Ya won't see this at the Olympics! (Just for fun)

Something to warm up to on a snowy day... and it is snowing BIG TIME.


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Canace

Okay... I'm done.... totally done

I have decided that I am so done with winter now.... is anyone listening??? It's snowing again today and granted it's beautiful... but did I mention I'm DONE?

I've decided to close the curtains and pretend it's July and I'm in the gardens. Want to tag along?
Okay... come through the side gate and we'll have a nice warm sunny look around a few of the gardens.
Oh look! The Bee Balm and Gerbera Daisies are in bloom! I can hear the bees buzzing all through them.

Ahhhh.. and one of my favorites... my Siberian irises. It's such a beautiful full grouping of them, not like last year when the moles ate them from the roots up.
And back behind the garage.... my sweet Sweet Peas on that old barrel we bought at auction.
Here, have a closer look and a little sniff..... ahhhhhhhhhhhhOh look! A Monarch butterfly is visiting the sunflowers... isn't he gorgeous?

And my personal favorite... my Pee Gee Hydrangea. Such magical little blossoms!
Oh, and I call this little guy my Piggy Bee. Ya think he's got enough pollen to last him awhile? lol
Whew! A bit overheated now... let's sit out back and I'll bring out some nice cool lemonade. Sound good? :o)Thanks for having a walk through the gardens with me... I feel better now.

Don't worry.... I get like this every February.

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Canace

Texture everywhere...

Sometimes the most interesting textures are right under your nose. I was getting some wood to load the stove and I spotted this one log with the most incredible webbed texture so I photographed it before it became my foot warmer. Then I decided to play around with colors and these pics are the end result.

Please feel free to use the textures in your work.


Have fun!

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Canace

Just had to share!

Yep... another freebie. :o)

I love the soft patina of vintage rulers... okay... I love everything... but there is something very soothing about the well used finish on vintage rulers. I have many of the conventional type but these 3 are very old and special to me. I decided to scan them in and share them with you. The possibilities are unlimited!

Make some magic!

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Canace

Snow Globe

We had the most beautiful snowfall today so I decided to take some pictures, trying to capture the huge fluffy flakes as they came down. No easy feat! This is how it looked from my front window and you can just make out the flakes against all the white.

Then I thought I'd take a picture from my bedroom window where I have my glass collection which includes my great aunt's crystal ball. I noticed that the snow and trees were reflected beautifully in it so I put it up on the sill and photographed it. My very own magical snow globe!



A winter wonderland of the imagination..

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Canace

You Are Worth the Time

I thought you might enjoy this video

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Canace

I Won and it's not a TURKEY!

One of my favorite artist friends online is Jeanette Janson and I like to keep up with her blog because she has incredible taste, is very talented and omg the treasures she finds! I leave green comments every now and again... you know.. the ones where you're absolutely drooling over something.

Well... yesterday I won a $50 gift certificate to her Vintage Supply Store! I'm so excited because Jeanette has so many neat/unusual/unique things in her supply store. We've done fun exchanges in the past but this... oh baby! I can't wait to browse around and find my new goodies. I even have a drawer dedicated to Jeanette where I keep all the little treasures she's sent to me over the years. Whenever I'm stuck for just the right thing I head for that drawer and sure enough... I find what I need. (Yes, I'm a hoarder)

You need to stop in her other store Jeanette Janson where she has her art work too. You've probably seen her work. She specializes in typewriter key jewelry and her little tin birds are unmistakably Janson.
You will see all the links to her artwork down the left side of her blog. She's a multi-talented lovely lady and I'm sure you will enjoy her blog and her work.

Thank you so much Jeanette!

Oh... about the turkey..
That's the only other thing I have ever won.... a turkey from the local American Legion. Granted.. it was a very nice turkey but it's not Jeanette's goodies!

Have a great week!

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Canace

A day on Main Street U.S.A.

Yesterday my friend Denise from Wild Thread Studio and I went over to Beacon N.Y. where the Main Street is peppered with antique shops, bistros and art galleries. It's the quintessential 'Main Street U.S.A.' with it's brick facades and storefront windows reminiscent of the 40's and 50's.

I remember as a small child the excitement of taking my very own little passbook to the bank to deposit my 25 cents (literally). The immense building with its towering windows, marble floors, brass cages and sparkling chandeliers was a testament to wealth and incredibly magical to the little girl that was me. There is still one of those banks on Main Street in Beacon and it brought back those memories of the grandeur of banking in those days.

Back to the present....

We walked from gallery to gallery viewing a wide array of art work from gelatin prints to paper assemblages and fiber arts. One of the most impressive was the work of Linda Cross, "Reflections on the River" being shown at the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries. We both came away so excited about her work and I wanted to share some photos with you. I didn't see this particular show featured online but there is a link to the Carrie Haddad Gallery which has some very good pictures of Linda Cross's work. Of course you really need to see her work in person to see the immensity and beauty of the colors but it will give you some idea.

