And now, back to artsy things!

I haven't done much art-making this summer. I've either been too hot, too tired or in some cases, too sick to do much of anything. I was laid-up for the last three days with a neck so stiff I was naseous. And the heat! Well, don't get me started. Let me just say that after the freak blizzards in Maryland this past winter, you would think it wouldn't have to be 95 degrees for weeks on end. But, so it goes.

A link to this delightful altered tin with the dolly head was first spied on my friend Sandy's blog. And I should add, the digitally-talented Sandy is the one who created my new blog banner and my new Blythe blog banner. So I followed Sandy to her 'real-life' art friend Maija and her blog and then to her Etsy shop.

I can only claim Maija as a virtual friend although we've traded some things before, Blythe charms and fat book pages, to name a couple. She has a gorgeous blog, a ton of talented friends, and great stuff in her Etsy shop, so check her out!

Sandy, Maija and others just got together for an art weekend with another virtual friend of mine, Viv, who is so talented also, and has a darling blog. I've been on the lucky receiving end of her work, also!

So, my dollhead collection is now "plus-one" in a very nice way!

Meant for each other

The big ol' chippy doll head I got today at Attic Treasures in Ellicott City was one I had spied several months ago. I can't believe it was still there, as was a tiny one-inch one I also got. But the big one fit perfectly on this shabby chic pink dress form I got from Kelli at The Vintage Shoppes. The skeleton key on a ribbon is also from The Vintage Shoppes, as are some more treasures saved for another post.

Next stop was The Pink Cabbage, a co-op of 12 artisans, including Stephanie George of Doojies, who runs in the same circle of art girls I know IRL and virtually. I loved her altered art at the shop. I got some groovy flashcards, some art books, a shabby chic bed jacket (that will NOT be worn to bed) and a "mink": a fab racoon collar, that looks very chic but not shabby. Saw some great jewelry and lots of cool stuff. Will definitely be back!

Putting Things in Place

I've been so busy getting situated for my wonderful new job that I've barely had time to think about art, and that makes me grouchy! So I thought I could at least photograph a few vignettes to share and do a little blogging...since I am WAY behind.
I love my touches of pink and my doll heads, and looking at them everyday makes me happy.
In the top photo you will find a poppet box by Mica of Garboodles.

You can read a little bit about where I am in this article I wrote for Vintage Indie. It's a beautiful and historic area, with rolling hills, wineries, rivers, lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, ski slopes, you name it. And Ellicott City, which I profiled, has tons of cool shops. It's where I met an "in real life- IRL" art/vintage friend, Miss Kelli. Check out her new blog, The Vintage Shoppes. She's a partner in pink, and her house, studio and shop are to-die for! Her husband is in a pretty cool band, too, The Kelly Bell Band. Check them out on Project Playlist. They were voted Best Blues Band by Music Monthly for six years in a row and Best Band in Baltimore for two years running by City Paper.

The little art gallery above is in my closet, as you can tell from the shoes. It's a great place to assault my senses every morning. Some of the art is by moi and the cute Frida prints are by Tascha on Etsy. The big white frame in the doll head photo is vintage as is the pink Humpty Dumpty stuffy on the slipper chair.

More blogging later; I'm headed to Ellicott City, the Artists Gallery in Columbia for a "pastels and pottery" show and to the American Visionary Art Museum, which I joined. Gotta get un-grouchy!

See Dick and Jane. See All These Other Fab Finds. Good Job, Finder-Person.

Ah, what's a Labor Day weekend without some serious junking? A trip to neighboring North Webster, home of tennis courts on the roof of a former bank-shaped-like-a-castle-that-is-now-a-shoe-store which overlooks a topless bar just a block or two from the lakefront, produced all this wonderful goodness above.

Steals, I tell you! Dick and Jane, while pretty rough inside, was only five bucks. This is a 1940s version; Dick, Jane and Sally were still up to their same hijinx when I met them in the 1960s. I'd always wanted to find this little piece of childhood again. I've seen similar versions not selling but sitting on Ebay for up to a hundred dollars!

Someone did some serious doodling in this one, as well as some ripping of pages, and the spine is loose. But, I plan to use some pages in altered art anyway, so it's all good. Good Dick and Jane. How did we ever tolerate that vapid phrasing?

