Sunday, October 11, 2015

Venetian Treasures...


Sometimes, you don't have to travel to Venice to find Venetian treasures!


While digging through a stack of linens at an estate sale, recently I saw a mooring post peering back at me...



 My heart skipped a beat as I dug further....


 Placemats, napkins and a runner! All different Venetian motifs.


The stitchery was exquisite. Motifs include the San Marco horses, mooring posts, ships, wells, and of course gondolas! They were in pristine condition, never used with the "Made in Italy" tags still on each piece.



This is what every collector dreams of...finding that elusive needle in a haystack of "stuff". In  all the years I have traveled to Italy, I have never seen anything like these! Google tells me it is 5,410 miles from my house to Venice, Italy, I found these linens ten miles from my house...who knew? 

Sunday, April 19, 2015

All Things Venice!!!

A few years ago, I met Isabella Campagnol who was with Rubelli in Venice at the time. Being from Venice, Isabella has always looked at the historical side of its past. She has recently written two books that Venetian lovers will truly enjoy!


Forbidden Fashions is available through Amazon  (and Kindle)and explores the decadent and controversial outfits worn by nuns in the early Venetian convents. Fur, silk, make-up and elaborate hair were the norm as many  of these women were locked in convents for monetary reasons by their families.


If you want to find the best kept secrets in Venice from a woman's perspective, this book is a must! My Pretty Venice  is available at this time through amazon,it and will be on amazon.com in October.
Shopping, interesting secrets that only locals know about and so many other things are included to make a woman's trip to Venice special. Shop like the locals with this book and come home with a truly authentic Venetian experience.

I want to thank Isabella for letting me know about her books and will be purchasing them soon! If you have travels in your plans, be sure and pick up these books before you go! Ciao!!

Monday, March 9, 2015

New Etsy Store for Art's the Answer!


I am excited!


Art't the Answer now has an etsy shop where you can purchase hand marbled book marks....


and marbled river rocks that can be used in many creative ways...


They can be stacked under a bonsai tree or in a zen garden...


Used decoratively in a shelf vignette...


Or even in a photo shoot for detail shots. I will be adding other creative items as time goes on.


So please check out my etsy shop and remember...



All proceeds go towards more art supplies and food for our two cats! 

Friday, February 27, 2015

Scanlon Apparati...!

 Beth Scanlon of Scanlon Apparati is my newest obsession!

Her combinations of intricate marbled papers with old maps and drawings can't be matched! Look at the detail of this wastebasket...the front side is actually recessed so the wooden tassels and awning could be added. This is part of the Tiepolo Pink collection. (My favorite!)



This photo shows many products from a design show in California last year.  Scanlon makes letter holders, wastebaskets, tissue boxes and other ephemera.



I saved the best for last. I don't know if I could bear to put trash in this, but I want it! Italian papers and intricate old maps make my heart skip a beat!...ok. one more photo to make your heart beat a little faster...

To quote from the website- "Admiring Tiepolo and the beautiful tent behind the figure of Asia traveling to Europe on the Wurzburg fresco, it occurred to me the Magi must have traveled with tents. So, my cartonnage tent originated as a Christmas piece. Charmed and not wanting to put it away, I turned to tent follies which also represented different continents and historical eras. I chose the Haga Park style because its designer, Luis Jean Deprez, was a French painter and architect who traveled frequently to Italy and I am an American artist who works with Italian paper. I imagine that Deprez may have admired Tiepolo's work too"."

I hope you have enjoyed these images as much as I do!

Friday, February 6, 2015

Ft. Worth Finds..Dunnagan's



Last year, I spent some time in Ft. Worth, Texas on business. I had to pass by this building almost every day and it really intrigued me! I had no time to stop and investigate and could only get this poor photo through the car window when the light turned red. I would circle the block several times just to get this sad little photo!


I have been back a few times since and never had time to investigate further until yesterday!




The old iron shop is locked tight and appears to be abandoned. I looked in the windows and saw nirvana! I would love to know more about it.


All I could find is that it is family owned. I am not sure if it is open at all or now out of business.



The work is obviously done by someone with passion for their trade.


If anyone knows about Dunnagan Iron Works in Ft.Worth, let me know. I will be first in line for the salvage sale!

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Flea Finds-Pandora's Box


After a recent road trip to repair a mural, I treated myself to a stop at one of my favorite antique shops-Pandora's Box.


With just the right ratio of cats to clients, Pandora's Box (located in Frankston, Texas) offers a quirky mix of vintage, salvage and reproduction which keeps me digging for hours.


This shop has everything from vintage hardware to old paint brushes...


antiqued mirror panels....



...to fabulous upholstered chairs.


Need a dress made of paper? No problem!


 Look at this driftwood mirror! 



This collection of small marbled vases caught my eye. They are done in a naive style where the paint is  simply swirled to make the design. Technical patterns are not able to be achieved with this method but, it still produces an interesting design.


Somebody needed to rescue these little vases!



I rescued three of them to store chop sticks and other art tools in(for marbling of course!) I hope your weekend was sunny and you enjoyed a road trip as well!



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