Dreamscape Digital #? - low res versions

"Alpha Waves" digital approx 12x7 inches

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One World One Heart Annual Giveaway CONTEST NOW CLOSED

Winner: #167   Gina   http://www.metaphysicalmusings.blogspot.com

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It's "that time of year" again when Lisa hosts her annual One World One Heart international blog giveaway.

This year I've decided to give away a little bird pendant I made , photographed below.

To be eligible to win, you must 1) have a blog and 2) leave a comment in this post that will enable me to visit your blog and contact you if you are the winner.  The draw date is February 14th, 2010.  The cut off date to enter is midnight February 13th, 2010

Good luck and don't forget to visit the hundreds of other blogs participating!  (click on the hot link below the Magic Carpet icon below)

One World One Heart Main Page

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Reflections - A Path With Heart (low res image depicted below)

"A Path With Heart"  digital 8 x 10 inches

Available on Etsy

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Using old family photographs - Snow Angels

This is a series of photos detailing my most recent cloth "skinny page "for an on-going exchange I am participating in.   It's an altered photograph of my mother-in-law (Verna) and her older sister (Viola) taken in the late 1920's.  I altered it digitally, printed it onto cloth and then sewed, embroidered, added the metal snowflakes, lace, buttons and beads. 

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Waiting for a Second Life and Seeking the Right Mentor

The  lovely doll heads arrived just before Christmas, the other elements - just a varied collection of  objects waiting to shine again...I'm sending out intentions of creating some assemblage et al this year, keeping these planted in that still underdeveloped 3D part of my artful musings.   One of my goals this year will be to seek out a teacher in assemblage whose work I admire - any suggestions??

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Close ups of Another "Mini-Pillow" - "JOY" in progress

I started this pillow that hasn't any 'owner' named yet right after the holidays but have been distracted by other on-going projects.  I am keeping in mind my daughter's new goddaughter - Claire, who was born last year on December 25th.  

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More found "treasures" at the antique show.....plus the earliest of Artist Trading Cards

 Not that I need or can use any more antique lace or tatting, I confess, it's become just another one of those 'non-essential collections.'  I do need something to put inside my collection of boxes.  The vendor was very anxious to  unburden   herself of the laces given to her by a friend  all  hand made between 1925-35.  How could I say no at 75% off for the whole lot?  I photographed a few below.  And then of course, she also had a few old vintage photos and ephemera. You know the drill...

Dorothy and Margie Hines circa unknown

 Below, the younger sister, Margie after some digital mucking about.  I plan to reshoot the image again with a steady hand and hope for a much better resolution.  But she is a little darling, don't you think?

Margie

Another fun find, this is #16 in a series of  "Dr. Jayne" Victorian trading cards.   They were produced at a rate of one per  year for 22 years in the late 1800's.  They are commonly found  most anywhere and for sale for  anywhere from $5-$10.  Another "deal", at $1.

 I love the faint portrait hung on the wall behind the young girl obviously 'hearing something' ( haven't we all "been there done that ") And...the voyeurish moon peeking through the curtain..  Spooky!  Such a  wonderfully suspenseful and mysterious atmosphere the artist,   Mr. Buss,  created.

Below is the back.  In part it reads -  The Ghost Story - "The moral of this, the Sixteenth Card of our Series, is that, if young ladies would avoid creating a scene, similar to the one of the artist, Mr. R. W. Buss, gives us in this admirable picture, they had better forego reading ghost stories at bed-time."

So, who knows, maybe one day, your ATC's may find their way to an antique sale?  :0) 

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Uncle Bernie, the Chinese Puzzle Ball and the Global Village

May peace soon be with all of those suffering from the earthquake in Haiti.

Today, in between running  the normal round of errands, I stopped by an antique sale at our local exhibition park.   I've been bent over my computer for most of the week, happily working on blog designs for three different customers, all of whom have been and are just a pleasure to work with.  I've been reflecting on how this internet connects us all together as a global family and this notion came to light even further when I discovered one of my customers lives in Kuwait.     Trained as an architect, she is now following her passion and has become a 'dessert architect' with a thriving business in ...the desert.  I have had a few daydreams while working on her design that perhaps one day, I'll have the pure pleasure of biting into one of her delicious creations.

So,  a trip to an antique sale after a week staring into the monitor for several days, did not disappoint !

As a young girl I used to visit my father's sister and her family at least once a year during holidays.  They lived all over the world - Libya, Rome and Africa and so their collections of art pieces were always very intriguing to me.  One of which (and my favorite) was an ivory Chinese Puzzle Ball.  It was always shelved in a cabinet  'behind glass' but once my Uncle sat down with me and showed me the intricate layers inside of it.  I was then and forever, taken with the mystery of how it could have possibly been created.  The spheres within spheres and the minute details of stars and dragons, and phoenixes.  Of course,   I never asked to set my own hands on it knowing full well what the answer would be,  considering what an active little girl I was.  But, I 'vealways always wanted to have one that I could call my own. I can recall combing the antique shops during a visit to NYC at least a dozen years ago, finding one, but not being able to afford it.

Today, my dream came true. I indulged in a gift for myself and purchased one at the show.  Below, a photo of my new prized Chinese Puzzle Ball.  My uncle taught me how to tell if it was Hong Kong ivory (synthetic) or elephant ivory.  So, I studied it carefully for the striations inside the cuts and decided it was the real which adds to my reverence to it as well as its mystique.    It  has 12 layers to it.  I carefully counted them with a toothpick. 

The following, the photo along with an excerpt I found describing these beautiful globes in detail.

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 Ivory Chinese Puzzle Ball - a long awaited treasure to hold

The art of ornamental design has been part of China's culture for thousands of years. Art and craft have gone hand in hand to create items of great beauty and functionality. Beauty and functionality are inseparable from each other, for beauty itself is a function in Chinese culture. Each shares in equal importance. Intricately painted wall scrolls, highly ornamented hand fans, and other items of Chinese art are well known. Not so the Chinese Puzzle Ball. The Chinese Puzzle Ball is one of the summits of Chinese ornamental design and beauty.
These complex objects are thought to have an influence on the unity of the family. These puzzle balls come in many sizes, and can be made of ivory, wood, resin, soapstone or jade. Most are handmade, and consist of an outer sphere that contains smaller, movable spheres. They generally come in balls of 4-18 'layers'
The concentric layers or balls are open work carvings of plants, animals, dragons. They are an amazing display of craftsmanship. The outermost sphere is usually the most decorated, many times with dragons. The layers of the ball can be thought of as symbolizing, as a four-layer ball can symbolize the four basic elements of earth, wind, fire and water, or the four directions of the compass.
These multi-layered balls are one of the wonders of Chinese craftsmanship, practiced since ancient times. They are also rightfully known as Mystery Balls. Once they are seen and it is remembered that these balls are created out of a single sphere, you may consider them a mystery too!

 Article written by Alan Beggerow

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Remains of the Day - Digital Doodle

I heard the phrase "digital doodle" first from Michele from Digital Dissonance An article by the same name by Michele was published in Somerset Digital Studios last edition.

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Where did the weekend go?

and most of Monday?  I spent a bit of time creating this past weekend and lots of time researching for a design project I'm working on.

Managed to get two drafts out and in between did a bit more mucking about with the Remains of the Day Pages.  I've now completed 6 double spreads - or 24 pages....half way there.

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