The kitschy plastic heads on bottle bodies are part of the 1970s Avon Small World collection, a series of eight or so different countries represented (loosely) in shampoo, lotion and cologne. Stinky stuff now, but cute, cute bottles! I've located them all except the American cowgirl. I blogged about finding my first one over a year ago here.

The other heads add to my burgeoning doll head collection, oft blogged about here and here. The porcelain head is embossed Germany, and the other head, or mold, is either tin or aluminum with chippy beige paint or something flaking off. It has a large, planned hold in the back of the head, not sure why. It would make a great piece of Halloween altered art if I weren't collecting heads.

A hideously ugly wicker lunchbox purse for $10, French flashcards for $1, a vintage amber peroxide bottle and a vintage Evenflo mini glass baby bottle rounded out my Saturday, so far the highlight of my long weekend, along with staying up until 5 am Friday night/Saturday morning and 3 am Saturday night/Sunday morning to work on book pages for a swap. Need to get my rest so I have more energy for bargain-hunting!

Some Things Beautiful This Way Come

The exquisite floral and bird wall hanging at top is by the talented Terri Gordon in a recent swap we did that I also posted about here. It is so incredible in person. Can't wait to hang it.

The Poe bottle is from Teresa Yates of Cedar Junction. She blogged about the Poe bottle here as it was featured in an Etsy treasury. We swapped art and ephemera.

The pink Royal is a treasure I found on Etsy and blogged about on my writing blog, Hunt and Peck. I've been searching for a vintage typewriter forever, or at least since I blogged about seeing and coveting this one in Portland last year.

My doll head collection grows with the little black head with white bows (in the middle) from Constanza, during her major de-stash. Check her Etsy for deals like the collectible Bailey's cup (bottom photo).

I love me some doll heads

Quest for Doll Heads Never Rests

A quick Halloween lunch stop in Union City, Indiana, not far from Dayton on the Ohio border, netted me this humongous old doll head. I placed the other ones for perspective, and even though the dark-haired one is four inches, the comparison really doesn't do it justice.

This old gal is a full five inches high and five inches wide at the shoulders. She must have made for a pretty big doll. It appears she was played with because the shoulder has clearly been broken and glued. The clerk seemed amazed I would buy it (it was verrry cheap). "You know this is cracked?" he asked. A statement so obvious I couldn't believe it was a question.

When I told him I liked to make altered art with doll heads, he disappeared for the longest time and came back with a box full of cloth and rubber dolls. A doll collector might have gotten faint, but since usually only porcelain heads do it for me, I couldn't even take his $2 box off his hands, although I probably should have, if for nothing more than to be polite.

In the car I noticed the hollow head was stuffed with something strange-either old wool or old doll hair-lots of it- and as I struggled to pull it out, I had momentary imaginations of either baby mice or a million dollars, neither of which fell into my lap while driving. The head does have an old tag on the back-stuck on at one time-but so old now it is almost embedded into it and impossible to read-even with my new Sarah Palin-esque readers. Not sure what I will do with this big head, but right now it waits patiently with its sisters.

But one head and a couple of pieces of old cold type later I was out of there and on with my work, proving again that "Wander Indiana" is an excellent state marketing campaign slogan.

Driving around all the time for work also lets me see all the campaign signage in my state-something I will be very glad to see gone and soon! Doing my part for that, I voted Saturday. That was a first: Saturday (not voting). The absentee voting process was smooth and convenient, since I will be out of town for election day, wandering another state. I was amazed to hear some states are even offering voting this Sunday-truly the sign of a landmark election. So, don't miss your own opportunity. Go vote.

Speaking of wandering-or shopping- you don't have to leave your house or your jammies to do some great holiday shopping. If, like me, you don't want to think about that, well don't! But when you do, there is an outstanding holiday gift guide from http://www.vintageindie.typepad.com at http://www.vintageindiemarket.typepad.com. There are tons of categories for all sorts of handmade gifts and gift ideas as well as discounts galore. I am proud to be a vendor member in this guide as well as a contributing editor for the wonderful Gabreial who runs VinatgeIndie. Vist my etsy or my Flickr for goodies to gobble up: from jewelry and altered art to Blythe doll clothing and furniture and publications for the collector. Even if I don't feel like shopping yet (when did summer end?), I always feel like selling!

