MudBay Images

Dancing Pansy Flowers

2011-02-07T22:14:00.000-08:00

I love pansies! They've been my favorite flower for five decades. Who can resist their cheerful "faces," luscious purple, copper and amber hues and soft, velvety petals? I know as a toddler, I couldn't! I was so excited to see these sweet garden beauties in grandma's garden that I pulled up several fists-full. I ran to her grinning and squealing, proudly holding up my contraband bouquet. I still remember that day - the day I discovered the beauty of pansies and shared that joy with my grandma!

The original lithographs were produced by L. Prang & Co. between 1861-1897. These images have been made available to the general public by the Boston Public Library, free of charge and under a Creative Commons license with no copyright restrictions. To access the library's extensive online collection of vintage images, click here.

Music with Canary artwork

2011-02-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

Beautiful music score cover sheet from the archives of the Boston Public Library: My Pet Canary ballad by H. Avery. The original artwork was produced by L. Prang & Co. between 1861-1897. I wonder if H. Avery's lovely canaries sang along with this ballad?

These images have been made available to the general public by the Boston Public Library, free of charge and under a Creative Commons license with no copyright restrictions. To access the library's extensive online collection of vintage images, click here.

Dog and Cat Portraits

2011-02-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

Aren't these portraits sweet? The ultimate in Pet Couture! These beautiful images were produced by L. Prang & Co. between 1861-1897. These images have been made available to the general public by the Boston Public Library, free of charge and under a Creative Commons license with no copyright restrictions. To access the library's extensive online collection of vintage images, click here.

"Louis Prang (1824-1909), a German immigrant, ran a highly successful printing firm in Boston during the late nineteenth century. His company produced high quality reproductions of major art work and greeting cards using the complex technique of chromolithography. Prang is often referred to as the “Father of the American Christmas Card” because holiday cards were rarely exchanged in America until his factory began producing them in the 1870s.

The Boston Public Library’s Print Department is fortunate to have more than 1,500 chromolithographs and dozens of sample books of greeting cards produced by Louis Prang & Company. Along with the Hallmark Historical Collection in Kansas City, Missouri, the BPL’s Louis Prang & Company Collection is one of the two major sources of information on Prang's lithographs."

Lucite Bow

2011-01-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

The original lucite and rhinestone brooch has mellowed to the lovely amber color you see at the top of the post. Such a sweet bow, and even sweeter with digitally replaced rhinestones!

Vintage Millinery Leaves

2011-01-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

The first photo shows the original color of these striking, dimensional vintage velvet leaves.

Fancy Millinery Leaves

2011-01-26T23:31:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite millinery leaves! (Originally in bright shades of fuscia not shown here.)

Vintage Beaded Flower

2011-01-26T22:09:00.000-08:00

Another favorite from my studio cabinets are lovely beaded flower components from the 1960s. The seed beads are strung on thin wire and wrapped around each petal of the metal finding. The petals have serrated edges that help hold the wire in place. Similar components can easily be created from the many gorgeous findings available today. The original color of this flower is the lovely blue opal color in the bottom picture.

Dreaming of Spring Flowers

2011-01-26T16:55:00.000-08:00

Don't you love ribbon flowers? This is one of my favorite flowers to make because of its vintage appearance, especially when the middle is "squashed down." This particular flower was very popular a century ago. It's also made in an 8-petal version with three additional petals used on an inner layer. Adding stamens or antique buttons in the center can dramatically change the look. I wish I had ribbon in these mouth-watering colors, but that's part of the magic of photo editing software - your flowers can be any color you imagine them to be!

"Eggsquisite"

2011-01-26T16:01:00.000-08:00

It's Winter where we live in the USA, and for us that means a lot of rain. Days, weeks and months of rain. But soon, it will be Spring! We have been cleaning up our birdhouses and reading up on what nesting materials to provide for our lovely feathered friends. In celebration of Spring-to-come, I'm so happy to share this vintage print - aren't the colors of these eggs gorgeous?

