work table

work table, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

So, my work table is waiting for my return. I have so much graphics work that I have neglected it. Hopefully, this weekend I will find some time to work on something besides digital creations. NOT that I'm complaining! It is wonderful to be busy.

The sky was absolutely amazing today. These are photos I snapped with my iPhone. Wish I'd had my Canon with me, but you can see it was a pretty spectacular sight!

The sunset was stunning!

So this evening a fierce wind is howling across the Dallas area, roaring down from the north and the temperature is nose-diving. I am home alone... kids are scattered at various activities, the husband off doing good deeds. It is very quiet... well, except for that wind! I'm off to curl up with a blanket and a book.
Hope your evening is cozy.

Edward's heart

Edward's heart, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

I have some new designs (including this "Twilight" inspired one) in my Cafe Press shop. You can order shirts, bags and all sorts of goodies. FUN!

http://www.cafepress.com/SeaDreamStudio

mi casa

This vignette is on a table in a little hallway going to my bedroom. It is all white, seashelly and magical. I found the little fairies at the thrift store yesterday. :)
Here's some crazy, Frenchy stuff in my piano room. The painting in the background is very old and is painted on blue velvet (NOT a paint-by-number! LOL!).

My doll heads are hanging out in this little nest.

And, this is a glass case filled with sand and little odd treasures. Mostly all of these things are from the thrift store and I LOVE them!!

So, there's a peek at my abode.

remembering purpose

The Yukimi or "Snow Viewing Lantern" is a style created especially for Japanese Gardens. Developed in the Ashikaga Period (16th century), all Yukimi lanterns have the same general form. They comprise a large roof, a light compartment and a base with three or four legs of various forms. The large roof can have spans of two to three meters across. They can be rustic, made simply of suitably shaped stones, or as this one, carved with an ornate lattice work light compartment, elegantly formed roof and supporting legs. A deep layer of snow can settle on the large overhanging roof adding to the charm of these lanterns.

Today I choose to see purpose and beauty in the things that I encounter.

As winter looms my I find myself dreaming of tropics islands even more than usual. My friend J introduced me to Taprobane Island, a most worthy subject for my dreams.

Taprobane Island was originally built in the 1920's by the romantically named but self styled Count de Mauny-Talvande. The island with its neo palladian mansion has played host to kings, queens, presidents, prime ministers, aristocracy, writers and eccentrics, giving it a very colorful history, which guests can now share. The Island comprises 2 ½ acres of sheer tropical fantasy with nothing between it and the South Pole. Accommodation is provided for in 5 en-suite bedrooms, with spacious living areas, balconies, verandahs, tropical gardens and a stunning infinity pool. A staff of 5 cater for your every need; in fact after arrival, guests frequently never leave the Island until their departure.
Sri Lanka’s only privately owned island. The No.1 address in the Indian Ocean.
An impossibly romantic island villa eccentrically accessible only by wading through the sea...

or riding over on an elephant!! ~sigh~

http://www.taprobaneisland.com/taprobane.html

rain...

amber avatar 2, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

It is a dark and stormy night...
and we're having a tornado watch in November... GEEZE!!

My daughter is feeling much better and that makes me very happy and so far (fingers crossed) no one else is sick. Whew!

I am off to an uneasy sleep until this nasty storm passes.

Hooray! My daughter is getting better! She has been so pitiful, but is now beginning to return to the realm of the living!!

It has been a beautiful weekend. Had J and G over for dinner and antics last night. They are so fun!

Today... more digi jobs. I am really enjoying this work. It is a delightful and magical medium!

flapper banner

flapper banner, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Well, my sweet Kate is wrapped in blankets, eating popsicles and hopefully the antibiotics are kicking in. She does not have strep or mono, but some unnamed something or other.
Sis and I DID escape for a bit and visited one of our trinket shoppes!! Oh, fun! Found some cheap treasures and had some sisterly laughs.

Not yet...

sunflowers avatar , originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Yes, I know it is autumn, that winter is waiting just around the corner, but I am still in denial. The weather has been so marvelous here. Today is is cooler, but I think I will try to fool myself a bit longer.
I am off to take my daughter to the doctor. Poor girl! She feels lousy! Hopefully, she'll get some meds and be on the mend soon.
My sis and I had a play date (well, that's what it is) planned. We were going to visit our favorite junk jewelry shop, but I have to take care of my Kate first. The baubles will have to wait... but not for long. If I get Kate home, medicated and tucked in with a bowl of soup (hey, she's 19!), perhaps sis and I can streak up to the treasure cove for a spangle or two!