It IS Better to Give than Receive, But Receiving is Pretty Great in this Case!

I have several spots in my home and studio where I display art from friends: art that I've bought, swapped for, received as a gift, won, you name it. It is so inspiring to look at these treasures every day. And although the hutch over my art desk is only one spot, I wanted to show it off for now, because there's some pretty fantastic stuff right there. The "Artist" canvas I received Saturday in a swap with Cindy DeLuz http://apurpledaisy.com/. I blogged about meeting her at ZNE 2008 here http://lillysoflondonish.blogspot.com/2008/08/zne-does-not-rhyme-with-halloween.html. We worked out a swap, but she worked overtime! Not only did I receive her painting, but she sent me a darling necklace and notecards to match. She is as sweet in person as this gesture, and she wrote me a very special card and message on the back of the painting. I think I'll only have to remember what she said to find my muse.

The darling poppet box with the pointy hat is by Mica Garbarino of Garboodles Soup http://garboodles.blogspot.com/. She used a tiny porcelain doll head, which she is practically famous for, and the box she sent me says "through the open door." I think I'll go. You can find her work on etsy, and she has a totally separate store for incredible Sock Monkeys, too. She'll also be teaching how to make these darling boxes, including sewn crepe paper skirt, at the ZNE Convenzione 2009 in April-May http://www.znecon.com/, so I'll get to meet her then. The box I sent her is here https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRysjo3PKDPtVMeUZzzPD4FTcS0O4vMnvQw-oLxdGSehwjzLhdDLzDSBSW-XzjR7haiQTGPejsTfIcPjw7EWwjs7Xp7DWU5QkhpT10xyhPpkaVrx3cDJJzCRJw3CamUZLD0w0LzntU3wh/s1600-h/moremariesmica+001.jpg.

The black and white box by Iva Wilcox http://www.ivascreations.com/ I have posted before, but in the dolly-headed-box theme spirit, I just wanted to show it again by itself because it is so darling. Iva and Gina Gabriell http://www.elevenmorning.com/ will be selling their wares Sept. 13 at a fantastic show at Tinsel and Treasures in Danville, CA. If you're on that side of the world, GO!

The bottom picture is the view over my art desk in my basement studio. I have more work from friends upstairs in my "real" office, where I have not one, but two more desks! If you look closely in the picture, you'll find artwork from Debrina Pratt http://whimsicalworldoffairies.blogspot.com/, Carla Naron http://www.collagecat.typepad.com/, Elaine Thomas http://artful-spirit.blogspot.com/, Sally Jean Alexander http://www.sallyjean.typepad.com/and more, along with my newest goodies in their new home spot. For now. I like to rearrange, too, for more inspiration!

The top photos are some paper clay figures/sculptures I made this weekend, trying to use the skills I thought I'd learned in Gina Gabriell's class at ZNECon last month. It's a lot easier to make something when someone is telling you what to do each step of the way. And while these might not look too bad in pictures, I can't decide how I feel about them in real life! I know how much glue and goop I used to hold everything together. I know I tried to rush the drying and put them in the oven, forgetting that styrofoam melts, expands and will eventually explode...but apparently that takes longer than 30 minutes, thank goodness! I've already blown out my oven element once this year! Dishwasher has been out 16 days now, but that's another story.

But I digress. These paperclay peeps were fun to imagine and create, but I think I do better at decorating their papier mache or balsa wood box bases. The Halloween witch might be my favorite. I used a very old porcelain head from my new dear IRL friends Shoshannah Jennings and her husband Mike who run Hannah Grey http://www.hannahgrey.com/. They have tons of cool old doll parts, dug up from factories in Germany. Email them if you don't see the parts on their Web site. I "work" for Shosh and Mike as a member of the Hannah Grey Design Team and was lucky enough to meet them in person recently, along with a darling team member, Julee Herman. She's so pretty you want to claw her eyes out, after you find a way to steal her gorgeous hair. That's supposed to be humorous, dear reader (and Julee), because she's a doll.

These might be gifties going to fellow art friends in some upcoming swaps. You know who you are, so don't look too closely, and skip over the part where I said these might not be 100% perfect. Handmade is supposed to be heart-made, right?

