First Night Design | A Breathless Break from Blogging #LeakyHeartValve

Goose and Frog’s Easter Journey Coaster

by FirstNightDesign

Dear All,

I had hoped not to write about the full extent of the ‘poor health I enjoy’ — try out the phrase yourself; it’s rather fun to drop it into the conversation and avoid others thinking you feel sorry for yourself.

You know a little about my autoimmune condition, LcSSc, and the cataract problems in both eyes. However, before Christmas, I was diagnosed with COPD/Emphysema and a Leaky Heart Valve. I wasn’t in the least surprised by the former as I’ve been a smoker for decades but it did prompt me to make another determined effort to give up. I’m not there yet but I’m getting there.

Vintage Easter Bride Poster

by FirstNightDesign

The Leaky Heart Valve was a shock but LcSSc affects several internal organs so I’ve always known it was a possibility and that the combination is dangerous.

I went to see my GP a week ago since it seemed that the Emphysema had increased at a rate of knots because I was getting more and more breathless. ‘No,’ she said, ‘I’m 90% certain your breathlessness relates to your heart, partly because your emphysema is negligible.’ She was shocked that I had not yet had the follow-up investigation to discern whether the heart problem could be solved by medication or would need surgery.

She is chasing it up. I’m frightened because the breathlessness has become almost untenable and can manifest itself simply by walking a few yards to the kitchen or the front door. It’s making me dizzy and the unconscionable exhaustion I have mentioned in earlier posts now makes a lot of sense. I shall be ringing the GP tomorrow or even taking myself off to A&E.

Hot Cross Bunny for Easter Card

by FirstNightDesign

The point of this post is that I have to take a break from blogging as the pressure of posting and answering comments as well as visiting other blogs to like and comment is too much to cope with on top of the physical difficulties. That’s not to say there won’t be the odd post on First Night Design, First Night History or Rogues & Vagabonds but I will only be liking comments and not be replying.

As for news on the eyes, my GP said they won’t do anything about the cataract in the right eye until more is known about the heart and its ramifications. To top it all, another stitch has come to the surface of the left eye because I can see a shadow in the shape of lips. Would it were a ‘wooden O’ but no; it resembles nothing so much as the pursed lips of that unspeakable man in the White House.

Enjoy Easter!

Take care and keep laughing!

There Must Be A Way To Love You Card | Zazzle

One of my favourite sheet music covers.
Shop There Must Be A Way To Love You Card created by FirstNightVintage. Personalize it with photos & text or purchase as is!

Size: Greeting Card

Birthdays or holidays, good days or hard days, Zazzle’s customized greeting cards are the perfect way to convey your wishes on any occasion. Add a photo or pick a design and brighten someone’s day with a simple “hi”!

• Dimensions: 5″ x 7″ (portrait) or 7″ x 5″ (landscape)
• Full color CMYK print process
• All-sided printing for no additional cost
• Printable area on the back of the card is 3″ x 4″ (portrait) or 4″ x 3″ (landscape)

Standard white envelopes included

Paper Type: Matte

The most popular paper choice, Matte’s eggshell texture is soft to the touch with a smooth finish that provides the perfect backdrop for your chosen designs.

• Light white, uncoated matte finish with an eggshell texture
• Paper is easy to write on and won’t smudge
• Made and printed in the USA

Source: There Must Be A Way To Love You Card | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

Le Déjeuner dans l’atelier by Édouard Manet Poster | Zazzle

Le Déjeuner dans l’atelier by Édouard Manet is one of my favourite paintings. Some classics, I find, can pall after too many viewings — postcards, chocolate boxes and so forth. Not Le Déjeuner. Not for me.
The French artist Édouard Manet (1832-1883) might well have gone into the law had he followed the dictates of his upper-class family but his passion for art held sway. Influenced in his style by the work of Francisco José de Goya and Diego Velázquez, he chose subjects not hitherto considered suitable for art such as gypsies and beggars or nudes alongside the fully-clothed and strove towards a form of realism that paved the way for modernism. Luncheon in the Studio, or Le Déjeuner dans l’atelier, which Manet painted in 1868, is on display at the Bayerische Staatsgemaldesammlungen in Munich.

