(I took an online decorating style quiz. Can you believe I'm cottage/tuscany? I thought I was more modern or something, guess not!)
Oh here's the funny story:
I went to the auto store with Mr. French and Mr. French Jr....I looked down and my chest looked lumpy under my shirt. I thought, "what the heck, this isn't my necklace..." and in front of the male cashiers, out of pure curiosity, I reached down the front of my shirt and pulled out a 7 inch plastic toy lobster!!!!
That Max! He laughed his head off, and so did the cashiers!
Indie Arts meets tomorrow morning downtown at Dosie Dough Bakery on Lemon Street, I am excited to GET OUT!
SWEET MAGGIE MAY: Our Life with Muscular Dystrophy and Growth Hormone Deficiency
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Be a Local Hero Chair to be auctioned this Friday!
Help Launch Lancaster's Buy Fresh Buy Local week and make your reservations now for the kick-off celebration in historic Central Market Square.
Bid on my "Be A Local Hero, Buy Fresh Buy Local Lancaster" folk art chair, and other unique local items!
Friday July 11 from 6-9...enjoy local food by Carr's Restaurant, local beer from Stoudt's Brewery, and live music by the Vinegar Creek Constituency.
$50 per person, includes beer, local wines, and other beverages.
Make your reservation today by calling 717-291-4293 or email Linda at
linda.aleci@fandm.edu.
Rain date is Saturday July 12.
Friday, July 4, 2008
DogStar Books Indie Art Exhibit tonight
July 4...1st Friday downtown. Stop in and see the Lancaster Indie Arts group show...my first group show since college!
a cool eclectic mix, great food, music, in a cool downtown bookstore:-)
(after show note: LANCASTER CITY BIRD has a new home!!!! sweet thing, I wonder who bought you and where you are moving to?)
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
How cute is this...
From Storia Home, www.storiahome.etsy.com
and on it's way to my house, where it will celebrate many a birthday with us...
Clean House Messiest Home in the Country aired tonight. I love this show. Did any of the locals catch the "dejazzd" box amongst the mess? That was kind of cool...in a way:-)
Beautiful weather here in Pennsylvania...I went hiking with my son yesterday. We threw stones in a river for half an hour. tonight we played in the water from the garden hose and ate popsicles.
Life couldn't get better:-)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Storyteller Chair
available at the DogStar Bookstore... If you are interested in buying it for yourself, your library, or bookshop, convo me, or contact Brian at DogStar books. $275 www.dogstarbooks.com/Perfect for a story hour for kids, author readings, or in the corner of your own library...:-)
Monday, June 23, 2008
DogStar Bookstore
Tomorrow I hang my work for the DogStar Bookstore LIA exhibit, that begins July 4. Originally I had planned to bring a few things I've made in the last couple months, as my inspiration was a bit low (but my housekeeping excitement was high!)
Then Friday came, and I'm typically excited to get creative on Fridays and during the weekend (don't ask me why, but I can really pound stuff out on those days of the week.)
On Friday I decided to paint "Carnival Night" and it's heaven to me. I am so happy because I've been making things I just love, and I don't care if no one else likes them! and isn't that how it should be? :-)
Then Saturday came, and H E R E' S the kicker: my Dad had bought me this giant "captains" chair a week ago and it's been in my studio (aka basement). So I decide to paint it for the DogStar event.
And then I'm at Lowes buying black paint, and up til 3am Saturday night, and working on it Sunday, and then at Lowe's twice today (Monday) buying sealer and more sealer, and painting and now the "Storyteller Chair" is sitting on my back porch with a fan blowing on it (that was a lot of paint and sealer, it's a BIG chair!) so hopefully it won't smell tomorrow at 10am!!!! when I bring it to the bookstore.
No pictures tonight, it's a secret. It is really a great match to my Buy Fresh Buy Local Chair, and they look cool together.
So here it comes....kind of nervewracking, whipping up an enormous painted folk art chair last minute.
Here's a quote from it, and special for the DogStar:
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx
Then Friday came, and I'm typically excited to get creative on Fridays and during the weekend (don't ask me why, but I can really pound stuff out on those days of the week.)
