best of the best

A single sign placed on the door that says

'more crafts'

is not really going to get people to come see what's up.

sigh.

It was a very good learning experience.

I saw some fabulous displays.

Lots of very creative people.

Met many very nice crafters.

:0)

"Blue Hair with Pearls" Collage Art Doll using all recycled paper

My FABULOUS all-day helper was

Amber

My WONDERFUL friend

Julie

brought us lunch, soda,

and some encouragement.

"Blue Lagoon" Collage Art Doll

using all recycled junk mail

by inkspired

Of course, the danger of going to craft fairs - vendor or not

is buying other crafters' stuff!!!

Yep,

I succumbed.

We did purchase a very nice quilted polar fleece blanket/dog cushion for

The Tanner.

The vendor was just behind me all day, and she was very nice.

Her blankets were great!

After the show she surprised me with a gift

of a leash cover; blue with multi-colored dog paws all over it.

I haven't tried it out yet,

but I know Tanner will be super spiffy and the envy of all the neighbor dogs!

The other items I purchased are for gifts

so nothing more to be said!

Collage Art Doll made from all recycled junk mail by inkspired

Oh! Oh!

I should mention that ALL my unframed

Collage Art Dolls

are on a super discount sale

for the month of October!

Each unframed CAD is only

$15 each

:0)

"Mermaid Fashionista"

unframed Collage Art Doll by inkspired

I have decided that this needs to be a 'Mermaid Monday'.

I purchased the neatest (American slang for really cool) collage mermaid on etsy.

"sleeping mermaid" by www.EKM79.etsy.com

I purchased a couple more of her collages for gifts.

Wow, does this woman have talent!

Her collages are very different from mine,

don't you think?

"Long and Lean" Collage Art Doll by inkspired

NEWS FLASH

I have changed the settings on my blog!

You can now easily leave comments

WITHOUT HAVING TO SIGN UP FOR ANYTHING!!!

This makes it much easier for you to leave me feedback!

Comment!

Send me a favorite poem or quote!

Let me see your favorite recipes!

If you note in the comment that it is okay,

I will be happy to post as many as I can!

See your name in

inkspiredmusings' blog!!!!!

oooh, ahhh. oooh, ahhh.

recycled bottlecap magnet with all recycled junk mail by inkspired!

Time for a little mermaid fun!

Coloring fun -

stained glass look Little Mermaid from Dover Books

a little mermaid humor -

vintage illustration

Some mermaid hippie art -

"Marisa Mermaid"

some cross stitch mermaid crafting -

and let's finish with just a bit of mermaid Tattoo Art -

Thanks for listening to my Craft Fair Tirade.

I really can't end without thanking

Michael

my most wonderful husband

who patiently puts up with my last minute jitters,

goes to the office supply store the night before

to pick up some things I have forgotten,

runs to the credit union to get cash for my money box,

gets up at 6am to help me do last minute stuff,

follows me to the Craft Fair and helps unload all my things,

(Did you notice this was all BEFORE 7am?)

shows up at the end of the Fair to help me load all my things,

and generally for just being an all around super duper person!

Thanks!!

I also want to thank my most patient son

Peter

who had just moved two days before,

and still got up and arrived at my house

BEFORE 7am!!!

He was a great help in unloading my stuff at the fairgrounds.

He has always been very supportive of my art,

which is just such a huge gift on his part!

(He also thinks I'm slightly crazy, but oh well!)

oops,

I almost forgot to thank

Pam

who helped me get my things ready for the Fair,

and stuffed many a plastic bag with art and descriptions and business cards.

Saved me loads of time!

Well, before this gets too goopy, I better sign off!

I hope you have enjoyed some Mermaid sightings today!

inkspired

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

Monday, 29 August 2011

A Mermaid Monday

aloha

[Hawaiian for hello]

a fun series of digitally altering famous people into other things,

like a merman - Jim Carrey

Today is a mermaid kind of day.

I'm hoping to see the mermaids in the new Pirates of the Caribbean soon.

I like unusual mermaids,

and pretty mermaids.

You can leave me out when it comes to

'let's make an almost pornographic image/photo/painting,

pop it into a mermaid costume and call it a mermaid' arena.

I don't particularly like ugly mermaids either.

You know, the scary ones with weird gill things going on

and talons instead of fingers.....

let's have a "nice" mermaid day today!

One of my mermaid Barbies. I try to collect them whenever I can.

very sorry, unknown artist

Do you know who painted this? Let me know:

www.RoundRobinFabrics.etsy.com

"Mermaid Sighting"

Anne Hathaway

No decent mermaid day would be complete

without a lovely Liana's mermaid costume:

These are from her Paper Boutique line of paper dolls.

