today

Happy Thursday!

Today's plan here in Cheri land is journals --- making journals, and LOTS of them!  Made this one and will continue on with new looks and such.  Love making new stuff! **

Paul says the ruffles have to be more of a contrast (sigh* - ok then).  I totally sewed the insides together in the wrong order the first time around ... and I'm still working on trimming it out ... but at least it looks happy! Right!?!  I'll share more later, when they are a bit more perfected!  This one is made so that a notebook can slip inside the cover.  It's a different concept - more of a notebook cover I suppose.

This boy came up lame yesterday, so there may be a trip to the vet today at some point.  Ugh!

Spartacus (our oldest and largest of the 3 boy cats we have) is my biggest supporter in the studio --- and speaking of the studio, it's in DESPERATE need of being "sorted out" ... so that's on the agenda today as well!  He will be happy to have a chair cleared off to cheer me on from.  Sometimes he looks at me and I can just hear him saying "where am I suppose to nap?"  We very lovingly call him our "Queen".  If the shoe fits ....  he detests me moving things around tho, so he will be aloof for a day or two.  Especially if we have to go to the vet's office.  I'll be in the "dog house" for sure!

So ... onward.  Hope all of you have a creatively amazing day today!  And a wonderfully FUN July 4th weekend this weekend! 

I just heard Ray Charles singing "America" ... sent chills up my spine. 

God Bless America and all of us in it!

Overwhelmed

The Glover House - all snuggled in the mountains

As Paul would say, "Look where we live"!

 

 All put together on the outside --- but frantically clinging to anything promising on the inside!

Bet you've all been here at one time or another.  I am looking for balance.  I have not looked in the right place yet, apparently.  So the search is on!  I feel like I (we) are scheduled all the way up to our bloodshot and bleary eyeballs.  In our neck of the woods the weather is only warm and dry enough to get any construction type projects done for about 6 minutes.  Just while mowing the yard yesterday there were 19 or 47 projects that came into mind.  Mostly they are the kind of projects which beget other projects, i.e., cleaning off this porch to make room for that which requires moving this room around and on and on. (I took some wood from the screened porch because it is warm enough to go without a fire in the woodstove for about a month now and I wanted to grill dinner for Paul.  While unloading the wood in the wood pile, I was stung by a wasp.  Ouch! These are the kinds of things that yesterday was consumed with).  Because the nature of most of my art is glue and grout, I also require warmer temps to cure my art in.  Warm weather seems to breed creativity and the phone begins to ring with "when can you ...", "would you please ...", "is there a chance you might be able to ...", and so it goes.  Although the "N" word (NO!) would be the best to say, it never seems to come out of my mouth - or my heart for that matter.

Mind you, I'm grateful to be worthy of the phone calls and emails, the responsibility of doing stuff, the fact that I have friends and acquaintances and all that is fun and good ... I just can't figure out how to keep all the plates spinning in the air with poise and grace.  I end up dropping some, saying unlady like things and bursting into frustration and anxiety. Argh!

Today I made a list of all the plates.  With the help of Pluto (yes, the planet who reeks havoc so life can be better), this very afternoon I will be pulling all of the spinning plates down off of their proverbial  poles and breaking them into a million imaginary pieces.  Then, I will do what all mosaic artists do ... I will glue them back together in an order that is appealing and pleasing by color and subject matter (oh and maybe importance) to rearrange all the pieces to fit my mind's eye and my plate list in order of importance or desire.  After all, it's MY good life!

So, here's to rearranging the pieces, fixing the fragmented projects, and moving right along, as Kermit the Frog so eloquently sings.  Why do these decisions take so long to come up with anyway?

Cheers, indeed!

Blessings,

Summer! Tour de Art this SATURDAY

Colors! There are colors every where now.  I LOVE this time of year ... blooming colors!

