Romance is in the air

Valentine's Day, a holiday celebrating love and lovers.  Roses are red, violets are blue, why not send your sweetheart a keepsake heart just from you.

 

 

Winter Friends

Penguin and snowmen all bundled up for the winter. These winter friends reside here.......until they find a home for the holidays. Come take a peek.

Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Send a reminder to your sister, mom, daughter, cousin, aunt, friend.
Paper Dolls reaching across, hand in hand, to remind them of yearly mammograms.

This is a copy of my original ink and watercolor.

Fall Whimsy

Fall is in the air. This whimsical keepsake would make a great hostess gift or fun decoration. Scarecrows, pumpkins, Indian corn and other fall delights cover this charming keepsake.

Lesson learned

I like to take photos and notes when I work on a new illustration or sewing project,
especially if it's something I've never done before. It gives me a history of the steps I took from start to finish. A reference guide for future projects.

I was so excited to work on this project I just took one photo and never looked back.

After pencil and ink I used watercolors to complete the illustration. I turned the original art into a card for a friend as a gift for her cousin. Wish I had taken a photo of the finished card. Next time I will keep my camera on the drawing table.
Lesson learned !

Have you ever gotten so absorbed in a project you forgot to document your progress?

Mosaic

I brought together two of my favorite fabrics, batik and unbleached cotton. With remnants left over from two separate projects I randomly started sewing strips together. I ended up with this fun mosaic pattern.

 

For a selection of heart keepsakes please stop by for a visit.

You can see more photos of my mosaic keepsake here. 

Gluten Free Almond Bread

I've been experimenting with gluten free bread recipes for a while now. For this loaf I used almond meal, coconut flour and ground flax seed. Finding just the right combination of flours has been the hardest part of making gluten free bread. A lot of recipes call for rice flour, but I don't care for the aftertaste it leaves. This bread also has a nice texture and holds up well in the toaster.

I ended up making french toast with several slices. Yum!

Vintage fabric endures

I was given the opportunity once again to create a heart keepsake from vintage fabric. I love working with vintage fabric. The history, the colors, the texture, the sentimental value makes it so endearing.

This yard or so of well worn, or as I like to say, "well loved" vintage fabric, in aqua and avocado, had seen better days.

I selected the best area for the pattern, wanting to be sure I could show the lovely flower pattern. Included with the fabric were several original fabric covered buttons. I just had to incorporate these into the finished keepsake. The vintage buttons made the keepsake heart complete.

As a finishing touch I added a new silk ribbon in aqua for a wonderful contrast.

The beauty of vintage fabric.....endures.

The Big Pumpkin

Ever see a little one try to pick up a huge pumpkin?
That is what gave me the idea for this design. Matryoshka doll. Pumpkin. How cute is that !

These delightful cards would make a great Halloween party invitation or a fun note to send someone.

A set of two prints of my original Matryoshka doll illustration in watercolor and ink can be found here.

Time for a coffee break!

The local farmers market has the most fabulous roasted coffee beans. Two of my favorites are the Cinnamon Hazelnut and the Vanilla Hazelnut. Delightfully mellow aromas. The scents are subtle, but fragrant enough to lure you to your favorite reading nook and pick up a good book to read.

I recently made a custom heart keepsake for a customer. It's for her husbands home office. I used a masculine fabric in paisley on one side and unbleached cotton on the other side. Then I added a wide brown ribbon. Dark French Roast coffee beans fill the inside of this keepsake heart, bold but not overwhelming.

The sachet can be placed on a small saucer with unbleached cotton side down. Over time the unbleached cotton will absorb the oils from the coffee beans and give the sachet a touch of Old World charm.

Time for a coffee break!

Teacher Appreciation

Red apples symbolize the traditional teachers gift. This keepsake puts a bit of whimsy on tradition.
An A+ gift that will show that their dedication has not gone unnoticed. A small token of appreciation for a special teacher.

Ode to Spring

Ode to Spring Keepsake

Here in Georgia spring is beginning to bloom. It's been a long winter and I can't wait until Spring shows all it's colors. Ode to Spring keepsake can be found here along with other springtime keepsakes.

Olde St. Nicholas

Celebrate the holiday with the arrival of Olde St. Nicholas. Who is that hitching a ride in his pocket? Could that be little penguin! Send warm wishes to that family member or friend that will be away from home during the holiday season. A lovely little ornament to hang on tree or place on mantel.

For a selection of festive holiday keepsakes visit the holiday section.

Matryoshka Doll - Pumpkin

I know I should be sewing for the upcoming holidays.....
but I've been captivated by these fun Matryoshka illustrations. I had great fun with this Halloween design.

Ever see a little child try to pick up a huge pumpkin? That's what gave me the idea for this illustration.

On my website you can see the two original ink and watercolor illustrations, which I turned into greeting cards. Come take a peek, leave a comment, throw out a few ideas that you would like to see Matryoshka style.

I have a fun design I am working on for Christmas that I hope to share with you soon.

Reminiscing

One day I was reminiscing about these colorful nesting cups I had when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Which had me thinking of those delightful nesting dolls, also known as Matryoshka dolls. Which gave me the idea to draw this illustration for my daughter and new grandbaby.

Nesting cups, Matryoshka dolls, new illustration, card for new granddaughter.

Interesting how one thought leads to the next when you reminisce.

Since then I've been sketching other designs with the Matryoshka doll in mind.

This card set is my newest illustration, Autumn....Matryoshka style.

The cards are a print of my original ink and watercolor design.

Has reminiscing ever guided you somewhere?

p.s. A photo exists somewhere of me standing on a chair, at the kitchen sink, washing those nesting cups. They were my prized possessions.

Little hidden surprises

My husband presented me with a lovely bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day.
I love his taste in flowers....sort of old fashioned Victorian meets modern.
To my surprise, hidden deep inside the arrangement, were these tiny, pink, daisy-like flowers. I buried my camera inside the bouquet to get to these delicate little flowers. I don't know what they're called but I had to take a picture. I love little hidden surprises.

Inspired by the art of quilting

I have always been fascinated with the stories sewn into quilts. How patterns and colors chronicle history, culture, traditions and reflect the lives of those that create them.

I attempted quilting many years ago and thought it best to leave the wonderful fabrics in the hands of the true artists.

My sisters, Bridget and Cathy, avid quilters, inspired me to

revisit quilting. . . . . . . but on paper this time.

This design was inspired by the art of quilting.

My Little Town

Happy Holidays

Celebrate the holiday with a fun twist on ornaments. Colorful ornaments adorn this keepsake. Hang on Christmas tree or doorknob. Perfect for that family member or friend that will be far from home during the holidays. For a selection of festive keepsakes visit the holiday section.

A Slice of Summer

You've been busy all summer....vacation, family reunion, tending to your garden, keeping the kids occupied, summer craft shows, and so on.

Summer is coming to an end, kids will be back in school, a perfect time to send a slice of summer to someone. A distant family member or friend. Let them know you are thinking of them.
Or a special thank you to a neighbor for a great get-together or barbecue.

First signs of Spring

The first signs of Spring will be showing up soon. For a variety of delightful blooms that would brighten someone's day visit our Spring Collection.