Monday, June 13, 2011

On Sale Now at Victorian Rose Prints!

OMG! These are some of the most beautiful engravings, prints, and books available right now at our Ruby Lane website: www.rubylane.com/shop/victorianroseprints.

Hop on over via the link and check them out. We'll be posting more soon!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Ruby Lane Blog Talk Radio - Tune In!

Yep, I'll be a guest speaker at Ruby Lane's Blog Talk Radio on Thursday, June 2, at 10AM! Tune in for news about how my shop got started, and other tidbits on collecting old prints. Here's the URL directing you on how you can listen in, as well as send yourself an email reminder:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kfrishman/2011/06/02/ruby-lane-radio-shop-interview-with-nancy-hallshop-interview-with-nancy-hall
Drop by my shop when the interview is over, and send me your comments!

Spring is here, and in the Northwest, that's a welcome sight, as we've had way too much rain these last few months! Bleeding hearts, glorious stands of purple and white lilacs, and teenie, cheerful grape hyacinths are in full bloom. There's nothing like a vase of lilacs with their sweet aroma. Cruise on over to my website http://www.victorianroseprints.com/, and check out all the lilac prints for sale.

I've got my dahlias in, and they're starting to sprout too. Soon it will be time for the State Fair, where I usually enter a few winners. It's incredible the diverse selection of dahlias that can be found. My favorites are the "dinnerplate" varieties, with blooms up to 12 inches across. I tend to like the weird and wonderful oddly-colored ones too. My kitchen island in the Summer always has a vase of fresh dahlias. I usually plant at least 75 tubers, so there are plenty to be harvested at any given time. If you'd like to try growing them, I highly recommend buying them at Swan Island Dahlias in Canby, Oregon. Their website is http://www.dahlias.com/. Yep, that's me and "Maki", a late bloomer that is gi-normous! Uh huh, it IS that size! I've been growing them for a while now, so if you have questions, glad to help out.

On another note, my Ruby Lane shop, Victorian Rose Prints, is now selling great old Victorian etiquette books. They sell pretty fast, so do check back on a daily basis to see the new listings. Right now is a great book entitled "For Girls", and wonderful sex education and etiquette book that everything a young woman should know about how to conduct oneself in Victorian etiquette. They are truly a hoot to read! Here's a few more that are coming up soon: And, more great prints coming soon too, some in terrific Mission-style, oak, Adirondack frames, with ornate three-dimensional corner embellishments. A grouping of these "Adi" frames makes quite a statement, and I have several in my shop. Keep checking our listings daily!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Roses & The Language of Flowers

Visit our Etsy shop for affordable rose prints:
Victorians were well known for their love of symbolism. A proper lady's affections were always held in check, as she was expected to be timid and demure. Their social norms were highly proprietary. They seldom verbalized as we do today, and likewise expected those who courted them to portray their sentiments in other ways. One of their favorite ways to do so was in the presentation of flowers, roses in particular. Old rugosa roses were a mainstay of Victorian life, displayed with grandeur in their eclectic parlours. While the rose has been hybridized to perfection in today's life, the symbolism associated with each rose color still holds true today.

Overall, the rose has always portrayed the virtue of "Love", and the unique hue or color of each individual rose was further extrapolated to associate the giver's emotion and heartfelt yearnings.

White rosebuds were a favorite of young girls, and did indeed indicate the virtue of their "Girlhood". The thornless rose often bespoke "An Early Attachment" for adolescent lovers. The pink cabbage rose was a welcome anticipated event of old forklore, as it suggested that the bearer was "An Ambassador of Love". Larger white roses were incorporated into bridal bouquets, and portrayed a maiden's "Innocent Love".

A damask rose gave the compliment of a "Brilliant Complexion", so important to the ladies. Of course, the red rose is known for "True Love". Yellow roses, on the contrary, signified waning love and loss of affection, the dreaded emotion of "Jealousy".

Is it any wonder that roses were highly regarded and shouted to the world the tender secrets they hid? We find them pressed between the pages of old books, preserved for centuries. One can only imagine the importance of that little bloom to the original owner. Ever so sweet, the rose is truly the Queen of the Flowers.

More soon on language portrayed by other flowers......

Visit our Etsy Store, Pink Rose Lady, for oodles of affordable, inexpensive rose and flower prints. For ANTIQUE rose and flower prints, stop by our other website on Ruby Lane: Victorian Rose Prints.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Redecorating with Affordable Rose and Flower Prints!


Ah, Spring is on the horizon, and what better time to redecorate those walls! Everyone appreciates "eye candy" in luscious, spectacular colors, not to mention how renewed we feel when in sync with Spring. Here's a great way to redecorate at low cost. And don't forget...these affordable, reproduction prints can also be used for scrapbook accents, decoupage, and other crafting projects!

I'm sure you all have oodles of oh-so-gorgeous frames that took you years to find, a.k.a., the never-ending scavenger hunt spent scouring antique swap meets and flea markets. Unfortunately, exposing those prized possessions on your walls to UV sunlight over the years causes fading, and they just don't have the ooh-la-la rich color hues we so desire. Do you find yourself secretly wishing you could replace those faded prints for NOT a lot of cash??? Well now, hop on over to our Etsy store, "Pink Rose Lady" (click on the link above), and check out our affordable rose prints! Most prints you'll find are taken from 100-year old chromolithographs, as well as old paintings. They are a wonderful, low-cost alternative for redecorating. Just pop out the old faded print you've got there, and insert a fresh new one. Many of our prints easily fit a standard size 11 x 14 inch frame. Better yet, get out the scissors and trim them down, letting just the image area fill the frame for a dramatic effect.

More of these sweet prints can also be found on our sister website, VictorianRosePrints.com.
And of course, if you've just "gotta have" the antique prints, do visit our shop on Ruby Lane (click the lady link to the right):