The cast iron conservatory faces Madison Avenue and no fewer than five balconies grace the mansion. The two harmonious houses to the rear appear, at a glance, as part of the Marquand residence. photo collection of the Museum of the City of New York William Henry Vanderbilt’s bride, Alva Erskine Smith, had a love affair with things French. In 1878 when the rest of the Vanderbilt family lined Fifth Avenue with dour, if sumptuous, brownstone mansions, she began working with architect Richard Morris Hunt on a French Renaissance chateau in gleaming white limestone. The house, known as the Petite Chateau at No. 660 Fifth Avenue, would break the brownstone grip on New York’s millionaires forever. As the mansion was still under construction in 1881, Hunt was busily working on another show-stopper—the Henry G. Marquand residence. The 63-year old Marquand had retired from the jewelry business in 1839 and at the end of the Civil War entered the railroad and banking industries. Now fabulously wealthy, he needed a home large enough not only to reflect his social station, but more importantly to accommodate his extensive art collection. Eschewing the more obvious Fifth Avenue, Marquand purchased land on the corner of Madison Avenue and 68th Street large enough for his own mansion and two smaller, upscale residences. His choice of architect was expected—not only was Hunt a personal friend; he had already designed three other projects for Marquand, including Linden Gate, his summer cottage in Newport. Construction took three years and although the house was finished in 1884, it would be several more years before the interiors were completed. Marquand’s mansion, which cost $1 million, faced 68th Street with the two smaller houses opening on to Madison Avenue. Hunt turned to the “French transitional” style, melding elements of Renaissance and Gothic into his brick and sandstone creations. The three residences blended into a unified whole with picturesque balconies, gables, cresting and multi-level mansards. By raising the height of the Madison Avenue houses slightly above the Marquand mansion, Hunt visually eliminated the steep grade of the avenue. American Architect and Builders' Guide published a hand-colored sketch on June 26, 1886 (copyright expired) Visitors entered into a massive central hall that rose four stories to a glass ceiling. A split staircase led to the upper floors and galleries. The mansion was decorated in the height of Late Victorian fashion, heavily influenced by the current Aesthetic Movement. Marquand hired the most esteemed artists and decorators of the day—Frederick Leighton, Louis Comfort Tiffany, John La Farge and Lawrence Alma-Tadema—to design the furniture and interiors. The elaborately-carved overmantel in the soaring main hall -- "Stately Homes in America" 1903 (copyright expired) The artisans created lush themed rooms: a Pompeian, Moorish, Japanese, and a Spanish style room. Perhaps the most important was the Grecian-themed room which served as the music room. British artist Alma-Tadema, well known for his paintings of ancient Greece and Rome, designed the suite of Grecian furniture. The furniture, of ebony, cedar, sandalwood and ebonized mahogany was inlaid with ivory, mother-of-pearl and brass. It sat in a room with marble fluted pilasters upholding a beamed ceiling with painted scenes by Sir Frederick Leighton, the president of the Royal Academy. Leighton worked on the ceiling, which included seven life-size figures, in London. In a letter to Marquand he explained that the figures would be “more or less isolated and very firm in outline and should have no pictorial background…they should be of full rich tone on a gold ground—the effect would be rather that of the old mosaics and I think very telling.” The focal point for the room was the Steinway grand piano, also designed by Lawrence Alma-Tadema. The cabinet took longer to execute than the entire suite of furniture—it was constructed in 1883 and the decorating, done in London, was completed in 1887. The inside of the keyboard cover was painted by Sr. Edward Poynter with “The Wandering Ministrels.” The Japanese room took several years to finish and the decorative work cost Marquand $150,000. Asian cabinets filled with Japanese and Chinese items—porcelains, ivory carvings, pottery and lacquered pieces—sat against custom embroidered silk wall coverings. The firm of Robert Ellin & John W. Kitson masterfully carved the ceiling, overmantel, doors and frames and cabinets. Stained glass by La Farge illuminated a small niche beside the fireplace. Next to the expansive conservatory that faced Madison Avenue was the Moorish Smoking Room where, after dinners, gentlemen guests would join their host while the women retired to a more feminine sitting room. Here John La Farge had carved an elaborate over-door panel in alabaster, inset with brilliantly colored glass “in rich Persian style.” Spanish lusterware tiles from one of Philip II’s palaces were were set in the ceiling and frieze, and colored plaster in relief mimicked the walls of the Alhambra. Louis C. Tiffany, who did the mosaics and glass for the central hall, was most likely involved in the decoration of the Moorish room as well. The fireplace in the Moorish Smoking Room. Note the ornate ceiling -- "Stately Homes in America" 1903 (copyright expired) The dining room was English Renaissance and its walls were hung with late 16th century Flemish tapestries. In the main hall was a bronze fountain of a boy grappling with a goose, cast by Henry Bonnard of New York. Upstairs was the library and several bedrooms. Like the rooms below, here were ceiling paintings, stained glass and wall murals by artists like Francis Lathrop and Frederic Crowninshield. Illuminating the landing of the staircase to the third floor were stained glass windows by Eugene Stanislas Oudinot, portraying Michelangelo and da Vinci. The same artists decorated the third floor bedrooms, painting the friezes and ceilings; including one in the Byzantine style. The "Byzantine" bedroom -- "Stately Homes in America" 1903 (copyright expired) When American art historian Bernard Berenson visited Marquand in the house in 1894 he wrote that the mansion was “tremendously luxurious and beautiful, a feast for the eyes.” The hallways and galleries of the mansion were filled with the millionaire’s dazzling collection of paintings, artwork and antiquities. Marquand owned old masters including Van Dycks, Frans Hals, Rembrandts, and Vermeers; classical Greek pottery and Chinese porcelains. The rooms in which the priceless works of art were housed were, themselves, works of art. Below the living area cooks worked in an up-to-the-minute kitchen -- "Plumbing Problems" 1892 (copyright expired) After having sat vacant for five years Marquand finally leased the house directly behind his. His new tenant was the former President, Grover Cleveland. On May 15, 1889 The Evening World reported “Citizen Grover Cleveland has finally decided to settle down permanently in Gotham and has selected his place of future residence. "It is a fine and imposing mansion, at 816 Madison avenue, and adjoins the magnificent residence of Banker Henry G. Marquand…who will become the ex-President’s landlord.” Cleveland opted to rent the house for two years rather than buy it outright. Marquand thought, perhaps, that the price was a consideration. “I am anxious that Mr. Cleveland should be perfectly satisfied with the house, and would like to have him become a purchaser,” he told the press. “It’s a pretty expensive house, though, and perhaps he hasn’t the means to purchase it now.” Marquand’s daughter occupied the second house. The Evening World remarked on the architect’s adept designing of the three houses as a whole. “The adjoining building, No. 814, which is occupied by Mr. Marquand’s daughter is very similar in appearance without being an exact duplication, and the two together at first glance appear to be only an extension on Madison avenue of the Marquand mansion, so completely does the style of the three correspond.” The World felt that Cleveland could probably finagle a price of $100,000 for the house (about $2.3 million today), adding “Taking it all in all it is one of the handsomest houses in upper Madison avenue.” Marquand posed for a portrait by John Singer Sergeant -- Libraray of Congress. By now Henry G. Marquand was the president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was internationally recognized as a preeminent collector and authority. His goal was to make the Met the paramount art museum in the world. The New-York Tribune said of him “It is impossible to overestimate the influence which he has exerted in the councils of the museum, or the results which will accumulate as the generations pass from his material contributions to the fulfillment of a great design.” On February 26, 1902 at 7:00 am, Henry Gurdon Marquand died in the house from a severe cold. His passing prompted the New-York Tribune to say “The death of Henry G. Marquand leaves a vacancy in the citizenship of New-York which will not soon or easily be filled.” The following day The New York Times said of him, “While many capitalists buy beautiful things, only to hoard them for their own pleasure and that of the narrow circle of their friends, either because they have no regard for the rest of the world or because they shrink from the trouble and expense of allowing their treasure to be seen by the public, Mr. Marquand had the higher civic conscience which dictates that such things should be seen of the people.” His death also brought another issue to the forefront. The Times mentioned “The death of Mr. Marquand naturally occasions much speculation as to the disposition of his private gallery.” The millionaire’s personal collection was one of the most prized in the world. photo from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York On April 22, 1905 the New-York Tribune announced that the mansion would be offered at public auction five days later—“one of the costliest and finest dwelling houses ever offered to the highest bidder.” The auction came and went and the house did not sell. The estate purchased the property for $500,000 and the magnificent house sat vacant for seven years. The New York Times mused in 1912 “When Mr. Marquand was alive the house was celebrated as containing one of the finest and most expensive private collections of paintings, objects of art, and decorations in the city.” Now, on March 23, it reported “The famous Marquand house…has been sold and will be torn down early in April, to make room for a big apartment house.” On May 22 architect Herbert Lucas headed a syndicate that acquired the adjoining houses at Nos. 814 and 816 Madison, both sold by daughters of Marquand. The houses would follow the Marquand mansion under the wrecking ball to make way for the apartment building. In October The Sun lamented the loss. Saying that the property which “formed three residences under one roof has disappeared…to make way for a towering apartment house,” it reminded readers of the glories lost. “The traditions about the cost of this pile of buildings are well known. The famous Chinese room alone is said to have represented an expenditure of $400,000. Carved mantels of exquisite design, pillars and balustrades of rare woods and great slabs of imported marble have been pried loose and tumbled down to a common heap of rubbish.” In place of the magnificent structure--whose rooms were designed by the foremost artists and designers of the day and filled with priceless paintings and artwork—the 12-story apartment building still stands . It is an attractive, well-designed early 20th century structure that, unfortunately, cannot hold a candle to the building it replaced. photo by Alice Lum

