Monday, January 28, 2008

Time To Mail


Today was the day. I officially sent off my Heart Art swap gift. How fun it was to create a gift and put together my box of "goodies". I can see how this swap stuff can become addicting. Having been too late to sign up for some, I was pleased to find a blog dedicated to posting swaps. Posted by Picasa

Bells On Her Toes

I watched her saunter through the door. She appeared confident and dignified.

She wore a corseted bodice with a sweetheart neckline. Her skirt was full and red with a horsehair crinoline holding it into shape. Draped between her arms she carried the hearts of the many she loved. I could see her tiara slightly hidden by her hairdo. She said she was a princess.....................


And then I noticed her feet......What was with the bells on her toes?Posted by Picasa

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Paper Gowns

It's one thing to create a beautiful gown with today's fabrics but to make a gown from paper and embellish it with such detail that the viewer has to look twice is amazing. This beautiful dress is by Isabelle de Borchgrave.








paper dress by Isabelle de Borchgrave








I love how the paper looks like a silk ikat print with tassels to match. This one again is by Isabella de Borchgrave




This gown sadly has no designer name...........I found it on Flickr . It seems to be made out of pleated sheet music. I love the subtlety of color.





And this, oh my gosh, from the window at Tiffany's in New York. The bustle cascading to the ground looks like it was done by a cake decorator gone mad.



Tuesday, January 22, 2008

June's In Love

One moonlit night June spotted Benny from afar. She had never seen anything like him before. Benny's little sidekick offers her advise how to win the heart of the big burly troll of her dreams.
I took another of Dave's paintings and transferred it onto fabric. Then did all the fun stuff..........Krazy quilted the heart front and back and added metallic stitching. Ummm smells good too............it's stuffed with lavender.
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Monday, January 21, 2008

Burden



Sometimes a painting can speak volumes to you. This one, "The Burden of the Materialistic Man" was done by my hubby, Dave, the world's famous artist. It holds alot of meaning for me. My burden is not the "stuff" as much as the "stuff that could be". You know...If I glued this with this it could be a ......If I painted this it could be a.....If ever I need something it could be a.....I think I'll ask him to do a painting titled, "The Burden of a Junk Junkie Woman". I've been doing these large collages now so EVERYTHING has become usable. In fact the bins that hold my "color co-ordinated important stuff" has taken over a spare bedroom! I'll share photos soon. Posted by Picasa

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Farthingales


There is something incredibly beautiful about the full hourglass silhouettes, although I am grateful I do not have to wear them today. Layers upon layers of richly colored silk taffeta festooned with ribbons and lace. Just looking at these gowns you can hear the swishing sound, 'although a lady never draws attention to herself by manner of swishing her skirt'.



The hoop skirt has had so many cute names throughout the centuries. Farthingales, panniers, crinolines...............they sound like names of exotic birds. Pannier strikes me the funniest of them all because the word comes from a french term for the wicker baskets that were slung over on the sides of pack animals. For some reason this just does not hold the feminine connotation that you would expect!


It's so interesting to me how one idea can lead to another. For an artist to take the dress design into an event instillation and then transform it into an interior decor is wonderful to see.

Don't these look like colorful, exotic, flying farthingales?

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Heart Art Swap

Whoo hoo! My first swap and I can't wait! I keep reading about all these swaps and seeing all the cute goodies that come in the mail. When I came upon this one by Melissa at the Garden of Pink Shadows and it was still open...........off went my e-mail! I have now come up with about 352 ideas and yet I only signed up to send "1". Next time I'll be more ambitious at the start.

Glassy-winged sharpshooter

Well this is it. This tiny little bug less than a half-inch-long is a serious threat to California's vineyards. It's the "Glassy-winged sharpshooter"! This bug found in Southern California in the 90"s has been making it's way up north. The problem is not the bug but the bacteria it carries to the plants, "pierce disease". To date there is no known cure and it's causing millions of dollars in damage each year. Needless to say, the Napa Valley is doing everything it can to keep this bug "OUT OF TOWN".
That's where I come in. No, I did not attend the University of California at Davis to major in entomology. I majored in DESIGN! And what does a design major do with their degree?
Make 6 foot tall glassy-winged sharpshooters of course!
Why?
Because they asked me to!

My friend Marie who helped with this costume is the model. Shhh... don't tell her I told you!
Our county's agriculture commissioner wears this around the county to teach and inform county residents about what to look for. He was very concerned about the proportions, color, and the glassy wings. I have to tell you though, if someone has a 6 foot bug in their backyard they have more problems than a vineyard disease!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Gumdrops

These luscious floral bouquets dripping from the trees are at the Winn in Las Vegas. The atrium between the casino and the gift shops is like stepping into a Willy Wonka movie! The gumdrop balls are encrusted with flowers and suspended from the tree limbs.

(This is my daughter and her girlfriend who we took on vacation.)
And if the polkadot sky isn't enough toPosted by Picasatickle your senses the rest of the room is layered with color. Rows and rows of hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and azaleas bloom amongst greenery. The floor explodes with mosaic tiled floors in a 60's retro design. It is eye candy for an artist's soul.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

January In the Valley

The beautiful Napa Valley, California. I actually live here! This month has been so wet and cold. In January, the mustard plant sprouts up between the dormant grapevines. Its flower blooms bright yellow blanketing the valley and glowing against the dark cloudy skies. It actually looks just like this painting by my hubbie.

The history behind this flower that carpets the valley is said to have been the scattered seeds of the Spanish Mustard. Father Junipero Serra had come from Spain to Mexico in the 1800"s. He was told of the beautiful land to the north full of wild flowers, grand trees and verdant valleys. Serra set out to explore this country to the north and brought with him the Spanish mustard seeds. He scattered them along the paths he traveled along with his faith. The following year when he returned, a ribbon of yellow flowers had sprouted. This path of "gold" is where Father Serra established his "Rosary of Missions" that extend from San Diego to Sonoma. (history taken from http://www.goldenhaven.com/. Tourism begins now for the "Mustard Festival" which runs until the end of March.


All three of these paintings by Dave are mini murals on the walls of a beautiful bed and breakfast here in Napa called Churchill Manor. These paintings and others depicting the different appellations of the valley are in the "breakfast room". The one above is of Stag's Leap.


This is Howell Mountain. It's in the northeastern part of the Valley. All these paintings were done with acrylic on wood.
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Friday, January 11, 2008

Krazy Quilt Hearts


I've been sewing these up like crazy. I'm having so much fun using up scraps and "stuff". The actual sewing is quick and easy but it takes me forever picking and choosing from my PILES of fabric and junk!Posted by Picasa








Faerie Banners


I created these faerie banners for my nieces and grandkids. They are acrylic paint on canvas. The flowers are the birthmonths. The edges are finished with a cord trim and a casing is sewn into the top so that they could be hung with a curtain rod and ribbons.




Cruella de Vil


Cruella de Vil, one of Disney's most infamous villains loved fur. Fur coats. She lived for the spotted variety---dalmatian. Well, I love fur also, but faux is alright for me. Take a look at this coat..............





Isn't it awesome? A customer brought me this great 60's faux fur coat because the sleeves were too short. The coat was in great shape, but there was no way to lengthen them. She found this great black fur at Britex in San Francisco. I added to the cuffs and decided to add to the collar to pull the look together.Posted by Picasa




Just like Cruella, it was all I could do not to keep it!Posted by Picasa