Jane Allen Boyer illustrations: So Charming

Making toast looks very dangerous, doesn't it?

 I stumbled on the first photo of the young girl sewing and I had to know more. That was my childhood -- in the sewing room -- my favorite room in the house and we always had one wherever we lived. 

Jane Allen Boyer (1875-1940) was from Riverton, New Jersey. She illustrated several WWI era books for girls. See the article I found here written by the Historical Society of Riverton NJ. It shows the book covers of her five books. Enjoy.

UPDATE: Here is a link for used copies of The Mary Frances Sewing Book

"The Mary Frances Sewing Book 100th Anniversary Edition: 

A Children’s Story-Instruction Sewing Book with Doll Clothes Patterns for American Girl and Other 18-inch Dolls"

You can refer to the link for the Historical Society above for all the other titles of the Mary Frances books and search for them HERE.

Happy Hunting

XO

Chiaki Ogada Children's Book Illustrator

Japanese children's book illustrator, Chiaki Ogada.

I found the image above here and looked around for more on google images for those below. All of the books are in Japanese so you will have to use your imagination when viewing the pictures.

Chiaki Ogada, Encounter

Chiaki Ogada, Soon to Come

Chiaki Ogada, Stuffed Doll

They are all wonderful, aren't they?

xo

Beatrix Potter Kitty in Boots

I found an interesting New Yorker article about a new book being published based on a “lost” Potter work about a cat: “The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots,” which she had begun and abandoned two years earlier, in 1914. Several manuscripts of the story were discovered in 2013 in the Potter archive at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Read more here. Beatrix Potter complained to her publisher, "I do not draw cats well." I disagree and think her original drawing is quite charming.

Hanging Out The Clothes

An illustration from one of my old picture books for children. I love the flowering trees used as clothesline posts. Notice the high brick wall to "hide" the laundry, especially the undergarments. Randolph Caldecott was the illustrator.

See all of my old posts about this illustrator and MANY more examples of his delightful artwork. I love each and every one and you will too. Enjoy. xo

Delightful Cat Artist

Franco Matticchio - "Trainy Day" 

Photo found here.

Franco Matticchio devotes most of his artwork to the life and attitude of cats. See a large body of his work on his website.

🏡Home 🏠

 

Night-Time Reading: Moley in the Library

"It’s not the sort of night for bed, anyhow.“  

Kenneth Grahame 

Night-Time Reading: Moley in the Library, inspired by Kenneth Grahame’s ‘The Wind In The Willows" illustration by Chris Dunn. via

Vintage Christmas Postcard

Vintage Christmas Postcard by Zdenek Guth. Original from The New York Public Library. I love this illustration with the angels celebrating Christmas in the snowy woods. Tonight I am going to watch Call The Midwife 2020 Christmas Special on PBS.

xo

Christmas Illustration by Thomas Nast

Christmas decor by Thomas Nast illustrating the poem 'Twas the Night before Christmas by Clement Moore. I have never seen this one and I love the mice not stirring in their cozy little beds. I but have often blogged about Nast and his famous Santa Claus illustration in my collection. I copied this delightful image from @maccullochhall on Instagram, a local house museum across the street from Thomas Nast's house in Morristown, NJ.

Thanksgiving Shopping: Beatrix Potter

I am always happy when I find another new to me image by Beatrix Potter and I love this one. Have you started your Thanksgiving shopping yet? Some of these animals are enjoying friendship outside the store to catch up on the local gossip before going inside. Won't it be nice we WE can do this once again? xo

Picnic for Mice Arthur Rackham

You know I love animals wearing clothes and this artwork by Arthur Rackham from Wind in the Willows is no exception. Offered at auction by Sotheby's.

