Vintage Dress Giveaway!

Summer has arrived!

I hope your days have been filled with wonderful

memories... fun projects... creative moments and joy!

Thank you for your messages and emails~

I was away from my Blog and Etsy to care for family...

Also finished working on a very fun & exciting project!

My studio is back in order...

I'm catching up on special requests...

I have Oooodles of goodies to list later this afternoon!

But first... we have a new GIVEAWAY!

This tiny vintage dress caught my eye

last summer when we were in Madison-Bouckville.

Seems a bit too large for a Barbie type doll...

A bit too small for a teddy bear...

But JUST RIGHT for a Giveaway!

It measures approx. 3" wide at the tummy.

It is 7" long from shoulder to hem.

I drew the baby bird on this delicate piece~

Anyone can enter to win this little treasure!

Simply leave a message on this post and

your name will be put in the hat~

We will pull a name one week from today...

June 30th!

I look forward to visiting your blogs and catching up!

Etsy treasures will be listed later today~

Wishing all of you joy!

Reference material...

Hello friends!

Many things have kept me from saying hello and adding

new treasures to my Etsy shop~

I've tried to stop by and see what you have been up to!

My blog wouldn't allow me to sign in for several days~

We have that resolved and I can post about my latest

reference photographs!

I will share my finished designs once Copyrights are filed~

I have oodles of botanical books...

Late 1800's illustrations through present day~

There is nothing like gathering your own photos!

This common Dandelion was a wonderful model...

I need to find several seed heads to complete my series!

I don't have to search too far~

They LOVE to pop up in my flower beds...

Peering taller and bolder than the rest!

This spring I have added several studies to my collection...

With so much rain and growing family needs I have had to

take extensive notes, sketches and photographs for "someday."

No matter how careful, I break the root...

I'm convinced weeds grow to the center of our Earth!



Praying for all of you through these violent storms~

Sending love... You are not alone...

All the Buzzzzz...

Our flower gardens are all a'buzzzz!

We have had a few days of sunshine~ colors are popping!

I drew these a few weeks ago...

Finally a few minutes to take pictures and list them in

my Etsy store~



Our Lilac trees are loaded with blossoms!

They're all simply waiting for a few days

of warmer temperatures to spring open!

The bees drift by them, pause a bit, making note

of where they'll need to return to next week!

I have tried to move a few clumps of our

English LAWN daisies~ back into a garden scape.

They keep the Wild LAWN Violets and Grape LAWN Hyacinths

company until the lawn mower needs to tame the area.

Gardening with no boundaries...

There are more blossoms in the grass then in my garden beds!

Confuses my pup as to where her potty boundaries

start and stop (giggles)

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start!

Around the studio...

Favorite little things fill studio shelves...

I found a tidy spot to share!

My mom tucked $25 in my birthday card.

When I receive "cash" I try to purchase something

special... often it is spent on a needful item.

I hit the perfect shelf in a local antique shop!

Old botanical books, nature books...

Flower reference books...



With so much rain this is a bit of a tease!

I designed book plates that I glue in with ph safe products...

I make little notes on the plate~

The year I added it to my collection, who it is from...

Where I found it~

Hope your day is perfect!

Don't let the grass grow...

This past week was filled with joy, tears, uncertainty

A little sunshine... a lot more rain...

Violent storms have torn through many American lives.

We're praying for you!

We're praying for miracles!

A bright, talented and kind young man perished in a

house fire... he was 16... we heard the news Easter morning.

Almost 18 and Adorable 15 were numb...

Hubby and I have listened, talked, hugged, cried...

We are all blessed to have known him~

He lived each day!

He didn't let grass grow under his feet...



He was the early bird that got the worm...

We attended a memorial service to celebrate

the life of my husbands grandmother.

She loved to travel... the Red Hats... playing cards...

Family and friends... Forget-me-nots...

Oh! the full-life she lived~

Dearest Evy did not let grass grow under her feet!

I have fallen behind on a few very special orders...

Exciting collections are waiting for finishing touches...

My schedule is written in ink...

There have not been enough hours.

One day at a time~

I haven't been letting the grass grow under my feet...

They simply don't have time to touch the ground!

 There was a very special celebration early Friday morn.

With a stretch and a yawn I cut a piece of

left-over birthday cake... sat with a hot cup of tea~

Shared with the world... A Royal Wedding!

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

I hope your week is filled with joy and love~

Bushels of Bunnies...

"Gratitude is when a memory is stored in

the heart and not in the mind.”

Lionel Hampton

When we watch the news there are very few

reports sharing the positive nature of people.

We are good.

