More bookish art

 

I mentioned last month that I had re-launched our popular dictionary page art range for a limited time.  Today I'm showing off a few more of the new range of art prints, all keeping in theme with the vintage-inspired look of our original range.

The amoeba print is one of my personal favourites, being a scientist, and the pear print was very popular when it was first released with the original range.  Which one is your favourite?

A few of my favourite things: tea and art

I was recently introduced to the beautiful artwork of visual artist and graphic designer Ruby Silvious and I was completely blown away by her gorgeous teabag artworks!  Her "363 days of tea" and "52 weeks of tea" collections are miniature paintings and drawings created on recycled teabags, how could I not love every piece???  Head on over to Ms Silvious' site and check out all of her amazing creations (and maybe even make a purchase or two).

Art I Love

If you have been reading my blog for some time you will know that whenever I travel, I like to look out for art galleries exhibiting and/or selling works by local artists.  So on our recent trip to Daylesford, I had a fun-filled afternoon wandering through various local art galleries while Mr Cheeky Monkeys entertained the two Cheeky Monkeys.

At the Red Pepper Gallery, I was captivated by the works of artist and gallery owner Michael Parker.  In particular, his "resin series" of artworks caught my eye and had me wanting to touch them to see if they felt as smooth and beautifully shiny as they looked!  His resin series of art consists of canvases covered in marbling, fractal and nature-inspired swirls of coloured resin resulting in what looks a lot like a glass artwork.  I was pretty keen to bring one of these edgy abstract pieces of art home, but at two metres in length and a cost of almost $5000, Mr Cheeky Monkeys (quite understandably) vetoed my desire to bring some local artwork home with us!

Those of you who don't have impending overseas trips (or other financial committments) constraining your budgets can find Michael Parker's intriguing creations at his Red Pepper gallery in Daylesford as well as the Seaview Gallery in Queenscliff.

Adding a Homespun Touch

Since I seem to have spent most of this summer holidays attempting to rest and recover from a lingering sinus infection, I have had a fair amount of time to read through some inspirational creative books.  My current two favourites are Homespun Style by Selina Lake, and The Crafty Minx At Home by Kelly Doust.  Both of these books share hints, ideas and/or projects for decorating one's home in beautiful handmade (or homespun) style.

The Two Cheeky Monkeys and I have been completely inspired by these two books (both of which shared ideas I have been thinking about for a while now) and I took some time out from my resting to brighten up a corner of my bedroom.  I very quickly and simply attached a range of photo prints and artwork I own directly to the wall using Love Mae fabric wall stickers.  It's a little wonky, but my disparate range of photos and art has really lifted this corner of my room!  The art you see can be found at 74 Lime Lane (most of the photo prints), Dandelion Lady (the linocut print, bottom left), wiccked (the watercolour work, top left), Filmless Photos and One Ripple Photography.

A Holiday Art Class

As you may have noticed from my previous posts about artists I had discovered, I really enjoyed visiting the Glasshouse gallery during my recent trip to Port Macquarie.  But it wasn't just me who had fun there, not only did the entire Cheeky Monkeys family have a great lunch at their cafe, the little Cheeky Monkeys also enjoyed a free, one hour art and craft class designed for primary school-aged kids.

The class we attended had a simple, but eye-catching project to complete, a wall hanging based on the water-themed "Osmosis" exhibit at the gallery.  The Cheeky Monkeys had a lot of fun tying crepe paper, cellophane and curling ribbons to their creations, and they especially loved attaching the shiny diamantes and acrylic rhinestones to the dangling ribbons.  I was a little worried about how we were going to get such delicate creations safely home to Melbourne, but they survived the trip and now decorate my house in rather inconvenient locations!

Art I Love - Naomi Ullman

Today I am sharing the work of another Australian artist I discovered on my recent roadtrip, and that is the work of Naomi Ullman.  When I first saw her quirky snow dome creations, I wasn't sure what to make of them.  But then I looked a little closer and realised that the little building within each snow dome was constructed from old credit and store cards!

Reading through the exhibit explanation, I was fascinated to learn that these snow domes were created as a poignant, if not offbeat, commentary on the Australian "home owners' dream".  Not being the kind of person who makes social commentary via art, I was quite taken by this "think outside the box" method of doing so.  Who would have thought to combine the iconic snow dome with old credit cards to make a statement about social excess and ecological conservation!

Art I Love - Kendal Murray

When I was researching holiday activities for our recent Two Cheeky Monkeys roadtrip, I was delighted to find that Port Macquarie was home to a small, regional gallery/theatre/concert hall named the Glasshouse.  I eagerly enrolled the little Cheeky Monkeys in a free art and craft class, which they enjoyed enormously, and had a fun morning looking through the Glasshouse's small, but fascinating art exhibits.