One gallery was devoted entirely to Bannermans Island and Castle which I have written about before and it is a true love of mine. There were paintings and photographs, tiles and books about Bannerman's... even a Bannermans gingerbread house!

At yet another gallery Denise caught the ear of the owner and eagerly told her all about me and my work ... bless her little heart. I left my card there and I see that she (the owner) has been very busily perusing my website ever since. Hmmm... possiblities. Thank you Denise! :o)

Off to the local Irish Tea Room for Chai tea and scones (I had hot chocolate) and then to the antique shops at the other end of Main Street. Ohhhh... I got some treasures! Would you believe I bought the side of a cash register? Not the register... just one side.. and it perfectly matches my cash register from Ketcham's Store that I got last fall. That, and some gorgeous old pocket watch parts and some hardware. What a great little shop and terrific prices too. There was the most beautiful card file cabinet there and if Denise and I could have carried it on our backs it would have gone home with us. Unfortunately being solid oak it would take 4 men to get it out and into a truck. Where are those 4 strong men when you need them??? I'm still thinking about it though... just thinking... and thinking...gosh it was beautiful!

All in all a great day with a good friend and a sure cure for cabin fever.


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Canace

Portal Pictures - Scotland

There's something so intriguing about portal pictures... the frame itself and what lays beyond. It's one of my favorite views in my photography. This is a picture that I took at Melrose Abbey in Scotland. A magnificent abbey and the rolling hills of the countryside were equally as beautiful. Feel free to create something with this photograph if you like. If you do... I'd love to see it.


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Canace

It's a freebie sort of morning...

Thought I'd share a freebie on the run this morning. Hope you all had a great weekend!

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Canace

Feel Good Lovelies

To quote a comment on my last post by my friend Rainey from Dublin ... 'Feel Good Lovelies' is her expression for the lovely little vignettes that make a house a home. So sweet Rainey! What else might you expect from a lovely lady from the magical country of Ireland? Thank you Rainey for the 'Feel Good Lovelies'. Now following my post of supporting other artists you must go see Rainey's beautiful work at The Josie Baggley Company.

I still want to try to catch the light in my great aunt's crystal ball but it's overcast today so that one will have to wait until later.

Instead I thought I'd share a vignette from my bathroom.... yep.... that's right...my bathroom. :oÞ
The first thing you have to do is ignore the bunched up linen under everything. It's amazing what shows up after you've taken a picture. lol That being said, here is a vignette from my bathroom that I love. Oh, one other thing... you have to discount the flash hitting the picture above the wash stand as well.

If you look closely at the oil lamp that was my grandmother's you will see a gorgeous necklace draped over it made by my bff Janet. I get such lovely presents from her! The beads are just too beautiful for words and there is nothing comparable to the way Janet puts it all together in her own special style. I would give you the link to her Etsy store but it is quite empty at the moment.... but check back later to see all the magic she's been creating.
The frame on the left has two of my favorite pics of my daughter.. isn't she a doll? (It's her birthday today... Happy Birthday Baby Dumplin'!) The center frame is just as I bought it complete with a vintage little lady that I liked and the frame on the right is my husband as a baby... so cute! Vintage bottles to the right which I have put my own labels on make a nice little cluster and the mirror in the foreground has my very most favorite vintage keys displayed. What a dust catcher that is! Oh... and the little powder box was my great aunt's. :o) Remember, you don't see the wrinkles in the linen cover... right?
I hope you have enjoyed my 'Feel Good Lovelies'

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Canace

Pretty Little Vignettes

I always tell everyone that comes to my home that I've furnished it in 'Early Orange Crate'. I have no 'style' to my home other than the old post and beam structure. All of my furnishings are either from auctions, garage sales, inheritances or 'acquired' from pick up days on the curb. Everything I have has a story and I find it impossible to part with anything. So I try to take all those little things and make vignettes with them.. little paintings that make me smile.

These pictures are of one of my old dressers in the master bedroom. You can just see the bottom of a very old lithograph of one of the original Hudson River paddle boats hanging above the dresser. Everything in these vignettes speaks to my love for the Hudson Valley and includes pieces that were from people most precious to me. The fold-up opera glasses and ambrotype were my great grandmother's , the globe bookends were my grandfather's and the band box, silver perfume flask, miniature books, stamp box and glasses.. oh.. and shoe button hook I inherited from a very dear friend. The bronze bust is of her as a child. So many memories and precious littles.

Next I think I'll try to capture the light radiating from my great aunt's crystal ball. :o)




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Interesting Concept

I thought this was interesting...

They take retired cigarette machines and vend art work from them. You can submit your artwork and they will distribute it to the different vendors and you get a percentage. I think the exposure could be good.

Read about it at Artomat.org

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Canace