Storybook Art and Fibre

2011-12-29T19:58:00.004-06:00

Our move is complete, shows are done, and the holidays are upon us, whew! It's been a bit of whirlwind this past month. We are settled in our new home just south of Teulon, and our critters are all happily enjoying their new living quarters - our three horses in the big barn, and our llama and alpacas in the little barn.
Meet Loki, the yearling woolly llama...

The loveable Andy, our yearling white alpaca...

And Coco, the chocolate yearling with attitude to spare....

The Christmas show season began with Scattered Seeds in October, followed by Signatures in November, and a lovely open house in December at the home of friends Susan McIlwain and Paul Collard. Here at the farm, I am without a studio AGAIN. A temporary work area has been set up in the future home of my studio and farm shop, and I have borrowed a bit of the rec room for the colder months. My beadmaking is done out in the shop, heated by woodstove (and my torch!), and I will be doing fibre work this winter in a cosy spot in the house, in front of the fire. The shop is expected to be up and running in time for the June Wave Tour, I am looking forward to experimenting with a few new ideas, I will try and update with pictures from time to time.

Thank-you all for your support in 2011, wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

2011-10-09T19:32:00.005-05:00

Happy long weekend! Thanksgiving is upon us, and with that comes the end of another successful season at St. Norbert Farmer's Market, and the beginning of the holiday show season. Next weekend I have been invited to participate in Autumn Odyssey, held on Saturday, October 15 from 9:30 - 3:00, at 2-172 Lilac Street, the corner of Lilac and McMillan. If you get the chance, drop in for some pre-holiday shopping!
I'll be featuring some of my newest work this upcoming weekend, including the vintage look "girlfriends" photo pendant series......

If you've had the chance to take a peek at my website or my Etsy site, you'll see a number of new items, including vintage silk sari ribbon, wonderful for gift wrapping, mixed media, collages, quits, and more...

hand crinkled rayon seam binding ribbon..................

And a variety of vintage-look gift tags, just in time for gift giving!

My new sachets, made with 100% organic lavender, are perfect for hostess gifts, teacher gifts, or just for yourself! I have sewn linen bags and hand-stamped each one with vintage look French postcard stamps. They have a lovely scent, 2 sachets are tied together with crinkled rayon ribbon and finished with a tiny gift tag, all ready for gift giving!

Be sure to mark your calendars for Scattered Seeds, quickly approaching on October 21-23, at Red River Exhibition Park, Assiniboia Downs. I will be in booth 78, look forward to seeing you there!

2011-09-22T19:12:00.003-05:00

So, here I am, as usual, 6 months between posts. So long, in fact, that I had to contact Blogger to get my password, as I had forgotten it! Our fantastic summer has come and gone, along with another successful and enjoyable Folk Festival, sunny & hot market days, and great times at home with family and friends. For those of you that I have not connected with over the summer, I've added a number of new items to my collection.
Art Yarn Scarves, made from my own handspun wool and strips of silk sari fabric, and felted flower brooches to adorn your fall jackets and hats...

Vintage photo pendants....

and Wrist Roses, made from recycled sari silk, a shabby chic wrist corsage!

There are more items to come, so check back in again soon, my website will be updated in the next few weeks to include a peek at all the new accessories and decor.

I will be at St. Norbert Farmer's Market for 3 more Saturdays, September 24, and October 1 and 8. After that, you can track me down at Scattered Seeds.

it's about time...

2011-04-25T19:48:00.004-05:00

My friend Ron has been complaining about my poor blogging skills. It's true - it is not my strong suit, the last time I posted anything was December 1 ! So here's the update......
For any of you who have taken a look at my website lately, you will see I have changed the name to Storybook Art & Fibre. I am still creating beads and jewelry, but have added a somewhat vintage flair. I have also added FIBRE! Over the winter I took a spinning workshop at Wolseley Wool, and I was immediately hooked. I couldn't get enough of fleece! I now spin my own yarns, and knit and felt accessories to compliment my jewelry. It's been an exciting change for me, it has stimulated my creativity, which has come to a standstill for awhile. As most of the accessories are one-of-a-kind, I encourage you to come see me during The Wave Studio Tour, and see what's new! The art yarn scarves were a big hit at Scattered Seeds, and I will certainly be making more for the tour.

Next - we have added to our animal family - Bruno showed up at my studio door the day before the first snowfall, hungry, skinny and scared. It took 3 weeks of leaving food for him outside my studio door before I could catch him, and longer yet before we could get him to trust us. He has become a much-loved member of the family over the past 5 months, and has put most of his trust issues aside. All I can say is whoever was cruel enough to dump this poor dog out on the highway in Breezy Point didn't deserve him in the first place, he is a treasure :)

We have lost a member of our animal family as well, my little Emma lost her battle with cancer on April 4. She was my friend and my comfort, and I will miss her. My cousin Marla inquired as to who was in charge now, as that little 6 pound cat ruled the roost here, even Bruno, at his now healthy weight of 80 pounds, knew enough to tow the line. I guess the new "boss" will step forward in good time.

Scattered Seeds has come and gone, and it's time to prepare for the St. Norbert Farmer's Market, opening on Saturday, June 4. I'll try and make another blog post before then, but you know what I'm like....

2010-12-01T16:11:00.007-06:00

December 1 already, where has the time gone? The summer flew by, we were so busy with our new property, the market, the Folk Festival, renovations, and all of a sudden here we are at holiday time! Scattered Seeds was a great success in the new building, I believe attendance must have increased with the move. Tomorrow we leave for Saskatoon for Sundog, I am excited, I have heard wonderful things about the show. It will also be an opportunity for Tim and I to take a break from work, and enjoy each other's company for a change, without yard work, renovations, I thought country life was supposed to be a more relaxing pace? Hmmm.

