when you were little? And do you still take part in it? If not, I think it's high time you did! (look at me, being all bossy and telling you how to spend your Christmas, but still ;).....)

This weekend we're headed back to the beloved Ozark Mountains, I cant wait to see my favorite tiny little town all decked out for the holidays! I know it will be magic! Then it will be back home to the little house to finish the last of the Christmas cookies, snuggle with our critters, and dream of sugar plums and such ;)

Happy Christmas to you, may it be merry and bright!~

Tis the Season

2010-12-15T16:11:00.004-06:00

Tis the season, as they say; the season for friendship and giving, and I am so blessed to have such lovely friends and readers who have been so giving to me. I thought I would share with you some treasures, all created in a spirit of friendship....

First off, I have always always loved the little red hat that Mary Lennox wears in this rendition of The Secret Garden. I loved the film when I was little, and now as a mama watching it with her daughter (and ok, sometimes I watch it for just me!) I love it all over again. A few weeks ago I was lamenting on the Audrey Eclectic facebook page about how much I loved the hat and how I'd do a trade for it if some knitting wiz wanted to take me up on the offer...and guess what? Someone did!
My new lovely friend Shannon offered to knit me the tam o'shanter hat from a pattern that was based off this very movie (so obviously, I wasnt the only one with The Secret Garden hat envy!) and even let me pick the yarn color :) I was so excited when it came in the mail a few days ago, along with some lovely gloves that Shannon added as a surprise, how sweet is that??~

In return, I did a little winter portrait for Shannon of her daughter. She wanted something old timey, done in the wintertime and something that would high light her daughter's love of animals. She sent me a photo of her daughter holding a little baby goat, and so this is what came from that spark of inspiration:

The kindness hasn't stopped there though, and I was so thrilled to get this candle called "Christmas Past" from Michelle at The Blackberry Briar. I have so loved having this pretty candle lit in my kitchen while I make cookies. It has a gorgeous pine scent mixed in with other rich and homey spices. All these little things have made me feel so loved!
And now I am busy making little goodies for my friends and family, and am feeling so very inspired by the kindness of others. This is really what this season is all about, isn't it? Using your time and your talents to take a moment to show someone else that you've thought of them and want to give them something special.

Here's to a homespun, handmade Christmas!

Happy Holidays,

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 42

2010-12-14T09:46:00.003-06:00

Happy Tasha Tuesday! Yes, I remembered this week ;) I dont know how things are at your house, but around here things have been so busy. Days rush on and there are always so many things to do--- things to bake and make and errands to run. I was surprised to find that it was December already and here it is December 14!

This time of year, if you're a Tasha Tudor fan, you're in luck. She wrote so many Christmas themed books and was famous for her Advent calendars. We are now in the season of Advent and also the season of St. Nicholas! The Tudor family, in books and life, were always happy to celebrate St. Nicholas and as we "met" St. Nicholas over the weekend (a man of few words, but he gave out chocolate!) I thought it would be fun to celebrate Tasha and St. Nick here for Tasha Tuesday.....
In the Tudor classic "Take Joy" it reads: "St. Nicholas' birthday, December 6th, is the real beginning of the Christmas season for the Tudors, as it is for many families not only in this country but also in Holland, France, and England. Tasha says, "A lot happens on this special day at tea time. The morning has been spent in setting up the old creche and decorating the winter kitchen. The old Noah's Ark and its inmates are set up on the mantle. The advent wreath is hung and it is time for tea. Now the Christmas cake is cut and the prettiest cookies are brought out...."

In this season where time seems to fly by at warp speed and we (or at least I!) never seem to get caught up on those to-do lists, its nice to take a moment to think of these small simple holiday pleasures and perhaps reevaluate what is most important during this special season.

And in an effort to thank you, my lovely readers and friends for your year-round kindness and goodwill, I'd like to make your holiday chores a little lighter and simpler! I'm offering a sale at my main shop, where you can get 15% off your ENTIRE order, including dolls, originals, prints, the whole she-bang! All while sitting at your computer in your PJs and drinking a nice cup of coffee or cocoa.

