A Gorgeous Tuesday...But, First, a Drumroll, Please...

The One and Only Original Genuine Great All American Tussie Mussie Give-Away

First, stop whatever housework chores you're doing and be sure you have chosen an appropriate gown for the occasion. Then...


check the mirror to be positive you've done your hair fittingly for this event, and you're

ready to jump on a table and do a little dance, just before

you join the rest of the participants ready to do a high kicking salute to the winner...

and the winner is...
Vanessa from A Fanciful Twist!

Well, that was fun! Vanessa, please email me with your address and I'll get your prize out in the post to you this week.

And thanks to everybody who entered my first ever blog give-away! There were so many of you, I'm really thankful for your interest!

Okay. Back to the real world. Or, at least the world as I live it...which may or may not be totally real.

I did finish up the little tokens for the Circus Token Swap at The Carnival Soiree. I had planned on getting a little fancier, but frankly they're too tiny for me to work very much on. I get into some pretty small things sometimes - but these poker chips are really TINY! Now I just have to get them sent off, and wait for the big day of the carnival!

This morning when I went out to walk Dusty, I discovered this vase full of beautiful flowers on my doorstep! Now, the sunny bright day was enough to get me smiling - but, floral gifts!? - now I'm happy! My dear neighbor, Beverly, had forgotten to stop the mail for the week while she's at her home on the Cape, so the flowers were a bribe for me to pick up her mail while she's gone. I would have done it anyway - but throw flowers into the mix, and I'll WAIT for the postman to bring her mail! Aren't they nice? I love fresh flowers - but have so much STUFF all over the horizontal surfaces, it's hard to find a place to put them. This will do for now ... but they look a little precarious there. Maybe for inspiration in the studio ...

Well, that's it for today. I have to get so much done today ... some of which is such boring and mundane activity that I shudder to even make a list...the kitchen floor, sweep the front landing, replace the batteries in the keyless door lock...and on and on. No, no, no! Don't the fates know that I'm an arteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeest????

I do have one final question for all of you. Now that the economy is bad, and money is tight, and we're also all trying to live in a more green fashion, how many of you will follow Joan Blondell's lead and start growing your own clothing?


Okay, okay, okay. That was bad.

Now go make some cool stuff!!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Rainy Days and Mondays Always Make Me Want to Make Art!

Hope you enjoy the little song. I though it was the perfect little ditty to play to celebrate Barbie's 50th birthday! And - really - has she ever looked more lovely? I admire a celebrity who forgoes the instant rejuvenation of botox and (for real!) plastic surgery, don't you?!
Started playing yesterday with altering poker chips into circus tokens for Lisa's token swap and Carnivale Soiree. If you don't have a clue what I'm writing about, click on the Carnivale Soiree button to the left and read all about it!

So far, I've only got the gold leafing and glitter spots completed. That leafing takes forever - and the drying time is ridiculous. But, it's so much nicer than gold spray paint, don't you think?! Next I think maybe some marabou or some sequin trim on the outside, and a circus or carnivale character bouncing off the top. I'll post a picture of the final tokens.

Support Our Troops Blog Day was created by Mimi's Rose Chenille Boutique. Please click on banner below and read all about. Seems like a small thing to do for people who are doing so much for us. *shiver* Was that God Bless America I just heard playing in the background?

I found this old fruit box label and had to chuckle. I know it's going to find it's way into a piece of art. Perhaps for my friend Anne at el Milagro Studio, as she was one of the people who took "the challenge" last week and I owe a piece of art to. I think it's kind of 'her.' Now, will she ever speak to me again, is the question!


Another giveaway to pass on the news about! I love this little heart that is being given away by Ayala Levinger - her first giveaway. Her drawing is the 12th of March, so you still have time to enter. I really like these keychains - and I believe one in black, purple and gold would be terrific! Clicking on the photo below will take you to her Etsy shop where she sells these and other little goodies!

These are three ATC's I made yesterday for a 3/3 swap. It was a dictionary word and definition challenge. So I chose "cherish," "precious," and "paradise" as my words. I used some vintage and some new dictionary pages, some rubber stamps, some handmade papers, a few dried pieces of - well - assorted vegetation - some German glass glitter and some rubber stamping. They're done and all packed to go off to the hostess for the swap. I have no idea why, but these three little cards took me about two hours to get done. I needed a Red Bull!
I just want to leave you with some words that I can totally relate to. It's from a tee-shirt, but I think I may tape it to the tinfoil I place over my windows to deflect aliens' mind waves.
Have a really terrific Monday and start off the week the right way!