Some of our busy time has been spend getting to know our new family members as well, we have had a couple new additions this summer. First came Rio, my handsome 4 year old AQHA registered palomino gelding....

And next came Willow, our beautiful 6 year old quarter horse/appaloosa cross. The menagerie keeps growing, I think we need more room! We have leased the pasture across the road so our horses have plenty of room to run, and look forward to getting out for some rides once the weather improves again.

I have held 3 workshops this fall, the last one was last weekend, November 27. Joy, Janis, Dawn, Michaela and Dawn, thanks for coming! You are a very creative group of women, it was a pleasure to spend the day with you.

The next beginner bead-making workshop will be help Saturday, January 22, 2011, and there is still space available, hope you'll join me for some fun.
Spending time doing these workshops has made me give a great deal of thought to making some changes to my website. The groups that I teach are creative, DIY type people, who are interested in making their own creations, rather than purchasing a finished product. So, I am adding a section soon to my Etsy page which will feature unassembled components - sets of my lampwork beads, ready to be strung into your own design, ear wires, chain, and various items to spark your creativity. Torch head for bead making and some flameworking items will also be available.

Check my website after Christmas to take a peek at some new collections!

The Wave

2010-06-17T09:16:00.009-05:00

What a great weekend! Thanks to all who came out to see my new "almost finished" studio, we managed to pull it all together at the last minute, on Thursday the studio looked like this:

But by Saturday morning, we had managed to transform it into this.......

(note the photographer in the door reflection...)

There is still drywall to be finished, wiring to be completed, and a big clean-up, but it was lovely to be in there for The Wave. My apologies to those who tried to find my studio and gave up, the directions were correct, you just had to stick it out a little longer going down Clandeboye Road! It is a 8 km stretch of, well, nothing much but fields. But I am just at the other end of it, hwy 320 and McIvor Lane North. An alternate route would be Main Street north from Winnipeg into Selkirk, then follow 320 9kms out of town to McIvor Lane North. No gravel to travel this way, either.

At any rate, I will post additional signs on Clandeboye Road for fall, to help everyone along, and I hope to see all of you Labor Day weekend. The studio will be complete, and I will be doing some demos, as well as being able to provide you with some info on beadmaking classes for the
fall and winter.

In the meantime, preparations for the Folk Festival are next! Just a few more weeks to go, I'm excited to be a part of this wonderful event again.

2010-05-19T14:42:00.006-05:00

We've been in our new house in St. Andrew's for 2 whole weeks now, and things are finally settling down a bit. Life out here is certainly going to be different, definitely more peaceful without the city noise and traffic. Our new yard is full of perennial beds, fruit trees, a couple acres of lawn, complete with a little greenhouse, I'll try and fit some bead making in amongst my gardening tasks!

We been enjoying long walks in the evening, the sunset was gorgeous on Clandeboye Road on Saturday...

Work has begun on the new studio...

and will hopefully be done by The Wave tour coming up in June. Currently my studio is in the other garage ...

Yes, that's a car parked in the studio. Not the ideal space, but it will do for now. The main problem is that I can't find many of my tools, books, etc., which leads to giving up, wandering off and gardening instead of working. Not a great time to have creativity issues with both The Wave

and St. Norbert Farmer's Market coming up.

The first market day of the season will be Saturday, June 5, from 8 am to 3 pm. The Wave Studio Tour will follow on the next weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 12 & 13, check my website for directions to my studio, as well as on The Wave website to locate my studio, and the studios of other participating artists in the Interlake.

Scattered Seeds this weekend

2010-04-13T10:01:00.003-05:00

Be sure to come and see me at Scattered Seeds this weekend, April 16-18, I'll be in booth 257 on the main floor, with lots of new goodies to show you!

2010-03-29T14:47:00.000-05:00

Just a few photos to share from our drive yesterday to Selkirk to see the ice jams on the Red River. We walked over the bridge to East Selkirk, and quite literally came to the end of the road...

The jams have cleared in Selkirk, not the case a little further north...

Views from "the bridge to nowhere", looking down...

looking south......

and looking north (towards our house)...

It's quite an incredible sight, especially viewed from the height of the highway 4 bridge.

2010-03-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

I've spent the past week at a daunting task - re-doing my website. My old computer had begun to eat bits and pieces of the old site, until it reached a point where I couldn't update the data any more. Now, I am not the most tech-savy individual around, but I must give myself a pat on the back, it turned out rather well. I found a template I could understand, which told me to do things in plain English rather than the gibberish my former web designer used, and I was off to the races. Well, not really races, but I managed. I'd like to add my own photo gallery and remove the Etsy one, but that's for another week. My brain is tech-tired.
In retrospect, it appears I have spent the past week or two doing anything but make beads. I enrolled in a glass course with George Shannon of On the Edge Glass Studio to learn how to make jewelry boxes , among other things. The other things being patte de verre, casting, advanced fusing methods...... At one time I wondered if an artist should focus only on one application of their chosen medium, and attempt to excel in that realm. But I want to know so many more things about glass. Spending time at On the Edge is glass utopia! George works in all of these applications, I have to refrain from bursting in each week and immediately throwing a barrage of questions at him on all topics.
Anyway, back to my original project, the jewelry box. My friend Ron gave me a brief intro some months ago on how to build a box, use flux and solder, the basics. It looked so easy when Ron did it. So... I practiced more, and came to the conclusion that I really sucked at soldering. This past week, I had an "aha" moment as I watched George deftly "tap" the solder into place. No dragging, tapping. Brilliant. Or at least I thought so, after spending hours dragging the stupid stuff off of where I have just put it. I can solder! Yay! Not perfectly yet, but I'll get there. Tim has enrolled in the class as well, and is hard at work on his first artistic endeavor, I'm looking forward to a time in the future when we are both adept enough to collaborate on a project. But for now, I'll concentrate on finishing the jewelry box. Hey, did I mention that I can solder...?

