Art of Mine

IMG_6173 Originally uploaded by sjmcdowell Hello All, I recently entered an Artist Trading Card swap over at Blissfull ATC Swap. http://blissfullatcswap.blogspot.com/ Those of us who signed up for the swap were asked to make one ATC which is 3'1/2" x 2"1/2 standard size. We could make our card using any medium we wished. I received my swap buddies card today from my swap buddy Laura. Our theme for July was "Sisters" and Laura made this beautiful little work of art made of wool felt that she hand sewn. The image of the three sisters was out of a vintage book from the 1920's. Laura also included the darling little easel to rest this precious work of art on.  Please stop over and visit Wendy and Debbie who started our Swap and take a peek in the next few days at all of the other ATC's that will be posted. Our mailing date was the 19th. so I got mine early!!! I have something else to add to what Laura gave me and will post it later today. God B...

Winner of Miss Mary Originally uploaded by sjmcdowell What a lovely surprise this afternoon when I received a post from Mary of Green Paper letting me know I was the winner of the Miss Mary Hayes challenge. Over 40 ladies had submitted there renditions of Mary Hayes and some different stories that were made up of what we thought Mary would have been like...even a Ghost!!! Mary had put together a wonderful pack of Ephemera that I won, I will have to get busy and make wonderful things with it once I receive them!!! Please stop over a Green Paper and take a look at all of the wonderful versions of Miss Mary that the rest of the ladies have made, they are all wonderful and they are all very talented Bloggettes out here in Blogland!! Thank you Mary once again for putting this great challenge together for all of us I know we all had a lot of fun doing it. Love, Laughter and Blessings to All, Susan

scan0004 Originally uploaded by sjmcdowell Miss Mary Hayes of Waterbury Ct. was no ordinary woman and at an early age knew what she wanted to do with her life. Mary was not the type to sit idly by and wait for some man to scoop her up and marry her, no sir'e. what Mary wished for was to become a Botonist and to travel to exotic parts of the world to discover and catalog new plant species. Marys mother had died when Mary was three. Her father was a banker in New York City and took the train every morning at 6:30AM and came home every night by 7:00PM. Mary had learned from her Grandmother a love of plants and would help her in the greenhouse, from planting seeds to propagating. When she was 10 she had already planted her own vegetable garden and designed her own little secret garden. Marys love of plants developed into a hunger to learn more and so after highschool she went to study under a young but famous Botonist Professor Lee Vanderhorn at New Haven University. Mary attended ...

scan0003 Originally uploaded by sjmcdowell Hi Blogging Buddies!! I have now completed my Miss Mary art challenge and wanted to share it with all of you. Mary over at Green Paper is having the challenge and a wonderful Giveaway as well. We were given three elements to work with and to use them in any medium we wanted to create something unique. The three elements are of course the lovely lady Mary with the envelope posted in her name and the little bunch of flowers to the left by the bottom of her dress. I will post later with more details. Love and Happiness to All!! Susan

scan0002 Originally uploaded by sjmcdowell My Grandmother Elsa when she was 17 years old in 1909 embroidered this... as she called it her "Basket of Roses". She had left me a few of her embroidered pieces before she passed away in 1974. I cherish her lovely work and if anyone in my life inspired me the most it would have had to have been my grandmother Elsa. This lovely photo is of Elsa around the age of 17. I think it is one of the loveliest photos I have ever seen. My grandmother taught me how to hand sew when I was 7 years old and I had made many little clothes for my dolls, they would even have matching handbags! Elsa also made lovely clothing, Corsages, Shell jewelry, wrote poetry, loved to garden and play the piano. Elsa had a love of Roses all of her life and this exquisitely made Basket of Roses is a tribute to whom she was as a person, I being her only grandchild I feel privileged to have known her. Before Elsa passed away in 1974 just before I turned 18 she had se...

scan0001 Originally uploaded by sjmcdowell Happy Monday Dear Blogging Buddies!! I have admired the wonderful creations made by Diane Knott for a long time. Recently Diane started to make Cuff bracelets made with shells, pearls, lace and ribbon. The first time Diane displayed one of her finished Shell cuffs, I immediately sent her a post saying that I would love to buy one from her. On Saturday I received my lovely bracelet from her... but that was not all...Diane had wrapped my bracelet in tissue paper and put it into a beautiful Soap box that she decorated with lace and pieces of tree bark and little silk flowers and paper roses that framed a beautiful lady. Diane also included one of her gorgeous tags that she made. I had to share this all with you and if you have never visited Diane please do so at.... http://dianeknottsmusings.blogspot.com/. Thankyou Diane I will cherish this forever!!!! Hope you have a wonderful and creative week dear friends, Susan

scan Originally uploaded by sjmcdowell The Declaration of Independance was signed July 4th 1776. "For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Devine Providence, we, mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." Love and God's Blessings to All. Susan