Original Sketches on Fabric...

When the cold winds blow...
Snow is measured in feet, not inches...
Walking in narrow paths, only to walk the pup...

I craft. I shovel. I craft.

These are original sketches on fabric!
I love flipping through my mounds of sketch diaries...
Finding sweet little images to share~

Each one unique... one of a kind... and for sale!
I'm listing all of these and more...
Please check out my etsy shop!

They come in little packages...

With ENDLESS possibilities!
Stitch n' sew...

Tack them up!
Glue 'em... decoupage them!

Tuck them here or there...

Some are listed as singles...
Others in themed collections!

A few of them even come with Moleskine journals!

I shared buttons with a few...
Feathers with others...

These are from my heart...

Different ideas I doodle... put in designs...

Some have been painted into full size
watercolor illustrations & licensed on cards etc.

Hope your day is filled with creative moments...
Even if the snow is stilllllll falling!

Feathers... Nests... Flow Blue & Shells...

Studio nooks & crannies that I have
collections packed into.

On puppy-watering-strolls I make a pass
around our bird feeders. Always fun to find
a colorful feather or two!
I have written about how I walk around
during windstorms to find the sweetest
little nests that are tossed out with a strong gust.
Shells from a dear friend in Florida...
Hose nozzle... that has no purpose except to be treasured!

I love finding little corners like this when visiting blogs...
They share a lot about a person~

Journal Hearts to Share...

These are a couple snippets~ journal entries...
both from my inspirational journals.

I love to garden because I can let my mind wander.
A chance to fill-back-up and recharge~
Many times I come in from the gardens and
sketch a pretty flower...
put a broken blossom in water...
look up a new weed variety that has taken over!

This day I needed a pick-me-up.
God delivered~ as He so often does!

There are times when I have to repaint
one of my watercolor designs to fit a specific size.

Most of my watercolors cannot be altered digitally...
I make the changes from vertical to horizontal,
rectangle to square... etc. by repainting.
There are times when it seems near impossible
to match a collection. Adding new pieces to
something I had originally painted 5-10 years ago.
My palette is continually changing...
My hand... my style...

This was a sweet little feather "bit" that appeared
on one of the BIRD paintings I was trying
to recreate! I had no idea where it came from...
...but it looked like a little heart!
Taking a break from the deadline to put
the feather in my journal was the fresh start
I needed to make the new pieces flow!

Hope your day is kissed with a sweet surprise~

Sweet Vintage Friendships...

Smiling through the cold...
Sweet little faces to share with you!
Click on the image to enlarge

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start~

Baby It's Cold Outside...

But for me and my lap...
It is warm~

Tippy Boy LOVES to be pet like a dog.
None of those gentle taps or soft pats.
Rough with my head and mess up my hair!
So... since I'm the dog-lover in our home...
Tippy comes to me when he needs some petting~

And he shares his whiskers for my felted projects...
Found one on the basement steps this morning.
Made a wish & put it with the collection!

Songbird Prints from my Originals Now For Sale...

Available now in my Etsy shop...
Set of 12 Songbird prints!

So many of you have been very patient...
Thank you for asking about bird prints.

These make the most beautiful collages,
journal covers and pages... scrapbook pages etc.

They are listed as a set of twelve!

I had such a great time putting my feathered
friends on limbs and then painting these
quilt designs with fun patterns for the backgrounds!
Each one is a Michelle Palmer original design...

From time to time I will add more bird theme pieces.
Feathered friends make us all smile~


I appreciate each of you and
love to read all of your kind comments!
I enjoy stopping by to visit your blogs~
Such creative, inspiring... kind and sharing folks!

Image Transfer Tutorial...

When I was in college I pinched every penny.
(Some things never change! ha!)
While working full time to pay for tuition,
I learned tricks that would save cash,
time and I loved when I could work off campus.
I was a commuter. Those mid-winter-late-night
treks back to the dark, cold campus studios
were dreadful!

COLORLESS BLENDER
A tutorial from last year when I made gift tags

Packaging tape was A LOT less cash than
clear acetate pages and black & white copies!
(A package of ten acetate pages was almost $20...
Some things do go down in price through the years)

For our fun today~
Black and white photocopy, package tape & water.
Place a piece of packaging tape over your image...

