Jesse the Pug

I can't believe that my precious Pug Jesse will turn 14 this week. On the special day, we will sing happy birthday and let him eat an over-priced gourmet dog treat. I am sure he will wonder this year, like he has all the previous years, just what the heck we are doing as we sing and clap in a circle around him. But since it may mean extra food, he will play along with the ritual. When my husband and I were first married, I wanted a pug very badly, but apartment life did not seem right for a puppy. So on the weekends, my husband would drive me to dog shows just so I could catch a couple of Pug glimpses. Then the day came, we moved into our first home. I brought Jesse home before we even had time to put up a fence in our yard. Since that day he has been a great joy to our family. At my shows many people ask the question "do you have a Pug"? Just take a look below and you will see why.

 

Pug with Ball Tissue Box Cover

Fancy Dogs and Roses Tray

Fancy Pug Glass Plate

Seeing Red

RED. I cannot remember exactly when red became my favorite color, but it is one I do not want to live without. No matter how packed a store may be, or how many different items are at a show, it's always the red that jumps out at me. Here are a few of my favorite red pieces at home.

Antique Italian Chest

Vintage English Plate

Sweet lamb with a red bow.

And of course, my passion for red shows up in my work:

Cardinal Items - my favorite bird next to a robin

Dog Plate and Tissue Box Cover

Rooster on large wooden tray

Sunflower Wastepaper Basket and Tissue Box cover set

It is believed that red is the color of power. You have probably heard that for meetings you should wear a “red power tie” or “red power suit”. Maybe red gives us little extra courage. A few years ago, I read an article about a woman’s great aunt who would say “red lips for courage”. Whenever her aunt had a challenge ahead of her, she would always make sure she had on her red lipstick. I love that story and have been known to wear red lipstick myself just for a little dab of courage. So go ahead, add that red accent piece. Soon you may be be seeing red, too.

Toile Tissue Box Cover based on an antique French fabric

First Blog

Hello and welcome to my first blog entry. Please check back for new products, new ideas, special events and upcoming show dates. Also, I will include beautiful things that inspire me. The early 1900s tapestry pictured below was hung in the living room of my childhood home. This was my first inspiration piece. It now hangs in my living room. As a child, I would stare at it for hours. I use to be an avid needlepointer. I was especially fond of needlework that featured Victorian-inspired animals. This led to researching Victorian imagery and finally to Victorian papers. Much of my antique paper collection consists of images from the pages of Victorian-era scrapbooks that have been safely tucked away in family attics and bookcases until they find their way to an estate sale, antique store or eBay. These images are so beautiful and I wanted to find a way to share these with others. Then one day I was looking through a decoupage book by a British artist and I knew exactly how to keep these beautiful images alive. Decoupage. With the help of technology, I make prints of the original images. Below is one of my creations featuring various Victorian images from my collection.
I have developed a special process to age each piece. With this technique, no two pieces are exactly alike. My goal is to age each piece in a consistently inconsistent way. I love the result.

More decoupage to come.