Art Farm

Saturday Smile

2012-02-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

fake cake

cut outs                        Just a few things that make me smile this saturday morning.
                                                                 enjoy!
                                                        xo milady

Flowery Wishes

2012-02-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Wishes !

To a lovely dancer of the world

Have a wonderful day Sara!

xo milady

Bundle : A Drawing Challenge

2012-01-23T11:36:00.001-07:00

Bundles

of berried branches

blossoms

and joy

babies, books

and all kinds of animals

seems like everything comes in a bundle around here!

Rachel has bundled up a bunch at her place.

xo milady

Tea Time A drawing Challenge

2012-01-14T10:01:00.000-07:00

I desire a large cup of tea....

unknown source

lovely earl grey tea

with its fragrant bits of Bergamot and Lavender and a little splash of cream...mmmmmm

I should like to sip it here while i wait for company....

tash tudor

such as dear Tasha Tudor

And a flamboyant mad man in plaids and tweed

and whoever else wanted to come....
and share a cuppa

share their thoughts

on what inspires them.

I am already there! With all these dear inspirations seated at Ariane's Table...please come!

Amber Alexander

Don't you just LOVE??

2012-01-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love when something you've seen before that inspires you pops up again via someone else's stuff on the web?

Chris Buzelli

Don't you just love when your kids who are big continue the Santa tradition, no questions, and have successfully graduated to the understanding that real “Christmas came just the same…It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags". ... How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Don't you just love when you think of someone then the phone rings and it's them?

Don't you just love when help appears from the most unimaginable sources just when you need it?

Cartolina Consulting 's Fiona Richards

And most of all...Don't you just love when someone you admire turns around and admires you?!
I LOVE THAT!

Little signs pointing me in the right direction.

I Love love LOVE that! :)

I miss you all...been busy sorting out the old and making way for the new.

WILL SEE YOU FOR TEA in Hamburg with the Queen! :)

xo milady

amazing cut outs found via rachel

inspired by this simple shop of shauna murray.

Tis the Season!

2011-12-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

to look for these guys under the great pine

and wishing Santa brought fine handpainted toys such as these

Add caption

Keeping busy crafting gnome villages in a friend's shop window

while planning a party by candlelight

i ask myself " why this lazy looking cow?"

as the good old troll laughs

"because you are still 8" he says barely chuckling out the words

Grandfather Stag agrees with a hmmphh!

as i fish some for some hidden memory

of being little myself

when Christmas was so wonderfully exciting.

Still working on that!

xo milady

ps Merry Christmas!!

pss all images (except for my friend) where plucked off the web. Please forgive me!

New in Shop aka What I've been Up to

2011-12-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

milady productions shop

parties, end of school celebrations, presentations, baking, cooking, crafting, working holiday markets, decking the halls...that's what i've been up to! ho ho ho!

Let The Festivities Begin!

2011-12-06T11:42:00.001-07:00

In an effort to whip up some holiday delight

I made up a plan to craft up some light

with hot chocolate smiles old new years' glory

I waved my snowflake wand and told them a story

about light in darkness and a wish for an answer in snow

They all took off into the darkness while i yelled NO!
(or rather, wait for me!!!)

Some stayed up late like this darling little boy

while others were tuckered out from eating the carpet
instead of his chew toy.

And then the most magical thing of all...when we returned to add our paper lanterns to the fire, it started to snow! Just like we desired. :)

This little boot construction makes me smile.

via Vintage Jane: The Boot Story

Cheers!

xo milady

We have a Winner!

2011-11-28T07:18:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Rachel! You are the winner of a Milady Medallion! Storm already sold in my shop but I will pick something out just for you!!!! You know whats funny? I eenie meenie miney moe'd the names lastnight and got Rachel too! :) perfect. I wish I could give each one of you a necklace but then i'd be out of business. In thought, you are all winners.
Email me your info gypsyPanda...wherever you have a mail box!
xo milady

Winner Announcement delayed until Monday. Cyber Monday!

2011-11-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

I decided I didn't want to be a part of the black friday craziness. Its why I have this fairy tailish idea of how civil and wonderful everything is in the old world!
My monday starts tomorrow. And did you know? It's cyber monday!(another fabulous american shopping holiday) at least we won't be trampled by ourselves at the computer.
See you then!
xo milady

Thanks-Giving

2011-11-24T21:30:00.002-07:00

Thanksgiving is here. That means that the holidays are upon us. Gatherings, gluttony and pressure to buy things make me feel like Charlie Brown. Thanksgiving came too fast this year. I'm not ready. The snow hasn't fallen. It's too warm. Isn't it Halloween? I'm confused!
And I haven't had a chance to sit down and see this childhood staple with my kids yet. But Morgan did manage to create an elaborate scene out of playmobil. Bananas!

cartoon clip

I love that my blog friends may not understand...
thanksgiving thoughts from an ex-pat
Nor do I really...the meaning and customs have already morphed into unrecognizable and hideous forms.
Some traditions, I just found out about today!
Lost Thanksgiving Culture
Thanksgiving is really about harvest, togetherness, gratefulness and celebration of company.
Thank you Linus for reminding me!

Tomorrow i will draw the GIVEAWAY WINNER!

many thanks,
xo milady

Jewels, Blues and Surprise GIVEAWAY!

2011-11-16T12:38:00.002-07:00

Feeling alot like i want to be in this room lately. To be enveloped in a fairy tale cloak, warmed and secured

by magic only a few get to witness. Wearing a long warm skirt, stitched by someone I love. A time before t.v. and bubble housing markets. I want to fly away to this place. Where traditions and fantasy still hold court. Where everyone gathers with lanterns at night and sings.

In my own little way...i've created a bit of that. May i introduce...Milady's Medallions.

Love

Sacred Heart charm bracelet

Ice Vine choker

Storm

Storm detail

Blueberry Pearl

And the suprise...my first kick ass belt!

(love it!)

In addition to ornaments, tea towels, art blocks and prints - i have now finally made some wearables. I've teamed up with a very talented friend who is making the lovely hand crocheted "chains" for some of my pendants.