Burnish the tape to the paper and image...

Trim!

Soak in warm water...

You can begin to see the image through the wet paper...

Rub the paper off the back...

The clear image begins to appear!

Sweet!

Another example...
This time we will soak the image longer...

Ahhhh... the back paper easily peels away!

The tape is still tacky around the edges...

I placed it on this VERY old book.
The paper fibers are open and fragile...
Pressing softly where the tape is still tacky...
Then gently lifting it off.
Pulls some of the type and paper
around the edges.

Use caution when setting these down where surfaces
are fragile, old... the tacky areas will stick and lift designs.

I use inexpensive packaging tapes because the
transfers are thin and light...
Better quality tapes are a bit thicker.
When using less expensive brands, try to let
the paper soak longer because the tape
is less durable & can tear easily.

I would love to see how you use this idea!
So many possibilities... so little time~

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

First Love Collage...and the Pet Duck...

"First Loves" Copyright Michelle L. Palmer
Original now available in my Etsy shop...

I can hardly believe Valentine's Day is so near!
Part of today will be spent making love notes
for some special hearts in my life~
A very special one for my love!
This December my husband and I will
celebrate 25 years of friendship & love.
We dated for seven years...
I am so blessed to have married my best friend!

We were not as young as the sweet couple in
this collage... but we all remember our
first loves and the special way they made us feel~
Love that this little fella brought his pet duck!

Spring Will Come...

Thinking of you in the midst of
these snow storms...
Praying all will be safe & warm.

We Have A Winner! An Extra Gift, Too!

Theresa from 612 Riverside
Happy Valentine's Day!
You won my "Garden Curiosities" collage!

Please stop by & visit her sweet blog~

Suzanne from All Kinds of Everything
Happy Valentine's Day to you, too!
For being so kind and posting about
my giveaway on your blog.
I put all of those special names in a separate
drawing... these are artist samples
that I just received... a bookmark & small notepad.

Thank you so very much blogging friends!
It has been very nice to meet so many new people...
Each of your blogs are inspiring...
Creative...
Funny...
Heart~felt...
Treasured!

I welcome all of my new followers!
I've joined many of you and bookmarked others~
It is so nice to be on this journey with friends!

Hope your day is wonderful~

A Time to Sell...

"The Pianist" copyright Michelle L. Palmer

Throughout the day I will begin adding my
original antique lady collages to my Etsy shop!
There are so many~
Once I get started... I just can't stop!

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments...
These are such a joy to make!
Please stop by and take a closer peek~

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!

Cutting Antique Ephemera...Choosing Backgrounds...

I am very careful in selecting which antique images
I use in my mixed media designs.
Most of the pieces I select are single pages.
They are not part of a complete collection...
they don't have stories or news articles on the backs.

When I find a piece I immediately examine
the image on the reverse side.
This is what is on the back of my new lady...
I took a photo for future reference and
also scanned both pieces into a digital file.
That way I have a nice, clean reference copy.

I use cutting mats.
Some people prefer cutting on wood surfaces, glass etc.

With a very fresh/sharp, clean blade I trim my
image as close as possible.

Keep at an angle... this prevents tearing...
Papers are very fragile~

I'm not too fussy with the bottom of the piece.
That can be changed during the design layout...

She looks so sweet with words as her background...

The "empty" silhouette shell can be used...

Changing backgrounds- changes moods...
Patriotic!

Pride & Prejudice?

Living room wallpaper?

Whoops! She got lost a little in this pattern...

Simple, yet elegant...

Fun, spring-like!

Cottage?

Next... adding the frame, that matches the image,
that matches the paper!
HOPE YOU WILL TRY ONE!

Don't forget!
This is the giveaway prize... just leave a little note
here (or on one of the previous giveaway posts) or
join me by following along. Your name will
be put in the collection of fantastic friends who have
a chance to win this February 10th!

Thank you for all of your sweet comments!
I hope to have time later today to visit your
blogs and see what you have been up to~