What if?

Eye was thinking...

When is a doll just a cigar, I mean doll? ( I know my attempts at humor are awful!) Le petite french poupee sitting quietly on a shelf,

countless books have been written of their wide eyed far away stare, apple cheeks and painted titled smiles.

Are the little mannequins just the sum of their parts,

graceful elongated china arms,

to gently hold you,

delicate sloping legs ending in two tone button down boots,

or even sweet little woolen knee highs and bow tied mary janes.

Perhaps a fully jointed composition body ready for restorations and repairs?

Maybe she is but a mere silent treasured novelty

with cork pate and curly wig and

the teeniest tiniest pair of chestnut brown sleep eyes, all the better

to see you with my dears! Or is she a wealth of information waiting to be tapped? Does her mood change when her wardrobe does?

A lacey Edwardian fit neatly around

a gusseted kid leather body.

Maybe a playful "A" line made from Great Grandmama's cast offs.

Does she feel happy or sad or silly or mad?

Does she yearn to taste a cookie or two or three and a sip of warm chamomile tea with just a touch of honey, no lemon, yes milk. Thank you.

Will she become a spoiled naughty girl when I put her bits together or what if,

what if, I indulge in my more playful desires and turn her into an art doll,

a piece only to be studied and evaluated, never to be held in the arms of a young confidante?

Will the others laugh at her, call her names because she is different?

Will she care and what if, what if, she can never, ever become a girl at all? These thoughts cross my mind, do you wonder if they whisper when we walk away, "Silly humans, so complicated, they should try to be happy just dressed up and pretty"! "It's easy, it is, it is! A doll is a constant faithful companion a friend not a foe, she will happily cheer you up and chase away your woes.

Countless secrets have been shared and tears have been shed and sweet little prayers said just before bed.

Is her worth in dollars and cents, rare and valuable or just that she sees your point of view? I think that I vote for the latter of the two. All in all be a kind curator to your trusted friend, tend to her needs, keep her lovely and dusted and dry, for you never know... I could swear I have walked into my room and out of the corner of my eye just caught the slightest glimpse of, well, I'm not quite sure, but I know I saw something!

You see, I've been thinking. Adieu, see you later!

Wet Paint at Romantic Homes!

Do you ever get the urge to just paint something?!

To paint absolutely anything and quick?!

I've found that a fresh coat of paint can revive a some what lackluster piece and send an already outstanding piece right into orbit! To become yes, Uber Chic!

Ever since I was a kid this funny sneaking sensation would ever so oddly pounce on me, some times at the most inopportune of times and whisper into my ear, PAINT SOMETHING!

I simply could not resist! Strange I know but it certainly was fun!

Once I had a perfectly good bike, shiny and pink with those handle bars that dipped way down in the front, with a pretty little

white wicker basket attached to them and a sweet banana seat covered with the most fabulous pink glittered vinyl, you know,

like the racing boats used to be painted in the 60's!? Well, one day I was minding my own business just kicking back

watching Bugs Bunny cartoons and Gumby, when it hit me! I MUST PAINT THAT BIKE! Never mind that it was practically new! Ok, I know right about now you are beginning to ask yourself, Hey, Wonder what the heck her bike with the glittered seat has to do these Pop Art picture frames?! Well I will get to that,

And so off to the garage I went, on a mission! The only paint I could scrape up was a partial can of powder blue and a

small can of a deep plum purple, I poured them both into a another can, used the end of a wooden hammer to mix them together and went to town!

When I was finished the garage floor was painted, I was painted and my bike was now painted, I had even painted my tires blue, a very delicious ,

shade of periwinkle blue!

I, for one just adored it!

But as you can imagine my dad on the other hand, not so much!

WHAT ON EARTH EVER POSSESSED YOU! And at the time all I could muster up the courage to say was,

I dunno! I dunno! Fortunately for me he understood the artist within me and even greatly encouraged my sometimes misguided attempts at self expression!

And so in conclusion, as you can see I still get the uncontrollable URGE to just paint something anything! The best way I can relate it to you is like this; When you get a craving for something, like lets say a hot fudge sunday, nothings stopping me till I get that hot fudge sunday!! Now I'm positive it's all much clearer!

For all the how to's and specifics of mixing paint colors, pick up the March 2008 issue of Romantic Homes magazine and don't miss out on the free artwork. I have included exclusively for Romantic Homes an elements sheet for you to photocopy and use to create your own 3-D paper statue! Quick and easy and lightweight!
Also a reminder to check out the project I created for Teresa Mcfayden's Bellatoria E Zine, before it flies away!

A poem for Easter

And the winner of the paper flowers is....

Dede Warren!
I want to THANK YOU all so much and I will have more paper flowers to give away real soon! But in the meantime I'd like to share a very old poem with you,
Spring Song
by Mendelssohn

Wake!
Wake up you sleepers,
wake up the sleeping earth!

Now is come the Easter,
time for your rebirth!

All through the snows of winter,
you've been fast asleep!

Sunshine now is calling,
and little rabbits leap!

You, you little chickens,
in your eggs fast curled,

Peck out into the sunshine,
and see the great wide world!

You, you little seedlings,
sleeping in the ground,

Send up shoots and blossoms,
earth is green and round!

Lambs come a frisking,
all you young things play!

Life again is waking,
come this Easter day!

Ring the bells for Easter,
ring them full and deep!

It's Easter!
And life's awaking,

after a long winters sleep!
Wishing you all a wonderful Easter day filled with heaps of yummy chocolate bunnies, baskets of colorful eggs and warm rays of glittering sunshine!

Vignette details:
an assortment of antique Easter goodies including a golden paper mache rabbit candy container, two giant crinkled foil paper eggs, a handful of velvet violets, an old German papered Easter egg decorated with daffodils and little yellow chicks, and two cute round faced baby duckling figurines. The fuzzy bunny baby doll is one of my porcelain pieces. I created her using a reproduction mold, poured, painted and fired it. Then created a little bunny suit made from scraps of very fine vintage brown mohair I found at a local flea market. The doll is nestled in a silk cabbage purchased at the crafts store, a few tiny clay flowers and bits of silk ribbon were used to decorate the bunny hood!