Winners of the Christmas Giveaway's

Happy Saturday to Everyone,

Just a quick post to tell you who the winners of my Christmas Giveaway are:  I used the Random Generator and the winner of the Christmas Angel/gift tags is #13 Victoria of  Slightly Shabby.  The second place winner of my handmade decoupaged Christmas ornament/gift tags is # 17 Lise B of Bombalablabla.

If you will send me your address at klfranklin60@gmail.com I will ship your gifts to you!  Congratulations!!

I wish I could have given each and every one of you a Christmas gift...I do so appreciate all of the lovely comments and visits to my blog...they mean a great deal to me!  I know every one is busy with life, children, home and work so the fact that you take the time to stop by is very important to me.

Have a lovely day!

Christmas Ornaments

I've been checking out websites with unusual Christmas ornaments and came up with what I think are some pretty unusual ones.  Because I've been searching for ornaments for a couple of days I failed to write down a few of the sources so I can't tell you where they came from.  Toss it up to the aging process!  Ha  Let me know what you think!

Source via ~ http://oisoioi.com/

http://www.villamaison.com

Source via ~ ?

Source via ~ ?

Source via ~ Trying to find out where I saw this?

Source via ~ http://en.housedoctor.dk/-/christmas decor

Source via ~ http://www.eden.co.uk
Love these ~ 

Source via  ~ http://villamaison.com

Source via ~  I can't remember where I found this?

Source via ~
 http://www.countrybymail.co.uk

Source via ~ http://www.countrybymail.co.uk

Source via ! http://www.countrybymail.co.uk

Carl Larsson

After purchasing a box of Christmas cards printed with copies of Swedish Painter and Artist, Carl Larsson's paintings I wanted to do a bit of research on him.  I am fascinated by his paintings and his biography.  Follow beneath the picture to read about him. It's a brief bio and won't take to much of your time.  :)

Source via ~ Google Images


Carl Larsson (1853-1919), Artist, painter

Carl Larsson is well-known far outside his home country's borders and is rightly regarded as Sweden's national painter.

Today we know that the evocative images were created by a grieving man in perpetual conflict with himself. For since his childhood in Stockholm's poor working-class neighbourhoods Carl Larsson fought to get rid of the rotten environment and find happiness.

He partially reached his goal. For his time Carl Larsson was, from the outsider's point of view a symbol of the ideal family man who lovingly portrayed his wife and children at their home in Sundborn.

But this was a glossy image he created of himself. Although, his surroundings as an adult radiated happiness his inner self was marked for life by a series of unfortunate events. Childhood desolation, little brother's premature death and his girlfriend's death during the birth of his first child was painful memories, which at times made him torn, depressed and touchy.

Carl Larsson gained recognition by displaying life when it is most beautiful. And not until the autobiography "Jag", which appeared 12 years after his death, he made up the myth of his uncomplicated existence. This helped to understand the greatness and depth of his art: Only he, who knows the shady side, can see and show the sunny  so convincingly.

Carl Larsson is perhaps of all Scandinavian artists the one who enjoy the greatest reputation in the world. From all sides there are bids for his art, when one of the works occasionally comes under the hammer at one of the recognized auctions such as Sotheby's or Christie's London.

More of his works ~  Source via ~ Google Images Source via ~ Google Images Source via ~ Google Images Source via ~ Google Images Source via ~ Google Images Source via ~ Google Images I hope you enjoyed this brief biography on Carl Larsson.  I think his paintings have a magical and beautiful Old World feel to them.  I can't wait to get my Christmas cards.  :)  What do you think?