2010-02-17T15:10:00.000-06:00

Call me crazy, but off to Edmonton I go for a wholesale show again. Remember what happened last time with the return trip in a wheelchair, among other minor catastrophes over the course of the 5 days? I hope NOT to repeat any of that.
If you haven't been on my website lately, there are tons of new items, new collections are "sand" and "dreams". As well, I have re-vamped "hydrangea", added a little soft pink to make it feel more like spring. Check out the Flickr link as well, I have been working on a new knotting technique using waxed linen and pearl cotton, along with tons of lampwork and czech glass and crystals. So far I've gotten a necklace and 2 bracelets done, they are time consuming, to say the least. I hope to have them on display at Scattered Seeds, April 16-18, along with other "one-of-a-kind" items.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-09T21:06:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. For me, the season went by in a blur, as usual. Scattered Seeds was a great show, nice to see customers and other artists that I haven't seen in a while. Next came In Plain View studio tour, Heidi Hunter and Carrie Wolchock joined me in my home/studio for the first weekend in December for an open house, thanks to all who attended, we had a great turn-out. Now, speaking of tours, here's the big news......we have bought a property in St. Andrews, and I will be doing "The Wave" in 2010! I am thrilled to be part of this exciting interlake artist's tour, click on the link and see what it's all about if you have never attended. Our new property is beautiful, we have 2 acres just south of Breezy Point, at the intersection of highway 320 and Clandeboye Road. We'll be building a new glass studio, hopefully to be completed by the September "Wave", so be sure to come for a visit.
Right now, I'm back to the grind, planning out new collections to tempt you for spring, I've posted a number of new items on my website, be sure to take a look. One more collection to come, "Angel", all done in clear and white, the photos are proving to be a challenge, but I'll get them posted soon.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-10-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning.....I think I'll skip St. Norbert farmer's market today. Doesn't this photo look somewhat like the one I posted on April 1 this past spring? Talk about a short summer. Too bad about the weather, this weekend is usually a nice one at the farmer's market, many people traditionally pick up their produce for Thanksgiving dinner today, which is usually the last market of the season. This year it runs till Halloween, but unless the weather changes drastically, I'd say this is it!
So....I won't see any of you at a sale until Scattered Seeds, coming up in less than 2 weeks, Oct. 22-25. Look for me on the main floor in booth 251, I've been working on a lot of new things to tempt you with!
Plans for the In Plain View Studio Tour are still underway, contact me if you would like a map/brochure for the event, and I'll make sure to get one out to you. I wil be in my studio on the weekend of December 5-6, hosting 2 other artists, Heidi Hunter and Carrie Wolchok. Be sure to visit us!

September events

2009-09-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

A quick post to let everyone know what's going on in the next few weeks.....I will be at HSC tomorrow, September 10, at the St. Norbert Farmer's Market on Saturday, and at Fort Whyte's Fall Festival from 10-3 Sunday, September 13th. On Sunday, Manitoba farmer's market vendors will join Fort Whyte Farms to offer a variety of seasonal produce, honey, pasture-raised chickens and exceptional Manitoba products. Select local artisans have been invited to sell their handcrafted items. It promises to be a fun-filled day, complete with horse drawn wagon rides and other activities, in addition to the beauty of the trails at Fort Whyte. Hope you can join us! St. Norbert Market is still going strong, and they are hosting a new event this month:

"Winnipeg’s first annual Farmers’ Feast. It’s a celebration of local food and local producers. Ten chefs will come to our market on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 23rd, and create a fabulous meal using all local foods.
Tickets are going on sale for the event this Saturday morning at our market, the Village Market, and through Manitoba Food Charter; we are hosting this event in partnership with a number of other groups including those just noted, SlowFood Manitoba and The Organic Food Council. a This is a promotional event for the market and the chefs, specifically promoting the value of local producers. Proceeds from the event will go to future Farmers’ Feasts, which are typically held on farms. We are honoured to host the first of such events at our market.
Tickets are $35.00 each, and can be purchased at the kiosk on Saturday mornings, at the Village Market, and with PayPal at the Farmers’ Feast website. "

Preparations are underway as well for the In Plain View Studio Tour, check out the website and follow along with the blog to find out more about the artists participating, I'm looking forward to seeing you all at my open house on December 5 and 6! A further email will be sent out to all subscribers to my newletter, and to those who have signed my guestbook at an event over the summer.

New collections are SLOWLY being posted to my website, "winter berries" is a new fall collection done in shades of plum, berry and sage, and "web" is featured in the Sterling and Bronze collection. While you're looking in the sterling and bronze collection, take a peek at the "oak leaf necklace", perfect for fall. Look for the "truffle" collection to be posted soon, all done in warm shades of brown and caramel.