Art Paradise in Portugal!

2011-01-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

When is a retreat more than a retreat? When it's Art Paradise! A very talented friend of mine has created something extraordinary!

Margarida's artistic and production talents and enthusiasm for her beloved Portugal have resulted in the ultimate series of art retreats - "Art Paradise in Portugal!"

An excerpt from her website:

"We want to give you the opportunity to experience the creative side of the workshops, and also discover what Portugal has to offer. This is a great way to explore places of interest and get in touch with real Portuguese life by experiencing the food, wine, traditions, music (Fado), scenery and history of this beautiful, ancient European country. We are ideally located at a beach resort near Lisbon (28 km) and close to the hills of Sintra - a historical world heritage site. You can plan a wonderful vacation where you enjoy Portugal and the Art Workshops at the same time."

To all of my wonderful blog followers out there, I'd greatly appreciate you helping me spread the word about this wonderful new venue - thanks for taking a few quick minutes to check out her website at:
http://artparadiseinportugal.com/

Congratulations, Margarida, on the fulfillment of your fabulous vision!

Millinery Leaves - Philodendron

2011-01-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

Another favorite - vintage velvet millinery leaves! The original color of these simple philodendron-style leaves is the pretty antique rose shade in the bottom picture.

ABCs and Flowers

2011-01-26T15:40:00.000-08:00

A bit brighter in hue than the usual post, but I just love this vintage stencil. It was tossed in with a box of my father's old drafting supplies; he is an engineer like his father. The stencil measures about 4 inches wide and is made out of thick, transparent plastic that has yellowed with age into this lovely amber color.

The flatback glass flowers are 1930s vintage, also in a lovely amber hue. But, as always, I just can't seem to keep from experimenting... and thought you might enjoy a nice olivine color as well!

Chadbourne & Co. Advertisement

2011-01-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

I love the rich colors in this elegant antique advertising card. The original is a bit smaller than a postcard.

Kris Kringle

2010-11-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

When I first saw this gentleman, I thought he looked familiar... then it occurred to me... he looks like Kris Kringle! His rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes shine way beyond his attempt to be serious, but I can definitely see a hint of a smile! This cabinet card had a lot of damage, but I left the damage to his jacket alone - because it looks a bit like snow! So here you are, to inspire you for the upcoming holiday season... Kris Kringle in "disguise" as an ordinary patron, sitting to have his portrait taken. Now you know what he wears the other 364 days of the year!

Autumn Wings

2010-09-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

Wings! As you might have noticed, these particular wings are one of my favorites. They were designed beginning with a portion of an antique die-cut bird wing, and repairing and adding further sections to that initial image to complete one wing, then duplicating and reversing that image.

The color combinations are endless using photo editing software; other versions have been used in my blog sidebar and can also be viewed here.

I hope you enjoy these new Autumn colors, designed especially for my friend Paula. The browns and golds honor the hay harvest, and the fiery colors mimic favorite fall leaves. Thanks for the inspiration, Paula!

Gothic Portraits

2010-09-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

The next time you are searching for inspiration, try inverting the colors of one of your favorite vintage photographs. The "negative" effect can be quite dramatic.

Vintage Halloween Postcard

2010-09-20T15:59:00.000-07:00

The bottom image is a softened version of the original color of this postcard, which belonged to my grandmother's Aunt Nellie. For those of you who enjoy a more muted color palette, I did a bit of editing to change the blue tones to more subtle browns. I love the cheerfulness of this image, celebrating the fall harvest.

Antique Millinery Feathers

2010-09-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

Antique Clocks

2010-09-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

Birds & Blossoms

2010-06-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

Antique Birdcage

2010-05-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Antique Celluloid Album

2010-05-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

The above images are from an antique ivory-colored celluloid album cover that was handed down through our family. I will be posting the entire cover design at a later date, but thought the center portion was lovely enough to stand on its own. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Vintage Portraits

2010-05-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

Velvet & Celluloid Album

2010-05-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

This worn, red velvet photograph album cover with celluloid ornament has seen better days and has long been separated from its pages. One can only imagine what wonderful items were once inside!