On Friday I decided to paint "Carnival Night" and it's heaven to me. I am so happy because I've been making things I just love, and I don't care if no one else likes them! and isn't that how it should be? :-)
Then Saturday came, and H E R E' S the kicker: my Dad had bought me this giant "captains" chair a week ago and it's been in my studio (aka basement). So I decide to paint it for the DogStar event.
And then I'm at Lowes buying black paint, and up til 3am Saturday night, and working on it Sunday, and then at Lowe's twice today (Monday) buying sealer and more sealer, and painting and now the "Storyteller Chair" is sitting on my back porch with a fan blowing on it (that was a lot of paint and sealer, it's a BIG chair!) so hopefully it won't smell tomorrow at 10am!!!! when I bring it to the bookstore.
No pictures tonight, it's a secret. It is really a great match to my Buy Fresh Buy Local Chair, and they look cool together.
So here it comes....kind of nervewracking, whipping up an enormous painted folk art chair last minute.
Here's a quote from it, and special for the DogStar:
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx
Saturday, June 21, 2008
"Carnival Night"
Oh.....real architectural salvage. Thank you Dad!!!!!
This will make it's big reveal on July 4 at the DogStar Bookstore on Chestnut Street, Lancaster as part of the Lancaster Indie Arts collaborative group show.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Lancaster Indie Arts
I am (proudly) the newest member of Lancaster Indie Arts...a wonderful group of local artists that inspire one another and encourage the work of independent artists in Lancaster.
check out the site: www.lancasterindiearts.com
This is my bio:
I am an artist specializing in art made from salvaged things. I love using bold colors. At the age of 5, I wanted to be an artist, art teacher, and writer.
I grew up in an army family, and lived in Maryland, Alaska, Texas, Massachusetts, and moved to Pennsylvania the summer before my senior year of high school. My mother called us gypsies. Although my father was a Lt. Colonial, he was always extremely creative, as are many on that side of my family. As coal miners in the western part of Pennsylvania, they learned to use what they had. I was always fascinated that my godfather built 3 houses for fun out of salvaged building materials he picked up on his way to and from the mines.
As a child in Massachusetts, my mother signed me up for all sorts of art classes, and so I had after school pottery class, oil painting lessons, went to Art Camp at the prestigious Groton School, painted in the desert of New Mexico, and was in the "talented and gifted" artistic program at school, which I thought was insanely elite-ist but cool at the same time (as it enabled me to get out of class all day once a month and go to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, or backstage at the Boston Symphony.)
In 1995 I graduated from Alvernia College, with a degree in Communication and a minor in Art. The school did not have an Art major, so I took all the art classes they offered, most of them taught by Sister Magnifica. In my final semester I interned, and hated working in an office and wearing suits. Later that spring, I accepted a position to spend the next year as a nanny to four children in Connecticut- in a house with over 1000 American folk art paintings. During that year I traveled to Maine, Seattle, the Hamptons, London, Switzerland and Rome with the family, and loved living amongst that much art!
Following that year, I spent the next ten working in offices (ugh). When I had my son at age 32, I decided to quit work and I started to pursue art again.
In 2007 I began selling my painted and decoupaged salvaged cabinet doors in downtown Lancaster at Eastern Market, and on Etsy. I have started to make smaller things using salvaged wood and house paints, and have sold my work at the Studio and Art Bar of York, at the Spoiled Silly Children's Boutique in Lititz, PA, at the Art is Negotiable Gallery in Lancaster, and at Senorita Burrita.
Look for two of my handmade cards in the upcoming book, "1000 Handmade Greetings" by Quarry Books.
My work is constantly evolving and I am adding more and more materials to my designs, including furniture, buttons, twigs, and wool, textiles, and paper.
check out the site: www.lancasterindiearts.com
This is my bio:
I am an artist specializing in art made from salvaged things. I love using bold colors. At the age of 5, I wanted to be an artist, art teacher, and writer.