Milady's Medallions

These are just a few of the combos. More coming to my ETSY SHOP. I am exhausting myself trying to make the photos look perfect - but you will never see them if I hold myself to that standard.

Here you go.

The surprise?

A chance to win a Milady Medallion necklace!!!

Name drawn on Black Friday - NOV 25th.

Comment. Critique. Tell me what you think. Spread the word! Tell me who sent you.

No brown nosing...winner will be picked randomly! :)

GOOD LUCK! xo milady

New Productions Debut!

2011-11-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Another show under my belt.

This one made me focus on Christmas waaaay before i'm used to.

Glad though, because you know, it's my favorite!

It's a full on craftstravaganza around here.

And that makes me happy.

Have a look at my goodies

Vintage Swedish tart tins

begged for a little glass and sparkle and a tiny little painting

to then be hung Mardi Gras style on wispy flocked branches

with bleeding hearts and crocheted pearls

royal birds and doves offering olive branches

crisp tea and finger towels ready for guests

next to some of the old stock awaiting to be discovered by choosey fingers

while the new, and i must say, handsome art blocks await their new homes patiently.
not one sold.

So strange to guess what people you don't know would like to buy. It's such a gamble, these shows. But exposure and momentum have their own.

Tomorrow i will reveal Milady's jewels and a surprise!

Now, off to feed the horses, looks like snow and the husband is still housebound recovering from knee surgery.
I am the one woman wonder at this farm...the Art Farm!

xo milady

Inspiration Interlude. Nursey Rhyme playing cards 1800s

2011-11-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

ephemera assemblylman

xo milady

Halloween/Christmas

2011-11-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

New Christmas designs created for the show

i was milady for halloween

2 holidays on a crash course.
the show was good.
exhausted and regrouping.

i'll post my new creations tomorrow.
promise!

xo

Our Lady of Creative Chaos

2011-10-28T13:35:00.000-06:00

Our Lady of Creative Chaos

lambie love = peace

originally sketched for the 9/11 drawing challenge

edward robert hughes

Taking a break amidst this creative whirlwind to share a little someone with you.

I like to call her Our Lady of Creative Chaos.

She wears stars in her hair like a crown

and sometimes looks like a big bright blue bird

She carries all souls

Like a Mother to her Babe

SHhhhhhhhh She says

I'm here

Right Here

in the center

of your wild dance.

Development : Drawing Challenge

2011-10-16T21:09:00.001-06:00

Development - fitting title for my peek out of the clouds.

the holiday rush is on

as i prepare for another show early November

though still in season with greens and orange all around

my ink finds its way to December's images

whilst the half-life wannabees stack and wait in the studio

and our baby Ollie develops into a massive beast before our eyes!

Visit tour hostess, the Queen Ariane for more on these developing stories!

Hit and Miss

2011-09-09T11:17:00.000-06:00

Friends.. i apologize, for the hit and miss nature of this blog. I feel like i lose valuable connections just from missing a post or two. The blog is like the sun peeking through the clouds every once in a while. And its been cloudy around here!
I hope you do understand! I have so much I'd like to share with everyone. Time and Space - my fickle friends!
Oh, and the computer that continues to amaze and frustrate me with its unnatural loooooong life.

Till soon,

xo milady

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be Cowboys...

2011-09-04T09:41:00.000-06:00

willie nelson and waylon jennings

the sad cowboy story

what is my story?

i aim to find the answer

everyday

i live this old life

out west

where new brave thinkers

carve out a living

from dirt and promise

driven by tintypes

of mothers long dead

and a heart full of memories

of a life our bones know

for time eternal

i birth the images

one by one

and tell the story

the story of me

and catch the tail fin

of the old west.

xo milady

(an "outsider" in these parts)

Fair Fair and the Great Train Wreck's a Coming

2011-09-03T22:03:00.002-06:00

roscoe the brave has been trying out his duds for weeks now

getting in the spirit of the old west
watchin old men on tractors doing donuts

eating dirt for lunch and dinner
getting chased around a parking lot by a boy and his chicken

watching the kids scrub, trim, clip and shine their stock

and putting on their best for show

anticipating the full stands tomorrow
rumored guests include past presidents and Ralph Lauren etc....

while the big sister puts the finishing touches on her retro cowgirl shirt
in preparation for grand entrance
as the Queen.

Small town rodeo and fair. It's an American tradition.
I feel lucky to dip a toe or two in it.

the train wreck?
oh, the very next day after is dramatic finish to the summer
is the first day of school.

ugh

xo milady

Its Rodeo time

2011-08-31T09:09:00.000-06:00

Another year, another rodeo, and i turn around to see my baby's a lovely young lady

we ride in the parade and hootin and hollerin when someone does something impressive like this

My girl rides like nobody's business

like her daddy

we set up a picnic in the back of the ol red truck and watch the red neck ruckus up front and center

Rosie will be the Queen's attendant ..again. Let's just say there are old town politics that override riding skills.
it's disappointing, for her but she keeps her head high and rides like nobody's business!

this is officially the end of our summer, the chill in the air says " no more swimming in the river

and soon, we will be saying good-bye to these little guys.
cycle of life.
ranch, farm, country living.
i signed up for it
but that don't mean i can't be sad.

stay tuned for more of the country fair, kids and animals etc...this weekend.
xo milady

Not Sure

2011-08-26T11:28:00.001-06:00

We have a new family member. His name is Ollie.

He is a dudley - a labrador retriever with blue eyes and a pink nose.

I like to call him Dudley Doodle.

It's a long story - but we ended up with him. How could we refuse? He came, unexpectedly

into our lives like someone else we've known and loved.

Remember this guy?

He even had a blue collar.

fate.

karma

welcome back whoever you are!

don't worry about the sheep, she'll get over it.

xo milady

It Takes a Village.....

2011-08-23T09:06:00.000-06:00

Husband (left) and friends burning the midnight oil. Tate was gluing the image on the inside of the card! ;/

Husband made me beautiful rustic frames for my prints. A happy customer, Jamie from Arizona.

