best seller at my etsy shop...

This little item has become a 'bestseller' over at my etsy site. Over the years I have managed to collect a ridiculous number of old book for my collage work. I mean ridiculous...so I decided to put together 10 pages and sell them as ephemera packs.

Well, they really sell. I always put a nice variety of pages in the set...french text from an 1801 book, German text from the 1900's, algebra page from the 1850's...all the way up to the 70's with a wonderful sewing book I have. I make them in sets, usually of 5 or 6, and each set is identical. I also add a little pretty on each, usually with a bit of glitter.

I really enjoy selling these, wondering how they will be used. This is the last one of my current series, 1 - 4 have already sold. I'll soon be making a new set for sale.

time to make the donuts...

Don't you love donuts? Last night I had a great donut at the Albany airport's Dunkin' Donut. It made me think of my recent watercolor painting I did of a donut- what you see above.

I love painting watercolor in realistic fashion. It's a challenge that I really enjoy. This donut you see above was fun to paint- the chocolate is smooth and the donut is cakey - each texture being very different to paint.

I am selling prints of this picture on my etsy shop. It comes to you ready to frame.
I think this would look great in a kitchen. I am also selling the same print framed at the Lady Fingers Bakery in Monroe, NY.

DANCE ~ Narrative Doll listed on etsy

Dance, 3" x 15"

This new Narrative Art doll is listed on etsy. I am really enjoying making these little beauties that tell a story. The wings are so pretty- very glittery- the pictures cannot capture the GLITTER of German Glass Glitter. It is so shimmery compared to regular glitter. It also takes on a patina over time. For more information and pictures, please click here.

free shipping on collage greeting cards in my etsy shop...

One of the items I make and sell in my etsy shop are collage greeting cards. I also sell these in boutiques. For a limited time, I've decided to offer free shipping.


Each 3" x 3" collage is mounted on beautiful deckle edge cream colored Strathmore paper. Each comes with a matching envelope or they can be framed in a standard size frame.

The watermark is not on the cards- just these examples!

Here are three examples of the one-of-a-kind images.
There are many more in my shop, so have a look!

tinnie # 2

I recently posted my first tinnie. Here is my second one, made last week before I caught a wretched cold. In my never ending quest to use my collection of German doll parts in new and different ways, I thought using a Frozen Charlotte on a tinnie would be cute. I love the doll parts!

I am on a pink/green-shabby kick with the tinnies. Pink and green has always been my favorite color combination and I love the shabby style in some things.

When I am feeling better I'll be posting this tinnie in my etsy shop.

Rescued German dolls and doll parts

The area in Germany where the dolls are excavated.

A painting of the old doll factories before they were abandoned.
Most factories were abandoned because of WWI.

you can see doll heads, arms and legs as they are found in the ground!

There are several reasons that explain my recent love affair with old German doll parts:

- they are old - most are 100 years and older

- they were dug out of the ground-rescued and so they have a wonderful patina that cannot be made any other way then to sit in the ground for 100 years or so.

- each doll has it's own personality-really- if you look at the doll heads, each has a look- regal cute, silly, serious, just like people.

- they are wonderful to use in mixed media work.

- fun to collect

- relatively inexpensive - a non-damaged doll part of same age and quality cost 10x the price or more! non-damaged tiny dolls can sell in the hundreds of dollars!

- I love the story behind them - in the late 1800's and early 1900's there were many German doll factories. When making the dolls in molds, there were always rejects. These rejects were tossed into a large wood bin. When the bin got full, a worker would take them outside and bury them as a way to get rid of them. They would return the empty bin and keep filling it- over and over again, over many years. Fast forward to now- the old abandoned doll factories are being explored by the locals and they are finding the doll parts. There is a particular part of Germany that made the dolls in the factories. Someday I would like to visit that area.

My newest shipment of doll heads arrived yesterday from Germany.

I have posted several for sale in my etsy shop.

regal doll

cute doll

trinket box

I am having fun using my collection of doll parts in my crafting. I made this trinket box using a German doll head. I collaged a hinged wooden box with ephemera and German scrap. The doll head is nestled in lace. The inside of the box is painted a soft Robin's Egg Blue.

I really like how it turned out! I am a sucker for shabby style, ephemera, Robin's egg blue, and German scrap.


I've listed the trinket / keepsake box in my etsy shop.

Halloween witch tags on Etsy!

click to make larger!

Last year I had the honor to have an article and artwork published in this wonderful magazine.

You can see where I've highlighted the magazine cover where my art is mentioned.

The article and art was about ATC's - Artist Trading Cards. I decided to print the artwork onto high quality heavy watercolor paper and make them into beautiful Halloween tags.

If you would like to purchase these, you can do so by clicking here. I am selling them in sets of six. They have beautiful shiny ribbons. Add them to your Halloween decorations or add them to special goody bags!

etsy and Halloween

It's August and I am playing with Halloween paper dolls. More like MAKING Halloween paper dolls! I finally started posting some items to my etsy shop. And I thought some Halloween items would be fun.

I've been making this particular paper doll format for about 2 years now. I use a playing card as the body and alter it with collage and prints. I have made at least 40 of this type of doll. I sold them all on eBay. Now I am going to try etsy. I've had terrific luck on eBay, but I do hear good things about etsy too...so here goes!

Here is my witch I made today. Wart on her nose, silver glitter shoes and an orange rhinestone on her hat. She is holding a black bird.

Please click here to visit my new etsy shop. (I've actually had it for 2 years, but hey, I don't want to rush these things ;-)