Here are some photos from around the studio today. No beauty shots, just some snaps of how it looks right now.
Wide shot of the studio. Click to view larger.
Bookcase full of old books. Some I will keep and some will be made into journals or other projects. That's the leg of my tripod extending into the picture.
Top of the bookcase with two small collages, one completed and one in progress. I found the two small polka dotted feathers on a walk yesterday afternoon.
Bulletin board 
Recent purchases.
Piano rolls.
Three shoe boxes full of dirty old postcards from a railroad company in the early 1900s. I use these for the Vintage Index Card gift tag sets. (The boxes are cool too.)
Vintage sewing patterns
Office supplies, vintage and otherwise. Many thanks to my sister for the thumb tacks, brads, etc. in the cool vintage boxes.
Stack of old ledgers from the turn of the century. From a dry goods company down South. These are 10" x 14" each and very thick, filled with beautiful handwriting.
French titles.
Stack of old atlases, photo albums and a bundle of letters from Cecil Quackenbush to his mother. He was a rounder and a rambler--traveled around the West and Southwest picking up jobs as a movie extra in early silent Westerns, a ranch hand and a laborer. He wrote faithfully to his mother in Indiana wherever his ramblings took him.
And finally, Ellie, the (other) love of my life. 
Hope you've enjoyed the tour. A memento of my life and studio at a singular moment in time.
Sharon
I shot some photos for my friend Jen earlier this week. The lovely (in every way) Julie Malone was kind enough to model. Here are a few of them (click for larger view):
I'm slowly learning to use my new camera more effectively and my Photoshop skills are improving.
Jen's beautiful cashmere pieces can be found here.
Sharon
I have a confession to make. My neighborhood is ugly in the winter. There, I said it. Rows of red brick buildings, sooty ice and snow on the ground, the trees bare...but my neighborhood sings in the Spring. Flowers everywhere! Trees blooming and then leafing out in green. And a healthy dose of pride of ownership in evidence. I wish Spring could last longer, but perhaps its fleeting nature is what makes it so sweet. As always, click on any pic for a larger view.
Pretty border
Lots of old-fashioned flowers, befitting a neighborhood and houses over 100 years old.
Shade garden
Michael and I looked at this house when it went up for sale. It was ultimately purchased by a young couple who are doing great things with it.
Streetscape looking toward Grand.
Our house with lilac, redbud and dogwood in bloom.
Last summer (has it been two summers ago?), I visited my old friend Melissa at her home in Ohio. Melissa and I go way back. We grew up across the street from each other in Indiana and I've known her since we were both 3 years old, making her my oldest friend. I hadn't seen her for years when she emailed with an invitation to come and visit. It was a nice trip. I love the little village where she lives and I had no idea that part of the country is so beautiful. And her husband is an antiques dealer, so her beautiful turn-of-the-century home is filled with treasures.
I meant to blog about the trip, but never got around to it. I ran across these photos on my computer and rather liked them, so I decided to do it now. I hope you enjoy it.
Melissa's home. I'm not sure when it was built, but I know it was in the 1800s.
A fallen apple from the tree in her front yard
Melissa tending her sumptuous garden
Abandoned farmhouse down the road from Melissa's home.
Cemetery in the village of Shandon. I have a thing for cemetaries, especially old ones like this.
Strange old photo in tramp art frame
Tramp art box 
Collection of Union cases. I collect these as well. Inscription reads:
Elizabeth Spofford
b. 1765 d. 1849 m. 1783
to Justin Cole of Dalton
Mass. a Rev. Soldier
for Betty
Velvet crazy quilt throw pillow on vintage wicker settee
Dried seed pods from Melissa's garden
The Ohio countryside. Do you see what I mean about this part of the country being beautiful? Click for a larger view.
If you live within a state or two, this area is worth visiting. It is gorgeous, pastoral and historic with excellent flea markets and antiquing. And Cincinnati is close by. A good Midwestern trip.
Sharon
