Switch Plate Collage

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Today was the first "Art Meet Up" in Jackie's new studio. After a long 3 month remodel, the studio was ready for a christening. Ten crafty gals met for tea, champagne, Madeleines and an assortment of decadent sweets!

Jackie's project was a switch plate cover for a light switch. We had free reign of the assorted ephemera in Jackie's stash and went right to work after a quick tour of her lovely remodeled addition. Laughing, creating, cajoling, sharing adventures of the past 3 months, and in general, just having a good time!

Visit Jackie's website to see all of the projects we created (give her a day to unload her camera!) I did an enlarged switchplate because I just couldn't contain all of my collage elements on that tiny sized pallette!!!! It was a lot of fun creating something that reminded me of my visit to my favorite place...Paris, France.


After sanding the switch plate to roughen-up the glossy surface, I began to tear strips from a large printed sheet of old French postcards and letters. Torn paper layered with gel medium, added pen nibs, vintage typwriter keys, an eiffel tower note holder and a final touch....a woman walking her French Poodle!

In my mind....I was back strolling the Avenue of Champs Elysee, sitting at a sidewalk cafe, or entering the outdoor market at Montmarte, perusing the art!

Wow....all of that just from collaging a switch plate cover!
What a fun trip!

Thanks, Jackie, I had a great time.


Postscript: Be sure to visit Jackie's website The Art In You.

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A Girl Needs A Good Bag!

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I love my tote bag! I keep wanting to make another one, but I love this one! I don't want to slight it and show it up with another one which would hurt it's feelings, and then I'd have to deal with that drama! Besides, it is my favorite and I take it with me everywhere I go!

So for now, I guess I'll just enjoy it and one day maybe I'll make a new one, then introduce it to my favorite one. I know what will happen. I won't be able to decide which one to use so I'll have to take both bags with me everywhere I go!


I love black. Any pattern with black. Black and white polka dots, especially. So I collect black and white fabrics! These are some of my favorite pieces of fabric that I made into a tote, trimmed with a vertical strip of lace, the panel in the middle is embroidered, and I added a string of black beads around the top of the bag. It's sturdy, stunning, and my favorite color.... Black!


I guess I'll go and look at my stash of fabrics to see if I can come up with another combination of fabric that I love. It is sprintime so maybe some bright colors just for a change of pace. I love bright colors, too! Hmmmmmmmm. Somebody hide the black and white!
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April 6, 2009

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For The Birds!

The cute little boy with the bird on his cap is my grandson, Nick. This is one of my favorite pictures!

Saving the Past...

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One of my passions and favorite things to do is photo restoration.

What would we do without pictures? We not only relive our memories through them, but we can actually see what our great grandparents looked like, look at our grand parents when they were a young married couple starting a family, and our parents when they were children. Our history is written in pictures. Preserving them for the next generation is so important so they will be able to relive all of the same times in their history.

This is a photo taken at my Grandmother and Grandfather Morneau's 50th Wedding Anniversary. It's a small snapshot, a little blurry, about 3 x 4 inches.


Exposed to light for years on a photo gallery bulletin board, partially covered on top by another photo. Thumb tack holes, spilled liquid, scratches and aging have all taken its toll on the picture from 1963.

I scanned the photo at 600 dpi, worked it in photoshop to resotre the original color. It took a week, working off and on to restore the rest of the picture spots, missing pixels, blotches, faded areas, etc. This is the finished picture, restored to it's original color.

I printed it on photo paper, and put it into a frame for my mom. She almost cried when I gave it to her. Now she can look at it every day and enjoy the memories...mom is 89 years old!


I'm working on an old family album of snapshots from mom when she was a young girl and on pictures from my grandmother from the late 1800's and early 1900's. I spent a full day scanning all of the pictures at 600dpi so I would be able to enlarge some of them. I can't wait to restore them and will be sharing several with you in the weeks to come. They are real treasures.

Postscript: I'm blessed to have so many good (and some not so good condition) pictures from my past. I'm hoping that I can restore most of them, in part thanks to all that I'm learning in the FREE computer classes I'm taking at the North City Campus of San Diego Continuing Education in Adobe Photoshop. I'm taking Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat classes as well. You can click on the above link and check out the schedule of classes offered.

I love this Sepia print that I made of the snapshot.


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Be Mine, Sweet Valentine

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At Black Pond farm, Nick and Girlie share a little conversation
and some very large flowers!

Nick offers one of the flowers to his little sister.

Going for a walk together down Black Pond Road
on a beautiful sunny day.

My two sweet Valentine's, grandson Nick and granddaughter, Girlie.

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