This stuff's made in New York City!, Or, A Change of Pace

No, kidz, this is NOT another self-portrait of me, though I realize the resemblance is uncanny.
It's Laksmi, a Hindu Goddess of Prosperity, good for the season of Thanksgiving fast upon us.
As Stevie Wonder asks, "Isn't She Lovely?" She is also an object lesson, which probably only those newest to the Mixed-Media art arena need to be reminded of, but for all of us, just in case: This particular Laksmi came from a box of rice. As you can see, only a portion of that box ended up in the recycle bin! Spelled out the lesson is: boxes, labels, newspapers, everything is grist for the art mill. It's also why the hardware store is one of my fave one stop supply shops. From spray paint to hinges, from cunning little nails with numbers stamped on the heads to metal screening, from empty spice bottles for catching fairies (or fireflies) to ALL KINDS OF TAPE!, Ace IS the place.


Soooooo. Pretend for a moment you are totally sick of my Narcissism Series! I can't imagine why you would be, but grab that vivid imagination of yours and run with it. Although I haven't stopped Photoboothing, I thought we could skip a day and I would regale you with something besides my (somehow endlessly fascinating) face.

For today's Show & Tell, I would like to share with you some kinda cool things. First, the little Red Bird art you see directly above is a very sweet, yet cool 3d miniature "canvas" Erika Tysse adhered to a plain cream colored 4 x 6 notecard. You can contact her through her site if you want to buy some for yourself, to send or to frame. Here's another one:


Still in a shopping mood? Finally in a shopping mood? Here is a gorgeous (if I do say) 5 x 7 notecard with a (fairly) "empty" area in the upper left hand corner to add your own greeting. I use my Dymo labeler. Merci Beaucoup and Feliz Cumpleanos have each proved useful phrases:

The pretty little 4 x 6 Watch the Stars postcard pictured below, and the notecard above, are both my own designs and can be purchased here, at my Cafepress Shop.

If you feel the need to shop just a bit more, may I recommend Jennifer Gordon? I can't show you this entire (wrapped) canvas just now, as it's a secret surprise gift I commissioned from her for someone special but I can reveal a snippet below, and tell you that she does lovely work, whether commissioned or created for the lucky person who gets one of her ReadyMades!

Last but not least, I have been really challenged at getting packages of treats out to the winners of my Ragtags drawings, not because I don't want to follow through, and don't eventually (days, weeks, or sadly, months later) actually mail them, but because I just get so occupied every day, with taking good care of the boys, with all the daily household tasks, the pets, the yard; you all know what I'm talking about. . . so as sort of a tide over, I'm going to start including on the Ragtags blog itself a couple of "free" images once a week (or more, if I get an urge!). They might be snapshots, postcards, flotsam, jetsam, even snippets of my own art for you to incorporate into your own masterpieces, one way or another - I will include all the information I have about the images and I am posting them at a high enough resolution that you should be able to print them out quite nicely. Today I have (they may not always be such vintage or even retro style), for your "art-it-up" consideration:

This is an illustration from a 1935 children's book,
feel free to download and use!

And here's a pre-1920's vintage French postcard
for your art-ful pleasure.

I hope you'll have fun with these images, and maybe let me know how you do use them, with a comment or two!

You didn't REALLY think I was going to skip the Series, did you?