Just wanted to thank you all for you sweet thoughts, love and support for our Christian.  He came through his testing yesterday with all kinds of superhero results.  I feel like I could float --- so much weight off of my shoulders. Yay!  I can't even imagine how relieved his mommy and daddy are!  And he faced it all like a big boy.  Go Christian. you rock, buddy!

I've been so crazed I haven't begun to do the fabric art I have in my heart.  Tomorrow is pottery class in the morning, and then I am hoping to burst into creative mania at home in the afternoon.  I have a warp to put up on the loom, and about 90 journals waiting to bust out of some fabric that is lined up and waiting.  I hope I get to attempt something before I explode!

Oh, and it's the Avery County Tour de Art this Saturday!  Do yourself a BIG favor.  Take the tour.  Or part of the tour --- or something!  It's a FABULOUS line up! 

Happy Creating to you all!

Blessings, 



Happy First Day of Summer

Sweet thoughts up today (along with blessings and prayers) for our grandson Christian as he gets through some vascular testing at The Children's Hospital at Egleston.  We love you sweet boy.  Be well and be strong.
Blessings to all,

Rained out ...

Well, Mother Nature did what she had to do.  It rained.  And rained.  And rained.  There were plenty of us who were hugely disappointed that the Festival was water logged.  We had the BEST location ever for this festival.  We were located right near the Amphitheater and the music and entertainment was a lovely background addition for us.  For the couple of hours the sun really did shine, it was an absolutely wonderful adventure.  Thank you to our friends and family who came out in support with smiles and encouragement.  And it was fun getting to know you all better when we were zipped up, snuggled in the tent protecting ourselves from the wind and torrents!  Some of the vendors worked through the rain, but there were VERY FEW people attending.  We sure hope to do it again sometime (in sun shine) the whole weekend!
But ... for now Clayzaics will have enough inventory for the next show without doing major intensive production this month.  AND we have plenty of practice setting up and breaking down, packing the cars and learning the ropes.  Because of Paul's work schedule this summer, Shannon and I had to learn to set up all by ourselves.   Fortunately, Shannon is very strong and it all worked out beautifully.  And Paul was generous enough to help us load up and get out of there in the rain.  Good times.
So we move on.  I'm going to reclaim my house from the dust bunnies and cat hair that have taken up residence while I was away and diligently making art.  Maybe I'll even change my winter clothes and summer clothes around.  Although I'm not sure if I should bother - teehee!  We have house guests arriving beginning the 2nd week in July, so house maintenance is primary right now!
Happy Monday to all.  It's 11:30 a.m. and I have still in my jammies.  Life is good!
Blessings,

65th Annual Rhododendron Festival, Roan Mountain, TN

The Festival:

Space #64 by the amphitheater ~ which has been a nice background music feature ... and the woods behind us are lovely for shade and rain cover!  Lovely space. 

So, first you need a tent ...

 Then you gather some of this stuff ... weights to hold down the tent (VERY important!).  Thanks, Paul, for putting these together and making them heavy enough to hold down a rhino or two!  Grids to hang stuff on ... box filled with hardware and a banner ... and Shannon's strength to pound rebar into the mountain so the tent won't fly away and the grids won't fall over and knock the tent down (you know, details!).  It was certainly put to the test today with a true mountain storm and passed with flying colors!  We are very grateful, V.E.R.Y.!!!

Then you add tables and put some art in the tent! 

 Then you invite guests to look and buy - brilliant concept!

We appear again tomorrow.  Please come see us if you're able.  We love your support!  xoxo

It rained cats and dogs (and enormous amounts of water) today for a while and there was thunder and lightning too.  But no hail - yay!  It did kind of put a damper on the sales day.  But we were lucky to have friends stop by and get a "time out" with us all zipped up in the tent.  We were safe and dry and warm.  It was interesting to experience.  I am ok with not having to go through that again tomorrow, Mother Nature!  I feel we have been initiated.  Glorious sunshine will be truly appreciated!  Please?!

