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....continued

We have visitors and friends come to the studio on a pretty regular basis, so we need to display our jewelry and other art items in a pleasing way. We have tried lots of different ways to provide an appealing presentation. So far, our latest is my favorite. On the wall we mounted a jewelry display board. This is actually a re-purposed item.This is the top of an old drafting table. We disassembled the table, wrapped the top in batting and then a burgundy fabric. With a coordinating ribbon, and upholstery tacks, we make loops from which we could hang our necklaces and earrings. It has been a useful fixture in the studio. Just this summer, we mounted the display on the wall, rather than using the table stand. Below we have an old cedar chest and some bookshelves to hold our candles, a lamp from our friend Linda, and our clearance items. Above, we hung our F and H collages.
Another of our display pieces is the bakers rack. We found the bakers rack at a local flea market. We spray painted the metal portions black and changed the knobs. We use the bottom portion to hold our art and craft library. The drawers hold pouches and small fabric items we've made. The upper portions hold various jewelry displays, including my favorite wood ones that Kerry's dad made for us.
Our other challenge is to be able to sort and contain all our our art materials, supplies and tools. That will be the topic of another blog....stay tuned.

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.

Re-Purposing

I am cleaning up my sewing room--which is not part of our studio. It is actually my guest room. And the fabric, ribbon, and sewing machine strewn about are not conducive to having my aunt and uncle stay with us next week. And because I am the procrastinator that I am, I decided to take a "cleaning break" and do this blog.
Last spring, as I was trying to organize the materials in my sewing room, I searched around the house for a ribbon organizer. I had an idea. Why not use my old Stoneware Rack from Pampered Chef as a ribbon holder? It sits neatly on a table. It holds each ribbon spool in place. It is even pretty to look at. It is a tidy way of keeping potentially unruly materials in place.
I love the idea of re-purposing unused items for other uses. What interesting things do you use in your house to keep yourself organized?

There we are...

Today we were listed on the SheFinds Blog about their Shop for the Cure fundraiser for ovarian cancer research. 20% from the sale of our two designs will benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Take a look at the SheFinds Blog to find out about all the wonderful artists participating in this worthwhile fundraiser.

Middle Names, ahhhh!

Apparently we have been tagged. I am not as much of a blogger as Rachel (but I am turning over a new leaf and new commitment to the blog), so she had to explain tagging to me. At first, I refused to participate,
"Don't you remember my middle name???" I exclaimed in the studio.
"It's Nicholson!!! That is entirely too long."
Thankfully I was given a reprieve and allowed to use my maiden official middle name of 'Ann.' Much more reasonable for a writing procrastinator like myself.

hmmm. A-N-N
So many words pop into mind...annoying, anxious, alienating, aggressive.....Oh enough self-loathing for the moment.

Let's start again artistic, Aquarian, ambitious, active. They all apply it just depends on the day.

As for the N's. Let's just say Naughty or Nice. It depends on the day.