Photos courtesy of the Cleveland Memory Project and Cleveland Press.

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This week, MUSE #18 Card Club designer- Marion Vagg- brings us a bright and colorful card. My mind immediately thought of the SAB 2013 Sycamore Street DSP and the coordinating Madison Avenue stamp …

Barnum erected canvas tenting over the former rail yards in inclement weather. Note the crenelated tower at the far right side of the structure. In 1871 the New York and Harlem Railroad abandoned its passenger depot and freight warehouse off Madison Square as it moved to a new facility uptown. P. T. Barnum procured the property, encompassing the entire block from Madison to Fourth Avenue and from 26th to 27th Street, promising to transform it into the “Monster Classical and Geological Hippodrome.” Barnum’s plan was to create an open-air arena over the old train yards, encircled by wooden stadium-type seating. Three years later, on February 12, 1874 The New York Times reported that the hippodrome was nearly completed. The structure, 425 feet long and 200 feet wide was enclosed by 28-foot high brick walls. “The ring for the miscellaneous performances, and the grand spectacle of the congress of monarchs, will be oval shaped, 270 feet long by 84 feet wide.” Around the ring were pine seats protected by a wooden roof. “A canopy of canvass will be raised over the arena to be used only in wet weather. On fair days the canopy will be lowered, and there will be no other covering,” explained The Times. In true Barnum style, the level below the seats housed “a mammoth aquarium, aviary, museum, and menagerie.” Barnum assured the public that his building would be as fireproof as possible. Wood was used as little as possible, the wooden seats sat on sheet-iron to prevent them from igniting from the gas lighting fixtures on the level below, and the two grand entrances were wide enough to admit “two fire engines abreast.” Nevertheless, there were “complaints made by property-holders against the erection of the building in their neighborhood,” according to The Times. Mr. Coup, Barnum’s general manager, told the reporter “he was willing to do anything reasonable to satisfy everybody, but $35,000 had been already expended on the building alone, and $500,000 on the entire enterprise. Under these circumstances he did not care to abandon the project of a hippodrome on Fourth avenue without a struggle.” K. & H. T. Anthony & Co. published a stereo view of the open-air interior. Projecting roofs protected the stands from sun and weather. On the evening of April 24, 1874 Barnum invited “a large number of prominent citizens” to what he now termed the Roman Hippodrome. The audience was initially treated to a pageant called the Congress of Nations. The procession was led by England, represented by heralds followed by knights bearing the British flag, then the royal carriage “on which Queen Victoria sits enthroned surrounded by an escort of Life Guards, Grenadiers, Highlanders, and knights in full armor” The lavish parade included actors representing the heads of states, including Kaiser Wilhelm, the Russian Czar, the Pasha of Egypt and “the Sovereign of the Celestial Empire” seated on the Dragon Car. By today’s standards, Barnum may have gone a bit far. The Times noted that following Napoleon I “came the Cross Keys of the Holy See, borne by a standard bearer, and followed by seven guards in the costumes designed by Michael Angelo. The Pope enters on a chariot guarded by eight members of the College of Cardinals, followed by a deputation of Bishops.” The newspaper reported “This magnificent display of pageantry preceded horse and chariot races, gymnastic performances, and elephant trot, and other exciting and interesting exhibitions.” Three nights later was opening night. All 12,000 seats were taken and the entrances were “rendered unapproachable” by the throngs who arrived later than 7:30. They were treated to the same program; and thrilled to “an exciting scene of lassoing Texan cattle, in which a Comanche Chief and three Mexicans participated,” female chariot races, and a mock stag hunt with riders and a pack of hounds chasing the deer. There were glitches. Miss Mattie Lewis’s two-horse chariot was overturned, although she was uninjured; “in the hurdle race Miss Casteyrene was tossed violently from the bay mare she rode, and was unable to take part in any of the latter sports of the evening,” and some in the audience were put off by the cattle wrangling. A reporter said “although it was an exhibition of genuine skill, and had its admirers, it seemed to be distasteful to a portion of the assemblage because of the rough usage of the poor steers at the hands of a ranchero.” The dangerous acts were designed with what The Times called “the popular thirst for excitement.” Within three months of the hippodrome’s opening, the newspaper complained that “many persons” had already died during performances. An Barnum agent fired back on July 7, 1874, contradicting the newspaper’s assertion of “many” deaths. “We only know that several people have been killed there…several may not be reckoned many.” The New York Times got the last word in, writing “But, considering the claims of humanity even one death is one too many.” Adults paid 30 cents admission, while children under 10 years old paid 15. Seats could secured a week in advance. The adult ticket price would be equal to about $6.50 today. Barnum devised a way to keep the Roman Hippodrome open year-round by installing a heating system. Following the February 9, 1875 performance area newspapers were enthusiastic. The New York Herald wrote “The temperature was at summer heat,” and the Tribune said “Owing to the success of a new heating apparatus, the temperature throughout was maintained at the agreeable height of seventy degrees. That summer a new pleasure garden appeared in New York, the Gilmore Garden, operated by Patrick Gilmore. The New York Herald was blunt in its critique on August 15, 1875. “It is temporary, tawdry in its adornments, while the music is not always of the highest standard. For musical purposes Gilmore’s Garden is too large, and there is a general impression that people visit it as much for beer and for conversation as to listen to the band.” The “temporary” and “tawdry” conditions of Patrick Gilmore’s operation would soon be rectified through an agreement with P. T. Barnum. On December 7 a Barnum representative told a Tribune reporter “We are about getting ready to close up and go into Winter quarters.” But, he added, “The Hippodrome will not be altogether vacant during the Winter.” Gilmore’s Garden moved in, sharing the Hippodrome building with Barnum when his elaborate shows were in town. An especially gala entertainment was held on July 3, 1876; the immense crowd prompting The Times to say “The number of visitors at Gilmore’s Garden last night was beyond computation.” All seats were sold and “an uneasy, moving, perspiring crowd crammed and crushed.” The main entrance to Gilmore's Concert Garden was located in the architecturally inconsistent crenelated section. from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York Crowds filled the streets to listen to the music that escaped through the open windows. Leopold Damrosch conducted his full orchestra and chorus, Patrick Gilmore’s Band accompanied 500 vocalists and opera diva Madame Pappennheim sang several solos. She closed the evening with a dramatic rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” with “full grand orchestra and chorus aiding, and working up a fitting sensation climax to the suggestive musical features of the evening,” wrote The Times. Barnum was back in December with his circus and menagerie. By now newspapers referred to the building only as “Gilmore’s Garden.” The circus performances included the “largest and finest African lions ever exhibited,” a rhinoceros, hippopotamus, leopards, an ostrich and many other exotic animals. Acts included Mrs. Whittaker’s comic mule, acrobats, bareback riding and trick ponies. Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore -- from the collection of the Library of Congress. Victorians were rarely what today would be termed “politically correct” and that was evidenced by the January 20, 1877 “Fat men’s foot race” in Gilmore’s Garden. Around 5,000 spectators gathered to watch five portly men compete. The Times described James Huber saying “Huber was a corpulent man, best realizing the term fat of any of his companions.” He “trotted along in the most comfortable manner, reminding one of nothing so much as the baby hippopotamus when he trudges out to be laughed at by admiring spectators.” Even more shocking to modern readers was the announcement on December 3, 1877 that “The managers of the Great London Circus are making preparations to have a negro baby show at Gilmore’s Garden at an early date.” Gilmore’s Garden served as the venue for a variety of events. On February 21, 1878 it was the scene of the elaborate Arion Ball which included 15,000 dancers and was deemed by the New York Herald “the largest masquerade ever given in New York.” That same month the week-long “Great International Congress of Beauty and Culture” was held. It was, in fact, a pioneering beauty contest. The New York Herald reported that not only beauty would be contested, but “a decision has to be reached as to which is the best vocalist, the best roller skater, the best dancer, the best walkist and the best elocutionist.” As the event proceeded, local newspapers were less than kind. On February 13 The Times reported “Mr. Hitchcock’s show of faded beauty and tenement-house culture was continued in Gilmore’s Garden yesterday…The attendance yesterday was almost as large as on the day before, and Mr. Hitchcock’s success has fully demonstrated that there are rowdies enough in the City to patronize a most degrading exhibition.” That year Gilmore’s Garden would also host the New York Dog Show, concerts by Theodore Thomas’s famed orchestra, and botanical shows. But Gilmore announced that when his lease (at a staggering $45,000 per year) with the Harlem Railroad Company expired, he would leave. When Gilmore refused William K. Vanderbilt’s offer of a $40,000 renewal, the railroad titan told reporters “I hardly think we shall lease the building again, at all.” And indeed 1879 saw Vanderbilt and the Harlem Railroad Company going into the entertainment business. The railroad purchased “all the fixtures in the building” from Gilmore and appointed William M. Tilestone to manage the property. Vanderbilt made another change as well: he renamed the venue Madison Square Garden. Among the first events in the Garden was an athletic competition on January 3, 1879. The New York Herald reported on the “nearly thirty wiry fellows” who participated in a walk race, and on the “dogged and unyielding tug of war teams wet with perspiration even in zero weather.” The weight of 10,000 persons who gathered to watch a walking race on March 12, 1879 was too much for the aging wooden seats. The New York Herald reported “The breaking down of the crazy gallery…under its weight of spectators last night, came near being an awful catastrophe…That hundreds of lives were not sacrificed in the rush toward the doors is nothing less than miraculous. A wretched structure of nailed boards was put up to carry a moving weight ten times more than it could bear, with the inevitable result.” The audience that night included at least three eminent patrons. The New York Times reported “Part of the south end of the gallery that gave way rested upon the roof of one of the rustic pavilions, and this was entirely demolished. This was Mr. William H. Vanderbilt’s private box, and on Tuesday evening, at the hour of the accident, it was occupied by Mr. Vanderbilt, Sir Edward Thornton, several other gentlemen, and several ladies.” Although Vanderbilt and his party were unhurt, nine persons were seriously injured. It may have been the horrific collapse and the ensuing bad press that prompted Vanderbilt to upgrade the old building. On December 13, 1879 The Times reported work had begun “of repairing and improving the structure to suit the character of the building as a vast place of amusement.” The exterior walls were raised, “the hideous figures, called by courtesy ‘sphynxes,’ which flank the main entrance, are to be removed, and an ornamental iron portico, 40 feet wide, will shelter the main entrance, extending to the curbstone.” Interior improvements included “a continuous suite of rooms, comprising dressing-rooms, parlors and toilet-rooms” on the lobby level. There would be new staircases, hot-air furnaces and frescoed walls. But the improvements were short-lived. On April 21, 1880 roof timbers were apparently overheated by gas lighting. A truss gave way, causing the roof to collapse and a wall to give way. Among the four fatalities was manager William M. Tileston. Twenty-two others were hospitalized. The Times called it “a shameful and terrible accident” and reported that on the collapse of the Madison Avenue wall which, “including the tower at the north-western corner, fell into the street, carrying away the Art Gallery, the dancing-room, and part of the restaurant.” Seconds before the Art Gallery had been the scene of a fashionable dance. “A pianoforte was playing a lively waltz, and among the dancers were persons well known in New-York society.” When unharmed gentlemen and ladies in evening clothes collected themselves, they “began to explore the ruins up stairs a few seconds after the accident, in the stifling dust.” Working with firefighters and police, they worked among the jagged timbers and bricks in search of the injured. Two months later Vanderbilt joined with P. T. Barnum and three other moguls to form the Barnum Museum Company. It purchased the Madison Square Garden property from the Harlem Railroad for $800,000 and announced plans “to build thereon a mammoth edifice, to be devoted to purposes of amusement.” But by December the plans were scrapped. On November 30, 1880 The Times reported “The facts are that the grand scheme has been abandoned.” Instead, the building was patched up at a cost of $12,000. The group announced “The work is supervised by Mr. Vanderbilt’s own architects.” In April 1882 it reopened with Barnum’s Hippodrome show. And among the greatest attraction was the world-famous Jumbo the elephant. The circus and menagerie shows continued for seven years. On May 13, 1889 The Evening World announced “Eight beauteous maidens, fair to see. This is the vision which presented itself to the eye of the beholder at Madison Square Garden this week, each mounted on a two-wheeled horse.” The two-wheeled horses, of course, were bicycles. The end of the line for the old entertainment venue was near at the time. On August 7, 1889 demolition began on what Harper’s Weekly called Vanderbilt’s “patched-up, grumy, drafty combustible, old shell.” The Company had commissioned architects McKim, Mead & White to design a “mammoth place of amusement.” The masterful new Madison Square Garden opened on June 7, 1890. It survived until 1925 when it was demolished by the New York Life Insurance Company.

