Free Image: Little Girl Diva Photo

"Just because" it's Friday, how about a free image today? Here is a little diva, perhaps a diva in the making.  You still have a couple more days to enter your Diva image (card? jewelry? anything you want!) in the blog challenge.  I received three more fabulous entries just today...  

Diva in Purple from Vicki

There are a few days to left to enter my DIVA Blog Challenge!  It ends Sunday night.  Please go see the lovely entries so far here on the Blog Challenge page, and enter your own as well.
Vicki is having a "My Kind of Gal" challenge at her blog The Cheerful Stamppad, so if you have a Diva image you could enter both!

VICKI ROMAINE: "The lady in  purple is one of the beautiful images from Lunagirl.  In the background is a piece of designer paper of flowers and trees.  I put the stronger purple mat behind the image to make her pop and to keep her from getting lost on the background.  Some black swirls around the flower and a couple of stones give the card a shot of bling."

Vintage Diva: Cleo de Merode

In honor of my DIVA blog challenge going on this week, I thought it was time for another Vintage Actress feature.  We have so many beautiful photo postcards of Victorian Edwardian actresses and dancers in our Ladies Photos collections, and maybe you'll enjoy knowing a little more about these famous ladies of the stage.  I'm working on a collection of just actress and showgirls, organized alphabetically so you can find all the images of each lady together.

Many will recognize the unforgettable face of Cleo de Merode.  She was born Cléopatra Diane de Mérode on September 27, 1875, in Paris, France, the daughter of the Austrian landscape painter Karl Freiherr von Merode, part of a famous Belgian noble family. She began her study of dance at age eight and made her professional debut at age eleven.

Cléo de Mérode quickly became known for her beauty and glamour even more than for her dancing skills, and at a young age her image began appearing on postcards and playing cards. A unique new hairdo she choose to wear became the talk of Parisian women. She was also noted for her tiny waist which was accentuated by the tightlacing that was popular at the time. Sculptor Alexandre Falguière used her as the model for his sculpture "The Dancer," which today can be seen in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Several famous artists of the day painted her portrait. In Vienna her beauty caught the attention of painter Gustav Klimt.

In 1896, 61-year-old King Léopold II of Belgium saw Mérode dance in the ballet and became enamoured with the 22-year-old performer. Gossip started that she was his latest mistress. Because the King had two children with a woman reputed to be a prostitute, Cléo de Mérode's reputation suffered because of the gossip connecting her to the king.



Despite these whispers of scandal, Cleo became an international star, performing across Europe and in the United States. At the peak of her popularity, she chose to dance at the famous cabaret Folies Bergères, taking the risk to do something other elites of the ballet had never done before. Her performance gained her a whole new following.

Very popular in her ancestral homeland of Austria as well as in Germany, she appeared in the 1926 German motion picture "Frauen der Leidenschaft." Mérode continued to dance until her early fifties when she retired to the seaside resort of Biarritz in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques area of France. In 1955 she published her autobiography, "Le Ballet de Ma Vie."

Cléo de Mérode died in 1966 and is buried in the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where you will also find the tombs of other famous artists including Frederic Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Honore de Balzac, Delacroix, Moliere, Proust, Gertrude Stein, Edith Piaf , and Jim Morrison.

MORE IMAGES OF CLEO

DIVAS

You still have a week to enter the DIVA Blog Challenge and win a free digital collage sheet!
Here is more gorgeous inspiration from the Lunagirl Moonbeams Design Team, two pretty tags.  These tags include images from Lunagirl digital collage sheet Beauties 2.:

Petra Berendsen: "For my project I created a tag using a beautiful image from collage sheet: Beauties 2. The image is layered on patterend paper, its edges distressed with Stickles. The tag is embellished with ribbon flowers, little blings and pearls and Mulberry flowers."

Michele Storms:  "i had fun layering designer papers and tissue papers on my stamped tag and then adding the (distressed) image from the lunagirl "beauties #2" collage sheet.  and even though the "birds" challenge was last time i snuck in a little lunagirl bird at the lower right hand corner.  a few more embellies and i was done."