These next costumes fit her newer dolls, facing to the left.

Why not get out just a few beads, and make up this quickie mermaid pattern?

'Mermaid Mini'

Get out a few more beads,

take some more time, and make this 'down under' mermaid:

"I'm tired of all this nonsense

about beauty being only skin deep.

That's deep enough.

What do you want -

an adorable pancreas?"

- Jean Kerr

a Laurel Birch mermaid fabric, made into pincushion,

a Heritage stencil

These mermaids are all hand painted!

www.GlassGemsbyChristine.etsy.com

These next mermaids are just a few of the

Collage Art Doll Mermaids that I have made.

I use all recycled junk mail to create and hand cut

my costumes, tails, purses, hair, etc.

I have so much fun making these, it hardly seems like working!

"Blue, blue mermaid"

by inkspired

"Shopping for Lunch" mermaid

Collage Art Doll by inkspired

"Mermaid Pearls" original Collage Art Doll by inkspired

"Blue Hair With Pearls"

Collage Art Doll Mermaid by inkspired

"Lagoon Pearls" Collage Art Doll original

"Seriousness is the only refuge

of the shallow."

- Oscar Wilde

Mermaid Lagoon Limited Edition pin, Disney, from 'Peter Pan'

Mermaid pin by Kati Savage

Mermaid in Art Deco style

vintage cover of Life magazine

photo by Rene Maltete

original painting by joojoo, etsy

'Mermaid in the Sea' pincushion by http://www.pattidolls.etsy.com/

Mermaid musings...

enough for a little while!

Is there a subject you would like me to cover?

Let me know

"Everything you can imagine

is real."

- Pablo Picasso

sending calming breezes and mermaid good wishes your way,

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

Saturday, 4 June 2011

Mermaid Musings

Hello!

Let's have some Mermaid musings today!

So what is my fascination with mermaids?

I suppose I would like the ability to swim in the ocean -

the freedom -

the ocean life -

the seashells -

the beauty of all things that surround mermaids.

I really don't like it when movies portray mermaids as ugly, or cannibalistic or revengeful.

That destroys the fantasy of it all!

Besides, mermaids get to play with pearls,

and sunken treasures,

and pretty fish,

and beautiful seashells,

and all sorts of wonderful things!

Miss Universe competition, Miss Dominican Republic

Today's blog is for fun and fantasy!

vintage illustration

Oh yes, and as for all that

'luring men to their death' business,

you just have to remember:

Mermaids just wanna' have fun!

Ned Land, singing in '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea':

"Got a whale of a tale to tell ya lads,

a whale of a tale or two,

'bout floppin' fish and the girls I've loved

on nights like this with the moon above.

A whale of a tale and it's all true,

swear by my tattoo.

There was Mermaid Minnie;

met her down in Madagascar.

She would kiss me anytime that I would ask her.

Then one evening her flame of love blew out-

Blow me down and pick me up,

she swapped me for a trout!"

1950's pin up mermaid!

I know I have posted Ned's song before,

but I enjoy it so much!

Did you sing along as you read the words?

I always do!

I apologize for not having credits for many of my mermaid clip and art. I gathered these before I realized about giving credit, etc.

I am always very willing to give credit for any art that shows up on my blog. Just e-mail me with the info, and I will post.

"The free

Mighty, music-haunted sea."

- Anna Katharine Green

'Mirabilia' Mermaid Queen xstitch

'Sea Fire' mermaid sconce

'Water Goddess' figurine

Fishing Lure Mermaid

"When a person knows who she really is,

once she understands her true wild oceanic self,

she discovers her

Old Mermaid self."

- Myla Alvaraz,

from 'Church of the Old Mermaids'

Some mermaid coloring pages:

Disney's Ariel, 'Little Mermaid'

vintage clip

Dover, from a stained glass mermaid book

The Mermaid

Who would be a mermaid fair,

Singing alone, combing her hair,

Under the sea,

In a golden curl

With a comb of pearl,

On a throne?

I would be a mermaid fair;

I would sing to myself the whole of the day;

with a comb of pearl I would comb my hair;

And still as I comb'd I would sing and say,

"Who is it loves me?

Who loves me not?...

-Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson

by Warwick Goble

unknown artist

A Japanese advertisement

This next mermaid is found in Costa Rica.

She disappears at high tide.

This mermaid (girl in a wetsuit) is Vancouver, Canada's version

of Copenhagen's Little Mermaid.

Here is a mermaid statue in Warsaw, Poland:

Here is a couple of my mermaid Collage Art Dolls.

You can find more for sale in my etsy store:

Well, that is it for today.

I so enjoyed visiting mermaids today!

Have a fantastical day!

inkspired