Maggie French Home opens on Etsy today!

Find cool stuff for your home in my new Etsy shop!
www.maggiefrenchhome.etsy.com

Indie Christmas party...warmed my heart

at my house! so much fun and cool gifts too! look at my new art!!!!!
(above: Maggie, Vic (www.sillyboodilly.etsy.com) and Rachel-Marie)

Art: Skeleton print by Maggie Mowery www.happysilence.etsy.com.

and special personal art for me by Cinda, La Sillita, and an "M" appropriate for my family with all "M" names:-) www.cinda.etsy.com

For more pics of the part-tae, check out Rachel-Marie's blog:
http://knittydirtygirl.livejournal.com/ :-)

Birdie plaque

this was a commission I made this week.
I started painting one door that was laminate. I should know better by now, it wouldn't take the paint. I pulled this door out of my cabinet door stash, it's really an old school style- it took the paint and the message great. I want to make more of these.

An exciting Monday!

Very tired! from a weekend at City Arts Market.

Got up this morning to meet Todd Spitler, the photographer (www.toddspitler.com) check him out!) at the Mommalicious & Smilin' Gal Store at. 310 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA 17603 to take pictures of my art to submit for consideration for the upcoming book by Quarry Books: 1000 Ideas for Creative ReUse.
what a fantastic setting let me say...Alicia Thank YOU!!!! the store is so beautiful. The furniture and other retro pieces with their rosy and aqua tones, give off such a glow. We had fun positioning my pieces against furniture, etc. I was so proud to see my work in that setting, as I know the photos will turn out so cool, with that wonderful setting, one of the best vintage stores in the USA!
(this door shot didn't look as cool as we thought, but you should SEE that door against an art deco rose sofa and cool items- OH MY!)

Thank you so much to Todd for doing this for me. He's very nice to work with and I've seen him in action at weddings and he is very professional and does a beautiful job.































Then to my moms to pick up my son and make gingerbread cookies!!!!

Then back home to Lancaster to find the 1000 Handmade Greeting and Clever Correspondence book I'm in on the doorstep!
and here are my two cards. the blue one has someone elses name under it :-(((((( but it will be corrected in the next printings. The color looks so nice on that one too!

This book is cool because it has work in it from two of my local friends Maggie Mowery (www.happysilence.etsy.com) and Alicia Holland from Ten Thousand Greetings.

A very very cold Monday, but a great day I'll remember!

City Arts Market this weekend...

I love Lancaster and everyone in it:-) I am grateful to be an artist here, and to everyone who stopped by my booth and checked out the goods.
XO
see you tomorrow, Sunday 10-4! Eastern Market, corner of King and Shippen:-)

Cards made from pics of my chairs

how come I didn't think of this before?

City Bird is coming to town....

City Arts Market this Saturday and Sunday 10-4, Eastern Market, King and Shippen...

El Rodeo

Here's a little pic of one of my Mexican flower doors gracing the little casa at El Rodeo. the food is soooo good there.
I've had the busiest weekend ever, with my brother in town from Boston. we had a great Thanksgiving, and on Friday we took him to the Dogstar Bookshop, to Rachel's Creperie, to Mommalicious,- where he met Deb Serdy and the gang, to the Lancaster Yarn Shop, etc etc.
this pic is from Saturday night, after we all went to Dutch Wonderland to see the lights. busy busy:-) and just 5 days away from City Arts Market at Eastern Market. I am up late about to start a new chair that needs to be finished by Saturday:-)

What to wish for...what to wish for...

from a turn of the century Christmas book- I had just 6 pages from it, and I made a set of these.

so what do I wish for? mostly I just want my son to be delighted at Christmas, and I would like good food to eat that day, really tasty things:-)

and to those that really know me, you probably already know what I would like:-)

Bell's Palsy and Labor

So this is my contribution to the internet regarding Bell's Palsy and labor. When I got Bell's Palsy after having my son, there was NOTHING online about it. So here it is...my public service message:-)

I had a healthy pregnancy with my son. I watched a million hours of Discovery Health birthing shows during the pregnancy, but there was nothing about Bell's Palsy in the shows I watched and I never would have believed this would happen to me.

I had an unusually long labor. 40+ hours. This was due to my small pelvis (and an exceptionally long labor progression time is evident of that). During this long amount of time I was happily given an epidural that was fully loaded:-) and one or two additional doses. I was also given pottosin to help speed things along. During this time I became very swollen in my face, legs, etc etc. I didn't realize it at the time but my mom told me later. (Also, I realized it a day after my surgery when I couldn't feel my legs when I touched them, although I could walk and stand, etc.)

After two hours of pushing, I was given a c-section. I spent two hours in recovery, then I was able to hold my son. I had a normal few days at the hospital, and went home just fine.

