Sunday Postcard - Open Theme

Open theme this week at Sunday Postcard.   My skater is compliments of Miles Beyond the Moon (thank you!).    Happy New Year everyone!

Three Muses - Me

You might think that's Mary Poppins, but actually it's me!   When I'm bored,  I just go up, up and away for a change of scenery.   Truthfully, on rare and wonderful occasions, I've had flying dreams very like this, in which I just seem to elevate and fly upright over the world below, gently landing on my feet when and where I please.  I wish I could recall those dreams on command. They were wonderful!!

Collage Obsession - Winter

So far my world has escaped snow, and our Christmas day was sunny and crisp.   I've taken one of the images and put her in a new setting, and added a bit of green compliments of CreateWings Designs.  Thanks for the challenge, CO!  Happiest of New Years everyone!

Take a Word - Print

There's nothing like nosing through a used book store and finding treasures.  I love the scent of old books,  and I always wonder from whose library they've come.   My lady here is courtesy of Ms. Inman,  book page from Maya at Scrapbookgraphics, elements from Irene Alexeeva.   Thanks for stopping by!

Three Muses - Angel

Sunday  night my son and his wife picked me up and we drove about town looking at Christmas lights and displays.   I love this time of year.  It's as if an angel flew over the neighborhoods spilling jewels of light and magic.   My angel is a clip art freebie by Pamela Perry.   Her jewels are from Lorie Davidson at SBG, and the holly sprig is from CreateWings Designs.   May the peace and magic of Christmas be with you and yours, my blog friends!

CO - Candle

Candle is the theme at Collage Obsession this week.    May the light of peace and good will lighten all the dark corners of the world this holiday season!

Take a Word - Sepia

Sepia is the challenge at Take a Word this week.    I caught Santa on the fly over the prairie.   Credit for house to Swainboat (thank you!). 

Sunday Postcard - Vintage

This sweet image of children is from Flickr Collage Images.   It made me think of my son, who could NEVER go to sleep on Christmas Eve.   It made for some late nights for Mr and Mrs Santa, waiting for him to be sleeping before they put the gifts under the tree!    There's nothing like the eyes of children on Christmas morning to bathe us in the warmth of love and good cheer.  
Credits:  CreateWings Designs.

Three Muses - Tis the Season

Each of us has our own special Christmas memories, traditions that vary from family to family, from religion to religion,  from country to country.   It's a time of good cheer, love for our fellow man, and a time to savor the gift of giving.   It's about worship and gratitude, children and magic,  good food  and family,,,,,,,and a time of year that brings out the very best in us.    I wish we could bottle up these good things and make them last all year!.   

Credits:  Santa is from Flickr Collage Images,  the window from Jenn U Designs, and the child from Jesse Wilcox Smith, and the background is mine.  All else is googled.

Collage Obsessions - Trio

What a fun challenge at Collage Obsessions!  My three blind mice seem to have finished decorations for the holiday, and appear to be in a festive mood.
Credits for the mouse trio:  Richard Curtis

Three Muses - Oddities

My "odd bod" came together with a face from Tumblefish Studios, eyes from another Tumblefish Studios,  body from Land of Nod, hand from my own stash, and some bits and pieces from Holliewood Studios.  Such fun!!  Great challenge, Ann.

Take a Word - Numbers

Background compliments of Lorie Davidson (SBG), image is, I believe, a Rockwell.   Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Postcard - Christmas Fairy

My first Christmas art of the year.   Can't believe it's time for it!    Arch compliments of Jen U Designs, fairy from Flickr Collage Images (SuzyQ).    And so, the season begins .....     Thanks for stopping by.

Three Muses - Steampunkery

It was fun to visit steampunkery again!    Credits to Maya at Scrapbookgraphics.

Take a Word - Blue

Blue is my favorite color, so this was a pleasure!   Image is from Csaba Markus.

Three Muses - That's Entertainment

I lost a dear and long-time friend yesterday, and my creative juices seem to have shut down.  I confess this is mostly recycled, but it seemed to fit the theme.   Drapes courtesy of Tangie Baxter.    Thanks for indulging me!

Take a Word - Umbrella

Thanks for the background to Swainboat (altered), and other elements thanks to Kubivet.    

Sunday Postcard - Framed

This was a fun experiment.   I wanted it to appear as if she'd stepped out of the frame, but I don't know if I accomplished that or not.  Backgtound credit to Ruby Blossom.  Anyway, thanks for looking!

Three Muses - Mail Art

I'm not sure which is more fun --- to create mail art or to receive it.   Credits for this one to Lorie Davidson at Scrapbookgraphics for the background.   Stamps by me, images googled.  Thanks for stopping by!

