Color of Winter

"The color of springtime is in

the flowers; the color of winter

is in the imagination."

~ Terri Guillemets ~

These gift card envelopes were made

based on a design first shared in 2012.

This time I went the extra step for you

and made 4 ready-to-print designs.

Plaid background - made by layering

stripes in 2 shades of slate gray:

Gift card envelope - how to make:

After cutting out, fold using the edge of your gift card, credit card, ruler, etc. as a guide. Glue with glue stick - read below for how I do it:

Place a piece of cardboard from a cereal box (about the size of a gift card) inside the envelope before you glue (so you don't glue the inside of the envelope together, and so it's not too tight to get a gift card inside when finished).

Here are the sources & free

graphics used in my artwork:

*Tuck Ephemera*

3 girls with flowers

Frances Brundage created

beautiful artwork, including 3 girls

holding "Christmas Roses" under an

umbrella on a snowy day.

*The Old Design Shop*

Grungy paper

Snowy village

Loved the cozy feeling

of this moonlit village scene.

*F.P.T.F.Y.*

Distressed wood background

*Shadowhouse Creations*

 "Beneath the Surface" texture

This texture overlay

helped soften the plaid.

*Canva*

Free design elements:

round frames

"Merry Christmas"

Thank you for stopping by!

Snowy Pine & Berries

These lined and plain printable

graphics are a good size for

writing a note, or maybe a family

recipe. I like displaying this size

on vintage clipboards.

This printable sheet of 4

graphics would be a great size

for teacher notes or labels.

These tags were made using a small

section of the original image. When

layering I like to keep something

simple. Here it's the color palette.

...

He knew at last that he had been a fool,
To think of breaking the forest rule,
And choosing a dress himself to please,
Because he envied the other trees.

But it couldn't be helped, it was now too late,
He must make up his mind to a leafless fate!

So he let himself sink in a slumber deep,
But he moaned and he tossed in his troubled

sleep, Till the morning touched him with joyful

beam, And he woke to find it was all a dream.

For there in his evergreen dress he stood,
A pointed fir in the midst of the wood!

His branches were sweet with the balsam smell,
His needles were green when the white snow

fell. And always contented and happy was he,
The very best kind of a Christmas tree."

- Henry Van Dyke -

Here are the sources & free

graphics used in my artwork:

*The Graphics Fairy*
Snowy pine & berry postcard
 
*Lilac & Lavender*

"Antiqued" lined paper

Postage stamps and cursive

Thank you for stopping by!

Christmas Memories

"Each Christmas

finds me longing for

Christmases now past.

And I am back in

childhood - as long as

memories last."

 

~ Carice Williams ~

Do you save the ends from

refrigerated cinnamon roll cans? I'd

always thought they'd be good for some sort

of crafting, and last year used them for

stamping. Right now, I'm making them into

ornaments. For this one, I used one of the

smaller round images, a paper doily, clear

glitter, and yarn around the outside:

You can find the complete Victorian

illustration here. I also used an endpaper

texture. The only other images used were

free elements, available on Canva.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Glimpse of Happiness

 "I caught a glimpse

of happiness, and saw it

was a bird on a branch,

fixing to take wing."

~ Richard Peck ~

 

I used a bird illustration found in a book:

The English Year. Autumn and Winter,

published in 1913. I imagine it perching

briefly, preparing to fly off again.

Typewriter font messages were added to some,

and some were kept blank. I like having the

option to write in another message or a name,

if using as a gift tag. They turned out nicely

as rustic mason jar ring Christmas ornaments.

 

Hope you're all staying well and

staying warm! There was a dusting of

snow here the day after Thanksgiving,

which made it feel like

Christmas Time's a-Comin'.

A final thought...

"The moments of happiness

we enjoy take us by surprise.

It is not that we seize them,

but that they seize us."

~ Ashley Montagu ~

Thanks for stopping by!

Pictures in the Fire

"Winter is the time for comfort,

for good food and warmth, for the

touch of a friendly hand and for

a talk beside the fire: it is the 

time for home."

~ Edith Sitwell ~ 

 

8"x10"

8"x10"

5"x7"

5"x7"

8.5"x11"

Years ago, while antique shopping

with my mom, I bought a book:

"Dutton's Holiday Annual - 1890."

It was already brittle & falling apart.

This image has always been a personal

favorite. Happy to save it & share here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Winter Greens

"The wind lifted me up into

the trees, where I danced to the

rhythm of the evergreen, swaying

to the tune of the northern breeze,

frozen in timeless melody."
  
~ Christy Ann Martine ~ 

My first childhood home had pine trees on one side. Some were pretty tall. While outside, I got the idea to climb all the way to the tip top of the tallest one. Up I went, without telling my mom or little brother - who would obviously - tell my mom.