Thursday

angelic avatar, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, poor Kate, my sweet daughter is feeling awful tonight. I suspect she has strep. Off to the doctor tomorow...
She is 19, but still my baby girl and I hate for her to be sick.

I worked on some digital jobs today. The image above is an avatar that goes with a new Lollishop banner now listed in my Etsy shop. I love the hopeful expression on this girl's face. I gave her sky blue wings. They fit her, don't they?

I have a a new project buzzing around in my head. It involves velvet, acorns, twigs and more. My hands are itching to get to work. It is a good thing to have a fresh idea brewing!

Happy Wednesday!

I am in a rather festive mood today despite the dreary skies! I am working on digital orders and drinking too much coffee. Yes, never a dull moment here in the 'burbs!

Obama Wins!!

Obama Wins, originally uploaded by bdu.

Ah, I think I will have sweet dreams tonight!

a new day!!

Barack Obama, originally uploaded by Yan Zhang [to Chicago].

Today's the day (if you haven't early voted. I did!)...
SO PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP...

AND VOTE SMARTLY!!!

Monday greetings!

magical banner, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Oh, sometimes I LOVE Texas so much... like today when it is in the 80s!! I am so sorry for any of you that are being snowed upon today!! I know some folks love it, but give me sunshine any day!
Oh, and has anyone seen my housekeeping fairies? They are AWOL and I am getting rather perturbed with them. I have a sneaking suspiscion that they are vacationing somewhere with my laundry elves! I swear, you cannot find good help these days!

halloween 2008

halloween 2008, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Halloween is not the madness it was when I had four costumes to make and my own little swarm of trick-or-treaters to wrangle, but it is still fun. Now there is just Will dressing up, so it is a much more sedate evening. I miss the chaos, but it is a bit of a relief, too.
Will had lots of fun with his buddies and (as you can see) fared pretty well in the candy department. We always sort the candy. Amazingly (and sady) Will got only one Reece's cup! Well, at least I won't have my usual guilt about sneaking them out of his stash.
The husband donned his superhero duds. I guess guys never outgrow that. He always did look good with his boxers over his jeans.
Hope your Halloween was filled with fun (and Reece's!!)!

10-30-08

10-30-08, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

The husband, Will and I carved pumpkins this lovely, balmy Texas evening. It was 80 today! It should be very nice for the trick-or-treaters tomorrow night.
Will enjoyed hacking his pumpkin and the husband outdid himself with yet another one of his crazy jack-o-lanterns. He always comes up with the nuttiest faces. I love this one's crooked mouth and beady eyes. Hey, is that supposed to be me??
As usual I got to remove the pumpkin guts. Wheee!!!
Now I just need to watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and I am ready!

decisions, decisions!

So, which costume for Halloween?

hmmm....

I love them both! I suppose I'll have to flip a coin.


Actually, we aren't going to a Halloween party this year, but a dios de la muerte (day of the dead) celebration instead!

I might have to dress like Frida Kahlo. That would be fun.

And I have the perfect skirt to wear.

Frida it is (sans the ciggy)!

Viva ME!

digital dreams

IE WM, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

I have worked on so many digital orders today I imagine I will be dreaming in pixels. I do enjoy it so much, but I had to get my hands on some scissors, paper, glitter and glue today, too!
It was a chilly day and I didn't mind staying home and making art.
The cooler it gets the more I dream of the sea. Just think of it... the average temperature in Tortola is something like 84 degrees. Now some of you might consider that hot, but for me it is perfect! So when those chilly winds begin to stir I have only to remember beautiful days spent on some of my favorite islands. I am warmed and filled with with gratitude for every minute I have been lucky enough to spend in the Caribbean... and I WILL return!
Sweet dreams, my friends.

magical world

magical world blog banner, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

"This world, after all our science and sciences, is still a miracle; wonderful, inscrutable, magical and more, to whosoever will think of it."
~Thomas Dekker

New!! collage sheets!!

pretty ladies ephemera WM, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

What fun it was to create these digital collage sheets! They are in my Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=23439 because I am lazy today and it is so much easier to upload them there than my other shop.