Some of the works which appealed to me the most were by Sydney artist, Kendal Murray.  It's no surprise that I was enchanted by her work really, because her "Flights of Fancy" exhibition contained artistic creations made from glass teapots and tea cups!  Each teapot housed a miniature landscape or social setting designed to capture a viewer's attention by its surreal representation of scenarios with which many would be familiar.  I would love to own one or more of her whimsical pieces, if only I could find a way to display them without the risk of them being broken by the Cheeky Monkeys!

My Creative Space

I am still slowly getting back into the routine of normal life, with a few minor dramas along the way (i.e. being worried sick about sick children).  But I did work on a few creations which have been waiting patiently on my "to do" list.  I have had fun working on new dictionary print designs, and would love some feedback on my most recent creations as well as other images you would like to see in print.  So what do you think?

1. Siobahn stand

2.  Sara stand (there are four of these)

3. Lepidoptera print

4. Sophie cupcake stand

5. Shellfish print

6. Regal print

My Creative Space - The Letter D

When my dad passed away several months ago, I was overwhelmed by the love and support I received from everyone.  Many of you sent me cards and sweet gifts, and the artwork pictured above is just one of them.  It came as a black and white print from Mel of wiccked, who is our hardworking admin guru for the DUST team on Etsy.  Mel sells the most amazing artwork, including PDFs of her illuminated letters which you can purchase and colour in yourself.  I haven't finished working on mine (it is amazing how hard it is to find the exact shade of colour I want in a house full of texta and marker pens!) and it certainly doesn't do Mel's artwork justice, but head over to her store to see her beautiful versions of the alphabet.  What's in your creative space this week?

Fabulous Friday Find

This post is for all of you life science and/or knitting afficionados (I sort of count myself in the former group) out there!  While surfing the web the other day I found this AMAZING knitted skeleton artwork by Ben Cuevas.  It is part of a special mixed media piece he created for an exhibition in New York and I am just blown away.  I mean, how does one even come up with a knitting pattern for the various bones in the human body?!?!  You can find more pictures and the full details about this fantastic knitted skeleton on Ben Cuevas' blog.

Fancy Something a Little Different?

I was looking around on Etsy the other day and found this fun little art print store, named RUBBLEarium.  Some of you may know that I have a rather eclectic taste in art, especially art which is a little "different" from the norm.  So you probably won't be surprised that I am absolutely enchanted by the whimsical art prints I found in RUBBLEarium.  Here are my top three picks - enjoy!

Cabbage Baby Shoe Art Print

Fairy Day Frock Art Print

Starry Night Embroidered Wonder Bread Art Print

The Art/Craft Exchange Project Part 2 and Some More Sneak Peeks

Some of you may remeber the sweet gifts I received as part of the art exchange project in which I participated recently.  Well, here are some more amazing items I received!

These gorgeous gift tags were sent by the charming Anastasia of Percival Road Designs.  They feature vintage illustrations of elegant ladies.  I am really looking forward to using these on gifts!

These cute note sheets were sent by Coco's Closet and say "I wish you happy days" in French - so cute!

I also received some gorgeous fabric-covered gift tags from Deb of Georgica Designs and a pretty scented drawer freshener from Dance in My Garden but I keep forgetting to photograph these pretty gifts.

And while I have been enjoying these gorgeous creations by others, I have also been working on some new art prints which will be appearing soon in a real bricks and mortar store!  I won't give anything away yet, but here are some sneak peeks of what I have created so far...

If you would like to order either of these prints for yourself, just send me an email and we can work something out.    ;)

Feature Friday and Giveaway - pfd Original Artworks

My featured artist this week is Phyllis of pfd Original Artworks, a beautiful store full of sweet art works.  I first "met" Phyllis on one of the Etsy sellers' forums but have gotten to know her better through our involvement in the Etsy CAST team.  So let's find out a little about Phyllis and her store...

Tell us a bit about yourself.

In my dreams I am a full time artist but in reality I work in Human Resources; however, I do love my job and the people I work with. But being a full time painter would be awesome! Or maybe a full time writer – I may even prefer that.

Mama and baby sheep notecard

Describe yourself in 5 words.

 Creative… I got stuck after creative so this is what my husband says: artsy, insightful, workaholic, proud grandma.

When and how did you first start crafting/creating?

Years ago I started working for a florist. Then a friend and I started doing silk & dry flower home parties, craft shows and weddings. Somewhere along the line we got burnt out and I began working a “regular” job. My creativity dwindled quickly. After a decade or so I was quite stressed by a job I was working and took up beading as my stress reliever. Loved it but worried that my pieces may break if I sold them and I could not deal with that. We moved to Minnesota and I watched all those TV home decorating shows. They always painted big focal point pictures. I figured if they could do that, I could. So I took some watercolor classes (about 3 years ago) and started painting. Never did that big focal point picture but love to paint! My cards started as gifts to my family for Mothers’ Day and it went from there.

