Yard Art / Gary Armstrong

Gary purchased all these theatre props of faux chimneys. Not sure what production they were used. But they make great yart art.

2010 Art Car Event is Almost Here

This is such a fun weekend. We will have art Cars from all over the country. Get online to find out about all the fun Art Car events.

Gary Armstrong / Master Apple Sauce Maker

While visiting Marie and Peggy in PA...we took Bak to Gary's farm for an early morning walk. Gary and his wife Ellen live on a lovely chunk of land with a very cool house and great yard art. I will have more photos to come.

After the walk Gary made us tea and proceeded to cut apples for his world (maybe locally) famous apple sauce. We offered to peal apples but Gary is picky about what apples he uses and how they are pealed.

Gary is one of the old friends that Marie has reconnected since her return to Washington, PA. I bet he has some good stories to tell about Marie's youth...before she joined the circus.

Gary and Ellen's Cool Farm & Home

Trolley Hop @ Mellwood Arts Center

I will be serving my world famous wine spritzer. Come on out! The Trolley comes by every 15 minutes. You can park @ Mellwood and take the Trolley to Frankfort Avenue where there are stops along the way. My store will be open from 6-9pm.

Kentucky Days / Amy Elswick

Amy was also one of the featured Artists @ Kentucky Days. Amy is living the dream she and her husband have purchased an old storefront downtown. This is where they live and work and renovate. It is a dream or nightmare according to Amy and Spouse. But I think it is wonderful. Soon I hope to tour Amy's place and have photos to show. Amy retails and wholesales her wonderful pottery across the nation.

Kentucky Days / Legislative Summit 2010

This tent was decorated for a sit down dinner for 3000 guests. The waterfront stage is to the right. Lovely! Love the flags.

Flock of Finn's / Waterfront Park

The Flock of Finns are metal sculptures made from Folk Artist Marvin Finn designs. This is a lasting tribute to Finn who passed away in 2001. The flock has moved around Louisville. They reside in Waterfront Park off Witherspoon and Preston St.

My first encounter with Marvin Finn was years before he was well known. My friend Nikki Lee received two birds for christmas made by a friend's handyman. Who found discarded scraps of wood and paint and created the most whimsical birds. Or we thought they were birds. Nikki still has them in her lovely Lexington home. I keep thinking she will get tired of her Finn's and give them to me but it hasn't happened in 35 years. It was only after Phyllis George published her book on KY Crafts that we knew about the artist. We just knew him as the handyman.

Today you can purchase Original Finn's @ Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft on Main St. in Louisville. Chris Finn worked with his father and continues to create Finn's. I have several in my collection. Just waiting for Nikki to get tired of her's so they can be joined with mine.

Kentucky Girls / Kentucky Days

Monday, I was invited to be part of Kentucky Days... A private party on The Great Lawn @ Waterfont Park for 3000 legislators from all over the world. First...a sit down dinner with Moonlight BBQ from Owensboro,KY. Second...Kentucky Museum of Art and Crafts, Louisville Stoneware and a few other Ky artists and yours truely had their wares for sale. Then the KY Girls Patti Loveless (Louisville), Loretta Lynn (Butcher Holler), and Wynonna (Ashland) were the entertainment. Loretta came out in a hot pink sparkle dress with matching shoes. So intimate I suspected that Loretta and Wynonna were singing directly to me until David from KMAC thought the same thing.

Falling Waters / Frank Lloyd Wright

PA road trip to visit my Aunts Marie and Peggy. My last day they had planned to take me to Falling Waters. I forgot why I wanted to go there and tried to talk them out of the treck so we could just hang out and chill. Well Marie insisted that we go ahead and go.......I was sooooo glad!!! Awesome Day!

A really hot day so we don't look as "fresh" as usual but LOVED Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Waters!!!! I now realize that everything in decor and design has been inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. Falling Waters was build in the 1930's over a water fall. The "vacation home" is every bit as modern and current today. Good design is timeless.

Sizzlin Summer Sale

Not sure what I will have on sale in my store but I do know that it will be Sizzelin! Studios thruout the complex will be in the courtyard discounting their wares. Be there!

