Decorated Cottage

This year,I actually managed to reduce my collection of Christmas decorations. It was very difficult, but needed to be done. There is a lot less house to decorate in the Cottage than there was in the Lodge! I kept things most sentimental and even then have way too much. It is kind of sad that we only enjoy these things for a few weeks each year -- but then, maybe that is the enduring charm of the memorabilia.

Bee took some fabulous pics of our Christmas tree. I always have birds or an owl as part of the decor.

Life Updates

We have been working furiously on the classes for Portland 09. The jury completed their selections last month and it has taken weeks to work and re-work the schedule to try and fit classes to classrooms. The result is a fantastic line-up and once again, I am excited about the next Portland event. Vonnie is in the process of uploading the info to the website and our target date to go live is February 15. Registration will begin on March 1.

Pica helping Bee arrange classes for Portland.

Then it is always a daunting task to re-pack and return the samples. Vonnie got lots of help and advice from Annie.

Not to be outdone -- Sophie joined me as the main attraction in the "in box".

Bee has joined us in Nov and Dec at Duck Pond Cottage. This last visit, she brought her camera and got some great shots of our newest family member….Ringo. He is a Gloucester Corona Canary and the funniest bird I have ever seen --- with a perfect toupee. I made the big mistake of going to a bird show (took Bee with me) -- he was in a silent auction and I just had to bid. Happily, I won the bid. He is joined by Pavarotti (so named because he sings like a canary – heh heh heh) and Princess Buttercup. Buttercup is a rescue canary. She has seizures and falls off of her perch. She was given to me as she could not be used for breeding or sold. She needed a home to care for her – and that is our place. Buttercup has been fine since she has been with us and is happy to sit on Abby’s finger. The trio (especially “Pavvy”) makes happy sounds and keeps me company as I work.
My kitties were very pleased with the new arrivals and it was a challenge to keep them off the cages (squirt bottles work well). Now they realize that the birds are not lunch, here to stay and actually are pretty boring behind those bars.

Ringo

Horsing Around

We had so much fun for Halloween this year. Abigail and Secret competed in their first horse show last weekend. One of the classes was a costume contest and Abby had decided that she and her horse would be fairies. Ruth had given Abby the book Fairy Houses by Barry & Tracy Kane which was her inspiration for the costumes. Gathering the costume items, Vonnie found the perfect set of wings for Secret and we devised a way to attach them to her back. There was only one small complication….Secret was terrified of the wings. It was pretty pathetic to watch a huge 15 hand horse tremble anytime she saw them coming at her. Fortunately, we had two weeks to ease her fears and by contest night, she wore her wings like a trooper. Abby wanted flowers in her tail and mane and we made a flower tiara to wear behind her ears. Getting the tail and mane ready

The two fairies took 2nd place out of 19 – it was a very exciting evening for all of us.

Special Announcement!

I am very pleased to announce that Bee Shay will be joining the Art & Soul Staff. Bee brings countless experience and talent to our team and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her as an integral part of Art & Soul. Bee is making her teaching debut for us in Virginia next May. She has been a Folk artist and oil painter for almost 30 years, and turned mixed media about 12 years ago. She's been teaching some form of handcraft or art since 1978, more on than off. Bee majored in art in high school for all four years and one year of college...self education has been the key from there on. Learn by "doing" has been her basic mode of self instruction. She has spent 10 years actively involved in the Stencil Artisan's League (SALI), an international non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching and furthering of traditional American Folk Art. Working on both the local level (serving on the local board at all levels and traveling instructor); and also on the national board as Educational Chairman and National Convention Chairman. In the early '90's she switched gears and began working in the paper arts world when bitten by rubber stamps and has taught in stores and small private workshops since.

As you can see, we have a lot in common! We love our pets and have a deep affinity for birds.

You may review her work on her blog: www.beeshay.typepad.com

With Marie, Jan, Bee and Vonnie --- not to mention the most dedicated volunteers in the Universe, Art & Soul ROCKS!!

I'm BAAAACCCCCK!

I’m here --- after a very long absence -- and am almost back to normal – (ohhhh – that might be scary.) During the middle of Art & Soul Portland, I managed to catch the CRUD. Working 15+ hrs a day left my resistance pretty low and coupled with residual medical issues, I was hit pretty hard with the stuff. I continued to try and work through it, but alas, was finally forced to leave the computer/office and stay in bed --- for weeks. It was awful. Many of you know that I am not a patient person --- not a patient patient at all. But today – I feel great and am ready to kick butt!! It is amazing how during a long illness you can forget what it is like to feel well!

I want to thank all of you who have sent well wishes and links to your blogs and photos of the Portland event to me; I am just beginning to review them. The work that emerges from the classes is amazing and I hope that everyone will have an opportunity to review all the wonderful blogs.

Now it is back to work on our events, a fall newsletter and getting ready to jury submissions for next year's classes!

Ready, Set, REGISTER!

Your feedback continues to be most encouraging and reinforces my dedication to you and Art & Soul events. This economy has shaken all of us to our bare roots, but our art souls realize the importance of our sisterhood and how each of us thrive on our newfound friendships. I am deeply touched by your notes and stories, please continue to send them!
We are getting ready for the Portland event and things are hopping! As if that weren’t enough to keep us busy, registration went “live” for both Asilomar and Virginia this month. Whew – it has been a daunting few weeks – but also exhilarating.
The classes and instructors for the events are, once again, outstanding. We have some new faces and innovative classes that are incredible. I will be showcasing them in my blog during the next few weeks.
And now, it is off to the Embassy. Loading the van, setting up and getting ready for a art filled week with fabulous people!!

New Hobby

My friends Ruth and Connie belong to a group called “The Inkies”. Can you guess – the group was formed about 10yrs ago as a stamping club. They continue to meet once a week and are a very flexible and fun loving gang. I joined them a couple of weeks ago and the main topic of conversation (other than what was for lunch) was needle felting. Bette had two delightful books showing all types of projects and was talking about roving, needles, etc.

The whole classroom (they meet at Stamp A Dee DO da) was electric with enthusiasm for needle felting. Bette and Ruth were determined to show me one of the publications and get me as excited as they were. I agreed that the projects were nice, but really, I did not need another art vice. REALLY. Honestly, it looks like fun, but NO. My protests lasted about 10 minutes.

I now have a needle felting machine, roving and if you tell me I need it, I’ll have Ruth get it for me. The turning point was the photo of a wedding picture framed with needle felting. I was in the process of making a book for my nephew’s wedding and had been contemplating a special cover. I was drawn to the picture frame and immediately began to gather materials. Five days and a few dollars later, I was knee deep in shades of white and ivory accents; some antique lace, buttons and other family heirlooms.

For those who have yet to experiment with this art form, it is quite soothing and can also give you that immediate gratification that so many of us desire. I have finished the book and am anxious for some free time to play.

The beautiful bride, Lauren, had chosen white/ivory and black for her colors. I used black suede for the spine and back cover to help give the book strength and durability. This is an old lace glove, stitched to the page. Lauren can add something special to the tag.

Lauren wanted a decorative spine so I used an ivory book binding flax for the signatures and incorporated some pearls from my grandmother's button box.

The wedding was held in Las Vegas -- the latest, hippest place to get hitched -- so I'm told. Surprisingly, we had over 70 friends and family in attendance. I made a small Guest Book to fit into THE book. I believe this to be an antique crocheted purse. I sewed it to the page as an enclosure for the guest book.

I like using different types of papers when making my books -- the various textures give them a special, unique feel.