Fall Inspiration To Put You In The Decorating Mood

 

 

 

Meet Oreo Sullivan

Oreo Sullivan 1 yr. old

Snoop Sullivan 16 yrs. old

As most of you know, we had to put Snoop down a few months ago due to an illness. I had my little buddy for 16 years and never thought I could ever replace her. We never thought we could find another cat that not only resembled Snoop, but that would have her same character. Oreo may look like Snoop, but has her own loving personality. Oreo thinks she is a dog, as she retrieves her toys, sits and speaks in her own little cat talk. I think we could make some money off of  a You Tube video as no one would believe her retrieving skills. It is Karma that brought her to us.

Fourth of July Hand Made Crafting Fun

Mona Rae Cichs- www.etsy.com/shop/MROriginals

Fourth of July is one of my favorite decorating Holidays. But, my husband will tell you that in the Fall our house turns 'orange", at Christmas "green and red" and I have the storage room full to prove it. Oh, I should mention the outside walks and deck look perky and festive as well. For the next 3 weeks I am going to feature hand made media from family and friends I have met while working with Creative Chicks Cafe. Send me any Fourth of July inspiration to my email and I will post it on my blog. patriciasullivan.sullivan@gmail.com  Take a peak and visit my family and friends sites to see all of their creative, hand made items.

Patty's Fourth of July cotton washcloths 

Linda Welcome- www.warmth.etsy.com

Pamela vincent- www.pamvincentcreations.com

www.etsy.com/shop/MROriginals

www.etsy.com/shop.MROriginals

www.pamvincentcreations.com

www.warmth.etsy.com

Happy Memorial Day

"Pressing News" from Pam Vincent at Pamela Vincent Creations

Pamela Vincent Creations

My name is Pamela Vincent:

 I have been creating artwork and dabbling with several kinds of media for years. I only wish I would have taken more photos of what I created before giving them away for gifts! Most everything I create comes from the photo's that I take. I have hundreds of nature photos and have recently created greeting cards with my very favorite ones. I've always had a passion for gardening, designing, planting and harvesting as well. The past couple of years I've started a new art passion of drying, pressing and creating beautiful pieces or artwork! Over the years my art studio has developed from a tiny space into a full blown studio! Now that my children are grown, I plan on spending more time creating my passions and selling them!

This past winter, I was able to collect beautiful pieces of peeling birch bark from trees in Michigan. I've been creating all new spring pieces with incorporating the birch bark on them.
I'm also creating a line of fall baskets as well with the birch!

My “New Year Resolution” is to stay current on my blog, website and Facebook page and watch it grow.  Please visit me online, or stop at my booth at one of my shows.    

My website: http://pamvincentcreations.com

My Blog: http://pamelavincentcreations.blogspot.com/

My Email: pamelavincentcreations@gmail.com

My Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pamelavincentcreations

CONFIRMED SHOWS FOR 2012!

May 12th- Craftstravaganza - MN State Fair Grounds Booth#35

May 19th & 20th- Afton May Fair- Creative Chicks School House, Afton MN.

July 14th- Anoka RiverFest -Down Town Anoka, Anoka MN

September 22nd- Redwood Falls Festival, Redwood Falls MN.

November 3rd- Champlin Woman of Today- Champlin Park High School, Champlin MN.

November 17th- Norwood Young America Craft Fair, MN.

Pricing:

8x10 Framed Dried flower artwork: $55.00 + shipping

Larger framed sizes such as 9x12, 11x14 and 24x36 price will range from $75.00 to $300.00

Meet Kristen Sunby, Owner and Creator of Canfolk Dolls

Kristen Sunby, Creator of Canfolk

Kristen Sunby, creates her own "Variety of Spice" with her unique, handmade, vintage spice canfolk characters.

This is her story:

My name is Kristen Sunby, I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, and all through my childhood, I watched my mother Karn Bernabe, create all kinds of crafts. She could make anything! I was always amazed by her talent and so proud of all that she could do. She would help my sisters and I with projects in school and they always had that extra special touch of creativity added to them. My mother has always been my creative inspiration and mentor. I continue to be amazed by her abilities and ideas to this day. She is actually the one who got me to start making my Canfolk dolls. She saw potential in the idea and thought that I could do it. She usually works with fabrics rather than clay and paint, she encouraged me to try and make dolls. After creating a few, they were well received and a new door filled with inspiration opened for me.

I attended the University of Illinois, Chicago and studied Teaching of English. I really enjoyed my literature classes and my student teaching experience. I was actually an English teacher in Chicago for 6-1/2 years before I had my daughter. I do miss teaching, but I also cherish having the opportunity to create at this point in my life.

I currently live in Round Lake Beach, Illinois, which is about 10 minutes from where I grew up. I do all of my creative work right here in my studio at home. My work is inspired by primitive folk-art. I feel like the creative gene was passed down to me from my parents, but I never envisioned myself creating work that would be considered "art."

After I made my sold my first Canfolk dolls at a craft show and received positive feedback. I realized that I had a knack for creating this type of media. I enjoy working with paperclay. It is so forgiving and easy to work with. In college, I took several art courses, but in making the Canfolk dolls I learned by experimenting and practicing different techniques on my own. So many different factors inspire my dolls. Sometimes, the design ideas come from the cans themselves. Like the pun of having a clock on the "Thyme" can, or having Abraham Lincoln on the can branded "Union Leader." Other times, the season influences the design and sometimes, I just think of characters I would like to see myself. I store all of my cans in the basement on shelves. When I need a new idea, I go down and stand in front of them and see if anything catches my eye.

Essential skills I have found in my work is that more than anything, I need patience when I work. If I rush any of the processes, the work definitely suffers. I usually work in the evenings after my 4 year-old daughter goes to bed.

I have my Canfolk dolls in several stores in the U.S. and also many albums displaying my work on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canfolk-by-Kristen-Sunby/125661707521097 and on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/people/Canfolk . I was recently published in the Winter 2012 issue of Prims magazine and I posted new designs on the Handmade Art Fair Blog at www.handmadefair.com

I have also sold my dolls in several craft shows in the southern Wisconsin/Northern IL.


If you want to contact me by email, you can reach me at canfolk@aol.com.

I have a few questions for Kristen.

Q: What is the most significant decision you ever made?

A: My decision to be a Christian will always be the the most significant decision in my life.

Q: Who is your favorite artist?

A: Frida Kahlo was captivating. She created beautiful work and seemed to have a confident fiestiness about her. I am also smitten by the work of the ladies who created the Gee's Bend quilts.

Q: What makes you laugh the most?

A: My daughter Avery is the funniest person I know. She amazes me every day with her sense of humor.

Q: What are your favorite foods to eat?

A: Strawberries. I eat loads of them and keep the farmers in business!

Q: If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it?

A: I would definitely travel with my family. I have not had the opportunity to see much of the world and I would love to do so.

Q: What words of advice would you have for someone starting out?

A: That's hard for me to say, because I am just starting out myself! I would say that it is important to have confidence in yourself and your ideas. Try to connect with other artists whenever you can to open up endless possibilities for opportunites!

Kristen, many thanks for sharing your story and unique Canfolk dolls. Please check out the above links to see all of Kristen's creations.

Patty