Just go to: http://audreyeclectic.bigcartel.com/ and type in this code:

stnick

and receive 15% off your whole order!

This sale will only last for the next day or so to ensure that all orders will be sent out in plenty of time to give at Christmas. So, enjoy! And may your holiday be merry and bright!~

Have yourself a handmade little Christmas....

2010-12-10T10:58:00.004-06:00

Not too very long ago, I found myself sitting in a booth full of handmade goods watching customers breeze past with bagfuls of cheap "Christmas" cheer that had been manufactured in China. Now, I don't consider myself an extremely political person, for the most part I'm pretty laissez faire....but...I found myself feeling a little indignant.

These past many months, now going on years, we've all felt the weight of this economy in some way. Our local businesses are, frequently, limping along and trying to get by. People are losing investments, homes, and dreams for the future are being pared down or put off. We find ourselves wondering how we can get ourselves out of this scrape and rebuild our country into a thriving and prosperous place. And then we go load up our shopping carts with items made in China.

Does anyone else see a problem with this?

And so, proselytizing aside, I would like to encourage everyone to give a little handmade something this year. If anything good can come out of this current economic situation, I hope it is that people begin to once again see what is truly important.

What is your Christmas about? And how can you better show your love and appreciation of family than by giving them something made with your own two hands? And of course, if you're not crafty, there are always other options. Such as....

After dabbling with 'the other side' on more than one occasion (I used to work for a company that manufactured their items--- including items I designed-- in overseas factories) I can't encourage you enough to support your local handmade and handcrafted ventures. Sure, more often than not, you can find other items in stores that are cheaper to buy than items at a local craft fair. But when you're weighing whether you want to spend that extra few dollars think of this:

1) Ultimately, people who make handmade goods do it because they are passionate about it. I guarantee you, no one is getting rich off their craft booths. They make these items because it is something they truly love to do, and they're willing to share it with you. I bet that 12 year old girl who's breathing in toxic epoxy fumes for 12 hours in a Chinese factory doesn't feel quite the same way about what she's making.

2) When you buy something from the real live person who made it, you have an opportunity to ask questions about it, and therefore have more of an emotional or intellectual relationship with the item. Questions you can ask can be anything about what sort of materials (yarn, paint, metal, etc) it is made from, how long the process of creating it takes, or the proper way to care for it. Having this information will show whoever you're buying it for that you put a lot of thought into the purchase. And it can also give you (or the gift receiver) more of an appreciation for an item.

3) You are putting 100 % of your purchase into your local economy. And isn't this a big deal?

Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar 2008, the first year! My booth is the one with the quilt ;)

Now, believe me, I know many times that it is hard to not buy things that are foreignly made. They are certainly in my home (although I do guiltily cringe when I see a "Made in China" logo on something). To be completely honest we'd all have to be harvesting and spinning our own linens, carving our own cookware and riding in a horse and buggy to be 100% handmade in our daily lives. But that doesn't necessarily mean we have to be 100% manufactured either. All we can do is consider one choice at a time, and if you find that you're given a local option, or feel like yes, you could definitely make that yourself, than try it. Perhaps do handmade stockings this year. Bake cookies instead of giving mindless tiny trinkets. Attend a local craft fair and buy a few odds and ends. Or try shopping on handmade shops like etsy (although unfortunately, these days, you might have to do a little double checking to make sure the etsy shop you're perusing is actually handmade)

Ultimately, this Chistmas time, I'd like to just encourage you to be mindful of how you would like to give. It's not always about where the gift is going, but also, where has it been? And in what sort of spirit was it made? Because you know, as they say, it's the thought that counts :)

Christmas at the Little House

2010-12-07T09:29:00.005-06:00

A few days ago when my little gal wasn't feeling well, she decided what she really wanted to do was decorate for Christmas. And so....we did! Our tree is up, the greens are strung, and the paperwhites planted. And so here is a tour of our very Christmasy little house, beginning with the tree....