The tea towels have arrived and left within the first few hours!

Me and Tate, who is not looking very cowboyish for a change.

Michele, my partner in crime who i lovingly call "my left brain". We've been talking about doing this for years, it's finally happening and to top it off, we actually had fun working together! :)

Here i am personalizing prints for display...I dip the ink then hold my breath...one mistake and the whole thing is ruined!

The Milady Productions cards were a big hit! Here is the Estate pack found at my ETSY SHOP

And Woodland pack of 3

Christmas pack too

IT takes a village to make anything happen. I am ever so grateful for those who helped me make this dream come back from its long long slumber...the response was overwhelming and encouraging. I made some significant connections in that little ol park of mine in Ridgway, Colorado. True Grit with John Wayne was filmed in that very setting. (google it)
who knew?!
Up up and Away!!!!

xo

Cruising the Hood

2011-08-21T15:21:00.002-06:00

all photos by Morgan

A little Space to Reflect and a really crooked bunch of photos

2011-08-20T16:37:00.000-06:00

So, what you ask, have I been doing?

well, here is just a snippet. A peek, a quick dip in the daily life

of me.

I taught little children to believe in fairies and make

inviting houses and gardens for them.

They named me Miss Margaloo and clung to my arms by the end of the classes.

I loved my little friends and their sweet creative spirits.

even if some terrariums got mixed up like a blender.

Everyday i look to see whos living in my fairy forest

with as much anticiaption as my little friends never wanting this green

magical summer grass to end...

And lambie's wool needed cropping again

And my first born blossomed into a young lady
turned 16!

Lambie thought the piglets, Lola and Frederick. were her long lost babies

Some friends opened an artists co op this summer
where i have sold 8 paintings!

Driving back and forth to town in my favorite old red truck.

and by some miracle pulled off a successful show of milady productions - a product line of my art
in our park last week! I won best booth :)

and now...im POOPED but excited and motivated.
did i mention the new puppy?
oh....

I'm A Busy Girl

2011-08-11T09:07:00.001-06:00

me 6 yrs
in my daily attire: fancy silk slip and costume jewelry :)

hello my dears, mom, and looky loos!

I am a busy girl. The art show is in 2 days. Print hiccups, delays, over budget and schedule. It's hard getting
things done in a New York minute in Rural Colorado. People don't take the term "deadline" seriously. I'm busy making it happen - by some miracle, come saturday i'll be sitting in my hand painted world selling, new cards, a few tins and every print i own.
By some miracle. At least the weather is glorioius and my booth is situated under a 100 tree. :)

xo milady

THEATER: Drawing Challenge

2011-07-30T14:31:00.002-06:00

This is what i came up with . An intuitive browse through my files...trying to tell a story about THEATER>
Starring as ME , mother, creator, artist, caretaker in the SET of my life; rural, ranch, home, land, remote.
Home is my stage, Improv is my life.
I wish i had time to doodle and create but life is speeding up as summer races towards an end.
Did i tell you? I am preparing for an art show in 2 weeks! A small town sort of arts/crafts event that draws a crowd to our little nook in the west.
Visit my fellow beloved performers and enjoy the show!
renilde
ariane
nadine
kristen ?
ritva welcome!
rachel

any others? Don't be shy! the theme is open ended! I have so much more to tell you, about my life as a young dancer growing up in the Seattle Opera House and falling asleep under velvet cushions to the lullabies of Wagner.

xo milady

Tomorrow is THEATER

2011-07-29T19:54:00.000-06:00

Hello my patient peeps! Tomorrow's theme is THEATER (which i mistakenly did here)
I will be posting in the morning which could very well be your evening! So, check back!
I suspect i will mix a little CITY in the THEATER since I missed last week's challenge.
Life is full of visitors, events, teaching children, telling ghost stories, late night gatherings, swimming in the river and rodeos!

My little girl Rosie on her dad's horse as Queen Attendant.

Busy but good.
See you tomorrow ( drop me a note if you want to join us in the THEATER!)
xo milady

Clouds: Drawing Challenge

2011-07-16T11:02:00.002-06:00

clouds
you know i love them
i mean really LOVE them
i dream of soaring through them
but for now
i lay in summer fresh grass
and float below them
around here
i see really good ones
catch a cloud and ride over to Nadine's to see more!

see ? i have been busy!
xo milady

Monster: Drawing Challenge

2011-07-12T19:31:00.002-06:00

monster - hmmm let's see what i have in my files. Ahhhh...the Glubus (my son so emphatically recognized as such) the only monster i could find as i am late and out of time!

and then whats this? coming in from a favorite site - monsters from the 1600's!

Thank you Julia for this weeks theme, more beasts gather there.
look here for more monstrorum historia via the inpsiring eye candy shop :bibliOdyssey

and 1 morgan monster for good measure.

see you saturday in the clouds!

xo milady

Theater : A Drawing Challenge

2011-07-10T09:59:00.002-06:00

Hello!

All the world is a stage

Where I lead the role of my dreams

creating the set

in which i can perform

and be blessed by an audience from around theglobe
as supportive and inspiring as YOU!

thank you!
xo milady

ps. oops, i made my own challenge via Ariane's post! :)

oh well! here it is!

Body : Drawing Challenge

2011-06-26T16:41:00.000-06:00

What is a body?
A body of work, a body of water, a body of spirit.
A container that holds, hugs and protects.
A body that skims the surface of others bodies.
A body that knows barefeet on grass is the best way to relax.
A moving miraculous vessel of wisdom that continues to be my greatest teacher.

Julia , the birthday beauty has collected quite of body of work. go see!

xo milady

Wings: Drawing Challenge

2011-06-23T12:06:00.001-06:00

Wings, angels, fairies and animals. Its all one big magical mystery to me. A recurring theme of wonder,
whimsy and kinship. We are all connected, seen and unseen
and its all good.
Jasmin, in the wonderful land of OZ has collected more. go see.

xo milady

Balance : Drawing Challenge

2011-06-19T18:26:00.001-06:00

balance. the quest. walking the line between the divine and mortal, sun and moon, light and darkness.
precarious. exciting. so rewarding when perfecting the middle, feeling the intoxicating powers of opposites at once.
this one of my all time favorite images. "tightrope" available in my shop for a limited time as a 12x12 archival
paper print. (or larger !)

hula hoop

unicycle

i have been doing alot lately, my dad calls me the "master juggler". i've got so many pots on the stove,
so many interests, so little time.
balancing while juggling.
keep calm and carry on!

