This piece is part of my new Ancient Archetype Series, a series of collages that will explore the multitude of sacred elements that comprise the collective unconscious.
The Alchemist
This archetype's defining trait is the act of converting some form of matter into an altered expression of itself. It often relies on a combination of chemistry, magic, and philosophy and thrives on the mysterious, and often enchanting, relationship between matter and the creation of life. This fairytale insect hybrid is no exception. According to ancient folklore, despite her cumbersome insect casing, she always loved to dance and moved with a grace and spirit that belied her sharp, pointy exterior. In an effort to increase her ease of movement and mobility, she deconstructed her outer shell to resemble an intricately beautiful ball gown, perfect for pirouetting through life.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Head Gear Print on Etsy's Front Page, 2nd time in one week!!!
This is the 2nd time in one week that my "head gear" print is on etsy's front page, whoopee!!! This time it is thanks to Spiderbite, www.spiderbite.etsy.com, her shop is filled with amazing handcrafted journals called "nightmare snatchers", they're so unique and giftable, they seriously are the coolest! Spiderbite (aka Sarah :D) is also a fellow member of the Arts in RI street team on etsy, go lil' rhody go!!! ♥ Just want to send some love their way, I've only been a member of this street team for a short amount of time, but I've got to say that I LOVE it!!! They are such an amazingly talented group of artists, not to mention seriously motivated, supportive, and driven to make Arts in RI the best street team possible, they truly are committed to helping and promoting each and every member, it's pretty amazing and I'm so happy to be part of it, thanks guys!!!
Arts in RI Street Team RULES THE SCHOOL!!! ♥
Arts in RI Street Team RULES THE SCHOOL!!! ♥
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Bunny Von Ludwig - Fairytale Portrait
i've been such a busy bee this weekend, coming up with new designs and all that good stuff, i've still got a few more to post to my shop, but just thought i'd whet your whistle with this debaucherous diva, Bunny Von Ludwig! i'll post the others later...hope everyone is having a sweet & sunny sunday, full of pancakes & pajamas ♥
available in my etsy shop♥
This is an 8x10 antique portrait of Bunny Von Ludwig, Austrian Duchess of the royal Von Ludwig family from the late 1700's. It was found deep within the bowels of the Von Ludwig Castle, located on the foothills of the Bohemian Forest...a family steeped in mystery, tragedy, and scandal. Although this is a rather innocent portraiture of Bunny, with her soft, silky ears fixed just so and her demure, coquettish smile, there was a darker, more primitive, seamier side, to this deceiptively sweet, girlish ingenue...a side that earned her the nickname "the duchess of debauchery"...a hedonistic harlot filled with insatiable desires, desires of a not so innocent nature shall we say...is that feathery fan that she's holding merely a fan...or some other type of pleasure device? Only Bunny knows...tickles anyone?
available in my etsy shop♥
This is an 8x10 antique portrait of Bunny Von Ludwig, Austrian Duchess of the royal Von Ludwig family from the late 1700's. It was found deep within the bowels of the Von Ludwig Castle, located on the foothills of the Bohemian Forest...a family steeped in mystery, tragedy, and scandal. Although this is a rather innocent portraiture of Bunny, with her soft, silky ears fixed just so and her demure, coquettish smile, there was a darker, more primitive, seamier side, to this deceiptively sweet, girlish ingenue...a side that earned her the nickname "the duchess of debauchery"...a hedonistic harlot filled with insatiable desires, desires of a not so innocent nature shall we say...is that feathery fan that she's holding merely a fan...or some other type of pleasure device? Only Bunny knows...tickles anyone?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Yay! I'm going to be published...I think?
thanks to my friend mendy i found out that i may be getting published in a new publication, somerset digital studio...i submitted some stuff back in november, but never heard anything, so i assumed that i didn't get in, but then mendy emailed me this ad from the latest edition of somerset studio and it features one of my submissions...yay! maybe i'm in after all?
