Ahh Red

Don't you just love the color red? I know I have a special fondness for this luscious hue. It just makes me smile and not every color can do that for me. It makes my heart jump a little, the corners of my mouth start to curl up and well, my creative side just wants a much closer look. These little crab apples are showing off beautifully for me this fall and I couldn't pass them up, I had to share their prettiness with you. So, what does the photo say to you? I hope it says "happy!"

A Bit of Creepy

I was hoping to find a bit of the weird and creepy while at the Junk Bonanza and I did, finally. I was wondering if there would be any art dolls made from antique tins and well, I found only one lady there and her booth was an absolute delight for me. I even had Charlie custom made for me while I shopped. He will have a special place in the studio and I can't wait to find a little hat for him as well. The photographs in the background were quite creepy but that is exactly why I loved them. I know Halloween will give me great opportunity to include these children into my artwork. The roller skate, well, I just couldn't help but be transported back into childhood wearing these little charmers. Had to buy it for the studio also :) As you can see by the past several days, the Junk Bonanza had something for everyone. I do hope if you have time to go to an antique fair close to you that you make the journey. You just never know what discoveries you may come up with. Happy junking!

Fun & Games

I absolutely love, love, love games. I know it stems from those long summer days playing in the screened porch of our neighbors house with every one in the neighborhood joining in. Monopoly, Life or Sorry would last for days and we woke up each day eager to continue where we left off. Clue was one of my favorites but then again I do love solving puzzles and well, the game pieces were also quite clever. After all, who wouldn't want to be shot in the ballroom by Colonel Mustard - oh yes, my imagination was intrigued even as a child. These brought back many memories and I loved what Leslie Mullin did with the Pictionary game board, made a unique purse out of it. How could I have let that one go, right? I would have been kicking my own butt for days for that mistake :)  Hope this is getting your creativity going. If nothing else, making you want to clean out the kids room and send me some cool stuff LOL!

Cards, Games, Stamps Oh My

I love games and flash cards so imagine my surprise, not really, when I came home with quite a wide variety to include in my art. The bingo and lotto cards were paper or cardboard and ranged in the colors of blue, green or black print. Loved the orange stamps and bought all they had. Don't have a clue to what I will actually do with them but strictly bought them for their beautiful color. The library cards were an added bonus. I couldn't help myself and hope there are some great reads to inspire me to do art on them - just imagine, "the curiosity shoppe, edgar allen poe, to kill a mockingbird" oh I do hope I have some great ones! What is your favorite classic? I'll keep my eyes open for the card :)

Illustrations Galore

The one thing I couldn't believe was how many illustrations I was seeing at the Junk Bonanza. There were many different kinds from botanical, birds and even sports in a variety of sizes and shapes. I tried to pick some that I could use for their color and the sizing of the work in general. I imagine myself scanning first to save the images as they are but then cutting them up and including them in my mixed media work. I can't wait to really have fun looking and planning my art around these beautifully illustrated images. These all came from the booth 3 Wren Street and yes, I saved the card because of the nest! You know me so well.

Random Goodies

This is a photograph of my random goodies. I found this great old phone book with adorable ads inside. It will make a great background to some of my canvases. I am also going to let the ad inspire the piece tieing it all in together. The little games pieces will be for my chunky wood items. I want to adhere them to the outside or within the art to add a little 3d dimension. I'm planning on doing collections of them so there may be a "domino" or "scrabble" collection where these little bits are continuous on each and every piece making a darling series or two. The drafted prints in the background will be lovely incorporated into the canvases as a base. I loved the blue/green coloration of the one showing. What would you do with these?

Word - Junk

The word for this week is junk.

Its noun meaning - old iron, glass, paper, or waste; discarded articles; a shoddy product.

Its verb meaning - discard; scrap.

I had the pleasure of attending my first Live, Love, Junk Retreat this past weekend and have to tell you it was great fun. Not only was the retreat well run with lots of added shopping and dining but it also ran in conjunction with the 7th Annual Junk Bonanza in Shakopee Minnesota. For those of you who know me, you are probably shaking your head wondering what has gotten into me. Well, since discovering mixed media, I am now always looking for a bit of the past to repurpose into my art. So, I went with a mission to find unique small ephemera that I could add to my art and let me tell you, I was not disappointed in the least. There were 150 booths filled with anything you could imagine and some you didn't even know you were looking for. The suitcase above is filled with a collection of my treasures, I can't wait to see what inspiration they bring!

Warm Apple Pie

I spotted these apples from across the yard. The sun was hitting them just right that all I could see in the vast forest of green was a shining spot of red and yellow. I took a brisk little walk across the yard and found the second season of fruit on our new little dwarf apple trees. They were almost perfect in shape and size so all that was left to do, pick it and try it out on the taste buds. What I did not expect was a warm, juicy apple that tasted like a freshly baked apple pie. I had never had an apple from the tree that was sitting in the sun, and believe me, I will be back. Although I must wait until late afternoon so I can once again have that warm apple juice running down my chin. It was amazing!