Fresh Country Air...

What a beautiful day we had in Upstate NY !It started with a hint of autumn in the air and a phone call from a friend inviting me to go to a craft show.

I have not been to a craft show for close to a year (and that one was the first I had been to in at least three years).

I hate to admit this, but I generally do not find them so much fun any more. Maybe it was actually being behind the scenes selling at them for a few years (fun in some ways but so much work!).
Maybe it's the glut of imports you generally (and unfortunately) see at larger shows. Maybe I'm just feeling like maybe I should be doing some local shows. But then I think how busy all of my online friends keep me- that's enough for now...
Fresh, crisp air and good company are soothing to the soul (and I had been holed up in my studio all week working- probably would have spent today the same way if my friend hadn't called). Add that the drive there was scenic and the actual grounds were part of the historical society that was hosting the fundraiser. I like these kinds of craft shows- they are generally smaller, quainter and the host puts the profits back into something good (not their own pockets).

One thing I love about living up here is the history. Old buildings are everywhere and they are oh so charming! This truly is one of the most beautiful areas that the Army has sent us to (a close second to Germany, I think). It's very rural, but lovely. Unfortunately, I didn't learn too much about this historical society, but I enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and snapping some shots (not sure why but the view through this window- through to the other side of the building caught my eye)...I took these with my smaller, pocket sized Canon, so they aren't quite on par with shots taken with my main camera. I didn't want to haul the big guy around though, so cute little turquoise point-n-shoot it was...

What's a Fair without food?
NO, not goat food....although I think she got all the attention and grass she could handle...


And fresh-squeezed Lemonade?
I was good though, saving myself for the fudge...mmm..chocolate, all gone before I could take pics!


There was plenty of personality served up too! How charmingly nostalgic is this
snow cone /popcorn stand? I could almost see Richie Cunningham making snow cones in this baby (wearing a white paper hat, and a red bow tie, of course)...

I think they must have left the door open just so I could take a shot....right? "Time to Lean Is Time To Clean". I need one of these signs for my kids...they'd abide by it, right?



Just one more shot because seriously, this stand was the highlight of my morning...
I didn't buy too much...got some home made fudge, of course, a couple of very nifty beaded hair clippie, pony holder type things that are much prettier and less painful than the dreaded plastic butterfly clips (which always give me a headache- so far almost 10 hours later, no headache and it's holding my thick but fine hair perfectly), and some goat's milk lotion- three different scents because I just couldn't choose.

This gal did not contribute to my goat's milk lotion but she was in attendance...she had a date but all he seemed to want to show me was his hind end....typical man...


And so I will sign off for now where I started- with a flower shot. Don't know what it is about flowers, but I could literally take pictures of almost nothing else and still be happy...

Until Next Time,

Dum Dum De Dum...

...as in "Here Comes the Bride"...

Since I started making and selling paper stuff, I have repeatedly gotten requests for wedding stuff...

...gift tags, save the date cards, thank you's, table markers, etc....


I'm not quite sure why I have never really pursued this...pretty thick-headed of me, I suspect. Not necessarily because I think brides will now be beating down my doors, keeping me busy forever. Honestly, I should have done this earlier because it is fun!


I am enjoying thinking a little bit outside of my usual cardboard box...not too far, not yet. I don't think I could handle doing invitations at this point (and I suspect that because of the time involved, I would have to charge an astronomical price- wouldn't be able to compete with printers, who make one proof and start the machine rolling), but I do like working on the little touches.


Items like these beach-y "save the date" bookmarks are more my speed for the time being...


Even though I am now officially in the wedding biz, I have been making custom tags and stickers for the occasional bride pretty much since I opened my Etsy shop. Brides and Babies have always been my favorite custom clients. I love the fact that they are celebrating life...just seems like some of those good vibes always make my day happier. And who couldn't use all the happy thoughts that they can get these days?


So if you're getting hitched or you know someone who is, let's talk...

Until Next Time,

The Old Chicken Farm...