OH!... and - go make something!

♥´¨)
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(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Pink *Hollywood Regency* Saturday

I've always loved Hollywood Regency. It's certainly way too over-the-top for me to actually live with. But, nonetheless, it always conjures up images of old Hollywood glamour and silver screen sophistication.

Usually, when one thinks of pink Hollywood Regency, what comes to mind is that famous - er, infamous - pink bathroom of Jayne Mansfield with the wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling pink carpeting and the heart shaped tub. But that's not what I want to share today. I want to share some photos of real Hollywood Regency in Pink.

So, what is Hollywood Regency. Now, if you look it up on eBay, you will find offerings that include everything from classic art nouveau and art deco to 1950's retro moderne. That isn't exactly what the designers had in mind when the Hollywood Regency was all the rage.
What is Hollywood Regency? What makes up this style? As it turns out, to master the style onemust be a master of the mix. The look is clean - extra tchotckes have a purpose and stand out - they don’t collect dust as a bunch of tacky clutter. Influences are Asian, Moroccan, European Art Deco, Chippendale, Dorothy Draper, David Hicks, Billy Baldwin, Billy Haines, the Rat Pack, a bit of traditional and a dash of hippie chic. (from http://blog.designpublic.com)
I also love what David Adler had to say about Hollywood Regency:

I define Hollywood Regency as Neo-classical lines mixed with Hollywood glamour and a top note of mod moxie. Hollywood Regency was a style of architecture and decoration popular in the 60s in LA that was a revival of classical regency style through a modern lens. Hollywood Regency added a layer of pattern and decoration and opulence and glamour to the minimalism of mid-century modernism.

I think that the current rage for Hollywood Regency is a reaction to the Christian Liaigre-ish minimalism that has been pervasive for the last several years. Design was starting to look a bit dour and grey and joyless and I think people had simply had enough. So, Hollywood Regency has become a catch-all name to describe design that thumbs its nose at minimalism in favor of classical references and lots of decoration. As for the mirrors and bamboo and Asiana and chrome, those are all design elements that figured into Hollywood Regency style the first time around and I think they’re back because they’re decorative and glamorous.

What I've always loved about it are the shiny mirror surfaces, the clean lines and the bursts of rococo extravagances that pull the punch and glamour into the room. And the colors that accent these rooms - turquoises, hot pinks, oranges, and rich royal purples. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise to those who know my work to hear I like the jewel tone colors - and lots of 'em!
Even though I don't really relish living with pink furniture, these chairs would look pretty posh flanking a mirror-faced fireplace, wouldn't they?
I don't think there's a non-pink color in this entire room! From the fabric swagged ceiling to the upholstered walls to the portiers between the two rooms, this place is PINK. In all caps. Probably in itallics and bold, as well. Somehow it all works. I know my sister would kill for this bedroom!
I remember my grandmother had a Victorian version of this chair in her bedroom. She called it her tete a tete. We used to love to sit in it and talk about important things. Like how to get out of my grandmother's house and get outside to play. This pink and black zebra print s-bench would be wonderful in a Hollywood Regency design with lots of plexi-glass and ebony and mirrors!
Another hallmark of Hollywood Regency was using one HUGE patterned (usually graphic) wallpaper on one wall. I used to think the "accent wall" was an invention by those designers in the 60's who insisted we all live in avocado and burnt orange environments - but actually it started long before that.
And here's an uber-fab Hollywood Regency stool by the Regency Grande Dame herself, Dorothy Draper.
What can I say? Here's a vignette with all the hallmarks of a Pink Hollywood Regency room!

Can I just say, I'd move into this living room in half no-time! It just knocks me out! And I know Dusty would love living on that lovely slipper chair!


Here is contemporary rendering of Hollywood Regency. Over the top and lavish and extravagant - and juuuuuuust a touch tacky. As Gloria Vanderbilt said, the one touch of tacky in a well-designed room is the paprika of a recipe. Even though it's simple and rather common, it's the finishing touch to the sauce that makes it what it is!

Now, really, you know me well enough - you didn't really think that I was going to end Pink Saturday without posting Jayne's bathroom, did you?!
Enjoy the rest of your Pink Saturday! Be sure to stop at Beverly's How Sweet the Sound to see who else is participating this week!

