Ginny's Small Studio

Tag You're It!

I am talking about the participants in our art morning at Small Studio. You are all awesome. Not only did you make great tag art, including little tag booklets, but unbeknownst to me, you all pitched in to help pay for supplies. This was totally kind, unnecessary and appreciated. Thank you, thank you! Now readers, feast your eyes on these great bits of art.

Time Flies

Peonies are blooming everywhere including pink and white ones in my yard. One of my customers was telling me that she gets marigolds and she gets petunias and she gets impatiens to plant in her garden. She asked me what I get for my yard. I replied that I get Greg. Greg is our honorary son and landscape guy. He showed up this morning with a truck full of flats and when I arrived home this evening, the yard was ablaze with drifts of pink annuals both front and back. Greg "gets" me, too. I love pink flower beds.

Tomorrow is our free tag play day. I am looking forward to it.

We have an awesome roster of local and visiting instructors here at the store ready to inspire and instruct you. It feels so good to make art. It feels so good to be in a group of like minded people all creating stuff. Next weekend we host Michael deMeng and Andrea Matus deMeng right here in Westlake OH at Small Studio. Also in June we have Barbe Saint John and Candace Rich. Come join us, won't you?

Yarn Bombing

Have you heard about "Yarn Bombing"? Rumor has it that it began in Texas when a knitting club decided to take their unfinished pieces and add them to city hardscapes.

It has become a new type of graffiti art in many urban areas. Knit tagging groups go out under the cover of darkness and add their mark.

I haven't seen this in our area, but I am wondering if you have seen it in yours.

Hey, happy Mom's day to all of you out there!

Mid-Week Miscellany

Remember this mannequin I was given to alter for the Quilt Expo?

This is the beginning of her transformation:

She has been collaged, painted and had a Nicho shrine embedded in her torso. Stay tuned...

Remember the door situation at the store? We needed one more, but we decided that since we were ending our contract at Brothers Antique mall at the end of this month, we would start removing some things from there. So we took the white hutch top from the mall and John added a shelf on the back and we placed it in the front eliminating the need for another door. Cost: $0.

New stuff at the store this week: Santos heads and hands.

Leighanna Light arrives tomorrow to begin the first weekend of our workshop series.

Old Weathered Doors

Several posts ago I showed some old doors that John made into display units for me, but I never showed you an overall shot of them. It is difficult to take a photo of them since they are in front of our very, very large windows facing the west and the afternoon sun. Readers here have asked to see them, so now follows two photos of our doors.

The next view is from across the store.

The purpose of the doors is twofold: 1. to block some of the reflection from the cars parked in the lot (blinding) 2. to add window display. John put shelves on both sides of the doors so that I can display goods for passerby's and for inside shoppers.

We need one more door, John. Are you listening? John? John, where are you going?

John does a great job with all these store challenges. I don't know how I could have done all this without him.

Odds and Ends

Last to be in the Loop: That is me. I just found out about Martha Stewart's new alliance with Avery labels.

I think these are only available at Staples. I really like them and the way they look a bit like the vintage Avery labels we all covet.  Martha's are even a bit yellowed. Have I mentioned that Martha and I both lived in Westport CT at the same time? She used to cater parties I attended. I was at her home once for a fundraising event, but that would be another post.

Am I the last person to be reading "Unbroken" by Lauren Hillenbrand? I am engrossed in this book.  I may have to close the store to finish it. Well, no, I wouldn't do that. It is intense and full of history and very well written.

Do you need ideas for Easter eggs? 

There are some lovely ideas here.

Before you go, here is another use for the trendy tapes we all love right now. This is a great way to keep your flowers upright. The photo below may have used ribbon, but the tissue and washi tapes would work great for this.

This unintentionally seems to be a red/pink post. That is okay because red is my favorite color, although I am really drawn to red and yellow together. Do you have favorite color combinations? 

Gasoline is $3.65  a gallon in our town today, down from $3.89 over the wekend.

Have you signed up for our store class March 31st?  Mix it Up is all about combining layers of paper and other materials to make a sturdy craft paper-cloth. It will be a fun class with Candace Rich. Call the store to sign up: 440-808-8599

Small Studio Workshop Series sign-ups are strong, but there is still room in all workshops.Fill out a registration form (the paintbrush at the bottom of the page is the link) and mail with a check to secure your place.

May: Leighanna Light

June: Michael De Meng and Andrea Matus

July: Carol Owen

August: Teesah Moore and Tracy Moore

September: Pam Sussman

October: Keith Lobue

 

Oh My!

If you have been reading my blog for awhile and if you were a shopper on my etsy shop, then you know how much I love the old red London double decker destination signs.  We now sell them in the store and they have been selling pretty well, as well as anything in the short four weeks we have been open. 