Warning (and an apology!):

There are a ton of photos in this post, but I just couldn't decide which ones to cut. I apologize but hope that it will be worth whatever time you had to wait for the pictures to download...

It's been awhile since I shared anything new in the shop. OK, it's been awhile since there's been anything truly new in the shop to share. We all have them, those creative voids where nothing new is coming out of the noggin no matter how hard you try (maybe even because you are trying so hard). Well my void had grown to the size of the Grand Canyon by the time we went on vacation in June...

...the Old Chicken Farm Art Center...

And then I went to see my sister in San Angelo, Texas for her birthday. She took me to this wonderful place called The Chicken Farm. I know what you're thinking: "doesn't sound like a place to get the creative juices flowing...sounds kind of stinky, to be honest"...

...est. 1971...

But this is not your typical Chicken Farm.
By the way, I had to be corrected more than once- it is NOT a Chicken RANCH...that's a whole 'nother set of stories there!

...an old phone booth...

The Chicken Farm Art Center is a wonderful little compound in San Angelo, filled with art studios a first class restaurant and a very cute B&B.

...vintage lawn chairs and "no Hunting"...
...maybe that's why all the (fake) birds are perched on the ledge above...



And the grounds were particularly fun for me because they were filled with a wonderful eclectic mix of stuff, from hubcaps to hand painted theater seats to huge metal sculptures to a hand crafted chess table tucked under an arbor covered with grapes. A feast for the senses, with junque and art sharing the same space peacefully...my kind of place, for sure! Not girly or frilly in the least but oh so much FUN!



...just because I liked it....

Sister Sunshine (otherwise known as Green Dragon Dreams) sells her beautiful jewelry at the Chicken Farm the first weekend of just about every month. I have been hearing about the place for a few years now, so this was a treat....

...a bicycle built for two all from junk...

It was hard to get a good shot of the whole thing but this was so awesome! My sister tells me this was a collaborative project, finished by a group artists in one weekend...

....allow me to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Rust...

The close-ups might give you a better idea....all scraps and junk- amazing! I love her curly hair! You can't really see it in the photos but their hands were old forks. Gears and pulleys, rusty rakes and tractor seats, forks and wheel rims...everywhere you looked, you saw castaway broken down items given a new life...my kind of recycling!

...not quite as elaborate as the bicycle, but my son enjoyed trying to get this guy to giddyup...


...it's not just chickens at the Chicken Farm...

I think we shall call this portion of the tour "Only in Texas".
If you are from Texas or have any ties to Texas, you'll know what I mean.

...these antlers are more my speed...


...seriously, not just chicken...


You might be noticing that my pictures are all of the grounds... but there were so many beautiful studios as well...I was just too chicken to ask to take pictures inside...



...handmade chess table and pieces...

This chess table was just to the left of the fountain above. If it hadn't been 105 degrees, I could have seriously seen myself sitting here for the afternoon, under the grapes, enjoying a game of chess (which I would lose no matter who I played because I do not play chess), listening to the water bubble...


If you turned right at the fountain, you came in to this courtyard. Part of the B&B and the restaurant are in this building...

...tennis anyone?

This big guy was just to the other side of the tree framing the right edge of the photo above...


...an interesting door...

...and a little terra cotta cutie....

This area is the background of the "Jumbo McEnroe" shot above...there's another guest room for the B&B and a gallery...

...sweet wildflowers...

I cannot even begin to say how many of these theater seats we passed on at auctions when we lived in Kansas (And the pain! They were so cheap!)...the elements haven't been kind to this set but the hand painted flowers had me at "Hello" nonetheless...charming!

And so there you have it, the three hour tour (at least that's how long it took me to assemble this post) of The Old Chicken Farm (D'oh! I almost typed "Ranch" again!) in San Angelo. If you're ever in West Texas (Fredericksburg is just a few hours away), it's definitely worth a visit...and a great place to get reacquainted with your creative mojo (more on that tomorrow)....

Oh yeah, and on the way home, my sister pulled over so I could take a picture of this....

Even the garage is pink- Oh my!

Until Next Time,