Obviously, I have way too much time on my hands today

so - go ahead - turn you and your family into royalty - you know you really want to!



of course, we all know that tomorrow morning is Ingrid's Mad Hatter Tea Party over at Fashion is My Muse. I don't know if it's strictly tea - or if sherry is also to be proffered. I hope so. If Ingrid ends up like this, we can gossip for days! (Seriously, aren't those the most uber fab stockings ever?!) If you haven't signed up yet, be sure to head over there and read about it - and find/create your mad hatter tea party hat!

and, there is another give-away over at Sandi's Yellow Door, Rose Chintz Cottage and Inspirations, in honor of her 100th post. She has lovely things on her blog, so be sure to check out the link, and go post a comment and enter the lottery!

That's it for today. Not much in the way of art to post...I've been playing around surfing the net too much today to get anything done. Bad dog/no biscuit! I'll be back tomorrow for Pink Saturday - and of course for the tea party. Be there or be rectangular!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Today's Sale for Flea Market Friday

Today I'm offering one of my vintage style mini-theatres, Marie Antoinette at Petite Trianon, at half price.

The piece is 14"tall and 5"wide. You can read more about it - and see more photos - here.

The price for this piece is $135, but at today's Friday Flea Market, it is No longer available at flea market price. This offer does not extend past today's special. If you would like to purchase this item, please contact me at tristan@manmadequilts.com and I will set up a special Etsy purchase for you, to reflect the sales price.

Enjoy your Friday Flea Market shopping!

A Blog Award!

I received this wonderful award from Ingrid at Fashion in My Muse. It's my first-ever award and I love it! I especially love what it's all about.

This is the text that accompanies the award:

"This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award."

So, while I'm feeling all warm and mushy from receiving this award, I am nominating the following eight bloggers/blogs to receive - and pass on! - the award!

Anne Huskey-Lockard at el Milagro Studio
Bernadette Ostrozovich at Artifacts
Ulla at Ullabenulla
Lisa at Faerie Enchantment
G at Doves Today
Pattie at The Joy of Nesting
Rhonda at RhondaMum
Peggy at Peggy's Mixed Up Art

These are all blogs that inspire, encourage, and amuse me to no end. They are also written by some of the friendliest, sharpest, nicest people I've had the pleasure to run across on the web! I hope you will read their offerings, if you don't already! These are artists and art enthusiasts and art appreciators. Their participation is what makes bloggerland so darned terrific!

Here, I made this just for you....

I took the challenge from the ladies at Moonlight Hollow! Now I will pass it on to three of you!

The first three-count-em-three-3 people that respond to this post will get something made by me, it will be my choice, but made especially for you!

However, this offer does have some restrictions and limitations (known at the 'fine print.")

***What I create will be just for you.

***You will receive this item before the end of the year, or sooner.

***You will have no idea what the item is going to be or when you will receive it.

***The catch is that you have to respost this meme and put something together to be sent out as 3 surprises of your own!

What a fun way to share our work and get to see others up close and personal!

A LIttle Bit of Fun, a Little Bit of Art - and a Treasure Hunt to boot!

Well, even though it's frigid and snowy here today (is Winter ever going to go away?), this picture reminds me of Spring! It also reminds me that Saturday is the day Ingrid, of Fashion Is My Muse, is having her Mad Hatter tea party! If you haven't signed up yet, be sure to click the link and go check it out! I can't wait to see everybody's hat. I love this one made out of a Paris newspaper! Ooh, la la!

This is what I've been working on. It's a fairly large (for me) 14"x18" collage - though it will probably grow in size, as I like to add things to the top and bottom of things. I've only just started to get the basic layout down. I'm using a lot of gold and copper leaf - which takes a lot of drying time between processes - so it's not going very quickly. I'm having fun adding beads to this - NOT by sewing. I don't use beads very much, so it's a novelty for now. I have plans to use a lot of them, so the novelty will probably wear itself thin very quickly.

This is just a little detail shot. Not much to see yet.

Oh, I thought I should share this totally and completely bizarre and somewhat-frightening special effects photo from the forties. Somebody went through one heck of a lot of set-up trouble to get this shot!






This is just a little Marie Antoinette ATC for the monthly lottery on
Marie Antoinette Mail Art. If you're interested in Marie Antoinette themed work, check it out! Some wonderful artists participate!