stay tuned! the magazine comes out on march 1st, so i guess i just have to wait and see until i can get my little paws on a copy....mendy (flickr name "mendytexas") is going to be featured in the magazine too...i'm super excited because if i am in (hope hope, fingers & toes crossed) it will be my first time being published...even if i'm not in, it was still fun seeing my collage and name featured in the ad....can't wait till march 1st ♥
stay tuned! the magazine comes out on march 1st, so i guess i just have to wait and see until i can get my little paws on a copy....mendy (flickr name "mendytexas") is going to be featured in the magazine too...i'm super excited because if i am in (hope hope, fingers & toes crossed) it will be my first time being published...even if i'm not in, it was still fun seeing my collage and name featured in the ad....can't wait till march 1st ♥
Thursday, February 21, 2008
I'm on Etsy's front page, yay!!!
my head gear print is on etsy's front page, thanks a bunch Winklepots for including me in your fabulous treasury!!! ♥ and thanks so much Reyney for letting me know, you're a peach! ♥
xoxo
layla
xoxo
layla
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
I Love You Etsy!!!
i listed and sold my first item on etsy november 13th, 2007 (thank you Heathersb!!!), three months later 1,000 hearts, yay!!!! i ♥ you etsy!!!
i'm definitely feeling the love on etsy, i couldn't have found a more amazing site filled with the most talented, inspirational group of people anywhere...thank you so much to everyone that's supported my shop!
i had my 200th sale today (thanks kandeland!) and that buyer will be receiving a free print...my 1,000th heart will be receiving a free print as well, i can't express my appreciation enough, but that's my little token of thanks from me to you ♥
not to sound like a big fat cornball, but it's been totally life changing and so exciting, the entire experience has blown my mind and really taught me a lot about myself, not to sound all dramatic, but it's true. i've truly met the most creative, kind, and fantastically wonderful individuals that walk this planet, both sellers and buyers alike...i'm really grateful and so looking forward to all the good things yet to come....thank you etsy, i ♥ you!!!
i'm definitely feeling the love on etsy, i couldn't have found a more amazing site filled with the most talented, inspirational group of people anywhere...thank you so much to everyone that's supported my shop!
i had my 200th sale today (thanks kandeland!) and that buyer will be receiving a free print...my 1,000th heart will be receiving a free print as well, i can't express my appreciation enough, but that's my little token of thanks from me to you ♥
not to sound like a big fat cornball, but it's been totally life changing and so exciting, the entire experience has blown my mind and really taught me a lot about myself, not to sound all dramatic, but it's true. i've truly met the most creative, kind, and fantastically wonderful individuals that walk this planet, both sellers and buyers alike...i'm really grateful and so looking forward to all the good things yet to come....thank you etsy, i ♥ you!!!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Livin' On A Prayer
title of this piece is a nod to my former junior high crush, jon bon jovi, and although livin' on a prayer was not my favorite bon jovi song, it seemed an appropriate fit for this collage. collage print created with a bevy of antique papers and featuring a rather beatific image of the virgin mary, surely dreaming of her favorite rockstar, floating ethereally above a hand written prayer that reads...
"My father hear my prayer before I go to rest, It is thy little child that cometh to be blessed, Forgive me all my sins and let me sleep this night, In safety and in peace, Until the morning light"...
good night & sweet dreams bloggy friends!
♥
layla
Somebody's Darling
soon to be available in my etsy shop♥
this photo is really not capturing this canvas as well as i'd like, but i'm the WORST photographer ever ;D so for now this is the best i could do....that's why i love my scanner so, but my scanner wasn't doing so hot with this either...so you're subjected to my supremely deficient photograpy skills...8x10 collaged, gallery wrapped canvas, i wanted to try and create a little patchwork quilt of old paper with one of my ledger collages as the focal point, papers include antique ledger paper, wallpaper, and bits and scraps from an antique scrapbook...entire piece is sealed and sides are finished with bits and pieces of antique papers.
i'll be writing more later, busy like a bee filling orders, happy sunday!