2009-08-13T18:41:00.001-05:00

I'm long overdue for a blog posting, last time I updated was 2 1/2 months ago! Lots going on since then. The new studio is complete, with the exceptions of a few touch ups. I'll post some pics soon, (or once I clean it up enough to photograph it). What can I say, creating is a messy business!
To catch up on a few things....
The L.A. trade show was not to be. Flew to Calgary via Westjet to transfer to my connecting flight to L.A., picked up my luggage and attempted to go through customs. Ha. I was denied entry on the basis that I did not have a "Carnet". For those of you in the dark, as I was, it is a Temporary Import Document. One that applies ONLY TO U.S. RESIDENTS. Hmmm. Someone apparently didn't have their info straight, and it wasn't me.... They sent me out of customs, to UPS, who had no idea what a carnet was either, and sent me back to customs. After playing this back-and-forth game a few times, the Westjet floor supervisor attempted to intervene and get it straightened out before I missed my connecting flight. She couldn't figure out which hoops to jump through either, so I finally said "please put me on a flight back to Winnipeg". And she did. Westjet staff are amazing, this is the second time this year they've bailed me out of a jam. ( The first being the Edmonton/wheelchair disaster.) So, I lost my full booth fee, flight, and numerous other expenses because the customs supervisor I had the misfortune to meet is apparently attempting to save the U.S. from recession via the Calgary airport. As a side note: another artist I know strolled right through customs with her samples en route to L.A. with no problem!
On a happier note, I had a lovely time at the show in Sioux Narrows again this year, tourism was down a bit, but the the organizers, and the beautiful setting, make the weekend a pleasure.
The St. Norbert Farmer's Market is going strong, the fact that we haven't seemed to have a summer yet is not hindering the shoppers that visit us each weekend. If you haven't been yet, make sure you come for a visit soon.
Fall shows are quickly approaching as well, I'll update you on "when" and "where" in my next post.
Now get out and enjoy the summer weather, I hear rain is in the forecast again for the weekend....

cupcakes!

2009-05-30T13:09:00.000-05:00

I had a hard time taking pics of these little guys, couldn't find any good natural light in the last couple days. But...here they are - each cupcake measures approximately 22mm, including the "cherry" but excluding the sterling bail:

Received some other exciting news yesterday from Prairie Stained Glass. Their second annual glass exhibition was held this past week, and I entered 2 pieces for judging, I am honoured to have received Best in Show for the "Chocolate Cherries" necklace :

and "Best Beads" for my "Chocolate Cherries" bracelet:

My prize is a $300.00 gift card from Prairie Stained Glass, I am excited to say the least. Thanks to Lucinda and the staff at Prairie for putting on this event!

new studio in progress!

2009-05-26T16:06:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to find something constructive to do while my contractor has my house turned upside down, thought it was time to return to my blog. I have a lovely new studio in progress, my contractor has gutted my ugly old basement, and is putting in new drywall, floor, ceiling, office space, it's going to be beautiful, I can hardly wait! He thinks I should be able to move back in by the weekend, but until then I am doing another stint in the garage, like last year. Unlike last year, it is freezing cold out there in the morning, and the glass rods are so cold that some of them just shatter. I've started running a heater in the morning, and waiting till mid-day to begin work, but even at that the temperature is questionable.
This morning I tried something new, cupcake beads - inspired by my weekly visits to Sweet Impressions, a cupcake bakery on Tache Avenue. Try the Pink Lemonade, or the Raspberry Creme. Oh heck, try them all, I have. Yum. I'll post pics of the cupcake beads tomorrow, right now they're "baking" in the kiln. Wonder if Krista will trade me edible cupcakes for glass cupcakes, hmmmm.....and that would be the reason why I've re-joined the gym, right there!
St. Norbert Farmer's Market gets started June 6, only a week and a half away, make sure you head out to see what's planned for opening day. I'll also be doing the Mennonite Central Committee Relief Show and Sale at the Mennonite University on Shaftsbury, hours of operation are Friday, June 19 from 5-9, and Saturday June 20 from 9-3. Hope to see you there, lots of great crafts, and the food and baking are fantastic!

let it snow, let it snow.....

2009-04-01T22:56:00.000-05:00

April 1st in Winnipeg - woke up to about a foot of heavy, wet snow this morning. At least the dogs are happy, running around gleefully, digging, rolling around like they've never seen snow before. I personally have seen more than enough snow this winter, and this last storm has added to the flooding concerns, and an ice jam has occurred inside the city. It's now 11 pm., and as I look out the window, I see the snow starting AGAIN!

I've spent the last couple weeks getting myself organized, taxes are all done (thanks Chris!), and I have vowed NOT to throw all my receipts in a box all year, then curse at my disorganized book keeping at tax time. I'm off to a good start, have already entered all my 1st quarter paperwork, let see if I can keep it up...

Scattered Seeds is just around the corner, April 17-19. I've been hard at work on some new designs for spring, and am looking forward to seeing everyone again after the long winter. I've also been spending some time recently looking at houses, hoping to find a place where I can have a nice, roomy studio where my clients can drop in. I think I may have found just the place, I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Will keep you all posted...

spring is just around the corner...

2009-03-12T14:52:00.000-05:00

Spring is just around the corner, right? Hah. Hard to believe when you wake up to -35 with the windchill in the middle of March. This week I had my basement insulation job finished up, probably good as it may be this cold till August. I've been working on getting orders out, and trying out a few new techniques, will post pics of my efforts next time. It involves some tricky stuff with copper mesh, and poking the daylights out of the bead without it falling off the mandrel. I have a tutorial from the very talented Sherry Bellamy, a west coast bead artist. We'll see if it's as easy as she makes it look.
I have a new thing for the dogs to tell you about. Anybody with a 2-dog household have a splitter? For those who are saying ???????? , a splitter is a 2 foot lead, with clips on each end. You hook one dog to either end, then hook the middle of it to one leash, and voila, you can walk 2 dogs without wrapping yourself up in multiple leashes while walking. Here's the trick with my two - I get their harnesses on, then the splitter and leash, and we head off to the park. We are barely out the gate (they are sooooo excited by this time) and they are beating the crap out of each other while attached to the splitter, rolling around in the snow as I walk along with this tasmanian devil-like thing at the end of the leash, snarling and tumbling around. Then, all of a sudden Sadie decides she needs to get to the park pronto, and she tears off dragging Alfie behind her, as he has little control being the lighter guy on the other end of the leash. So, next, envision me walking very briskly with an upright dog, and one on it's side. Good thing we are going to dog school next month. We all have a few things to learn. I must say though, it's been so many years since I've had young dogs, I spend more time laughing than disciplining, so it's my own fault!
In a few weeks I'll be at Health Sciences Centre to show off my new work, and shortly after that I hope I'll be seeing you all at Scattered Seeds. That's it for now, stay warm (or just stay in till spring)!

things are looking up!