The Queen of Eisenbach, Ariane, is our hostess this week!

xo milady

Everyday Life : A Drawing Challenge

2011-06-04T17:08:00.001-06:00

everyday i drive past the old bones

that make me think of the dream i saw

in grandma's books

of a big family tilling the soil

and soil of their clan

with loving hands

that do it all

one day at a time

while i still wonder what i will be when i grow up

as i continue to juggle whilst i skip

art
life
family
home
farm
love

xo milady

Dear ,deep, thoughtful Elisabeth is our hostess this week.
Thank you Elisabeth. Everyday i am inspired by my new friends in the world
through this challenge.
xo

LOVE : a drawing challenge

2011-06-01T21:14:00.001-06:00

I love

Old drawings
and flowers

crusty farm buildings
i dream i can create in

with cheeky little fairies

and time to write what i feel
without edit

this quest to grasp

what is creatively familiar

and waiting to receive
my gushing heart

xo milady

visit the love gushing Rachel for more amazing love stories!

Drawing Challenge : Hands

2011-05-21T17:20:00.000-06:00

santos at the victorian ruralist

Yesterday the little boy turned 11. That little tiny boy our hands could cover up.

Happy Birthday to my miracle boy Roscoe.

You amaze all of us!

Hands.

Hold.

& Heal

xo milady

Drawing Challenge : Dream

2011-05-14T08:15:00.001-06:00

In Dream I grow invisible wings

and rise above

by a jet fuelled mind

toes tickling forest tops

avoiding power lines

out of danger

i soar

Do you have recurring dreams?

i do!

Fly on over to Woolfie Nadine, this week's hostess, to see more dreamers

xo milady

Drawing Challenge: Sheep

2011-05-07T09:47:00.003-06:00

William Blake the visionary

My little Blossom

my field of dreams

vintage putz sheep - etsy

Sheep Boy available by request in my shop

Carl Larsson's home

Sheep. Ah yes, my sweet obsession.

what is it? why do i love thee so?

Its a piece in the puzzle.

The treasure hunt of my life.

The distinct by hazey memory of a life lived

in a Swedish Farmhouse

or handstitched art farm

with family and history

where all flock together

in peace

no matter fur , wool or feather.

say hello to the rest of the flock

Elisabeth

Rachel

Ariane

Nadine
Patrice
Jasmin

anyone else? please join us!

Empty Net - drawing challenge ; FISH

2011-05-06T10:30:00.001-06:00

People say our fish are disappearing, their size shrinking, our world going down the drain.

I went for a dive, deep into the unknown. I saw a giant mythological fish with its jaws wide open

waiting for me to fall. I swam as fast as I could to the surface and once in the boat had a peek

in my net. To my suprise, I cracked the mollusk to find an assortment of pearls, little people

ghostly and sweet, forgotten now found, whipsering of life as we once knew it.

xo milady

see you tomorrow for SHEEP!

Homeward Bound

2011-04-28T14:19:00.000-06:00

i live in a far away valley at the edge of a great wood out west. i sniffed out this patch of dirt
with my hound dog heart, dug a lil hole and settled in. its home to my roots in spirit not place
where little girls play in simple cotton dresses a long, long time ago. i will always feel the safest
here when little green buds come back to remind me.

where do you feel most at home?

Xo milady

Happy Day Earth!

2011-04-22T12:32:00.001-06:00

Everyone should see the movie Bag It in honor of earth day. Not because my friend
made it but because it gives you the big picture of why we each have to try to take care
of our home.
Plus, Jeb is funny.

xo milady

I will post the lantern parade tomorrow - i've been ill this week and have gotten behind!

Busy Birthday

2011-04-16T10:50:00.001-06:00

Hello!
My map will have to wait, The Lantern Parade, soccer games, 1st prom preparations for my daughter, have all robbed me of "my" time! It is my birthday today and I plan to celebrate. in the meantime, i'll cheat with a web version of this childhood beauty by Jaro Hess which hangs in my studio.

Make Believe Jaro Hess

see you soon with my maps
xo milady

Inside Out

2011-04-12T19:56:00.000-06:00

Thinking from the inside out.
Willow branches become bones and Chinese
take out containers become daffodils blooming.
And I didn't suggest a thing.
It'll all be documented here.

xo milady

Busy Week Ahead!

2011-04-11T11:21:00.000-06:00

come see what i do for fun. color crew is my public art project working with elementary kids.
our aim is to build community and stimulating creativity through public art projects designed and
executed by children.
this week we are making paper lanterns in whatever wild shape we can think of. our materials begin
with willow branches and recycled bits of this and that. I'll be documenting the process on the color blog
so come back to see how it all unfolds!

to end with my all time favorite quote

"All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."

Pablo Picasso

Mirror

2011-04-09T15:08:00.000-06:00

Mirror Mirror on the Wall
Whose the Fairest of them all?
The Queen knows
Visit her to see more!

xo milady

Messing around

2011-04-04T13:13:00.001-06:00

messing around with graphics

relying on these alot

what to do with what i do?

spring, my love, i am heartbroken without you

lori langille

It snowed like Christmas all day yesterday. the day before, i was wearing a t shirt and working in the garden.

it isn't unusual. it happens every year. but i think i hate it more than i care to admit.

spring is my girl.

without her i am lost.

so i got on the computer and experimented

moved stuff around and now can't get back.

it was an attempt to bloom in a blizzard.

what do you think?

xo milady

Tail

2011-04-02T10:12:00.006-06:00

click image to enlarge
Tail
Tail , Trail, Tale.
Endings and unknowns.
There is a Tale.
A Tale of a mother whose babes are growin'.
And a walk on a dream of a yellow brick road
Where all can travel
Big feet and all.
The end.

my kind of shop Tail of the Yak
the art of Lauren Mcintosh (of Tail of the Yak)

xo milady

Drawing Challenge : Blossom

2011-03-26T15:01:00.001-06:00

Hello My Lovely Blossoms! Spring here means more snowstorms which means fickle internet. The sun has come out! So, here you go. enjoy and don't forget to smell the roses at all these lovely participants!
                            elisabeth ,patrice,ariane,citalli,woolf,rachel,fru mju,jasmin,hanna
                                            any others? please let me know!


