My Mother, Myself

Month of Daily Downloads No. 29+

And of course, gotta play with it a bit ....

Mes amies,
Today is the last day of my month of daily downloads. Grab 'em while you can!:)

Interestingly, I started this bonus month with an American Valentine and I'm ending with a card mailed in England. BUT there's been beaucoup French stuff in between.ha! As my sister-in-law would say, "It's all good."

The above image is so elegant, so stunning, so rich in meaning (all those 'mother issues' we see when we look in the mirror) .... and the message on the back, mailed in 1910, is a real hoot:
Dear Elsie, I am now in the train. I will not tell you what it is like in Hall because I am writing in the train. Give my love to E & V. Hettie


Along with a reminder to ENTER THE CONTESTS (See info at very top of the Blog), 
I want to end this month of daily downloads with a sincere and humble Thank You!
As I've investigated other sites on the web, it's obvious that there is a plethora of free antique images for you to use in your art. The fact that you are willing to pay for FrenchKissed images is something I am most grateful for.
Living in a town of 400, five miles from a town of about 7,000, where the economy is based on fruit picking and tourism, you can image that job opportunities are scarce around here. There is no way I could make a living picking fruit -- especially if it were cherries or blueberries. I would be fired within a day, walking away with a pink slip and red lips (or blue teeth:)
As for dealing with tourists all day ... at minimum wage? That's a Ha! to the 10th power squared by two....
No tourists, no fruit picking.
"FrenchKissed" is my job and my obsession. Merci beaucoup for all your support, financial and emotional. I love to read your comments!
I'm looking forward to receiving the "Love Me Two" challenge entries. As for the "Kissed Again!" contest, I'm still ruminating on what the prizes will be..... Stay tuned and keep creating! I'll see you in a few days. You know I can't stay away for long....

Fade Away to Black

Month of Daily Downloads No. 28+

Today's freebie is a tribute to Coles Phillips, an American artist I learned about from one of my new customers, Mary of Spokane. I had never heard of Phillips before but he is known for what is called the "fade-away" style in art. The minute I read that term -- fade-away -- a light bulb went off in my head and I thought: Yes!! A perfect way to describe this style of French postcard!

You may not have heard of Phillips either, but once you see his art, you'll pick it out of the crowd. Here is a 1910 cover of Life magazine featuring his art:

The above image is from the Library of Congress and below is a cutout from a screen shot doing a Google search of Coles Phillips' images.

According to Wiki, Phillips was born in October 1880 and sadly, he died quite young from tuberculosis of the kidney (!) at age 47 in June 1927. While we might simply think of this as an art style,  Wiki's article is most interesting, pointing out the money-saving benefits! 

Phillips' use of negative space allowed the viewer to "fill-in" the image; it also reduced printing costs for the magazine, as "the novelty of the technique and the striking design qualities masked the fact that Life was getting by with single color or two-color covers in a day when full-color covers were de rigueur for the better magazines". 

Now, my French postcard was mailed in April 1915. So I'm not sure if the postcard designer was imitating Coles Phillips or if he got his idea from the postcards?  I have blogged before about Mary Engelbreit's style mimicing a 1930s Italian artist named Bertiglia. Whichever came first, the chicken or the egg, we may never know, but I certainly like to think that you get a lot of your bright ideas and inspirations from what you see in postcards:) 

Below is a 'warmer' toned version of my fade-away. Although I have left the hand-painted gold leaf design on the woman's dress, I'm guessing that you will print this out and cover that gold up with your own lace or ribbon.

This image makes me think of the new movie that's out, The Artist, a (mostly) silent film made in black and white. The French romantic comedy has nabbed many awards and I'm looking foward to seeing it!

Hmm... I suppose I should have saved this post till tomorrow, which will be my last daily download for February. Because after tomorrow, this blog is going to fade away to black.....for a little while anyway. You're going to be busy entering my contests and I'm going to be busy recuperating!:) But ... I've still got to post more details about the Kissed Again! contest -- such as the prizes. So will definitely see you tomorrow!

