Quote of the Day-

I have bursts of being a lady,
but it doesn’t last long.
- Shelly Winters

(freebie image from Dover Publishing.
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Friday Freebie

Oh--things are quiet around the studio. And dark. The power was out this morning. Thanks to Kerry's brother we found a very nice and reasonable electrician. The joys of living and working in a 120 year old home!

We won't stay quiet for long, we have a big show in a couple of weeks. Be sure to check it out!
Sorry for the silent week...we won't let it happen again... :)

Today's (better late than never) Friday Freebie:


Have a great weekend!

Friday Freebie - Families

Again, from the vintage postcard collection, two intersting family postcards. They always make me wonder....who are these people? where are they from? what did they become? What do you think? Maybe you believe this:

Some family trees bear an enormous crop of nuts.

Or maybe you believe this:

The family, that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor in our innermost hearts never quite wish to.

Enjoy your weekend!

Friday Freebie

Fall is in the air here in Colorado. We've had several rainy cool days, and snow up in the mountains. Here's a nod to autumn.

The back of this over-sized vintage, technicolor post card says,

"FALL FESTIVAL TIME" Pretty SARAH McCRACKEN of HOG FALLS, IOWA sitting pretty after winning first prize in the annual Pumpkin Hatching Contest.

I never knew pumpkins hatched!

Friday Freebie

In honor of the recent political festivities of the DNC and the RNC, here are some presidential Friday Freebies. You may love them, you may hate them, but here are four presidents of the past.

Enjoy your weekend!

Friday Freebie - end of summer

Labor Day marks the traditional end of summer for families accross the country. Our kids went back to school two weeks ago. But, for many, this is the last day of the pool being open, the last day at the beach, the last big weekend for those big barbeques.

My friday freebie, vintage postcard offering, is a tribute to those sensational swimming pools of years gone by and the family weekend at the beach. Enjoy your long weekend. Happy Labor Day!

Every now and then go away and have a little relaxation. To remain constantly at work will diminish your judgment. Go some distance away, because work will be in perspective and a lack of harmony is more readily seen. -Leonardo daVinci

Friday Freebie

A few more vintage black and white photo postcards. These ones are curious. Is she a nurse or a nun?

What happened between photo one and photo two that changed her mood so drastically?

(right click the image to save it to your computer for your own use)

Have a great weekend!

Friday Freebie

A couple of oddities from the black and white post card collection. These two definitely fill the "People are Strange" criteria. What's their story?

#1

(above) Eunice and her siblings were kicked off their cross-country train for a hosting a rowdy cribbage tournament and inciting the other passengers. They now find themselves in the middle of Iowa with no place to go, no luggage, and no food, except for the fruit basket that Bertha swiped from the dining car, and is now wearing on her head.

#2

Poor little Freddie, finds the punishment for swiping that tempting two-cent candy is baking bread in the boiler room. He'll never do that again!

(Both images come from vintage postcards. Right click the images to save them to your computer)

Friday Freebie

Happy 4th of July!

In the spirit of patriotism, here are a few snippets from a vintage color poster titled, "Uncle Sam's Family," by Luis Davila Madrid in 1936. The critique printed on the poster says, "Madrid had the keen and understanding insight into the very spirit of our national affairs to depict our past Presidents with such humorous faithfulness to history. ..."

Enjoy your weekend!

(right click the images to save them to your computer)

More Friday Freebies!

Ok, so I stumbled upon two really great give-aways and wanted to pass them along to you. Check out Mary Ann and her surprise box of goodies at A Very Mary Design

And then, there is a fabulous apron give-away at Apronista

We've signed up, you should too. Good luck!

Friday Freebie

This one is just like the classic image, almost. Who are those three people standing in the background? I think they messed up the shot!

Right click the image to save it to your computer.

Friday Freebie

To continue the "People are Strange" Series...

Here's another antique photo cards. These cards are real black and white photos, made into postcards and mailed. Rarely are the people's names on the cards. Sometimes the people are strange.

Here's today's Friday Freebie. Feel free to leave a comment with your caption for these interesting folks.

(Right click the image to save it to your computer.)

Never to be married, Agnes and her four sisters, Ethyl, Eunice, Henrietta, and Olga, were known about town as the Crazy Cat Hat Ladies.

Friday Freebie

In my mom's massive collection of vintage postcards are a number of antique photo cards. These cards are real black and white photos, made into postcards and mailed. Rarely are the people's names on the cards. Sometimes the people are strange.

For today's Friday Freebie, I have two lovely couples to share with you. Feel free to leave a comment with your caption for these interesting folks. (This is a fun game to play, Amy calls it Fantasy Family.) If you like these ones, who knows, maybe we'll put up some more.

Couple #1Couple #2

(Right click the images to save it to your computer for future use.)

Technical Help Question: Does anyone know why sometimes when you load a photo into a blog the reader can click on it to see it as a larger image, and sometimes the reader can't? I would like the photos to be accessible in that way, however I am about 50-50. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Happy Mother's Day & Friday Freebie

(right click the image to save it for your use)

The above image is from an old, undated, unmarked greeting card. Surely we all do the cleaning and cooking in such a lovely frock as this one. Be sure to thank your mom for all she does!

And for some Mother's Day fun, what do you think these ladies are saying as they toil over the stove? (This is a fun game to play, like "Fantasy Family" over at Amy's blog.)

Here's mine:

Ethel- Oh, Myrtle, I don't know...just how long have these turnips been in the Frigidaire?

Myrtle- Throw them in anyway, no one will notice. Cook anything for five hours and it doesn't taste like much.

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

Have a great weekend!

Friday Freebie

Two more, oversized and absurd:
(Right click the image to save it to your computer.)

Have a great weekend!

Friday Freebie

(click on the image to see a supersized version or

right click the images to save them to your computer)

These two Friday freebie images come from a part of the collection of postcards that has super-sized everything from fruits and vegetables to insects and animals. In fact, I have a whole trains worth of jumbo fruits and vegetables. These fun, surreal images were printed in 1909 and 1910. They would make a bright addition to kitchen decor.

Friday Freebie

I love these old photo cards! This one comes from a undated, vintage photo postcard. What in the world are these guys doing? Who are they, the original ZZ Top?

(right click the image to save it to your computer.)

We've got a winner!!!

We are pleased to award A Very Mary Design a fabulous package of collage materials, including a kitschy Aunt Martha packet. We can't wait to see her new Aunt Martha tatoo! Take a moment to check out her great blog.

And, Mary Ann, when you read this, send us your address via email so we can send you your winnings.

Friday Freebie

This one comes from an undated "Real-Photo" Post Card. The caption says "Une jolie Musicienne" I wonder where she's from. What is the instrument? (Right click the image to save it to your computer.)

Aunt Martha Give-Away

Last week I told you about Aunt Martha's fabulous Iron Transfers. Here's is another sample from these fabulous, kitschy packages. They are perfect for making tea towels and pot holders. But, what else could you do with them? We are looking for ideas.


We're having a give away! So, put your thinking caps on, and let us know what creative use you come up with to use these transfers. Try to think of something other than the traditional use. We will reward your hard thinking. We will choose the most creative answer and reward that lucky person with one of Aunt Martha's Transfer packets and a pack of collage items from our own studio. You have some time to think about it, but don't wait too long. We will choose a winner Monday, March 31.


Post your best ideas here.