I am looking forward to reading Brooke Saward's newest book The World of Wanderlust.  www.worldofwanderlust.com  Many of the collage sheets I make have a travel theme.  What a great way to spend your life... on a big adventure.  Love the journey!

So as summer ebbs away I dream of just a little more time off to travel, laze by cool waters, sightsee and most importantly...sleep in.  lol  Here are my latest two collage sheets available at my Etsy store. They have a bit of a travel theme.  :)

Just in time for capturing those summer travels to the beach, lake or the distant shores.  New digital collage sheet in my Etsy store....SeaSide Summer.

A new collage sheet is in the store today!  Just in time for late summer rodeos.  YeeHaw!

More new Collage Sheets at the Etsy Store!  Go Make Some ART!  :)https://www.etsy.com/shop/jbarretto?ref=hdr_shop_menu

I am so very excited that the Junk Gypsy book Designing a Life at the Crossroads of Wonder and Wander is about to be released!!  I have been following their show and basically everything written about them.  For me it all started back years ago when Country Living Magazine did a feature on Round Top Texas.  At that time Emma Lee Turney had the show to go to...The Original Round Top Antiques Show.    Sadly, I didn't realize how close I was to Junk Heaven when I lived in Houston back in the  day.  Now a Round Top trip and a visit to the Junk Gypsy World Headquarters is at the top of my Bucket List.  You can read about their contest to set up a Launch Team for this wonderful book here.  http://junkgypsyblog.com/launch-team-no-name/

Being from the Tulsa area I am surrounded by wonderful reminders of how travel was in the past.  Route 66 runs through many of my favorite towns here and I am particularly enamoured by the charming tiny cabins that might have been built around a central court for tourist lodging.  This digital collage sheet includes two real photo postcards of that time period.  You can see how happy the couples are as the stand by their lodging for the evening. I have a friend who has stayed

in some very much like these and they are one of his favorite places to stay.  They represent a less hectic time, people talking to each other on a front porch or while out on a walk.  You can almost smell the honeysuckle...

Some of these kids are characters!

Just finished two new digital photo singles that portray adorable kids.  One looks to be a field trip to a circus.  The other is a child in a straw hat.  Very nice photos for as old as they are.  Fun for your creating stash.

This is also a family photo.  This is from when my mom was in elementary school.  She is on the second row from the bottom on the end on the right side.  This is the same school I went to and my kids as well.  Then I taught there!  How cool is that.

This photo came from an antique store.  What an interesting family this must have been.  They certainly have character.  Summer on bikes at the boardwalk.  Can't you smell the taffy?!

This photo is one from my family.  It is where my grandmother on my mom's side went to school.  My grandmother is the third one from the left on the third from the top's row in the white blouse.  The two things I love about this photo are the American flag and the two boys at the bottom left who obviously are in trouble!

It may just be the beginning of June but for teachers on break the race is on to try to get all our projects completed.  Soon I will be teaching summer school and have less time, so I am burning the candle at both ends for a few days!  This digital collage sheet is made from a vintage real photo postcard that I collected.  It is a rare beauty for as old as it is.  What a wonderful image for some Fourth of July projects.  God Bless America!

While I was looking for things to put together from my vintage stash I was also following a family conversation on Facebook about family vacations and the crazy things that happen on them. So I was thus inspired!!

In the center of this digital collage sheet is an old photo of some of my grandmother on my mom's side's family, I think! It is a very interesting photo. They are mostly looking one direction and I especially love the guy holding the number sign for the photographer. He looks like a character. Who knows if he is part of the family! Plus, where in the world are they having their photo taken at?? It looks like a mining operation, which further made me think of vacation road trips. What kind of family road trips will you document with this fun sheet? Share some stories!

Maybe it's because I'm a teacher or maybe I'm just a child at heart, but I adore pedal car photos.  This one is a great one- No. 9 Car.

Well, I am on a learning journey and I'm quite excited about it!  My daughter is a photography student and between her tutoring and this new Photoshop course I am taking I am excited at the artistic possibilities in the future.  These two new digital singles that I just added to my Etsy store are the first results of my new classes.  I was able to clean and sharpen these two grand images from my collection.  Both photos look like they could tell stories!  Anyone ready to write it down!  They would be a good start to an altered art book or project!

Travel all around the world with your art!

These latest digital collage sheets are

a fun way to create art with a travel theme or scrapbook some of those travel memories.  Made from just a few of the luggage labels in my vast collection.

Just one new one today.  I've been busy with other things.  Summer is my time to catch up. Life of a teacher!

Two More!  Boy I'm on a roll! lol

Here is another one.  I have tons of circus ephemera that I have collected.  So with that said...Take Me to the Circus!!

Well, it's summer again and I am back to making some new collage sheets. Here are four I made this week.  More to come!!