Purple Flowers Notecard

What do you create and what are your favourite materials with which to work?

I primarily do watercolor paintings but I also dabble with ink. I love how the watercolor paints flow and I love drawing little pictures so the ink drawings are fun for me.

My other passion is writing. At some point I hope to combine the two. Time is my enemy… the challenges of life do not give me much free time. [Edit: Let me add that Phyllis writes some great and encouraging blog posts for the CAST team blog!]

When and how did you start selling online?

I started selling my cards to independent boutiques and galleries. One suggested Etsy and I looked it up online and decided to give it a try.

Describe your store in 5 words
I like to think of it as peaceful, relaxing, charming, original and practical!

Who or what are the influences behind your creations?

No doubt about it… God and His beautiful nature! I am constantly awestruck by the wonders of His creation!

Snowman Christmas card set

Where can we find you online?
Only on Etsy… Currently, I have no time for expanding my online presence. And I write for the CAST Team blog that is posted every Monday. http://castteametsy.blogspot.com/

[Edit: this giveaway is now closed!  Thank you to all of the entrants.]
Giveaway alert: Phyllis is kindly offering a giveaway for a $10 voucher for her store.

To enter:
Mandatory - Tell me what you would choose from Phyllis' store if you were the winner of the giveaway.

Extra entries:
1. Heart pfd original artworks on Etsy.
2. Become a public fan of my blog.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry!!!  The giveaway is open worldwide and will run until Thursday 12 August 2010.  The winner will be chosen by random.org

Get Ready for *bespoke*!

Today I want to tell you about an exciting new zine in the works with the beautiful name of *bespoke*!  *bespoke* is the brain child of the ever busy Jess of Epheriell Designs and has the sweet tagline of "By hand; with heart"...aww.

I am pretty excited about this new zine since Jess, and quite a few of the contributors, are part of my online circle of crafting friends!  If you want to find out more about this brand new zine or think you would like to try your hand at a submission, Jess is still looking for articles and artists.  So head on over to the *bespoke* site or Facebook page to find out more!

The Art/Craft Exchange Project

I was recently invited to join an art and craft exchange by a fellow DUST member and was really taken by the idea because I love to create and tailor items specifically for a person and because it is fun sending gifts to people!  The surprises I have received in the mail so far are gorgeous and will definitely be getting lots of use.

 

Robyn of River Gum Jewellery created this amazing long necklace for me.  My photo really doesn't do it any justice and my attempts at a self-portrait while wearing the necklace were abysmal.  It has an eye-catching focal lampwork bead and pretty amethyst and jade beads, both of which are among my favourite gemstones!

Nelly of Paisley Pathways sent me a cute little pouch made from lovely red, black and white floral fabric (how did she know that red is one of my favourite colours?)  This pouch is a great size for carrying cosmetics or hair accessories and will be very useful when I travel (travelling with two daughters makes for lots of lip gloss, hair clips and hair ties to be packed).

For those of you who are wondering what I created, you can find some photos of my creations on the lovely Helena's blog.

Celebrating One Year on Etsy!

Today's post marks one year for me on Etsy!  It has been a rollercoaster of a ride and a steep learning curve, a curve which I am still on.  My range of creations have changed and expanded over the year and I have met so many lovely artists, crafters and handmade afficionados online in the process.

So to thank all of my supporters and to celebrate one year of intense craftiness, I am having a little giveaway!  Up for grabs is a prototype vintage art greetings card similar to the one pictured below.

You won't be receiving the pictured card, but will be able to design one to your specifications!  That's right, you can choose the colour of your card (white, light pink or light blue) and the illustration to be printed.  The backing paper will be a vintage book page, although you can have the vintage sheet music if you choose an instrument illustration.

How do you enter?  There are a few ways...

EDIT: This giveaway is now closed! Thanks to everyone who entered.

Mandatory entry:

1. Look through my store and tell me which illustration you would choose for your card and to whom you would give the card.  (Or suggest a print you would like if you don't find what you are looking for).

Extra entries:

2. Tell me which is your favourite vintage art print in my store or suggest some illustrations you would like to see instore.  

3. Publicly follow my blog.

4. Follow me on Twitter.

5. Tweet, FB or blog about this giveaway and leave me a link. 

6. Purchase anything from my store during the giveaway period and leave me a link to your transaction.

PLEASE leave each entry as a SEPARATE comment.

This giveaway is open worldwide and will run until midnight, 10th of July 2010 (Australian Eastern Standard Time) and the winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Vintage Art Print Ideas

Microscope Art Print

In the last few months I have had a lot of fun designing and creating my range of vintage art prints.  I have been quite overwhelmed by their popularity and am so thankful to all of you for your support in purchasing prints or blogging, Tweeting and Facebooking (is that a verb?) about them!

