14.july.09

"Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness.
It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd."

Edith Sitwell, Taken Care Of ,1965 English biographer, critic, novelist, & poet (1887 - 1964)

09.july.09

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty, --that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
John Keats

Serving as a repository for ferns and colorful flowers since the ancient days of Greece, this traditional garden planter has never really gone out of style. Practical as well as beautiful, the classic garden urn is certainly worthy of an ode and a place of prominence in the garden as well as your home.

08.july.09

There are varying accounts of the history of the shadowbox. In the middle of the 19th century, many of the Victorian elite enjoyed viewing the world through their Sterio-Opticans. These were small boxes with a scope through which viewers looked at bright paintings and rare photographs of sights around the world. The Sterio-Opticans were so sought after that the women of that time period began putting together small boxes with pictures and other items, which did not require the viewer to look through the small scope. These new boxes became known as some of the first shadowboxes.

Of course there are other stories about the origins of the shadowbox. Naval tradition has handed down the ritual of making and giving a shadowbox to a sailor or officer who is retiring or leaving a ship. According to legend, it is bad luck for a sailor's shadow to touch land before his body does. The other sailors would create a shadowbox for the departing sailor, where they might put souvenirs, a flag, medals, travel memorabilia, and other items to remind the sailor of his beloved ship and shipmates. The shadowbox would contain the sailor's "shadow" until he was safely ashore. Today, the other military branches often give shadowboxes to departing soldiers or officers, as well.

Artist Stephanie Jones Rubiano creates these exquisite shadowboxes- this particular collection is entitled "butterfly boxes," using antique photos, text, and odds and ends.  the wings are actual real butterfly wings, collected from sustainable butterfly populations.

07.july.09

delightful new creations by mixed media artist lisa kettel. i find her work delicate and over the top (but in a good way), it all works and comes together perfectly, which i think can be a hard balance to achieve when using glitter, tulle, jewels, and lace. yet, as i look at her work i keep thinking about finely spun pasteries- deliciously sweet and fragile.  i adore.

she's authored a wonderful mixed media book... and has more in the works

she blogs

she teaches her techniques (she taught at Tinsel Trading NYC- a paradise of a store)

and just seems like the kind of person you want to be friends with and grab a glass of wine.

you can view all her wonderful whimsical work here

01.july.09

30.june.09

i love the detail found in vintage fashions. the painstaking process always amazes me, true artistry.  these exquisite finds are from antiquedress.com, check out her site for more beautiful finds...