It is grey, chilly day... good for snuggling in and making art.
Hope your Monday is filled with creative joy!

autumn in my yard

autumn yard, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

What a gorgeous day! It was pretty enough to make me think maybe autumn is not totally awful.
Worked on some digi orders today. I am so totally enchanted with this medium! It feels like MAGIC!!
DH and I went out for a nice dinner and a blissful hour at the bookstore. I swear I could spend a gazillion dollars there. But I didn't. Just one book which I am off to start.
Night-night!

girls' night out

girls' night out, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Yes, it was a bit chilly but L, J and I wrapped up in our fall finery and headed out to Watters Creek for pizza, wine (J) and icy Peronis (L & I).
Despite our rather subdued expressions in the above photo, we actually were quite the lively threesome.
{sidebar~If you have a Grimaldi's Pizzaria near you I suggest you run (don't walk!) there ASAP for some very wondrous pizza!}
After a very long and festive dinner we headed to some cute-a** shop and picked up a few trinkets. Watters Creek is really a great area and it is 10 minutes from my house! JOY!
In summary, a good time was had by all!
More, please.

brrrrr...

Oh, my! A norther came through this afternoon and it feels like winter has descended! L, J and I are headed out for pizza and cocktails tonight (ladies's night!), but our plans to sit outside are ruined. No worries. We will still have fun, bundled up fun, but fun none-the-less.
I worked on digital orders today and watched the thermometer plunge.
And see, I am still cheerful in spite of the cold! Now if I can just make it until April!

Bar-rock the vote!

rock the vote!, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Hooray for early voting! In Texas (and a few other states) voting started on Monday, so I went today and did my civic duty.
Now I can just sit at home on election day and cross my fingers!!!

Check this out... http://my.nowpublic.com/culture/early-voting-day-3

McKinney show

McKinney show, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

We had perfect weather for the trunk show this past weekend. It was great to spend time with Lisa, Shirley, Robin and the other participants. Shirley's house is so beautiful. It is located in McKinney's historic district, a place that seems suspended in time.
We set up on her porches and enjoyed the incredible weather and the friendly shoppers, many of whom came on foot. Old McKinney is that sort of place. Neighbors know one another and there are lots of people out walking, riding bikes and pushing strollers.
All in all it was a very nice way to spend an October weekend.

Drama Queen

Drama Queen , originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Geeeze! What a dreary day! And COLD! Ugh! Okay, I'm shaking it off!!!

I'm all packed and prepared for my show this weekend. Should be fun. I guess I need to break out some boots and winter clothes, though. Going to be outside and it is suppposed to be chilly.

Can't wait to see whatever it is my pal Lisa has been creating. She is an amazing artist (actually an artiste!!). She got the MFA to prove it, too. It is some sort of assemblage and she said I just had to see it. I have yet to see a medium in which she did not excel!!

Oh, and this banner and a bunch more new ones are in my shop.

If you're in the area and bored on Friday or Saturday, I'll be in this show. Come on by!!

when you care enough to send the very best...

So last week I was contacted by a certain unnamed (shhh!!) company that is fairly well-known. I am delighted to say thay they purchased a concept of mine for their Christmas 2009 product line. Pretty exciting news here in suburbia!

the suite life

Oh, I almost forgot... I went to a Dallas Stars game a week or so ago. It was pre-season and the Stars lost, but it was still pretty fun. The best part was that we watched from a suite that a friend has use of most of the season. I have to say, I could get used to it very fast! The food and drinks were wonderful (and complimentary). The view was great and the suite has cool things like a TV to watch to Cowboys on, a computer and somethink akin to a butler. Very nice...

Oh, it is so dreary here today, but I am TRYING to conjure some enthusiasm for this season.
I've actually skipped ahead and am making some Christmas items (wonderlands, tags).
Having my worktable covered in glitter, lace, faux snow and ballerinas has cheered me somewhat, but I am not delighted to see leaves falling.
Pardom my whine. I think I need some wine, actually. Ah, yes, not only is it 5:00 somewhere, but to my utter joy, it is 5:00 HERE!
Off for a cocktail and to make dinner.