Paper Type: Poster Paper (Semi-Gloss)

• 53 lb., 7.9 point thick poster paper
• Recommended for large-format posters
• Semi-gloss finish
• More paper types available under “Paper Options”
• Add a premium quality frame as an essential accessory

Source: Le Déjeuner dans l’atelier by Édouard Manet Poster | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

Just Like the Will O’The Wisp Card | Zazzle

While I’m still having problems with my sight and only able to ‘press’ products on sale from my various galleries as posts rather than create something new, I’m continuing with my vintage kick. This is a rather charming music sheet cover.

Size: Greeting Card

Birthdays or holidays, good days or hard days, Zazzle’s customized greeting cards are the perfect way to convey your wishes on any occasion. Add a photo or pick a design and brighten someone’s day with a simple “hi”!

• Dimensions: 5″ x 7″ (portrait) or 7″ x 5″ (landscape)
• Full colorCMYK print process
• All-sided printing for no additional cost
• Printable area on the back of the card is 3″ x 4″ (portrait) or 4″ x 3″ (landscape)

Standard white envelopes included

Paper Type: Matte

The most popular paper choice, Matte’s eggshell texture is soft to the touch with a smooth finish that provides the perfect backdrop for your chosen designs.

• Light white, uncoated matte finish with an eggshell texture
• Paper is easy to write on and won’t smudge
• Made and printed in the USA

Source: Just Like the Will O’The Wisp Card | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

Charles Flower’s Old London Churches – HistoryLondonHistoryLondon

St Helen, Bishopsgate by Charles Flower, c.1904

Charles Flower’s Old London Churches were published as postcards in 1904. HistoryLondon revisits the images as they appear today.

Source: Charles Flower’s Old London Churches – HistoryLondonHistoryLondon

Hollywood Vintage Gloria Postcard | Zazzle #Sold

Inspired by Edward Steichen’s portrait of Hollywood actress Gloria Swanson covered in lace (Museum of Modern Art).

Orientation: Postcard

Create your own vacation-worthy postcards right here. Any view you’ve seen, any monument you’ve fallen in love with, can all be added to our postcards with our personalization tool. Craft touching, hand-written correspondence while on your next road trip!

• Dimensions: 4.25″ x 5.6″ (portrait) or 5.6″ x 4.25″ (landscape)
• Full color CMYK print process
• Double sided printing for no additional cost
• Postage rate: $0.34

Paper Type: Semi-Gloss

A thin, smooth paper designed for photo printing with the optimal color vibrancy —a solid choice for all your printing needs.

• Bright white, semi-gloss finish
• Semi-gloss finish helps photos pop
• 40% post-consumer content
• Made and printed in the USA

Source: Hollywood Vintage Gloria Postcard | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

Dame Ellen Terry Card | Zazzle

Continuing in the same vein as yesterday, here is the inimitable English actress Dame Ellen Terry [1847-1928] in Much Ado About Nothing at the Lyceum Theatre in 1883.

Size: Greeting Card

Birthdays or holidays, good days or hard days, Zazzle’s customized greeting cards are the perfect way to convey your wishes on any occasion. Add a photo or pick a design and brighten someone’s day with a simple “hi”!

• Dimensions: 5″ x 7″ (portrait) or 7″ x 5″ (landscape)
• Full color CMYK print process
• All-sided printing for no additional cost
• Printable area on the back of the card is 3″ x 4″ (portrait) or 4″ x 3″ (landscape)

Standard white envelopes included

Paper Type: Matte

The most popular paper choice, Matte’s eggshell texture is soft to the touch with a smooth finish that provides the perfect backdrop for your chosen designs.

• Light white, uncoated matte finish with an eggshell texture
• Paper is easy to write on and won’t smudge
• Made and printed in the USA

Source: Dame Ellen Terry Card | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

The Divine Sarah Postcard | Zazzle

I’m feeling less than divine at the moment but I hope you enjoy this exquisite image of my namesake which you can buy as cards, postcards and posters.

The great French stage actress of the late 19th century, Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923).

Orientation: Postcard

Create your own vacation-worthy postcards right here. Any view you’ve seen, any monument you’ve fallen in love with, can all be added to our postcards with our personalization tool. Craft touching, hand-written correspondence while on your next road trip!

• Dimensions: 4.25″ x 5.6″ (portrait) or 5.6″ x 4.25″ (landscape)
• Full colour CMYK print process
• Double sided printing for no additional cost
• Postage rate: $0.34

Paper Type: Matte

The most popular paper choice, Matte’s eggshell texture is soft to the touch with a smooth finish that provides the perfect backdrop for your chosen designs.