Foxy Girl

Month of Daily Downloads No. 27

Momma called her Curls
But the fox called her cruel.

I really like Curls, but I had to get that out of my system and speak up in the fox's behalf....

I love those two curls. A statement perhaps to Momma, with whom she has a good relationship but ... Curls has to show in little ways that she is her own person. Yes, she's prim and proper like a good little girl should be.
But ..
Those curls.
And not just one.
But two. 
Just a hint at what was bubbling up in her soul.

Momma has a flyer, advertisement or something rolled up in her hand. Do you think it was a girls' day out, circa 1905 perhaps, and while window shopping, they decided on impulse to dart into a photography studio?
Unfortunately, my postcard offers no information about this couple, who I am assuming are mother and daughter. The printer R. Guilleminot, Boespflug et Cie., did have a Paris address of  22 Rue de Chateaudun (thanks to www.greatwar-photos.org). Today, that address is home to a beauty spa and salon, Le Comptoir Paris Marrakech (Marrakesh as we would say, as in that famous song "Marrakesh Express"). And yes, they also sell crafts/imports from Marrakesh.
Momma could get a manicure and Curls could get facial .... Just don't touch the curls!

That Little Woman There!

Month of Daily Downloads No. 26

Here is another postcard perfect for an ATC background. It has some stains on it for an authentic "antique" look. More chic than shabby. The bottom scan is the original version but sometimes I think the vintage 'beige' looks too muddy, too flat, no pizzazz. Know what I mean? So in the top version, I really pushed the contrast for brighter look, bolder, more impact. That's my opinion. What's yours? Which one do you prefer?
PS Aside from the title "That Little Woman There!" I don't dare attempt to translate this song. The print is like trying to read an ingredient list on a small bottle:) But the illustrations seem to tell the tale of a sassy, independent woman who others jealously love to talk about! 

Palm Tree Dreams

Month of Daily Downloads No. 25

I often hear Dr. Seus when I work with postcards. I hear him say, "Oh, the places you'll go!" I can get a batch of French postcards and before I know it, I've gone around the world, traveled back in time and taken in a few history lessons. Like this card. In among a batch of "French" postcards, it is a gorge in a place called El Kantara in Algeria, a former French "colony" -- a euphemistic word for when one country invades another to pillage and plunder it..... Looking up El Kantara on Wiki, the first thing I saw was a photo just like my postcard (almost). I clicked on the pic and ended up back in America at the Library of Congress:

Now, my postcard is unused and so not dated, but the Library of Congress identifies this as a photo taken in 1899. Me thinks the "photo retoucher" in the Paris print shop did a little 'tweaking' of that palm in the postcard photo:)
The reason I wanted to share this image is because, spurred by my own dreams of swaying palm trees, trade winds and sun rays, I thought you might like to use this as a background for your own tropical dreams! I'm going to start collecting "background" postcards and turning them into collage sheets. Another item on my To Do list.
Now, back to the Library of Congress -- there are many copyright-free images you can access on this site. Here's my favorite I discovered on Pinterest:

Do you know who this hunk of a man is? I'll give you a hint. In A Movable Feast, he wrote: "We ate very cheaply in an Algerian restaraunt and I liked the food and the Algerian wine."

Enlaced In Love!

Month of Daily Downloads No. 24

I get lazier the closer the weekend approaches. Have you noticed that?:) I actually like the light and dark creamy fake background but I think I probably should have cut this sweetie out. However ... I'm gonna let you do that. I envision her on the front of a fabric journal, with the lace in her dress complimented by all your lace embellishments. That's how I see her. A fabric transfer of the whole card or a paper doll tag if cut out. How do you see her?
The French text says "You tell him again my secret, beautiful wreath of discrete perfume." Ahhh......

Soup's On!

Month of Daily Downloads No. 23

FrenchKissed version:

This image makes me think of the Bird's Nest soup, which I've never eaten and never will. I read about it on Wiki to see if it really was made of bird's nests and the answer is YES! In parts of Indonesia, creating bird-nesting buildings for cave swifts has become such big business that the area is being deforested. That's irony as only "man" knows how to create.
Bird's nest soup has been a Chinese delicacy for 400 years. I'm not impressed. Wars and poverty have been around for eons, too. Doesn't mean they should continue. Eating a bunch of twigs cemented together by bird spit? Eewwww.....!

