Here are three of my latest digital collage sheets available at my Etsy store.  They would be great to use in summertime artworks, scrapbooks, invitations, Route 66 displays.... so many fun things to do with these!!

Altered Art Book Class

My favorite art of all times to make is collage.  I love the way you can mix photos, ephemera, paint, print, and found items to create a whole new thing.  This project used an old "Dick and Jane" reader that I found at an antique store.  I removed pages with images I didn't want and then cut out some of the art on those pages to use to decorate my altered book.  I also used vintage images from my collection, paint, washi tape, and my favorite form of lettering-ransom style letters cut from magazines.  Into this mix I added copies of favorite family photos that had to do with school or family.  I am teaching this at a class in on March 13 & 14th in Sand Springs at Yesterday to Now.   Enjoy!

Just finished the sample for a new class I will be teaching Saturday, February 7th.  It is a Valentine's Paper Bag Book.  Ever since I saw my first one of these, I have loved the clever way you can use simple materials to create a beautiful and useful art album.  Cleverly hidden in each fold are little pull out pockets where tiny trinkets, small photos or bits of ephemera can be kept.  Fun to make and fun to personalize with your treasures!

These treasures are my latest finds from the Flea Market.  Two sets of many vintage candle clips.  Not sure what I will do with them, but their cool color and patina and just the sheer thought that they are so old enticed me to buy them.  Three vintage Shiny Brite ornaments also called my name!  The little Putz house ornament was something that I have never seen and I had to add it to my other Putz houses that I inherited from my mom.  Looking forward to the next Vintage Show or Flea Market...what will I find?!!

As you have probably already guessed I love vintage photos, postcards, ephemera, etc.  Some of my newest vintage photos are of cute kids with pedal cars.  I never had a pedal car.  I think they were still around during the early part of my childhood, but for some reason I never had one.  I did have a pretty red trike, though!  Maybe that's why I loved collecting hot wheels.  Any way, I like to add color to these and other little found things like lettering, ribbon, and ephemera

to make collages.  I am making a trio of them.  Here is the first.  This one reminds me of my dad.  When he was a teen he had a flat top and one time bleached his brown hair blonde.  Plus, I think he would have liked this car!

Have you ever had something that even in pieces was important to you to keep as a momento?  Last Christmas my cat knocked over my Christmas tree.  This is the one that has all my precious vintage Shiny Brite ornaments and some other prize finds.  The one ornament that broke was one of my favorites.  It wasn't a Shiny Brite, but a cute log cabin with glittery snow and a mini bottle brush wreath.  So this year I decided to make a shadow box with it along with one of my vintage Christmas postcards, vintage flannel, ribbon, recycled tag and found letters.  Turns out the shadow box was not quite deep enough even though it was the deepest one I could find and in my trying to force the issue I totally broke the ornament!  Memo:  Don't work on art when you are feeling frustrated!  So now I needed to find a replacement for the treasured ornament because I would not be thwarted on my quest by this little problem.  LOL  I had a similar ornament that was plastic (a result of the cat incident!).  With some paint, glitter and adding the little wreath that I salvaged I now had a pretty good version of the original.  Here are

the results.  By the way, no trees were lost in the season this year! Yeah!!

Christmas is coming!!

The goose is getting fat... love old Christmas carols!  Tinsel and shiny brites are making their way out of cardboard boxes.  Have a look!