scrapologie

Vintage Image - Pink Roses

Flowers, and roses in particular, have always been a favorite. I love the image on this old French postcard!

Roses for the Dead

 
 

                                            Ah, broken is the golden bowl!  
                                                The spirit flown forever! 
                                            Let the bell toll! — A saintly soul 
                                                Glides down the Stygian river! 
                                            And let the burial rite be read — 
                                                The funeral song be sung — 
                                            A dirge for the most lovely dead 
                                                That ever died so young!
                                                            -excerpted from Lenore, by Edgar Allen Poe

I don't have a vast collection of Halloween images, so I thought I'd try and make an existing image look more haunted. A rather ghastly looking bouquet, isn't it? Hope you can use it in your decor and crafts this season!

Seven Gypsies - CHA Winter 2011 - Sneak Peek

 

Introducing... Lille from 7 Gypsies. This is one of the new (and my favorite!) collection from 7 Gypsies being released at CHA. I love this beautiful collection and am so excited to see it being released. Seven Gypsies product has a way of inspiring wanderlust in even the most staid homebody. Every collection draws inspiration from the destinations traveled by the gypsies. It's enough to make you want to pack your bags and set out to travel the world. I had a chance to work with these products and they are just beyond gorgeous. If you're going to CHA - be sure to check them out. The design team did an amazing job with this collection. You can see more at the Gypsy Blog.  
Here are closeups of the individual papers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
Some coordinating products:

 

 
 

 

 

Here are some more detail shots of the project I did with the new librarie drawer and the 6x6 Lille papers. My computer crashed in early November, right in the middle of this project, so I ended up not being able to use the pics I wanted to use. Fortunately, I had some older photos printed out and in a big bin - just extras from previous projects, and was able to use those to finish the project. I'm happy to say my computer is repaired now but that was a LONG computerless month!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

You know I hate to post without leaving you a vintage image, so I hope this one will suffice for today. And thank you, so much, for all your kind words and encouragement about Bob's job loss. I am beginning to see it's not the end of the world and I so appreciate all of your thoughts and wishes. It's especially comforting to know you have been through tough times as well, and persevered. Thank you so much. Wishing you all a blissful weekend. Keep safe and warm!

 

 

7 Gypsies Projects

Here are a few projects I completed for 7 Gypsies for CHA Summer this past July. I forgot to share them and thought you might like to see them. Have you seen 7 Gypsies' gorgeous Conservatory Collection? It reminds me a lot of the art of John Derian and Anna Corba. And reminds me too of the Nature Notebook project I created for scrapologie awhile back - I will have to share those old projects here, just to get them all in one place. Here is the layout I did for the Gypsies for CHA:

 

 

If you are a fan of John Derian, I am sure you've been loving his new collection for Target. I had to pick up these coasters:

 
They're so very spooky and halloweenish.

Here are a few vintage images for you, inspired by 7 Gypsies' Conservatory Collection. And I just realized I only shared one of the projects I did -- I'll sneak the other one in tomorrow.

 

 

 

CHA Projects - 7 Gypsies

I've been knee deep in CHA projects since I returned from Hartford. Seven Gypsies has two gorgeous new collections that are debuting at CHA - Avignon and the Venice Collection that was introduced a little earlier. Both lines are so gorgeous, you're going to love them! You can check out the Winter Catalogue here. I love the photo trays - and created a Wedding Themed photo tray with the Venice Collection; (most of the photography is stock from istockphoto). Aren't these papers just gorgeous??

And here's a layout I created with the gorgeous new Avignon collection:

Here's a peek at some gorgeous new book boards that I used to create a Paris themed mini-album (I'll post the entire album later this week:

Tomorrow, I'll post some of the new CHA offerings from Jenni Bowlin -- equally gorgeous things! If you're going to CHA --- have a great time! Wish I could be there but since I can't, having some of my projects there is the next best thing!

And here's a vintage image for you too -- Valentine images to come in the next few days!

Photo Shoot

Alekha agreed to submit to my pleas for a photo shoot yesterday - it had been a long time since I had gotten some really beautiful photos of her and I wanted to try and start early on Christmas card photos. I had to bribe her with a new Barbie Doll, but I was very happy with how they turned out. Also broke out some of my stock of my fave photoshop brushes just so I could play a bit. She is growing up so quickly...

 

 
  
  

Played around in PS with this last one - I applied some artistic filters before using the brushes. My favorite brushes are from Sande Krieger and Rhonna Farrer at Two Peas. I think most of the ones I used can be found there!

And here's a few vintage images to share as well, hope you had a great weekend!

 

Roses in December

God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December. (James M. Barrie)

The rose is such a grand flower, she's truly the queen of the garden. If you don't have them in your own garden, buy a lovely single stem today to grace a bud vase or a whole bouquet - splurge and indulge in their fragrance, so that you may have a memory to recall in December. Red ones are gorgeous of course, but my favorites are the pink and yellow ones. Enjoy these vintage blooms!

Thankful for Art

 

I'll be in Cleveland most of the day tomorrow for work, so wanted to post an extra image for you today as I won't be getting home until late tomorrow evening and will probably be too exhausted to blog.

In looking and selecting daily images for the blog, I am always reminded of how wonderful art and creativity are. I am grateful for all that art and creativity have brought to my life. Art has been so many things for me - it's been my silent therapist, always willing to listen and never criticizing, it's been the one area of my life where I and I alone, am in control and have to heed no one. It's been an expression of all that I am and all I hope to be. I am thankful for art, and thankful that it lends color to all that brings passion and meaning to my life. What a blessing it is to seek inspiration, and to inspire in turn. For me, it's a choice to focus on what is beautiful and serene and good, in a troubled world. It eases the burden of worry and stress that threatens our daily lives. So thankful for that.

Jenni Bowlin Peeks

I have been a busy bee churning out projects with the February JBS kit. It's luscious. Chock full of cherries, stars, dairy and fruit images. Thought I'd post a few sneak peeks before the gallery goes live next week.

 

 

 And here's one more image for you in two colorways - bright and muted; add your own message in photoshop or journal it in. Have a great weekend. We're off to Disney and Florida sunshine, hurrah!

 

 

A profusion of roses

 

A profusion of pink roses bending ragged in the rain speaks to me of all gentleness and its enduring.  (The Collected Later Poems of William Carlos Williams)