yo-yo necklace

I think this is going to be a necklace... Hoping to finish it during an upcoming lengthy car trip.

Ask Andrew - HE Will Know

INFORMATION box (10 1/2" X 6 3/4" X 3 3/4" including feet) $62 SOLD
My son Andrew happens to be one of those people everyone goes to when they have a question about something. Doesn't matter what it is (trivia, computers, electronics, history,...), Andrew is the first one I call when I have a question about stuff. The husband of a friend of mine is like this also. He could easily win B.I.G. on Jeopardy. Well - this is "their" box.

Hot Water!

Yesterday I made TWO MORE Chanukah boxes. The thing is - every time I put one out at the Arts Co-op, it sells within a couple days. Chanukah begins at sundown on December 11th and lasts 8 days. I only have between now and the last day of Chanukah to market these boxes, so I'm trying to keep up with demand.

HOT WATER box 10" X 6" X 2 7/8" + faucet $52 SOLD
Yep - that's a tiny pipe wrench inside.
DREIDEL box (cylindrical) 2 1/2" diam. X 4 1/2" $38 SOLD
DREIDEL box (rectangular) 4 1/2" X 2 3/8" X 2 1/2"H $38 SOLD

2ND ANNUAL HOLIDAY ART SALE-Comparing Notes

This year the Holiday Art Sale at my house has grown from 5 to 8 artists and will include:
2 Jewelers (Sally Chaffee-Maron & Christine Conniff)
Redware Pottery (Stephen Earp)
Fused Glass and Decorated Gourds (Cheryl Denton)
Handwoven Scarves and Wall Hangings, Holiday Cards, framed and matted Cut Paper Scenes (Edith Bingham)
Handpainted Silk Scarves and Ruanas (Nancy Baker)
Framed Original Paintings, matted Prints and Cards (Sandy Denis)
Framed Paper Quilts and Mixed Media Collage, Decorative Boxes and Ornaments (Jane Chang)

Since we have 3 more artists this year, Sandy Denis stopped by to map out the rooms we'll be using in my home. Sandy is in charge of all the display at the Shelburne Arts Co-op and does a fabulous job. The signs we posted last year are in fairly decent condition, but Sandy has taken them to her studio to tweak them a bit.

I looked back in my blog to see what I wrote about last year's show and noticed the following list -
What we'd change:
Make more art!
Send more postcards - These proved to be our best advertising, and probably 80% of the shoppers were people we knew.
Attach the signs to WOOD stakes! The ground was frozen hard which made it nearly impossible to push the wires in!
Personally, since the sale was at MY home, I'd start my housecleaning earlier - maaayyyybe

I've been making lots of art but am having trouble keeping up with sales at the Co-op. I guess that's a good thing, but I need to have more for the sale at my house. We're doing lots more postcards this year, and simply having more artists involved in the show offers a natural increase in the mailing list. Sally has been very helpful in keeping on top of little prep tasks with her detailed lists of things to do and who is going to do them. All I need to do now is make more art and vacuum and dust the rooms the night before the show. I'm SO happy the rooms are done being painted!

Cooking, Sailing, Chanukah

Been slowing down on art production lately because we've been having our downstairs rooms painted. Painting finally completed today, and now I get to put the rooms back together. BIG QUESTION: How much of the art do I re-hang? The walls look bare with no art, but it's painful to put new holes in the walls. I guess I know the answer to this dilemma, but I wanted to whine just a bit first.

Sunday I spent the entire day in my studio (which also happens to be our "bonus room"/aka TV room). Watched a Netflix rental - "What the Bleep do we Know". Very thought provoking and a good movie to have on while working on art projects since it's more an informative type flick than a storytelling one.

I was able to finish up 3 new boxes Sunday. Here are my new "babies" -




WHAT'S COOKING box $58 SOLD
11 1/2" X 7 1/2" X 4 1/4" Includes a set of vintage measuring spoons and the tiniest mixer you've ever seen!
SAIL BOAT box $35 SOLD
3 1/2" X 2 1/4" X 2 3/8" That tiny sail boat is sterling silver!
CHANUKAH box $38
5 1/2" X 3 1/2" X 2 1/4" SOLD

Ornament Boxes

Just finished this year's stock of Ornament Boxes. With a few left from last year, my total right now is 40. These are made from matchstick boxes, and by gluing 2 together, each ornament has 2 drawers. A little sign next to the display says, "ORNAMENT BOXES (2 Drawers $6; 4 Drawers $7) Just right for a few dollar bills ~ a Gift Certificate ~ a pair of earrings ~ a little poem."

The Sun, the Moon and the Stars

THE SUN, THE MOON AND THE STARS Box ($35)SOLD
This is a very small box. Instead of dimensions, I'm posting a photo of the box next to an Altoids tin for scale. There's only a tiny bit of room inside where it measures 1" deep and less than 2" X 3". What COULD one put in a box like this? DREAMS, of course!
(Sorry about the color difference in the photographs. The photo of the closed box most closely represents the true colors.)

Baseball

Rummaging through my stash of treasures a couple days ago, I uncovered this old, well-used baseball. PERFECT timing, don't you think?

BASEBALL BOX (9" X 8" X 5 1/2") $58 SOLD

Cat Princess

Is your cat a "Princess"? So often I hear the comment, "My cat thinks she's the queen around here!" Cats do have a superior way about them as they claim thrones around the house, and don't be surprised to find one in your lap if you choose a cat's special chair.