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Brownstone rowhouses still flank the soaring limestone hotel upon its completion. The hotel bears striking similarities to Hardenbergh's Plaze Hotel, still to come. photographer unknown, from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747#/SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747&PN=3 In 1890 architect Henry J. Hardenbergh had started work on William Waldorf Astor’s sumptuous Waldorf Hotel on the site of the Astor family home at the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street. Four years later, his aunt Caroline Schermerhorn Astor brought the architect back to replace her home next door with the Astoria Hotel, connected to the Waldorf not only by corridors and the famous Peacock Alley; but by a dash. As work on the massive project continued, Hardenberg embarked on another hotel project. Eight blocks to the north the Grand Central Depot area was a logical site for an upscale hotel. Congressman James J. Belden headed the venture to construct a modern and luxurious hotel at the northwest corner of Madison Avenue and 42nd Street. Henry J. Hardenbergh received the commission. The 49-year old architect’s completed Hotel Manhattan stepped away from the heavy brooding brownstone design of the Waldorf-Astoria. The 14-story hotel—one story taller than the Waldorf—was a blend of French and Italian Renaissance, clad in gleaming Indiana limestone. It strongly foreshadowed his Plaza Hotel to come in 1907. The hotel opened on October 14, 1896 with an eight-course luncheon for the builders. Hardenberg was among the 100 guests and commented simply that he was “gratified” with the results of the work. “Viewed from without, the impression given is one of massiveness and sober grandeur,” opined The New York Times the following day. “Within the impression is somewhat altered by the elaborate and minute decoration of walls, ceilings, and floor. The variety is very great and is quite restful and pleasing to the eye.” Arriving guests are protected from inclimate weather by an iron and glass marquee. photo by Byron Company from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747#/SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747&PN=2 Entering the 42nd Street portico, the guest found himself in the rotunda, decorated by Tiffany. The white marble floor was inlaid with various colors of marble that formed borders and panels. The rotunda was supported by six large columns and the gray Italian marble walls were “divided into panels and enriched with frezes and arabesques of Tiffany ‘favrile’ glass mosaic, mother of pearl, and gold.” The inland marble floors of the entry hall are covered in carpets. The lighting fixtures are by Tiffany. photo by Byron Company from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747#/SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747&PN=2 Here were also murals by C. Y. Turner, who received a reported $10,000 commission. On the western side was “The Triumph of Manhattan,” which included Peter Stuyvesant and other historical figures. The mural traced the island’s history to include the Brooklyn Bridge. The main dining room was decorated in the Louis XVI style. A mezzanine gallery was designed to hold an orchestra and visitors desiring to look down at the banquets and receptions. The New York Times described the dining room as “magnificent.” Instead of painted murals, the room was decorated with tapestries. In the basement were the café and the Dutch beer cellar. The cafe, with its woodwork of maple, was decorated with a frieze of a landscape, executed by artist Frederic Crowninshield. In the Dutch room was one by Charles M. Shean, depicting a Holland landscape with windmills and dikes. Below ground were the Dutch Room (above) and the Cafe (the bar area of the Cafe is depicted). photo by Byron Company from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747#/SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747&PN=2 Guests who were impressed with the grand rooms of the ground floor were startled as they ascended to the second floor. Here the decorations were the most elaborate. “The foyer, in the second story, is the chef d’oeuvre of the hotel,” remarked The New York Times. ‘It has been most elaborately and richly decorated. The style is Louis XVI. The woodwork is a deep green, with which the rugs on the floor blend in colors and shades. This apartment is both a hall and a drawing room.” Two of the hotel's dining rooms. The one above is adorned with frescoes on the ceiling and walls. Below, the room has a more quaint Flemish decor. photo by Byron Company from the collection of the Museum of the City of New York http://collections.mcny.org/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747#/SearchResult&VBID=24UAYWRTV9BA0&SMLS=1&RW=1536&RH=747&PN=2 On this floor, as well, was the private dining room for the permanent residents of the hotel. Called the “Hall of Beauty,” it was paneled in mahogany and the walls covered in silk tapestry. J. Wells Champney had executed the paintings in this room, including landscapes over each door and a series of feminine heads in pastel along the walls. Room rates started at $2 a night (in the neighborhood of $60 in 2015). That would provide a transient guest with a “small single-bedded room.” More spacious accommodations of up to five-room suites were intended for families and more affluent guests. The Hotel Manhattan boasted all the latest conveniences. There were five electric elevators, and a local telephone as well as mail service on every floor. Valets were on hand, and clothes would be cleaned and pressed on the same floor as the guest’s room. The New York Times noted “Life can be spent within its walls without missing very much of the fruits of modern civilization.” Adding to the civilized air was the Transportation Club which took the entire 13th Floor. The recently-organized club was formed by railroad men and included some of the nation’s most powerful tycoons. Of the 350 members, 150 were New York City residents. The club's lofty location afforded unobstructed views. “The home of the club, thirteen stories from the street, is like an eyrie above the city, and in that quarter which the skyscraping towers have not yet invaded, it looks out over the metropolis, and commands a wonderfully beautiful view. Not only the whole city may be seen, but Brooklyn, and the Jersey Highlands, and Palisades can be viewed with distinctness,” reported The New York Times. Like the clubhouses that lined Fifth Avenue, it included a library, billiard room, dining room, reception room and other expected spaces. What was unexpected were the areas designated for women—a highly unusual concept at the time. The New York Times commented on the provisions for female visitors. “Their pleasure and comfort have been considered in many of the decorations and conveniences. There are also several rooms set aside especially for them. These are reached by a separate elevator from the Madison Avenue entrance.” The Hotel Manhattan was operated by the well-known hoteliers Hawk & Wetherbee. In their marketing, William Hawk and Gardner Wetherbee focused on the same light and air that attracted the Transportation Club. An advertisement in The Century magazine in April 1897 touted “Visitors to New York who have had previous experience with high-class metropolitan hotels will appreciate the superiority of a house that offers not only every comfort and luxury that money can provide, but the additional unusual advantages of space, air and daylight.” The ad promised “There isn’t a dark or stuffy corner in the entire building” and said “In addition to every luxury that money, science and art can furnish the Hotel Manhattan provides the guests with the most sought-after and hardest-found of all metropolitan comforts—pure air and unobstructed daylight.” In August 1898 President and Mrs. William McKinley stopped over in New York City on their way to a stay in Montauk Point. He chose the Hotel Manhattan and a suite rooms was fitted up for the occasion. McKinley was greatly impressed with the hotel and would return to the “McKinley Suite” repeatedly. The New York Times described the Presidential Suite as “a library, parlor, and dining room, looking out on Forty-second Street. On the other side of a private hall from these are three sleeping rooms, and back of them three bathrooms.” Only eight months later, on April 28, 1899, The New York Times announced that McKinley and his wife were expected to arrive around 4:00 that afternoon. The newspaper explained “Mrs. McKinley has for some time been desirous of coming to New York to do some shopping and visiting, and yesterday the President wired his brother, Abner McKinley, who is staying at the Hotel Manhattan, that he had decided to come himself and enjoy several days of rest.” Had the President and his wife arrived about two weeks earlier, they would have possibly witnessed one of the hotel’s more unusual entertainments. On April 14, 1899 Mrs. Henry Bruton hosted a breakfast “at 11 o’clock, to suit the convenience of the guests,” reported The New York Times. What made the event newsworthy were the guests of honor—three native Americans in town for the Wild West Show. The newspaper commented “Indians in the somewhat incongruous surroundings of beautiful furniture, fine paintings, cut glass, silver, and charming women in beautiful gowns were a conspicuous feature of a breakfast given by Mrs. Henry Bruton at the Hotel Manhattan.” Sammy Lone Bear, Joe Black Fox and Philip Standing Soldier arrived “in their most elaborate attire, feather headdresses, bead jackets, beaded blankets, and beautiful armlets.” The demeaning attitude of the 19th century press as well as the most-likely well-meaning hostess was evident. “It may be said that the manners of the three were unexceptionable. They ate with their forks at the table and carried themselves during the two hours’ of their stay with dignified freedom,” said The New York Times. Mrs. Bruton “bought all the trinkets the guests of honor had with them, to send to friends abroad” and she had a photographer on hand to document the event. At the opening day luncheon, William S. Hawk had expressed his “hope that someday it would occupy the entire block.” That dream seemed to be coming true in May 1899 when Hawk & Wetherbee filed plans for at 15-story addition. The pair called back Henry J. Hardenbergh to design the $750,000 annex, which would extend the hotel along the entire block front from 42nd to 43rd Street on Madison Avenue. The addition, to the rear in this view, filled the Madison Avenue block front. The Hotel Manhattan was the scene of an early example of the conference call on May 23, 1900. Senator Chauncey M. Depew was scheduled to speak at a dinner at the Transportation Club that evening; but urgent business of one of the Senate Committees prevented his leaving Washington. Club officers scrambled to solve the problem. The following day newspapers announced that Depew had made the speech from his home in Washington D.C. and was “heard and wildly applauded in this city by the members and guests of the Transportation Club.” The New York Times reported “The speech was delivered into the telephone by Senator Depew and, with the aid of sixty receivers, was transmitted to the ears of the assembled diners.” As the senator opened his speech saying “I have spoken to 30,000 people. This is the first time I have