Take a Word - Moonstruck

Moon River, wider than a mile
I'm crossin' you in style someday.
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker,
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin'your way.

Credits: Ruby Blossom
             John Wm. Waterhouse

Sunday Postcard - Poppies

So many white crosses in so many battlefields, so many young lives cut short by the warring ways of  men, so many prayers for peace.    A day of remembrance....and reverence.

Armistice Day .... Memories

Long ago and far away, November 11th was called Armistice Day, in commemoration of the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany.    In the part of central Illinois where I grew up, it was also the first day of pheasant season.   My mother looked forward to it with excitement, because her brothers would come up from the southern part of the state to hunt the pheasants who lived in the fence rows and wooded areas near our farm.   They would set off at dawn, dressed in hunter's gear, and walk the fields.  While the men were out hunting pheasant, my mother was preparing a huge family dinner.   People didn't travel so much in those days, and she treasured the times she got to be with her brothers.   I still remember those family times.   Today, November 11th is still a day of remembrance, but it's called Veterans Day.  It's still a time to remember all the brave young men and women who've sacrificed their lives in time of war.  In central Illinois, the fence rows are mostly gone, and pheasants are seldom seen, and those days are held only in my memories.

Three Muses - Window

In my part of the world, cardinals stay around during the winter.  Their flashes of red are always such a stark contrast to the snow.   I always wonder if they are dreaming of Summer, and if they see things just this way???

Take a Word - Sewing

I learned to sew on my aunt's Singer treadle machine.   The harder you pedalled the faster you sewed!   That old Singer probably STILL works.  They never seemed to wear out. 

Sunday Postcard - Vintage

It's good to put Halloween away for another year.   Vintage is such a nice change.    Credits here to Oscraps (Ophelia), and the image is by Guillame Seignac.   Thanks for stopping by!

Three Muses - Vintage

I'm not sure this qualifies as vintage, but it is evocative of days gone by.  In rural Illinois where I grew up, the landscape was dotted with manicured little farms, each almost self-sufficient.  Today, many of these little homesteads are vacant and have fallen into disrepair.  The tidy barns are neglected and falling down.  It saddens me to see this bucolic style of life becoming a thing of the past.   This is a tribute to all those Illinois farmers of long ago....such as the one remembered in this Carl Sandburg poem....

Bury this old Illinois farmer with respect.

He slept the Illinois nights of his life

     After days of work in Illinois cornfields.

Now he goes on a long sleep.

The wind he listened to in the cornsilk and the tassels,

the wind that combed his red beard

zero mornings when the snow
lay white on the yellow ears

in the bushel basket at the corncrib,

The same wind will now blow

over the place here where his hands
must dream of Illinois corn. 

Thank you for visiting, and sharing my nostalgia!
Credits:  Background - Ruby Blossom.   House and silhouette googled.

Take a Word - Time

That old demon time.   We wish we had it.....we never have enough .....sometimes we have too much.... sometimes it hangs heavy on our hands....but it's always a key part of our lives.  
Credits:  Clock parts: Jen U Designs; border B. Datema at SBG;  silhouette is googled; flowers from Christina Rene' Designs.  

Three Muses - Wings

Don't ask me to make sense of this.....my Muse made me do it!   The jaunty little boy is a freebie from Rian (Freubel),  background from Holliewood, bear from CreateWings Designs.   Thanks for visiting!

Take a Word - Black and White

I can never do a black and white without putting in a punch of red!    All elements here are googled with exception of red ribbon which is courtesy of Donna Miller.   Thanks for stopping by!

Gothic Arch - Blue

Kris has chosen blue for her Gothic Arch challenge this week.   I  let my mind wander a bit ..... well, a lot!  Some elements from Finecrafted Designs, others googled.   Thanks for the challenge, Kris!

Three Muses - Circles and Squares

Sometimes it's fun to just play around with shapes and colors, a change-up from our usual style of arting.   No kits, no photos, no blending, no layering, just shape and color, another kind of challenge.  Thanks for stopping by!

Take A Word - Childhood

I hadn't done a vintage piece for a while.    Little Jane Elizabeth's mother pressed these mementoes between the pages of a book.....special memories of a sweet little girl. 
Credits:   Jane Elizabeth - Land of Nod Studios;  background from Maya at Scrapbookgraphics; and other elements from Linda GB  at ScrapArtists.

Three Muses - Home Sweet Home

The word "home" is often nostalgic, and conjures up memories of parents, grandparents, and loved ones long gone.    The poem is mine, the images are either googled or from Flickr Collage Images.  Thanks for stopping by!

Take a Word - Blackbird

I guess it's the spooking season, and my blackbird is out twig or tweeting!   Thanks for stopping by to visit!

