Fun with Dick and Jane

(Shame on me.)

Free Vintage Children's Books Images

These are for use in your own art but not for resale as images because of copyright laws.  If you use them in your own art, please send me a picture.  I would love to see what you can do with them.

Tomorrow I will show you what I have done with some of them. 

"Fairy Dust"

I don't usually do 'cutesy' stuff but I couldn't  help myself.  Vintage salt and pepper shakers, vintage costume jewelry, and some fine glitter make for some cute Fairy Dust Shakers. 

AND THE WINNERS ARE.......

Prize #1

IZZY of http://www.izzycreations.blogspot.com/

and

Prize #2

RITA from http://atomicwarbride.blogspot.com/

Congratulations to you both!  I hope you like your prizes. 

This was my first time participating in OWOH and I had a great time.  I just wish I had had more time to visit all of the participating blogs but, nevertheless, I have lots of new followers and new blogs for me to follow.  I never realized just how many people there are out there who love creating as much as I do.  You all have left such kind words for me and it is so nice to hear the artists I admire for their talent freely giving praise and encouragement to little ole me.  It's truly touching! 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!
marianna

One World One Heart Blog event

I'ts time for the One World One Heart Blog Event which has been going on now for five years even though this is the first that I have participated. It figures that this is the final year and I am just now participating.  What is that saying, "A Day Late and a Dollar Short." 

A wonderful artist by the name of Lisa Swifka has hosted this World Wide event all by herself for the past five years. Talk about a strong woman!  Kudos to you Lisa, may I be as creative and industrious as you some day.  Lisa started the event as an opportunity for an artist to meet some of their peers. It's also a great way to win some great swag.  To find the list of all the bloggers taking part stop by A Whimsical Bohemian

But first I hope you take a look at my art and leave a comment to win one of two prizes I have to offer you.

The first is a set of three books to help you in your quest to create:

And the second is for those who love to stamp:

Remember, all you have to do is leave a comment with your contact information and let me know which of the two prizes would be your first choice.  On February 17th I will randomly choose a winner who will receive their first choice of the prizes, the second winner will win the remaining prize. 

Thanks for visiting and I hope you return....

have fun on your trip around the world and Good Luck!

Marianna

Go Big or Go Home

I have an addiction to vintage ads as they give me great burst of creativity.  This picture started as a hairspray ad in a magazine from the early 60's.  This is the door to my art room and the idea is when I walk through that door I will be inspired. 
When I see the picture of the models in the vintage magazines I imagine that what they would be saying or thinking something other than the ad suggests.  Like this one...

Yeah, there's a little bit of smarmy (read smart ass) added.  I guess that's just my own sense of humor. 

My photography is a bit lacking but this mother is teaching her daughter how to handle her man.  It's my commentary on how our parents teach us how to handle life and those in it.  While this may be a humoristic look at how it really works, I guess my point is that we learn from those we look up to...even the things we shouldn't be taught.  As we grow up we, hopefully, learn to take what was taught to us and weigh that against reality.  I remember when I realized that I didn't grow up in the perfect family even though until my late teens/early 20's I thought we were the most normal people/family.  What is normal anyway?

Check out the little girl laying on the car, like she rarely sees it.  Her mother can't wait to drop the children off at the sitters.  How often does that happen?  More often than we might like to admit.  But seriously, this was an ad for a car but the vintage illustration spoke more to me about the people and what they were up to rather than the car.  Would my husband agree with me?  I think that his initial focus would be on that car.  It's a guy thing. 

Who Doesn't Love Tim?

Like most people I know from the art world, we love Tim Holtz products and I have been adding to my supplies on a regular basis.   I now have too many Distress ink pads to leave just laying on my work space and have recycled a Christmas themed gift box that a bottle of wine came in.  I think I bought the box at the Goodwill for less than a dollar some months back and it just happened to be the perfect size to hold the ink pads. 

I used lots of Tim's other papers, inks, and tissue tape when creating the box and I have a bunch of vintage rip-off tickets that I used on the inside edge of the front cover.  I think they fit in will with the overall theme.  There are two holes in the top that used to have a rope going through them to use as a handle, but I have asked my husband to put in a couple of long screws that will stick up through the top that I can use to hold my tissue tape rolls.  This should help to clean up part of my workbench.