On a sweeter note, it was Jan. 1, 1905 when Germaine wrote to Madame  Pecher to thank her for the beautiful book she had sent to her. Germaine said the book was very interesting and had given her a lot of pleasure. She sends kisses, compliments and thanks from her parents to Monsieur Pecher and Georgette (the daughter, perhaps?)

See the white "worn" spaces among the French text? I keep thinking that could be removed and something else overlayed there. But...I can't figure out what. I'm thinking it has to be just the right thing or else it will overwhelm the collage and make it too busy. Something unexpected or something that adds to the story? What might you be thinking?

UPDATES:
1) 50% OFF on digital scans in my Zibbet shop continues through the weekend!
2) Deadline for "Love Me Two" challenge has been extended to Tuesday, March 13.
3) Second contest has been given a name -- Kissed Again! -- and that deadline extended, too, to March 31. More info coming.....

A Faded Rose named Marcelle

Month of Daily Downloads No. 22

Before: The original

After: The FrenchKissed version:)

It is easier to do your own altering with the original version, as Gaelle pointed out yesterday,* so I'm including the original image along with my version. As I have commented before, there's a line where shabby chic isn't chic and it's just plain dirty. I was being impatient this morning and didn't want to meticulously clean up the original scan. I wanted to spend my time playing in Pixlr:) For those of you who are crazy about Pixlr like I am, in case you didn't know: there's a mini-version you can download to your desktop, but if you go to their website and work straight from there, that 'retro vintage effects' photo-editing program has more options.

What I love about this postcard is that you can cut out the little girl's photo and add a picture of your own grandchild, pet or whomever! Instead of a photo, the area could be used as a party invitation. Just so many options with this design.

And I thought you might appreciate this:

No date, no postage on the card but on the back, little Marcelle wrote "good kisses to all."

A brief note this morning on Pinterest: one of the sites I love/hate. The average person is not aware (I don't think) that if your image shows up on Pinterest -- whether you put it there or not -- Pinterest reserves the right to sell it! I learned this via this article How You Could Get Sued for Using Pinterest. It bothers me that more and more 'social' media sites are offering these 'free' services when anyone with an ounce of gray matter knows that having a web site is an expensive business. SO we do well to ask ourselves: how is this site making money? The very fact that sites are making money in such subterfuge methods bugs me and goes against my business ethics -- and that's not an oxymoron  (despite Wall Street/Bank/Corporation greed). Some of us  still take pride in making an Honest Dollar. Without going into a further diatribe about internet abuses, let me just reiterate: if you "pin" one of my images, please pin one with all the ugly watermarks across it from my shops:)

DRUM ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first entries in the "Love Me Two" challenge arrived yesterday from Penny in Maine! Visit her blog and you'll see what she created....

*(Note, I added the de-mistletoed "original" version to yesterday's post.)

When Courtship hits a Snag

Month of Daily Downloads No. 21

The original version must have been an excerpt from 

Courting DON'Ts from the Turn of the Century:

There's eager and then there's desperate. 

Do not stick mistletoe on your chest in hopes of snagging a kiss.

Aside from laughing at the mistletoe, this image gave me a lot of headaches. I thought I was gonna have to knit a whole new sweater for that woman:) Anyway, I hope you like my dreamy "blue green" version. I know that spring is only a month away, but I wanted to share this ice skating couple while there is still some snow on the ground and when I started my month of downloads, I had a request for more skaters. Nancy, I hope you like it:) 

Sans the Happy New Year greeting, I think the blue version could be turned into a Blue Christmas card.

Your feedback on the little girl in blue was most appreciated. There are now 3 other versions of her available in my Etsy shop here and on Zibbet here. My Etsy 35% off and Zibbet 50% off sale ends tonight at 9 pm Pacific time (that's my bedtime:)

IF you have a blog, belong to a Yahoo group, crafting circle on Facebook ... please spread the news about the 

"Love Me Two" challenge. 