• Light white, uncoated matte finish with an eggshell texture
• Paper is easy to write on and won’t smudge
• Made and printed in the USA

Source: The Divine Sarah Postcard | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

The Grand Tour Gift Tags | Zazzle

This is one of my earliest montage designs, created at a time when Zazzle didn’t do gift tags. Now they do!
Media: Matte

We’re not saying the presentation of your gift is as important as the gift itself, but no one wants a present wrapped in old newspaper. Add a touch of elegance to all your gifts with beautifully crafted personalised gift tags. Along with personalised wrapping paper and customised ribbons, your gift will be the one they can’t wait to rip open.

• Dimensions: 3.5″l x 2″w
• Sold in set of 10
• Printed on 120 lb. 17.5 point thick luxe matte paper, a soft paper with eggshell texture and a smooth finish
• Pre-punched hole
• Choice of 4 colours of uncut twine
• Made in U.S.A. with 30% post-consumer content

Source: The Grand Tour Gift Tags | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

The Racing Hare at Easter Lumbar Pillow | Zazzle #Sold!

Size: Lumbar Pillow 13″ x 21″

Accent your home with custom pillows from Zazzle and make yourself the envy of the neighbourhood. Made from 100% grade A cotton, these pillows are the perfect complement to your couch!

• Dimensions: 13″ x 21″ (lumbar)
• 100% grade A woven cotton
• Fabric is made from natural fibres, which may result in irregularities
• Hidden zipper enclosure; synthetic-filled insert included
• Machine washable
• Made in the USA

Source: The Racing Hare at Easter Lumbar Pillow | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

“The Cuckoo’s Note” Laptop Skins by Sarah Vernon | Redbubble #Gifts

Features / Art Universe 2 September 2015 / Creation 2 August 2015 / Crosses, Crafts & Collectibles 2 August 2015 / Everyday Women 30 July 2015. / Creation 26 July 2015. / Layered Up 27 July 2015. / Photoshop / Cuckoo: Biodiversity Library on Flickr. / Own textures. • Also buy this artwork on laptop covers, apparel, stickers, and more.

Source: “The Cuckoo’s Note” Laptop Skins by Sarah Vernon | Redbubble

Take care and keep laughing!

Museum Dedicated to Camille Claudel Opens in France | artnet News

The exterior of the Musée Camille Claudel. Photo by Marco Illuminati, courtesy the museum.

A museum dedicated to Camille Claudel has opened, giving recognition to the artist who worked in the “Golden Age of French sculpture.”

Source: Museum Dedicated to Camille Claudel Opens in France | artnet News

Stained Glass Fish Sticker | Zazzle #Sold!

How pleasing to sell a sheet of round stickers!
Shape: Classic Round Sticker

Make your unique style stick by creating custom stickers for every occasion! From special mailings and scrapbooking to kids’ activities and DIY projects, you’ll find these stickers are great for so many uses. Add your own designs, patterns, text, and pictures!

• Dimensions: Available in 2 sizes:
  • Large: 3″ diameter, 6 stickers per sheet
  • Small: 1.5″ diameter, 20 stickers per sheet
• Printed on white acid-free paper
• Vibrant full-color, full-bleed printing
• Scratch-resistant front, easy peel-and-stick back
• Available in a matte or glossy finish
• Use the “Customize it!” button to choose between 7 different shapes

Source: Stained Glass Fish Sticker | Zazzle

Take care and keep laughing!

“Birdcage Blossom” Leggings by Sarah Vernon | Redbubble #Sold!

What a lovely surprise!Featured in Creation 20th November 2016 / Featured in Vintage Retro Classic 6th December 2012. / Featured in Artists Universe 17th November 2012. / Featured in Vavoom 8th November 2012. / Daily Dazzler feature in Art Universe 27th October 2012. / Featured in Creative Cards & Calendars 26th October 2012.

Background from Astrid’s Artistic Efforts, flowers, birdcage and French typography from The Graphics Fairy. Created in Photoshop. / Blog / Facebook / Twitter • Also buy this artwork on apparel, stickers, phone cases, and more.

Source: “Birdcage Blossom” Leggings by Sarah Vernon | Redbubble

Take care and keep laughing!

Dirk de Herder (1914-2003) – Art Bacchant

Photo post.

Source: Dirk de Herder (1914-2003) – Art Bacchant