Romance Novels

I'm just lovin' these pretty silk screened papers and vintage images that I have used in my newest collection of "Romance Novels" ...

...hand made books to inspire you to write your very own love story.

{Cupid's Love}

This new collection includes six images of precious putti, chubby cherubs, and mischievous angels. 

Each book is embellished with ribbons, millinery, rhinestones, beads and baubles and is one of a kind.  Although I can duplicate the images on new books, because of my limited collection of papers, vintage millinery, and baubles, each book is unique.

 {Springtime in Paris}

These are wonderful books for bridal or housewarming gifts for your shabby romantic friend and lover of vintage art.

This pretty princess sits beautifully in a sea of pale blues and a Spring green and pink floral background and accents finish this book perfectly. 

 {The Enchanted Princess}

The creamy whites and iced mocha colours make this Butterfly Fairy Girl a lovely engagement book for all those important details of your wedding.

 {Butterfly Fairy Girl}

You may remember this putti from a previous post.  I just recently framed this print in a vintage frame and have it hanging in my home.  The artist, Stephen Mackey allowed me to use his image for this piece.  {Obviously, this painting is not vintage.  His work is fabulous, by the way.}

 {Garden of Eden}

...Love the drama of this book with the black floral cover and rich Renaissance colours of the French angels and garland of flowers.

{Amour}

These books are available as a limited edition in my Etsy shop.  I am always open and am happy to do custom orders for any special occasion ~ just let me know what you are thinking about and we'll do something fabulous!

Have a wonderful weekends friends.  I'll be sharing with you sometime soon an interior design project I am currently doing {and that has kept me away from here much of the time}. 

As always, thank you for your visit.

Ciao amici,

Suzanne

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Joining a few of these friends this week for some blog beauty.

Special Delivery

Special delivery from me to you ~ and some lovin' sent your way too.

{This precious painting was painted by you know who, and is available on art prints and other good stuff in my Etsy and Zazzle shops.}

A big thank you to all my followers and fans here, on Etsy, Zazzle and My Front Porch, and on my Facebook page too.  I have not had much time to visit you blog friends of mine lately {or for that matter write much here either}, but that does not mean I do not appreciate your comments and visits here always.

I DO!  It's heartwarming to know you take the time to comment on my posts and say hello.

Thank you and  big  L O V E  to you all!

"xoxo"

Ciao amici,

Suzanne

PS

I'm missing my old font...don't know what Blogger did with it.  It just changes the whole look around here and I don't like it...bring it back Blogger, pretty please.

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Linking up with some of these lovely blogs this week.

Rooftop Garden Room

I wanted to share a piece of art that I have been working on for a couple of months, inspired by my love of rooftop garden terraces and balconies.

But first I should explain a bit about how it evolved...

When I was studying architecture in college one of the most influential books I was required to read {and happened to be written by several of my UC Berkeley professors} was A Pattern Language. Since that time and whenever I am involved in a design project I use the theories and “language” of this book to guide me in my work.

A Pattern Language is the most important piece of writing about design I read in college and still do read regularly. {If you look on my side bar under "books on my shelf" you will see that this is one of my all time favorites.} Many of us in school referred to it as the “bible” of design and architecture. It’s usefulness in designing anything is beyond compare.

My “Rooftop Garden Room” is an assemblage of embossed paper flowers, vintage silk millinery, hand dyed French seam binding ribbons, crocheted cotton lace, grapevines, Spanish moss,

hand made birch blooms, brass rosettes, pearl beads and baubles, embossed and printed papers, paint, gesso, and a single French vintage vocabulary card.

I painted the twenty four inch square gallery wrapped canvas with a creamy white acrylic paint carefully blending it with gesso as I applied it to the canvas adding just a touch of gloss to the otherwise matte paint, which in turn added a depth and luminescence to the piece. I then layered filmy printed tissue paper in blocks onto the canvas ~ creating the feeling of dappled stucco walls.

For even more texture on the garden walls I added embossed wall papers with softly torn edges which I painted with several coats of white, parchment, and unbleached paint.

A petite grapevine bird’s nest with luminescent eggs nestled in Spanish moss is snuggled in the corner of the window. The “owner” of this nest floats above, and butter cream and vanilla bean colored ribbons of scrunched seam binding adorn the base of the tree and edge of the window.

There are eight hand made birch flowers on the topiary tree and beyond, which I hand painted and then distressed with bronze ink before gluing onto the canvas. One pale yellow vintage silk carnation adds a soft contrast to the rustic feeling of the wooden flowers.

The flower pot for the topiary tree and the window frame were created using the crocheted cotton lace, which I coffee stained before I placed it on the canvas. {The lace is from the same sweater that I used for “Dancing With The Stars” and “Girl With A Pearl Earring.”}

The scalloped edges of the lace were perfect for the edges of the window and flower pot, and even allowed me to create a Gothic style window reminiscent of Venetian windows of the palaces along the Grand Canal and the Gothic cathedrals of France.