                                                             BLOSSOM

                                                                       elsa beskow

jean jacques grandville

A little of me and a little of others...this week, i'm clearly enchanted by the wee folk who live in blossoms.
And don't forget my Blossom, coming up on 2 years old next month!

xo milady

Intruiged

2011-03-23T12:17:00.001-06:00

sigh

abededaire by francois huotin

dish design for Hermes

dioscorides ancient greek medical illlustrations

ink!

hermes window display Paris

my sketchbook and beloved ink pot

yves taralon & francois huotin in francois' atelier

Nadine, this is for you! I was intrigued too so I went on a little google adventure and found that the alphabet
was created by this wonderful man : Francois Huotin, a not so vintage frenchman. I was sure the image was from the 1800's if not earlier. fascinating! Then, I read on to learn that he was a trained landscpape architect ( a career path I was once on) who mostly creates fantastical garden designs in old world etched perfection. yum! Then, I realized that he is the artist of some beautiful dishware by Hermes I've been lusting over! And to top it off? The picture of his atelier I had saved as my dream studio inspiration is his! God! i love that. :) when it all clicks! ...and that was an intended pun! :)
ink, parchment, France and twisted tree limbs...a sweet stirring in my soul today.
dreaming of blossoms,

xo milady

Drawing Challenge: Letter

2011-03-22T13:08:00.001-06:00

I have internet again. sort of. machinery took a hit from the latest wet spring snow storm

But, alas! here is my post for saturday's challenge hosted by the Belgian Beauty, Nadine.

An S because it is so fun to draw

SMR my initials and logo

an inky alphabet

and an unknown duo of inky lettered loveliness

This week's theme is BLOSSOM

hosted by moi.

xo milady

Drawing Challenge : Bird

2011-03-12T16:18:00.001-07:00

Wonder of Birds
Spring is upon us
Rejoice!
Elisabeth is hosting this week. I wonder how Spring is in Sweden?
someday i'll get there. someday.
most favorite bird movie ever
xo milady

Computer is in hospice

2011-03-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

so sad, but not really. it means i will finally be upgrading and going back to Mac! i'm conserving her strength.
so afraid if i turn it on it'll crash and i'll lose all my files!
at least i can check email and post boring messages like this one on my daughter's macbook.
i know, that's not ok.
she has one and i don't

kids

xo milady

Coincidence, NO?

2011-03-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

oscar wilde

milady productions

Anonymous Works is a really fun way to find odd, beautiful things. Quick, easy, like Tumblr.
I am sooooo busy its nuts! Good busy though. Lots of exciting projects in the works, things I can't
share with you yet - but I hope the wait will be worth it!
Color Crew, my kid/public art project, is gearing up for a lantern parade in April. Commissions in the studio, changes for Milady Productions and just good green spring vibes in the valley! Saw our first new neighbor yesterday, a tiny ,wobbly black calf. :) Oh, and i'm looking for a orphaned goatie. hee hee

Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde must get

xo milady

Drawing Challenge #4 Whisper

2011-02-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

whisper

inspiration on my window sill

Yes, I hear you.
So soft your whisper
Leading me still
Into the Mystery
of which we are

thank you Jasmin, our lovely hostess this week.

xo milady

What I LOVE about the digital age

2011-02-24T12:29:00.003-07:00

the google art project
keeping city girls gone to the lambs like me connected. :)
xo milady

Pikabootcamp!

2011-02-21T12:40:00.001-07:00

Hey all, doesn't this sound fun?! My friend Amy over at Pikaland has evolved her art loving blog into a mothership of inspiration and community. She has teamed with Jamie Shelman, the wonderful creator of inky kitties, and launched Pikabootcamp - an online course aimed at spurring, nudging, directing and refining us artists who stare at the big world of cyber-business like deer in the headlights.
Check it out.
I'm gonna sign up one of these days soon.

When the student is ready, the master appears. ~Buddhist Proverb

Check back later...i'm behind!

2011-02-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Patchwork...my brain! Birthday Parties, shopping, driving, cleaning OH MY!...
Check back later for my patchwork drawing challenge.
Can't wait to see all of yours :)

xo milady

Happy Hearts To You

2011-02-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

i heart rob ryan

For some reason, Valentines is making me think of Little Red Riding Hood and delicate paper worlds.
Enjoy looking here at Su Blackwell's art. It's "my" gift to you on this Valentines day.

Sky Scenery - drawing challenge #3

2011-02-12T21:58:00.001-07:00

Lilli, where for art thou?

Hello friends. Here I am in Nashville, posting a few snaps from my show. My birds flitting between heaven and earth and a landscape with delicious sky scenery. I had hoped to snap a pic from the plane but a large body was blocking my pinhole of a window.

Art shows are exhausting. I sort of forgot. Still, it's fun to meet so many people and converse. I am tired of talking about myself.

xo milady

challenge #1 paperdoll

challenge #2 home

Pressure

2011-02-09T11:32:00.000-07:00

Fraktur writing

Pennsylvania "Deutstch"

The ice box

Hello friends, I am busy. Too busy. But it's all good busy.
I am going to a show! I got a suprise call just a little over a week ago. I said YES to Tennessee.
The box of work left last week and I will follow with a pile of small works and my daughter in tow tomorrow.
What a mess!
20 below zero in the a.m.s now. I have to wear gloves in my studio.
I will post from the road - sky scenery just may be a photo taken from a plane :)
Always inspired by this
xo milady

Still Life of a Home

2011-02-05T14:07:00.001-07:00

So, I cheated a little. Home. Still lifes everywhere. Little shrines of who we are. A row of retired passed down cowboy boots and a cat shedding on the fruit bowl. (who put his bed there anyways?!) Just a snippet. Enjoy.

