Merry Christmas Moonday Freebie

Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas ~ please enjoy for your projects (credit to Lunagirl Images requested & appreciated!)

Full Long Night Moon

Tomorrow night is the full moon of December, which has sometimes been called the Cold Moon or the Long Nights Moon. The nights now are cold and long as we move toward the Winter Equinox, the longest night of the year (but also the day when the days begin to lengthen again!)

The term Long Night Moon is especially appropriate because not only are the midwinter nights especially long, but also because the moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full moon takes a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low sun.

Brrrrr! The nights are cold, but the stars are bright.

Exclusive image from our Victorian Holidays Volume One collection available on CD.

Three NEW collage sheets now available

Update: our new labels digital collage sheets are now ready to purchase and download! Beautiful French Parisian labels for perfume and soap, plus Art Deco cologne labels, American cosmetics labels and more. Click here to see all our new designs.

Coming soon! New Perfume & Cosmetic Labels

We recently acquired a sweet little bunch of vintage labels from perfume, soap, and other cosmetics, some French and some American, some antique and Victorian in style, others Art Deco. These are currently being scanned, restored, and altered to make them "just right"... stay tuned, I'll let you know when they are available!

Check out our current selection of labels at Lunagirl Images. (If you're interested in commercial use feel free to email us at info@lunagirl.com!)

LATEST RELEASES from LUNAGIRL

Two gorgeous new collections from Lunagirl: Vintage Girls & Boys and Vintage Women & Men!

Both offer a bounty of beautiful 300 dpi images from the Victorian Edwardian eras through the 1930s, including a wide variety images from postcards, die-cuts and scraps, and stunning fine art paintings! A must for anyone who loves vintage.

Why buy digital craft supples? These days saving money is on everyone's mind, and if you've bought paper crafting supplies you know how quickly the cost adds up. Instead of buying single copies of paper pictures and stickers, get beautiful, high-quality digital images on our easy-to-use CDs, and print them over and over again, on any and all papers you like, whenever you need them.

Just something cool for those of you who create jewelry: 2,000-year-old gold earring found in Jerusalem (from AP)

By SHAWNA OHM, Associated Press Writer -- JERUSALEM – Israeli archaeologists have discovered a 2,000-year-old gold earring beneath a parking lot next to the walls of Jerusalem's old city, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.

The discovery dates to the time of Christ, during the Roman period, said Doron Ben-Ami, director of excavation at the site. The piece was found in a Byzantine structure built several centuries after the jeweled earring was made, showing it was likely passed down through generations, he said.

The find is luxurious: A large pearl inlaid in gold with two drop pieces, each with an emerald and pearl set in gold.

"It must have belonged to someone of the elite in Jerusalem," Ben-Ami said. "Such a precious item, it couldn't be one of just ordinary people."... Finds from the Roman period are rare in Jerusalem, Ben-Ami said, because the city was destroyed by the Roman Empire in the first century A.D.

Shimon Gibson, an American archaeologist who was not involved in the dig, said the find was truly amazing, less because of its Roman origins than for its precious nature.

"Jewelry is hardly preserved in archaeological context in Jerusalem," he said, because precious metals were often sold or melted down during the many historic takeovers of the city.

"It adds to the visual history of Jerusalem," Gibson added, saying it brings attention to the life of women in antiquity. ...

Earrings similar to this one have been found at archaeological sites throughout Europe, Ben-Ami said, where the Roman Empire also flourished. The authority said the earring appeared to be crafted using a technique similar to that depicted in portraits from Roman-era Egypt.

Beautiful New Collage Sheet Designs!

Antique children's books have some beautiful illustrations. We know you'll enjoy these brand new Lunagirl collage sheets featuring Little Red Riding Hood, Nursery Rhymes Characters, and Storybook Animals and Birds! Click any of the pictures to see them (and more new digital collage sheets) on Lunagirl.com ... ready to purchase with instant download!

The Steampunk Style Test

Oh joy, another quiz! We know how you love them, so here you go:

Are you the Aristocrat, the Gadgeteer, the Scientist, the Explorer, the Officer, the Citizen, the Air Pirate, or the Ragamuffin? Lunagirl takes her place among the Gadgeteers (but a lady nonetheless).

To take the Steampunk Style Test go here:

http://www.okcupid.com/quizzy/take?id=6136305444342868035

What Is Steampunk?

What in the world is "steampunk" you may ask? (And some of you have).

Steampunk is one of those things that can be difficult to describe but you know it when you see it. It is related to the neo-Victorian movement but has more to do with funky machinery, gears, gadgetry, etc., inspired by the Victorian interpretation of the then-emerging industrial revolution, especially by wildly imaginative futuristic literature of the era such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Steampunk is imagining the Victorian view of science and technology into the present. What if everything still ran on steam power and was built of brass and iron and wood and leather?