I grew up in an army family, and lived in Maryland, Alaska, Texas, Massachusetts, and moved to Pennsylvania the summer before my senior year of high school. My mother called us gypsies. Although my father was a Lt. Colonial, he was always extremely creative, as are many on that side of my family. As coal miners in the western part of Pennsylvania, they learned to use what they had. I was always fascinated that my godfather built 3 houses for fun out of salvaged building materials he picked up on his way to and from the mines.
As a child in Massachusetts, my mother signed me up for all sorts of art classes, and so I had after school pottery class, oil painting lessons, went to Art Camp at the prestigious Groton School, painted in the desert of New Mexico, and was in the "talented and gifted" artistic program at school, which I thought was insanely elite-ist but cool at the same time (as it enabled me to get out of class all day once a month and go to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, or backstage at the Boston Symphony.)
In 1995 I graduated from Alvernia College, with a degree in Communication and a minor in Art. The school did not have an Art major, so I took all the art classes they offered, most of them taught by Sister Magnifica. In my final semester I interned, and hated working in an office and wearing suits. Later that spring, I accepted a position to spend the next year as a nanny to four children in Connecticut- in a house with over 1000 American folk art paintings. During that year I traveled to Maine, Seattle, the Hamptons, London, Switzerland and Rome with the family, and loved living amongst that much art!
Following that year, I spent the next ten working in offices (ugh). When I had my son at age 32, I decided to quit work and I started to pursue art again.
In 2007 I began selling my painted and decoupaged salvaged cabinet doors in downtown Lancaster at Eastern Market, and on Etsy. I have started to make smaller things using salvaged wood and house paints, and have sold my work at the Studio and Art Bar of York, at the Spoiled Silly Children's Boutique in Lititz, PA, at the Art is Negotiable Gallery in Lancaster, and at Senorita Burrita.
Look for two of my handmade cards in the upcoming book, "1000 Handmade Greetings" by Quarry Books.
My work is constantly evolving and I am adding more and more materials to my designs, including furniture, buttons, twigs, and wool, textiles, and paper.
I love it.
check out this cute custom bag made for me! by friedokra (Etsy)
(Adrian in Oklahoma)
I am having them made for people, and it is so fun, picking their favorite colors, and patterns, and even the font for their name or nickname.
Lovely lovely lovely weather day. I got out our camping tent and set it up in the backyard for my son. He was so excited he was shaking. It's super roomy inside and has screen windows on each side...we were lying on the floor of it, looking out at the trees and bunnies, with a nice breeze blowing...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Crazy clothes
Last night was the 12th anniversary of a car accident that nearly killed me. Each year when this time comes around, I feel a sense of nervousness, and I feel that I could be seconds away from the end. It's a chilling time for me, right when the weather starts to really heat up, ironically.
With no one knowing how long they will live, why do we spend years being uncreative with our clothes?
This year I have become more aware of my appearance in that way, and after being creative every day and loving it, it feels so odd to wear boring things and colorless things, and I realize how it will negatively effect me through the day.
Listening to people's reactions in the movie theater about Carrie's clothes in Sex and the City was so funny. Her character feels freedom to wear what she feels like.
Shouldn't life be more like that, and not so restrictive? why do people feel they have to be plain and pompous? it's kind of boring if you think about it.
if each day is more important than we realize, shouldn't our clothes be memorable and interesting to at least ourselves?
Need some inspiration?
Check out Carrie's most outrageous outfits:
http://www.hbo.com/city/sling-back/Carrie-outrageous-outfits.shtml
With no one knowing how long they will live, why do we spend years being uncreative with our clothes?
This year I have become more aware of my appearance in that way, and after being creative every day and loving it, it feels so odd to wear boring things and colorless things, and I realize how it will negatively effect me through the day.
Listening to people's reactions in the movie theater about Carrie's clothes in Sex and the City was so funny. Her character feels freedom to wear what she feels like.
Shouldn't life be more like that, and not so restrictive? why do people feel they have to be plain and pompous? it's kind of boring if you think about it.
if each day is more important than we realize, shouldn't our clothes be memorable and interesting to at least ourselves?
Need some inspiration?