Don't foget to visit Elisabeth & Ariane's sites for more of this week's theme: Home and Still Life.
Hoping Lilli returns to us soon with her theme Sky Scenery.
xo milady

Thoughts for Souls

2011-02-02T12:23:00.001-07:00

Emma Barton 1872 -1938

A year ago today, I lost a dream. A little suprise dream. A little boy baby named Angus.
There is a story forming, slow and secretly in pages of my sketchbook. In good time
I will share it.
Sweet Angus, I continue to feel you in the world that I paint.
"Nothing ever ends...no one can prove it." nends tumblr

God bless all the frightened souls in Australia as they batten down and await the tempest:

Cyclone Yasi we're thinking of you

xo milady

Drawing a Life

2011-01-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

fairy tales are homefeodor rojankovsky

in a past lifevintage German figurines

imagine childhood

keeping notes to try to remember

and bring it back to the home art farm not mine but i wish!

i am finding my way back tostefano vitale's studio

"Making up as we go along..." more talking heads!

Thank you for accompanying me on my journey!

xo milady

Home

2011-01-29T13:25:00.006-07:00

click image to enlarge

Home

Its where i want to be

lift me up and take me there

- talking heads

Take the Home tour: This week's drawing challenge thanks to Elisabeth!

Elisabeth, Lilli, Ariane, Jasmin, Peggy, Objects of Whimsy,

Anyone else? Comment and i'll link you!

*Next week's theme : Sky Scenery chosen by Lilli at Trollringen* let her know if you're "in".

*Last week's drawing challenge Elisabeth at Textilspanieln , Paper Doll*

xo milady

I am so sorry for the delay...you wouldn't believe the interruptions, technical failures, the crashing computer....unbelievable and not worth explaining.

Decisions, Decisions!

2011-01-28T12:50:00.002-07:00

It's that time of life again. That time of year. When I feel the restless seedlings of dreams awaiting birth rustle and crack somewhere deep in my being.
yes! yes! i'm still here!
What shall I be when I grow up? What will it all look like? Where am I going?
and
WHY do I have to know?!
I search the world and drink in her gifts, through others eyes, others' craft. I sift and compare.
" maybe I could do that" or "perhaps that's what i should be doing". In other words, instead of doing I'm watching.

New Years bring new reflections. I look back at the earth's revolution that caused my age to inch up another number.
The answer is always the same..." follow your art".
The mystery continues...

xo milady

Amanda Blake's Enormous Tiny Show damn the recession!

Paper or Cheese Doll?

2011-01-22T14:21:00.002-07:00

my paper doll

hans christian anderson

papercuts

American "Cheese"
my husband loves this crap!

Well, its Saturday here in the U. S.which has bought me a little time to make a paper doll per Elisabeth's challenge. Here it is...(and i'm sheepishly hiding behind the time difference instead of admitting that i am late!)
Morgan has decided to make a paper robot out of american cheese. Frankly, the best use of that hideous saturated glob of an excuse for cheese!
I learned something upon doing this little exericse. I think too much. I stall, I question, I critique. My hands shake and my eyes are hating their new glasses. I am happiest when the ink just falls from the brush, wonky and incorrect. I didn't get to that smudgy imperfect place where I felt satisfied and finished. But it was already Saturday in Sweden, Australia, Germany...people are waiting!
So here it is, the stiff little lady whose clothes will not fit properly because of my inattention to accuracy.
she's cute though, and her little lamb too.
Thanks Elisabeth for the nudge. Let's play some more!

xo milady

Finale

2011-01-16T21:06:00.000-07:00

As the details were stencilled on the excitement mounted

The creatures now had rocks to stand on and plants for food.

everyone felt so proud to be the ONES to finish the masterpiece.

They even took the scaffolding down and carried it away happily.

The Color Crew and Concrete Couch evening of day 4

what was once a plain endless wall at school is now a dream.
They voted and named it.
"Foothill, to Mountain to Desert OH MY!"
Then ate 3 giant pizzas and ran around like maniacs!

xo milady

Cont...

2011-01-16T17:00:00.002-07:00

The 7 & 8 year olds came for their art time. One whole hour we got them.
We gave them the biggest task. Connect the tiles in some way that tells a story.
A color story.

We set them up with a skyline made from their own drawn and cut stencils on recycled cereal boxes.

And had a little chat about where the tiles liked to live and how they could be masters of the universe and create a place where'd the creature would be happy.

The landscape erupted without hesitation. Blues and greens and hot desert orange appeared as if by magic.

Hi Morgan.

A river flowed from a faraway waterfall in the montane making a freeway for turtles, fossils and fish.

And suddenly what was floating in isolation became at home in its world.
to be continued...

Drum Roll Please....

2011-01-16T16:40:00.001-07:00

We've finished the mural. 4 days. 100+ kids. A handful of adults.

Phew!

This project relies on child involvement, design and installment. Nothing could be more fun than destroying the school with permission! The other side of this wall is the library. We got in trouble for making too much noise. Doesn't my boy Roscoe look great in pink?!

After the children grouped the tiles into environmental "families" they began to install them, mixing mortar and using trowels like real builders. The story started to unfold.

They were quite sure where everything went. No second guessing. No wondering if it made sense.

After painting the mortar to match the wall we all stood back and wondered...what's next?
That would be revealed the next day.
Enter 7 year olds...to be continured.

Im Alive!

2011-01-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'm alive. I am busy. It's because of....

these kidsand their tiles

this space

this guy

100+ kids, their handmade tiles, a huge wall, a bunch of masonry mud, tools and alot of imagination = a suprise mural to be finished this friday.

not even I knows how it will turn out. its kid designed, created and installed.
stay tuned for the unveiling!

