rainy days

After an unbelievably gorgeous spring, summer has arrived with a steady rain. We can use our June-uary joke this year after all.I thought I was going to spend my morning at the studio (I must get stocked up for Urban Craft Uprising in august.)But I am at home trying to plan this afternoon's garden class and I am stumped on what to do. Because two of my participants use electric wheelchairs that can be damaged by water, I can't just strap on the mud boots and garden through it all. So I need to have some greenhouse crafts planned and after nine years I feel like all my ideas are used up. All of the participants have been doing this adaptive garden program for at least two years with me. How many variations on refrigerator magnets can I invent? I imagine their refrigerators are completely covered with pressed flowers and glitter and tissue paper butterflies at this point. Being a crafty business woman allows me to use my creativity,but I think planning crafts for this class is truly the biggest stretch of my imagination. They need to be age appropriate,interesting for men and women, adaptable to multiple skill levels, garden related, and inexpensive. Some of the participants can't really use scissors for example, yet most are older than me. We do a lot of recycled crafts and I do have access to an amazing closet of parks and recreation oddities: Googly eyes, baby food jars, wooden popscicle sticks,altoids tins, feathers, glitter, yarn.The trick is just figuring out what to do with it.

congratulations inspirations

Carrie made this amazing dress she was married in last saturday, all windswept and romantic. I honestly can't imagine having the patience to construct a gorgeously well fitted corset, bustle or even the sleeves. If they put even half as much care and attention into the relationship as she did into the dress, she and Ian are bound to have a long and glorious marriage.

Art Walk this Friday June 5

Art Walk this friday, june 5, 6-10pm in downtown bellingham. Rumor has it that the front door to our studio building (1316 Bay St)will finally be available for your conveinience. I never thought the alley was scary,but with this heat it smells like something crawled into a hole and died.
The front door being finished means the remodel is at a new stage including the front studios almost being finished. After some waiting and debating and being at the mercy of another studio occupant's decision, Steeb and I are taking the huge front studio when it is finished. It is twice as wide across the front as our original studio which means double the light and breeze. We are nervous about the leap in rent $$$, but are hopeful that the freshness of the space and the financial crunch will lead to new inspiration. I think it will also lead to a smokin' hot bargain bin this friday as I don't want to move everything down the hall again.


I did in fact make it to the studio and make a bunch of white flower zipper pouch designs after my last post. This is my favorite (already sold) of the solomon's seal long enough for knitting needles.

p.s. I won't be at the farmers' market this saturday (june 6) because I will be at a lovely picnic wedding.