This is what we have in store for tomorrow!  We HOPE for a deliciously beautiful sunny, successful and FUN day at the Festival.  10 - 5.  Come on down!

Blessings!

T Minus 2 days - Not Ready Yet!

But getting closer!  Every place you look in our house has some level of unfinished art in it!  There are also finished pieces, but the unfinished far out weigh them.  I'm certainly hoping to change the balance on that by day's end! 

 I know there are many of you who don't have a love for cats.  I, however, am not one of those people.  We have 3 beautiful boy cats - 2 who live indoors 24/7, and 1 who adopted us last summer and lives outside all day but inside during storms and dark.  They are ALL most confused this week.  They get all comfy sitting beside me, or behind me in my chair, or in the room it looks like I'm going to be in ... and then I flit to the next place and they're left with "but I thought we were going to be working here?"  Yesterday evening one of them meowed rather loudly "hey, is anyone hungry??" Any of you who have to intensely prepare for something understand the total energy that goes into that certain "something", and it really becomes difficult to perform normal tasks ... say for example, feeding the cats!  So, I am apparently in the ZONE! Finally!

This is a brief overview of why I'm focused ... if I lose my place now I will be S.U.N.K.!!!!

 This guy is on the front porch - Freddie the Frog Prince needs to be grout sealed and given some pupils - isn't he cute?

 Just as a side bar: dark colored grout is yucky!  Two colors of grout on a stone is a very hard project and requires more patience and precision than I normally have to give.  I have to prepare myself for days before I attempt grouting a two colored piece when one color is a dark mess!  But I really love the way he turned out so it was WAY worth the "finding my happy place" with it.  Grouting, in general, takes patience, warm weather and time.  Great!  All 3 of those prerequisites are rare around here!

This is what he looked like during the green grouting process! Peek-a-boo!  I love uncovering the treasure underneath the yuk.  Life is an adventure --- messy or otherwise!

This will be a beautiful bird cage by the end of this day --- she waits on the abbey bench in the hallway for the clean up and finish detail crew.  (Thank goodness for Paul, who will be all over this one today!)

This beautiful bird in the tiling process ... today sometime (when it warms up and the glue will stick and dry!)  Then she will be attached to the birdcage above, the cage will be added and the back will be finished and hanger fixings installed.  Yes!

Something very different ... no tile or glass.  Just clay and wood, paint and rhinestones!  Oh yes, and a simple message that I need right now!!

Yep, missing a word.  Well, it was when this picture was snapped.  But it's there now in a turquoise color.  And she has a heart and cross added.  And she just needs a finished backing and hanger things.  Done then!

There are tons of things on the finishing table --- this is my favorite part.  In 8 hours or so, the table will be empty and all the waiting art "children" will be finished, sealed, with hanging fixings or whatever they need.  It will all come together today.  My favorite day of the process.  The treasures are all revealed!  And I will reclaim the studio space, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, the den, the hall and the front porch!

My dining room has GREAT lighting for making these.  They are about 3/4 finished.  There are lots more details for the finished product.  This idea and inspiration, like so many of my other ones, is from Chrissie Grace.  Visit her here.  Most of her work has changed to handmade sewn items now.  She has been the best mentor ever for about a decade for me.  A wonderful woman, artist, mom, wife author and friend!  She has ANOTHER book on the editing table.  Amazing!

 Someone I know is having a birthday this Saturday.  He will be 11 years old.  That does not seem possible.  Happy Birthday, Austin, my first born grandson.  I will be sending you BIG Birthday Wishes!

We love you.

I love this color combo (minus the rug it's on right now) ... fun, huh?

Stayed tuned ... more to come later.

Well, gotta get on with my treasure hunt!  Hope you all have as much fun as I'm going to have!  My cats will be worn out by the end of today!  (So will I, but that's another story for another post!)