This was a true work in progress ~ as is any garden. Many times when the creativity left me, I walked away from it and let it sit for several days into weeks, before I would come back and tend to my petite garden again.

The mix of tarnished brass rosette beads and vintage silk millinery; birch flowers and garlands of scrunched seam binding; embossed papers and thick brushstrokes of paint ~ all together in harmony ~ blended to a beautiful neutral {but not bland} palette and individual story on this canvas.

More flowers bloomed, angels floated in and out, birds flew about and tended to the eggs in their nests, more layers were added to the stucco walls,

and finally…it was complete.

“Rooftop Garden Room” is a one of a kind piece and is for sale. Please contact me for details if you are interested. {I'll be listing it in my Etsy shop soon and will be offering prints, as well.}

Ciao amici,

Suzanne

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Sharing this and joining some of these friends this week.

Balance

I'm in the midst of balancing...

...several fun projects right now ~ creative work that keeps me out of trouble and makes me happy.

Just wanted to say hello to you.  I'll be back soon.

Ciao amici,

Suzanne

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{The image above is from a note card that I have had for years. 

It is untitled and painted by Stephen Mackey ©1993.}

A Winter Romance

Mocha infused with pink peppermint.

...pink peonies picked for you, angel kisses, a French Victorian angel handmade memory book to keep you notes, and paper hearts...

  

...fresh market blush tea roses and sparkling pink ruffled tea towels, a romantic rendezvous in the Swiss alps, and love letters to cherish...

...what are you thinking?  Dinner for two love birds and a Paris pink toile planter to fill with a surprise, perhaps?

This all you need to stay cozy on these first cold winter days of the New Year, don't you think?

Stay warm!

Ciao amici,

Suzanne

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Staying cozy with some of these friends this week.

Wishing You All the Best in 2012

Happy New Year Friends!

{This is the original photograph ~ unretouched.}

I always love the beginning of a New Year.  It's a little like the beginning of Spring to me...a rebirth of sorts. 

Starting fresh. 

Whatever happened in the last year may be put behind and we can move forward...I don't want to sound like a cliche, but I do want to wish you all a very Happy New Year full of creativity, blog friendships, beautiful photography, and special stories shared.

So no matter how you celebrate...

...stay safe and have a great weekend. 

I'll be back next year!

Buon anno,

Suzanne

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PS

I made this photograph while at my close friend Jennifer's home on the evening of Christmas {a wonderful new tradition we started with our families a couple of years ago}.  We were celebrating with a glass of champagne and her beautiful old fashioned Christmas tree was in the background when I said, "What a great photograph that would make..." {or did she say that?  Now I do not remember...it must have been the champagne...and good company, of course.}  When the two of us get together there is never a moment when we are not thinking of something creative!  {For that matter, she may be sharing her version of this same Kodak moment on her blog ~ different eyes see different beauty.}

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Celebrating with some of these friends this week.

The Best Gift of All

Late last night on Christmas Eve,

this note was left for Santa...

...for me it was the best gift of all.

Santa wrote back and that was the best gift too for my littlest angel.  So my son says, Momma, I guess I need to write Santa an e-mail.  {Does anyone know Santa's e-mail address?}

Wishing all of you the happiest Christmas. 

Buon Natale,

Suzanne

Vintage Wonderland Under Glass

Meet Twinkle Toes...

In the glow of the warm winter afternoon sunlight, pouring through our windows, these petite frosted angels dance on the top of a luminous silver and gold glittery tree...

{Those stars at her toes are not man made in any which way.}

...which if I lived alone, might just be enough for me.

And certainly what is under the tree, is just enough for me.

I found the cone shaped ornament while shopping this season, and thought if I turned it upside down that it would make a perfect retro style tree for this Christmas project I wanted to create ~ a vintage winter wonderland under a glass cloche.

After removing the hook from the cone, I glued it to an old tarnished tin cookie mold which I used as the base of the tree.  Then of course, there had to be presents...

...lots of sparkly presents.  And flowers.  So I gathered my collection of vintage rhinestone gems and tucked them under the tree.  Some of my pretty creamy white porcelain flowers fit perfectly too.

You know the song, "Santa Baby...decorate my tree with Tiffany..." or something like that.  Here's my version ~ vintage style.  {Someone must think that I have been very nice.}

 

As the afternoon sun set, the light in the room changed to a beautiful warm tone and this precious garland of glass blooms created a luminous light.

My very own grown up snow globe.

Have a wonderful holiday week friends.  See you soon.  Be nice.

Ciao amici,

Suzanne

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Joining some of these friends for holiday cheer this week.