My Kind of Valentines

Last weekend my family stumbled upon a very unique museum (Miracle of America Museum) in a small lakefront town called Polson, MT. I had passed by this place many times over the years that I first lived in Montana and would take road trips onto Missoula for some fun and shopping. I fell in love with a display of Victorian Valentine cards and snapped photos. They just don't make love notes like these anymore. Glad they are in a glass case to be preserved. Wish I had artistic talents like the ones who created these lovely pieces of history. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Embroidered Cloth Doll

I wanted to post an update that shows what I have been stitching on recently -- a victorian style cloth doll pattern.

I have finished one and am almost done with a second beauty. There may be more stitched in different colors for the dress and hair. I am planning on listing some on Etsy.com in my WonderlandShoppe store.

I think little girls and moms alike will enjoy these creations. In making them, I am reminded of simpler days when mothers would be using scraps of things in the home to make a special dolly for their loved ones.

It also makes me think of paper dolls -- something I got from an auction win on shopgoodwill.com. I will have to take some pictures of some of the books for another posting here.

Ornament Treasures

I just have to show you what I found for 10 cents a piece at the Salvation Army yesterday. These rose and glitter ball ornaments are so pretty. The camera really did not do them justice. I am almost afraid to add them to my tree and may just keep them on my table to admire while sewing.

Savannah Rose came across this precious elf pixie paper mache' ornament. He has some flecks of his paint missing, but they are minor and he is so sweet. I have him hanging on an ornament display in the living room.



Hope you are enjoying this festive holiday season and spending time with loved ones.

My newest acquisition of Victorian Art

I have always been swept away with victorian times, the lavish costumes, and delicate ways that are described in famous writings and pieces of artwork.

It seems like I tend to look for artwork for my walls more and more these days with the same theme. This is my most recent acquisition from the shopggoodwill.com auction site. (Actually, I just won another piece that should be on its way soon.)

When this lovely item arrived well packaged, I was very unhappy to find the glass was broken in several places even though it had been well wrapped and there were no dents in the outside box.

A trip to a local art frame shop and 3 weeks later it was as good as new with the shop owner taking great care in making sure the right size glass was installed (the true problem with the breakage to begin with), and using Q-tips to clean the intricate design on the original frame as shown. She also touched up one streak in the actual art piece with some pastels. It would take a very close and studying eye to find the correction.



I am so pleased with this framed work. It is placed in my hall way to admire daily on my ventures into various bedrooms to put things away for the kids and grandma.

I love to find treasures, especially those things I truly am pleased with.

Next, I want to find a pretty silver (or silver-plate) victorian tea set on a platter. There is an elaborate set in an antique shop on Central Avenue here, but the price range is way out of my league for spending pleasure at $350. So I will continue my search at the online sites.

Victorian Oomph!

A friend of mine in Kalispell, MT recently gave me this beautiful victorian pincushion. I don't know if I will be able to keep pins sticking in her or not. She is just so darling to look at.



Another victorian find at Salvation Army recently was a DVD of a movie I had never heard of called: The Lady and the Highwayman with Hugh Grant starring. This was one of his first acting performances for the screen. It is now added to my collection of Jane Austen, Jane Eyre, Cranston, and so many others I keep close at hand for repeat viewing.



I just simply love the hairstyles and costuming used in these pieces. Yet, I am so glad not be wearing them personally!

What is your style? Have you received or found something recently to bring that "IT" back to you? I just won an auction on shopgoodwill.com of a beautiful framed piece I can't wait to receive in the mail. Bet you can guess what flair it is from this blog.

Victorian Lady Cameo Embroidery Project

I am happy to say my project took a month (with me putting it aside for a while)to complete.

It turned out very well and I have yet to hang it over my bed as I have been admiring her draped over the rocking chair for a day or so now.

Already I have begun stitching a new piece from a thrift store find last week. This time it is a lightly outlined snow skating scene of a couple. I know I have seen a print or something like it before. Maybe when I am finished you can fill in the information about the art.

Victorian Embroidery in Progress

I found this beautiful leaflet book at a local place called Hobby Land here in Great Falls, Montana recently and just knew that I could make it work for embroidery. The leaflet was for pyography (fancy word for woodburning). So showing for the first time is my work in progress after only a few days.