See where it says "Bricklayers Arms" and "Noah's Ark"? I just read that those are the names of pubs.  Since pubs in England seem to stay in business for 100 years and are located often on corners, the busses use the names of pubs for many of the stops. I love knowing that.

And....Look what my clever husband John did today:

He did a wonderful job of adding a few of the destinations to a dresser. It is for sale in our shop.

Maybe it won't sell.  I know a perfect place in our house for it to live.

Here it is March already. So what are we doing in March at the store?  Well on Saturday March 10th from 10:30-12:30 we are having a Mail Art Morning.  Come play, decorate envelopes, amuse our postal workers and maybe help out the PO a bit. This will be free, yes, free.  I will have all the supplies needed such as stencils, stamps, ink, markers, envelopes, paper scraps, glue sticks, scissors. You just bring yourself and a friend if you like. We have plenty of room. RSVP at 440-808-8599 just so I know how many to prepare for.

Then on March 31st, Candace Rich will be teaching "Mixing it Up: Making Cloth Paper".  This is a great technique class from 1-4 ($35 per student).  You will learn how to combine and layer to create a beautiful and strong material that can be used to cover books, add to collage and can be sewn.  Full details are on our website. Just click on "Store Classes". While you are there check out the Workshop Series too.  We have awesome teachers coming just for you. We will host all your favorite retreat instructors without all the pressure of a retreat. We have Leighanna Light, Michael DeMeng, Andrea Matus, Carol Owen, Teesha and Tracy Moore, Pam Sussman and Keith Lobue. Sign up now for one or all.  Registration is ongoing throughout the year until classes are sold out.

Around the Store Today

Under the cloche?

An old door knob with paper flowers inserted sitting on top of a painted wooden cube.

Flowers from John still looking good after a full week.

Time for the Ladies' Room

Some of you may remember the Creative Block's ladies' room.  Artist Ken Harris had painted a faux drape, pennants and other "Queenly" accoutrements around the "throne".  People came from far and near to see it. They took photos.  Photos appeared online, in artwork and in my mailbox.

When I announce that I was opening a new store, I began getting e-mails asking about the new bathroom. This was going to be a challenge since this bathroom was easily in the running for creepiest bathroom around.  It was old and ugly and had things that were cracked and broken. So we scrubbed and painted and replaced the mirror and paper holders.  Still it looked stark.  I had an idea on how I wanted it to look.  I called old friend and artist David Simon.  David and I have a long history of working well together.  When I owned Stampers Anonymous, I would sketch out (badly) a few ideas for a new theme of stamps and David would run with it, hand drawing and capturing just what I wanted. This time, I had rolls of paper I liked and a theme of clocks. Here is what David came up with:

David blew up photos of old clocks, made the photos into giant stencils and painstakingly cut out these clock forms.

Turns out, John and David work well together too. The two of them, using wallpaper paste, got the 10 clocks up on the wall in record time this weekend.

I had a stash of old clock faces to add to the mix and now we are off to Michaels to find clock hands to complete the job.

What do you think?

Open Feb 1st

We have decided that we will open on Feb 1st whether all the merchandise has arrived or not.

That is just next Wednesday. One week from today.

If we don't make a date committment we will just keep coming up with new projects.

Like this sewing machine table and the hand held light.  Somebody stop us.

We have so enjoyed all the comments and emails, my blog friends.

British Route Signs

Here are some things you can do with these British destination rolls.  Overdone above, but then it is a store showing their wares. I have added some sections of these rolls to my travel etsy shop.  They are authentic, old (1940s) and not a print, but the real deal and come from a bus like this:

See the destination displayed on the front of the bus?  These iconic British buses are being phased out and not replaced so the signs are a bit of history and becoming rare. That is what I have for you in my shop. The pieces I have currently listed are linen on paper and have been handled enough to be a bit soft.  Good for covering a bench or stool.

Here is another idea from Renovation Hardware's latest catalog:

Frame it! I have been seeing this often in decorating magazines. John and I bought several from an estate in England which makes us feel quite cosmopolitan. 

 

More Writing on the Wall

I ran across these two photos that I had in my idea file. I so admire this kind of decorating, but I just can't seem to live with this kind of distress-ness.

My daughter has just learned how to crochet.  Funny how those old arts just keep recycling. I hope she doesn't get carried away....

I really loved reading your public comments and private emails about Borders.  It is so sad to see them go. Next may be the post office as we know it. My little town post office has had a huge downsizing. Why don't they just stop delivering on Saturdays and charge more for postage?  It is such a huge bargain to have someone hand deliver a letter across the miles for under a half dollar. 

