Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Winter is in the air....

If you receive Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine, you will see a full page AD showcasing many of the wonderful things that you can buy on Etsy.com! I was lucky enough to secure a spot in this Co-Op AD, and featured the piece above to represent my work. This feminine snowgal will be available for purchase in my Etsy shop this Saturday November 1st by noon Pacific time. So please check back then if you are interested!

If you live in Northern California you mustn't miss American Harvest's open house this Saturday and Sunday November 1st and 2nd! This will be a wonderful kick off to the holiday season where you will find fabulous artwork by many local artists including myself, and my good friend's Iva Wilcox, and Donna O'Brien. The open house runs from 10a to 5p on Saturday and 11a to 5p on Sunday, and people always line up early in anticipation for all of the new one of a kind delights that will be there. Below are just a few of the pieces that I have made especially for their open house, and if you are not able to attend in person, you can always contact the store by phone as they are able to ship items directly to their customers!





In addition to whipping some new holiday goodies, I was able to sneak in some fun family time at the Exploratorium. This is a fabulous learning museum with tons of hands on activities for children and adults of all ages. It was one of my favorite places to go when I was young, and so it was a joy to take my son Simon there for his first visit. Here he is making large bubbles....

And with dad watching gravity pull the metal marbles down into the funnel.
I also had the one of the most amazing experiences attending the Art & Soul retreat in Portland at the beginning of October with my good friend Teresa. Here we are out shopping after a day of classes...gotta get my shopping fix in! :)
I was only able to take pictures during one of my classes, and that was a class I took from Michael DeMeng. He is an amazing teacher, and I learned a tremendous amount of tips and techniques in his class! Here are a few pictures of his work...he was kind enough to let me shoot them. If you are not familiar with his work, please take some time to check out his book...it's fabulous!


Teresa and I stopped into a fun little shop called Paperdoll in Portland one night after class. This shop is filled to the brim with rubber stamps and supplies...I was in heaven!! If you are ever in the Portland area, take some time to visit this shop...the owner is a sweetie, and you won't be disappointed in their unique selection! Here are a few pics I shot of her shop....


I love this front window display!!
During my time in Portland, I spied a rainbow as Teresa and I were headed out to lunch. I shot this picture through the window, so it's hard to tell, but it was a vibrant and amazing rainbow! A treat for the eyes, and that was how my entire trip was...a creative treat for my soul. I am already looking forward to next year! I have more pictures to post from trip and will be back soon to share those with you. :)