Finally!

And I mean FINALLY!  I've mailed out the Cottage Bracelets to Clark at Art-o-Mat in North Carolina.  Now the rest is up to the universe.  I've fretted and revised and reconsidered and talked things over with Clark and obviously, have taken my time, getting them out the door.  Took Gallegher, who supported me throughout the process, has said she'll be putting some in her machine in Ferndale.  I'm so happy she is willing to do this and thank her so much for her support.  I am hoping that where ever the Cottage Bracelets end up that the folks buying and making them will put their info and images on Facebook.  It could be lots of fun to follow or a complete bust.  Stay Tuned!


Cottage Bracelet Packaging

Muslin Bag with instructions and
bracelets.  The bead and charm
are attached to the tie on the bag.

Muslin Bags ready to go.

No Excuses

Yes, it's been months since I posted.  I'm always amazed at bloggers who maintain a very consistent approach to blogging.  I guess as I consider this, rarely is anything consistent in my world.  A lot has been going on; family, vacations, holidays, projects (art and writing) and more.  I am close to being ready to send in the cottage bracelets to Art-O-Mat.  Clark will likely forget I had even sent in the protocol that he approved.  I have all the art completed; the fabric bracelets, and the handmade charms and beads.   It took a lot of work to get the final approval from Clark, and I owe a lot of thanks to Took, who helped me through the process.  But now that it's done, I'm very happy with the results.   Now I need to complete the insert/instructions and the boxes and they will be ready to go.  I'm hoping to mail them by the end of the month.  I also want to concentrate on updating my etsy shop.  And then there is ..... and ..... and ...., not to mention the many distractions!  Life is wonderfully busy and I'm thankful for that.

The Hat

I've had a really great several days, topped off with a trip to Petoskey over the weekend with one of my good friends and sister-in-law, Kathleen. 

On Wednesday I took collages to the Dearborn Art Council that Anne Gautreau and I made for their Art-in-a-box fundraiser during the Festival of Trees.  A request had gone out to local groups and Anne, the President of AAUW asked for ideas.  I had suggested that we do a collage with images that echoed the theme of the organization.  We were planning on having several ladies help with the project, but in the end it was Anne and I.  I provided the design elements and we both worked on our collages together.  It is so much fun to work side by side with other creative types!  Since I am vintage-wired, of course, I selected vintage images, emphemera, and embellishments.  We used the front and back cover of one of an old blue binder like I carried in high school (recently found at an estate sale). An old office paper clip was used to hang them.  Yet, as is typical for me, when I went to turn them in I was very very anxious.  You never know how your ideas will be received, and given the steampunk and definitely not fine art attitude of our creation, I dreaded how Stella might respond.  As it was, she loved them and even asked if I wanted to put some of my vintage art items in the Holiday sale during the Festival of Trees.  I was thrilled to say the least.  And again, I need to let it sink in that taking a risk can have definite benefits.

Here are our collages.  Annes' is on the right, mine's on the left.

 

Before we left for Petoskey, I also went to our ATC meeting and Took was there.  YEAH!  She approved my finished prototype for the Art-O-Mat project she's involved in.  Again, I was a little leary of whether it would be up to par, but in the end she loved the design.  I will be packaging it up and it should be on it's way to North Carolina for final approval before the end of the week.  Once final approval is given, my goal is to have the 50 cottage bracelets finished and back to the warehouse by mid-November in time for holiday travelers.

 

So, on to Petoskey.  We had a wonderful 3 day trip, spending 2 nights at the historic Perry Inn in Petoskey.  We went to the Applefest in Charlevoix on Friday.  What a wonderful fall day.  There were a lot of wonderful artists at the fest, but I didn't buy anything.  While in the area, we visited Emily's wonderful Victorian Home in Bayview, an art and culture community on the National Historic Register.  I sat on her porch and enjoyed the smell of evergreen needles and clutter of fallen leaves from the hill her house sits on.  Unfortunately, no one

ever came home (which we knew was the case).  We did enjoy snooping and peeking in the windows.

 

While in Petoskey we saw the Mushroom houses, darling little stone structures with thatched looking cedar roofs that resemble what you'd see in a faerie garden.  We shopped the shops along main street and searched out a number of consignment and thrift shops, where I found some great items to work with.  On the way up north, we stopped at a church rummage sale (found a wonderful diary from 1933) and an estate sale near Petoskey on the way home.  We also stopped in Lowell, intending to have lunch and to stop and see an exhibit where Took had a collage and sculpture on display.  Drats, with the rain and other delays, the gallery was closed by the time we found it.  Kathleen and I dredged through the rain, walking through the Pipe factory lot, across the tracks to see where the Art Complex was.  Kathleen, bless her heart, carried on like a trooper, determined after all we had gone through, we weren't giving up now!  As noted, once we found the building, no one was home :(

 

Oh, and "the hat"?  Well, when we arrived in Petoskey on Thursday, I bought a comfortable cotton slouchy hat knowing with the weather report that there would be plenty of rain and wind.  When I wore it Saturday I had at least 15 people tell me they liked my hat.  It got to the point that it became pretty funny that it drew so much attention.  Then in Lowell the next day, I got several compliments again.  One lady in line at Goodwill told me she noticed my hat when I was walking on the far side of the store.  And a fiber artist at a gallery we stopped in was intriqued with how it was made, so I took it off so she could figure it out and maybe make one for herself and perhaps sell them as well.  Whew.  Never underestimate the ego-boost of a hat on a bad hair day!

