Facebook

We discovered the wonderful world of Facebook yesterday. For me it all started when Kerry set up her account and I got the Facebook generated email that says, "Check out my Facebook Profile." From there I was stuck--Sucked into the black hole that is the Internet. I had to create my page, fill out my profile, search for friends, try to add more friends to my list...you know how it goes. By the end of the day, I still only had 7 Facebook friends, and 4 of them are immediate family. How lame is that?

On the creative front, little if anything, is being accomplished. The studio, with no air conditioning is a efficient little oven. There is only so long that Kerry and I can sit in there before it starts to feel like a sauna. Not to mention having all 4 girls home can be a hindrance to creative time for Kerry and Rachel. This works out some of the time, but the need for other playdates, swim time, lemonade stands, camps, and time apart dictates the rest of our studio time.

We are making efforts to keep the artistic ideas flowing, though. We each got an art journal. Really just a blank sketchbook to hold our ideas and plans and to do a bit of art journaling. I admire so much the art journaling done on Lia's blog, ArtJunk Girl. Who knows if I will have the nerve or inspiration to share any of my pages on this blog. We'll see.

No, the summer is not a artistically productive time for us. What a shame! So there you have it, my little rant for the day. Thanks for listening.

On a lighter, more creative note, Kerry and I have some grand plans for a little studio re-do and a great art sale in the fall. Say posted for all the details. It should be quite exciting! And, if you can't find us in the studio this summer, check on Facebook. We may be there.

Fairy Gardens

The four girls were off last Friday. They came to the studio to do a project.

Supplies: We bought four large plant saucers, potting soil, and bedding plants with tiny flowers. We also bought miniature birdhouses and birds, as well as some wooden shapes. Kerry and I got out lots of our studio supplies for them to use, too.

• pistachio shells
• silk flower petals
• glass pebbles
• rocks
• sea shells
• chunky potpourri
• buttons
• small wooden shapes
• paints
• glass and plastic beads
• hot glue to make permanent "ponds"
• colored sand
• moss

The girls were thoughtful in their planning. They collected more materials from the yard. They were very diligent in painting their fairy houses and creating interesting items to attract fairies to their new little homes.

• mailboxes
• sea shell and pod boats
• nut shell dishes
• "food" for the fairies
• twig fences and arches
• ponds and rivers
• twine nests
• houses with chimneys
• shingles
• shell treasure chests
• gardens
• stepping stones and pathways
• bark bridges
• benches and seats

The results of the day were fabulous! The girls (ranging in age from 6 to 10) worked steadily for 2 hours. They each came up with original ideas, their own magical vision of what a fairy house should look like with its own sparkly magic.

What fairy wouldn't choose one of these lovely homes?

Dog Blog 2

Hi, it's me, Blue.
I am staying at Rachel's house again. I am not sure where my people went, but they left me here. They did the same thing last summer. Don't tell Rachel, but I wanted to fill you in on my day. She might not like it if she knew I drooled all over her computer.

She took me outstide and tried to take pictures of me. She always has that silly camera. I don't like to sit still. I just wanted to sniff around the yard. Her yard smells different than mine does. The house next door has two little dogs that bark a lot. I wonder what is going on over there.

It snowed. Instead of staying still for pictures, I decided to hide in the snow. I don't think she could see me, I hide so well. Playing in the snow makes me feel like a puppy!

I keep checking in the studio. But Kerry is not there. I wonder where she went.

It's okay, though, there are two girls here. They like to play with me a lot. They give me treats and brush my fur. I must be the prettiest dog in the world. Also, I take a lot of naps when I am here. I like to sleep. hmmm. I guess it is time for a nap right now. I need to rest before the girls come home from school. They tire me out, but I can't wait to play!

I think this is the best day ever!

--Blue (the dog)

Cold, cold, cold

It was a balmy 52 on Tuesday. We were both excited to get back to work and back to walking. Our excitement didn't last long, however. Wednesday it was 17! What a difference a day makes! Now it looks like we are stuck in the cold. The forecast, except for a brief warm up tomorrow, looks dismal. This is a big bummer for us, because the studio turns into an icebox when the temperature stays a 32 or lower.

So, our creative studio time is on hold for the time being. We are forced to focus on other projects. Laundry, cooking and cleaning....not exactly creative. Maybe we will get out the sewing machines and stitch up some surprises.

For now, studio hours are on hold. But we have lots of plans for the Spring thaw, expanded studio hours, a garden party, maybe an art swap, who knows what we'll think of next!

And, your quote for the day, comes from the teabag wisdom of Good Earth Tea:

Why should I buy expensive art when I can make my own.