I promise it will be a contest with twice as much fun:)

Contest details/where to mail:

Using any of the 13 "Under-loved"* images posted last week, create an ATC, a gift tag, a greeting card, journal page, postcard -- whatever you wanna make. Make TWO OF THEM.  Your two entries can be identical or different; two versions of the same image or two different images. Mail both to me -- Trishia Jacobs, PO Box 1217, Hood River, Oregon, USA 97031 -- and you'll be entered into the "Love Me Two!" contest. The deadline for entry will be Saturday, March 3.

*Posts on Feb. 13 , Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 have all 13 "under-loved" images you can choose from. Feb. 14 post also shows the prizes to be awarded to top three contestants. 

No Blue Mondays Here

with a month of daily downloads, you probably have more scans than you need, but I thought I'd tell you anyway: I've posted a 35% off discount code on my Etsy shop (no minimum purchase required) and a 50% discount code on my Zibbet shop (with $30 minimum purchase). It's a 72-hour sale and the clock started ticking last night. And yes, you can shop at both stores and get a discount at each one.

Month of Daily Downloads No. 20

Are you a ruffles and bows sort of girl? This little sweetie seems right at home in all this frou-frou. No doubt her Sunday best. I think I might be icthing and squirming if it were me:)

In my shops, I'll be offering a few different versions of her, but first I'd love your input!

I like the fact that the stamp just 'happens' to be the same shade of blue as the girl's dress. But what's your opinion? Do you think the postal mark and the stamp 'ruin' the image?

So many antique postcards have these dull gray backdrops. I'll likely get around to cutting her out. OR...I might just offer a circle of her face. I have really fought offering the other sizes, shapes, inchies, twinchies, bottle cap size, ATC size, etc., of my postcards.

As I mentioned before, I approach these images from their historical roots. They are postcards first and foremost. When they are cut out and removed from their connections that tell their story, it bothers me some. When I see all those little dots and lines on the girl's hat and dress, I'm impressed because I realize some aspiring artist hand-painted those working in a French 'sweatshop' and maybe even died from the lead in the paints.

But striving to look at this image from a crafters' point of view, I realize that you might hate all those dots and lines. So by all means, before you grab and go, feel free to leave an opinion, a critique; your impressions are most welcome!

AND THE WINNER of the Retro package of Paris postcards is commenter No. 72 --and that is Cathy Smith! Congratulations, Cathy! I'll get your package of cards mailed tomorrow:)

Also, I have to give a shout out to "Meowart " aka Roslyn, who is my 400th follower! She is a California artist and she offers you a tour of the Los Angeles County Art Museum in her latest blog post: Frida Kahlo, Barbie and freeways - where else but at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Roslyn, since you love ceramics and tiles, I have a special digital scan of an art nouveau advertisement from a tile maker that I'd like to send you as a petit cadeau.

I was up till midnight working on a "queen" scan that I couldn't tear myself away from, but overall, I had a restful weekend. I hope you did, too!

Ghost Bride's Head Revisited

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 5 Ghost Bride REVISEDA quick little update for those who want to use the Ghost Bride in the "Love Me Two" challenge.* I made a few changes: she's now suitably Gothic with both eyes blackened and the green stamp was replaced with an altered blood red one.

SEE you tomorrow as the Daily Downloads resume on a true daily basis!

*Contest details/where to mail:

Make TWO OF THEM using any of the 13 "Under-loved" images. They can be identical or different; two versions of the same image or two different images. Mail both to me -- Trishia Jacobs, PO Box 1217, Hood River, Oregon, USA 97031 -- and you'll be entered into the "Love Me Two!" contest. The deadline for entry will be Saturday, March 3.

Posts on Feb. 13 , Feb. 14 and Feb. 15 have all 13 images you can choose from. Feb. 14 post also shows the prizes to be awarded to top three contestants.

Keep It Coming!

