Quilting... Vintage Patterns...

700 Olde Time Needlecraft
Designs & Patterns
Copyright House of White Birches, Inc. 1970

Many of my watercolor designs have been
made into the sweetest fabrics...
I have bins of samples!

Both of my sisters quilt and sew...

I love fabric...

I don't sew.

But when I find an AMAZING book like this
it becomes one of the best references I have.

I incorporate quilt patterns into many of my paintings.
(I'll show you some of my Birds & Stitches program next)

This book is from 1970
52 pages filled with similar, detailed images

I just wanted to share a peek in case you
ever see one listed on Ebay, etc.
I think it is worth it to try a little searching.

There are pages with complete directions
on how to make tatted trims, crocheted trims...
doily directions... crocheted edgings and
serviceable patterns...
embroidery...
applique...

Below are several vintage fabric/quilt pieces
that I just received as a gift from my cousins in Arizona!
Pretty sure she said they were from old flour sacks?
I'll double check on that...

...pretty little pieces
oh the owl & bird projects running through my mind!
They will require some hand stitching...
It will be worth it!

I just love the acorn pattern...

Happy stitching!

Tufted Titmouse...

A snippet from one of my original watercolors...

There is one giant bright side to all of the
wintry weather we are having...
Songbirds are flooding our feeders!

This morning I was our shoveling the path and
a flurry of these soft gray friends gathered
around our main feeder...
my favorite buff belly friends!

Morning doves were conversing about the
new snow cover and how difficult it was to gather
a morsel... so during a brief "fly away" I scooted
to the feeder & shook a fresh snack down for them.

The cardinals so vibrant against the
bright white backdrops...

Blue Jays that seem to be taking turns...

The woodpeckers sit close to the suet cake
waiting patiently for the nuthatch
to grab a nibble & flitter off...

Our teens love to watch the feeder frenzy.
They remember years of sledding~
She in her bright red snowsuit, pulling little brother
around on a slippery red sled...
They would stop, plop down on a pile of fluff
and watch the birds fly in for their meals.
Together they made small piles of seed &
would try to guess which bird would arrive first!
Our girl...
mittens off...
sorting the black sunflower
from the cracked corn from the millet...
"to make it easier for them~"

So go ahead and snow...
I love to watch it fall like feathers~
around our feathered friends.

Little Miss Winter...

Little Miss Winter
Copyright Michelle L. Palmer

Vintage paper from the late 1800's
I just love her little face...
To be able to capture the period & emotion...

I wish the artists had signed their names.
Most of these old images are nameless silhouettes.
Would love to Google them and learn of
all their art adventures~

More designs to come...
I must first shovel some more and
more & more snow!

New Year... New Projects...

The Pianist
Copyright Michelle L. Palmer

I have collected old (VERY OLD) paper
for almost 25 years.
I love the worn, torn... yellowed,
spottled... treasures!
I have started using the ORIGINAL papers
to make one of a kind mixed media designs.
This beautiful black and white illustration
is from an 1893 publication...

I have tried all types of copies of these rare images
and they seem to lose their charm when applied.
Either the paper is too thick, too shiny or wrinkles.
I will try to have high quality scans and copies
made of the finished designs...
Maybe that will be a successful way to save
a much treasured image!

I'm so excited to begin sharing these rare pieces!
Hope your day is wonderful~

Canada Geese... Happy New Year!

Winter Visit (snippet)

Happy New Year!
I hope all of you have been enjoying
the season and making wonderful new memories~

I love the holidays because it means
my hubby and children are on vacation!
Time together is wonderful~

I have had a few deadlines to complete before
some upcoming business travels~
It's a great excuse to set up a table in the
living room to paint on while
we enjoy Christmas movies as a family!

Hope your celebrations are merry & safe~
Wishing each of you all the best in 2010!

Calico Buttons...

A Christmas surprise for our daughter...
She LOVES calico buttons!
These antique sweeties are very difficult to find~

I stitched them to the wee little file folders
that I made HERE!

Small finds that bring great smiles!

These are blues, purples, blacks...

Her favorite color is green...
Haven't been able to find any of those!
Maybe by her birthday~

Gift Tag Time!

My daughter and I LOVE to have
Christmas craft days!

We turn the house into an artists dream...
ONE BIG STUDIO!
We have rubber stamps here~
mounds of paper scraps there~
punches n' paints~
ephemera and photographs~
fabric n' buttons...
GLITTER!!!!
a nightmare for anyone else who lives here!

These cute mini file folders will be
the perfect size for wallet portraits...

Double sided papers are sweet for these...

Last December I made buttons & tags
with tissue papers...
This is a different look...