made a speech 200 miles long.” Among the celebrated guests of the Hotel Manhattan that same year was popular actress and singer Edna May. On January 14, 1900 she arrived in New York from a successful London production of The Belle of New York. May had starred in the play when it opened in the Casino Theatre in New York and the London production had played for 86 weeks, grossing more than $10,000 a week. Edna May -- from the collection of the New York Public Library A journalist found interviewing the actress a difficult endeavor. “Miss May was exceedingly difficult of access at her hotel. Her time was so taken up by personal friends who called to welcome her home that reporters were not admitted until late in the afternoon.” But patience reaped rewards. “Miss May was dressed at that time in a wonderful gown of red velvet, which matched perfectly a big pile of American Beauty roses lying on a table in the centre of the room. Her hair, which is luxurious, was arranged in a modified Cleo de Merode style. She spoke enthusiastically of her treatment at the hands of the British public.” Edna told the group of reporters “London in many respects is not as nice a place to live as New York, but the people were so kind to me there that I want to live there always.” Three months after Edna checked in, President McKinley and his wife were back in the Hotel Manhattan. The President was in town to attend the Ecumenical Conference. The New-York Tribune, on April 22, 1900, commented on Mrs. McKinley’s concerning appearance. “Mrs. McKinley, who came over with him, was not so strong as usual, and the exertion of the trip exhausted her. She was compelled to rest all afternoon, and those who saw her commented upon her apparent illness.” The President, however, was seemingly faring well. “The President appeared to be in rugged health, and greeted his visitors cordially.” The First Couple was back at the Hotel Manhattan just over a week later. McKinley was a guest at a dinner hosted by the Ohio Society at the Waldorf-Astoria on May 3. The hotel register was filled not only with the President’s entourage, but with family members who traveled from Ohio for the occasion. In the party were McKinley’s niece, Miss Mary Barber; along with Abner McKinley and his daughter Mable. The New York Times noted that “Detectives Foy and Funston of the Central Office, who always attend the President when he comes to town, were on hand to see that he should not be annoyed by chanks or other obtrusive persons.” As always, the Presidential flag had been hoisted over the portico, next to the U.S. flag, in anticipation of the President’s arrival and its presence attracted a large crowd seeking to get a glimpse of the McKinley and his wife. The McKinleys were frequent guests at the Hotel Manhattan -- from the collection of the Library of Congress By now Hawks & Wetherbee were familiar with the McKinley’s preferences and their rooms were ready. “The large public reception room on that floor was decorated with flowers and palms, among the flowers being a profusion of La France roses, azaleas, and lilies, of which Mrs. McKinley is very fond,” reported The New York Times on March 3. As with every hotel, the Hotel Manhattan was sometimes the scene of misfortune. Well-to-do men and women burdened with unbearable troubles often sought the privacy of hotels in which to end their hopelessness. Such was the case of 21-year old Helen S. Berry, the daughter of a respected Boston-area family. The New-York Tribune described her on September 15, 1905 as having taken “a prominent part in the church and social life” of Malden, Massachusetts. The newspaper related that “She was fond of traveling and left home just a week ago, to take a short vacation.” When Helen arrived at the Hotel Manhattan, she signed the register as “A. W. Wildey, Washington.” The alias caused problems identifying her after her body was found in her room, a victim of suicide. It was a week later that her brother sent a telegram to the managers of the hotel, solving the mystery. Unmarried society girls who took their own lives in the first years of the 20th century often did so because of the shame of having been “ruined” by a lover; or worse because of pregnancy. The family was quick to address any rumors. “So far as known,” said the Tribune, “she had had no love affairs.” In 1905 the hotel employees put together their own ball. It became an annual event that promoted morale among the staff; but came with a side-effect that no doubt worried management. On March 14, 1907 the New-York Tribune reported on the third such ball. “If one is a guest at the Hotel Manhattan to-day and the waiter forgets to put a cherry in one’s cocktail, or the rolls are not so crisp as usual, or the call boys do not ‘hop’ with their customary agility, or the cashier hands out too much change, or the clerk gets one’s mail mixed with that of some other person, or the porter refused the usual tip, don’t complain or be astonished.” The newspaper blamed it all on “the large attendance, the evident enjoyment of those present and the late hour to which most of them remained.” The Hotel Manhattan had been the meeting place for political groups since its opening. In 1908 when Republican candidate for President William Howard Taft was in town, he not only held his meetings here, but he stayed in the hotel as well. The vast difference between early 20th century security for Presidential hopefuls and today was evident when Taft and his wife met his brother at the Plaza Hotel for breakfast on July 24, 1908. The New-York Tribune reported “After breakfast the Messrs. Taft walked back to the Hotel Manhattan down Fifth avenue, on which thoroughfare there were many more greetings.” Since 1899 Frank J. Dorian had been employed at the Hotel Manhattan as a cashier. Along with the trusted position came an apartment in the building—a highly desirable perk. Dorian was fond of the Broadway night life and The Evening World noted that he was “well known in the White Light district and was a patron of lobster palaces.” The cashier spent much money entertaining on a grand scale. He may have been able to balance his spending and his income had he not been lured into the emerging automobile business as a sideline. He lost heavily in that venture. On the afternoon of August 30, 1911, twelve years after Dorian first started working in the hotel, Detective Rooney of the Yorkville court square walked into the cashier’s office and told him that he was under arrest. “I’ve been expecting you,” he answered. Hotel managers routinely kept their eyes on the bellboys and hall boys in luxury hotels. The low paid employees were the most likely to pilfer and trespass into guests’ rooms. Staff members like Dorian were mostly held above scrutiny. In this case it cost the hotel dearly. When a guest would pay his bill by check, Dorian’s scheme was set in motion. He put the check into the cash drawer and removed the equivalent in cash. This ruse went unnoticed until the amount of his embezzlement reached about $50,000—a staggering $1.3 million by today’s standards. Rather astonishingly, The Evening World credited Dorian’s habits with his capture; not an audit of the books. “His spending money in entertaining caused suspicion.” In May 1916 James Belden’s estate sold the Hotel Manhattan to operator August Heckscher for a reported $3.85 million by one newspaper and $4.5 million by another. He immediately announced his plans to demolish the building as soon as the leases were up. The editors of The Sun were puzzled. “The Manhattan Hotel, a fine building erected in 1895, is not to be permitted to stand after the lease on the structure has expired,” the newspaper said on June 4. “It is one of the interesting features of Mr. Heckscher’s plan, the removal of a costly building, doing a big business, to make way for a commercial structure, a rival of his own, diagonally across these thoroughfares.” Heckscher told reporters he was aware of what he was doing, saying “that the Grand Central section is coming to be the greatest business location of the city, and the sooner the changes to the improvement at the Manhattan Hotel property the better.” By the following day, however, the mogul seems to have changed his mind. The New-York Tribune reported he had leased the building to the Biltmore Hotel Company and most likely intended to convert the ground floor to retail space. While the back-and-forth regarding the future of the building played out, political groups continued to lease rooms for meetings. On May 22, 1916 100 women met here to organize the Women’s National Progressive League. One of the suffragist organization’s goals was “to line up the women for Roosevelt.” The Evening World considered that “This proposition is certain to create trouble in feminine ranks.” In 1917 the hotel gained another social club as a tenant. The Old Colony Club, which had been headquartered for years in the Waldorf-Astoria, signed a lease for the venerable McKinley Suite, beginning on October 1. The club announced that “A force of decorators has been put to work remodeling the rooms.” A glowing example of one woman who entered the men-only work environment was Patricia Lynford who ran the hotel’s cigar stand. On July 26, 1919 the United States Tobacco Journal seemed to have been giving the unmarried businesswomen kudos when it reported “Miss Lynford is a saleswoman of no mean ability, as is evidence by the fact that business is increasing by leaps and bounds.” The journal then undid everything it had accomplished for feminine equality when it added “Miss Lynford’s smile, by the way, is enough to make any anti-tobacconist an inveterate tobacco user.” Tobacco may have been a legal vice, but liquor was on the way out. With the onset of Prohibition in 1920 hotels and restaurants across the country felt the effects, causing many of them fail. It did not take long for the doors of the Hotel Manhattan to close. The last guest walked out the door on June 30. The New York Times reported “The Manhattan was launched as one of the great institutions of New York. The ceilings were high and there was much room and plenty of ventilation. There were 600 rooms. Before the days of prohibition the Manhattan was one of the most popular hotels in the city.” It was purchased by the National City Company, which would eventually become National CitiBank. The bank announced its plans to convert the structure into offices with stores on the ground floor. The auction sale of the furnishings began on July 16, 1920. The New York Times reported that “The famous ‘Presidential suite,’ where President McKinley made his home when in New York, will be about the last to go.” Signs announce the sale of the hotel's contents in 1920. Valentine's Manual of Old New York, vol. 6, 1922 (copyright expired) Following the renovations, another high-end club took up residence. The Uptown Club signed a 20-year lease for the entire 14th floor. It spent approximately $200,000 on decorating and “necessary equipment.” Three years after the gutting of the Hotel Manhattan, The New York Times published a lengthy article about lost artwork—most of it commissioned for public or semi-public buildings. The piece included the line “C. Y. Turner’s Indians in the Hotel Manhattan have gone—where?” photo crainsnewyork.com Henry J. Hardenberg’s hotel-turned-office building survived until 1964 when Citibank replaced it with a 40-story office building that remains today.