Piero Milani (1964 - )

Side note: When I looked up Piero Milani I found one reference that says he's an artist. I found lots of quotations by Piero Milani, but no art. Does anyone know who he is? Just curious.

10 Things I Learned

Fall is that funny time of year, I look forward to all that it is, cool, colorful, changing, crisp, cozy, but it has its bittersweet bits as well. It is a nostalgic time of year for me. Looking back, I have been thinking about all the things my mom taught me. I never got to thank her for these lessons. With my gratitude for her, I will share them with you:

1. Save everything, you never know when you will need it. I think our studio was meant to be. Kerry and I certainly had a head start getting it set up, with all the wonderful art supplies that my mom had collected over the years.

2. Surround yourself with beautiful things, in the garden, on your walls, in your home. Those things don't have to be expensive, just put care in what you do and how you do them.

3. Never save the good china, silver or crystal for a special day. What is the point of having all those special things away in a cabinet, or in a box?

4. And, if it breaks, that’s okay. After all, they are just things.

5. Always have enough good food and drink in the house to entertain at the drop of a hat.

6. Everyone is beautiful, in his own way. This one drove me nuts as a teenager. I actually think it was part of a song lyric from the 70's that my mom tormented me with--does anyone recognize it? Always the optimist, my mom could find beauty in anyone or anything. I appreciate it now.

7. Be inclusive, the more the merrier. Holidays and parties were grand affairs at our house!

8. Never turn away a friend. Whatever a friend or relative needed, my mom was sure to try and accommodate.

9. Laughter is necessary and contagious. My home was always filled with laughter and happiness.

10. Be kind, it’s that simple.

It has been almost 9 years since my mom died. It was too soon, too sudden, and we had way too many plans for her to go. But her legacy lives on in our studio. And I hope that I learned enough of her lessons so that I can continue her vision.

-R

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

First the good, Kerry and I received an adorable ephermera pack all the way from Canada from Altered Kat at Great Musings. She has a great blog and a really neat website with wonderful ephemera and embellishments. She does lots of giveaways and offers freebies galore. Thanks Kat, for the great packet of things. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Stop by and visit her when you have a chance.

The bad, we are offering a fabulous class next week--The advent calendar class. (see the photo) We loved making this project! So much so, that we each made two. One for December and one for the fall months. So what's bad about this? We only have two people signed up for the class. We may have to cancel!

We offered lots of classes during our first year in the studio. We pulled back a bit during our second year. Our friends and studio regulars started asking for new and different classes again, so we came up with a few. We have lots of interest and few sign-ups.

So many variables go into whether or not some one signs up for a class. the time of year, holidays, money, other time commitments, family, class topic, etc, etc.... Kerry and I haven't become mind readers, yet. Someday we'll have it down and know how to make everyone happy.
In case you're interested, here are our two classes this season. If you're not local, we're sorry. If you know someone in the area of Boulder and East Boulder County Colorado, pass along the information.

UPCOMING CLASSES:

• November 8 (NEW DATE!!) Magnetic Mixed Media Advent Calendars – perfect for your home or as a special gift. Check out our samples to see the possibilities.
  7:00pm – 9:00pm
  $45
  
• November 27 Collaged Candles and Wine boxes – It’s your call, make as many as you like!
  7:00pm – 9:00pm
  $10 per item

The ugly. Sometimes customers can be tricky. We always hope that our customers are satisfied with their purchases, from Amazon, from our Etsy shop, or from our website. We make every attempt possible to make a customer happy if they are not satisfied with their order. That being said, we have come to realize that some people are hard to please. Others are, in fact, impossible. It is that occasional, impossible person that causes things to get ugly. Recently we had an order for a cute little pendant from our Amazon shop. In fact this pendant has been flying off our bench--we have to keep 4 or 5 in inventory just to keep up! It is simple, it is easy to wear with lots of styles, and it is inexpensive. This pendant is made from something called Crazy Horse Stone. Our gem and stone wholesaler describes this stone this way: Crazy Horse Stone~ A kind of limestone material (from China) exhibiting natural circles and lines of flamboyant colors and combinations. No two pieces are alike. This material mixes well with many colors. Coated with clear epoxy to provide better luster and hardness.

So here is the ugly part, one of the recent customers who ordered this pendant wrote a review (rating us 1 out of 5) that says this: "show and said stone...when real is plastic!!!" Not only that, she has filed a complaint with Amazon against us. This is upsetting to both Kerry and myself. We certainly have offered this customer a refund, but her goal now seems to cause trouble for us.