Color Crew - my public art project

xo milady

The Christmas Story

2010-12-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is so so so adorable. Please enjoy while I SLOWLY complete my advent drawings...
I know i promised them for Christmas - I know, but I have much greater ambition than
time. Its an ongoing problem.

Merry Christmas everyone! Make it Shine!

xo milady

The Heart of Childhood

2010-12-24T12:02:00.001-07:00

Its Christmas Eve day ...things are changing around here. My children are growing up and the sparkle becomes harder to polish We are moving into an age of understanding, deepening the faith in things unseen, realizing that we make our own magic. But they aren't totally grown up, just on the verge of dashing their hopes because of some dumb kid at school who hasn't had the pleasure of knowing the true tummy tickling spirit of Christmas. I read the classic story "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus" to the boys lastnight. The real article that inpsired the whole thing spoke louder than ever this year. Whats life without a little mystery and magic? Whats life when growing up means you know all your stuff comes from China? A big grown up sad one.
Here's to the kid in all of us...Santa lives!...making glad the heart of childhood.

XO enjoy the spirit of giving and receiving.
Love and Blessings

Milady - yep thats me on the left!

p.s. my kids and I agree that is the REAL Santa in this pic. :)

p.s.s. and just cos its hilarious , an e card of us

The Pile and the Glow

2010-12-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

see the advent "tree?"

we had our party this weekend. christmas doesn't seem complete without a house full with lots of food and children running about - not to mention the motivation to finish painting walls and clean the floors.

I suddenly become Scandinavian during this time which makes me so happy.

meaning, all things elvish and vintage white come out and wrap the house with a big hug from Carl Larson.

I bring out all MY toys.

and while i happily glitter and glow, the advent pile just grows and grows...

As we desperately await the long overdue snow.

This is totally unacceptable for Colorado mountains.

But the Cheer was on full blast as we gathered to watch the teenagers do the "robot" in front of the fire

and stuffed ourselves silly with delectable food from my dear friends i so admire!

I promise...advent will be done by Christmas...so come back for a big "present" from me!

XO milady

The Parade I Wasn't In & Woodland Advent status

2010-12-14T11:09:00.001-07:00

So, the parade was this weekend. You know i live for parades...they allow me to go public with my

kid-ness. Well, it was going to be great...lamb dog was going to walk with me, the Spirit of Christmas.

My boys would be adorable elf attendants handing out red and white striped confections and waving from white horses. My friend and her girls would be the snow angels and we'd all light up everyone's believe-o-meters to full charge.

Well, we were LATE and the stress was palpable.

the blue pear's window

Let's back up, here in happier times, my star candy cane distributor elf, Morgan all suited up and ready to go

While waiting for our ride, the lamb dog ran away! And it became quite apparent that she wasn't enjoying the stress level one bit. Scratch that. ps im not pregnant although my festive layers suggest otherwise.

The Live Nativity we so looked forward to only had a handful of adorable miniature donkeys. Sicilian, just like the one i've always wanted. The one i'd name Luigi. Mary, Joesph, the baby...all MIA. But maybe i missed that too.

I missed everything, because of that guy in the middle, you know, the happy elf ?

The hurry up stress combined with the siren of the fire truck made him stage shy and while crying about not wanted to do it, got a huge raging bloody nose all over his elf outfit...even more tragic? his elf shoe unravelled! He simply couldn't go on. So, the parade left us in the mud way at the other end of town where nobody cared i had a glorious headpiece with stars that changed colors.

By the time we caught up with the others, we found our "angels" in the nativity.

But don't be fooled...here they are attacking an elf.

Maybe next year!

Craftstravaganza!

2010-12-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

its in full swing...the craftstravaganza! boxes, baskets, bins and tins are scattered everywhere bursting with ribbon, velvet, beads and wire. by this time tomorrow i will have created costumes for myself, boys, lambie and horse for the parade. i'm going for "the Spirit of Christmas"...a twisted version of Sweden's St Lucia , the christmas goat and a little Nutcracker inspired Snow Queen. we shall see....i sure hope lambie cooperates!

xo milady

Advent 7, 8, 9

2010-12-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Advent 7 Home

Advent 8 Star

Advent 9 Wild Berries

I wish i had words tonight but i am tired!

sweet dreams
xo milady

Advent 6 The Field

2010-12-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

Monday December 6th.
The Family Field

Down the mountain and out the valley are fields still golden from corn and straw. Deer find refuge and a late afternoon meal in the waste of harvest while the buck oversees his clan. They are a family ,scattered but belonging .

xxo milady

Advent 5 Grandfather Fir

2010-12-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

While foraging for boughs and berries I came upon Grandfather Fir. He let me sit under his canopy and enjoy his fragrant needles as I stared up into eternity through his branches. Grandfather Fir said I could snip some of his branches but I couldn't so I didn't.

If you ever have a pressing philosophical question that needs answering, just have a seat under Grandfather Fir. He has all the answers cradled in his wise roots. Be patient and listen well.

xo milady

Advent 4 - Union

2010-12-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

Saturday, December 4th.

I saw a beautiful horse full of vigor and grace strutting astride his lovely lady, a spotted beauty who was clearly his type. I thought of unions and mates, friendship and loyalty. I thought of compliments, equals and how two parts make a whole. I saw the stark black spots on their shining white coats and marvelled at their design, opposites in perfect union.

xo milady

Advent 3 The Owl

2010-12-04T10:52:00.003-07:00

click me to see me

just so you know, i stayed up late and finished this just past midnight. it was a busy day out of the house.

I saw many wonderful things yesterday but it wasn't until a certain encounter in the evening that made the entire day reveal it's gift : The Flight of the Owl.
Earlier in the day we saw one of our valley angels in the clouds...it expanded across our entire town, white and gray wings spread in perfect symmetry. A meterologist would have other explanations having to do with thermals and mountain topography but we know what we saw...a huge magical owl.
Later in the evening driving home down the old country road, kid in my lap, we were swooped by large winged creature. It stood on the road until we got real close then it took flight altering its course to give us a full body show of feathers and talons.
The owl has a mysterious job - flying between here and there, where heaven and earth meet in cold night air.
We were lucky.
We got a glimpse.

xo milady

The Christmas Lamb Dog

2010-12-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

Blossom pretending to be the Christmas Goat in the Great Wood

(goat love) an adorable interlude

Yesterday's trip into the Great Wood

The Christmas Goat - Once upon a Blog (thanks for the inspiration Malin!)

