School is out here, so it is unofficially the beginning of summer. Where does your summer take you? I usually spent a week or two at a cabin in WI with my grandma and my aunt - no electricity or running water. But we had a propane stove and fridge, a smoker for fish and sausage, and a Victrola! (Photo of my aunt and me picking strawberries.)Always a good time. I’ve loaded a number of nostalgic summertime pieces to the first page to make browsing a little easier. If you see something you would like held for you, let me know. Here’s to a great summer!
Father’s Day is just around the corner! Here’s an old photo of me and my dad doing one of his favorite things. He always loved an afternoon nap, but don’t try and change the TV channel! A couple of my favorite “dad-isms” are featured this week below. There are a number of pieces in my store with dad in mind - sports, nature, a favorite bible verse, etc. If there is something particular you have in mind, send me an email. I have a number of postage stamps on hand for that something special piece.
Camping - the photo above is our family tent where we lived most summer weekends while my dad built our cabin. My brother was still in diapers; no electricity, though we did have a pump for water. What were my parents thinking? We had a lot of fun and I still love the north woods - but now my body loves a bed! So, make some s’mores and browse the store for your favorite nature scenes. Keep checking in as new items continue to appear. Don’t hesitate to contact me if you’re looking for something special! And welcome new subscribers; glad you’re here!
My grandma loved staging photographs. Here I am with the neighbor kids; I’m pretty sure the boat is tethered to the dock. Anyway, this week is all about boats and “messing about in them”. There are a number of boat collages, from ships to sailboats, rowboats, kayaks and more. Just go to Shop and in the drop-down menu go to Boats. I hope you get a chance to enjoy some time in a boat, either alone or with those you love.
Do you hear Pomp and Circumstance in your head? Graduation time is here! We have a number of invites; what to do for gifts? Dorms can be picky on what you can put on the walls. How about a piece of tiny postage stamp art? It fits easily on a desk or nightstand and adds a splash of color as well. The collages here are as varied as the graduates. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, send me a note - there are some not posted yet! I have also added a clearance section to make room for new pieces. Just go to shop & use the tag “clearance.” Have fun!
Here in MN, it’s a conundrum on what to celebrate- Mother’s Day or opening fishing? If you’re lucky, mom loves to fish. 🎣 Yes, this is me a few years back, jacket tucked into pants and all. Little sunnies were easy targets! This week’s newsletter showcases a few of my favorite fish collages and art pieces. You can also browse the shop for others, such as Fresh Fish, Go Fish, Wish BIG, Fish Dream and more. There are lots of fish postage stamps worldwide. I’m also fishing for what you would like to see in the coming weeks; drop me a line with ideas!
A friend of mine in the Twin Cities posted a lovely photo of apple blossoms. It’s been a lot cooler here, but when I went out to get the mail, sure enough, a neighborhood tree was in bloom as well as dandelions across the street. Some will be coming along later, but spring has sprung! I’ve added a few new pieces that remind me of springtime.; I hope you can get outside and find your own signs too. I have a request. I have been making collages using song lyrics. Do you have some favorite lyrics that you’d like to see in a remake? Message me!
Ah, Mother’s Day.! It’s a time to remember the moms in our lives who know our shortcomings and love us anyway. This is a perfect time to shop for your mom, grandma, aunt or daughter. I have a selection of collages related to moms, or you can find flowers, coffee, inspirational or something “just for fun”. These are small enough to fit on a nightstand, desk or shelf. If you pick one to give away, let me know and I will wrap and tag it at no additional cost. I can even ship directly to them. And keep looking! I’m adding in new pieces every week.
Many years ago, my husband went with a couple of guys from the U.S. Forest Service to help with an eagle count and banding. He wasn’t allowed to climb up to the nest, but he sent his camera up. There were two eaglets in this nest, along with the tail end of a large fish, lots of bird droppings and one unhappy mama yelling from above. A unique experience, but a smelly job. Hopefully you’ll find the nests I’m featuring this week to be a little more to your liking! (Besides the nests below, check out Reflect, Small Things III, and Barn Swallows.)
“Here comes Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the bunny trail….” Easter is not too far away! For those of you new to my store, (including me!) there is a way to see what I have available for Easter or any other topic. At the top just under the name of the store, there is a drop down menu. You can find words like “spring” “Easter” and the like. That should narrow it down. FYI - if you still have snow in your yard, my mom used to make snow bunnies instead of snowmen. A few hard packed snowballs and old white pine needles for whiskers and you’re set!
Between the March and April line - Today is the day my mom died. Five years already. I miss her. She loved birds. The crows waited for her to throw out some bread. She was the official loon counter for the lake they lived on. Photos abound of birds at the feeders. Fast forward to this past weekend and I was at a Voces 8 concert. They didn’t sing this song at the concert, but it’s one of my favorites. It is based on a an Emily Dickinson poem. Be prepared for a little cry. I’ve put the link below: https://youtu.be/pwFlCIpmRo0.
From my house to yours! (Only I wish it was a little warmer so my yard would look as green as this picture from last year.) This is my first official weekly newsletter. I am ALMOST done uploading all my pieces. There are a lot of them! I won’t be sharing any autumn or winter ones just yet, but I’ll post some recent ones every week. With the current political climate, my mind went to our rights as citizens. So, even though I usually don’t post election stuff until fall, you’re getting it this week, because that’s what was in my head….