The truth is, we don't sell plastic jewelry. We don't attempt to misrepresent our jewelry or ourselves in any way. We do want our customers happy. But, how do you resolve a situation with someone who doesn't really want resolution?

So, there it is folks, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I guess we'll tough it out! We hope you all have a great weekend!

More Sale Photos

Art & Craft Sale

In case you can't make it to the sale, I thought I would share some photos with you. Everything looks fabulous! We are open tomorrow, too. Pop in from 9am - 1pm if you'd like to take a look for yourself.

Elizabeth Hagen - Photography

To continue the introductions, today I would like you to meet Elizabeth.
We were looking for artists to participate in last year's art sale. Elizabeth's sister-in-law, our friend Kathy, introduced us to Elizabeth. Elizabeth had recently moved from California to Colorado; and we were told that she was a great photographer. And is she ever!
She takes beautiful black and white photographs of landscape and scenery around the world. Then she adds her own artistic flair when she hand tints those photos. The results are fabulous! Some of the photos have lots of hand-tinted detail, some have minor touches of color, and the works of art created with Elizabeth's careful attention to detail are wonderful.

She takes things one step further as she experiments with the presentation, using tasteful matting and framing, and printing some of her creations on canvas for a truly unique look.

Elizabeth says this about her work:

"My professional background has been in real estate finance though my passion has always been photography and art. I took a course in hand tinting photographs about 15 years ago which combines photography with painting which was perfect for me. I could actually take a black and white photograph and bring either one particular object in the photograph to life with color or create a unique color scheme to the whole photograph. I now love being a stay at home mom and try to do my artwork during naps and in the evenings. What a wonderful life!!! "

Kerry and I were thrilled last year when Elizabeth agreed to teach a class in our studio. We had several students, including us, who were able to learn Elizabeth's craft. With her gentle, thoughtful instruction, we all thoroughly enjoyed the knowledge and expertise she shared with us. It was a delightful evening.

Elizabeth doesn't yet have a website or a gallery showing her work. But her art shouldn't be hidden away!

We hope you enjoy the pictures Elizabeth sent me to share with you. Kerry and I are glad that she is joining us for a second year of the Fall Art Sale. We would love to have you come to our sale to enjoy her work in person. And if you know any galleries looking for work this beautiful, I will pass along the information.

S a n d y l a n d - Handpainted Pottery

Next Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20, we have invited 4 artists to join us for our fall art and fine craft sale. I would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to each of the artists who will be joining us.

Today, you will meet Sandy. Sandy has a gentle soul, and a big heart. She is new to selling and marketing her art; it is a challenging and vulnerable position for anyone to be in. We think that Sandy's art is special because she takes regular items and turns them into magical, whimsical creations. When looking at her pieces, it's hard to even imagine that they had a "life" before she got her hands on them.

She says this about her work: "My work takes on many forms from pottery, painted tiles and "found" objects to greeting/post cards, prints, magnets, pins, containers, tote bags, clothing, et cetera. A large part of my inspiration comes from a desire to honor the Earth and all living Beings. I RECYCLE gently used items so that they will be REUSED, thereby RENEWING each item so that it is REBORN. Each piece has a chance to return to life rather than taking up dead space on our planet. Inventory is constantly changing as I "find" new treasures to paint/rebirth. This process also supports local agencies, charities, those-in-need as I purchase most of my items at places like the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store, Greenwood Wildlife Thrift, Ares, Salvation Army, Savers and many, many more. Most of my work involves recycled parts, some does not. My images range from the comical to the spiritual. "

Sandy redefines "recycling" and uses it as a creative outlet. Her pieces are special, she gives new life to carefully chosen pieces with her magical painting. She takes re-purposing to a whole new level. We are glad that she will be joining us for the sale. And, we are happy to be able to share her work with you.

You can read more about Sandy and see her work on her website. You can come to our studio on October 19 and 20 and see her work in person. What more could you want, a unique piece of art that is eco-minded as well?

and the winner is.....

Thanks to everyone who signed up for our giveaway! We were excited to read all the suggestions people made for our studio.

Using the random number generator, the number 5 was picked. That number belongs to Kari and Kijsa, who left us the fifth comment on our giveaway blog. Congratulations, ladies!

Kari and Kijsa have a great blog and website with fabulous design tips and ideas! They are two talented sisters!

Stay tuned, we may do another giveaway!

Puttering

As I mentioned, we have been puttering in the studio. I decided to make door tags for my girls' rooms. It was purely an experimental project, not too difficult, but I didn't really know what the end result would look like when I started. I just wanted to get my hands working with some of our new materials: papers, letters, and stickers. The frilly yarn, clips, and rubber stamps were ones we already had.