Let us all agree to write 10 letters this week and mail them.  I am in.  I owe several of you mail art so I should get busy.

Spooky

John cut wood.  I painted wood.  We glued.  We clamped.  We were happy with the results. 

These particular stencils had been used over and over and had several layers of paint which suggested Halloween to us. So we made up as many words as we could and off they all go to our booth at Brothers Antique Mall in Medina OH.

We also framed a few more of the numbers from the 1920s London bus destination scroll. I love how they look, but then I have told you that before.

The other spooky thing is our local Borders store with the huge "going out of business" banner in front. We went in for the first time since they started to close. It is a shambles. It looks like the worst second hand store. There seems to be piles of stuff on sale that I have never before seen at a Borders. Chairs and empty display racks are jumbled up towards the front of the store. Bookshelves are mostly bare. Half of the lights were off so there was an eeerie feeling to the whole store and it was so quiet.

I will really miss this Borders.  I will miss the perky clerk with the enviable curly hair and lovely Irish accent.  I will miss the great craft section of books and the nice selection of stationery items.  I will miss the live music in the beautiful gardens and patio.  I will miss the great selection of magazines and the easy parking.  I will miss walking out of the movie theater and right into Borders. We have a Barnes and Noble nearby, but the parking is more difficult and the selection of books I like is fairly bleak. Our Borders had a wonderful vibe to it that was very welcoming and always full of people.  I will really miss our Borders.

Upcycle/Recycle

This post is not about saving and recylcling your waste plastic and aluminum, although it could be.  It is aboout artists who remake and recycle goods into art or functional items.

To start, you know I have posted many recyled chandeliers.  Here is one more made from whisks.

A company called es.ontwerp goes big and made this fabulous table from the side of a huge shipping container:

On a smaller scale Marema makes furniture from wooden shipping crate:

Have some extra license plates sitting round?  Here is some inspiration from Lane Patterson:

Along the same metal recycling theme is this cool steel letter from The House Doctor:

And this pig sculpture from Leo Sewell:

Have a great day! It is beautiful here in Northern OHio.

 

Shameless Plug

I have been trying to destash my house of all the odds and ends and excesses of my various endeavors, online and offline. Almost daily I add new stuff to my etsy shop.  Usually I only add 3-5 items, but yesterday in a spurt of enthusiasm, I added all the rest of my vintage New York City subway train roll signs.

I have added about 15 of them.  They are the last of these. Here is what we did with one of them. We framed it and hung it. This is the kitchen when we lived in CA a few years ago. The strips are 52" long, so they make quite a statement.

I have lots of other stuff in my etsy shop. I have all the wonderful Coffee Break Design stencils, kits and novelties. I still miss Mike (the late and great owner of CBD) so much.

One of my favorite items is the 12" high Masonite mannequins.  The set comes in two sizes 5" and 12" (shown above) and includes one male, one female (two males shown above) and two sets of wings in case you want them to soar. They can be painted, stamped, drilled, collages, etc...you know what to do with them, of course.

I have a variety of other goodies besides the above.

Go on over and have a browse:  Ginny's Small Studio

 

Summer Parades Ohio Style

Every June, Avon OH holds a parade, a duct tape parade. All entries must be made from , yes, duct tape.

So small town.  So much fun to see the entries.

And the first place winner was........

Yesterday was my daughter's birthday. I couldn't be there again.  She lives 2000 miles away, but we talked on the phone and she was happy.  Happy Birthday, Amy!  I love you. Bonus Dad John says he does, too.

Amy way back when:

And Amy and her husband now:

The Writing on the Wall

A new Starbucks opened in our neighborhood.  This made John, the family coffee drinker, very happy. So off we went to check it out.  I am not a coffee drinker (gasp!) so I was along just for the ride.  I love the smell of coffee.  I love coffee flavored things, but not coffee.  I also have always loved the walls in Starbucks. I love the collages with all the text they use.

Imagine my disappointment when I saw they only had framed pieces of art.  Regular readers know how much I like text and numbers and letters. Graffitti is not just for the sides of buildings, although that can be quite intriguing too.

I wonder how I would like my walls covered with writing and what would I chose that wouldn't get tiresome?

Maybe this would please me on a daily basis:

I think the kitchen is a great place for text.  Below are some very cool cabinets:

Do you think you would get tired of reading the same words over and over again?

The above is an installation by artist Barbara Kruger.

Below is a very textured wall in a Nike store:

I would love to hear your comments.

Bits and Pieces

Small China Rant:

Did you see the program on China last week on CNBC?  It was very, very interesting.  Regular readers here know that I get on a rant every so often about too many products being made in China, lack of quality, loss of jobs here, etc. I had thought that the jobs going to China wee improving the workers' lives over there.  Well, apparently this is not true either.  According to this documentary, Chinese workers are working around the clock for $200 a month.  They live in company dorms and work 16 and more hours a day.  