Blessings!

minus 3 days and counting

Shannon and I took a road trip to Reeves Enterprises in Gastonia/Charlotte yesterday for some much needed display pieces for this art show season!  It was a very successful trip!  We even found a Moe's for lunch (oh.my.gosh! it was SOooooo good - remember, we live in a time warp area and it takes an hour to get to a city with up to date concept stuff), and we found a much needed Michael's for some last minute supplies.  Just a reminder, we will be at the 65th annual Rhododendron Festival in Roan Mountain this Saturday and Sunday.  The booth will be under this name! (click on the button to the right with the corresponding picture for more info on Clayzaics!)

(my cats thought the stuffed white mouse on the left needed to be in the picture too)

We arrived back in "Mayberry" in time for Shannon to get to Bible School and me to get ready for girls' night on the veranda.  Then I worked for h.o.u.r.s. trying to make up for the "lost" time.  It's coming together, but I need every minute ... so I bid you a great Wednesday and off I go --- creating art is the BEST!

Blessings,

Weaving Day 5 - final day

This is Lisa Banner who made the whole student weaving program happen for us! Lisa has been so supportive and encouraging and her passion for weaving comes through in everything she says and does!  Thank you, Lisa for holding our hands and getting us started.  Lisa is the weaving room Manager for Crossnore.  Lisa, I personally hope to make you proud one day with my weaving since you've been helping me get my plan started for about 3 years now!  You are the BEST, Lisa.  Thanks from my whole heart.

There are some women (and some volunteers, even) who finish the woven pieces.  Sometimes edges have to be sewn, or seams even have to be sewn for garments.  This is one of the finishing angels, Judy.  Unfortuantely I did not get a picture of Virginia, who is a retired and returned weaver and finisher and mentor and on and on.  (you get the picture)  All the ladies call her granny.  These gals are simply amazing with their talents. 

The whole process is amazing and exciting and I've been bitten by the weaving bug Fo' Sho'!!
I managed to make a bunch of these little bookmarks on the last day and Judy helped me finish them off quickly so I wouldn't have to struggle with it on my own.  Thanks so much Judy! 

You all have such wonderful attitudes of helpful support.  Maybe I was just in oblivion, but I didn't feel like any one was aggravated with any of us at all.  They just wanted us to learn.  Even when Shirley had to try to figure out what in the world I did with a few of the "cheri stitches" I would get in my weaving on occasion.  So very sweet ... I'm sure they were no less than totally exhausted by the end of the week.  One of the gals brought in a little purse that we all drooled over.  I hope we (I, really --- one lady already made one!) can figure out how to make that to!  A great addition to fabric art coming right up!
So, as the weaving angels move on to their next week ... so do we!
Shannon Fannon and I will be presenting at the Roan Mountain Rhododendron Festival next weekend.  Our booth name is Clayzaics, as that is the business name we have together.  As Shannon is a clay artist, and my primary medium is mosaics, CLAYZAICS is our combined name.  You can look at us here and get an idea of Shannon's brilliant hand sculpted clay work.  She is amazing.  So as I count only 5 days away, I must get on with my art making and let the weaving rest until next week. 
Happy Week to you all.  I will post as I can, and be sending everyone happy wishes for wonderful blessings.
Cheri
(somehow managed to erase my signature this time! spell check won't launch either. Rats!  Please forgive any imperfections in spelling!)

Weaving day 4 ~ the cast and crew!

So here it is - day 4 already!  I think it would be better to have 3 weeks of class instead of just 1 week!  But here it is, the final day of weaving class is tomorrow.  Here are the people I have spent the past week with.  Delightful company!

THE CREW: (in part, at least)

 You've already met angel Shirley, but I thought it only fair to show you her picture at the loom since that is where she has been for 37 or so years!  I.N.C.R.E.D.I.B.L.E.  Thanks Shirley, for everything!

