Great Books Deserve Great Bookends

No book collection is complete without a pair of stylish bookends.  I love this pair of vintage brass pineapple bookends from The White Pepper.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/124546155/brass-pineapple-bookends?ref=usr_faveitems

If you see a pair of agate geode bookends, snap them up.  They're ultra-hot right now and getting very hard to find.  Here's a pair in sophisticated shades of gray from EQUINEbyLauren.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/152550791/vintage-agate-geode-bookend-in-blues-and?ref=v1_other_1

This fork and knife bookend set from DesignAtelierArticle is perfect for holding up cookbooks.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/114396512/coral-bookends-knife-and-fork-laser-cut?ref=shop_home_active

These minimalist concrete bookends from fmcdesign would bring a dose of urban industrialism to any home.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/122527476/concrete-bookends?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=bookend

This pair of bookends from BeeJayKay is vintage but oh-so-trendy, combining the brass and deer crazes.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/112771965/deer-bookends-vintage-solid-brass?ref=usr_faveitems

I found these classic brass duck bookends at a boutique in Oregon.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/128921040/brass-duck-bookends-pair-of-brass-duck?ref=shop_home_active

And the winner is...

Erin McKenas is the lucky winner of the random drawing give-away for the mint geometric wood bead necklace from Mona of 4EverInStyle.  Thanks so much to everyone who entered!  Check back often for more features on talented artists and makers, and of course, more give-aways.

Like this necklace?  You can find it here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125059958/blue-wooden-necklace-blue-necklace?ref=shop_home_active

To see more of Mona's trendy necklaces, visit her Etsy shop here:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/4Everinstyle

Butterfly Collection

These artists and photographers have found fresh new ways of portraying butterflies and moths.  

I love the retro, Polaroid camera faded look of this butterfly collection photograph by Cassia Beck of Lola's Room Photography.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/121517351/wings-nature-photography-butterfly-art?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=butterfly

This tiny painting from Sorcha Moon artwork and home decor is only 3 x 3 inches.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150475410/hummingbird-clearwing-moth-oil-painting?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=moth

Matthew Palmer of Art Photography Prints has gone in the opposite direction with this close-up of a tiger butterfly's bottom wings, blown up to 8 x 10 inch size.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/128016685/butterfly-wings-vintage-feel-photography?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=butterfly

Moths show their dark side in this photograph by Elle Moss.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/35736724/butterfly-portrait-papillon-8x10-mint?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=butterfly

Geometric Necklace Give-Away

Last day to enter is Monday, May 27

Leave a comment below to win this trendy geometric necklace with three mint wooden beads from the featured artist/maker on my blog this week, the wonderful Mona Abraham of 4EverInStyle on Etsy.  Mona had two successful jewelry shops on Etsy and then launched a third.  However, that third shop was languishing until this spring, when Mona did a complete shop make-over and launched her new line of geometric necklaces.  Her sales have taken off.   Keep reading to learn her secrets for success.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125059958/blue-wooden-necklace-blue-necklace?ref=shop_home_active

After starting her third shop, Mona had a mix of items in the shop but hadn't yet found her signature, niche item, the geometric necklaces.  She got a nudge from an Etsy friend to add more items and work harder to promote the shop.  “I got myself together and I said, ‘This is the time to be serious about it.’”

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125059912/geometric-wooden-necklace-orange?ref=shop_home_active

Mona found a product she was interested in making, the geometric bead necklaces, and started creating new jewelry, as well updating her photos to create a clean, trendy look.  In the very beginning, Mona helped inch up her sales stats (which Etsy lists for the public to see) by asking friends to buy from her and to leave feedback.  Then sales from outside customers started rolling in.  “You have to fake it 'til you make it,” Mona said.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/125701241/holloywood-purple-necklace?ref=shop_home_active

In a three month period, Mona's well-photographed new necklaces had been featured on Etsy's coveted Front Page fourteen times.  She said it's critical to join Etsy teams — groups of shop owners who work to promote each other's products.  A busy mother of a 16-year-old son (who's in the midst of scouting out colleges with the help of his mom), Mona is the captain of five Etsy teams in addition to running her three shops.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150533866/bridesmaid-initial-stamped-pendant?ref=shop_home_active

Mona recently added jewelry to her shop with custom-stamped initials — tapping into another jewelry trend of personalized, custom-made pieces.  “I challenge myself a lot and I'm determined to make it big on Etsy, no matter how long it takes,” she said. “So really, my advice is: Don't give up. Be persistent. Also, find an identity for your shop and work hard on it.”

To see Mona's shop, visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/4Everinstyle

BE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO ENTER THE RANDOM DRAWING GIVE-AWAY OF THE GEOMETRIC NECKLACE.  So that I can reach you if you win, please also include your email address in your comment.  For security reasons, most people like to list their address like this when entering give-away contests: janedoe at gmail dot com

Who's afraid of a 60-year-old library card?

Me.  I've had a library card catalog card for “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” in my collection for more than a year, but I just recently worked up the courage to paint it.  I was nervous about messing up this card, which dates from the early 1950s.  Clues to its age are the “c1950” text type-written on the card by a librarian, as well as the red lines, which only appear on 1950s cards in my collection.  Since “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” was first published in 1950, this card was likely for the first edition of the now-classic book.