Steampunk: Building a fabulous steam-powered bat-winged flying machine in your study. Airships. Steam engine trains. The Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne. Those giant antique brass diving helmets. Goggles and telescopes and pocket watches. Gears and cogs and gadgets, and elaborate machines with lots of brass and copper and moving parts and engraved instructions. Having these things in your book-lined wood-paneled study (or laboratory). A gadget-enhanced wood-sided leather-upholstered flying car with retractable webbed wings. Mad scientists and eccentric inventors. Aeronauts and aviatrixes. Curious and daring young ladies who have read all the books in their fathers’ scientific libraries. Antique typewriters and calibrating devices. Contraptions and chronometers. Thaumatropes and stereoscopes and difference engines. Building a modern device out of salvaged antique parts. Neo-Victorian dress with a little mad scientist Victorian techie flair. A corset or leather vest accessorized with lace gloves, goggles and a brass laser gun.

These amazing, working computers were designed by Datamancer.com.

Steampunk seems a bit related to cyberpunk but inspired by older technology, and also related to “retro-futurism,” which has to do with how people in the 1930s-1950s imagined the future (think jetpaks, rayguns, Buck Rogers, streamlining, shiny tight metallic clothes, flying saucers) and bringing that aesthetic into contemporary design.

But steampunk is instead inspired by an earlier vision of the future imagined by the Victorians ~ a “future” of amazing technology and progress based on steam power and brass fittings and the aesthetic of their time.

Steampunk subculture has been around for quite a while and is now filtering into the mainstream as a “style,” as such things do.

Visit www.brassgoggles.com or http://steampunkpics.blogspot.com/ for more. If you do a search on “steampunk” on http://www.etsy.com/ you’ll find some interesting items (although we’re of the opinion that steampunk means more than just “made of watch parts”!)
Here is a search for STEAMPUNK IMAGERY on my site Lunagirl.com.

Circa Arte at ZNE

ZNE is doing something cool I want to share. They have a podcast called Circa Arte which features topics of interest to mixed media artists -- art tips and education, product reviews, interviews with artists. For more info and schedule click the banner below!

If you're not familiar with ZNE: It's short for variaZioNE, Mixed Media & Indie Artists Connected. We're proud to be a member and to watch ZNE grow. It's mostly online, a great place to meet other artists and view their work, chat, discuss, share your own art, etc. If you enjoy creating or just seeing collage art, altered art, and other mixed media, check it out at http://www.zneart.com/.

unique cards from mia joli

Check out these unique, truly extraordinary cards created by miajoli at www.miajoli.etsy.com/:

The color and details on these look amazing, and her designs are truly original.

There is still time to buy her gorgeous vintage-inspired Halloween cards and tags (she even has a sale today!)...



and we hope to see more angelic Christmas cards soon! Wouldn't you love receiving one of these?

And her wonderful bird cards are perfect anytime! I can't decide which style I like best, the ones inspired by antique book illustrations or the little guys with button eyes below.

See these and more available at www.miajoli.etsy.com!

Chickadee-dee-dee-dee

There were about twenty of these little guys at the feeder outside my window this afternoon ~ along with several of their little friends the titmice (or is it titmouses?)

They're flocking up to start their journey south again, as the seasons turn.

If chickadees visit your yard, too, then you're familiar with the sound of their call ~ as in the title of this post!

Anyway, thought I would share a picture.
This photo is courtesy of the US gov, and you're welcome to use it however you like.

I wish I had a picture of a squawky bluejay for you, too ~ the quintessential sound of autumn around here!

Take a Moonlight Journey

We recently discovered a beautiful website belonging to a customer. Lynne of Moonlight Journey creates all kinds of wonderful altered art ~ ACEOs, paper bag books, matchbook albums, very cool tags and tag books. I couldn't resist sharing some of her creations. Some are in the spirit of upcoming All Hallow's Eve, others are just pretty and fun!

Visit Lynne's site MOONLIGHTJOURNEY.COM to see lots more of her altered art, and to find links to her ebay store and etsy shop where you can purchase her work.

The Faerie Queen

A simply gorgeous new Lunagirl collage sheet!

The Victorians were fascinated with fairies, and often portrayed the fairy world as dark and mysterious, not just cute and light as we think of it now.

You'll love these beautiful sensual faerie queens of the night! This digital collage sheet is available for purchase and instant download at Lunagirl.com.

More new collage sheets in the works.....

Lunagirl Collage Sheets on CD: New Additions!

We have recently released 3 new collections of Lunagirl ephemera collage sheets on CD ~ that makes TEN VOLUMES! They are ideal for altered art, altered boxes, jewelry, decoupage, scrapbooking and other paper crafts.

Digital collage sheets are easy to use: Each is a high-resolution jpg image, ready to print onto your own fine papers, transparencies, vellum, the choice is yours. Best of all, you may print them as often as you like for personal non-commercial use.