IF you dropped in for the Daily Download, there was a collision and they were all scattered out  on yesterday's post:) 


Ladies, I am thoroughly enjoying your critiquing of the postcards. Keep it coming! It really helps me to see the cards through your eyes and give me a new perspective. Hopefully, it won't shatter your image of me too much to learn that I approached all of "this" [the digital art world] from the perspective of a postcard collector. It has taken me a couple of years to start shifting my thinking into that of an artist/scrapbooker/ATC maker. I began with one goal: restoring a scratched up, creased, soiled postcard to its Golden Age of Postcard glory. Now I'm slowly but surely learning to re-think an image and its use/presentation as an element in your crafty hands:)
So ... I may put a wart with a long hair on the nose of the Beauty in Profile or I could market her in the first ever line of Transgender Greeting cards (do you think I could sell Hallmark on the idea?:)

In regard to my doctor's visit yesterday, having my arm X-rayed by the technician who looks like Robert Downey, Jr. was thrilling. Seeing the crack across my bone still clear as can be was not thrilling. But the  doc says it's staying aligned well and hopefully in about 3-4 weeks, I can take this annoying plastic cuff off.
My visit with my nephew went well. We hugged and hugged and hugged again. I brought him ciggies, chocolate and McDonald's. All bad for him, I know, but...sometimes we need comfort and nothing more comforting than our vices. I myself went home and had a glass of wine with 3 chocolate covered cherries:)

To all of you who have been serving as FrenchKissed ambassadors, spreading the word, sharing links and relating the news about the daily downloads, my shops on Etsy and Zibbet, posting my button on your blog --- I can't thank you enough! Let me leave you with this piece of stunning inspiration made by Connie  Koutsourelis, who was the FrenchKissed Artist in Residence last June. She took the Lovey Dovey Valentine from Feb. 1 and the Eiffel Tower Download posted on Feb. 12 and created this, which I think is so ingenious of a combination!

Links to Connie's projects from last June:
http://frenchkissedpostcards.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-icicles-cool-deal.html
http://frenchkissedpostcards.blogspot.com/2011/06/create-fairy-card-extraordinare.html
http://frenchkissedpostcards.blogspot.com/2011/06/paris-puffins-and-tea-towels.html
http://frenchkissedpostcards.blogspot.com/2011/06/fabric-tag-fairy-fun.html

Daily Downloads Collision Spill

Mes amies, what a difference a day makes! As I write this, my nephew is recuperating in a respite center back "home" in The Dalles. We still have many hurdles to cross but it appears that he is once again willing to take his medicine and let us help him....I spent 2 hours on the phone yesterday between a hospital in Portland, my brother in Oklahoma and the case workers in The Dalles. Really wanted to bitch slap a few people, but I've been good:) When all you get is voice mails at a 'crisis' center...AAAggghhhh! When a case worker bemoans working overtime 30 minutes (It's past 5 o'clock...!) when I've been through sleepless nights, driving the streets searching for my nephew, going to police stations and exhausted with worry/stress...well, I just don't have any patience with someone moaning about a bit of overtime! 

SO I had a brilliant idea:) I'm going to give myself a break [ouch, I hate that word now] Let me rephrase that, I'm posting the rest of this week's daily downloads NOW. The joy of being my own boss. I can make the rules. I can break the rules. [ouch! did I just say that again?!hehe] And you can get started without delay on deciding which images you wanna create with in the "Love Me Two" challenge! And, I've included a few extras. I believe this "Love Me Two" challenge is going to be a regular monthly feature!

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 5 Ghost Bride

I really thought this image would be a bit hit around Halloween. But no one seemed as excited about my Ghost Bride as I did! Am I marketing her wrong? Should I call her the musical bride and forget the macabre angle? Remove the stamp and extend the musical notes? Is it the right eye? Does she look too battered and not ghostly enough? 


Any input/advice/thoughts you have on ANY of these images as to why they have been ignored, shunned and under-appreciated would be greatly appreciated by me!


"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 6 Lorgnettes Lady

I love her hat. I love the lorgnettes and the way she's sassily biting on one rim. But ... whatdaya think? Does she need to be cut out? Is the dark background a turn-off? Should I remove the printer's name and symbol? Any ideas?!