Later today...Advent #3...still looking for the ONE.

xo milady

Foraging and Woodland Advent #2

2010-12-02T23:28:00.002-07:00

Awoke to a sliver of a moon and couldn't get it out of my head. This is what i'll draw today, the moon.
And then, on the way to school, we passed a glorious stag who sauntered across the road and up onto a river bank where he then stopped, turned to check us out, posing just like the fox...the animals are posing!
Something is happening, magic is welling, animals are gathering.

its not my favorite but i said i'd do a drawing a day. so here you go.

xo milady

Woodland Advent #1

2010-12-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

Dec 1.

Greetings December, you feel so different already.
I overslept dreaming of foxes when my own fox-dog Pearl awoke me with her "something is out there" talk. You see, she sleeps by my head on the big pillows meant for reading. She is my guardian. She looks like a gray fox. Husband and I sat up and looked out the
window to see a real live fox, majestically posing in the drive, flanked by dark twisted oak limbs, in the halflit blue of early morning. The fox and I locked eyes, then suddenly I knew what I am doing for Advent this Christmas...make a drawing each day of something magical I see outside. My drawing hand is rusty and in need of an assignment. I look forward to tomorrow...I'm going into the woods up the creek bed to forage greens. I wonder what I will see?

xo milady

Help from Above

2010-11-30T12:01:00.004-07:00

sir william blake

sir jujeemous maximus (kitty) and

perhaps a fairy?

william blake

sulamith wulfing

i drew a fairy card today.

after driving home in awe of the diamonds yesterday's winter storm laced the cottonwood limbs
magical
wish i could download my brain to show you
how it glistened and winked
and made everything go slow mo....
feeling the very center of moment
and feel how lovely it feels
and bitersweet longing
wishing i could stay in it
always

i drew a fairy card today and this is what it said:

                                            Fear came knocked at the Door
                                            Trust opened it
                                           and nobody was there.

thank you!
xo milady

The Color Keeper

2010-11-29T13:11:00.002-07:00

I feel like the Color Keeper most of the time. I try to not be too whiney on my blog, but the feeling is there...a deep sad not good enough feeling that keeps me hostage. I need artsy souls around me to keep me going - like i need oxygen.
Comments from down under and up over help in ways i can't explain. Thank you friends. thank you. I loved watching this little diddy about it from another artist, greg pecknold. it makes me feel good to know i/m not alone and that it truly is the artist's chore...to operate from such a humble authentic place with a bravery fit for a knight knowing that just doing it will make everything alright.
The Color Keeper from Sean Pecknold on Vimeo.

and on a lighter note...pure sweetness from This Years Girl on etsy.

xo milady

White Winter Hymnal

2010-11-28T15:51:00.002-07:00

Found some new music-
Fleet Foxes White Winter Hymnal video is so clever. I especially like that He Doesn't Know has goaties in the video.
It reminds me of red nose studio Chris Sickel's process on his blog such as here & here.
He makes me chuckle and feel like a sloth. He has 3 kids too!
My need to see and discover grows with each day.
There are so many unbelievable people in the world.
I am thankful for each spark of inspiration that comes my way!

xo milady

it's coming!

2010-11-23T19:44:00.006-07:00

her name is Stephanie she loves lambies and talks to ghosts...

sings like an angel and loves woodland tales... the how could i not be smitten?

owl in the dark

magic of the holiday season is coming, fast, too fast. when i return all will be white and lights will need to be strung, cookies rolled & little villages created out of wine corks and cardboard.

but first we have to celebrate Thanksgiving - a gluttonous American tradition full of old family recipes (usually of the jell-o variety) and lots and lots of whipped cream and gravy.

i am in the South for this event. just think of Gone with the Wind. the family is gathering. the cousins are getting loud.

thank goodness for this find. owl in the dark , a magical sweet reminder of what really makes me feel like home.

xo milady

Crafty Folks

2010-11-18T13:14:00.015-07:00

ann wood

anna willi's ethereal paper scuplture

roadside attractions jayme mcgowan fun with scissors!

martha stewart, i mean, her staff... just plain cute everytime.

ann wood 's ships and this little diddy: red riding hood

hans christian anderson 's papercuts

God, how i love craftiness! These folks take the preschool basics to the moon.
enjoy looking!

xo milady

Feeling Fairy Tale-ish

2010-11-17T06:48:00.009-07:00

Good morning. Enjoy a little fairy interlude through the eyes of Edmund Dulac.

The last picture is me waking up. I wish.

Have a wonderful day!

xo milady

Shoulda Coulda Woulda

2010-11-14T18:07:00.011-07:00

a friend's wedding card- milady productions

I had a dream, to become a self made millionaire from my whimsical little drawings that would take the world by storm like Harry Potter making me one
happy mom free to live wherever, whenever, in style without a care in the world.
my 1996 Christmas Card - milady productions

I even made it to trade shows in places like Seattle and NYC with fabulous response. But then i had 3 little children and we came to a stand off. (imagine an old western town, no one out except 2 gunslingers on opposite sides of the main dirt street. on one side Milady Productions...on the other my family.)

And when i see wonderful companies like this one Rifle Paper Co.(thanks for reminding me Make mine mid-Century!) i feel 2 things at once:

1. inspired and delighted by seeing someone doing what i thought would be a good idea

and its evil twin,

2. jealous that it isn't me and that i must've missed the boat.whaaaaa.

But then again, i look at this darling work and simply wish i had a portrait

of my family for Christmas cards. I just love it.

So, if you suddenly see me illustrating the alphabet or making little family trees with angels, i swear, im not copying! :) its a great idea indeed .

Cheers to Anna and her success!

This lady continues to find her balance.:)

New! Gifted Magazine

xo milady