2009-03-04T15:22:00.000-06:00

Now that I have elicited your pity for the comedy of errors that was my last show, I have good news. Well, first of all, with regard to Edmonton, I had a call from the manager of the Ramada in Edmonton, and they are refunding me my room costs for the one miserable night I spent there. The manager has asked me to return "one more time" so they can show me that they can do better, I think I'll graciously decline. I never did hear from John at Signatures. So, not being a patient person (as some of you well know!) I went to Peter Harbic (Signatures). Peter says he will be looking into this and getting back to me. My back is better, sales are good, and spring weather is around the corner, things are looking up! Now, my good news - I have been offered a booth in the By Hand section of the Los Angeles Gift Show this summer! As it is the weekend following the Folk Festival, I would not have been able to do both, so I'll just say (to myself, as I talk to myself alot...) that everything happens for a reason
Now off to the studio, I've got a new button mandrel, so I think I'll take a stab at making some funky buttons. No idea what for, sometimes you have to do things just for the fun of it!

how much bad luck can 1 person have...?

2009-02-24T07:20:00.001-06:00

On Feb. 14, I headed off to Edmonton to do the Signatures By Hand wholesale show in Edmonton. That's where it all started. I went straight to Rexall Place (the arena where the Oilers play, also the site of the show), where I was unable to find my booth! There was another exhibitor (of jewellery) in the booth indicated as mine on the map, about 1/2 hour later I discovered my booth out of chronological order, all by it's lonesome, between the bar and a kind of curtained off area, facing the Oiler's dressing room doors. Now, if there were hockey players coming out of the doors consistently throughout the show, this might have been interesting. However, when I checked the map in the buyer's guide, my new location was marked with a different number, then crossed of the map entirely! There was no one from Signatures to address my concerns, same experience I had at this show last summer. So, after about 3 laps around the arena looking for assistance, and conversations with the display company and arena managers, no one had the authority to correct the problems without a representative from Signatures present, so I set up and left.

Went back to the hotel, Ramada Conference Centre. NEVER go there. Seriously. Discovered immediately my wireless connection was not functioning. Called the front desk, they directed me to the help line. Spent 1 1/2 hours on the help line, when they informed me they couldn't help me, and I should just use the business centre. So, called the front desk again. They said to pack up and come downstairs, they would move me to a different room. Upon my arrival back downstairs, they told me the person who told me that was new, they really had no other room for me. Went back upstairs, unpacked AGAIN, might as well go to bed. No blanket on the bed. Called room service. Called again. And again. 2 1/2 hours later I got a blanket. Before going to bed, I called the Chateau Nova and made a reservation for the next night. My last treat from the Ramada - when I got up the next morning, thought I would make myself a cup of coffee. However, there was ALREADY coffee in the pot, from the previous resident of my room! Ugh! Now, through all of this, I had been trying to dial room-to-room to a friend's room, looking for a little sympathy for all my rotten luck. Found out later my phone didn't work. THAT'S why no one ever answered! That evening, I hauled my substantial luggage through the snow, down the street for a block to the Chateau Nova, finally a nice, clean room where everything worked! Now, here's the grand finale - when I woke the next morning, I couldn't get out of bed as I had put my back out pulling my luggage. After 3 agonizing days, I arrived home in a wheelchair, talk about pain. Anyway, after a few chiro appointments, and some brutal, but effective massage at the hands of therapist Sue Kos, I am feeling MUCH better.

Oh, but it's not done yet......My bead kiln is on the fritz, the on/off switch blew on Sunday, my first attempt since my injury at making some beads. Apparently it's a very rare occurence for the switch to go. Of course. Now, my one bit of good news was that sales were great at the show, but how does one fill orders with no kiln? AAARGH! Vern at The Sounding Stone is pretty sure he can get it fixed up, it'll just be a few days.Hope so, otherwise I have to request parts from Texas, that won't be a speedy transaction.

Just when I thought my luck would improve... got a letter from the Folk Festival, my application for the Handmade Village has been declined for this year. The reason.... " we are committed to having some new artists every year, so this means talented artists who have participated before are not selected every year". Disappointing, but what can you do. Better luck next year...

So, here I am, waiting for my kiln, and a response from John LeDouceur at Signatures who promised me they will make the booth/show mess "up to me".

Have a great day, everybody. And think positive thoughts for me, I've had enough for this week!

2009-02-07T07:29:00.000-06:00

I've had a productive week - both Small Indulgence and The Winnipeg Art Gallery have been re-stocked and are full of new spring items, and new accounts in Medicine Hat, Regina and Smither, B.C. are receiving their orders as well. If time permits, I'll be sending out the order to Jakeb Tyler in Toronto before I leave for Edmonton on Saturday.

The clearance/sale section I posted on my website earlier this week went well, and pickings are kind of slim at this point! I'll continue to post new items from time to time, so don't forget to check that section.

