Happy Birthday.....

Dr Suess! 

It's been a lifelong love affair for me.

This is my list

I have two file cabinets in the studio filled with files of  'IDEAS' - torn from magazines, photocopied from books, written on yellow legal pads....now I have Pinterest - oh glory days- I do love Pinterest! I spend quite a bit of time there happily pinning ideas to my boards and creating virtual files filled with 'IDEAS'!

My number of pins has just about caught up to my tweets

I have noticed that some ideas out there are getting repinned quite a bit. So, I created this top ten list of pins trending on Pinterest ( Disclaimer: no statistical analysis or margin of error or any of that stuff was used in creating my list so if you don't like my choices make your own list and blog about it OK?)

1. umbrellas
2. owls
3. peacock feathers
4. felt
5. paper, felt, fabric flowers
6. cowboy boots
7. books- cut up, painted, distressed and otherwise altered
8. crowns
9. giraffes
10. clocks

BTW- I am slowly purging my file cabinets of  'IDEAS' and putting them in my recycling bin and filling my files with 'IMAGES' to use in my collage work.

New York Styles 1916-17

This is my most recent find at my local thrift store. There are 393 pages of fashion items you can order from the National Cloak & Suit Co. of New York City.  Dresses, hats, shoes....men, women, children...bridal veils, undergarments, and household dry goods. It has been such fun to look at the pages of this book.

I am not sure what I will do with the book but for now I will savor it. Spend time peeking into the world of fashion during World War I.

what's new, eh? how about a GIVE AWAY!

So, I guess I took a two month absence from blogging. These things happen.
That does not mean that nothing is going on in the studio.
Lot's going on- lot's of new stuff.


I have a new line of paper goods created by my very dear friend Shari Kratoska- or- Shari theToska- as my kids used to call her. Shari is a self taught artist who has mastered the gelatin printing process. She has tried to teach me a couple of different times but I just can't achieve the same effects as she does.

( HOW DOES SHE DO THAT!)

Shari uses acrylic paints, rubber stamps, and all sorts of found objects to create the most interesting textures and compositions. My favorites are the ones she makes up using old slides for a slide projector.

Pretty cool aren't they? I really like the one in the top row left hand corner. I think these would make wonderful pins or embellishments in collage work.

Shari also makes tags. I will admit I have not quite gotten into the tag thing. But I can see where these would add the perfect touch to a gift or scrap book page.

Shari needed a name to call her paper goods venture so she said- you're the creative one! Think of something!- Oh please- she is just as creative- but this is what I came up with

Shari makes note cards and books and gift bags and doo-dads for scrap booking; wall pieces with quotes on them and large sheets of hand embellished papers so other people can create with her images.

Now, here is the fun part- I am going to give away an assortment of Paper-toska goods to one lucky reader and a friend.



There is more than one way for you to enter-

1. suggest my blog to a friend -have your friend leave me a message saying- so and so sent me


 ( make sure you are also following my blog- leave me a message too!)


2. like my page on facebook Artworks Studio - make sure you leave a message on the blog and facebook page telling me you were here and if you are the friend tell me who sent you!

Winners will be chosen from all the "my friend sent me" messages on January 19th. Please make sure you leave me your email address so I can contact you.

(can you tell I love getting messages!)

It appears that people are having a hard time posting on my blog. Well, we will just fix that! Follow my blog and then POST on my facebook page (link is above) I will pull the winner from there. Take THAT blogger!

Rescue me!

This is my office.
I spend a lot of time here. A lot.
I have reached the point where I can't stand the disorganized clutter. I have my studio very well organized and things are neatly in their place.

The office is more like epic fail.

Stuff stacked all over the place.

I have to move half a dozen different things to find what I am looking for.

Is there ANYONE out there who is up to the challenge of organizing this mess?

It needs to be fun and functional and easy to maintain!

I am a HUGE fan of the barter system! So I would be more than happy to trade services with you.

If you are interested in tackling this mess I have created PLEASE contact me or leave a message here.