WOW…it’s the last Thursday in January already and we are into our 2nd week of Create with Connie and Mary Spring Mini and this week it’s a Sale-a-bration as we focus on the items in the Sale-a-bration brochure! Since we are using SAB items for our projects, I thought I’d use a SAB set for my Thursday card. I LOVE … Madison Avenue Read More »

Find out more about the 1998 exhibition Arshile Gorky: Paintings and Drawings 1929-1942 at Gagosian 980 Madison Avenue, New York. Works, and more.

kathy ireland Homes & Gardens Madison Ave. 2 Piece Outdoor Aluminum Patio Furniture Set 02b in Tranquil - TK Classics Madison-02B-SpaRevitalize your outdoor experience with the kathy ireland Homes & Gardens Madison Ave. Collection by TK Classics. This collection features clean, sleek matte black Onyx aluminum frames supporting our exclusive white Snow cushions with black piping. Suited for any occasion or gathering, the fine details such as scrolling arms and beautifully designed backs will impress and bring new life in your outdoor arrangement. Home décor has never felt this good.Madison-02B-Spa Features: *THIS SET DOES NOT INCLUDE DECORATIVE THROW PILLOWS*Cushions - 6 inches thick for a luxurious look and feelCushion Covers - Washable and zippered for easy cleaning (air dry only)Feet Levelers - Height adjusters for uneven surfaces that won't mar your patio or deckTable Tops - Cast aluminum with a durable powder coated finishFully Assembled - Ready to use and enjoyCustom hand woven all-weather, high density, PE (polyethylene) wickerStrong rust resistant, powder coated aluminum frame for maximum durabilityCommercial grade constructionNo Sag solid wicker bottoms with extra flexible strapping providing long-lasting suspensionPerfect for outdoor use in all climatesElegant design includes angled backsIncludes seat and plush back cushions for maximum comfortNew rust-resistant, powder coated feet which are color matched with table topsAll sets will come with Onyx aluminum frames and Snow covers on the cushions.Approximate Dimension: 64W x 33D x 33H1-Year Limited Manufacture Warranty

I decided it was high time l joined in the fun over at Stilladdinktive challenges and this week is "Spot that Stamp Set" week. The girls have chosen to use three of the great new Stampin-Up Salebration sets that are now available. Feeling Sentimental, Madison Avenue and Vintage Verses, all three are high on my favourites list of SAB products. I have used 2 of the three, plus some of the lovely Sycamore street DSP that's also in there. The colours are Island Indigo, Summer Starfruit & Lucky Limeade. The flower image from Madison Ave was perfect for adding one of my sweet In-Colour Dahlias, these were also in my Secret Santa gift from the lovely Patrice Easton and l have been waiting to use them on just the right project.......and this was it! Pretty CAS, which seems to be the style I'm leaning towards of late. I do love the look and find the colours in this DSP more user friendly with this style...well for me anyway! Bron and Kathy have done a great job getting Stilladdinktive up and running and the unique challenge style is great! Don't forget to pop on over and have a peek at the lovely inspiration from the DT girls. "Thanks for stopping by & have a great night" All Supplies are Stampin-Up With the exception of Kaiser Rhinestones.