I have to share an incident from earlier this week with all of you. My family seems to find it quite hysterical, so I figure everyone could use a good laugh, even at my expense. I was at my mom's for dinner on Thursday, she always likes me to bring the dogs, they love their grandma and get terribly spoiled there. At this point I must interject that years ago I had a German Shepherd that my mom spoiled rotten, now I have two little chihuahua x's. However, my mom wants to FEED them like german shepherds, and if left there for any length of time, I'm sure they would explode from excess food. So, after an indulgent evening full of cubed meat "appetizers", special dog food and giant roast bones, my dogs hopped into the car with me to go home. I had to go to Shopper's Drug Mart post office and pick up some parcels, so I took the dogs along with me rather than drive them home first. Sadie is used to waiting in the car while I do errands, but this was Alfie's first time. I came out with my parcels, and everything appeared to be fine, so off we drove towards home. I had reached the traffic light across from emergency at St. Boniface Hospital when I noticed Alfie had a strange expression on his face, and was starting to heave. Not wanting the mess on the seat, I put my hand under his chin and started to talk to him, at which point he threw up his substantial stomach contents into a heaping mound in my hand. So, there I was, driving down Tache with a hand full of steaming vomit in my right hand. I got to the corner of Tache and Dollard and managed to turn the corner, at the same time rolling down the window and flinging the mass out, just in time to see him get that funny look again. I floored it, turned into my driveway on 2 wheels, opened my door and pushed him out into the driveway with my stinky vomit hand before he had the chance to do it again. Sadie just sat there and looked disgusted. My friend Ron thinks it would be helpful if Alfie would learn to do this:

I don't think it's a bad idea.

2009-02-04T12:21:00.000-06:00

Time flies....February already, still feels like the deep freeze of January though. I think everyone has had just about enough of this winter, friends that I have spoken to in the last few days are not in the best of spirits, this kind of cold takes it toll on one's positive attitude after awhile! I didn't even get a reprieve in Toronto, it was just as cold there! Next week I'm heading to Edmonton, and given that their temps are often worse than ours, I won't hold my breath for balmy weather.
It was great to see old friends at the Toronto show, artists I only get to visit with once or twice a year. I picked up some lovely new accounts, The Art Gallery of Ontario, The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and the New Marine Centre on Vancouver Island to name a few. There are several others listed on my "where to buy" page.
If you haven't looked on my website recently, I have added a clearance section. The new ideas for spring are coming fast and furious, I need to make room for all of it! I've also posted a group of loose beads on e-bay for anyone interested in making their own jewelry. I am presently working on pieces for the Manitoba Crafts Council Member's Showcase, taking place at cre8ery gallery, 125 Adelaide Street from February 20 to March 3. Hope you'll join me opening night February 20 for wine & cheese!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-13T15:09:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday season, and enjoyed time with family and friends like I did. Now it's off to Curves to get rid of the eggnog and shortbread that seem to have settled somewhere around my hips......

I've spent the last few weeks getting ready for my Toronto wholesale show, making all kinds of new things to show the stores. I've photographed them all and spent some time upgrading my website, you'll find everything new, so far, on my "collections" page, here's a sneak peek...

Above from the "Imagine" collection, and here's another from the "Slate" collection done with all hollow beads, and a handmade sterling toggle....

I have also listed my shows that are confirmed so far, and added a couple more stores. Alex from Bjorn Glass in Lambertville, New Jersey was here over the holidays and took several one of a kind pieces back to his gallery, and hopefully I will be stocking up Small Indulgence here in Winnipeg again soon.

Many of you have been to my home for open houses, and have met my menagerie. Kelsey is my big guy, a good 20 lbs., and he likes his quiet time alone, under the bed. This is his holiday "creation". You know how your box spring has a backing on it? Apparently one can use it for a hammock if you peel it off just right, it cradles one's considerable bulk ever so nicely...

Hopefully all my shows go well, as it appears I will be investing in a new mattress shortly - before he pulls all the stuffing out and I slide off the un-stuffed end of the bed.
That's all for now, back to the task of ticketing and organizing for Toronto!

2008-12-14T13:58:00.000-06:00

Can you believe how cold it is today? I ventured out for a family outing, brunch at the Fort Garry Hotel, well worth the sting of that biting cold, for the few seconds between the car and the hotel, anyway. Nap time now, as I don't normally consume a 4 course breakfast on a regular basis.
This week brings the winding down of the Christmas season for my business, 1 more date at HSC on the 19th, and all the orders are out to my stores accounts. Speaking of stores, Small Indulgence on Corydon now carries my work. Check it out if you haven't been, I did a bit of shopping while I was there on Friday to meet with Kirsten.
And next Saturday, December 20th, be sure to look for my jewelry in the Detour section of the Free Press, Connie Tamoto is featuring a couple of my pieces for her Top 5 Shopping List for Christmas. Also, for any of you who have heard of the glass magazine The Flow, a U.S. publication (available at McNally Robinson, or online), the December 18th winter issue featuring Women in Glass will showcase my Breast Wishes bracelet. An honour to be in the company of all those talented women!
So, with my Christmas shopping done, and a bit of baking left to do, I can start to enjoy the holiday season. Beginning first, with that nap................

2008-12-01T13:16:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am quite obviously a slacker as far as this blogging thing is concerned. Scattered Seeds and the Signatures Show at the Convention Centre have come and gone, it was great to see artists and clients I haven't been in touch with since last fall. In between the shows, I had a great time on the west coast with my cousin Laura, and thoughts of moving to the island have since been terminated after having to endure those awful, winding roads too many times. I have never been so carsick since I was a kid! Laura has always been able to think of interesting things to do, ever since we were kids. I won't go into detail there, but somehow we managed to stay out of jail and juvenile detention centres in spite of our antics. So, to make up for that, as an outing Laura took me to jail.