Five days after the birth I was eating a sandwich at home (I think I'd been home 24 hours) and I thought I was having a stroke. I couldn't eat right. I called my mom who is an RN and asked if a side effect of my meds would give me a stroke. She told me to call the dr. and they told me to go to ER.

I RAN (post c-section!!! and holding my lower stomach:-)) into the ER while my husband parked the car with my son. I thought I was truly having a stroke and that the drs just HAD to stop this because I had a newborn to take care of!

I was told I had Bell's Palsy and that they would give me a steroid and an antibiotic to lessen the severity. They said that I should stop breastfeeding due to the steroid. I opted to NOT take the steroid, just the antibiotic, so that I could continue to breastfeed. I took my chances, but there was nothing to prove that the steroid would truly help anyway.

It was hard to care for a newborn with BP. I couldn't eat properly or close both my eyes- and I couldn't close both my eyes to sleep. It was heart breaking to not be able to go out comfortably as I would be stared at, and I didn't want friends to really see me that way- also I had trouble speaking, drinking, etc etc. We have very few photos of me and the baby during that time, and the photos are really really bad of me.

My BP lasted two weeks. Thank God. However, I do have the "residual" effects everyone talks about. Most noticably is that I have loss of muscle mass around my affected cheek bone. It makes my face look a little thinner on that side- which I kind of like:-) although compared to the other it's asymetrical, which isn't cool. Also, I have more lines on that side of my face, a deeper smile line, and deeper dimples. I notice that I can't smile and talk for a long time without my face just feeling really tired, so I stop smiling as much, and sometimes look at the person like they're boring me, when they are not!:-(.

Another thing, which I think is kind of cool is that I used to be more animated when I talked to people but now I have more of a tendancy to just look straight at them and not be as expressive. this is really cool when someone is being idiotic or something, because I don't laugh or roll my eyes or anything, I just look straight at them...and to me, inside that's funnier, and I feel like I have more control in that way.

It's been three years since I had this happen to me, and I just recently learned that BP can be caused from too much swelling in labor, as it affects the facial nerves!!!! so if you come down with this during pregnancy or labor, this could be why.

The last thing I'll mention is that I think everyone should do what they can to avoid having a stroke. If you have ever experienced Bell's Palsy you can relate to a Stroke patient, and it's really hard. so take good care of yourself, and the things that you can have some control of anyway:-)

Sweet Pea...

Little weekend pillows

These are little pillows I made to bring to CAM.
they are made from really heavy textured fabric, the insert is from remnants of my curtains ...I used pastel crayons to make the designs and ironed them to set the color, then I added interfacing so they are nice and adhered and feel sturdy. with neat vintage/or just neat buttons.
stuffed with real wool batting:-) from sheep in Brownstown, PA.

Whale Wars

I am watching Whale Wars on Animal Planet on HD about the Steve Irwin ship (the crew) sailing the Antarctic waters trying to stop the Japanese whalers. I think Paul Watson, Captain of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is startling crazy but so admirable because he's brave and outspoken.
After sitting for HOURS in a room watching people look so disinterested and ambivalent at this last show, it is fun and exciting to watch Paul Watson say, "If you joined this crew, you should be prepared to die for whales! Didn't we interview you?"
He's so passionate- I would hope that whatever my son believes in, that he is that unafraid as he grows older. I hope that he learns that he can share his opinions during his life openly and fearlessly with whatever stirs his passion. Sitting around saying nothing about things that upset you gets you nowhere.
In life I have felt that I was forced to censor my words, but I do have a voice and Paul Watson and his whale crusade might just make me less unafraid to use it!!!!
http://animal.discovery.com/tv/whale-wars/meet-the-crew/

St. Anne's show

I spent the day at the St. Anne's show 10-7 Sat. and 9-1 Sunday.

Many would come within 5 or 6 feet of my booth and turn around and leave. It was very frustrating that they would not stop to look at my things, or come close enough!

I was treated with more courtesy by the patrons at the Punk Rock Flea Market at the Chamelon Club last spring. There, I got more open, receptive, honest and positive comments regarding my Our Lady's. Considering that St. Anne's is a Catholic based institution....I would have expected things to be different. Even the nuns barely commented on my Our Lady's. I was very dismayed.

Wowsa.

Art on the Farm 2008

We checked out Art on the Farm tonight....oh my. how gorgeous it was.
www.artonthefarmlancaster.com/
it's open 12-8 today and tomorrow too....Here I am with My Aunt Debbie, and here's some beautiful art, including that of Will and Maggie Mowery. Just beautiful, this event will become one of my favorites to visit every year from here on out.

Rachel's...