I've made the image of the back slightly larger than the front so it will be a bit more forgiving if you would like to print both covers; the original is a bit warped and as a result the covers are not mirror images. I love the shield shape of this pretty album and hope you will, too.

Leather CDV Album Cover

2010-05-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

I adore these small Gothic style leather CDV albums. The first image in brown is the original color; the actual album is in tatters with a two missing glass rests. It makes me smile to know that this sweet object will continue to be enjoyed.

Antique Frame Border

2010-05-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

This antique image is from the reverse side of a cabinet card. It frames the logo of photographer W.P. Jackson, of Tacoma, WA and was included in an album that was a gift from Lyneen. Thanks, Lyneen!

Babes of Spring

2010-04-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Look who we found in our garden this week!

Shortly thereafter, I spotted this little one in a hot air balloon overhead...

Joys of Spring

2010-04-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

Did you know that squirrels love cherry blossoms? They do!

Permissions for this item: Please feel free to use this photo in your own artwork (including digital artwork) for sale or personal use. Please do not sell this image "as is" - in either digital or printed format. Thank you!

Easter Favorites

2010-02-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! After the last few holidays sneaked up on me and flew past, I was determined to post my favorite Easter postcards in time for you to make good use of them! I love the rich colors of these vintage cards and hope you will, too.

It's a Blog Party!

2010-02-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

It's a Blog Party - and you're invited!

February is "International Muse Month!"

Join the party!

Dogwood Album Pages

2010-02-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

I've had so much fun during the last day! My dear friend Lyneen gifted me with the most wonderful antique cabinet card album - really blew my socks off! I was speechless - which is a bit unusual for me. Lyneen loves these antique albums and cabinet cards more than anyone else I know (myself excepted), so to part with this was quite a sacrifice. Well, Lyneen... rest assured that as much as you loved this album - I cherish it even More!

The first image from the album features dogwood blossoms and a cabinet card photo of the most adorable little boy holding a hand-made bow and arrow. The lovely green tint is the original scan - that beautiful Victorian Green. For the subsequent variations, I removed the photo, did a bit of digital coloring and added two more of those cute bees. Need those bees to keep the dogwood happy!

Thanks for stopping by - Enjoy!

100th Post Give-Away Celebration !

2009-11-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

Join me in celebrating my 100th Post on MudBay Musings! Here's a peek at part of the Giveaway - to see the rest of the items and join in the fun, please visit my MudBay Musings blog here before November 25.

Vintage Wings

2009-10-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

Gothic Frame

2009-09-23T23:13:00.001-07:00

This lovely Gothic photo surround would make even the most humble of maidens feel like a Queen!

* If you would like a higher resolution of this image to print out at a full 11 inch height, please email me - the file was way too large to include here. *

Pugs on Parade!

2009-09-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

For all of you Pug Lovers out there! My favorite is the little chef - could she be mixing up a batch of yummy pancakes? Or cupcakes for Game Day?

Morning Coffee

2009-09-09T21:02:00.001-07:00

Looks like someone needs a second cup of coffee!

Feline Greetings

2009-09-09T20:16:00.000-07:00

This vintage kitty is waiting to deliver a happy message to an appreciator of all things Feline!

Marbled Notepads

2009-09-08T23:17:00.001-07:00

Don't you adore beautiful, hand-marbled paper? I'm so glad these "disposable" notebooks were tucked away in an old trunk, allowing me to appreciate the simple elegance given to otherwise mundane, daily tasks of checque-writing and note-taking.

If you should feel inspired to make your own fancy notepad covers, please take a moment to visit Iris Nevins' Hand Marbled Papers. Her papers will amaze and inspire you - they really are beyond description.