ZNE Does NOT Rhyme with Halloween

I don't know which is crazier: that I am still blogging about the ZNE Convention (that's 'Z,' 'N,' 'E," not 'zeen') or that I am already blogging about Halloween.

The darling house canvas says 'Home is where the heart is' (so true) and 'There's no place like home' (true too). I bought it from Cindy DeLuz of http://www.apurpledaisy.com in California. Her work just makes me swoon. I love the colors and the richness and the messages. We really hit it off. Anyone who knows me knows I like the whimsy style anyway, but Cindy is so sweet you can't help but adore her. Check out her Web site for more of her work. I can hardly wait to receive the canvas she is sending me in exchange for one of my bracelets from etsy http://www.hpsgsmith.etsy.com. I definitely got the best end of the deal, but of course I hope she feels otherwise! Don't worry, I'll be blogging more about her art.

The Halloween pages are 25 five-inch by five-inch double-sided pages I made last night for The Faerie Zine Halloween Opera fat book page swap. How great it will be to get this finished book back with pages from 24 other artists and an amazing cover from Lisa Kettell http://faerieenchantment.blogspot.com. As it is, I cannot wait to get my circus, bird and dollhouse books back from her. She's crazy; she hosted all of those swaps.

I got the Halloween crepe paper at American Harvest in Pleasanton, CA. The entire store was jam-packed with Halloween stuff during the ZNE convention. I'm already making plans to attend next year, which will be April 29-May 3. http://www.znecon.com. The instructor lineup is incredible and includes both new and old art friends. I'll get to meet Lisa Kettell in person there if not before.

The orange Halloween ribbon with pumpkin faces is vintage, and I got it at the ZNE vendor fair "Pleasantries and Paperie" from a booth that sold nothing but vintage ephemera. Some of the other collage images I used are from Lisa's Altered Art (different Lisa) http://www.lisasalteredart.com, Teesha Moore http://www.teeshamoore.com, Retro Cafe Art http://www.retrocafeart.com, Paper Relics via Hannah Grey http://www.hannahgrey.com and Artchix Studio http://www.artchixstudio.com. Nothing like plugging people and virtual places I love!

Speaking of plugging, with all the ZNE love going around, I was excited to find that I was mentioned on three fantabulous blogs: Dawn DeVries Sokol, editor of 1000 Artist Journal Pages, gave me a mention at http://dblogala.typepad.com/dblogala/2008/08/ajf-the-big-sho-oe-an-ed-sullivan-ref.html, and Kris Hubick pictured 'us' here http://krishubick.blogspot.com/2008/08/longest-post-ever-zne-convenzione-2008.html. Also, the very talented Mica of Garboodles, who will be teaching at ZNE in 2009 blogged about the china head/paper doll box I swapped with her here http://garboodles.blogspot.com/2008/08/private-poppet-swap.html, and it looks like she has pictured what she is sending me. I may just have to tackle the mail person; it is adorable. Artists really are good people.

A Happy Blog Anniversary To Me! And Thanks to Some Great Swappers, Bloggers and Readers!

It seems like whenever I am a little behind in posting, my latest post invariably becomes a hodge podge as is this one. I don't know how anyone could miss their own one-year Blog Anniversary, but I did! August 2nd was the date, and 288 posts later, here I am. So, leave a comment on this post, and I'll draw some names out of a hat (let's say 3) for some very special art and goody gifts. Deadline is 6 pm EST Sunday, August 17, 2008.

Before I explain the photos above, I just have to say blogging, more than anything else art-related, has really turned my world around in the past year. Or, I guess since my world was already spinning on its axis, blogging was like the little kid saying, "faster, faster!"

So many exciting things have happened since starting this blog: I have met some truly wonderful, wonderful human beings, both on-line and in person. I've exchanged a lot of art, and emails and Moo cards and more. I've joined some terrific on-line communities. I've actually taken over responsibilities for a couple of them. I've started writing for three other Web sites. I've been encouraged to submit art and writing for publication. My photography might have gotten a wee bit better. I've met famous and published art peeps! I've learned a lot more computer lingo. I filled a void in my life. I even started a second blog http://bly-me.blogspot.com/ for Blythe collecting in December 2007 and have 74 posts there. I'm just so thankful for this supportive, creative, communicative community. Thank you all.