Design Team Diva

Michele Storms of the Lunagirl Moonbeams Design Team sent this charming card today! Isn't she wonderful?  All the elements Michele chose come together so well, to complement each other and create such a perfectly whimsical card featuring this seriously frivolous lady from long ago. (she's here).  Enjoy, and don't forget to enter our Diva challenge!

Full Moon in May: Flower Moon or Milk Moon

I love the moon, obviously I guess, and I like to include some moon lore now and then.  Did you know that the full moons of each month have names?  The full moon in May (which is tonight, by the way!) is sometimes called the Flower Moon. Obviously, many wildflowers are in full bloom this time of year, wherever you are. 

Another name for the May full moon -- Milk Moon -- has a less obvious origin. Cows, goats and other grazing animals can find good green pastures this time of year, to help them make plenty of milk for their babies born in the early spring. And in far northern countries without many crops until later in the summer, milk would be a major part of their diet this time of year. The Old English name for the month of May meant "the month in which cows can be milked three times a day"!

The current name comes from the Greek goddess Maia, a Greek goddess whom I always associate with the wildflowers that blanket the hills of Crete (and Tennessee).

Just FYI, May is Teacher Appreciation Month, Historic Preservation Month, and Eat Locally Month. So thank a teacher for all their hard work and dedication, enjoy some beautiful old buildings and learn about the past, and visit your local farmer's market (or better yet plant a vegetable garden!)  And don't forget to enjoy the May full moon this weekend if you can.

$5 Download Packs at Lunagirl.com and on Etsy

I'm trying something new, creating several $5 "download packs" that are available at Lunagirl.com and also in my etsy shop.  Actually I offered a couple for Halloween and Christmas last year and they were very popular, so I thought I would try some more.

So far I've created download packs Pink Roses, Red Roses, Yellow Peach and White Roses, Purple and Blue Flowers (violets, lilacs, forget-me-nots, pansies), and Bird Labels (such as Old Crow here!).  This is in addition to Christmas Santas, Christmas Children, Angels, and Halloween images.

Each one offers around 40-100 images, all full-size and excellent quality the same as on my CDs, for $5 and immediate download.  

It's a very quick and easy way to add to your Lunagirl images collection.  Instant gratification! (and easy on your wallet). 

 Come see! http://lunagirl.com/collections/downloads

Diva Wall Hanging by Vicki Romaine

Vicki Romaine

 More "Diva" inspiration from the Design Team.  Here Vicki Romaine used one of my favorite images from my Diva collage sheet and combined it with other Lunagirl Images, acrylic paint, and a beautiful embroidered flower to create this pretty wall hanging.  I love the different textures and the sense of movement!





Here's Vicki's description of her piece and her process: 
"The wall hanging uses three vintage sheets.  They are the diva, shoes, and fan and mirror.  If you look closely you will notice that I have super-imposed the mirror into the girl's hand.  The background has gesso which was tinted with acrylic paint.  A number of years ago I cut a blouse up that had pretty embroidered flowers.  I finally dug one out and used Copic markers to color the white flower.  The entire piece has been Mod Podged."

I hope you all will enter your Diva-inspired works in the latest Lunagirl Moonbeams Blog Challenge!

More inspiration in the Design Team posts below, and inspiring diva/actress collage sheets here.

Enter the Blog Challenge: DIVA

Time to start submitting your entries for the next Lunagirl Moonbeams Blog Challenge: DIVA!

This challenge (#2) will end at 11:55 pm on June 2 ~  The winner will be selected randomly and will receive a free Lunagirl digital collage sheet of his or her choice.

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Winner of BIRDS Blog Challenge!

And the winner of my first ever blog challenge (chosen by random drawing) is ... 

Entry #3 Sharon R!

Congratulations, Sharon!  Email me at info@lunagirl.com and I will make sure you receive your prize of a free Lunagirl digital collage sheet of your choice!  You can browse around here to decide: http://lunagirl.com/pages/lunagirl-digital-collage-sheets

Thank you very much to everyone who entered and shared their work.  I really enjoyed seeing what you created.  Please enter my next blog challenge: DIVA (see below)!

