prepping for City Arts Market, December 4, Eastern Market, Lancaster

normally this isn't a huge deal regarding preparation...it's such a lovely, comfy, Indie, community show...but it's a little harder for me this year to get ready, because I'm juggling little Mimi and her ravenous feeding schedule, and Max's demanding need for lots of snacks and toy finding activities.

but when I've gotten a moment (naps and preschool, etc) this is what my kitchen cooks up. little piles of Wensleydale wool...ready for felting. i got a litle more hardcore this year, felting this many pieces at one time. this grouping will make six flowers for three layer hair clips or small pins.





and when everything is cleaned up, then we can talk about dinner:-)

My Anthropologie home wish list Winter 2010

Mayhem...!

I'm always moaning about cleaning up toys, so here's a couple of pics of what happens when Max gets going...rescue me!

and even crazier is when his co-operative school pals come over...everything gets unloaded...but what fun they all have. I leave them alone and hear them talking like big kids as they play.

but here's my sanity...my little studio space in the kitchen. where I do all my felting work. i just tidied that all up- it's helped me keep it together enough to get ready for City Arts Market on December 4.

The City of Lancaster - A City Authentic

A winter WONDERland: Holiday pieces at My Aunt Debbie

Between shows I created a new stash for the My Aunt Debbie Shop (310 North Queen Street Lancaster, PA). Debbie got a little squeeze in this morning during my felty flower delivery...and Mimi wore my vintage baby sweater for the visit, knitted by my Grandma.


(Necklace above by Debbie Serdy of www.myauntdebbie.com)

Debbie's shop features work by herself, local Lancaster artists, and others...here's what else caught my eye today...

Christmas shopping?

My British Wensleydale floral accessories can be found at the The My Aunt Debbie Shop, located here... 310 North Queen Street, in Lancaster, PA.

Lots more showing up there within the next few days. if you are having a crepe at Rachel's across the street, or just strolling down this fantastic section of Queen Street in Lancaster, stop on in. This is a terrific shop, and is always packed to the gills on First Friday!

and so it goes...

So my wintery/holiday show season is now, and my baby is little...like not yet four weeks of littleness! I've been fitting in my art, amongst caring for my newborn...the house is tended to sporadically during Mimi's naps, and each day before things are tidied, the house explodes with Max's toys. sometimes it's a balancing act. literally, as I try navigate my steps over an impressive collection of Toy Story toys...

I picked up my remaining items at the Distelfink Christmas show today...Mimi asleep in the car with my Mom...Mimi wearing the fanciest little pink frock from Sweet Baby Jess, with rosebuds. Max, big boy, running into the venue with me and having to pee the moment I needed to go over my remaining inventory with the volunteers. Then, lingering happily next to me after a worker gave him a Tootsie Pop.

After four years of selling my art, I still never know what will happen with a given show. Always, I meet someone nice, and always my experience builds. but did my things sell this weekend? If they didn't I would feel a bit like an arse, lugging my newborn from Lancaster to Schaefferstown and back...but then again, I love what I make. I love using British wool to make my flowers, I love that i made up my own Wensleydale flower felting techniques. and so it goes...and so Mimi and Max... and my Mom and me...buckling kids in the car, not knowing how the show panned out. Driving for a bit, wondering if people liked them, did they like the little beads? the colors?

So Max and I thanked the volunteer and we emerged from the Thomas Brendle museum, ...my three clear containers of flowers now reduced to half a single box full.

We prepaid our fee for 2011 before we left. An encouraging and reassuring moment- . and so it went. I buckled Max back in the car. My Mom gave me a smile, and I gave my new baby girl a little kiss.

If you bought one of my pieces this weekend, thank you!

New Days and New Ways

so we've welcomed November with a new family member, Mimi...who is as pretty as picture. At 13 days old, she's sleeping well and gaining extra well. Here she is in her tiny Newborn size cardigan;-)

I've hardly left the house..I roam around my cottage holding her, checking on her, and using my remaining energy to go up and down the stairs to fetch the laundry. Different family members and friends come to visit every few days- including Uncle Joe who drove from Maryland just to hold her and congratulate us.

Max has adjusted well and spent this morning at Goldfinch Farm with his classmates. A chemical free farm- they learned about growing vegetables in preparation for their Stone Soup dinner at the end of the month. (you should see the things cooked up by families from our Cooperative school at this event- it's really gourmet)


I am preparing for the Distelfink Christmas show that takes place next weekend at the Thomas Brendle Museum in historic Schaefferstown. It is a consignment style show, so I simply have to bring my inventory there and pick it up. Mimi is being nursed as I assemble British Wensleydale wool to be felted, and stitch on dozens of beads.

With each task I am learning to do things differently, multi-tasking all the time, and am reminded that when I had Max over five years ago, I wasn't making any art at all. Although I am a bit overwhelmed that I have years of caring for another young one ahead of me, I am delighted that our family is complete.
I'll get the hang of managing two kids and my artistic endeavors- in the meantime, we are still accepting lovely dinners and kind hugs:-)