Yup, a production of Animal Farm at the William Head Federal Prison, put on the by the inmates. We also went sightseeing and shopping, of course, but this was definitely a highlight. Any thoughts how I can top that one when Laura comes to visit me? I spent a couple days in Vancouver as well, sightseeing with a friend. Now, I'm home for a few months before venturing off to Toronto and Edmonton for trade shows.

For those of you who look at my website regularily, you will notice some changes. I am in the process of replacing all the photos with newer, larger versions, and a number of new collections as well. This is a time consuming process, and some of the collection pages will appear sparse at first. Be patient, there will be lots more to come (the pieces are in production right now, and will be posted as soon as they are available). Check out the new ones so far - both Hydrangea and Boudoir include pieces made with Bronzclay, the leaves in the Hydrangea collection are all made from real leaves ,so each one is different. I will also be showing a number of pieces made with PMC (precious metal clay - sterling) in the near future. As you can tell, I get bored easily, so I have to keep trying new things! Keeps it interesting for all of you, too...:)

2008-10-07T15:40:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy few weeks again, but I have done my last farmer's market of the season so that will take some of the pressure off. Only 9 more days till Scattered Seeds, lots more preparation to do as I have promised everyone new and exciting pieces at the show. I have recently tried working with a new medium called Bronze Clay, much like PMC. However, my first firing experience was a dismal failure, mostly due to the fact that my old kiln I use for firing metals has no digital controller. Sigh. Back to the drawing board. That was some cool stuff I wrecked.......

We have a new addition to the family, I brought a puppy home from the farmer's 2 weeks ago!

This Alfie, he is a 4 month old chihuahua cross, a little character. I hadn't really been intentionally shopping for a dog, but how could I resist that puppy face.......He is settling in nicely, housetrained in only a week. He is, however, a little thief - all the toys, bones, shoes, socks, and any articles of clothing left lying around all go in his kennel Sometimes he has so much loot he has trouble getting in there himself. So, now I have a furry family of four, time to stop there, I think.

Well, back to the drawing board with the Bronze Clay, and to make some beads that will hopefully impress you all next week! Hope to see you all at the show!

Tuesday

2008-09-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

I've done so much work Sunday and Monday, I thought for sure I must have put in a week already................... 3 more farmer's markets left, then just a few weeks till Scattered Seeds. Speaking of which, I just may have a special offer for those on my mailing list at Scattered Seeds, but you'll never know unless you sign up for the newsletter........Still filling orders from the Edmonton Gift show, and thoughts of the holiday season seems to be dancing in everyone's heads already! Speaking of December, another bit of noteworthy news - I will have an article published in "The Flow" magazine, the Women in Glass edition, where they will be showcasing my Breast Wishes bracelet. The magazine will be in bookstores December 18.

My sister and brother-in-law will be leaving on a fabulous vacation on Saturday, 3 weeks in Germany to celebrate their anniversary. I wish them a fantastic trip, and look forward to seeing them safe and sound when they return. Have I mentioned that I think my sister is the best sister in the world? I'll miss her - however, not as much as her cat will miss her. Sophie may hide under the bed for three weeks in protest, coming out only so my mom can feed her at regular intervals. Fortunatley Sophie has an ample figure, so no worries about her fading away to nothing.....
Enjoy the rest of the week everyone, as, yes, it's only Tuesday.....sigh........

2008-09-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Exciting news - I now have my first U.S. account, a fabulous gallery by the name of Bjorn Glass in Lambertville, New Jersey has picked up my work. Alex Papageorge is the owner and glass artist, he does some beautiful work ,be sure to check out his site. And today I got my second U.S. account, from Angee Dorcey at The Village Potter in Lincoln, Nebraska. Good thing the farmer's market is just about done, as Christmas inquiries are starting to come in as well (it's fortunate that I love my work, as it's all I do......). So, to get away from work for a short time, I have decided to take a brief vacation, Nov. 1-5, and go to see my cousin Laura in Victoria, B.C. I'll spend a little time on the mainland as well, getting the abbreviated Vancouver tour with "the west coast dude", Glenn. I'm really looking forward to it all, as I have never been to either place. But, in between now and then I have my work cut out for me, as Scattered Seeds is quickly approaching Oct. 16-19, don't forget to come see me on the main floor in booth 248!

Emonton

2008-08-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

I'm home from Edmonton, tired but happy after 5 days away, the show was a success, made even more enjoyable because of new friends - Laurie Rockman from Mugshots Cards, Nancy Tucker from Smell the Soap, Glenn Nordal from The Sandstone Gallery, and Jeff Ferrier from Three Crow Glass Studio , check them out online, a talented bunch to say the least!
I went to Whyte Ave, a funky area with some great shops and an authentic farmer's market, plus the Fringe was running while I was there. Didn't make it to West Ed, maybe next time, it's a very spread-out city to try and get around in, making cab rides very costly ($70.00 to the airport!). I have a dozen new stores that I am thrilled to say will be carrying my work, I will list them on my website shortly, but right now, time to work and get those orders out, and get ready for tomorrow's farmer's market!

2008-08-10T13:09:00.000-05:00

Sioux Narrows was a huge success, and alot of fun to boot! Met alot of new people, and enjoyed the company of old friends as well. An interesting place, Sioux Narrows - I discovered that moths can be bigger than birds.......

....and that it is perfectly normal to have a bat spend the day snoozing above your hotel room door.....