I assembled the tags using Mod Podge as a glue and sealer. The papers came from a large paper stack (on sale) at Hobby Lobby, and ones we had ordered last year from Oriental Trading Company. The stickers are new ones from one of our favorite catalogs, 7 Gypsies. The letters are a pale sparkly green from the dollar section of Target.

The girls were pleased with their new door signs, which made me proud of my work.

Don't forget to sign up for our great giveaway. Check out Monday's blog for the details.

Deal of the Day: Swag Bag Giveaway!

We have some wonderful goodie bags left from our launch party. We would love to share! So it's time for a swag bag giveaway! We will draw a name, at random, to select the winner. To qualify for the giveaway:

• leave us a comment and give us a piece of advice about the best way to get people into our studio;
  
• you must have a US mailing address (which we will contact you for, should your name be drawn);
  
• leave a link to your site or blog, or if you don't have a site or blog, leave your email address;

If you win, you will receive one (1) goodie bag via the USPS. You will receive a bag similar to the ones pictured. The items (and colors of the items) in the bag will vary, but each bag will contain 3 handmade items. The drawing with be on Monday, October 8.

Good Luck! We can't wait to read your comments!

Collections

Actually this relates to the studio tour...Kerry and I are collectors. We collect all sorts of supplies for collage and other art projects. (I won't even mention the fabric we have collected for our sewing endeavours. There are enough bolts for a separate blog!)

We collect yarn. Our most exciting time collecting yarn, was when the local Big Lots sold yarn for $1 a skein. No kidding! The same yarn was being sold at the next door Hobby Lobby for $6 a skein and more!

We also collect paper. Obviously paper is the prime ingredient in decoupage, which is a favorite of ours. We have found paper at lots of sources. Our favorite for unique and interesting papers, but perhaps the most expensive, is Two Hands Paperie in Boulder. But our best deals have been found at Oriental Trading Company. Who knew-- they carry paper!

We also have a fascination with letters. (Or maybe that's just me. No, I actually think Kerry has caught my fascination--no make that addiction or maybe obsession--

with letters. It wasn't hard to convince her, since we both studied English in college.) We collect all types of letters. Letter stickers (note the upper right hand corner of the paper photo), letter paper, letter tiles, chip board letters, and letter stamps.

Our most recent, exciting find came from the Target dollar section. You would never believe what you can find there. And being the thrifty gals that we are, we jumped on the opportunity! We found packages of cardboard letters--they came in colors, patterns and even sparkly green. They were just $1 per package! And if you have done any scrapbooking or letter-related projects, you know what a deal that was.

What collections do you have for your art projects? How do you keep them organized? Sometimes that's the biggest challenge of all!

note: I re-read this, so nice, I can make us sound like collectors, instead of the hoarders we probably really are. ;)

Studio Tour, Part II

To continue the studio tour that we started last week...

When people come into our studio, there is a lot to look at. It is a small space, but there is a lot of visual stimulation. We kept the walls and the ceiling white to create a blank canvas for all the rest of the items that you can see when you visit.

Looking up, you can see our newly installed ceiling. There is a half loft for storage, but the rest of the ceiling is vaulted. Raw wood beams cross the span of the building. We uses these beams as display for various folk art, dolls and toys that my mom had collected throughout her years.

It is always fun when someone walks in, looks up and notices all the interesting pieces we have displayed. Here are just a couple of photos for you to see. The red boots that you see on on our blog hang from these rafters, too. The boots are the one item we never moved in our renovation of the studio. Kerry explained in an earlier blog, that we don't really know why they were put there, but they have become a icon the studio.

My Perfect Mess

Good News!
My messy work bench is a sign of high productivity and sophistication! In fact the TimesOnline (UK) reports, "Do tidy desks mean efficient workers, as the corporate mavens would have us believe? Not according to Abrahamson’s research: “People who said they keep a ‘very neat’ desk spend an average of 36% more time looking for things at work than people who said they keep a ‘fairly messy’ desk.” " Citing a book called A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder — How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices and On-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place by Eric Abrahamson, who is a professor of management at Columbia Business School, the article goes on to say, "Order and uniformity are the enemies of those serendipitous random connections that can be priceless."
Nevertheless, my perfect mess will be picked up in time for guests on Saturday!

