Here is another new collage sheet design for New Years Day. I really love this one created with antique French postal cards that I've restored and embellished. These are so beautiful, and you could use them for other projects at any time of year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Best Wishes for 2008 from Lunagirl Images!

Merry Christmas

Hope for a bright and peaceful

new year.

Thank you to all our visitors and customers.

We wish you and everyone the very best this holiday season and in 2008!

Wishing You Christmas Joy & Season's Greetings

From our great collection of Victorian Edwardian era Santa Claus postal cards!

Victorian Floral Christmas Cards

The custom of sending Christmas cards began in Victorian London in about 1840, and in 1875 Boston lithographer Louis Prang began publishing Christmas cards in America. The earliest cards usually featured colorful flower blossoms or pictures of birds, children or angels.

We couldn't find out much more about floral cards, except that they were part of the Victorians' (and Victorian-era Americans') love for flowers, and that the early, more expensive cards were probably sent by affluent folks.


Prang's cards were expensive, and it was inexpensive holiday penny postcards, somtimes imported from Germany, that were sent by most Americans until WWI.

We think these floral cards are lovely and quaint -- they certainly reflect the "shabby" romantic spirit that so many of our customers like!


While the more traditional cards featuring caroling children, nativity scenes, holly wreaths, and of course dear old Santa Claus do feel more "Christmas" and festive to us this time of year, these old flower cards are sweet for something different.

You'll find them (and hundreds more holiday images) in our Holidays & Occasions 2CD set -- and with holiday greetings removed in our Flowers & Birds collection, to use as flower pictures in your scrapbooking, card making and art.

Christmas Card Arrives 93 Years Later

A Christmas card mailed on December 23, 1914 (same design as the one shown here, from our Victorian Holidays collection) was delivered this week in Oberlin, Kansas!

The Santa Claus postcard was originally mailed with a one-cent postage stamp to the (now deceased) Ethel Martin from her cousins in Nebraska. No one knows where it spent the past 93 years, but it finally arrived in perfect condition, at the home of Ethel’s sister-in-law Bernice Martin.

Mermaid Name Generator

Alright, so it's not very Christmas-y, but because I know so many of you want it I'm sharing the link for the Mermaid Name Generator. You'll find it HERE.

My mermaid name is ....
Zarina Nymphana (!) I am a Mediterranean mermaid.

You can choose to be an Arctic, Pacific, Tropical or Mediterranean mermaid (or merman). "Merperson" it seems.... have fun!

And are you looking for some lovely vintage mermaid artwork and images to express your mermaid soul?

Featured Artist: *spark*your*imagination*

I wanted to share some of the lovely, whimsical collage/assemblage art created by Debrina and offered at *spark*your*imagination* !

She was the first I know of to begin creating "captured fairies" (in a jar or box), and her faeirieworld creations are a joy to behold.

This is my personal favorite (be sure to click to see it larger). It's called "Her Only Dream Was to Fly With the Birds" -- a beautiful delicate fairy dress waiting in somebody's closet?

You can see more examples of her work here, and be sure to visit *spark*your*imagination* for some lovely, unique gifts.

(There are some wonderful little collage art pendants there today!)

NEW! MORE CHRISTMAS MINIS

New from Lunagirl: more Christmas minis!

"Christmas Minis 1" is 1-inch squares, and here is "Christmas Minis 2" with 48 1-inch circles.

(You can print the whole sheet smaller or larger if you want your circles smaller or larger.)

Click on the sample image to see all our holiday collage sheet designs, or visit here to see all our minis, bottlecap charms and inchies.

Poem for December's Dark

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.

"We are nearer to Spring
Then we were in September,"
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.

- Oliver Herford

Remember to put out food for the birds this time of year, especially when there is snow on the ground!

I'm gathering some winter folklore and Victorian Christmas tidbits to share in the coming days.... with pictures of course!

Quote for the day!

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

How to Create Altered Art Charms

Create your own altered art charms with Lunagirl images! Altered art charms are really hot right now. They're so beautiful and fun, and not as difficult to make as you might think. Many of the people selling bracelets are using Lunagirl vintage images.

Scroll down for some easy, basic instructions. I'm sure there are others ways to do this, but I'll share what works for me. (Thanks to Jodi Crago jodiwho of SPARROW'S GATE for permission to use her images of her work!)

PRINT & CUT OUT YOUR IMAGE
First, choose your image! I have several sheets of mini images (inchies and craft circles) ready to print and clip out for charms (1-inch circles and inchie squares for jewelry charms), but of course you can print ANY of our collage sheets smaller if you like, for smaller pictures (an advantage of digital collage sheets). Being high-quality jpg images (not pdfs) they will keep their image quality at smaller sizes.

To make charms it is best to print the image onto fairly thick acid-free paper or photo paper. Any good laser or inkjet printer should do, but many prefer the laser printing for charms because inkjet prints tend to smudge more easily.

After printing, place your blank charm setting on the picture and trace around it, then clip out the picture with some good very sharp scissors (it's good to first cut it slightly larger than you want, then trim it down).

There are several people selling the metal charm blank settings on ebay. If you search on the phrase "altered art charm blanks" you should find a few. Or, you can buy charm jewelry at discount stores and pop out the existing charms to put in your own pictures! You can also use dominoes, wooden pieces, etc.

GLUE ON THE IMAGE
You can glue the image into or onto the setting with a hot glue gun, or better yet with a good general purpose craft glue, then smooth it down nicely. Be careful not to be too heavy-handed with the glue, or it can get lumpy or messy.

A charm is beautiful with just a single image, but you can also add other images or printed words to create a collage. You can even add pressed flowers or other "pressed" items if they are very flat.

ADD A PROTECTIVE GLAZE
There are different opinions about which gloss/glaze is best. I prefer a few coats of spray-on Krylon Crystal Clear Glaze because it's easy and it's nice and clear without bubbles. Some people prefer a clear polyurethane you can paint on, as with decoupage. Either way, be sure to let it dry between coats.

HAVE FUN CREATING!
Try using an old link bracelet, and turning it into something wonderful by adding your own charms and beads! There are lots of bead sellers on etsy as well if you want to add beads. Your local crafts store will probably offer findings (jump rings, clasps, etc.) and jewelry making tools. EVEN BETTER: Find costume jewelry and vintage jewelry pieces at discount stores, garage sales, jumble sales, and secondhand stores, and incorporate them or disassemble them to use on your own bracelets!

You can also create pendants, clips, even earrings and barrettes. Or add charms to your altered boxes and books. I've seen lovely bookmarks, hip clips, even cell phone jewelry, using altered art charms.

For a very simple yet elegant pendant, simply place your charm onto a beautiful ribbon or thin black trim or leather necklace.

If you decide to purchase Lunagirl images or collage sheets for your project, please be sure to read our FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS for useful information.

Browse our Lunagirl digital collage sheets to find mermaids, fairies, Christmas images, romance, witches, charming children, Victorian Edwardian ladies, flappers, retro glamour girls, flowers, castles, tea parties, vintage posters, Alice in Wonderland, text ephemera, and much more!

Or.... check out our COLLAGE SHEET SETS ON CD for amazing value. Thanks again to Jodi Crago of Sparrow's Gate -- visit her etsy shop to buy her gorgeous jewelry.

It's all about "altered": Take images and existing items you "find" and use your own creativity and imagination to create something new and unique! An altered art charm bracelet, pendant, or clip you've created yourself is a beautiful gift ~ truly one of a kind and from the heart.