Ta Ta Da Da....

And the winner is....Beth Jaffe from the lovely blog The Queen of Cups! Beth also has a fantastic etsy shop that you should for sure check out! Your necklace will be on it's way to you very soon!

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and commented! I had fun doing this and am hoping to do it at least once a month. Hopefully it will encourage me to update the blog more. So much to do in a day I often forget about my poor little blog. It has been fun visiting all of those blogs of many of my art friends and a few new art friends too! I look forward to following all of you in the blog world! Oh and I really do ♥ you all as much as toast!

It's that time of year gardening and giveaways!!!

The view from my backroom studio is very hard to resist right now. I find myself wondering back there throughout the day to pull weeds, move plants and whatever other excuse I can come up with. Today as I sit doing my taxes (big yuck) I can smell the just peeking out lilacs and it is intoxicating. It is the first day that they are opening and I noticed the lily of the valley are making their way out too. My herb garden that I started a week or so ago from seed is already producing more little seedlings than I thought it would and the hostas are coming in really nice and strong this year. It is a good year for the garden I can just feel it. Unfortunately it may not be a good week to get the taxes done. Maybe I will just bring it all outside??? hmmm. I think that sounds like a great plan.

To celebrate my favorite time of year I will be giving away this lovely little pea pod necklace! IIt is one of my new clay necklaces that I just love making! Just leave a comment for me...and hey include a link to your garden if you have one! If you link my giveaway on your blog you get an extra chance to win so if you do that include a link to your blog in the comments too!!! I will pick a winner from a hat on Friday May 29th! Good luck and show me those gardens!

Spring Art Tour!!!

Come join us for a weekend of art and fun for the 2009 Spring Art Tour. The tour will be starting off with an open reception at We Are Art at Brenda Lynn Burtard Studios at 1006 Margaretha Street in Two Rivers. The reception will feature music by Pick and Squeeze, refreshments, and great art. There will also be a silent auction of original birdhouses created by members of Art and About. Prior to the event you can see the birdhouses on display at the Rahr West Museum. The proceeds for the birdhouse auction will be donated to Hayden's Hope. Hours for the opening reception are 6pm-9pm.

On Saturday you can tour 9 local galleries/studios. Take a peek into the environment where artists create their works! With demonstrations throughout the day you will get to see the techniques and materials used to create beautiful works of art that will also be available to purchase. For exact demonstration times and locations you can pick up your map and tour guide and any of the galleries/studios listed below! Here at Persimmons we will have guest artists Dani and Adam Morantez and illustrator Annette Wimmer. Come watch Dani and I make some mixed media art, listen to Adam sing and watch Annette sketch! Weather permitting much of the action will be in the backyard! Many of the participating galleries and studios will also have a giveaway for a chance to win art originals! It is a great FREE event that is very family friendly. Hours for the Saturday tour are 10am-4pm. Hope to see you there!

The Dolan Gallery....4910 Nicyssa Lane, Manitowoc

Petals Plus Gallery and Gifts....7014 Center Road, Manitowoc

Full Circle Products...1332 S 26th St., Manitowoc

Gallery East...930 S 7th St., Manitowoc

Best Western Lakefront Hotel Cafe...101 Maritime Dr., Manitowoc

Persimmons...314 N 8th St., ManitowocEvans Custome Jewelry...1119 N 12th St., ManitowocMartin Pottery Studio & Gallery, LLC...1304 Memorial Drive, Manitowoc

We Are Art...1006 Margaretha St., Two Rivers

Where does time go???

I am not quite sure where time seems to go lately. Before I know it a week has passed and I realize I haven't blogged for way too long. Between the shop, etsy, art and about, the downtown revitalization stuff, my garden, and last but definitely not least my family I just can't keep up!! Luckily I have my art to keep me sane!

Having my shop and my very dreamy life people are often telling me how I am living their dream. It always gets me thinking of life and how we all want something we don't have. While I do love my life I also think it would be nice to live in the country and have a studio in an old barn where I could spend my days in a garden alone with my dog at my feet and Molly playing and exploring nature. I could have a little shop that would only be open enough for me to get my much needed dose of adult human interaction. I would drive an old turquoise pickup truck that I would bring my veggies and crafts to farmers markets in. Oh life would be dreamy.

But then I take a look around and realize all of those things I think I want are actually right in front of me just in a different setting. I do have a wonderful garden, my dog at my feet (when the mood strikes her) and Molly playing in the backyard. My shop does not have to be open all the time but I actually enjoy being there and know I would miss it if I didn't have it. While I seem to never be able to pay myself with anything except art supplies... to stick back in the business...I think maybe if I did have a job job and got a paycheck most of my money would go to buy art supplies anyways. I don't have that funky old pickup truck but my rusty old Sable gets me around just fine and I can pack a lot of stuff in it. When I think about it my life is my dream. Each of us are living our dreams it is all in the way you look at it!

Enjoy your dreamy life!

My week in review.

My camera batteries were dead this week so I couldn't really download pics so now I am catching up on the past week! This is a great necklace I made that I decided to keep. I made the flowers with old millinery pieces, old fabric and beads. Love it.

Hung out with my friend Tina and met the fabulous Lynda Barry. She freakin rocks (well they both do) and if you ever get a chance to see her speak do not pass it up. Her take on creativity and how much we need it in our lives is so spot on I was super excited listening to her talk. Not to mention that she is hilarious. It was so fun.

It was one of the first nice weekends so I extended the garden a little. My veggie garden spot didn't really get enough light so now that shouldn't be a problem. In a couple of weeks I will get some tomatoes, peppers, and anything else that looks yummy. Cannot wait!!! I love playing in the dirt.

And last but definitely not least I had lots of fun again playing with my no bake clay. I also tried some polymer clay but decided for how I like to use it the no bake is the way to go for me. I like the Sargent Art brand called Sculpt-it. I tried others but that one is the best for me. I design them using stamps and other textures, let the dry overnight, antique them with an antiquing medium and then paint and diamond glaze them. I just adore every step of this process and ordered more clay so I can make more soon! Now if only I could clone myself so I had someone to list all of them for me on etsy!

Hope you all had a great week as well....leave a comment so I can read a little more about you too!