I'm a bit late with this, but I wanted to bid a fond farewell to Paul Newman, a class act and a true gentleman. I fell with Paul in 1969 when he and Robert Redford co-starred as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Only those two could made a young girl suddenly take an interest in a Western! Oh, how I longed to be the charming, sought-after Etta Place!
Au revoir sweet Paul. I hope you are racing through the heavens faster than light!

The wedding we attended on Saturday evening was so lovely! It took place outside (at Southfork Ranch) at sunset. The day was glorious and ended with one of those fireball sunsets you only see in autumn. The air was just cool enough and the setting was utterly magical. The bridal party all wore a most delicious shade of brown and it was perfect with the gorgeous flowers in fall hues. The bride was wedding-topper gorgeous and the ceremony was blessedly brief! Dinner and dancing under the stars lent the night a decidedly faiytale air.

But I know what you are wanting to know about... THE CANDY BAR! Well, shame on me, but I took no photos. The picture above is someone else's (inferior, I hate to say) wedding candy bar. You get the idea, though. And the one at the wedding I attened was in the round like the one above. Basically there were containers of the all sorts of wonderous candies and little cello bags so you could load up your own custom sack-o-sweets!! I now have enough treats to bribe my youngest son for nearly a week! Imagine how clean his room will be!

wedding

wedding invitation, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

We're off to a wedding at Southfork Ranch tonight. Yes, Southfork Ranch as in the old TV show. It is a few miles form my house and is a popular venue for weddings. parties, etc. A friend's daughter is getting married. I embellishhed and soldered the invitation and am giving it to the couple as a wedding gift.
It is a spectacularly beautiful day and the ceremony is outside. It should be lots of fun since this is a pretty lively bunch who understand the concept of a celebration!
Oh, and they are having a candy bar!! Fun!

Galveston shadowbox

Galveston shadowbox, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

I made this shadowbox today using vintage images of Galveston. I continue to send my thoughts and best wishes to all who were effected by Hurricane Ike.

pink beauty

pink beauty, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

We've had a bit of a cool front blow in today and it feels rather autumnal. Bearable, though, because the sun is shining and the sky is clear and beautifully blue.
I am renewing last year's pledge to not hate fall and winter. It is absurd to to have this dull level of unhappiness, due to the season, for nearly half the year. Honestly, out winters are not that long in Texas. I am an island girl, though so the dreariness is wearing.
Fall is dreadfully mournful, what with everything dying and the days getting shorter. Ah, crap! There I go again! I'm just not one of those people who takes great delight in wearing sweaters and (gasp!) coats and shuffling through heaps of dead leaves. Give me a sun-drenched Caribbean beach any day! Every day, actually.
Oh, dear... it is going to be a long winter... ;)

winged girl

winged girl, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

As I work with vintage photographs I often wonder (as I'm sure many of you do also) about the models. This sweet girl shows up in so many photographs. It seems such a shame to know nothing about her life beyond her being a lovely little girl.
I am working on a set of tags that will include this image along with and other altered vintage girls.

little dumpling

little dumpling, originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

Ah, here you go, some sweetness and light!
It is a dreary, rainy Monday morning here in the 'burbs after a most picturesque weekend.
I was going to solder some more today, but the rain rules that out. Ihave found my soldering is lousy when it rains or the humidity is very high.
But, there is plenty more to do.
Hope your Monday is NOT rainy and grey!

bad boys

bad boys , originally uploaded by Sea Dream Studio.

So, I am trying to get into the Halloween spirit. DH bought a pumpkin toady and it sat there on the hearth reminding me that it is indeed autumn. It is still quite warm here, so I am pretending it is summer for a bit longer.
But, since Halloween is nearing I decided to play with some vintage photos. I think I made these previously wholesome boys look rather devilish. This is as close to Halloween creating (and some blog banners) that I can manage.
I am just more the sunshine and flowers type. Tra la la!

I have a fever...

Woke up with a bad case of Wanderlust this morning. I think I traveled in my dreams last night and now I am daydreaming of that marvelous feeling of being on the way to somewhere! What a delicious sensation!! Alas, my travels today wil be rather limited, but my dreams will not!