Vintage Moon Studio

come on in and meet Maggie...

"Hey Maggie!"

 
(uh-uh...)

"Hey Mags! Come meet my friends!"

 
(nope - can't see you!)

"Hey Maggie May! Pretty girl!"

 
(let me check with my new friends first)

 "What a good girl you are!"
 
(glad to meet you all... )

Maggie's Story

Miss Maggie is a 3 year old Great Pyreneees who has had a difficult start to her life. When she was a puppy in Tennessee, she jumped out of an open moving van on a highway (WHAT were her owners thinking????), resulting in the loss of one of her hind legs. She was surrendered to a 3 day kill shelter and thankfully saved by Big Fluffy Dog Rescue, who paid for her amputation and care. Once healed, she was adopted by a family in California, where she lived for 2 years. Unfortunately the family was unable to care for her and she was surrendered once again back to BFD Rescue and sent to a foster family in Connecticut. This is where she lived, with a wonderful woman for a month... until....

Mr. Vintage Moon and I have been discussing adding to our "Wild Kingdom" and occassionally look at the rescue sites online. One recent evening I came across the sweetest picture of a furry white baby and knew instantly that this was the one for us. Within the week we had her secured in our car for the (final!!!) trip home.

We are still in the "getting to know you" stage... Sophie and Moose have been very accepting of their new sister (and she of them) but she seems to be settling in to her forever home even better than we could have hoped for. A sweeter dog you will never find. A snuggler and becoming a bit of a ham. One perfect fit.

If you find you have room in your heart, home and life - please consider adopting a new lifelong friend from your local rescue league. There are literally hundreds of thousands of wonderful dogs and cats looking for a safe and secure home. The love you will get in return will be priceless.

xo ~Keep your heart open~ ox

on my desk...

 

a willing and cooperative furry baby...

 
journal in progress for a Christmastime wander through...

 
here....

 
and here...

 
and here...

Can you guess where?

 
as Miss Sophie looks on...

Enjoy your day wherever you are!

Say Uncle!

This is beginning to feel like the Weather Channel... 5 storms this month with at least 2 more predicted this weekend and next week.  The snow is ruling the lives of everyone in and around New England.

This is the view out onto my sun porch - note that the snow is now 1/2 way up the windows...

 

 
Ice is building at an alarming rate... beautiful in it's own way, but oh what a pain!

Hope that all of you dealing with extreme weather stay warm, dry and safe.  xo

 

 

First Snow

The clean-up continues....

 
Sophie is in her glory...

 
And Mr. Moose dreams of sunnier climes...

 
Stay warm and dry ~ ox

Traditions

 

From my house to yours... a family tradition for 4 generations.

Wishing you all joy in the anticipation of the holidays!

 
"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit."   Albert Schweitzer

Such wonderful things are happening in my mailbox lately...

 
The excitement is in the anticipation!

A package lovingly wrapped by Lynne... who generously sent me two of her awesome 3-eyed beings. "My guys" are thrilled to be hanging with "her guys" ~

 
 
Then from the creative studio of good friend and traveling companion, Melissa comes this lovely ledger paper with one of her very pretty transfers ~

 
And yet more! Carol, a most talented artist and friend is always picking up little presents for me for my collections... on her recent trip to Brimfield she spied this amazing book and told me she was certain that I would do something wonderful with it. I already have ideas!

 
 
 

My heart is full ~ xo

California faces

 

Sorry I missed getting so many more of you!

Thanks so much for visiting Vintage Moon Studio. Please leave a note that you were here!

Artwork coming....
 
 
 
 

home again, home again...

However can a soul not love this?

Or this?

Or this little guy?

 

Lovely, old missions full of history

of those who walked these paths long ago...

My own path led me to this mountain top nest

 
shrouded in mysterious morning fog

that gave way to clear and inspirational days to create...

More on this to come!

(it is good to be home)

Love to Dads Everywhere

 
 
 

Summer Jewels

Well, having run out of excuses why I have not done much artwork of late, I decided that the beautiful ocean-hued silk ribbons ordered from

Nina Designs were begging attention. It's been a while since my jewelry-making tools and supplies were used but it was very relaxing to get back in the groove. The pendant on the lower part of the necklace is a beautiful little antique Victorian compass that made it's way to my door from London.

 

 

 

 

     
 
Go create something beautiful!

 

 

Beauty in my own backyard

A short hop and a skip to

summer paradise ...

 
  

A little bit of heaven on earth...

garden view...

Cherish your summer moments....

Erosion Bundle Project

Day One: (May your days be) Shiny and Bright!

Kris, one of my favorite artists and friend over at brain-bubbles, is continuing the disintigration collaboration created by Seth (of Altered Page fame).

You can read about it here along with links to participating artists.