So here's the pic of my art in the window of the creperie.
what is funny to note is that the mosaic leaning against the easel is by Carrie Green, my old friend, and someone put our two pieces together.
Carrie and I worked together at RMS for several years. She was the admin my team, and when she changed roles, I asked to be the team admin, and so I moved to her desk etc.
so here we are now in the window tonight of Rachel's.

Rachel's Cafe and Creperie...tonite!

Check out a piece of my art and many others tonite at this cool show in downtown Lancaster. Enjoy some company while eating a delicious crepe!

and if you are in Ithaca NY...:-) check out my "Our Lady"at the 5 Women on the Border show- opened last night.

Amy...thanks for your advice the last couple days.

Strawberry...your desserts look insane. Wish I could have been at the opening this evening, I hope it was rockin.

xo everyone.

what a day...

Mariana, my Romanian au pair left today for Sweden- after two years in Lancaster. She left me her very cool black sweater coat that I will wear proudly all over downtown:-)
and change and excitement is in the air today.
we cast our votes this evening. So proudly.
This is an eloquent man I voted for. The first president I would ever be in awe to meet, one I could listen to for the next four years, and someone I respect.

...later....HE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a wonderful thing for the nation and the world.

Chairs in the car

Tonight Max was playing with his dollhouse (one of those big light wood modern numbers) and he started talking to the little people and then he put them in the big car. (the dollhouse came with a garage and a car).
And then...he took the kitchen chairs out of the house, and loaded them into the car, and the people were chatting and driving along with chairs all stuffed around them.
it was so funny to me. I don't know how many times he has driven with a chair next to him in the back seat, or one in the passenger seat!
My Dad often finds them for me by the side of the road, or at house sales, and we'll drive home from their house with one. and then we'll pack one into the car and deliver it to a show or an event or something.

Check it out!

Thank you to Strawberry Curls, for putting one of my Our Lady's in this show! If you are in the area check out all this fantastic artwork.
How refreshing it would be to see bright beautiful artwork on a chilly November night!

Our Lady

This is a Mary I made earlier last week, getting ready for St. Anne's- I had to make a special trip to Restore to find a door that would fit this panel. I think this door works really well, I hope I find some more.
A woman asked me about my art while I was holding the fabric up to the door.
She said, "people go for that?"
it was funny.

Pen Cups

(Halloween week and I'm thinking Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!)

These are my cool new pen cups made from:

tin cans
a gray coat
a red sweater
a white polar fleece pullover
and new trimmings

I am bugging everyone for tin cans, and rummaging through recycling bins on my street, it's rough but look how cute they are!!!!

They will be at the St. Anne's show and at
City Arts Market.

"Be proud of your composter!"

Earlier in the month, my mom and I took a free community class on composting, and with the free class you got a free Earth Machine!

Today Max and I installed it in the backyard, close to the house for easy access. He thought it was a fort and I turned around and he was inside it!

So far, I composted a tiny gourd!:-)

I like it. I like things that make you feel self-sufficient.

(the manual said that beginning composters often put the composter too far from the house, but they recommend being "proud of your composter" and putting it nearby for frequent deposits from your kitchen:-))

Cute card

I ordered these from TayloredArts on Etsy. They remind me of my black chairs, and my love of red and Christmas...:-) I am going to make a Christmas chair and this will be the tag. xo

KnittyDirtyGirl teaches my nannies knitting!

A very special thank you to Rachel-Marie, www.knittydirtygirl.etsy.com for coming to my house for my October au pair meeting and teaching all my girls to knit!!! yeah!

She was super great, and very very nice to all the girls, even though they went crazy and ransacked her bag of yarn balls!

I feel like this has been such a busy week. I've been working on little crafty projects for the upcoming shows, and had to really work hard to clean the house up for this meeting. So much is going on!

I'm learning that the fall/winter is the busiest time for shows-
I need some soup and I need to go to bed! it's almost 2am!!!!

A Secret Photo for Someone....

Hi my friend, and you know who you are:-) Isn't this just a crazy coincidental photo? And I knew who they were! even weirder!!! Your grilled cheese is waiting for you. It's all buttery and cheesy and stuff. This pic is a sign from above! Come by anytime...
I am always your friend:-) xo

My first class!

With the girl scouts! what a delight they were! and I felt like I came full circle, as a former art loving kid, and a big time Girl Scout myself:-) we painted drawer fronts from ReStore, using salvaged house paints and craft paint. They loved my buttons! This photo is so similar to my Girl Scout "unit" camp photos...it's uncanny. The cool difference is that I'm like the counselor now!
xo

Happy Birthday Occy....

Here's a doll I made for Octavian out of one of my old handbags (the brown micro suede part), his 1st birthday is tomorrow- the party was today. Rachel-Marie's sweet son.