Design Team & New Blog Challenge: DIVA

Hello all ~ The BIRDS challenge is open until midnight tonight, so get your entries in for the random drawing tomorrow!  In the meantime, let's dive in to the next Lunagirl Moonbeams Blog Challenge.

Our theme for Challenge #2 is DIVA.  I'll open up a post for Diva entries tomorrow, after I end the Birds challenge.  (From now on, I'll end challenges on a Sunday night and start a new one on a Monday, so we won't have this overlap.)  The Diva challenge will end at midnight on June 2 ~ winner to receive a free digital collage sheet of his or her choice.  Tune in tomorrow...

And to provide some inspiration to get your creative juices flowing, here are two lovely DIVA-themed pieces by the ever-fabulous Lunagirl Moonbeams Design Team!

Vicki Romaine

 
Vicki Romaine created this gorgeous card, "Special Moments," featuring an image from Lunagirl Beauties 2 collage sheet.  I adore what she has done with the colors, tying in her papers and embellishments with the pinks and blues of the tinted image.  Just lovely!
More from Vicki at her blog: http://cheerfulstamppad.blogspot.com

Michele Storms

 From Michele Storms, another card, just as gorgeous but with colors of orange and brown and dark lines.  I love how the lady seems to be summoning up the curved floral lines to her left ~ true diva attitude!  (She is from the Lunagirl Diva collage sheet.)  And how cute is that little butterfly/moth, and the little heart in the corner?  Visit Michele's blog: http://artfromthewell.blogspot.com


For more inspiration, check out the Diva Actress Showgirls category of my collage sheets.  There are some "little divas" in the Children category... and of course thousands of ladies on CD.  Have fun!  Come back tomorrow to start uploading your DIVA entries, and don't forget BIRDS is open until tonight!

Bird Blog Challenge: Win a Digital Collage Sheet

Four days left!  
Enter the Birds blog challenge!

NEW: African American Vintage Photos Collection on CD

Announcing another new collection available at Lunagirl.com ~ a new CD of African-American Vintage Images featuring 150 vintage photos and other vintage images of African-American women and men, ready to print.  This collection features hard-to-find antique photographs of Edwardian and Victorian women, men, girls, and boys in period fashions.  There are individual portraits as well as group portraits from schools and societies. 

You'll also find a nice selection of Music Theater and Cabaret images, including antique theater posters, showgirl photo postcards, and American sheet music covers.

I'm pleased to offer this collection, as I've had many requests for such a collection over the years, and I hope that I can expand it in the future.
<<< Free image for personal use at left!  Come visit for more on CD and digital collage sheets!

Artful Gathering Online Art Retreats

Come check out this amazing event!  Artful Gathering Online Art Retreat is a great way to have some fun this summer and learn some amazing creative tips and techniques.  Online classes and workshops where you'll learn from the best and create some beautiful items, raffle prizes, and more.
Christina Zinnia Galliher directs this event, and it's not to be missed!  Lunagirl is proud to be a sponsor again this year (register to get our free digital collage sheet doorprize and maybe win our razzle prize: A set of FOUR ladies vintage photos CDs).
Join us for fun, creativity, and learning this summer.  Click on the banner to find out more or go to artfulgathering.ning.com

Free Vintage Image: Girl Graduate Victorian Card

I found this lovely, unusual picture of a Victorian / Edwardian era picture of a female graduate, and thought I would share.  Isn't she pretty?  I like her eyes, and the flower.  Download and enjoy for personal use!
Congratulations to all graduates ~ and we should remember with gratitude the brave Victorian and Edwardian ladies who led the way, fought to get an education when no one thought they should, and blazed the trail for girls today!

Bright Birds Tag from Vicki!

The Lunagirl Moonbeams Design Team has really been busy!  Here is another beautiful bird-themed creation from Vicki Romaine.  Love the bright colors on this whimsical tag!    The birds look like they're having a nice little chat. :-)

There's still time to enter the Birds Challenge & win a digital collage sheet...