Meet Joanna! The sweetest soul on the planet!  And OH, so helpful!   Joanna, it has been such a pleasure and a treat to meet you and be your student!  Thank you!  Joanna has done a lot of interesting and adventurous things in her short time here on earth (including dance, which always makes me happy to hear ).  Most importantly of late, she met and married a wonderful man who came in the weaving room and got introduced around the room this morning.  It always warms my heart to see young couples who have such love and respect for one another.  Beautiful and inspiring!

This is adorable, precocious, energetic, enthusiastic, precious Stephanie.  Stephanie is the woman I wrote about who was a resident at Crossnore, grew up, got married to a wonderful young man who is now in nursing school, started a family of their own and is STILL weaving at Crossnore.  Stephanie let me use her "baby" (her loom) this week.  Thanks for your sacrifice, Stephanie!  And for keeping us all pumped up and rocking along.  You are the best cheer leader EVER!

The other crew members will be in the post tomorrow, provided I can get them to sit still for their photo!

THE CAST:  (i.e. - students in the class)

 She has finished her place mats and is ready to move them off of the loom and begin a new project!

Speedy Gonzales here has finished 9 place mats plus a flower pot pad, and moved on to a beautiful chenille scarf.  Over achiever! HAHAHA!! 

This gorgeous smile is very infectious!  She has finished her place mats and has moved on to coordinating dinner napkins!!!

This gentleman, who is married to the smiling princess above, is also a speed demon.  He has finished his first project, place mats and a table runner, and has begun an intermediate treddling twill patterned alpaca wool scarf!  There is always a smart one in every group!

This lady and I are almost ready to pull off our place mats and table runners.  I think I have 5 place mats and a 78 inch table runner.  I will be weaving bookmarks or something by mid morning tomorrow (that is truly optimistic, trust me!).

(I know I haven't posted any student names.  I'm protecting the innocent!)  But it has been a pleasure to spend the week with such lovely people who all have a similar interest.  Thanks, weavers!

You notice the smiles from ear to ear? We are all in love with weaving.  And we are all in love with life!  And we hope you are!

Also, tonight was farmer's market in Banner Elk at Lees McRae College.  If you haven't attended - mark your calendar for next week!  Here are a few of the vendors ... it is lots of fun! GO! to the Farmer's Market!  I'm sorry I haven't photos for every vendor --- more next week!

 Trosly Farm - Amos and Kaci Nidiffer - organic veggies, home baked fabulous breads and pizza, free range chicken and duck.  They also have farm dinner once a month at their farm in Elk Park.  The dinners are great - treat yourself!!!  I speak from experience!  Call and make a reservation!  828-733-4938

Hen's Tooth Acres - Abi and Finn (Chris is absentee) Townsend's handmade goat's milk soaps of fabulous varieties, hand carved wooden items, jams, english muffin breads, seasonal vegetables and fresh eggs! --- all organic folks!  And you get to play with the little guy as a bonus!  Paul and I have fallen HARD for Phinn, not to mention his mom and dad's wonderful wares~! They're in Valle Crucis 828-773-1506

 Sarah Greene's organic herbs and veggies - as well as pottery - good stuff!  Sarah has the BEST garlic in town.  Go by and get some!  It's GREAT for what ever might ail you!

Shannon Fannon  and her polymer clay hand sculptured items and The Fun-guy's fresh mushrooms! 

Shannon is amazingly talented!  Gary's mushroom's are fabulous!  And they are SUPER fresh - today's variety were oysters ... but they vary from week to week!  And they are cut moments before market.  There is also hand made wood furniture perfect for cabin decor.

Some of Sarah's pottery - a bit out of order (sorry - it's late and I'm tired!)  She throws her pots and cups.  She has the tiny little pots on fabulous magnets for the front of your frig ... and round pottery picture frames to frame those photos on your frig!  Very clever!  Stop by and visit - whilst you gather your garlic and herbs!

Be healthy!!!!  Eat well - organic and such!  Be nice to yourself!

Blessings to all!