We are kind and caring.

We share our hearts.

We help.

We hope.

We pray.

We give.

As I sat drawing oodles of bunnies to busy my

mind, heart and hands...

I once again witnessed what I have always

believed in and trusted~

People love.

Cancer units are difficult for me.

I don't do well with medical stuff...

God has given each of us our own strengths & talents...



I am so very grateful for the nurses, staff, technicians...

doctors... secretaries... etc. that are caring for my mom.

Everyday these AMAZING hearts walk into

offices, hospitals, hospice, exam rooms to make a difference.

They have compassion, strength and understanding...

...to take over where family can't.

I am so very grateful for that.

I hope your day is sunny and filled with great memories!

Vintage~ Spring Baby Dresses...

Each little bunny with a face, personality and

loving heart of its own~

I have never had a pet rabbit... As a child, they were "wild."

As an adult, we have three cats.

Our children ask~ can we have a hamster?

"No, because of the cats"

What about a Chinchilla?

"No, because of the cats"

Maybe a rabbit?

"No, because the cats would stalk it..."

We have a bird cage... could we have a bird?

"No... because of the cats"

Perhaps someday...

When our current furry loves have gone~

I will have a bunny!

Until then, I will draw them~

Some of these little dresses are on their way home...

Others will be listed in my Etsy shop.

Hope your week is off to a fantastic start!

Doing good...

Hope you have a wonderful week~

Prints of my Fabric Illustrations...

I hope your Friday is off to a great start!

Remember the pen and ink sketches below?

They have been colorized!

I sketched my little friends in colored pencils...

Then watercolor brushes danced about!

Limited edition prints will be available of these~

My Etsy store could use a little color!

They have made baby shower gifts a lot of fun!

 I purchase inexpensive framing materials from a

local craft store. Once I have it framed I use a small

box filled with baby socks (my type of re-usable bubble wrap)

...then wrap the entire box with receiving blankets!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Garden Flag Winner!

Thank you for so many sweet comments!

The name selected from the goodie bucket

to win my Spring Garden Flag is...

Cynthia!

Her blog is great fun~ Cynzplace

Pup and I picked these lawn Crocus on our morning walk.
Lawn Crocus because they refuse to grow
in my flower beds, much preferring thick green sod!
The way they lay in the ink bottles they look like hearts...

...the studio is bright and cheery this morning and
a pile of deadlines are waiting for me~

Hope your day is sunny and sweet!

New Giveaway & Bouncing Baby Bunnies!

A New Giveaway!

To thank you for your sweet comments...

For all that you share~

This is one of my watercolor designs on a

garden flag... size 11" x 15"

New in the package...

Just leave a quick hello on this post and

your name will be put in the basket!

Drawing this Friday... April 1st

 

Going to add some bunnies to my Etsy shop!

Can't stop drawing these little furry friends~

Wishing you joy!

Sunday sketch~

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Wishing you grand smiles and loads of great news~

Spring Tote Bags...

I just brought a bowl of peels, stems and cores

to our compost pile for our wild bunny~

Perhaps a SPRING cap, scarf and mittens would have

been a better treat for our little friend!

The Robins are hoping for a quick melt~

Added some Spring totes to my Etsy store!
Vintage dresses are almost finished...
They will be pressed and photographed soon~


I leave my sketch journals open~
They're always stacked in messy piles...
Sketches, jots, ideas and notes fall out when I flip through...
This little friend was sketched while I waited in a
doctors office... on the back of an atm receipt~
His little face makes me smile!

Hope your Spring day is filled with joy~

Feathers Flying...

Mild days have warm, brisk winds whipping up

dried fall leaves from the flower gardens...

Our cats are running from window to window

trying to catch them! Knocking over everything in

their way of "the big catch!"

I took our pup outside to brush (more)

MOUNDS of hair off... I already saw a little bird

pick up a tuft of it and zip away...

Better lining their little nests than ours! (giggle)

I find some of the most beautiful little nests

on windy days... tossing across the yard like tumbleweed.

I have been promising vintage baby dresses

and linens... I must apologize...

We have had several crazy-busy weeks.

I am thankful for every crazy moment with our teens...

For I know so very soon~

They will leave the nest and there will be

plenty of empty moments and time to catch up!

I have oodles of notes to write back to, so many of

your sweet blogs to visit and catch up on...

I am hoping for studio time this weekend!

Hope your weekend is sweet, sunny and fun-filled~

Thank you for all of your comments and cheer!

Sunday sketch and prayers...

Praying for Japan...

Praying for miracles!

Wishing you a wonderful week, sweet friends~