this photo is really not capturing this canvas as well as i'd like, but i'm the WORST photographer ever ;D so for now this is the best i could do....that's why i love my scanner so, but my scanner wasn't doing so hot with this either...so you're subjected to my supremely deficient photograpy skills...8x10 collaged, gallery wrapped canvas, i wanted to try and create a little patchwork quilt of old paper with one of my ledger collages as the focal point, papers include antique ledger paper, wallpaper, and bits and scraps from an antique scrapbook...entire piece is sealed and sides are finished with bits and pieces of antique papers.
i'll be writing more later, busy like a bee filling orders, happy sunday!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Head Case Series
all of these collages are part of my new "head case" series. each one features a lovely, mod, big eyed, 70's beauty with a unique and quirky "hairdo"! the top row features dreaming of spring and bird brain, while the bottom row features head gear, harebrain, and bookish...and each one of these lovelies is available in my etsy shop. my brain has been swirling with tons of ideas of how i can further explore this theme and i've definitely got a few more tricks up my sleeve, so stay tuned for more collagey goodness from this series!
Yay for Poppytalk Handmade!
i've been a crafty little fool these past few days! crafting & creating my nimble little fingers to the bone has left me little time to post, but i'm back! and i'm here to say "yay, for poppytalk handmade!". poppytalk handmade is an amazing little site that curates a monthly "themed" indie marketplace, kind of like a virtual craft fair, featuring all sorts of fantastic artists from all over the globe. this month's theme is an easter/spring market that runs from today, february 11th, through march 8th...and i'm featured! i'm so honored and excited to be part of such an amazingly talented group of people...you should definitely stop by and take a peek, it's a really cool resource to discover the beautiful work of some indie designers you may not be familiar with yet, i've discovered several new favorites and haven't even scoped out everybody's stuff yet, so it's definitely worth a look....i've also been soldering my face off, creating a bunch of soldered collage charms for a charm swap i'm participating in with some of my fellow soldering flickr friends, they'll be packed up all pretty tonight and shipped off tomorrow, yippee! i've received one so far from my friend mendy and it's gorgeous!!! can't wait for the others to arrive, they'll be like a sweet valentine treat ♥ i'll be back to post a bit more before bed, hope your night is going well my bloggy friend ♥
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Symphony of Life
oh i've been a naughty blogger! not even an official blogger for one week and i'm already missing posts, tsk tsk...that's why i love TartX's theory on "blogging without obligation"...if you don't who TartX is then you need to immediately visit her etsy shop, blog, or flickr stream because they're all fabulous, her work is truly amazing with a very cool, kind of surreal, fairytale like feel to it, i'm a big fan...but anyway, her "blogging without obligation" thing is that you shouldn't look at your blog like a chore or something you "must" do each day, but rather it should be something more organic and flowing, something you do because you want to, instead of have to...so that's how i'm going to be approaching this blog, with total irreverence and freedom...i'm digging it, it kind of feels like the bra burning of the blog world!
the other thing you should be prepared for if you are going to be reading this is that i've completely given up on capitals, i tried to use them in my first few posts and seem all proper and full of grammatical correctness, but i'm over it. i type in lower case in my emails and on forums, so why not on my blog too?...hopefully this will not offend you, if it does i suggest you move onto another blog that it is more grammatically gracious than i, if this does not bother you and you are still reading...LONG LIVE THE LOWER CASE!
ok, enough ranting for tonight...onto this jaunty little pipe smoking bird! this is a little something i cooked up tonight. it's a combination of digital and traditional cut and paste collage, printed on antique paper from the early 1900's. it features a dapper little chippy, puffing on her pipe, sporting a sassy little hat with a feather in her cap! there are some hand drawn doodles along with some snips and scraps of vintage paper. i'll be listing this in my etsy shop shortly, or perhaps tomorrow as it's getting a bit late. goodnight my loves, more tomorrow....or not ♥
the other thing you should be prepared for if you are going to be reading this is that i've completely given up on capitals, i tried to use them in my first few posts and seem all proper and full of grammatical correctness, but i'm over it. i type in lower case in my emails and on forums, so why not on my blog too?...hopefully this will not offend you, if it does i suggest you move onto another blog that it is more grammatically gracious than i, if this does not bother you and you are still reading...LONG LIVE THE LOWER CASE!
