Greetings from Geralyn

Out with the old and in with the new. As we enter into a new year I feel very excited. I have the time to devote to something I have always wanted to do. I am fascinated by greeting cards and have always wanted to design a line of cards. I started some small works and became stumped of what to say or how to execute the verbage. But, am happy I am taking some time to paint items we only usually see during the holidays. I have taken pictures in Cape May and Spring Lake of Victorian Houses during the holidays. I hope to continue painting as much as possible. The computer is still amazing to me in finding what interests me and facebook still presents me with the most information. I follow the Winterthur page the most, because it is a half way point on my drive to my daughter in Maryland. The facebook shared an old card depicting a pink victorian house from the Carolyn and John Grossman collection. I had completely forgotten Winterthur had purchased the collection. I will never forget when the children were small and in their car seats. Glen would get me out of the house, and say "where do you want to go to get out for a day?" It usually always was New Hope to go antiquing. But, it was hard with the children going in and out of the stores. So, we would take turns. Glen, took his turn and got in the car and handed me a $20 bill and brought me to a door of a store I was going to love, he said. I walked in to a small little store and it was completely full of Victorian Scap. Boxes and boxes were all full of cardboard and the image carefully attached and wrapped in plastic. I couldn't believe it. They were all priced and I couldn't wait to start picking. Large images were starting at $40 dollars. So, they were out of the question. But, I picked about 10 small images and was very happy with my purchase. I was so curious why the prices were so high and had to ask. They told me John Grossman had been to the store a week before and bought their complete collection for $40,000 dollars. WOW!!!!! I was a week too late, but really appreciate what he has done with the collection. I followed closely the art of Cynthia Hart and John Grossman collages that would grace the cover of Victoria magazine. They made the Victorian calender for Workman Publishing for years, also. Each imaage was documented and dated. He started collecting in 1974. So, I can't wait to make some stops at Winterthur in Delaware to study the images in person. The collection includes Henry Coles first Greeting Card ever made in the early 1800's in London.