I have a lot of the old world style glass ornaments that I've collected since I was little. And I'm a sucker for anything with figure skates. My collection of skating ornaments may be my very favorites....
This is just a little corner of our living room that I think is very sweet. I had some left over garland from our mantle, so I just nailed a bit over this mirror, and voila! I love the look (and smell) of live greens. Some day I'd love to be able to cut my own greens on my own property. However, the only trees I own are pitiful little twigs at the moment ;) and so....my greens come from Whole Foods ;)

Its a new tradition for me to plant paperwhites (Narcissus) for the holiday. I plant them in a little copper pot I found at Good Will. They have a strange earthy smell, sorta reminds me of a manger ;)
This year's mantle! The live garland is perhaps my favorite part. I will keep it up as long as possible! I decorated with various family photos and some Nicol Sayre winter dolls that I've collected over the past few years. After taking these photos, I've come to see that my winter colors tend to be silver and gold with touches of red and green.

A little vignette from the mantle. All in one shot we've got Mary, Jesus, a snow man, santa and an angel ;) Guess I've got all my Christmas figures covered!
Santa and some of my favorite family photographs. My great-grandparents as a young couple, and a photo of my grandpa as a little boy. And santa, of course.

And now for my room! Since I painted this room green over the summer, Christmas really pops in here. I love red and green all year round.....And I'm super in love with my new bedspread ;)

My little silhouette tree. I love silhouettes so much! I think they're perfect for Christmas too. All together, they look like a little family gathering, don't they?
And so....there is Christmas at the little house! Mind you, I didn't show you the piles of laundry or dishes to be done. Lol, God bless photo editing ;) if only I could edit them out of real life! And speaking of real life, back to it.....

Hope you're having a lovely and beautiful Christmas season!~

Oh, and, uh....back to Tasha Tuesdays next week ;)

Lovely ladies and tragic tales

2010-12-06T08:54:00.003-06:00

What a roller coaster ride the last few days have been. From highest highs with the book being published, to unfortunate lowest lows at my tiny backyard homestead.

Poor little Lizzie rabbit had her first litter during the night Thursday when it was particularly bitterly cold out. And the poor babes unfortunately didn't make it. I won't go into all the sad details here, because I don't want to leave you feeling blue after visiting with me, but I am happy to report that Lizzie seems to be doing fine. She handled the event much better than I did, I can assure you! And Mr. Darcy is as always a doting partner to her and, er, always at the ready to try again ;)

We've had a busy weekend rearranging things though, and are making arrangements to bring the whole rabbit operation indoors. And if she has herself a second litter in the next few weeks, we'll have ourselves baby bunnies for easter! You'll be wanting one, right? ;)

And now, on to pretty things:

This girl I made as a partner to "Georgiana" and her name is Carlotta. I wanted to try something fun with the audacious hairdos that they made in the 18th century. I am not dreaming up a woman with a ship in her hair--- they really did it back then! As well as birds nests and other wild arrangements. I did a little research on 18th century hairstyles and wigs when doing this painting and let me tell you, they were nasty business! This is one look I wont be trying out ;) but they were fun to paint!

And so. Here's to new beginnings and trying again. At this time of year I always get to thinking of changes I want to make for the next year, and trying to refocus. This coming year I want to be more organized and more devoted to creating better meals for my family. I think my biggest problem is not being prepared in that department and so I'm going to try and become one of those meal planning people who have new fangled ideas like, uh, grocery lists!

In the last few months I have also lost 15 pounds and I'm ready to keep at it. I want to keep up my exercises and develop a healthier way of living that I can keep up for the longterm. The weight I have lost was just the result of being a little more conscious of what I was eating and finding more time to exercise. Nothing really drastic. Because I can't do drastic!

And so with that....I am on my way to the grocery store! And I need to prepare a new indoor home for the rabbits. Things finally feel like they're on the upswing again. And I'm very glad of it!~

Til next time...

Really truly published!