I am planning on making the piece into a wall hanging and have chosen the border fabric as pictured here.



It is going to be just lovely and I am totally excited and inspired on this project.

Jane Austen Doll Figure

I think this is absolutely for me! I feel a birthday present coming on. This is a Jane Austen Doll figure and I have just found some listed on Amazon.com at a very reasonable price.

More and more I find I am into Jane Austen and her novels. I just recently won the auction her whole set of hard back books with dust jackets from 1996 Book-of-the-Month Club while shopping on shopgoodwill.com.

Today, also I was exploring my new residing town of Great Falls, MT and got totally excited when looking at their online site for the Chamber of Commerce at the calendar of events. I found this May 9th listing for a Mother's Day Tea & Victorian Fashion Show. A wonderful website appeared, but I was having trouble finding an address for the event.

Upon more exploring, I am not very happy to report that it is over 198 miles to travel to this event. -- There goes my special fun outing with my daughter, Savannah Rose (who also has a birthday on May 5th). We will have to continue to look for something more local.

Who knows it may be a snow blizzard at that time as well -- because it has been snowing all last night, today, and currently at 1:28 a.m. -- Spring time in the Rockies!!!

Jane Austen in Rio, originally uploaded by Adriana Zardini.

Jane Austen Bath Festival

The Jane Austen Festival
Friday 18th to Sunday 27th September 2009

The Bath Jane Austen Festival was the idea of David Baldock Director of the Jane Austen Centre and the first Festival took place in 2001. “My aim was to draw attention to this very popular author whose works were so influenced by the city by holding an annual celebration where Austen fans from all over the world could come and indulge themselves in everything Regency.”




Each year the Festival, which is held at the end of September, grows and grows with more people dressing in Regency costume celebrating the life and works of Jane Austen. Throughout the city events are organized by the Festival team under the guidance of Jackie Herring the Festival Director. Entrance to the events is by ticket and those go on sale at the Bath Festivals Box Office a few months before the start.


The most spectacular day each year is the first Saturday, when the festival officially ‘opens’ with the Regency Costumed Promenade through the streets of Bath. Promenaders from all over the world dress in 18th Century attire led by our Town Crier and accompanied by soldiers and sailors adding extra colour to the proceedings.


In 2008 for the first time, a traditional Country Fair in Queen Square where not only promenaders but also the general public could partake of the sideshows and stalls as well as try the stocks for size!

Small soirees, theatre, concerts, walking tours, food, talks and of course dancing plus the opportunity to dress throughout the week, if you wish, in 18th century costume. These are some of the attractions of the Jane Austen Festival.



Stop and visit this site for information on City of Bath England: http://www.cityofbath.co.uk/

Victorian Postcards

I have a love for anything Victorian. Postcards are something that always catch my notice. I found these lovely photos and wanted to share them here.

Flickr.com Upload on January 9, 2009
by davidezartz

Tribute to Julia Margaret Cameron.
.....Early postcard depicting her work.

.....Julia Margaret Cameron ( 1815 - 1879 ) was born in Calcutta, and in 1848 she moved to London.
..........In 1863, when Julia was 48 years old, her daughter gave her a camera as a present. Within a year she was elected a member of the photographic society in London.
.....She strove to capture beauty and became obsessive about her new occupation, with subjects sitting for countless exposures in blinding light as she labouriously coated, exposed and processed each wet plate.
..........She welcomed - and photographed - the cream of Victorian Society.
.....In 1875, Julia departed to Ceylon, and one of her last letters was to Lady Tennyson, in which she wrote " It is a sacred blessing which has attended my photography ; it gives pleasure to millions and a deeper happiness to very many. "


Early postcards were hand tinted, as colour photography was experimental
and not commercially used.
.....These images were photographed in monochrome and then hand
coloured prior to production.
..........Note how parts of her dress have different shades of colour, though it
was a single photographic session

Victorian Art Print -- Rudolf Eichstaedt

Victorian Art Print -- German Artist, originally uploaded by WonderlandShoppe.

This reminds me of Pride and Prejudice. Could this be Wickham?

Actually, this is the work of a German Artist named, Rudolf Eichstaedt.

The piece is titled, "Heimkehr" -- meaning Homecoming.

There is a copyright date of 1807 (the "0" may be something else but is hard to read). Where is my magnifying glass when needed?