Ralph Lauren perched on the beautiful wrought iron stairs of the Women's Collection shoppe at 888 Madison Avenue, French Neoclassicism at it's best. Across from the recently unveiled new Ralph Lauren Men's store. The finishes are exquisite! Limestone, Marble, fine metalwork. It is as though you have been invited to someone's home - except you get to walk away with divine treats. I saw this entrance just weeks ago. You knew the splendor awaiting - but to see it lit it beyond amazing. It's the sister to the Rhinelander Mansion directly across the street. I spent numerous years working on this store and 888 when it was Polo Sport. Store openings at Ralph Lauren are always extra special. Three weeks ago, I stood outside of the new store with lighting consultant Bill Schwinghammer. An older woman passed sharing her unhappiness with a beautiful store being demolished giving way to something new. We had to laugh - explaining "this isn't an old Beaux Art structure being demolished, it's BRAND NEW". She couldn't believe it! Always the perfect marriage of freshness, luxe, softness - and grown and sexy. All aspects of being a woman are prevalent here. Whether you are the 'girly-girl' or the sophisticate. Everything is so well appointed. There is a richness which engulfs the rooms. A faint scent of sweetness permeating the textiles and curtain linings. Chandeliers sparkles as though maidens polish them at night. It is all quintessential Ralph. All labels are represented Black Label, Women's Label, Blue Label, Collection, Footwear, Handbags, Accessories - everything you want to get your hands on. He's done it again, and I like (scratch) LOVE it! Big congratulations to Ralph Lauren, Alfredo Parades, Charles Fagan, Karen Elliot, Dennis Adler Donald Nowicki and their extraordinarily talented teams! And when Mr. Lauren receives his key to the city today, you can bet he'll have a fantastic key fob to put it on! All photos courtesy of WWD

Ralph Lauren perched on the beautiful wrought iron stairs of the Women's Collection shoppe at 888 Madison Avenue, French Neoclassicism at it's best. Across from the recently unveiled new Ralph Lauren Men's store. The finishes are exquisite! Limestone, Marble, fine metalwork. It is as though you have been invited to someone's home - except you get to walk away with divine treats. I saw this entrance just weeks ago. You knew the splendor awaiting - but to see it lit it beyond amazing. It's the sister to the Rhinelander Mansion directly across the street. I spent numerous years working on this store and 888 when it was Polo Sport. Store openings at Ralph Lauren are always extra special. Three weeks ago, I stood outside of the new store with lighting consultant Bill Schwinghammer. An older woman passed sharing her unhappiness with a beautiful store being demolished giving way to something new. We had to laugh - explaining "this isn't an old Beaux Art structure being demolished, it's BRAND NEW". She couldn't believe it! Always the perfect marriage of freshness, luxe, softness - and grown and sexy. All aspects of being a woman are prevalent here. Whether you are the 'girly-girl' or the sophisticate. Everything is so well appointed. There is a richness which engulfs the rooms. A faint scent of sweetness permeating the textiles and curtain linings. Chandeliers sparkles as though maidens polish them at night. It is all quintessential Ralph. All labels are represented Black Label, Women's Label, Blue Label, Collection, Footwear, Handbags, Accessories - everything you want to get your hands on. He's done it again, and I like (scratch) LOVE it! Big congratulations to Ralph Lauren, Alfredo Parades, Charles Fagan, Karen Elliot, Dennis Adler Donald Nowicki and their extraordinarily talented teams! And when Mr. Lauren receives his key to the city today, you can bet he'll have a fantastic key fob to put it on! All photos courtesy of WWD

Advance 5691; ca. 1951; Blouse with Long or Three-quarter Sleeves. Sleeveless Blouse. Street-length Skirt with Button or Strap Closing and Self Belt - Braid or Velvet Bias Binding Optional. Long-length Skirt with Button or Strap Closing - Purchased Belt. As featured in Mademoiselle; [insert your photos of this pattern made up] [insert your username, and make sure your preferences allow for people to contact you via e-mail. Do not list your email address here!]

I went to Joanne's on Saturday for a Make and Take card making meeting and a thoroughly good time was had by all! Joanne designs six cards for us all to make and has got a great system in place, she puts all the supplies we need to make each card in a basket, we have a basket each so we're all working on a different card and then we swap baskets between us as we finish the cards. It works really well! Because I enjoy chatting with everyone so much I never complete all the cards while I'm there, I finish off assembling them at home! This card uses the technique of inking up clear mount stamp blocks to get a colour block background. You apply ink to the block, lightly spritz with water and stamp. The ink colours we used were Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight and Melon Mambo. We stamped the sentiment in black ink and stamped the Fabulous Florets silhouette image in VersaMark and heat embossed with black embossing powder. The shiny black image pops beautifully against the bright blocks of colour! The second card gave me the chance to play with some fab new products from the Spring/Summer catalogue - the Hearts a Flutter Framelits dies, the Print Poetry DSP Stack and the Designer Builder Brads. We die cut the banners, assembled and added the brad, stamped the sentiment and glued on two linen thread bows. Such a simple card to make but very stylish I think - and would be a great masculine card! A bright and pretty anniversary card next using the cheery Sunshine and Sprinkles DSP. We trimmed the paper strips into banner shapes, glued them to the white panel and then die cut the heart out from the panel. When the panel was glued to the Marina Mist card base, the blue shows through the cut out heart. We die cut a Melon Mambo heart, embossed it with the heart design folder from the Adorning Accents Folders set and popped that heart up. Some rhinestone jewels add a touch of sparkle - lovely! Before I added the jewels and popped up the heart, I decided I'd be clever and add a little touch of my own. I thought some scored lines would look fab so I flipped my white panel over and scored some lines using my Simply Scored board. Hmmm, I forgot I'd already stamped the Happy Anniversary sentiment and of course, I couldn't see it 'cos you emboss scored lines from the back. So when I flipped the piece back over I saw I'd embossed lines right through the sentiment - not a good look and not clever at all LOL! Remembering the crafting motto "there's no such thing as a mistake, just an embellishment opportunity" I stamped the sentiment again on a separate piece of CS, cut it out with the Word Window punch, inked the edges and covered up my boo boo! Inside we cut out a heart from the white panel and added the patterned paper heart we had left over from making the card front. Time for another thank you card, this time using the fab Madison Avenue stamp set that is a Sale-a-bration set and the Curly Cute set. Some Stamp-a-ma-jig work was required here in order to stamp the leafy images and the tiny accents. Brads were used to embellish and 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches were used to cut out the circle element. I popped up the Very Vanilla circle. I love the Baja Breeze, Midnight Muse and Old Olive combo with the Very Vanilla! Next is a birthday card with a sweet dress and cardie - LOVE that! I have had a great time playing with the Dress Up Framelits dies and I lent the die set to Joanne. I was so chuffed when I saw she had designed a dress card for us to make! We gave the Very Vanilla panel a fancy edge by die cutting with a Finishing Touches Edgelits die, stamped the sentiment and added the patterned paper strip. Both of the dress dies from the set are needed to make the dress and cardie. We die cut the sleeveless dress from patterned paper and then cut the sleeved dress - just to the waist - from Crumb Cake CS. We sponged the edges of the the dress and cardie with Soft Suede ink and then glued the dress and cardie together and attached that to the dress form die cut - I popped the dress and cardie up. Teeny tiny pearls are the cardie buttons - such a sweet touch! The 6th and final card is this butterfly trio birthday card made using a yummy colour combo of Pool Party, Primrose Petals and Crumb Cake with Very Vanilla. Before gluing the vanilla panel to the card front we embossed part of it with the Fancy Fan folder, stamped the sentiment and added the strip of Crumb Cake seam binding ribbon. We used the Bitty Butterfly punch to cut out butterfly shapes from Very Vanilla CS pieces which we then cut out with the Postage Stamp punch. We layered onto squares cut out with the 1 3/8" square punch and popped the squares up. I did all the prep work for this card at Joanne's but assembled it at home. I just couldn't resist adding rhinestone jewels to the butterflies! Joanne has to put such a lot of work in designing the cards and prepping the baskets and has to remember not to double up on any supplies or colours! I'm sure you'd agree, Joanne did a fab job and came up with a lovely selection of cards, I know I enjoyed making all of them!