Railroad Ephemera

2009-09-08T23:07:00.001-07:00

I used to think of these as being quite quaint... then I remembered the ferry schedule I have squirreled away in the door of the car - and the abbreviated "wallet version" I made by cutting out our pertinent portion of the schedule!

Ephemera

2009-09-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine your realtor handing you a coupon that would entitle you to a $5 discount upon purchase of a house or plot of land? And, imagine the joy of being able to blot out those "Mis-fit Shirt" memories once and for all!

The Little Gardener

2009-08-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

In this photo is my grandmother Virginia's Uncle Joe, Joseph Russell Irons. Isn't he sweet with those long curls, pushing his tiny wheelbarrow? For artwork using this photo, click here.

Gone to the Dogs

2009-08-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Celluloid Numbers

2009-08-14T18:33:00.001-07:00

When I acquired these celluloid numbers several years ago, I was told they had belonged to an antique Bridge set. Like most celluloid objects of the period (such as manicure sets), the numbers are backed and edged with what is now a matte, dark amber color.

Erlanger Theatre

2009-08-14T17:51:00.001-07:00

Among my grandmother's mementos, I found a small, red velvet pouch. Inside were this lovely brass ticket and paper ticket stub from the Erlanger Theatre's inaugural performance in 1927. I've often imagined what that evening was like for her. (Her evening out inspired a piece of artwork earlier this year, viewable here.)

The Erlanger Theatre was erected in 1927 and sadly, demolished in 2007. For photos and a history of this theater, visit:http://www.buffaloah.com/a/del/120/index.html

1918 Waterfront Pass

2009-08-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

Grandmother Virginia's Uncle Joe, pictured on his 1918 Port of Buffalo waterfront pass. Has that Prohibition / "Untouchables" feel to it, doesn't it?

Tintype & Digital Collage

2009-08-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

For this digital collage, I used the above tintype, an Ambrotype frame, and cherub head clipart.

Lace Sepia Print

2009-08-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

One of my mother's experiments - sun printing pieces of antique lace. The fabric prints were originally indigo in color; she made a vest out of most of them but then chemically altered a few of the leftovers with phosphate, resulting in this pretty sepia color.

Birdcages

2009-08-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

1918 Report Card

2009-08-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

My grandfather's high school report card. He later became a physician and served in WWII.

1865 Promissory Note

2009-08-12T00:51:00.000-07:00

"Fancy Dry Goods"

2009-08-12T00:26:00.000-07:00

(blank on back, undated)

1920, "A Toothsome Catch"

2009-08-12T00:23:00.001-07:00

Shells Souvenir, 1909

2009-08-12T00:18:00.000-07:00

Friendship Postcard

2009-08-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

My Grandmother's Aunt Nellie loved pretty postcards. Nellie's parents owned the general store and post office in Noblestown, PA 100 years ago, which I imagine fueled her love for these diminutive pieces of art. This one has always been one of my favorites.

Antique Frame

2009-08-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

This antique frame image was isolated from an Ambrotype case. It holds up well to re-sizing; I've used it in both my blog banner and blog badge.

1792 Farm Sale Document

2009-08-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

In Allegheny County, PA in the year 1792, the grand sum of one hundred and twenty pounds was enough to buy a farm, including: four cows, three calves, two bay horses, seven sheep, two sows, twelve shotes, three feather beds and bedding, furniture, and the crops in and out of the ground. Back then, they were setting their "seals" to documents, just as we do today - note the hand-drawn "seal" in the lower right-hand corner.

Welcome to my new blog!

2009-08-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

For my first post, I'd like to share one of my favorite tintypes. The original is unusually large, and the photo looks as if it was taken in a barn. I'm still researching to identify this lovely family, but believe they are McEwens or Stewarts. These fine folks make me smile; I'll bet they never imagined they would one day be touring the world on a blog banner!

(updated post 8/11 : replaced with lightened photo to aid in printing)