Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I know I did. I had a party for my friends and then a party for my family. We had a great time at both parties. Besides the big tree I dressed in the living room, I put a small tree up in my studio with a lot of my antique Christmas ornaments, houses, brush trees and Santas. Take a look.

Here comes a New Year! Be blessed, be wise, be prosperous and kind; live big, laugh loud, love hard, and nurture the ties that bind.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Ummm! Pumpkin Pie

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I am sitting here tonight smelling the two pies I have in the oven. They should come out in about 10 minutes. I don't know how anyone cannot feel blessed in some way this Thanksgiving. Are you having a nice meal? How about friends and family, shelter, so many kinds of freedom, and upmost a God who loves unconditionally.

I hope you will take the time to count your blessings. Have a great Thanksgiving.

Ferns, Camelias, Japanese Maples, OH MY!

Isn't Fall wonderful? Perfect days, turning leaves, expectations of the holidays, and of course parties and great food. These days I am thinking about something else wonderful to me. My backyard. It was nothing but a pecan tree, dead tree stump, and weeds, but is getting a major overhaul. I have added (with the help of a friend/landscaper/gardner), lots of ferns, decor grasses, camelias, beauiful evergreens, columbine, and lots of other perrenials. Today I am going for more including a Japanese Maple and a Dogwood. The landscaper and I have designed flagstone walkways, mossy rock steps, and little venues for birdbaths and statuary. I have planted bushes, trees, and flowering plants to invite butterflies and birds. It is a wonderful sanctuary that rivals any small English garden. I think we all need a special little place that delights, inspires, and relaxes us. It is even better when it can include part of God's outdoor creation and little creatures He has given us to enjoy. It can just be a small area, but a place where we can sit and read, meditate, or have coffee with a friend. I can't wait to invite you in by way of pictures. Of course if you are a local friend reading this, you are always welcome to come by.

I hope you all enjoy your day and fall festivities. Let me hear from you and watch for pictures if you like. Blessings.

Buchanan Antiques Show at Market Hall - Dallas

I will be selling at this show in Dallas this weekend, Nov. 13 and 14, from 9-5 on Sat. and 11-5 on Sunday. Market Hall is located in Dallas, off Stemmons Frwy., Motor St. exit.

This show is normally for antiques, decorator items, and collectibles in general, but this weekend it is labeled "Garage Sale". This is when dealers and others clean out, weed out, sort out, and sell out items at garage sale prices. The items are not necessarily garage sale items though. It is a very interesting weekend and I always find lots of stuff to buy. I will be there selling my weeded out items plus lots of interesting stuff. I hope I will see you there. Leave me a comment if you have any questions.

Be sure and check out the post below this one for the Funky Finds Experience and some of its artists.

Funky Finds Experience

THE FUNKY FINDS "EXPERIENCE" WAS A BLAST! I could not wait to get to the Amon Carter, Jr. Center in Ft. Worth, Texas (my most fab city to live in), to see if my favorite artists were going to show again. Yes, they were there! The Experience venue was laid out beautifully. Each artist had a very special display space. All could be seen very well. The music was fun and funky. I loved it! Made shopping even more fun. The benefits were going strong. The mood was funky and fun. Joe and Jessica Dougherty really know how to throw an extravaganza. Thanks Joe and Jessica for a fun shopping Experience.

I am featuring just a very few of the artists displaying there. Some are repeat artist friends and some are new to me. There were so many artists and this is just a very small portion. I hope you enjoy these and visit their websites and blogs for better detail of their works.



Marla Cook is the artist of Uncommon Vessels, celebrating the synchronicity of life through art. She creates through gourds and other objects found in nature. I took two pictures of her art so that you could get a real closeup. Visit her at uncommon-vessels.com.

Sandra Feasel is the artist/designer at 7th St. Studio. Her creations are devine. I am sorry my camera did not portray her works at their best. Visit her at 7thststudio.blogspot.com.

