The Midwest Debutante

Couple Held Hands for 1,500 Years : Discovery News

The skeletal remains of a Roman-era couple reveal the pair has been holding hands for 1,500 years.

via news.discovery.com

Read the full article here. I found it SOOO romantic-in a dark, twisted kind of way :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

xo,

tMD

Valentine's Day

Hello all!

I hope you have had a fantastic beginning to the new year. So far, 2012 has been super productive for tMD...but the year is still early. I start running out of steam around June :)

I've been busy in my studio, mostly trying to finish the mountainous work in progress pile that taunts me every time I walk into my creative space. Last week, I finished up three pieces for Valentine's Day. All three items are available in my Etsy shop.

Mention this post when ordering for free shipping until February 14th.

Even though I set a much larger goal for Valentine's creations, I am happy with the finished pieces.

Also available in my Etsy store (courtesy of Debutante mama-she's quite crafty too).

A lovely assortment of crocheted dish rags

And super cute flower topped ink pens (only $1 or free with any other purchase from my shop)

What are you working on for Valentine's Day? I would love to see your love (or anti-love) inspired work. Please share!

xo,

tMD

Flowers Grow on a Snowy Day and a Just Because Giveaway

Since today was a lazy Midwestern winter's day (a weekend day in the Midwest when we hunker down in our homes to avoid frigid winds and icy roads) I grew a variety of handmade flowers using book pages, felt, grunge paper, and unstretched canvas.

This Midwest girl grew flowers on a snowy day.

My garden

 

A bouquet of 2 small felt roses and one small vintage quilt pansy.

 

A pink felt rose, paper rose made from old book (middle center. and right)

 

All of the textures and colors make me happy :)

I'm going to post them on etsy this weekend. I think they would make great embellishments for a variety of art projects. But I haven't decided whether to sell them as individuals, or sell them as a set.

Thoughts dear readers?

And for your thoughts, you will be entered to win my Just Because Giveaway.

The Just Because giveaway this month is JUST BECAUSE...

 

JUST BECAUSE...

 

I LOVE TRUE BLOOD!

The winner of the drawing will recieve:

A "Team Eric" T-shirt (size M), a matching "Team Eric" coffee mug (I store my pencils in mine :), and a mousepad with fabulouse eye candy-my favorite True Blood vamp.

To enter this giveaway, comment on this post, like this post on Facebook, or follow me and/or retweet this post on Twitter. You'll earn an entry for each shout out ;)

A winner will be determined via random.org on Saturday, January 21st and posted the following day on the Midwest Debutante blog. Don't forget to leave your email address when commenting so I can notify you if you win!

Have a fabulous Sunday. Much love!

xo,

tMD

 

On Your Marks, Get Set...

START OVER! New year, new possibilities people!

I apologize for disappearing for so long, but no worries, the Debutante has been hard at work building up an inventory of artsiness for my etsy store and local craft shows.

Dear, talented readers, I would LOVE your feedback about these pieces. I'm leaping into selling my art full time and need pointers on what works with my pieces and what doesn't. What are the pros and cons that you would consider as a buyer? as an art appreciator? What is the most important advice you have for a beginning etsy seller?

I may even have some super prizes for those of you who participate :)

I created the following pieces from mid-November thru December 2011:

All Shall Be Well Photo Storage Box

 

Bob Ross Tribute (see youtube video here)

Grunge Paper Roses

"NOEL" Mixed media painting

"Peace" Mixed Media Painting

Fabric Wreath

Now to resolutions...

 

I'm still stewing on them so I'll save resolutions for my next post.

Have a divine new year.

Much love,

tMD

Halloween Fanatic Infected with Holiday Cheer!

November 2nd, 2011 was the day I swore off Christmas. Still reeling from swapping Halloween decor with a Christmas tree, I vowed to avenge autumn. How does one "avenge" autumn you may ask?

I started by not packing up the Halloween decor-I simply moved my favorite pieces to my studio (where NO Christmas decorations were allowed).

I painted autumn color schemes and collaged Halloween journal pages. I stocked up on clearance Halloween stickers, papers, stamps and embellishments. Some people pulled out their Christmas cards, I boasted my autumn loyalty. But my narrow focus led to a huge creative block.

As I struggled to find inspiration, the holiday virus began to spread. A whiff of peppermint, a sip of hot cocoa, a snippet of "Jingle Bells," the glow of Christmas lights at night, all contributed to my surrender.

Since I welcomed Christmas back into my studio and my work, I have had a hard time keeping track of all my ideas, especially for handmade gifts. My December goal is to create beautiful, unique, useful gifts made with the least amount of time and money. Check back often this month for pictures and tutorials on many handmade gift items.

Much love!

xo,

tMD

(former grinch)