"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 7 Baby Act III

I think my smart baby is adorable. I thought babies and animals are supposed to be irresistible. What could be the turnoff here? Why has my baby not been LOVED?! WWhhhaaaaa.....!


"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 8 Golden Lady

Why have I not sold 10,000 copies of this for tea party invitations?! Should I remove the text at bottom? Is it because the china is not super bold in the photo? She definitely steals the scene, my golden lady...unloved golden lady...but too much of a lady to show her feelings have been hurt. She'll hold a stiff upper lip until you make her in an award-winning ATC:)!

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 9 Profile Beauty

I just have to scratch my head at this one.....I kept putting her on the front page featured top line, but no takers. Please pass the Kleenex....our egos are deflated but our feathers are still upright, our ringlets still tight....but that rose at her breast may start to wilt if she doesn't get some attention. "She dabbed at her nose with the silk handkerchief and cried, 'Oh, Alphonse, your rejection is breaking my heart....' "

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 10 Treasure Chest

I was so certain this would be a favorite image around Christmas. Something 3-D, cut-out, so the chest "opens" to reveal gifts, packages, treats, a message? Alas, the secret of the treasure is still a secret....


Extras for use in the "Love Me Two" Challenge


"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 11 The Queen's Secretary

The original postcard has a French greeting on the paper streaming from the typewriter. I made this customizable version and billed her as "Marie Antoinette's secretary."  I thought she would be a big hit, but everyone just told me to eat cake...Should I remove the stamp too? Is that the turn-off?


"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 12 Boy in the Yellow Shirt

A frog? A butterfly? Something is missing in this scan...along with the fact that my little sweetie has been under-loved:( Is the background too dark?



"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 13 Bon Voyage

The original postcard had an ugly lady in the burst out. I cloned in this beauty. French text, a beauty, what's not there to love? Alas, this trip never got off the ground. She's been stood up! Somebody take her 'round the world, please! Love her and show her a good time!

OK, ladies, I'm eager to see the entries in this challenge! Details and prizes are on Monday's/Tuesday's posts.
I have a doctor's appointment today. Hopefully, a new X-ray will reveal a bone in one piece with no cracks. Then I'll be off to see my nephew. I'll be back on Monday to continue the month of daily downloads. AND I'll announce the winner of the Paris vintage postcards.

A special 'bedankt' to Julia at Cemerony for showing me a way to put my copyright/contact info on scans without detracting from the image.

Musings on Mosaics and More....

Month of Daily Downloads No. 14+

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 3 Angels in Mosaic Arch


Is it the lilies? Do you think the lilies make this look like a mausoleum or something with overtones of death and graveyards? This postcard is one of those that leaves me scratching my head. I guess it's an ego thing, you know. I like to think I have good taste. But then when I list a postcard scan that NO one buys, it's like "Wow, you don't know what you're doing, do you?!"Ha! I even created a version without the angels and lilies. I just knew the arch would be a popular design. Well, pop that idea!

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 4 Mosaic Arch

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make the most ravissante, incroyable piece of art with either one (or both) of these scans (or any scan listed as a Love Me choice) and enter my "Love Me Two" Challenge.* See Monday's post for the contest details on how to enter and what each participant receives. Keep reading below for details on the special giveaways that THREE lucky participants will receive....

Now, you are likely used to my ditziness, but lately, my ditziness seems to have accelerated. At first, I could blame it on the Percoset (?) pills I was taking for pain for my broken arm. But I quit taking those about 3 days after coming home from the emergency room. .... My stress and worry about my nephew has taken its toll, but it's getting manageable. Last night a light bulb went off in my head when I realized that he should have his "food stamp" grocery debit card issued by the state of Oregon! SO now I can breathe a sigh of relief knowing he does have a means to get something to eat. Why I had totally forgotten that is beyond me....