Sarah Zamora is a mixed media artist. Her works are very original and expressive. (Sorry for the camera reflections). She was painting as I was talking to her. This is only a small sample of her technique. I hope you will go to her site at: originalyouth.com and get inspired by her individuality.

Sher Chappell "ESSA" is the artisit I want to introduce to you here. I am so glad she decided to show at the Extravaganza. She is an amazing person and artist, creating fascinating and inspirational icons. I have included three pictures so you could get a good look. The pictures don't do her icons justice, but they are made of many medias including old metals, paper images, rosaries and vintage prayer cards. I bought my first piece, from her about 3 years ago at the Warrenton, Texas Antique Show. I have it displayed proudly in my studio. I also have several small pieces she made. How surprised I was to see her in Ft. Worth. Please read more about her and her unique studio at: http://www.iconessa.com/.

Here is a picture of me and Mary of Mary's Madness. She is so talented she has to have 3 etsy shops and 5 blogs to show it all. Check out her "What's in Your Drawers" (asking artists to show what interesting items they have in their supply drawers.) I have bought many items from her including watch and clock parts, vintage images, and German frozen charlotte dolls. She is alot of fun and really is wacky mad about art.

Luna Azul Studio is home to the artist Karen Rester. She works with acrylics, collage, mixed media and weaving. She was showing some of her handwoven Gypsy Scarves. She uses many colorful yarns to weave and create her scarves. She has really, really, long scarves that will just wrap and wrap. Very unique style. Visit her at lunaazulstudio.com

Katy Toohil

Katie Toohil of Two Hills Designs is a fiber artist demonstrating her spinning and also displaying her hand dyed clothing and handspun yarn. She also dyes and decorates dreadlocks. Her dreadlocks can't be seen, but they were outstanding. Katie@twohillsdesigns.com.

Natalia Veronica is the artist/owner of NV ArteWear. Her very unique style of painting translates wonderfully to wearable art. You should visit her website for a wonderful browse of her pieces. My pictures don't do it justice. natalia@nvartewear.com.

Joyce Hazlerig is the artist of Gypsyharte, Fantasy Fiber Creations. Featured here is her nuno felting. She is not just a nuno felter, she felts wonderful cuffs, necklaces, little woodland animals and many things of a whimsy and fantasy nature. I was very glad to see her return to the Funky Finds event for the fall. Visit her blog. gypsyharte.blogspot.com.

If you click on my "Workshop" , you can see examples of the nuno felting workshop that I held earlier this year. It was very fun and I plan to have more soon.

Joe Art is the master of metal creations. I was very glad to see him again at the Experience! I have four of his pieces in my studio and he is going to create several large pieces for my personal serenity garden. I can't wait. I would say above all, that Joe is my favorite artists to shop with. I love his tri-colored hair and his free spirit is very catching. Please check out his work at: joeartgallery.com

My Business Design on an old Suitcase

Thought you might like to see the old suitcase a friend of mine painted for me. She painted it to resemble my business card. Pretty cool huh?

My Orchid and My Cross

Thought you might enjoy seeing the only orchid I own. She sits in my little garden window along with a shell cross that was given to me when my mom died last year. My friend Joy sells her beautiful creations at the Marburger Farm show at Warrenton. She gave me a cross in honor of my mom and also one for my son who passed in March of this year. I just had to take a picture of the orchid reaching for the cross. My mother was a beautiful woman who taught me to believe and look for the best in everyone, to have faith in God that He would answer prayer, kindness, generosity, and most of all love. I am the person I am because of her. Please enjoy the orchid and the cross.

New Arrivals

March 8, 2014 - 

One of the early folk art crafts was the making of Memory Jugs. Here are several pieces that cracked off of a Memory Jug and a friend rescued them for me.  I think the memory jug is pretty self explanatory just by looking at the pictures. Usually the jug was crockery or whiskey or just any good size jug.