Treasures from the Studio

We are cleaning out the studio and have put together some fabulous treasures for you. Our new art scrap packs are filled with great goodies. Each pack is one-of-a-kind! There are some great items in the packs that will really add to your art collage and assemblage projects.
Each packet will hold a wide variety of items and no two packs are identical.
Your packs may include:
*Handmade papers
*7 Gypsies sticker sheets
*7 Gypsies tags, large and/or small
*Assorted stickers
*Vintage labels
*Vintage wine or liquor labels
*Vintage doilies
*Assorted Ephemera (tickets, labels, book pages, etc.)
*3/D items: clips, plastic charms, metal pieces
*Milagros
*and much, much more!
We promise an eclectic and generous assortment of items. Look at our etsy store to see pictures of our art packs for sale. These packets would be great for card making, scrapbooking, collage, and other craft projects. Be sure to take a look!

H

Here it is! My (almost) final product. This "assignment" was a great learning experience. By looking at the process and the finished product I learned a lot about my self:
1. I like using series and repetitive images.
2. I like sorting and grouping items.
3. There are a lot of H words that mean a lot to me: heart, home, hand...
4. I am a talker. I like to talk about the project while I am doing it and discuss my ideas --the opposite of Kerry, but she is a great listener.
5. I love getting outside input for my projects (thanks everyone for giving me word suggestions)
6. My work is evolving...as is this piece, I am never sure that I am "done"
7. Mod Podge is one of my favorite mediums!
8. I love words! (Once an English Teacher, always and English Teacher!)
So, there it is. I can't wait to hang our pieces in the studio! Let me know what you think, I always love outside input!

Pouches, Pockets, & Purses

Do you ever need an extra pocket? You know, you want to carry something, but don't want a big purse. Kerry and I have that problem every so often.
We have a resolution to walk. We walk (or try to) each day we work in the studio. We take a 45 to 75 minute walk at least three times a week. We walk to the post office, to the antique market where we have our booth, and then around a nearby lake. The walking is for exercise, but it also gives us some time for chit-chat. Not just your normal chit-chat. We make plans, discuss our business, refocus our direction, plan our next line, and solve the world's problems in general.
So, back to the problem of no pockets. When we leave the house we need keys and our phones (in case one of the kid's schools calls). Sometimes, our oh so cute spring outfits don't have pockets. So we made a solution: pouches. The pouches have a handle so we can hook them over our wrists. They have a snap to hold in the stuff we need to carry. And, they are made of the cutest fabrics we can find!
So, the next time you are running out of the house to solve the problems of the world, don't forget to bring your pouch!

The Helen Parker Art Studio

The historic little blue building in old town Lafayette, Colorado has lived many lives. What was once Lafayette's kindergarten, a storage facility and even a wash house, is a building with a history and with history comes a story. This one involves an artist, a mother and daughter, a friendship, dreams and a pair of red cowboy boots.

Helen, a Birch and Douglas Elementary Schools art teacher and artist, started renovations on the little blue building with the dream of turning it into an art studio for herself. New cherry wood floors, walls and electricity were added but renovations stopped with her sudden death and the little blue building sat. In the coming years it was used as a storage facility by her daughter Rachel. It sat untouched for 7 years until Rachel and Kerry were looking for a place to expand their jewelry design business. The perfect place was right there in front of them in what everyone called “the schoolhouse.”

In the spring of 2005, renovations started. It was messy, dusty and sometimes overwhelming. But with determination and help from friends, everything was hauled out and cleaned and we began to see what a fabulous place we had. We found many treasures while we cleaned, including a bag of Milagros that we swore kept mysteriously moving around everytime we set them down. Each time we discovered them again we knew this was the right place for us to be. A friendly mannequin we nicknamed Paco sat in the corner with a bandaged arm. We still hope he is out there somewhere riding around Lafayette. Boxes and boxes of art supplies and treasures we named collageables, were waiting for us to transform them into art. One item we don’t have a story for but we find intriguing are the red cowboy boots that hang from the ceiling rafter. It is the one item we never moved and probably never will. They must be important, because everyone notices them and everyone has something nice to say about them. We like to think of the red boots as the logo for what we now call “The Helen Parker Art Studio.”

In the fall of 2005, we moved in and found that we wanted to create more than jewelry in our little studio. We started experimenting with our own art and world’s of ideas came to us. We always say we are full of ideas and it seems they never stop, so we had to share. In December we started classes for local women to come and create fine crafts with us. The classes fill each month and we have a nice group of regulars as well as new people each time. We love sharing our ideas and love meeting all of the fascinating, creative, bright women who join us. The Studio is a second home for Rachel and I; and we hope it feels the same way for everyone else who joins us there.