Baby, It's Cold Outside...

In the winter, I don't spend as much time outdoors taking pictures.  The landscape is beautiful, but I've never been crazy about the cold so I just don't have the desire to spend countless hours outside trying to capture the perfect shot while my hands are struggling to press the shutter button.  Instead, I prefer to focus my energy on other artistic projects in the comfort of my office.

While hibernating for these past few months, I've created several new mixed media designs for crafting/scrapbooking.  I've acquired a small collection of vintage ephemera such as old postcards, book pages, sheet music and such.  With the help of my scanner and Photoshop, I've created collage sheets, background pages and wall art.

These are excellent for all kinds of projects such as decoupage, scrapbook pages, gift tags, tile pendants, wall art, etc.  Here are a few of my designs:

   A Full Page Scripture and Sheet Music Background

Collage Background of Vintage Postcards

Set of 4 Full Page Background Sheets

Set No.2 From Blue and Pink Collection

Children's Illustrations Collage Sheets

Vintage Christmas Postcards Collage Sheet

8x10 Vintage Illustration Wall Art

Vintage 8x8 Children's Illustrations Set of 3 Wall Art

These items (and many more) are on sale in my Artfire store and on Etsy.  They are digital purchases so you don't pay any shipping because the jpeg and pdf files are emailed to you.  Crafters love these types of items because they are inexpensive and they can print them over and over again for use in multiple projects.  They also look great framed on the wall.

As much as I miss the opportunity to get out in nature with the camera, these projects are alot of fun and a great way to share and revive some amazing vintage art from the past.  I'm constantly adding new items, so check back often in my stores.

You may have noticed that I've cut my blog posts back to about one per month; like most people, time gets away from me and I have to make cuts in some areas in order to gain in others.  I do enjoy keeping you updated on the major happenings in my artsy little world, so I'll show up regularly to let you know what's new.  I appreciate you reading :)

Beauty Beneath A Blanket Of Snow...

Winter is not a favourite season for many of us.  But when I take a stroll to the backyard and see life lingering beneath all the snow, I can't help but smile and appreciate the seen and unseen beauty there.

Here's a desktop background that I hope will brighten your day.  The cold season is long, but as with all things, it comes and goes and warmer days will find us again...

Yet Another Bird Love Story :)

**This one is dedicated to a close friend who is DEFINITELY not a bird watcher, but who appreciates my love of these little creatures (yes, my dear, you know who you are - I'll make a bird watcher out of you yet J

Being bird lovers, my hubby and I are always looking for ways to bring our feathered friends to the backyard.  We really love having them around and watching how they interact and react to our presence as well.

This Winter, we have a family of pileated woodpeckers who visit almost daily.  Sometimes they announce their arrival with their loud call, while other times they arrive very quietly.  They don’t seemed bothered by us when we’re back there, but that’s probably because it’s winter and we’re not outside as much.  We enjoy watching them from the dining room window, or from the upstairs office (in fact, two of them are out there right now as I’m writing this post).

They keep coming back because we’ve provided a very nice feeding station for them.  The idea came from a gardening magazine and wasn’t originally intended for that particular type of bird, but is really well suited for them.  All our birds (and squirrels) love it.

Here’s what we did:  hubby brought home a small fallen cedar tree from an wooded area he worked in.  He fastened it to a metal pole driven into the ground before the frost hits.  

We then drilled holes along the entire length of the post.  These needed to be big enough to insert a homemade seed mixture into.  The mixture consists of mixed birdseeds and peanut butter to hold it together.  We spoon it into the holes.  We have to refill the post every week just to keep up with the traffic.

Occasionally, the woodpeckers try the suet feeder on the oak tree, but they seem awkward trying to pick at it, since they’re so big!

Here's why we feed them and love them so much…

Can you really blame us?