Diaries, Journals, and Journeys

Truth is I've never been very consistent with keeping a diary or journal.  The idea always, ALWAYS, appeals to me.  Perhaps it was from the early influence of reading the writings of Anne Frank.  How eloquently she expressed the day to day life of such a traumatic time.  It gave me pause to think that I too, might have something of value to relate from my own experiences. But, even with Anne's incredible example, I've started more diaries and journals then I care to admit.  Each, unfortunately, bares empty pages revealing my failing in this regard.  I started an art journal early this year and had a wonderful time finding new ways of expressing ideas.  Oh, how I intended.....well, let me just say this blog falls into the same category.  Except that it cannot be shoved under a chair, into a drawer, or onto the top shelf of a closet.  So, now that I've admitted that I am not a consistent blogger, I am going to pick up where I left off and just continue the journey.

I have been busy since I posted last.  There's been a lot of family committments and fun.  Having 6 grandchildren is definitely one of life's greatest rewards.  I've also, continued my volunteer work at Greenfield Village, the Farmer's Market, as well as added a few other volunteer committments along the way.  I've had the opportunity to do a couple more art fairs and made some great connections for placing some of my pieces for sale.  One of these days I hope to get an etsy shop going.  And then, of course, there are those characters that keep popping into my head that I keep promising to give life to.  Dreaming on.  

Art Fairs, Art Fun, Art Folks

You never know where art will take you.  There are times to plan and set goals and other times to let things just flow and see where it leads.  Earlier this year I met Emily Smith at a one night art show in a church nearby.  Not only do we share a love of vintage, but I think we are traveling the same path of late.  She's opened up my world to several art groups where in a short time I've met some wonderful artists and tried some new art techniques.  I've learned that the artist community supports one another; sharing of their craft, their experiences, and their encouragement.

Emily and I signed on (at the last minute) to our first outdoor festival.  It was a wonderful experience and well run with a huge interactive focus.  This was the fourth IART Show put on by the Redford Parks and Art Conservancy  www.rpaconservancy.org.  Turnout was fair, given the heat of the weekend.  But the connections and interactions with the artists and crowd was well worth it.  We both sold a few things and made a little money, but more so, there was an encouraging array of comments that soothes the soul and valuable information about other connections for future endeavors.

Emily creates beautiful totes, aprons, and other useful items from vintage laces and fabrics, be it a tablecloth or table runner. She also makes lovely vintage dolls with polymer clay, fabric flowers, bears from vintage chenille, etc. etc. etc. Isn't that the way of most artists? One thing leads to another. Because I create mixed media from a variety of items from found items, be it collaged framed pictures, trinket boxes, jewelry, journals, etc etc. etc., each item is one of a kind and always with a vintage feel. In talking with those that stopped by, it is clear that using the old to make the new, is a wonderful way of not only being 'green', but connecting generations. Here are a few photos of our booth:

So, there are several shows coming up in  September that we need to get ready for.  We hope to be at Greenmead on September 9 in Livonia, the Antique Barn on September 15/16 in Northville, and possibly a few others.  We have other things in the works, too, so stay tuned.

Visions of the Heart

Where have I been and why does it always take me so long to get here? Demands of life seem to keep us away from what we truly love to do. I do 'think' about what I am working on oh so often....the two books I am writing, the Sunshine Boxes, and all the wonderful ideas flowing in my head. I am creating.... every time I see the vision of my creations it fills my heart and I just know that in fact, it is REAL! We can be all we can be and carry these ideas in our heart. One day, all at once they will also become real to others. I am gentle on myself.... and I know it will be worth the wait... and someday it will be my day. I hope you too are filling your heart with those things you love.

A Month Goes By

A month goes by so quickly.  I just realized it's been that long since I updated my blog.  It's not been because I haven't done anything artful or SimplyJoyful.  I've been more then busy with such things. 

I joined in this month on a mini-book swap with Crafting Ireland with the only request that I be teamed with a partner outside of the USA.  I was fortunate to be partner with Felicia Thomas who lives in County Kerry, Ireland and is on the Crafting Ireland design team.  I've already received her (now mine) beautiful book in the mail.  It is wonderfully made with a lovely "vintage" feel which was designated as the theme.  The colors, embellishments, and craftsmanship is inspiring.  You can see and hear about the book at: http://scrapzville.blogspot.com/2012/06/karens-vintage-mini.html#comment-form   Check out Felicia's other artwork while you're visiting her site.  There is something soul-satisfying about sharing art across the grand spanse of the world.  I'm on deadline and need to get my book mailed to her on Monday. She sent me a tease before she mailed me mine,  so I shall do the same. 

 
This darling girl caught my heart.  I've named her Matilda (Tillie) Flynn and celebrated her vintage life. 

I've other things to share, but will hold off for a couple of days.  I started a weaving project at our RunningWithScissors group here locally and will post some photos of that in progress.  I'm in the middle of several painting projects.  No, not watercolor.   I'm making some room upstairs for my "art junk" so have been busy painting bedrooms and the bathroom.  I'll post a photo of my art space when I get it all put together.  So much to do, so little time.