My first bundle was formed into a copper mesh envelope of sorts, filled with various small metal objects and adorned with a silver bird. Several mesh streamers are attached with eyelets. It is attached to a paper text bundle, wrapped with copper wire and hung from a tree with kitchen twine. As we usually have several major snowstorms each winter, it will be interesting to see the changes that evolve over the next few months. I fear the paper will not fare well but perhaps the inner layers will provide some challenging elements to incorporate into future artwork.

I am planning on forming another bundle to leave at the new house to see what variety the climate differences create.

Stay tuned for updates!

And please be sure to check out Kris' blog - it is not too late to participate!

  
 
 

 

comfort in friendship

"A faithful friend is a strong defense: and he that hath found such a one hath found a treasure." Ecclesiasticus 6:14

 

This beautiful silver tray is a recent gift made by the loving hands of  dear friend, Melissa, a talented and spiritual being and down-right "good egg", honoring the memory of my wonderful Dad.

 Treasures... all.

sun and shadow

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.

It's what sunflowers do. "  Helen Keller

  

(photos by deb lewis)

 

Treasure Seeker

  

An elusive gem...

 

I have waited patiently...

 

for this beautiful reward.

(photos by deb lewis)

After the rains...

 

 

 

        Last Night the Rain Spoke to Me

by Mary Oliver

Last night
the rain
spoke to me
slowly, saying,
what joy
to come falling
out of the brisk cloud,
to be happy again
in a new way
on the earth!
That’s what it said
as it dropped,
smelling of iron,
and vanished
like a dream of the ocean
into the branches
and the grass below.
Then it was over.
The sky cleared.
I was standing
under a tree.
The tree was a tree
with happy leaves,
and I was myself,
and there were stars in the sky
that were also themselves
at the moment
at which moment
my right hand
was holding my left hand
which was holding the tree
which was filled with stars
and the soft rain –
imagine! imagine!
the long and wondrous journeys
still to be ours.

The Raffle Begins!

 In May 2008 I became part of a collaborative of mixed-media artists involved in a project named "Ties That Bind", whose goal was to raise funds for ovarian cancer research. Their mission statement was as follows:

Our mission is simple in concept. Artists united in their creativity to benefit Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Our project: Ties That Bind. A hand made doll created with heart and soul, donning hand embellished men's dress ties and hand born charms. 100% of the profit goes to the OCRF, in support of their mission to help ovarian cancer patients and their loved ones.

My contribution to this project was a handpainted and collaged necktie, which eventually became part of the art doll's skirt:

 The completed art doll is now being raffled off, with all proceeds to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. You can read in detail about the project here:

http://projecttiesthatbind.blogspot.com/

 

More information and raffle tickets are available here:

 

http://www.scrapbookroyalty.com/tiesthatbind.html

 

I hope you will take a moment to visit the sites and check out the amazing work that has been contributed by so many artists... and please consider donating for a chance at winning this art from the heart!

Outside the Box (or Museum)

 

These two sculptures now grace the imposing Fenway entrance to Boston's Museum of Fine Art. Day and Night were created by Spanish contemporary artist Antonio López García. Each baby face is approximately 8 feet tall and 1.6 tons in weight.. striking, startling and dramatic!

Coffee Companion

Seeking a bit of shelter on this chilly New England day, a sweet companion to share my morning coffee ~

Pure Bliss

A magical gathering of creative souls in an equally magical woodland paradise...

Creativity renewed...

"Birds on a wire" ~ 18 x 24 acrylic and mixed media

A time for learning to let go and move on, knowing there will be angels there to help us along the way.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for allowing all of us to share in this amazing moment.

Oh! The anticipation!

On September 10th over 100 artists from all over the US and Canada will be gathering at Lake Squam in New Hampshire for 5 glorious days of pure ART and friendship. Wonderful workshops are being offered by extraordinary artists like Misty, Nina, Judy, Linda and many more. It promises to be days filled with learning and growth... I will be there... will you?

A little piece of history and beauty

"The origins of cranberry glass making are murky. Some historians feel a form of this glass was first made in the late Roman Empire. The craft was then lost and rediscovered in the 17th century by either Johann Knuckel in Bohemia. or by the Florentine glassmaker Antonio Neri in Italy. But neither of them knew the mechanism which yielded the colour. The colloid chemist and later Nobel prize winner of 1925 Richard Adolf Zsigmondy was able to understand and explain that small colloid gold particles lead to the red colour.

The most famous period of cranberry glass production was in 19th century Britain during the Victorian Era.

Legend holds that cranberry glass was first discovered when a noble tossed a gold coin into a mixture of molten glass. This legend is almost certainly not true, as the gold must be dissolved in aqua regia (a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids) before being added to the molten glass.

Cranberry glass creations were most popular as a table display, often holding sweetmeats or flowers. Cranberry glass was also frequently used for wine glasses, decanters, and fingerbowls."

End of today's lesson!