Sans Reproche

I am amazed by the intricate details of this antique book. It is a Value Village find, Sans Reproche by Edmond Coz, circa 1913, although the Art Nouveau styling leads me to presume it's actually from the late 1800s.

Look at the stunning black and red cover art, with the misregistration of the black outlines over gold floral. That star pattern below the title gives me fabric collection coordinate ideas. Plus the book has gilded pages.

The flyleaf inscription even boasts this elegant handwriting! I feel like every time I turn the page of an antique book I am flinging open another door to clues of social and stylistic history--what a treasure hunt.

An Old Fashioned Girl

 I found this 1963 edition of An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott at a local thrift store for $0.25. It was illustrated by Dan and Norma Garris. Alcott has such a talent for selecting descriptive words, and there is a sweetness to all her writing. This is a coming of age story of a girl named Polly and her humble, pleasant life.

This name was written on the inside cover...doesn't it perfectly suit?

The Sugar Plum Fairy's Adventure

This is my children's book cover illustration in response to a contest prompt from Lilla Rogers Studio. You may have noticed the little Make Art That Sells image on the side of my blog. I'm thrilled to say that I am taking MATS A & B, Assignment Bootcamp, and Creating Collections for Home Décor, which will bring me into fall 2017 with creative goodness! I'll probably be sharing some of my projects here and there along the way, so stay tuned! Here goes a long-awaited artistic adventure!

Good Wives

 Who knew Little Women had a sequel? 

 Well this lovely vintage edition proves that it in fact does!

 I love the pansy-covered blue and yellow cover illustrations--pure spring cheer!

 Now it's just beckoning for me to read it in this lovely wedding season...