Traveling Chariot

Recent murals I painted for a playroom: A Blossoming Tree, A Fun Alphabet, and a Dinosaur hopping out from behind a doorway.  

After selling my stock during the holidays, I have restocked my shelves with hand-cut feather quill sets. The set comes with a classy, old time quill, a rustic stand made out of reclaimed cedar fence posts from this Missouri farm, 12 sheet of ivory laid paper, and a calligraphy grid to place behind paper as you write. There are six currently in my shop and I am working on some more. They would make a good Valentine gift for a loved one or a friend (pen pal). So, if you missed out before, get 'em while they're hot.    

I must have been too busy canoeing, hiking, and generally enjoying the balmy summer to share a very fun project from back in July. In my little neck of the woods, I hosted a Fairy Party for a wee friend's 3rd Birthday Party. Here is our whimsical table setting: Three picnic tables with fern table cloths. I actually cut a large table cloth into 3 for our small tables and hemmed up the edges. A metal canopy frame trimmed in tulle and ribbons. And a hand-painted sign on barn wood that says "Once upon a Time." An iron chandelier is hung in the middle wrapped with ivy and ribbons. Bunting made with green patterned fabric was hung about as well. Hobby Lobby was my shop of choice for this party. Here is a wooden 3 covered in patterned felt, a ceramic mushroom for the garden, a tiny, ceramic owl planter all sitting on a table covered in a sheet of moss. A fairy dwelling in the woods they made with found objects from the forest: walnuts, mosses, grasses, a cedar t

In an effort to warm my bones, warm my mind, I've searched my files for my warmest looking photos. I chose these blooms of the prickly pear cactus that seems to thrive around the sunny glades of my land. Here they are just soaking up the sun. May we all soak up sun sometime soon. Try to be optimistic under the skies of gray. Yesterday graced us with frozen pipes followed by a monumental water show in the well-house. After some soaking wet work and good help we have water today and sanity. Today is better than yesterday. Here's to surviving the winter.  

If there is a season for sending mail, it is Christmas. I am one of a dying breed still sending out real Christmas Cards with holiday stamps and all. Is there anyone else out there who takes part in this thoughtful (and time consuming) tradition? The fact that it takes time, effort, and thought (during a very busy time of the year) are many reasons why I find Christmas Cards so special. It is also some of the only communication I receive from some of my friends and family all year. I send out 60 or so and receive a handful. This year I received about 20, half coming to my mailbox. I am very appreciative of my handful and love hearing from my far flung friends and family at Christmas, and extra joyous to hear from them at other times throughout the year, which I do.   Every once in a while I have the chance to create a one of a kind Address Book in which I design and print the information pages and hand paint each lettered page and tab. Then I bind all the pages in hard back sturdy

This journal was a bespoke order. I took a vintage book of the buyer's choice and turned it into a journal. I was able to salvage the pages of the book and include the first 30 or so pages in the journal (in order so that they can indeed be read). I added orange marbled paper for endpages and added a closure of embossed leather with vintage anchor button. I also added some vintage postage stamps to the first page as I do all of my journals. These are from Norway and Hungary.    

Best Wishes to all for the New Year. May it be bright & merry.