Thin coat works best...
Try not to move it around once it is in place
tissue paper becomes very weak...

I put a solid tissue layer on the back...
Once it dries I will write a Christmas message
with a fine tip black marker.

Held to the light...

This tag is going on an antique glass trivet.
They hang their colorful trivets against windows...
The light flows through them so beautifully.

Hope you're having time for some holiday fun!

Endless Photo Corners...

I like the finishing touch photo corners add.
I have a nice collection of standard black,
white, gold, silver, jewel tones & craft paper...
even clear ones are available in 50+ count packages.
Now I make my own!
This craft punch from a Martha Stewart
collection is my new favorite punch!
Diane Knott was blogging about her Martha
punches... you should take a peek at her projects HERE.

Photo corners from a map...
I'm working on a travel page...
I punched in a solid area so you could see
how the punch makes score lines to fold along.

Somewhere toasty warm!

Finished pieces...

I like how these punches stand up.
Plus the silver icon...

Extras I made while hanging out with our daughter
while she did homework...

Endless possibilities!
I can't wait to add tiny buttons... flowers...
glitter-punched confetti stars...

Few More Vintage Christmas Cards...

Vintage Christmas Notes...

I love the little guy...
His sweet face n' toes~

I think our children tried this once!
ha ha ha...

The kids maybe even tried this!
ha ha ha!
Hope your day is filled with great memories...

Vintage Candles in the Window...

The soft glow of our jar candles don't
seem to compare to the sturdy, hard, waxy
ones my family used growing up.
Dripping a little on the plate to get them
to stand upright...
I had half the candle melted down the side
before I could get it to attach.
BUT!
With our three little furry, curious and mischievous
cats... the jar candles are much safer!

When I was growing up we also
put the plastic, oval based, vintage
candles in every window...
One year they'd all be orange...
The next red...
One very sad year~ they were blue.

Little plastic holly & mistletoe arrangements
were carefully placed on every end table...
The top of the television...
The dinner table...
The back of the toilet!
With candles in the center~

I always kept my candle from the
church service...
It was great to rub on the bottom of
my runner sled and toboggan for speed!

Pretty to drive at night...
Many homes put up loads of lights~
The cute air-filled characters~

I love the simple candles in the window...
I love that they are in style & hold meaning
throughout the year.

Vintage Christmas Cards...

One of my favorite Christmas traditions~
Christmas cards!
Vintage images... parchment papers...
I am somehow more familiar with these images
than the ones I see daily.

As a child... I remember
two red and white thumb tack cards in our
collect-all drawer...
The tacks were only used at Christmas time
to put cards up around the door frames~

I loved climbing through mounds of snow...
...winded,
...clumps of ice inside my boots!

But to finally reach the post box and discover
envelopes from family and friends!

Once opened and read through I was
given the honored duty
to find the perfect place for them...

I have collected vintage pieces for years.
Our family didn't save cards from
year to year...
These are just as dear~
Plus, they don't have the tack holes in the corner!

More to come soon...

Father Christmas Prints in Etsy...

A few of my hand signed prints to share
in my Etsy shop... even have frames with them.

My grandma always told stories of an older man,
he had rosy cheeks and pleasant eyes...
Long heavy, itchy wool coat...

Sweet cherry colored lips that never stopped smiling!

Typically had a bag filled with gifts that he would
share with thankful neighbors...
At times he might even carry an evergreen for
miles~ sure to place it in clear sight for
when the children would come down for
breakfast in the morning... the first thing they'd see!
Oh the stories!

None so wonderful as when we she would read
from her Bible... of the bright star, the shepherds...
The Miracle of His birth~

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

Artist Samples...

A few weeks ago I received a box filled with
T-SHIRT artist samples!

These are a few of the designs...
The company chose six of my originals.
I'm not sure where they are sold...
Samples typically come on white!

The Chickadee is one of my favorites!

I will be listing these on Etsy later today...
I have a very limited supply~
Two or three of each design!

I love being able to share samples with all of you!

Hope your Friday is FANTASTIC!

Even Our Pup is Artistic...

Our morning potty trot, see the top paw print...
My pup made a paw-print flower for me!

The first snow...
The most wonderful time of year because~
All it took to get our two teens out of bed this morning...
...My hubby singing three sweet words,
"We've got snow!"
Feet were on the floor in seconds and big smiles on!

This is the type of snowfall that paintings are made from.
I went around taking photos of evergreen
limbs hanging with a perfect sprinkling of white...
Branches with tufts of snow
just waiting for the perfect cardinal to pose!

All cozy indoors, look who has found the
sun beginning to peek through?
Tippy boy!
(Oh my... look at those whiskers!)

Hope your day is wonderful~