Surprising List about Victorian Women and Girls

I came across an interesting "History List" of misconceptions about Victorian women.  For example, did you know that the average age for first marriage for Victorian girls was 22?  It was usually even older for working-class women ~ many people think they all married very young!  And get this ... since red was considered masculine and blue was considered feminine ... and children wore pale versions of adult colors ... boys wore pink and girls wore baby blue!  I don't know if history fascinates you as much as it does me, but visit the list for some more.

Birds: Inspiration from Michele Storm & free bird image

Another gorgeous submission from Michele Storms of the Lunagirl Moonbeams Design Team!   This reminds me of a goddess of Springtime, surrounded by her birds and flowers.  So pretty! Love the warm oranges throughout.

I hope you'll be inspired to enter my BIRDS blog challenge/contest.  You have until next Monday night to enter, and the winner chosen at random will get a free Lunagirl digital collage sheet of their choice!  More challenges to come, so stay tuned.

To further inspire you, I'd like to share another free bird image you can download for personal use.  Who could resist this little housewren?  He is adapted from one of a set of antique "bird cards" I was lucky to find ~ each card features a different bird, a few facts, and a little verse!

Happy Mother's Day!

New! Digital Downloads of Individual Images

I'm trying a new kind of item in my etsy shop ~ digital downloads of single images in high resolution, at very nice prices.  I have so many incredibly stunning images, especially the old Paris photo postcards, and while most of them are available on my collage sheets and CDs, I like the idea of highlighting them individually so they really stand out ~ and the idea of offering them in a larger file size so you get even better resolution and can print at larger sizes if you like (or resize small).

I hope you'll stop by my etsy shop and take a look sometime.  Maybe you'll find something to love for your next project or just for a beautiful frameable print!  Sorry about the watermarking ~ I have to do that because etsy lets you zoom the image to full size and unfortunately some people do steal sample images.  The actual images you receive of course do not have that!  And I always appreciate suggestions on what you would like to see more of...

Join Our First Blog Challenge!!! BIRDS

So, I'm setting up my first blog challenge at Lunagirl Moonbeams!  I hope you will enter!
Inspired by the beautiful work by the Design Team (see posts below) and all the singing springtime messengers in my yard, the theme for this challenge is BIRDS.

The deadline for entries is May 20 midnight.  The winner of this challenge will be selected randomly and will receive a prize of one free Lunagirl digital collage sheet of your choice (you can choose from over 300!)

Entries can be cards, tags, bookmarks, altered books or boxes, jewelry, whatever your heart desires, around the theme of Birds.  Woodland, whimsical, funny or wistful, gothic or sweet ~ we want to see your creations!

For inspiration, do check out the lovely pieces submitted by the Design Team below (and on their blogs).  For images and more inspiration, you might want to visit Lunagirl.com to see Birds & Nature Collage Sheets and my Victorian Birds Image CD, and don't miss the free bird images I've shared here!

UPDATE:

And the winner of my first ever blog challenge (chosen by random drawing) is ... 

Entry #3 Sharon R!

Congratulations, Sharon!  Email me at info@lunagirl.com and I will make sure you receive your prize of a free Lunagirl digital collage sheet of your choice!  You can browse around here to decide: http://lunagirl.com/pages/lunagirl-digital-collage-sheets

Design Team: More Birds from Vicki Romaine

Here is another beautiful bird-themed card from Vicki Romaine.  I love the colors in this one ~ the papers and elements she chose really enhance the colors in the pretty little bird picture.  I especially like the green and white paper.  This is one of the lovely antique bird cards I've found that has a painting and then some text including facts about the bird and some verse.

Vicki has been busy creating and also shared this beautiful bird bookmark!  I love bookmarks and look forward to creating some myself.  I also love the quote from William Blake:  "No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings."  Great choice!  (verse from Our Daily Bread Designs)  The bird image Vicki used is included in the free bird images available on my blog!