I would love to find more information on this artist, his work, available prints.

I came by this print from a former employer who was moving and let his staff pick from items his family was leaving behind. This was the only thing I wanted. It is totally beautiful and has been matted and framed and is much larger with more background scene than photographed here.

Irish Blessings

Here is a beautiful stained glass pattern for the Irish Clauddagh found at the following website link: http://chantalstainedglass.50megs.com/2claddagh.html



This particular legend takes place in the village of Claddagh in Galway, Ireland, around the 16th century. One morning, a boat went out to sea and was captured by pirates, and the crew was taken as slaves. One man of the crew, who was to have been married within the week, now had no hope of seeing his true love again. The pirates eventually sold the man to a wealthy Moorish gold-smith, under whose rule the man became a master goldsmith. Still remembering his lost love, the man created a ring for her. The elements of the design each had its own meaning—the heart symbolizing love, the hands holding the heart symbolizing friendship, and the crown symbolizing loyalty. After many long years of slavery, the man finally returned to his village, looking for his true love. To his overwhelming happiness, he not only found her, but also found that she had never married. The man gave her the ring, the two were soon married, and they were never parted again.

Paper Dolls & Paper Puppets

In my looking into Alice in Wonderland things, I located these paper doll cards. I think they are so beautiful. I hope you like them too.

I have always had a soft spot of childish play left in me in my adult years. I have also had the wonderful opportunity of enjoying childhood and play in having my own children.

My daughter, Savannah Rose, has a fascination with paper dolls & puppets. She has been looking around on the world wide web and found this beautiful site. If you love making paper crafts or have a child who likes this pretend play, please take a moment and visit. You will fall in love.

http://www.pheemcfaddell.com/crafts/fairies/FairyPuppetInst.htm

I am also thinking these creations would be lovely on a Christmas tree as ornament decoration. I have some victorian reproduction cards that a friend of mine gave me many years ago that has a piece of ribbon loop on the back for hanging. I enjoy placing them year after year on my tree and fondly remembering my friend that I have unfortunately lost touch with these past few years. Anne, where are you????

Finished Creations

Wynston's Wolf --
Wynston has been busy at it again with his wooden puzzles. A beautiful dragon will appear on here in the near future. We are planning the painting and desired look right now.



He has already pulled out another new puzzle and is eager to get to numbering the pieces.



I finished a few pieces recently and wanted to show my work. I have not quite decided on what they will be added to but am developing ideas and layouts in my head. That to me is the fun part because I used to be unable to visualize things mentally.



This Victorian Cherub pattern was on one of my recent postings here. I wanted to not make it busy and chose to use on two thread colors.

Valentine's Soon Here

Everywhere I look, I am seeing Valentine's decorations or things are reminding me that we are already in the month of February 2009. January flew by so fast!

I just finished an embroidery piece as pictured here.

With that now I have Cherubs floating around in my head. -- More of that Victorian thing going.



Also while out visiting one of my favorite thrift stores recently, I found this beautiful prescut glass candy dish shaped in what reminds me of a chocolate hershey kiss. Chocolate is such a tradition for this holiday time of the year -- especially with me! (It calls my name quite often).



From Wikipedia:

Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

An alternative theory from Belarus states that the holiday originates from the story of Saint Valentine, who upon rejection by his mistress was so heartbroken that he took a knife to his chest and sent her his still-beating heart as a token of his undying love for her. Hence, heart-shaped cards are now sent as a tribute to his overwhelming passion and suffering.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. -- A very creative and smart business woman with a good idea!

Thrifty Decorating

One's own sense of style and decorating is a unique and creative way to express your individual SELF.

I have developed my own "idea" of Victorian as to the things I find while shopping around town at thrift stores like Goodwill. (Check out their online site: shopgoodwill.com) I got this wonderful art print recently in an auction at shopgoodwill.com.



Now I will have fun picking out a matting and framing look for this beautiful artwork. I see Elizabeth and Jane Bennett from my favorite book by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, in this.

Another find at a thrift store here in Nashville, TN called Southern Thrift is a wonderful brass Victorian looking shoe vase that I have chosen to put eucalyptus in for display.



I am always in search of my next acquisition for that special decorating touch. A big sense of satisfaction (picture me smiling) comes from saving money also.