Masque of Days by Walter Crane

Original Cover

Edited for Fun

I've always loved the elegant illustrations of Walter Crane, and this lovely lady from The Masque of Days seems perfect for the upcoming Holidays.  I posted here a nice, high resolution version of the frontispiece both with the original text and with the text edited out so you can add your own holiday greetings.

Creepy Spiders for Halloween

Here's a fantastic Halloween Freebie...Hairy Scary Spiders!

Beautiful Cigar Label

I stumbled across these gorgeous cigar labels the other day and thought I'd share.  This is one of my favorites...I think the label says it all!

Isn't she lovely?

The Lure of the Sea...

Nautical Rounds on Passion Fruits!

I've come across an amazing trove of vintage images lately and these are some of my very favorite.  Ancient ships, compasses and anchors, even a mermaid in the same style!

 

It's getting hot in here...

If this office was a hot air balloon we'd be soaring!  Speaking of which, here is a fantastic little snippet of Hot Air Balloon Ephemera...

I've kept the vintage patina on this piece...I think it adds to the charm!

Squid-deliciousness!

Some five years ago I picked up a book about Giant squids at the used book store.  It was long before the Japanese managed to photograph one in the deep water and all the stories were steeped in legend and mystery.  Giant Squid were categorized alongside Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.  Today we know better, but there is still something captivating about the notion of exotic sea creatures living in a deep sea world we can barely comprehend.

And this is what inspired me to create...

A cephalopods photoshop brush set!  Oh, my the squidly delights!

And since this blog is all about the free and beautiful, here is a one of these squiddies for your artistic pleasure.  Enjoy!

A month of moving...

Just last night David and I unloaded what we hope will be the last Cargo Van full of furniture we will see for a while.  All the driving back and forth to Chicago has eaten my blog time, but I'm back once again with delicious treats for one and all.

Here is a refreshing cocktail in celebration of our successful move.  Cheers!