Check out Carrie's most outrageous outfits:
http://www.hbo.com/city/sling-back/Carrie-outrageous-outfits.shtml
Monday, June 9, 2008
Upcycled Tin Can Pen Cup
This is a great example of how I've been inspired by other etsy artists, and their use of color. If you look at my favorites on etsy, all of them together are like eye candy. Looking at other peoples work and identifying what I am attracted too, has really helped me discover what I like. Spending ten years in tan cubicles must have wreaked havoc on my mind :-).
here's my etsy description:
Made from a tin can . 3.75 in diameter, 4.75 inches tall.
made with felt, buttons, wooly goodness from knittydirtygirl, flannel cloud fabric, and parts of a wool handbag.
(The same wool handbag was also used for one of my greeting cards that was selected for the upcoming book, "1000 Handmade Greetings" by Quarry Books.)
I've wanted to make pen cups for some time, but I just finally got enough stuff (the buttons, handbag, etc. to make a cool one:-)
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Too Hot for Socks
oh my God it is HOT. Eastern Market was empty yesterday, but the chair I made with the kids turned out great. Inside the open building, I was just warm, but loading my car back up, crossing back and forth across King Street, I nearly blacked out from the heat.
(loading my car after a show, is like loading the luggage of a family of five for a two week trip).
Sometime, around 10:30pm I passed out in my bed. I awoke in my clothes at 11am, the house was a mess. I still had barrettes in my hair. :-)
It is still nearly 100 degrees outside. DH is removing my black dining room chandelier with handpainted poka dot lamp shades and replacing it with a ceiling fan, the air conditioner is on, curtains are closed and I am happy as can be inside cleaning and drinking gatorade.
Look for new things added to my etsy page this week, CUZ I'M NOT DOING SHOWS FOR A WHILE! :-)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Button
I was feverishly working on three little mini pieces today during Mr. French's nap- (wood block, painted, decoupaged with fabric creating my own flower, topped with felt tabs, and a twig for hanging).
I was eating graham crackers and going through my containers to find just the right button to finish them off...
I stopped suddenly, confused...was this a bit of my graham cracker or a button?
I almost ate a button!!!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Things Recycled/or Upcycled:
so here's a list of what at my table today has been..."upcycled"
art painted on cabinet doors using salvaged house paints
pen cups made from tea containers and tin cans and parts of a knitted handbag
a table made from a pot rack, stair spindles, and a beautiful glossy cabinet door (the top)
crosses made from twigs from my yard, some made with my mom's old yarn, and vintage buttons
my sign is made from an old wicker thing my mother-in-law found
necklaces made from mahogany wood trim
personalized kid signs made from my Dad's scrap wood and my left over fabric
plaque holder box is a drawer left at our house when we moved in that I repainted
small birdie plaques are made with pieces of that same knitted handbag (a piece of that bag can also be seen on one of greeting cards in the book "1000 Handmade Greetings" due out in Feb 09.)
crosses also made with parts of handbag, left over yarn, vintage buttons
I am going to teach a class to Girl Scouts in September (a recycling art project). If anyone wants to be an artist, but is worried about the cost of supplies, and that is hindering you, remembering that you can create neat things from found objects too!
art painted on cabinet doors using salvaged house paints
pen cups made from tea containers and tin cans and parts of a knitted handbag
a table made from a pot rack, stair spindles, and a beautiful glossy cabinet door (the top)
crosses made from twigs from my yard, some made with my mom's old yarn, and vintage buttons
my sign is made from an old wicker thing my mother-in-law found
necklaces made from mahogany wood trim
personalized kid signs made from my Dad's scrap wood and my left over fabric
plaque holder box is a drawer left at our house when we moved in that I repainted
small birdie plaques are made with pieces of that same knitted handbag (a piece of that bag can also be seen on one of greeting cards in the book "1000 Handmade Greetings" due out in Feb 09.)
crosses also made with parts of handbag, left over yarn, vintage buttons
I am going to teach a class to Girl Scouts in September (a recycling art project). If anyone wants to be an artist, but is worried about the cost of supplies, and that is hindering you, remembering that you can create neat things from found objects too!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
City Arts Market at Eastern Market May 31, 2008
It was fun today, and a really great art selling day..despite the near tornado!!! I was sentimental, as my first day of ever selling my art was last year, opening day of Eastern Market...remember me on the sidewalk:-)
I am truly enjoying making things I love from things I find...things that would have been thrown away. I am really enjoying making new friends and seeing old Eastern Market area neighbors return...like the guy who wore orange pants last November to Community Arts Market, and today he looked kind of eccentric too. funny things like that. And also, I enjoy talking to the area residents...like the guy who's been clean for 18 months, etc...