ok, enough ranting for tonight...onto this jaunty little pipe smoking bird! this is a little something i cooked up tonight. it's a combination of digital and traditional cut and paste collage, printed on antique paper from the early 1900's. it features a dapper little chippy, puffing on her pipe, sporting a sassy little hat with a feather in her cap! there are some hand drawn doodles along with some snips and scraps of vintage paper. i'll be listing this in my etsy shop shortly, or perhaps tomorrow as it's getting a bit late. goodnight my loves, more tomorrow....or not ♥
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Vintage Paper Series II
Some of the old favorites are finally available in the shop again, including "bird queen", "my sacred heart", and "the littlest queen"...catch em' while you can ♥ Hope everyone had a peaceful, "easy like sunday mornin'" kind of day, back to the drudgery of work tomorrow for me, ugghh, I dream of the day when I can fully sustain myself financially from doing what i love...*sigh*...someday.
She Devil ~ Vintage Paper Collage
Hey peeps! (or perhaps i should say, peep?) Yet another vintage paper collage, I've been a crafty fool today, very productive, but my eyes are starting to feel crossed from gazing at the computer for too long...This is a portrait of a She Devil and she's posing with a haughtiness only She Devils seem to posess, seductively sneering with pitchfork in hand. This evil beauty is printed atop Miss Doris Rohl's handwritten recipe for sinfully decadent Devil's Food Cake, quite apropos...
Saturday, February 2, 2008
I'm Still Waiting ~ Vintage Paper Collage
Another collage from my vintage paper series...I'm gearing up for my feature on poppytalk handmade, so I need to have about 10 pieces that somehow reflect a spring or easter aesthetic, this one may be a bit more valentine-y (or ish?) with the flaming hearts, but I'm hoping that the gracefully swooping bird (perhaps she's a dove? I do believe doves are associated with easter and all things spring) and the flowers override the valentine vibe...we'll see... ♥
Crimson & Clover ~ Vintage Paper Collage
I just bought another antique ledger and this one is even better than the last, it has layers upon layers of old paper glued upon the original handwritten pages, but because it is so old and delicate, the glue has dried and the top layers peel off really easily, leaving bits and pieces behind, so each page has layers and textures of old paper, including tiny glimpses of scrolly handwriting, as well as bits of old recipes and clippings. This collage is printed on one of those pages and features an antique botanical illustration of a clover wearing a regal crimson crown. The queen of the meadow. ♥
Friday, February 1, 2008
Best Bunnies - Surreal Vintage Paper Collage
This is my first ever, honest to goodness, blog post, eek, it's a bit scary...I've always been a little intimidated about blogging, but I decided to finally just jump in and give it go. It's strange, I almost feel a bit self-conscious...it's almost like hearing your voice recorded on someone else's voice mail and being like "uggh, i hate how I sound!" So bear with me as I find my blog legs (they're kind of like sea legs you know)...
Here's a quick peek at my newest etsy listing "Best Bunnies"
A surreal, anthropomorphic collage featuring two very stylish bunnies, Rab & Tab...both small, both fluffy....collage is printed on an antique ledger page from the late 1800's. Front of the print features the collage, while the back of the print features a handwritten recipe for Mrs. Kettell's ice-cream, yum!...surely Rab & Tab's favorite, besides carrots of course!
This piece is part of my vintage paper series, experimental printing on a variety of old and delicate substrates, including antique ledger paper, antique receipts, and antique book pages, pretty much anything old and printable....printing directly onto these scavenged bits of paper really gives the piece a beautifully muted palette and a true sense of authenticity. You can check out other works from this series in my shop.
Several pieces from this series will also be featured on Poppytalk Handmade's spring market showcase, yay!!! http://www.poppytalkhandmade.com/ Poppytalk Handmade is like a virtual online indie craft fair, full of gorgeous creations from artists all over the globe, so I'm super excited to be part of such an amazingly talented group...thanks poppytalk! Showcase begins February 11th and runs until March 8th....more info. on that soon, so stay tuned!
p.s. sheesh! for someone who has just written her first post, I can certainly ramble, can't I! My apologies to my one reader...(hi mom!)
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