I have been spending the last few weeks searching for a wider range of images to use in my prints after some of you mentioned themes or images which you loved.  I have already introduced some biology/geekery and kitchen-related art prints into my store and am now working on introducing more "masculine" prints after a friend bought a print for her brother-in-law and suggested I add prints with machinery, vintage gadgets, etc.

I also thought that monogram or initial art prints might be worth considering.

Therefore, today I am asking you, my readers, what you would be interested in seeing instore.  What kind of art prints would you buy for yourself or others?  Do you like flowers and plants, or maybe you want something specifically for decorating your craft room, study/office or dining room?  I would appreciate any ideas you have, and in the mean time, will keep hunting for more lovely vintage illustrations!

Two Cheeky Monkeys is Now on Madeit!

Okay, so today I have a confession to make.  I know I often complain about the stress of being a mother, keeping up with the housework and taking the kids to their various activities all while trying to run and effectively promote my Etsy store.  But...I have been toying with the idea of opening a Madeit store so that I can sell my products in Australian dollars (and I know some of you have asked for that too).  And I finally took the plunge yesterday and opened up my store!

Rochelle Earrings

So, for my Aussie blog followers who have been dying to purchase in their own currency, your chance has finally come!  I haven't got much listed instore as yet, but I am slowly adding listings.  I am not sure how much of an overlap I will have with my Etsy store.  Certainly the style of products will be the same, but obviously I cannot list the same one of a kind item simultaneously in both stores.  If you see an item in my Etsy store and would like to purchase it from my Madeit store, please contact me and I will list the item for you.

Wednesday Wonderfuls

I don't know about you, but I love to decorate my home with art work and photos.  Admittedly I probably need to spend one weekend sorting out a more aesthetically pleasing way of displaying my art and photos, but in the mean time, I leave you some gorgeous art work from several wonderful Australian artists.

White Pelargonium by Michelle's Art and Photography

Red Bird Blue Apple Print by One Red Robin

Marbled Rose II by Sandra Darling

Butterfly by ishandchi

My Latest Op Shop Find (aka My Love of Vintage Books)

I mentioned in my last blog post that I love to go op shopping (that's thrift shopping for the non-Aussies) and that I love to find vintage books.  So today's post is all about my latest find and some of the uses I have for vintage books.

Miss 4's kindergarten is closely situated to a small shopping precinct and I am constantly there for extra groceries when I pick her up from kinder.  There are also two op shops in this area, both of which I love to visit.  On my most recent kindergarten pick up, I spotted this amazing encyclopaedia in one of the shops.

I browsed through the pages and fell in love!  I bought it, of course, and took it home for further inspection.  It was published in early 1939 and is entitled The Modern Reference Encyclopaedia: Illustrated (the "modern" bit gave my husband and I a little laugh).

 

It has over 1000 pages of information, fantastic illustrations on almost every page and 51 sepia-coloured photos of prominent people and places at the time (sorry, I forgot to get a scan of one of these).  It even has a short dictionary of Aboriginal words and their meanings and areas of use, a printed world clock telling one the time around the world when it is midday in Melbourne and Sydney, information on world currencies and monetary conversion rates and a short survey of Australia's population numbers (just under 6.9 million at the time of printing; it's now just over 22 million, yikes).  Oh, and for all the cricket fans out there, let's not forget the three pages chronicling the results of Australia vs. England in Test match cricket between 1876 and 1938!

One of the many beautiful illustrations in the encyclopaedia.

So why do I purchase vintage books (besides the fact that they are beautiful and fun to look through)?  Firstly, I have found them to be very handy photography props for my product photos on Etsy, although I probably don't utilise them enough for this purpose.  I have also found them to be great for upcycling in my craft work, but I do double check that I am not cutting up a world heritage tome of renown first!  One of the things I love to create with pages from vintage books is vintage-look wall art inspired by blogger Mrs Limestone.  My somewhat boring main toilet is now a little more interesting after the addition of two such works to the walls (I used vintage illustrations of seashells for these).  I also recently made one to give to my husband's great aunt as part of her 90th birthday present (see below).  Edit: I gave in to all your positive comments and have started selling my vintage wall art creations in my Etsy store too!

Vintage illustration of tulips printed on a dictionary page defining the word "tulip".

Recent customers to my store will also notice that I am now using pages of vintage books as part of my packaging.  I use pages to make small envelopes for the jewellery pieces I sell and I like to stamp or print vintage or vintage-style illustrations onto them as well.  And finally, I find that shapes cut from vintage pages add great interest to my paper craft creations when teamed with plain or handmade coloured paper.

I hope my rather long and rambling post hasn't bored you to tears, but hopefully this will help my readers to see just why I love finding old and vintage books so much.  Do you love vintage books too?  If you do, I would love to hear about how you use them in your craft, or if you simply admire them and use them to beautify your bookshelf.