CAT PRINCESS (5 1/2" X 3 3/4" X 2") $38 SOLD

Sweetheart Box

SWEETHEART box (10 1/2" X 6 3/4" X 3 3/4" including box feet) $56 SOLD

So Many Boxes - So Little Time!

I feel like I'm pedaling on one of those bike trainers - working really hard and not moving forward at all. I'm trying so hard to "gear up" (haha) for the holidays, yet for every box I complete, another one sells. I'm not complaining, mind you, but I'm getting a REALLY REALLY REALLY stiff neck sitting at my work table all day, planning, sanding, cutting, gluing... Went to Physical Therapy yesterday and heard the obvious: "You MUST get up and stretch at least every 45 minutes." Today, I'm setting a little timer at my table to remind me to do this. Results to follow.

Ireland, Dog

IRELAND box (footprint is 8" X 5 1/2", tallest part of box is 5 1/2") $54 SOLD
DOG box (6 3/4" X 3 1/2" X 2" tall) $42 SOLD

African Folklore

Anansi is a trickster character (half man/half spider) in African folklore.

ANANSI box (10" X 5 1/4" X 3 1/4" including feet and handles) $52 SOLD

1950's

1950's box (5 1/2" X 3 3/4" X 2") $36 SOLD
I'm a child of the 50's and recall these elements well. I even admit to actually using one of those garters - though not the curler. Progress has been kind to women.

Chanukah II, Dragonfly

Since the Chanukah box I made the other day sold before I could put it out on display, I've made another. I also designed a box for nature/garden lovers.

Details:
CHANUKAH II box (footprint is 3 3/4" X 2 1/4" & height is 2 1/4") $38 SOLD
The dreidel is blown glass and can be removed for use. Star of David is silver.
DRAGONFLY/TOAD box (8 1/4" X 6" & height is 2 3/4") $42 SOLD

Tea Time, Go Fish, Chinese Numbers

After finally completing that Ball Box, it looks like I'm on a roll...(groan). Each one of these boxes presented its own degree of difficulty. The challenges are always present to find the perfect 2 papers for each box, considering the characteristics of the naked box AND the theme I've chosen for each one.



DETAILS:
Tea Time box (10"W x 7"D x 4"H)$58 SOLD
Note: The vintage miniature tea set sits on a "tray" that reads "Bigelow Teas". Inside this box is a functional tea strainer that I've attached with a jewelry chain closure to enable the strainer to be removed from the box for use.
Go Fish box (7"W x 4"D x 2 1/2"H)$36 SOLD
Note: That fish is a wind-up toy. Go ahead - try it! As it unwinds, the fish spins around slowly with its tail wagging, and it makes a soft, silly tick, tick, tick sound. The bobber inside is securely glued in and cannot be used.
Chinese Numbers box (8 1/4" square, 3"H including feet) $40 SOLD
Note: The abacus balls are suspended above the box lid so the abacus is operational (IF you know how to use one, of course).
Additional Note: The lid is not hinged and the abacus makes it surprisingly heavy. Unprepared for the weight of the lid, I saw it slip from the grasp of 2 customers. Since this photo was taken, I have attached to the center of the lid a knob that is the same size and color of the ball feet.

The BALL BOX

"CASH IN" $58 SOLD
Details: Overall height, including cash register, is 7". The ball box is approximately 5"H X 6"W. This one's for spenders AND savers! The little cash register is actually a working pencil sharpener. The drawer pulls out for emptying the pencil shavings. Inside is a standard desk bell, also operative, that I would encourage the curious to ring. I suggest this could be a great place to drop that extra change always sitting around.

New Art

DETAILS:
World Travel box (21" X 10 1/2" X 2")$60 SOLD
Note: Watch faces represent time zones for Seattle, Tokyo, Sidney, New Delhi, London & Sao Paolo. The watches do NOT work. The names of these cities are on the inside edge of the box. Maps show featured cities - in no special sequence.
Beach box (7" X 3 1/2" X 2") $35 SOLD
Chanukah box (4 1/2" X 2 3/4" X 2 3/4") $38 SOLD

Getting Ready

It took me 2 days to prep these 16 boxes. Now I get to choose the papers and treasures to "dress" them in. It'll be a few days before I post the finished boxes. Stay tuned!

Flea Market Finds

Ooooooooooooooh! I went to the Hadley Flea Market (a.k.a. Olde Hadleigh Flea Market) in Hadley, MA Sunday. Only had time to go down about 2 rows of vendors but made a great haul. 6 new boxes for $15! Now, I just have to find time to turn them into art. More to come.

Paris, Squirrel, Chinese Laundry, Needlework

MORE new art. It's tourist season and I'm working extra hard right now in an effort to add new work to the gallery at Shelburne Arts Co-op. I'm so very lucky to be part of this great arts cooperative. A magical mix of fine arts and crafts and wonderful member artists. If you're visiting Western Massachusetts, Shelburne Falls will be a treat! For more info on the co-op, go to: www.ShelburneArtsCoop.com










PARIS BOX $45. SOLD
SQUIRREL BOX $55. SOLD
CHINESE LAUNDRY $60. (Framed piece - can be hung or placed on a table.)SOLD
NEEDLEWORK $60.SOLD

MORE New Boxes

LOVE LETTERS $35. SOLD



FELINE FANTASY $45. SOLD


Yep - there's a tiny bird in that birdcage! Click on photos to enlarge.