Using it!

I'm accepting Karla's challenge today & breaking into my good stuff!

I have a lot of 'good stuff' to choose from.

Years worth of hunting/gathering have left me with an art room filled to the gills with inspiration!

Like this bird nest.

Yes it's really a nest built around an old book.

 I adore combining nature - sticks & such with old & shiny!

 I get chills every time I open this drawer.

 All of it vintage, most very old.

Pay-off for years worth of dedicated pickin'.

An old torn up bag, some pins & a nest create a little wall art.

Once I got into using my 'sacred stash' I couldn't stop!

Pressed flowers are so beautiful to me.

When we go on vacation I always bring a little nature back with me.

When we went to California a couple of summers ago I brought back some ferns & blooms.

I cherish them & the memories they hold.

 I finally took those precious botanicals out of their box & created a way to display them.

I know y'all are sick to death of reading the name Bolton on my blog.

But...............

I can't help it!

 These pictures have been on the top of my inspiration file for years & years.

Combining forest green & yellow Rit dyes produced the earthiest colors for my muslin. 

 Some Queen Anne's Lace, muslin, glass & medical tape....

 That's it!

Using medical tape to frame them was also gleaned from the Bolton's circa 1990's.

I'm heading to Karla's now to see who else is breaking into their secret stash!

When I'm done there I'm heading over to this weeks lesson.

Artful Pages!

This weeks guest artist is the amazing Lenna Young Andrews.

You can see a peak at her project on her blog

Creative Lenna.

Then I gotta get to work because my class is next week!

I went to Canton last week & can't wait to show you what I found!

~Lisa

White Wednesday/For the love of Rose!

Okay, it's not that Rose.  That's a whole other post!  LOL

I was on the phone with my girl the other night... for hours we flipped through our respective magazine stashes until we found the the story
we were searching for. 

There she is, the one & only Rose Hicks, Queen of cream.  Surrounded by her mega talented daughters.  These pictures were borrowed from ME Home Companion October/November 1998.  Rose's beautiful style is as relevant today as it was 13 years ago.

Her kitchen was the first I saw open shelving in. What a concept, huh? And look at that altered chandy on the left, with the little salt & pepper shakers on it.  I'll never tire of her creamy white palette.


Yes, too bad the idea of using book pages as wallpaper didn't work out! LOL 

Oh, those plates! I love it when they are really old & have that stained crackle running through them. I saw her little round coffee table surrounded by child size chairs, & spent years finding my own.

Love, Love, LOVE it! Plates displayed backward, so clever!

 I fooled with these 2 pictures forever, trying to get them side by side - sorry.  Look at that sweetie with her little tea cup.

How about the layered up frames!

I just love her simple assemblage. I'll be she didn't give it more than a second thought, just bent that wire over the top & plopped it over the frame.

Oh, that pillow on the couch! Such an example of how much we are influenced by others. I see so many pillows now, but each one different, reflections of the artist making them. 

Don't you just want to jump into that cozy bed! The teeny frames hanging above the bed look so casual, like an afterthought.  But the contrast in size & placement are so unexpected!

Years ago, before kids, Kevin took me on a little overnight trip to Fredericksburg.  After a nice lunch & a couple of good German beers, my reluctant husband agreed to drive me around town to stalk search for the Bolton homes.  After some detective work at Homestead, & leads from various magazine articles I set out on my mission.  I found Sister Janet's house first, but to my horror they were all in the driveway talking to neighbors. I ducked down under the dash so they wouldn't see me. Oh, I was so embarrassed, not enough to keep me from seeking out Carol's farmhouse.  We parked pretty far back to avoid discovery again! Kevin took pictures of me pointing at the house. GOOBER:) for sure. Those were the days before digital camera's, I've searched high & low for those pics.  The last house on my list was Miss Rose, & you know we drove all over town. Up & down streets until the sun set, sadly my sweet Rose eluded me.  So she reamins an enigma & a muse.

My thanks to Kathleen, our White Wednesday Hostess.  Check out her blog for some serious inspiration & a list of other great blogs!