And last, but certainly not least!, a treasure hunt! I love treasure hunts! I still have the theatre seat that I had to get on a treasure hunt during college. Actually, I don't have it - my mother has it stored over the second floor of the garage because even though I don't have anything to do with it, I don't want to lose it. So it lives up there, with my yearbooks, and high school track uniform, and other assorted things that city-dwellers just don't have room to keep around!
Anyway. This treasure hunt is being sponsored by the Moonlight Hollow blogspot to celebrate their 100th post. They promise fun, and treasures - and I believe I read something about swords! Sounds like a good thing to me! So click the link, read the instructions and join up!
oh! - and one last thing. I just found this. Take a look. (snicker) You Tube of Tristan on Simply Quilts. You just never know what the world wide web has in store for you, do you?!

If you're someplace warm and glorious, enjoy your day - if you're someplace frigid and miserable, well, enjoy your day in spite of the weather! Now - go make something pretty!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

My First Ever Blog Give-Away!

I'm so pleased that in less than two months I've 50 people following my blog ... and, here I was afraid that nobody would ever read anything I was interested in writing or seeing photos of things I wanted to share with others!

So, in honor of my 50th 'follower,' I'm having a giveaway! That's right folks - there really is such thing as a free lunch! - or free paper arts, anyway!

I realize that I have Beverly's Pink Saturdays to thank for so many of you finding me, so I decided that it would be entirely appropriate to offer one of my featured Pink Saturday items as my giveaway.

So, I'm going to send off this vintage style tussie-mussie/display cone to the lucky (or I hope they think they're lucky) winner of the ubiquitous random generator.

All I ask is that you post the giveaway on your blog and link back to me, and leave a message here. If you don't have a blog, I like you, too - so just write something that will make me forgive you for not being a blogger. :-)

So, there you have it! My first every blog giveaway! The winner will be chosen March 10th (one week from today). I'm not going to set a certain time, so I won't worry about being late or early. It will be sometime after I awake on Tuesday and before I retire!

And, most importantly, thank you all so much for your interest, your inspiration, your encouragement, and for sharing your work with the rest of us!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Okay. Maybe I'm the last person to know about

Margaux Lange and her rather macabre, but totally fabulous jewelry. I'm not even a jewelry lover - and I have no interest in Barbie, whatsoever, but I find this jewelry to be amazing! You can see more at her Etsy shop here





That's it. Nothing more. I just had to share that. I am either completely fascinated by these - or utterly in fear of them. Either way, they're pretty remarkable!

Words to live by ...

Well, I don't really believe it, myself. But I do think these words by actor and interior designer Billy Haines are pretty passionate about what he cares most about! He rather makes it difficult to not take him seriously about style, doesn't it?! Personally, I would love to have ultra-refined taste...but, frankly, I'd prefer love AND money! With enough loving care and money, I'll buy the taste or be so in love I won't care if I have it or not!

Going through my ACEO's this morning, to grab a piece that has been sold, I found this one - and decided I really liked it and will keep it. Sometimes I do that. I'll create something, and by the time I'm finished I'm already thinking about the next project and forget that I really like what I'm working on. I'm especially fond of this one because I've used some of the art paper I make - and still really like after making about one hundred sheets over the past year!

I only just discovered the incredibly beautiful hand-marbled papers (and fabrics) by Iris Nevinse. I spent way too much time at her website perusing (and filling up a shopping cart!) with these lovely papers. http://marblingpaper.com/index.html

Ahhhh! Another give-away! Anne Huskey-Lockard of El Milagro Studio gave me the heads up about the give-away at The Yarn Exhibitionist. I don't knit - but I have to admit this is one luscious skein of yarn! It reminds me of a circus-fantasy version of twisted bakery twine. I'm sure the craftsman would be horrified to hear it described as such - but I consider it a great compliment! Click on the skein to enter!
Yesterday I told you all about the circus soiree happening over at The Carnival Soiree next month. As you see, I already have the designer working on the kitchen/family room to get it in the mood for the soiree! Isn't she doing a bang up job?! I still have a hat to make (in addition to the fab hat I have to make for the Mad Hatter Tea Party Event at Fashion Is My Muse!) and a few altered poker chip "tokens." But, at least the designer is getting the interiors done!

and, finally, last but not least, a final party left-over from Pink Saturday yesterday. I had wanted to post this and lost it somewhere on the hard drive. I found it this morning, hiding in the wrong folder. I have no idea how it got there. But I didn't want to wait until next weekend to post it...I love this ad! I love that Helene named her cosmetics after alcoholic beverages. If you didn't look good, you could at least get good and soused!

Enjoy what's left of your weekend ... I'm off to watch "Vertigo" ... for the 73rd time. I think I like it, I really like it!

Thanks for visiting! Only 3 more followers, and I'm going to have a 50 member give-away! Be well, be creative, be kind, and always be ready for a good risque joke!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