Three Muses - Bottles and Jars

Ann's given us a challenge to include bottles and/or jars in our work this week.   My background is courtesy of Finecrafted Designs, and the little explorer is by Jessie Wilcox-Smith.   The birds are brushes.   I'm glad you stopped by.   I love comments!

Take a Word - Wall

The challenge this week at Take-A-Word is to include a wall in our work.   My wall is a freebie from the very talented and generous Elizabeth Golden ; background is by Finecrafted Designs;  antenna and flowers by Holliewood ; and the little graffiti artist is a sketch of mine.   I'm glad you stopped by!

Three Muses - Moon

Ann's theme this week is "Moon".    I was in a quirky state of mind, and my  muse led me to juggling!   Credits to Finecrafted Designs and Google!    Thanks for stopping by!

Take a Word - Album

This is a photo of my parents during their courting days.   My mother's name was Madaleen, but my father teased her and called her Maggie, so the song reminds me of them.   They had over 50 years together, and were treasured by all of us lucky enough to be privileged to learn from their example of hard work, honesty, integrity, loyalty to family, and respect for God's world and those in it.    Thanks for the theme this week, Marie, and the opportunity to share them!

Three Muses - Doorways

I love the wide and innocent eyes of children.   They are so trusting and so believing.  This piece portrays my prayers for my grandchildren and great grandchildren, and for children everywhere.   May the doorway open wide and free their dreams, may they face the world with open arms, daring to be all that they can be. 
Credits:  Finecrafted Designs for background, the umbrella of dreams is a freebie from Bliss Angel (thank you much!).    The girl image is from my long-ago stash, and I failed to record the source.  If you know, please let me know!    Thanks for stopping by.

Take a Word - Male

This week's theme is "Male" and I found this wonderful , arrogant fellow at My Daguerrotype.  Isn't he splendiferous?  The qyote is an old English proverb, and seemed to fit.   Background is googled.   Thanks for stopping by!

Arch Challenge

Kris is starting a new gothic arch challenge.  See  http://nostalgiccollage.blogspot.com/   It's good to see a new challenge coming along.   It was fun to return to the arch format, Kris!
Credits:  Image is from vintage magazine.  Ribbon: Donna Miller

Sunday Postcard - Pierrot

My Pierrette is a composite of googled pieces, the bling and butterfly are from Lorie Davidson at SBG.   Thanks for the challenge SPA!

Three Muses - Autumn

Autumn is the Marie's theme this week, and I decided just to give you a peak into my world in autumn last year, because this year will be more of the same..  There's a view from my window at home, a drive down the street,  the entrance to a charming little farmhouse restaurant where my friends and I ate lunch, and a view of one of the tables.   I love autumn, when the skies are  cobalt blue, the trees are a riot of golds, reds, burnt sienna,  and yellows, and the air is crisp and bracing.   It's the time of Jack-o-lanterns, apple cider, weiner roasts,  falling leaves,  pumpkin pie  and hayrides.   JOY!

Take a Word - Music

The theme this week is "Music".   My sample is my version of MOONLIGHT SERENADE.    Background thanks to Joe's Sistah, characters are from the late SuzieQ at Flickr Collage Images.

Sunday Postcard - Pink

I've always been partial to pink and black.   The silhouette is credit to Kubivet and the "bling" to Lorie Davidson of Scrapbookgraphics.   Thanks for stopping by!

Three Muses - Words

Ann has chosen "Words" for this week's theme.   I've used a background by Maya at Scrapbookgraphics, the image is one of my own sketches,  the "bling" is credit to Christina Renee Designs.   Thanks for visiting!

Take a Word - Butterflies

The word this week is "Butterflies".   My flowers and butterflies are courtesy of Dover images.  The image is from a painting by John George Brown (and thanks to June for introducing me to this artist).   Thank you for stopping by!

Three Muses - Newspaper

One of life's difficult lessons is to learn not to let what others think influence who we are.   Sometimes you just simply have to be fearless to hold on to who you are.  There are so many influences in our materialistic world.   "If I am what I have, and I lose all I have, who, then, am I?" (Erich Fromm)    This fearless little lady is made up of bits and pieces of former art, with a face from Tumblefish Studios (Thanks, Marsha!).

Take a Word - Time

Background is a combination of two from Rubyblossom.  I "constructed" the boxes.  The fisherwoman's body is from a magazine, her face from Tumblefish Studios,  the clock from Jenn U Designs, and the fish from Dover.   It took some TIME to put it all together......YUK YUK!

Sunday Postcard - Animal Kingdom

I took a zetti look at the animal kingdom challenge at Sunday Postcard this week.   Bird is a freebie from the ever so generous Terri Karr,  animals are from one of my softwares, other bits and pieces from my stash.  This was fun!   Thanks for stopping by.