So, now I'm home for a few days, then off to Edmonton for the "By Hand" wholesale show. I'm looking forward to a few days away, and doing a bit of shopping at West Edmonton Mall, as I haven't been in about 5 years. That's my last trip for 2008, so I'll spend the rest of the summer and fall at St. Norbert Farmer's Market, and Scattered Seeds and the Convention Centre Christmas shows.

I'm excited to say that my new and improved website will be up and running this week, with lots of new collections, all presented in a new format that will make it easier for everyone to shop. The stores and galleries that carry my work have waited patiently through the "growing pains" of my business, and I appreciate their patience! I'll also have links to my Flickr gallery for some one-of-kind work, and e-bay and etsy auctions when available. Hope you all like it, let me know what you think! And don't forget to sign up for the newsletter so you're "in the know" about what's new......

on the road again......

2008-07-31T19:55:00.000-05:00

It appears that I am somewhat of a slacker as far as this blogging thing is concerned. I think of it at the most inconvenient times - while driving in the car, grocery shopping, just as I hop into bed. I vow to get back it it when I get home/when I get up, but the day kind of takes over somehow, and it gets pushed to the backburner.

Anyway, the Folk Festival has come and gone, a weekend spent in the cold, the rain, and the mud. Folkies are a resilient bunch, though. Rain or shine, the music and the party continues! By Sunday, the sun came out and the day was warm, it made up for the misery of the other cold wet days. All in all though, what a fantastic event, as usual, run by an amazing group of people, it's always a pleasure to participate, even if the weather is less than co-operative.

To go back in time a few weeks, I have acquired some new studio equipment - a Paragon Bluebird Kiln!

It's amazing - 2 doors 10 inches wide EACH, I get tired before it's even full! It was a great help in preparing for the festival, and the market, as my other little kiln would only hold max about 18 beads. So far the most I have gotten in in one session in the Bluebird is 40 beads, it would have held more but I didn't have it in me to make more beads!

I've been working on several new collections in preparation for my Edmonton show in a few weeks. It is the Edmonton gift Show, where stores come to shop for their inventory. You'll get a peek at it all before then, my new website should be up and running early next week. We've done a few photo shoots in the last couple weeks, now the rest is up to my web team to put it all together. This weekend it's Sioux Narrows Art Festival, I hit the road tomorrow with Ron Rempel, back home on Sunday night. Should be a nice weekend, maybe I'll even.....RELAX! What a novel idea......

Have a great August long weekend, everyone!

Happy Canada Day!

2008-07-01T13:32:00.001-05:00

Happy Canada Day everyone! A gorgeous day for all the festivities, hot and sunny, but as usual when it heats up this quickly, the threat of a thunderstorm for later. This will unfortunately interfere with the fantastic fireworks display from the Forks, which I can view quite nicely from my front lawn. Poor little Sadie, she is terrified of loud noises, even a car back-firing sends her scooting under the bed, tonite she will have a choice of either fireworks or thunder, depending on the weather. I spent this morning working in my newly relocated studio, what treat to be out in the fresh air working. Not to mention the company - neighbors stopping by to see what the heck I'm doing! My little corner is set up perfectly.......

An item of interest - can you see the cupboard doors over my workbench? I assume no responsibility for the "artwork" there....they were there when I bought my house, some crafty individual painstakingly stencilled images of peacocks (?) onto some plywood, then proceeded to fill in the design with various colors of crushed glass. Very sharp, crushed glass, I might add. I imagine the peacock artiste did not run his hands lovingly over the complete piece for fear of ripping his crafty little hands to shreds. Here, take a closer look at these fine specimens...

I digress. Moving on to other things........I have gotten quite a bit done in the past few days, I have uploaded a few photos of some recent pieces to Flickr, take a peek if you want to see what I've been up to. I'll continue to add to my photostream as I make new pieces, and I'll add a link from my website to Flickr as well. That's it for now, enjoy the holiday!

moving sale

2008-06-30T10:08:00.000-05:00

I have decided to move! Not far, I am re-locating my studio to the garage for the summer and I am so excited- I will be able to see sunshine, and flowers, and people going by, out of the basement dungeon at last! At least it's one way I can enjoy my flower gardens and work at the same time!

My friend Ken suggested that a moving sale is always good for business, I think it's a bit of a stretch when one is only moving 20 feet to a building on the same property.

I have been getting a few funky pieces done for the Winnipeg Folk Festival, I'll post some images when I can, however it appears I will be without a computer for several days as UPS will be picking mine up on Wednesday. It refuses to connect to my wireless, and I can only use it when connected directly to the modem. Fortunately it is still under warranty!

Well off to pack my things for the big move, more news coming to you soon from the "new location", have a great day!

my two cents worth

2008-06-25T23:02:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am, entering the land of "blog". After my numerous offhand comments about blogging being a self-indulgent, narcissistic pastime for those looking for an on-line soap box to air their views, I have decided to put in my two cents worth. Probably more than two cents, truth be told. So, what the heck am I doing here, you ask? Blogging gives me the opportunity, with a link to my web site, to keep everyone up to date on what's up, what's coming up, and any items of interest I can pass on (to anyone who might be interested, of course).

So, to jump right in, I am frantically preparing for the the Winnipeg Folk Festival, probably my biggest event of the year. I was fortunate enough to be chosen again to take part in the Handmade Village, an on-site shopping area showcasing the work of artists from across Canada, I am always honoured to be chosen to take part. However, all the preparation and anxiety I cause myself leading up the event makes me look something like this:

What can I say, I do it to myself every time.

Some new projects on the way this week, I'm looking forward to getting into the studio tomorrow and seeing if what's in my head works out in reality. Sometimes it does, other times not so much. Sigh. Will give you a sneak peek if it all goes as planned!