It didn't take long to figure out long hair didn't fare well in pine branches and sap. I tied it back & kept going. The further I climbed, the more I noticed the tree that once seemed still... definitely was not. Before long, we were swaying side to side. So I stopped and sat in silence. Mom yelled for me from the back deck. I kept still as possible and watched her from above. She never saw me and went back inside.

I stayed up there for what seemed like a long time after. There was only a light breeze, and it was so peaceful that time seemed to stop. All at once I realized it was starting to get dark, and I didn't want mom looking for me again, so back down I went. It's funny - as a kid I never thought that would be one of the memories I'd hold onto 30 years later...

Here are the sources & free

graphics used in my artwork:

*Tuck Ephemera*

3 girls with flowers

*The J. Paul Getty Museum*
Juniper
 
*Image Event*

German book cover, c. 1878

*Lilac & Lavender*

Sleigh Ride sheet music

*The Graphics Fairy*

French handwriting

*Boston Public Library*

White flowers

Sleigh Bell Polka

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh!

~ James L. Pierpont ~

Was looking through my stash

of sheet music, and came across

this gem, in a collection of c.1940's

polkas. Enjoy original and

black & white versions.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Sentimental Journey

"Winter, a lingering

season, is a time to gather

golden moments, embark

upon a sentimental journey,

and enjoy every idle hour."

~ John Boswell ~

 

This is a c. 1902 postcard that I altered

from black & white to sepia tone and pastels.

I just love her expression.  Below is a printable

sheet of tags or bookmarks for you ~ enjoy!

"By recollecting the

pleasures I have had formerly,

I renew them, I enjoy them

a second time, while I laugh at

the remembrance of troubles

now passed, and which
I no longer feel."

~ Giacomo Casanova ~


Where would a sentimental

journey lead you today?

Thank you for stopping by!

Fair Perfect Rose

As a flower in the garden
Bending toward the sun,
Unfolds it's tiny petals,
One, by one, by one...
So faith expands it's beauty
Until at last it grows
Into life's lasting flower...
The heart's fair perfect rose.

~ Rebecca Helmann ~

Pink rose and buds ~ 8" x 10"

Printable set of tags or bookmarks above, and
printable cards for notes or journaling, below.



Here are the free graphics
& source used in my artwork:

*TuckDB*

Pink rose with buds, 1908
Long-stemmed pink rose with buds


"If there were no tribulations,
there would be no rest;
if there were no winter,
there would be no summer."

~ St. John Chrysostom ~


Thanks for stopping by!

The Sleigh Bells

'Tis merry to hear, at

evening time, by the blazing

hearth the sleigh bells chime;

to know the bounding steeds

bring near the loved one

to our bosom dear...

~ Susanna Moodie ~

This Victorian image depicting
a sleigh ride made for some lovely
wintry stationery ~ enjoy!

Here are the free graphics
& sources used in my artwork:


*Wordplay*
Victorian sleigh ride

*Boston Public Library on Flickr*
Cigarette trade card (back, frame)

*Old Design Shop*
Aged paper texture

*Lilac & Lavender*
"Antiqued" lined paper



Thanks for stopping by...
best wishes to you & yours
for a Happy New Year!

The Birds' Christmas Tree

I designed most of the images

to be cut out together (as seen below)

then folded and glued (I used a glue stick). 

Sit under a heavy object for at least 10

minutes to prevent the paper from curling.

It's sweet to think of others this time

of year - including the local birds! We like

to put out extra birdseed and hang suet

cakes in the tree by our living room window.

If you're already putting

together a gift basket for a gardener,

or just looking for a simple gift

for teachers, etc. Buy a few suet

cakes at the store (or make homemade

bird tree ornaments with your kids)

place in a brown paper bag, fold down

the top and punch 2 holes.  Weave

jute or ribbon through, and add one

of these cards or tags ~ done! 

Here are the free
graphics & sources:


*TuckDB*
Postcard image ~ robins

*The Feathered Nest*
"The Birds' Christmas Tree" poem


Thank you for stopping by!

In a Winter-Wonderland

"Now we don hats

and mittens; take our loved

ones by the hand, as we

all become children

in a winter-wonderland."

~ Janet Martin ~

3.5 inch round graphic
and printable with 6 (below).

Snowflakes are from this free font.

3x5 inch, postcard-size graphic
and 8.5x11 printable stationery, etc.

Tag with little girl on sled,
and printable sheet of 6 tags in 2 sizes:

 Original, unaltered Christmas postcard

from my collection:

"Childhood Winters"

I sit and watch the white snow
Piled up outside my window.
And I see in my memory
Red mittened hands and rosy cheeks
Of the child of long ago.
Building snowmen and laughing
Against the wind.
Such simple pleasures
For a child to enjoy
Making snow her winter toy...

~ Rasma Raisters ~



Hello, and thank you
for stopping by!