Just like I had totally forgotten that I had already listed the pink antique Souvenir de Paris book of postcards as a prize for the "Love Me Two" Challenge. I think my forgetfullness could be tied to a lack of oxygen: not getting outside for walks because putting on my Big Girl jeans is a major undertaking:) Or, it could be that I just wanted an excuse to add to the giveaway and indeed, I have decided that the pink antique book of postcards will be delivered by a Frenchman with a floral bouquet.....

PRIZE No. 1 in "Love Me Two" Challenge

PRIZE No. 2 in "Love Me Two" Challenge

A dozen roses delivered by a Frenchman....

...a Frenchman who is an artist, no less:)....

PRIZE No. 3 in "Love Me Two" Challenge

An assorted dozen French kisses....

You will receive kisses on the cheek, kisses on the hand, kisses on bended knee, neck-biting kisses, neck-bending kisses that require chiropractor follow-up care [responsibility of the winning recipient], one welcome home from work kiss, a couple of "I keep my eyes widen open while kissed" kisses, one right smack on the lips kiss [gasp!] and even [double gasp!] one bedroom kiss that could lead to something more -- again, all responsibility assumed by winning recipient.

These are all original antique and vintage French postcards that the three lucky winners will receive. Not scans but the real 100-year-old originals!

*So all this week through Sunday, Feb. 19, I will post a variety of under-appreciated digital scans which I invite you to turn it into an ATC, a gift tag, a greeting card, journal page, postcard -- whatever you wanna make out of it, and Make TWO OF THEM. They can be identical or different. Mail both  to me -- Trishia Jacobs, PO Box 1217, Hood River, Oregon, USA 97031 -- and you'll be entered into the "Love Me Two!" contest. The deadline for entry will be Saturday, March 3.

Pick me! Pick me!

Month of Daily Downloads No. 13

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 1 Lady in Pink with Ruffles


Mes amies, last week when I posted this heart vine that you see below as one of the daily downloads, I was lamenting that it was one of my scans that seems to sit on the virtual shelf going unnoticed, unappreciated. And that's when I had the idea to host a giveaway, to challenge you to show some creative love to a few of my under-appreciated scans -- like the lady in the pink dress with ruffles.

"Love Me Two" Challenge Choice No. 2 Eco-friendly Au Naturel Heart

One reason this is important to me is because my postcard scans are like my kids. I don't wanna play favorites and I want them all to feel loved and valued:)

The other reason is because if I don't sell a scan on a regular basis, I forget what I labeled it as and then when it does sell, I have to spend 2 hours going through almost 1,000 digital scans to find it! I know, what a terrible "mother" I am to forget my "kids'" names:) Still working on that organization thing....ha!

So all this week through Sunday, Feb. 19, I hope to bring attention to certain scans and whichever one inspires you, I'd like to invite you to turn it into an ATC, a gift tag, a greeting card, journal page, postcard -- whatever you wanna make out of it, and Make TWO OF THEM. They can be identical or different. Mail both to me -- Trishia Jacobs, PO Box 1217, Hood River, Oregon, USA 97031 -- and you'll be entered into the "Love Me Two!" contest. The deadline for entry will be Saturday, March 3. So after all the "Love Me Twos" are posted, you'll have almost 2 weeks to make something. Please keep in mind your mail travel time.
I will keep one and the second one will be passed on to another contest participant. So you will make two items and get one hand-crafted surprise item. My contribution will be an original antique French postcard!
Here is an example of what a little love can do with an under-appreciated scan. Aren't these fantastic?! These beautiful tags were created by Marj, my most talented friend in Idaho. Merci beaucoup, Marj!:)

These tags show you can think outside the red box for Valentine's Day. And these tags are so beautiful and elegant, they can be used year-round......

Please feel free to spread the word about the "Love Me Two" challenge. As mentioned, each participant will receive one hand-crafted piece of art and an antique French postcard.

ALSO TWO special winners will be chosen. One will receive a dozen roses from a Frenchman and one will receive a dozen French kisses (fresh as any 100-year old kisses can be:) Details on roses, Frenchman and kisses to come....