At just 99 CENTS per collage sheet, our collage sheet CDs are an unbeatable value! You get the highest quality digital collage sheets available for an incredible price ~ and you can print them over and over again.

We spend a great deal of time and care creating our unique ephemera collage sheets, to make them beautiful, interesting & diverse. Check them out at Lunagirl.com.

You can also purchase Lunagirl collage sheets individually by instant download, of course.

New Collage Sheets! Fancy Ladies Shoes

I hope you enjoy this fabulous collection of elegant antique ladies' shoes on these four NEW Lunagirl collage sheets!

Available for purchase and instant download at Lunagirl.com.

It's Monday Again!

Let's do a Monday free image today ~ this pretty lady with her red hair and distant gaze seems perfect for this time of year. Here the locusts buzz and hum as summer drifts off, and there is cool air in the evenings and early mornings. Days are still warm and sunny, but the light is slanted and you can feel the wheel turning toward autumn. While the cooler air is energizing there's a sense of sadness and longing, even loss .... I guess I'm a romantic in the original sense, who likes my beauty mixed with a little darkness, because it's my favorite time of year!

Enjoy this image for your personal, non-commercial projects. Please credit Lunagirl Images if your work is displayed online or published. If you want to use this image for commercial use, just email at info@lunagirl.com

You'll find a great variety of images of women on our Lunagirl Victorian Vintage People CD! It's soon to be discontinued in favor of a revised edition, so get this version while you can.

Check out TAH49Quilting

We've discovered another site we would like to share, this one a great resouce shop for quilting, stitchery and other sewing/fabric arts and crafts.

Terri at TAH49Quilting.com offers a nice selection of quilt and craft patterns and books, as well as unique buttons and quilt blocks. Now she has added ORIGINAL vintage 1940s magazine ads to her offerings!

Especially if you're into quilting, stitchery or other sewing arts, drop by www.tah49quilting.com sometime and check it out!

A Poem for Approaching Autumn

The poem below was written around 500 AD, by an Indian poet named Kalidasa. The English translation is by Arthur W. Ryder (1877-1938).

AUTUMN
The autumn comes, a maiden fair
In slenderness and grace,
With nodding rice-stems in her hair
And lilies in her face.
In flowers of grasses she is clad;
And as she moves along,
Birds greet her with their cooing glad
Like bracelets' tinkling song.

A diadem adorns the night
Of multitudinous stars;
Her silken robe is white moonlight,
Set free from cloudy bars;
And on her face (the radiant moon)
Bewitching smiles are shown:
She seems a slender maid, who soon
Will be a woman grown.

Cool New Book to Share...

Lunagirl came across this fascinating new book with unusual ideas:
Altered Curiosities: Assemblage Techniques and Projects by Jane Ann Wynn

"Featuring techniques for assemblage and surface alterations never before seen in a mixed-media art book (kit-bashing, wiring, egg-shell texture, casting and more) ... A fresh variety of projects (such as hair barrettes, jewelry, a drawer pull and a bird feeder) ... Readers will learn a new storytelling approach to their mixed-media art. Altered Curiosities goes beyond construction techniques to help readers discover how to create a personal narrative with objects and visually tell a story, not just infuse a piece with meaning or symbolism." on Amazon.com

What we've been up to lately

We haven't been posting as much here because we are so busy creating new collections and new editions! Just published, a revised edition of our beautiful Victorian Flowers image CD, with more newly acquired, newly restored and embellished flower images. I've been collecting floral postcards for awhile and am glad to offer over 100 beautiful new images on our Flowers CD. Over 900 flowers.

DETAILS & SAMPLE IMAGES HERE

Also just published, we now offer a Victorian Birds CD! We have taken the birds that were formerly offered with our flowers and added to them over 300 new birds images, to create a fabulous new collection of over 500 birds.

This collection includes sweet Victorian greeting cards, pretty watercolors, and a great selection of antique prints. There are whimsical and humorous birds as well as detailed realistic nature prints. Bird eggs, too! ALL 300 DPI and ready to print.

DETAILS AND SAMPLE IMAGES HERE

This image CD includes 100 Audubon birds in a size appropriate for card making, altered art, etc., but if you want large Audubon prints suitable for framing, see my post earlier this month about our Birds of America 2-CD Set!

Speaking of flowers.... I know how everyone loves the little quizzes to find your mermaid name or your fairy name or what kind of ____ are you, so I want to share another one!

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?

Apparently Lunagirl is a Sunflower. To find out "What Kind of Flower Are You" click the link and answer the silly questions!

Beautiful Birds Prints on CD!

Our latest CD release: BIRDS OF AMERICA by John James AUDUBON. This 2-CD set includes 110 high-resolution digital images ready to create large prints to frame for your home or business OR print at smaller sizes for gorgeous nature images for your altered art projects, scrapbooking, fabric prints, paper crafts, etc.

CLICK HERE to see all the details and beautiful sample images!