I hope all those little girls love their custom name signs, I enjoyed making them.
see you all next week:-)
Maggie
Friday, May 30, 2008
It's Showtime...
Tomorrow is City Arts Market at Eastern Market, the opening day...9-3:00...
I am really excited to see everyone!
When I look at all the things I've painted since I was last there in December...it makes me laugh!
I have so many things- you should see my car right now, I'm loaded up like a gypsy...furniture nearly busting out the windows...
Also, I really worked up to the last minute. I never paint the day before a show, but today I made 10 magnets, 4 little girl things, put the wire back on a Mary plaque, made all the labels for my crosses.
I also am breaking tradition in that I always do a mock set-up before the big day, but I didn't this time, so I will see what it all looks like tomorrow.
And so much more color this year...everything looked neat at the Punk Rock Flea Market, but this stand will be twice as big, so I'll have fun at 8:15 in the morning laying it all out.
if anyone is coming by early, please bring Miss Maggie a croissant. :-)
See you there!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Check out my interview and you could win a tile!
http://solysombracreations.blogspot.com/2008/05/blog-comment-giveaway.html
This is my friend Strawberry's blog...her work is GORGEOUS!
check out the tile she made of me and my son!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I show it to everyone who comes to the house.
She interviewed me and now my interview is on her new blog. Comment this week on her blog about it and you could win a beautiful tile made by her! http://creativevoices1.blogspot.com/
Thanks Strawberry and good luck everyone!
This is my friend Strawberry's blog...her work is GORGEOUS!
check out the tile she made of me and my son!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I show it to everyone who comes to the house.
She interviewed me and now my interview is on her new blog. Comment this week on her blog about it and you could win a beautiful tile made by her! http://creativevoices1.blogspot.com/
Thanks Strawberry and good luck everyone!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Punk Rock Flea Market at The Chameleon Club
Thanks to everyone who came to my booth today- I hope all you buyers love your stuff! It's fun to think that there are (multiple!) people out there tonight hanging my art on their walls!!!!
It was really fun, and so good see everyone.
If you want more of me, I'll be at City Arts Market, May 31 at Eastern Market.
I am tired from carrying my stuff down 3 flights of stairs, but it was really worth it! (and everyone was super nice!)
i felt like my name should be Maggie Light-Bright! today. When you came down the stairs from the upper level, my stuff by the Tiki Bar was like...colorific world:-)
c ya!
It was really fun, and so good see everyone.
If you want more of me, I'll be at City Arts Market, May 31 at Eastern Market.
I am tired from carrying my stuff down 3 flights of stairs, but it was really worth it! (and everyone was super nice!)
i felt like my name should be Maggie Light-Bright! today. When you came down the stairs from the upper level, my stuff by the Tiki Bar was like...colorific world:-)
c ya!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Amen!
I am now making crosses and I'm loving it! I've wanted to do this for about a year. They are turning out so pretty!!!!
Come to the Punk Rock Flea Market at the Chameleon Club on May 17 from 12-5 and check out my table. It will be VERY VERY Mexicano (in a "Maggie French Folk Art" kind of way)!!!!!!
Come to the Punk Rock Flea Market at the Chameleon Club on May 17 from 12-5 and check out my table. It will be VERY VERY Mexicano (in a "Maggie French Folk Art" kind of way)!!!!!!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Dream chair is back....!
From the studio and art bar in York...it's ready to go on the road with me (well 5 minutes down the road!) to the Punk Rock Flea Market at the Chamelon club, May 17 12-5. Be there or be square.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)