I found yet another piece of metal that was an addition to a Victorian coffin.  I'm sure the cherubs were more beautiful before their noses got scrubbed. I am adding these to my great stash of old coffin hardware. 

These gold leaves are very light tin. Not heavy at all.  Great for adding to any mixed media collage or reliquary.

These grapes are made of a very light, thin, tin.  Not heavy at all.  Making them great for an addition to any mixed media reliquary.

I think I found some fabulous things this week. No...really! Let's start with this wonderful French book with 30 pages of children in many poses. The images are in sepia color. The book is a large 18"x24". I couldn't believe it when I found this at an estate sale here in Ft. Worth. Finding this kind of book for me is over the top. You just don't find that many French books with children's illustrations. I love French books. I have many including story books, music books, and readers. I can't wait to show you more of what I found. Even more than what I have posted here!

Let me know if there is anything here you would like to purchase (except this book). I love comments. Let me know what is one of your favorite things to find that puts you over the top.

April 8, 2011. Some of the fun things I purchased at the Warrenton Show this Spring and around town here in Ft. Worth. I love vintage threads and textiles (grain bags especially). Old ledgers and songbooks are used for background in Mixed Media Collage. I found the old candy boxes here in Ft. Worth. Ft. Worth had two major candy companies up until the 80's. King Candy and Pangburns. Take a look and see what altered art you could use these fun things for.

My Favorite Finds (disregard the photo dates) Little Yellow Birds Victorian Traveling Jewelry Keeper- Beautiful Stitches Vintage 20's Silver Tinsel Trim Old Millinery Leaf Bundles - Made in Occupied Germany Old Christmas Tinsel Lots of Old Millinery Flowers Early Photos of Ladies in their best head dress. Lots of old Postcards Here are some of the fun and great things I found this week. These items were found currently. I don't know how to change the date on my Title Post. The Post Date is old. These are my findings from July 2010. This picture of Frida Kahlo is only about 2 inches tall and is wrapped or framed in some old black lace, probably, 1930's. It is porcelain under glass. I think it is great. This picture shows the picture from the side and also a little purse I bought that will probably wind up in a collage piece. I have turned the picture of Frida on its side so you could see the lace better. Old Pipe Cases What I Found this week. This is a post from July 4, 2010. It is a post that I continually add to, but it always shows the old date of the original post. I just want you to know that it is current. Please take a look at the wonderful goodies I found this week at Canton First Monday in Canton, Texas. I was very pleased with my findings and just wanted to show them to you. Old lace, old dolls and bodies, beautiful calling cards, vintage 50's children's shoes, high top canvas shoes from the 20's, shell art souvenir from Pike's Peak, and several other really sweet things. I love taking pictures outside in my flower/rock garden. I hope you enjoy looking at these finds as much as I did finding them. If you are ever interested in any of the findings, please let me know, they could just be for sale, as is lots of stuff on this blog. It just doesn't look that way. Let me know. Old hinges for metal art. Bone cat and mermaid buttons just waiting to be shown Two wonderful collar boxes. These will be made into a reliquary workshop. Very old photo album with a celluloid cluster of roses, a a horseshoe and metal trim. The pages are beautiful as is the clasp. This is a very large china head that was broken off of a bigger body, I guess, very unusual. I had to have these never been used bottle caps. These vintage children's shoes will go into a monochromatic display somewhere. These boots were made for walkin and the soles are worn thin. I picture a very hard working young lady going about her busy day. These were probably her summer shoes. Vintage children's books have always had a special place in my studio. The beautiful and unique illustrations facinate me. I have many more that are not shown here, but I will add more soon. My most favorite of all is a 1949 French Children's book called Le Buffon Des Enfants. It is a book filled with colorfully illustrated insects. I took some pictures to add, but they didn't come out the way I wanted so I didn't post them. The Mother Goose nursery rhymes, some I know by heart from the many times my mother read them to me. These illustrations actually make me feel creative even though I don't know how to illustrate myself. Pussycat Pussycat Where Have You Been Georgie Porgie