Julia Cameron on "The Artist's Way"

Julia Cameron is one of my favorite creativity mentors. Here she is interviewed by Joel Fotinos of Jeremy Tarcher/Penguin Books about some of the concepts in her bestselling book The Artist's Way.

Pleasure Bright

 

This illustration is from the book The Brownies around the World (1894) by Palmer Cox (Canadian, 1840 - 1924). An impish Brownie holds a half moon and reminds us that "Every month brings pleasure bright, If the heart is only right...." This vintage Green Tiger Press Notecard would make a charming Valentine.

Teddy Bear Valentine, Black & White Version

 

The Green Tiger Press reproduced several versions of this charming Valentine in its heyday. Today the black and white version is being featured. Illustrator, costume designer, and cartoonist Albertine Randall Wheelan (American, 1867-1954) created this Teddy Bear Valentine image for St. Nicholas Magazine.

The Blue Bird

 

This illustration, "The Bird about to Fly Off" by F. Cayley Robinson (active 1910's), is from the book The Blue Bird by Maurice Maeterlinck. It was reproduced as part of the Fairy Tale Notecard series by the Green Tiger Press in the early 1980's.

Teddy Bear Vintage Valentine

 

One of my favorite Green Tiger Press Valentines; this one is by Albertine Randall Wheelan, American artist, costume designer, and cartoonist (1863 - 1954).

Ragamuffin Handspun, Amy Butler Print

Ragamuffin Handspun, Amy Butler Print, originally uploaded by confections.

Handspun rag yarn made from an Amy Butler fabric: Garden Maze from her Midwest Modern line.

Squirrel Cage Swift for Yarn Winding

Squirrel Cage Swift, originally uploaded by confections.

My Mom bought this squirrel cage swift for me for my recent birthday. We found it at a local antique mall and I bowed to its beauty. It is used to hold loose yarn skeins for winding into center-pull balls (yarn cakes). It can also be used to form those skeins directly from handspun on the spinning wheel.

I have a functional umbrella yarn swift (or two!), but I had read about the versatility and adjustability of the squirrel cage variety and had one on my wish list. Serendipity led us to find it at the local antique mall during my Mom's recent visit and her generosity brought it home to my little fiber arts studio for me to play with. Thank you, Mom!

It is shown here holding a cotton skein that I handpainted in a weaving class a while back. This will be the weft; I have a similarly handpainted warp. I'm going to dress one of my table looms and weave a shawl, just allowing the interlacing of the handpainted skeins to create a one-of-a-kind pattern in the cloth.

Local Morning News Coverage of My Favorite Tea Shop, Tea-upon-Chatsworth

 

A Glimpse of My Fabric Stash

 

A random stack of fabric from my stash.

Some of this is destined to be handspun into my signature Ragamuffin yarn, some for doll clothes, some for quilts. Oh, the joys of fiber!

Maid Maleen by Arthur Rackham

 

Maid Maleen Vintage Green Tiger Press Postcard by Arthur Rackham from a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.

"The waiting maid sprang down first and Maid Maleen followed."

This illustration from "Little Brother and Little Sister" (1917) by Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) was reproduced by the Green Tiger Press as a postcard.

Green Tiger Press Valentine

 

I've pulled a few Valentine images from my Green Tiger Press stash and will be featuring them on my blog and in my Etsy shop over the next week or so. Please enjoy!

My Sweet Nieces at Play

My Sweet Nieces at Play, originally uploaded by confections.

This photo was taken by my youngest sister, Liesl, around Halloween 1994. She made the fairy costumes for my sweet nieces and took this lovely shot to document the occasion.

I have enjoyed following Rachel Devine/Sesame Ellis' photostream on flickr for some time, and am especially enthusiastic about her new blog called "beyond snapshots". She and Peta Mazey are providing guidance for those of us who aspire to greater heights in our photography. Head on over there and enjoy!

Nancy Ann Doll under the Tree

Nancy Ann Doll under the Tree, originally uploaded by confections.

A little vignette at my friend's home for the New Year.

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night, originally uploaded by confections.

Happy Twelfth Night of Christmas!

Homemade Cardamom Bread Loaf

Homemade Cardamom Bread Loaf, originally uploaded by confections.

A gift from a dear friend for Christmas & New Year 2010. Delicious toasted with sweet cream butter. And tea, of course!