Even more thanks go out to Mary Ann of mainer_at_heart on Flickr.com and http://firstborn.wordpress.com/. Not only did I receive the fabulous Marie Antoinette doll above from her in a 1:1 swap, but we have become art/blog/phone and more friends, and I have contributed to her upcoming zine. I also have the privilege of knowing her talented sister http://labouroflovex3.blogspot.com/, too. Together, they feed my interest in all things Marie as well as in fat books. In fact, I forgot to photograph the "itty bitty" fat book I received Saturday from Mary Ann's group, so more to come on that. And sister Jo is hosting a Marie itty bitty-so tres fab!

The pin cushion in a tea cup is from Jillian Haupt http://www.jillianhaupt.com/ in a 1:1 swap in Vivian's pinkeep swap. See more pinkeeps at http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/. I sent Jillian a pink velvet baby shoe in exchange. You can see its 'partner' in my etsy shop at http://www.hpsgsmith.etsy.com/ or in the shop preview at right.

The dolly box in red, white and blue bandana style is one I recently made after another 1:1 swap with Mica of http://garboodles.blogspot.com/ and etsy and ZNE. I went nuts over one of her 'frozen Charlotte' doll figures and dolly boxes. She agreed to a swap, so I sent her one I posted earlier. The good news is I still have one coming from her-can't wait! Not sure where this little gal is headed, maybe etsy, maybe a gift, who knows? maybe a blog anniversary prize! She has such a sweet face and is only about one inch big. I'm not the happiest with the paper clay body I made and painted, but I guess she's so cute otherwise, it will do.

Finally, on a completely unrelated note, hence the 'hodge podge,' this book: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, came free inside my copy of Marie Claire, British edition. (I also highly recommend the Marie Claire Ideas, French edition). Anyway, while trying to pass some time and practice the very foreign-to-me concept of "patience," I decided to try this book. It was a bit of a slow start, because I couldn't figure out where we were headed. But the pace suddenly started careening around corners without braking. It is a genius book in my opinion. The language and age barriers of the subjects are hysterical, and the underlying subject matters-while poignant, are treated equally hysterically. But, it just seems so right. I highly recommend this book, even if you can't get it for free. Hmmm, maybe a blog prize....

Thanks for a wonderful first year!

Art, Dolls and Fat Books

With just a little midnight oil Saturday night, I finished my 24 all original 5" x 5" doll house book pages for The Faerie Zine's fat book page swap, hosted by Lisa Kettell, http://faerieenchantment.blogspot.com/. I had fun using collage sheets from a fellow Altered Art Diva Joanne Thieme Huffman http://www.jthcreations.com, Lisa's Altered Art http://www.lisasalteredart.com/, and German scrap from Moline http://www.moline.etsy.com/on Etsy. I got to throw on my girliest papers, laces, buttons, bows and trims as well as some vintage sheet music. Off they go in the mail Monday!

Some Saturday Vintage Goodness = Score!

As hard as it may be to believe, I don't often drag strange stuff home, without a plan. Oh sure, I will grab a vintage doll head here and there. But, this adventure to a tiny northern Indiana town to stores called "Petunia's" and "Serendipity" resulted in some unusual items and no plan-yet.

The green nightstand/end table was so cheap, it was needful. I am not sure it is all that old, but it looks like a fine place to store art supplies and books.

I also got a couple different batches of vintage greeting cards, some new and some used. Some were dated 1939. These will be fun for either altered art or re-sale on etsy http://www.hpsgsmith.etsy.com.

I also got a little wicker/rattan footstool/shelf/nesting table thingy. I thought it might help me organize my art and craft books. Other treasures include a nifty hat pin, another (yes) doll head and the little German? green table and four chairs, which are barely two inches. See. No plan. The table and chairs are too little for Blythe. Might go to etsy. Might go into altered art. Might be a gift for one of my dolly friends with little people.

Finally, the ivory box, which needs a good cleaning with a tooth brush, is some kind of overlay onto a wooden box. It feels like celluloid or Bakelite. I have no idea; I just liked it. I foresee a Marie Antoinette treasure box being made, or maybe just more trinket storage for me.

With the exception of the nightstand, everything in this post was had in single digit dollars each. Made my day.