I love FreeCycle

I think I started using FreeCycle in May? I love it!
it's crazy how much stuff we have that we don't really want, and how people in the Lancaster County Freecycle group are so giving.
It has been not only fantastic for cleaning out my house, but I've gotten some things that I would never have expected. Like a large tin barn star which are popular here- I hung it on the side of my garage. Yesterday...the Hunter baseball ceiling fan for Max's room, and over the summer Max had more shorts from Freecycle than I could fit in his dresser.
Whereas before, I would have bagged things up and dropped them at Goodwill, now I give them to real people directly! and no one pays anything for anything. how great is that!

The price of making your house unique

I need a new bathroom vanity and sink but the ones I've found near me, are made from particleboard. I can't use particle board cabinet doors in my art, so no way am I using them in my bathroom!
So, I'm redoing the existing vanity, replacing the doors with beadboard ones, and replacing the sink and faucet with a set I found on the side of the road. Amazingly, it fits my vanity, and has cottage-ey "hot/cold" faucet knobs. However, the cost to install this top and put new pipes in under the sink (they are old and noisy)...$239!
The parts I found retail for $300, so it's worth it. And what a story...the plumber says, "so you find your plumbing supplies by the side of the road?"

Last night at Goodwill I found a pair of milk glass bedside lamps. A PAIR! I am infatuated with the lamp in the little girls room in the new Charlotte's Web movie. The decorating from that time was all about texture. I love it. The pair I found was rubberbanded together with that scary Goodwill appliance price tag "Sold AS IS"...for $3.99.

It felt daring to take this old lamps home, all dirty, but they are SO cool! and isn't that what all the cool homes in magazines have? really funky cool old lamps?

So I cleaned them in the sink with a brush (the dirt was all in the grooves), they gleamed. Then today my husband bought two rewiring kits for $30. Ugh. Then we went out tonight for shades, and I ended up with pleated ones, that might be all wrong, I don't know, but the white of them works (I'm really working towards all CLEAR colors in my house, no beige). The shades were $14 for the pair.

Today, when my husband took the lamps apart, I had to repaint the brass "look" bits. Brasso didn't work, so I don't think they were brass:-)

When I was at the dept store, a woman next to me in Lamps was buying a set of wrought iron ones for $30 flat. When I got home tonight, unsure of the shades I bought, I almost threw in the towel. But then I thought that in two years the dept ones will look boring, and I'll still have my ones that are at least 50 years old. That are so hard to find. That are as old as the house, and are unique like me.

And of course, down the road, when the house is in Cottage Living :-), they'll be a little notation about my lamps. "Found at a Goodwill for $3.99, Maggie's husband fitted the lamps with new wiring, and Maggie added the ball fringe to the shades."

You can't write stuff like that boring new lamps!

Etsy chair

my Etsy chair with beautiful hand spun yarns from knittydirtygirl.etsy.com!
it turned out so bohemian, and you gotta love that:-)
Add your own Etsy pins and things to it!
available soon,
on... you guessed it!

my new Grocery!

oh my....heaven....!
Stauffers of Kissel Hill's new Rohrerstown store- opening day today (the biggest SKH is the county)...it's right down the road, and looks like a really big version of Whole Foods (which for some reason hasn't come to Lancaster yet).
the produce aisles and aisles and aisles are so tidy .... the prepared foods are gorgeous, it's just great.
I am partial to SKH because when we moved to Lititz when I was 17, from a tiny town in Massachusetts, the SKH was so close to us and we thought it was fantastic. We went there nearly every day and came home with tasty things constantly. We took our guests there...it was kind of a joke, but they loved it and would go back the next day too.
now I have my own store and it's better than that one. there is something about having a really really really nice food store near your home. It makes you just feel good. I think it's because it's one of those places that you go to all the time, so the nicer it is, the nicer your life is.

1000 Handmade Greetings....

is coming out a month earlier than expected!!! Hooray! Look for two of my cards in it!

ISBN: 9781592534739
January 2009

$25.00
$27.50 Canadian
£14.99

Flexi-binding
1000 photos/illustrations
320 Pages
Size (in): 9 x 9

1,000 Handmade Greetings

Creative Cards and Clever Correspondence

Laura McFadden, with Deborah Baskin

Even in this current day and age, where we are all senders and receivers of voluminous emails, handmade greeting cards, stationery, and invitations never lose their charm or fail to touch the heart. This book is a delightful showcase of 1,000 exciting and contemporary hand-designed greeting cards, with examples that feature a wide array of paper craft techniques, including: paper cutting, paper stencils, stamping, punching, stitchery, monoprints, screenprints, paper piecing, and more.

Laura McFadden runs her own graphic design studio, Laura McFadden Design, Inc., and has contributed to various craft books and magazines. She is co-author with April Paffrath of The Artful Bride: Wedding Invitations and The Artful Bride: Wedding Favors & Decorations. Her most recent book is 100 Ideas for Stationery, Cards, and Invitations.