I decided to go with a classic black-and-white illustration style and paint Aslan the lion on the card.  Here's the painting in progress.  I'm always careful to avoid painting over key words on the card, like the author and title, but this time I also wanted to make sure the date still showed.

And here's the finished painting.  You can find prints of the painted card in my Etsy shop at:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151025035/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe?ref=shop_home_active

The Peonies Are Blooming

It's that time of year again when peonies are blooming in gardens and showing up at farmers' markets.  They're also providing inspiration to artists and photographers.

Photograph of bear drawing with peonies by Kari Herer Photography.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151071496/bear-and-flower-photograph-no-88224?ref=shop_home_feat

A peony photograph with a dreamy, retro feel from Kimberly Blok Photography.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/60198198/gift-under-50-flower-photography-flower?ref=usr_faveitems

A gorgeous painting by Clare Elsaesser.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/123043282/flower-child-giclee-art-print-of?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=flower

Another beautiful peony with a faded retro look.  This one's from Golden Section Fine Art & Jewelry.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/75618811/pink-peony-dreamy-romantic-photograph?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=peony

Can anyone ever have too many brass animals?

I think not.  It's fun to see how these vintage creatures that were so popular in the mid-1900s have made a comeback.  

A brass snail from Generation Restoration.  Looks like this one is headed for the garden.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/110189746/large-brass-snail-solid-brass?ref=usr_faveitems

Some are really unusual, like this brass shark from The White Pepper.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/129501196/brass-shark-paperweight?ref=shop_home_active

Another unusual find — an armadillo from Context Vintage.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151426548/vintage-brass-armadillo?ref=usr_faveitems

Who could be without a classic brass owl, like this one from In My Igloo?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150792877/vintage-brass-owl-figurine?ref=usr_faveitems

Another rare find from Generation Restoration — a brass rhino.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/123260909/large-brass-rhinoceros-solid-brass?ref=usr_faveitems

Here's one I found at an antiques shop in Oregon — a brass cricket.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/129194915/brass-cricket-vintage-solid-brass?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=brass

And rounding out the menagerie, a brass quail from The Joe Knox Company.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/151284244/vintage-brass-quail?ref=usr_faveitems

And the winner is...  (drumroll, please)

Diane K. is the random drawing winner of the Vincent van Gogh library card art print plus the Cubist style woman library card art print.   Thanks so much to everyone who entered!  I'll be featuring some of my favorite artists and makers in coming weeks and doing give-aways of some of their amazing items, so be sure to check back often.

You can find Vincent van Gogh library card art in my Etsy shop at:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/124597370/vincent-van-gogh-on-library-card-print?ref=shop_home_active
His gorgeous new Cubist sweetheart is here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/120714470/cubist-woman-on-library-card-print-of?ref=shop_home_active

I'm celebrating the launch of my new WingedWorld blog with a give-away.  A winner will be randomly selected to win a pair of my library card art prints — Vincent van Gogh plus a Picasso Cubist woman.  Don't they make a great couple?  Just leave a comment before Saturday, May 18 to enter.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/124597370/vincent-van-gogh-on-library-card-print?ref=shop_home_active

https://www.etsy.com/listing/120714470/cubist-woman-on-library-card-print-of?ref=shop_home_active

Happy Mother's Day to all!  Here are some garden photos I took today.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/129194915/brass-cricket-vintage-solid-brass?ref=shop_home_active

This dinner plate has become a permanent part of my artistic toolbox.

Our poor, doomed Vincent van Gogh on a library card:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/124597370/vincent-van-gogh-on-library-card-print?ref=shop_home_active

A colorful mid century modern Eames chair:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/120930336/eames-chair-on-library-card-print-of?ref=shop_home_active

An obsidian arrowhead painted on a card for a book about Seminole Native Americans:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/124596434/arrowhead-on-library-card-print-of-my?ref=shop_home_feat

Here's a fun painting I recently did of succulents on a library card for the book “The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Succulents.”  Librarians in Grants Pass, Oregon let me have this card — which dates from the 1970s!  I had a great time researching the huge variety of colors and shapes of succulents, then narrowing it down to the three shown here.  You can find a print of this painting in my shop at https://www.etsy.com/listing/150098788/succulent-garden-library-card-art-print?ref=shop_home_feat

Welcome to my new blog, where you can learn about my project to turn obsolete library card catalog cards into miniature works of art!  I love art, books, theater and vintage, so you'll also find discussions about those topics here.

You can find my shop where I sell my library card art at https://www.etsy.com/shop/WingedWorld

I have been rescuing library cards for more than a year now.  The titles, authors and subjects are so diverse on these old cards that I may never run out of ideas for new paintings.

Here are some steps along the way that show my process.  First, just a tiny sampling of the more than 1,000 cards now in my collection:

The next step is choosing imagery, drawing it on in pencil, then painting the card, being careful not to cover over key words like titles and author names:

The finished product — a card with the classic children's literature character Winnie-the-Pooh, plus his friend Rabbit: