Life is good....collaged page in altered book...(I am taking those wrinkles out of the chair!)





Flights of Fancy....



Feast your senses....rest....dream and it will come true.

An altered book page....it started with the large "O" in the text. I cut out the center and decided to do a page themed around "orange". First, I put and orange rose in the center of the "O". Then cirled special words from the text (like "chocolate candy", "rest", "smell of success", "succulent","juicy") to preserve them and painted the pages orange. Clipped art was then collaged onto the pages, along with a glittery butterfly sticker.

Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne"

This collage was inspired by the poetry and song of an artist!

Leonard Cohen was recently inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. I think he is more of a philosopher/poet than a rock-and-roll musician. The song he is most known for is "Suzanne".....

this collage is two pages wide...the left page has the aqua paper river and the person stepping from the pale sand into the water....lift the lace curtain and find the crucified Christ...not the walking on the water Jesus.....and a mermaid and a fish which is such a Christian symbol.

The right page has Suzanne....an interesting young woman, hippie clothes, bohemian decor, teapot, oranges, and purple...the color of intuition. I may still add a swimming swan to bring the river theme onto this page!

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This is a page from the moleskine....which I had misplaced for almost a year! This one done this year, is of a thistle and citrus. Sharp leaves and sharp taste of the lemon....all on a watercolor background.

More January pages

Two pages done yesterday...titled "Behind the Veil".

Cut and pasted using lace, wrapping paper, fabric and magazine illustrations.

I love PINK in the dead of winter!!!!!!

This cozy soft pink chair caught my eye....and the woman sipping tea.(though I need more exercise than sitting at the moment!)
Across the page, I have more pink, roses, dishes, and a "tie-in" to the spiral binding which is part of a commercial Valentine gift bag. I put rose colored glasses on the heart. The background of the tie-in is vintage mail...with postmarks...one return address has my name, "Lila"....
This young girl in her wonderful pink world is on the flip side of the tie-in!

MORE pink....the tied in postcard says "Frugal is such an ugly word"....collage features some expensive jewelry and silver...tea-drinking twins are saying "Fancy That"!

A Marie Antoinette character doll

This is a Marie Antoinette character doll. I made her in the 1960's from a kit by Mark Farmer Doll company. They supplied the bisque head, arms and legs and the gorgeous wig.

I used the pattern for her cloth body and period costume. I embellished her with faux pearls and rubies....and she is wearing a bejeweled fleur de lis necklace.
She is currently for sale on Ebay under Marie Antoinette dolls!

A new year a new journal

This is a fun time of year....starting with a blank journal! I remember reading in Loretta Marvel's column in "Cloth, Paper, Scissors" that she has lots of journal scrapbooks going....the article was entitled "Tis blank...you're not". It was about jumping in and journaling in a blank book. One thing that was very freeing, she said you don't have to start at the front and do pages in any order....so this year, I may try to "loosen" up that way too and just open it and cut and paste!

However, this is the front piece just inside the cover....a portal page, if you will. The page features the Roman god, Janus who looks both ways. He is the god of doorways and portals.

My cover features a Buddha from a birthday card sent to me...I read and enjoyed "Eat, Pray, Love " this past year. As an armchair traveler, I use this card to represent those exotic places where Buddhist shrines and Hindu ashrams can be found! Meanwhile, I may plan a retreat to our local Benedictine monastery! MORE ramblings...

Year's End

The final page in last year's cut and paste journal....


this page evolved during the year...when I wasn't sure where to use an image it went here. It features a photo of my collage/acrylic self-portrait on canvas, and magazine clippings...nesting, resting, doing art and quilting... maybe some re-decorating and cooking.
A simple peaceful life is evoked.
As I begin my new journal in a blank 9x12 memory album, I will be doing more art and becoming more whimiscal in my self-portraits and illustrations...(that's the plan of the moment!)

Calling all mermaids

This is a collage page of mermaid images...the one in the center is the doll made by Tracie Rebsamen...others are ornaments or images from the Internet. The seashells spelling my name were done by Carmen!

Inner Child Magic and Creativity

Two of the last pages done in my first "cut and paste" art journal.....these images came together from magazine clippings and rubber stamps....as if the universe was sending me a message!!!

It is fun to look back today, New Year's Eve!

Art Journal pages from years back (auld lang syne?)

These are 2 collages done with magazine photos....they seemed to build themselves as if by magic....and I always loved the results....
...........of course having very arty photoshoots to begin the process doesn't hurt! These have a Celtic, "Mists of Avalon" feel to me....I enjoyed pullling out the old journal and browsing!

The Last Time I Saw Paris....

Still in progress, this is a collage on an 11X 22 canvas.

I am in the altered photo in front of the eiffel tower. (May 1971)

The antique Limoges charm of the beautiful lady is from Corey at Tongue in Cheek Antiques!

A fairy doll from down under

Look who I found flitting around in my garden after the mail came! (....and there was an open envelope from Australia lying on the lawn)

Alicia Cascade is her name....a midsummer fairie. She blends right in with the light greens of my maple and the lavendars of my hosta blooms!

Lunarose a midsummer fairy doll

Meet Lunarose, a mid summer fairy doll. She loves to fly through gardens in the moonlight, sipping dewdrops and looking for the perfect rose!

More photos of her adventures to follow, we hope!

Esmeralda....a Love goddess with an attitude

This is Esmeralda.....she is almost finished and ready to go on ETSY.

Esmeralda is a Peruvian love goddess whose traditional color is emerald green. According to legend, if your lover is unfaithful, any emeralds he has given you will lose their color!

She stands with her hand on her hip, a shawl tied around her hips, a right hand full of love charms and a dancing shoe! (with the shawl this way, she is showing her gypsy soul!)

Now she is lifting her skirts...to show off her ankles and fishnet stockings!

Danu--Celtic river goddess art doll

This is the doll for the art doll swap for May......
Celtic goddess doll.

Standing, in the swirling mists from the waters, she pours the rivers of the world as they bubble up from her basin.

Her cloak is evocative of leather and of straw or grass....as she is also the goddess of agriculture and cattle.

[She is about 10 inches tall, and weighted to stand on her own.]

"May flowers"

My Art Journal......
It all started with the Victorian child sticker from the package....I'm working on 2 full pages,using a lot of the magazine art I cropped a couple of weeks ago. This one is all about apricot and dark red and garden or Mother's Day...there is also the loosly tied in on the spiral wire, manila tag made by Robyn, "thank-you"....showing upside down in the scan!

Little Green doll from Lisa (Oceandreamer)

This is the doll I got from Lisa today!!!!!!

We have to look closely to find her.... her story...

"As the snow melted Little Green sat on the log with those she loved. The forest felt cool and damp but they could sense Spring. Little Green, in order to keep safe, blended into her surroundings. She was very loyal to the woodland creatures and they to her. When encountering a human her face cannot be seen but you may hear her wings....!!!!!!"

She is delightful! ......sitting on a fallen log, with lots of birds and bird nests, even one for a hat!

I love her, Lisa!

Inner Child doll

A well-used inner child from a long childhood....doll by Lizzzzzzy

inner child doll pix

This is a drawing of the inner child doll I made for myself. My childhood was full and ended late. So my doll is a bit worn out.

She is 'aged' on purpose.

Fern finds a nest

This is Fern, she is a woodland sprite who spends much of her happy time scampering around the forest floor.

Today she found a nest which had fallen out of the tree. Luckly, no eggs were broken!

She is about to fly up and return the nest, making sure it is secure this time and will not be blown out by any of the blustery winds we have been having just now!