Link to this post, share it on Facebook, text it to all your contacts on your cell phone, send a company-wide email at work --uh, NO, just joking on that last one. I want you to be inspired, not fired:)

On a personal note: Unfortunately, I was not able to connect with my nephew after all. He checked himself out of the hospital against the doctor's advice about an hour after he realized that we had located him. I confess that I am quite exhausted and numb from all this. My brother is beside himself. In a nutshell, when a person is mentally ill, the LAW doesn't let you help them. The nurse actually jeopardized her job by even telling us that he was there. An administrator told us that his clothes were washed and they gave him a new pair of shoes. Again, legally, she was not supposed to tell us that. We don't know what he was in the hospital for. If he checked himself in or if someone took him there. Was he injured? Did he have any money on him? We can't find out any of that information. The HIPPA privacy laws are a good example of why I oppose the SOPA laws in regard to the internet. Taken to the extreme, applied arbitrarily without any common sense, and it's one response fits all. In my nephew's case, we know he hasn't charged anything on his bank card in over a week. Has he not eaten in days? Is he eating out of trash cans or stealing food? He's never lived on the streets before ....

DUH!? Can you tell I'm ditzier than normal:) I'll be going through all of last week's comments, using the random number generator thingie and select the winner of the Vintage Paris postcards.....I'll do that soon....I promise!

La Tour Eiffel -- Oui, Oui

Month of Daily Downloads No. 12

The top is missing and the bottom is cut off. For something that weighs 7,000 tons, it appears to be floating!  The Iron Lady looks downright soft and a bit dreamy in this postcard thanks to the subtle coloring. My card wasn't mailed but its undivided back tells me that it was printed in 1903 or earlier. Whatever you make with this image, I would love to see it! Are you going to put a picture of yourself in front? Or a grand Victorian lady? Stamps? How about using it like a 'goal' thermometer for your dreams of a Paris trip? You know what I mean? First level: $900 -- airfare to Paris. Second level: $700 -- hotel.... It would certainly be prettier than my 'goal' thermometer!ha!

This is from my scrapbook from a trip taken 14 years ago. I did everything from hawk a gold coin to sell some furniture pieces. I remember that we 'skipped' the commercialized Christmas that year. We picked a name off a tree at the local K-Mart and bought a gift for a needy child. Other than that, no presents were exchanged. My 13-year-old daughter realized that her gift was to come with a little bit more hope and patience. And it did, the following March....

For 2012, I have a goal of 12,000 new customers (whoa, I need a TALL goal thermometer:) for each one to buy ONE digital scan. That goal is so I can finally contribute my half to living expenses (this is my job; not a hobby:) and I want to take a much-dreamed of return trip to France. That's the purpose behind my Month of Daily Downloads. Not just cause I love ya' but because I'm trying to get the word out, linked, twitted, tweeted, touted, shouted.
You get the idea! Share on Facebook. Grab my button and post on your blog. Or even just a link on your blog. And merci beaucoup to Jan Larson of Ink This, Stamp That for her idea to share a link to my blog/shops on the Yahoo group that she participates in. IF you pin on Pinterest, please pin copies of my images from my shops that have my watermark on them and then let folks know to come here for the freebies.
Now, besides this week's Paris postcard drawing and the upcoming "unloved" challenge giveway (see last Monday's post for details)  here's ANOTHER contest in the making!
Share what you've made with FrenchKissed images!  You can be entered in the contest one of three ways:
1) Post item you've made with FrenchKissed images on Flickr in the FrenchKissed group.
2) If you have a blog, write a tutorial about how you made it.
3) Email me a picture of it and I'll post it for you!
My goal: I would love to have an inspiring example of what to make/how to use EACH digital scan listed in my shops!
More details and THE prize list will be posted next week.....Stay tuned and start creating:) I can tell you that the deadline entry will be Monday, March 12. So you still have time to wait and use one of the 29 (and counting) freebies that will be posted this month.


PS I'll be adding more prizes to the aforementioned contests. Now that my nephew has been found and is being taken care of in a hospital (IF he doesn't just walk out...) I can worry less and concentrate on what I'm doing!