Just in time for your Valentine...

I have been busy but wanted to offer you

these pieces for Valentine's Day.

The first piece being offered is a

Clip-On Dove.

It is made from several layers of wood

that have all been cut and carved by hand.

A vintage ornament clip has been used

for the legs. Signed and dated.

Kindly asking $65.00 plus shipping

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The second piece is

"Love is in the Air"

A pair of Mourning Doves

perched on a swing. They are made from several

layers of wood that have all been cut

and carved by hand. The swing is made from

a twig and some wire with a vintage

ornament hook to use for hanging. Notice the

heart shape within the wire of the swing.

Kindly asking $150.00 plus shipping

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The third piece is

"The Perfect Pair"

A pair of White Doves are perched on

an antique finial. The finial has it's

original painted surface and I added the

Tramp Art base to this piece.

Kindly asking $175.00 plus shipping

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If you have any questions or are interested in any of these pieces

please send me an email and I will respond as quickly as possible.

I also made a Heart In Hand with a spinning Heart

and a cherub/cupid that have sold.

If you would like to order one of these I will

gladly make them for you!

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Thank you for visiting my blog.

I appreciate your interest in my work and

look forward to hearing from you.

A glance around my studio.

Okay, well it isn't really a studio.

I just took over the dining room table and hutch!

Thought I would share some images

of both antiques pieces and my fellow artists and friends

work that inspire me every day...

It is such a gift to do something you love

and to be creative!

Being surrounded by your friends and their works of art

you so admire is also dear. 

Thank you dear friends for all of your encouragement,

love and support.

I appreciate it more then you can possibly know.

The International Folk Art Museum & The Art Tramp...No Idle Hands: The Myths and Meanings of Tramp Art

I hope that all of you who are interested in Tramp Art

will have the opportunity to visit the

International Folk Art Museum to see their exhibit, 

"No Idle Hands: The Myths and Meanings of Tramp Art"

Opening on March 12, 2017.

As you can see, they have designed an

exceptionally beautiful catalog for the exhibit.

~~~~~~~~~~~

As a new and relatively "unknown" artist

I am extremely honored to have one of my pieces

on loan to the museum for this exhibit.

It is the first major exhibit on Tramp Art since 1975

and includes works from present day artists

as well as numerous examples of the antique pieces.

Laura Addison is the curator for this exhibit

and she has been a joy to work with

and share my thoughts and vision about what 

attracted me to Tramp Art as well as

what inspires my work and love of this art form.

This is the piece I created that is included in the exhibit.

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I wanted to share these installation photos. 

They were taken by a museum staff member and posted

on their Facebook page.

There is also a wonderful interview with Laura

that can be accessed through the museum's Facebook page

and much more information on the extraordinary exhibit.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is the link to a magazine article

that was recently published prior to the opening

that I thought you might enjoy!

https://www.abqjournal.com/962167/recycled-beauty.html

Colonial Williamsburg Gets a Tramp.....The Art Tramp that is!

I have only been to Colonial Williamsburg

a couple of times but I remember

my visits with much warmth and admiration.

The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum

is simply astounding with the quantity

and quality of it's collection....a MUST SEE

for those who truly love Folk Art.

When I visited, it was late Fall.

The leaves had mostly turned but there was

that wonderful "crispness" in the air.

The crowds had gone and I was able

to spend time talking with the artisans in their shops.

There were no lines for anywhere and 

I could stroll the streets at ease. The aroma of

Hot Apple Cider filled the air along

with that of the spice cookies they had for sale

on a small street cart.....

it was a wonderful experience!

And now, I have had another wonderful experience

that I wanted to share with all to you.

Some of my Tramp Art will now be available

through the Art Museum Store of Colonial Williamsburg.

They currently have eight of my pieces

and I am working on a small order that should go out

next week. I am also hoping to have the

opportunity to design some Tramp Art pieces that

will be exclusive to Colonial Williamsburg

since those designs will all be my interpretation of

pieces that are in the museums collections.

I am honored to have my art available at

such a wonderful and well respected museum.

The people I have been working with are

outstanding in every way. I want to thank Susan

and Lauren for everything they have done.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I encourage everyone to visit and support

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation as well as

your local or regional museums....

they are a precious gift for all of us to enjoy!

Show Time!

Well, it is that time of year again.

There is a chill in the air and soon there will be frost as well.

I love the Fall and that "crispness" in the air.

Of course, all this means that the Wilton Historical Society's

American Artisan Show

is just around the corner....November 4th - 6th.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As you can see, things are all over the place

as I am getting ready for the show.

I have so many pieces I want to make and

so little time!

Sewing pieces, Ornaments, CAWfin®, Tombstone Angel,

and a very special piece that will use an antique

Sheraton table base with the original black paint...

let's see how much I can get done.

Hope to see you all there at the show!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Early American Folk Arts & Trades 

The first MARKETPLACE for this Facebook Group

will be held on Facebook this weekend, October 15 - 16.

Each artist can post one piece at a time

and add another once the first piece has sold.

I will be posting two pieces for

everyone's consideration...

"Live Free, Die Happy"

and

"Get Cracking"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would like to share a couple images

of two of my most recent

Heart In Hand Thread Holder & Pin Cushions...

Hope everyone has a great week!!! 

I will be heading back to create more Tramp Art

one chip at a time!

A tree grows in Brighton.....that's right, NOT Brooklyn.

I love folk art and have collected

both antique pieces and various artists work

over the years. In my efforts to design

and create new and interesting pieces of Tramp Art

that are unique and original I am working

on a Bird Tree.

This particular Bird Tree is an anniversary present

for my husband. Once the tree has a

proper base or vintage box to attach itself to

I will be making new and different

Tramp Art clip-on birds to attache to the tree

for special occasions or just because.

The first bird is a Raven.

He holds two vintage German acorns in his beak.

They symbolize us as a couple and

that we will keep growing older, wiser and stronger

as the years go by.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is a gray and rainy day today!

As I walked through the garden the other morning

I took a few photos of nature that

caught my eye and thought I would share them

with you...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At the moment, I am working on

weaving some miniature and full size Shaker Baskets.

Many, many years ago I took a class

from Martha Wetherbee. She is the foremost

authority on Shaker baskets and through

her studies and hard work she revived the art of

the Shaker Basket!

Here are some of the baskets I have made

along with a few of Martha's. I also make and collect

1 inch scale miniatures so I made the miniature

Shaker Alphabet Board based on a piece that had been

in the "Shaker Design" exhibit many years ago.

Lol, you may notice I like Ravens and Crows...

I will also be attempting to make a

1 inch scale violin case based on this exception

antique piece I saw from an antique shop.

I will be tweeting the case a bit but this was my first prototype.

As with my Tramp Art, I don't employ the use

of any power tools so this is all being done by hand

with an x-acto knife. I will be making a handful

of these cases and will be painting them to match the original.

A good friend and miniature artist has been most

generous and is sending me the hinges for at least on case.

Wish me luck!

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I hope you enjoyed this post. As always, I invite you to

take a look through my website and my Etsy Shop.

Feel free to spread the word about my work.

I thank you for your time, your friendship and your support.

Blessings.