The best brunch, shopping, happy hour, dinner and dessert and coffee on the Upper East Side.

As the title suggests, its only 11 days until one of the biggest events of the Stampin' Up! year - Sale-A-Bration!! If you havent experienced a Sale-A-Bration (SAB) before then you are in for a treat!! Everyone benefits from extra freebies! CUSTOMERS - HOSTESSES - NEW RECRUITS! For every £45 you spend you qualify for an exclusive item for FREE and this year there is a LOT to choose from! Hostesses can also earn extra freebies in addition to the already amazing benefits and if you sign up to be a demonstrator and join my team - WELL what can I say - you get extra stuff in your fab Starter Kit!! Ask me for more details!! So onto the crafting, here are a couple of cards made with one of the free stamp sets you can earn - its called Madison Avenue and also has matching papers and accessories - we like this!!! Here is another version with a bit of extra glimmer and some buttons that are also part of the SAB promo!!! If you would like to get your hands on some of these free products, ask me for a leaflet at one of my events or send me an email and I will pop one in the post!! Take care folks! Julie x Supplies Used: (All Stampin Up! Unless Otherwise Stated) 1. Card – Island Indigo, Whisper White, Pool Party, Glimmer 2. Papers – 3. Stamps – Madison Avenue, Made for You 4. Embellishments – SAB Buttons 5. Tools – Ticket punch 6. Mediums – Island Indigo ink, Summer Starfruit ink, Rich Razzleberry ink, Tangerine Tango ink

Just in case you hadn't heard, Stampin' Up's Sale-a-bration promotion is on at the moment and if you'd like to set up your own Stampin' Up business it really is the best time to join as you'll get so much more in your starter kit. It's a great time to go shopping too as you can get all sorts of fabulous goodies for free! I'm enjoying road-testing the free stamp sets at the moment and Madison Avenue is my current obsession. I've made some note cards for today using the set - come and have a look: Don't you just love these pretty stylised flowers?! The Itty Bitty punch pack is the natural partner of this set and I used the four-petalled flower punch to create centres for them. Markers always make your stamps more versatile - I've coloured just one pair of leaves on the leaf image and used my stamp-a-majig to position them on my card front. The same marker was used to add detail to the leaves and to mark in a stem. I used the whole leaf image for the plant in this card and stamped a different flower image from the set on top. I love the simplicity of this design! This line of four flower shapes looks great stamped in rows. I've coloured the insides of the shapes with markers and stamped the decorative centres on top. You can do so much with this wonderful set and I'm only just getting started! Here's what you'll need to make this card Stamps: Madison Avenue (free with Sale-a-bration), various sentiments Ink: Garden Green, Tangerine Tango, Summer Starfruit Card stock: Very Vanilla, scrap of Garden Green Other: Itty Bitty punch pack, Basic Rhinestones, stamp-a-majig I'd be delighted to order any of these items for you and have them delivered straight to your address in the UK. I'm committed to providing excellent customer service and am always happy to offer help and advice. To place your order, just send me an email or give me a call on 01280 820593. • DON'T FORGET TO ADD ONE OF THESE FREE SALE-A-BRATION ITEMS FOR EVERY £45 YOU SPEND We took a trip to beautiful Oxford yesterday as my daughter needed to go there for part of her art project. The sun shone for us and we had a lovely time exploring the city and visiting the museums. On the way back I broke into a song which has always amused me: "Keep your mind on your drivin', keep your hands on the wheel and keep your snoopy eyes on the road ahead. We're havin' fun sittin' in the back seat kissin' and a huggin' with Fred!" My daughter laughed and told me that when she was small I used to sing only the first part of that song and she always thought it was an informative piece about driving! It looks as if we've swapped the snow for wind and rain so it's waterproofs at the ready for the week ahead! See you tomorrow,

This is the last Sale-a-bration post...I hope you like it and I hope you are inspired! Remember to place your order by contacting me or going to my online store! I love this one!! Feeling Sentimental, Natural Cotton Ribbon (carry...

Designed by Debbie Budge using Mini Madison Ave 3A/3B, Mini Strips, Tiny Wildflower, Photo Mattes, Mini Photo Set, MME paper

Well, it’s 2013! I hope you had a fun evening ringing in the new year. I got some stamping time in yesterday, and hope to get some more time doing that today. Sounds like a great way to start…

You may notice that my blog is currently undergoing a facelift (thanks to Julie Semones of Webics Designs). There may be a few tweaks over the next few days, but I am excited for the fresh new look! Meanwhile, I just wanted to invite you to the Stamp-a-Stack Card Class next Saturday, February 16th in Spanish Fork! Here's a sneak peek at one of the 3 different cards you'll be making using some of the products you can earn FREE during Sale-A-Bration: For more information and to register by February 12th...click here! Card Recipe (all supplies from Stampin' Up!): Card stock (River Rock, Whisper White, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Rich Razzleberry), Ink (Lucky Limeade, Calypso Coral, Island Indigo), Madison Avenue S-A-B stamp set, Sycamore Street S-A-B Ribbon & Button pack, Loving Thoughts stamp set, Calypso Coral Baker's Twine, Big Shot, Top Note Die, Punches (1 1/4" scallop circle, 1" circle, 3/4" circle, 1/2" circle)

Every year Stampin' Up! has a Sale-a-bration, the opportunity to earn fantastic, FREE, exclusive Sale-a-bration Products. Today's homemade card features several exclusive Sale-a-bration products. Notice the Island Indigo rhinestones? Click here to see how I colored them. Quick and Easy Card: The base for the card Summer Starfruit 4 1/4" x 11" and folded ... Read More about FREE Stamps? Whats is all about?

Hello! Hope you had a great weekend! Today I made a card for the challenge at Stampin’ Celebration. I started out with a base of Basic Gray. I really love the stamp from the set Madison Avenu…

New York in the 1980s as captured by photographer Richard Sandler was an altogether different city from the safe, clean (for the most part), cosmopolitan urban playground it is today.

Here are the projects we made this month at my monthly stamp class. Everyone enjoyed themselves. If you missed it, make plans to attend this next month. This card features the faux-chalkboard technique. It's all the rage in crafting circles right now, and this card features a simple version of it. I cased this card idea from fellow demonstrator, Becky Roberts. I changed the greeting and used the new Pool Party Core'dinations card stock, as well as changing out the accents for things that I had on hand. Stamp sets: Hearts a Flutter bundle & One in a Million This cute little treat tote, was inspired by another demonstrator, Debbie Naylor. I've updated it to use current products and the great Hearts a Flutter bundle from the Spring Catalog. The More Amore Specialty DSP adds just that extra something. Stamp sets: Hearts a Flutter bundle & Tiny Tags Last, but definitely not least, we made a card using the Madison Avenue stamp set and matching Sychamore Street DSP from the Sale-a-Bration brochure. These items are only available through March 22nd and only free with a qualifying order or as a Stampin' Up! hostess. I loved how elegant the card turned out. Stamp sets: Madison Avenue & One in a Million Thanks again for stopping by. Till next time.....

Hello! So for the first time, I created a card for the sketch at Mojo Monday. As soon as I saw this sketch, I knew I wanted to use the circle in the new Madison Avenue set that is going to be avail…

Residence of Chas. Sneff, ESQ (1900) 41st St. and Madison Ave., New York City In the same vicinity of the Carrere & Hastings works...