Edward Gorey Decorated Envelopes

The publication, Floating Worlds: The Letters of Edward Gorey and Peter F. Neumeyer, reproduces the never-before-seen, typewriter-transcribed personal correspondence and illustrated envelopes between Gorey and Neumeyer as they collaborated on several children's books, between 1968 and 1969. via The mail carrier must have loved delivering this mail with the cleverly illustrated envelopes. LOVE!

New Watercolor by Beatrix Potter

At Evening’s Close by Helen Beatrix Potter circa 1902. I am always thrilled to find another charming watercolor by Beatrix Potter and this one is delightful! It is evening's close at my cottage so this is  very fitting. xo via

Hello, March and A Lamb Cake

March came in like a lamb at my cottage. It was 23° when I thought to look at the weather app on my phone but there's no wind. I was thrilled to see a bluebird checking out my bluebird box so hopefully she liked what she saw and is ready to set up housekeeping soon. Fingers crossed.

Do you have a lamb cake mold? No? There's still time to find one and if you do, here's the recipe. I found a link for this mold on Amazon. Be sure to read the reviews about putting wooden skewers in the ears and neck for stability. Happy baking.

Beatrix Potter: Rabbits making A Snowman

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 

Here is yet another original Beatrix Potter watercolor that is new to me. via

Nature's Christmas

How darling! via

Anne Anderson, “The Busy Bunny Book” illustration, 1916 (by Anne Anderson and Alan Wright)

Happy Christmas by Beatrix Potter

A Happy Christmas to You

The greeting is very faint and Beatrix Potter signed this rare watercolor with her initials only HBP circa 1890. This rabbit family is getting ready to enjoy their Christmas Pudding! See the full-size image and read the provenance ©Museum of Fine Arts Boston.

Hello, December

Last December I published a red copy of December page from The Procession of the Months by Walter Crane. It seems like yesterday. I worked outside chopping down tall weeds with my electric hedge trimmers and cleared quite a lot of lawn. It felt good to be outside. This was my third day in a row doing such. Today it's much colder and there is a freezing rain that could turn to snow later. I unearthed my snow shovels yesterday too. Enjoy what's left of the first day of December 2019. xo

Brambly Hedge by Jill Barklem - Mouse House Interior

Yes, please. Sit me down in a comfy wing chair before an open fire on a snowy evening and bring me a pie. I am afraid of mice but not those from "Brambly Hedge" by Jill Barklem. Interior design by animals wearing clothes is one of my favorite things. via

Beatrix Potter Watercolor 1898: SNAIL

Beatrix Potter 

(British author and illustrator) 1866 - 1943

A Snail and her Young, 1898

Fine ink and watercolour drawing.

This is definitely a drawing I've never seen and you probably haven't either. I suppose the mother snail is watching one of her eggs hatch and she's using a magnifying glass! I never knew they laid eggs so Beatrix is still educating me. I love the red clover flowers embellishing the artwork. There must be a story behind this artwork because it took her almost a month to complete it. She must have discovered the eggs and watched the whole progress as they matured and became baby snails. She must have been the one using a magnifying glass so she transferred the process to the mother as a bit of the whimsy we all know and love in her artwork. via

15 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT BEATRIX POTTER

Pam found a video on YouTube showing a snail laying eggs that look like pearls. View it here. Thanks, Pam!!!

August 1st + Two Legal Drama Movies

August is a month to try to enjoy in spite of the heat because once September rolls around the rest of the year flies by.

I enjoy legal dramas and two that I have enjoyed on Kanopy are shown below.

Emma Thompson is wonderful. View movie trailer here. I loved the interior design of her London apartment too.

This movie is based on a true story and the legal trial takes place in England. 

Based on the acclaimed bookDenial: Holocaust History on Trial, DENIAL recounts Deborah E. Lipstadt’s (Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz) legal battle for historical truth against David Irving (BAFTA nominee Timothy Spall), who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is on the defendant, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team, led by Richard Rampton (Academy Award® nominee Tom Wilkinson), to prove the essential truth that the Holocaust occurred. View video movie clips here.