Art Car Weekend

This year Paula Cundiff will bring her Van-Gogh to the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft Art Car Weekend, August 6 & 7. Stay tuned...more to come.

Chandlier

Years ago I went with my mother to the Atlanta Gift Mart Wholesale show in July. There was this awesome light fixture that had a space below the tea light candles for flowers. It was expensive. So I decided that I could make my own. Finally, last week I found a glass vessel that fit in the metal basket that I could install below the fixture. Found the Queen Anne's Lace at the Wetlands while walking the dogs. Other flowers from yard.

Bear Dog Days Of Summer

Sam and Bear. Our new Bear loves to snuggle. He thinks he is a lap dog. We are soooo happy to have him in our life.

Last week I was loading things in my car and heard all this barking inside the house....I went to investigate and caught Bear and LuLu playing and chasing eachother around the house. Sooooo Cute. I went to the back yard with both dogs and encouraged them to continue playing. They both looked at me, ran one loop around the shed and headed back to the doggie door for air conditioned comfort inside. Did I mention that Bear is really smart!

Economic Stimulation

In Kentucky it has been tooooooo hot and humid to do anything else but shop. I went to some of my fave haunts last week and found these cool metal flowers for my front door.

July is when I get ready for the fall so I have been ordering merchandise for my store. Working on new jewelry designs that I will unveil next month at Art in Speed Park. Making christmas (yes christmas) jewelry. I need to make the stock now before my fall shows get rolling.

Also July is the time that I complete all those pesky projects that I put off thruout the year. I have this Wall of Shame in my studio where I have ear ring replacements, special orders, and things I need to slove. Due to a reminder from a consumer...........I cleared out that wall. And swear I will not let it build up next year.

This year we have a picket fence project going on in our front yard. Sam has decided to take the entire summer and work on it when he is in the mood. I look forward to job being done so I can nurture my bottle tree and bowling ball collections.

Best Of Show / Norma Shadwick

As far as I am concerned Norma Shadwick of Pod's Forge is always Best of Show. She stops in my booth with home made peanut butter fudge along with fudge brownie pie. Somehow she knew that I loved all things sugar. I thought Norma only spoiled me but then at another show I heard "shout outs" from other artists raving about Normas baking skills. She is soooo popular if there was a prize she would win. She always wins one in my book...bearing baked goods or not. Apparently a photographer from the Courier Journal felt the same way because a photo of Norma was featured in Monday's paper July 5, 2010, Metro B6.

Post Crescent Hill Art and Music Festival

Pam, Nancy, & Paula. OK the show just got a little bit cuter with these girls!!!! Adorable!!! Pam Happy B-day week! Have a great one! If you all will recall....Pam gave me a backstage tour of Wicked! She didn't do the show this past weekend but came out to see her girls.

I didn't know that Pam also is great buddies with Paula. Nancy and Paula are good buds. Now Pam is great buds with Nancy. Not to mention Susan who is not photographed in this pic but can be seen in an earlier post with Paula at Kentucky Crafted, The Market. All are friends. I didn't know Nancy but can tell by the company she keeps that I need to know her. Nancy is from Michigan and her work is Glass Jewelry and she shared a booth with Paula. Love it when my artist peeps all know and are buds with each other. Just proves my theory that "We Are Stronger Together Than We Are Apart"!!!!!

Crescent Arts and Music Festival Day One

Just love a Parade!!! The Blim family, from St. Mathews, decked out in Uncle Sam/Tie Dye and rode their 1960' Dune Buggy in the parade. The girls made the shirts and found the perfect hats. Lots of folks wore stars and stripes along with red, white, and blue but just not as well as the Blim's.

This show is soooooo cute!!! Reminds me of living in a small town. The bandstand was filled with live entertainment that goes from 10 am till 10 pm each night. The Art and Craft section of the show is outstanding. Come on out tomorrow and be surprised! The art section is 10-5 on sunday.

Crescent Art and Music Festival

This show is so adorable. I think there are 95 artists this year. So just the right size. See you there!!