2010-12-02T09:48:00.004-06:00

I'm not even positive about when this project started. Was it two years ago? However long its been, its made the anticipation just that much sweeter. I am now really truly published--- in a book! Available now, you can some of my art as well as art by other fabulous and talented artists such as Danita, Noodle and Lou, Ruth Rae and Sandy Mastroni. I am so happy to finally be able to share this with you:

My main project in the book was part of a quilt square making project. The whole premise of the book is fun art projects that you sew and swap with friends. I was asked to make a quilt square and incorporate a rusting technique in my creation. I found out that rusting things can be a fun and gritty project and was pleased with how my rusty little square turned out! I named my piece "Rusted Remembrance" and it features one of my favorite paintings, Celestine.
In the book, you're given step-by-step instruction on how to make your own piece. Honestly, you wouldnt even need to do this in a swap format. Many of these projects, while suggested as a swap, would be equally fun to do just on your own. There's a section about fabric jewelry which I love to bits--- and I really want to try them myself! The photography in this book is stunning and every thing is so crisp and well formatted and written. I really couldn't be happier to be part of this! How many times as a little girl did I dream of having my art in a book? And now its real and true :)

Another piece I did was a fabric painting swap that was created around the phrase "she said..." each artist incorporated text that began with these two words. My painting, on the far right, declares: "she said her heart was in the garden."

You can purchase the book now on Amazon, and so far its got great reviews! A big thanks too to Chrissie for thinking of me and including me in this book with so many artists that I myself admire.

Now what will I make first? hmmm......

The Cardinal's Carol

2010-11-29T12:18:00.003-06:00

Well hello there! There have been some big (decorating) changes at the ol' blog. I hope you like the new look! Most of it can be attributed to my very computer savvy (and much more patient that I) husband.

You probably have noticed this girl too:

I decided to call this painting "The Cardinal's Carol" after the pretty little red bird she's holding. Truth be told, I painted this piece for the purpose of having it be my banner. Pretty much none of my other paintings turn into nice banners as they are mostly very vertical instead of horizontal. I've had some good reactions to her since she's been up, so I did make a print of her that's HERE.

Here's a more detailed look at the girl and her birdie:
Well, I've been running and running with errands all day. And now I have a whole house to clean. What's the fun in that?! Ah well.... ;) I hope to sit down and paint very soon! Hope you are well and I will post more later....

winter dolls

2010-11-28T14:42:00.002-06:00

Lol, if you've been reading my blog for the past few minutes or so you've probably notices some extreme and crazy changes ;) I'm redecorating, so bear with me! I'm trying to get all fancied up for winter time....

and in the meantime, enjoy a photo of my dolls! I'm so excited we finally figured out large photos!

Christmas Folk Art....

2010-11-26T12:26:00.001-06:00

Just wanted to pop in and let you know that I've added these three original folk art pieces to my shop! I've been saving these for a while, they're precious if I say so myself :)

http://audreyeclectic.bigcartel.com/

A Merry Thanksgiving To You

2010-11-25T09:03:00.004-06:00

A very merry and bright Thanksgiving to you, my readers and friends, this Thanksgiving Day! It's a chilly one out here on the prairie--- yesterday it was nearly 80 degrees. Then in the night a blustery cold front moved through and its quite cold and blustery!

Luckily, the rabbits have nice fur coats to keep them cozy in their new hutch (which I know they're very thankful for! I know I am, its so much easier to clean!)

Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy wishing you a happy holiday ;)

Things I'm thankful for on this day:

~ A happy and healthy family

~ Christmas decor already out and ready to enjoy

~ New opportunities and new chances

~ Good books

~Good coffee

~ A turkey being smoked at my parent's house!

~ My gaggle of little adorable critters

~ You, for coming here and reading this and all the support and love! You inspire me to paint! And that is such a great gift!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!~

Santa Claus is coming....to the shop!

2010-11-24T12:19:00.002-06:00

Ho ho ho! I'm beginning the process of listing some of my show items in my shop so that they'll find some homes for the holidays! First up? These adorable handmade, hand painted santas!

I even rusted the jingle bells myself :) they are all so cute and each one has its own personality. They're all freshly listed in my art shop, so go HERE to take a look! Happy Holidays!~!