Good Mail from my friend Brian Kasstle in CA:

Thank you, Brian.  You added smiles to our day...and here is the back:

Tin Types: I have been collecting Tin Types for several years. In the 1800s Cabinet cards were affordable mostly to the wealthy. Tin Types were affordable to the masses. Photographers could set up their cameras on the street, in pubs and at carnivals. They were never great quality and many became dark with the images fading. The Tin Type below is one I found on this trip and it is so clear, much more so than most old Tin Types. 

Yardstick Art: I saw this on the Gypsy Girls blog...love it.

 

 

Seeing Red

Red is my most favorite color.  I collect pictures of red and white decorated rooms.  Red just makes me happy.  Do you have a particular color you are drawn to?  I always have something red in every room, sometimes just a little and sometimes a lot.

Here are some pics I like.

Red in a kitchen or dining room is supposed to stimulate appetite.  My kitchen walls are green.

Look at these great red and white plates.  I have never understood why anyone would want to eat off blue plates...an unnatural color with food.

Red and white bedding looks so crisp and cozy at the same time.

White with just a touch of red is so pretty and clean looking. Love it.

 

The Buck Stops Here

This entry is not about the deer that wander through our yard.  No, that would be an entirely different blog post.  No this is about playing with money.

When my kids were little, our bank sold pads of real dollar bills that had authentically colored stickers of Santa, Cupid and the Easter Bunny covering President Washington's face.  The kids thought they were pretty cool and sometimes didn't even spend them instead saving them. After a quick look through the internet, it seems this is still done.

Then as the kids got older and I became more creative, I would fold paper currency into origami shirts and other objects.  The kids were more savvy by then and quickly unfolded the origami and pocketed the bills.

Artist Mark Wagner likes to play with money.  He uses real money to make his own brand of art.  It appears he uses mostly $1s.

Some people like to put all their eggs into one "basket", so to speak, when it comes to money.

Here is a 50 Yeun Banknote.

Here is a 50 Yeun Banknote created in 3-D out of eggs!

An old friend of mine Julie Paquette (now Jeffries) began Fluxus Bucks back in the early 90s.  As a mail art project she printed up a gazillion fake dollar bills and sent them out into the art world to be altered and sent back to her to receive more. Back in the day she kept careful records of who she sent them to and who returned them.  I don't know if the record keeping has continued but Fluxus Bucks still circle the globe.  Go google it.  There is quite a bit of info online and several interviews with Julie.

What have you done funny with money?

Check out my etsy shop here.

Mail Day

Are you a fan of "Good Mail Day"?  I am.  I think we should declare a "Mail a Letter to a Friend" Day to save the Post Office which seems to be in deep financial trouble.  Good Mail Day posts interesting mail related stuff every day.

Maybe if we all write a letter, we might just get one back.

Maybe if we each sent a letter it would brighten someone's day when they need it.

I got an e-mail today (always appreciated too) from Shelley Howard who cut up an Observation zine (a now defunct publication of mine) to make her own art.

Complete sets of Observation, 7 issues, are available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

Last from Good Mail Day this cool pillow. Your thought for the day:

Baby, It's Cold Inside

We woke up this morning about 5 am, both of us feeling cold and wondering what those weird noises were. Seems that our 9 year old furnace decided to quit on us.  Nine years seems a little premature, but the motor had malfunctioned.  Several long, cold hours and several heavy layers of clothing later, we have a new furnace motor for a mere $800.  Considering that it is supposed to get down to 12 tonight. I guess it was a good buy.

John and I decided we needed some comfort food for dinner, so we made a big pot of beef stew together.  John likes to peel and chop.  Lucky me.  He has actually been doing most of the cooking since the beginning of the year.  Lucky me.

Then we made fudgy brownies with cream cheese frosting. John remarked how great it was that we don't have kids living with us so he can lick the brownie bowl and the frosting bowl. Lucky him.

I haven't been playing in my studio since before Thanksgiving. I will have to retrain myself all over again. But here is some random eye candy for you to look at.

A David After piece.

This and That

1. Ya want fries with that?

These "hamburgers" are built out of cookies and candy. The buns are Nilla Wafers with sesame seeds held on top with a tiny bit of honey.  The meat part is a York mint and the rest is done with frosting.  Cute.

2. Someday I want to go to Kansas to shop at Curious Sofa. Wouldn't you?

3. Time to wrap presents.  Here are some ideas from the internet.

 

Because we were unexpectedly gone all month, we have not made a dent in our Christmas shopping and when one has five children (between us) plus spouses, 10 grandkids and 5 siblings with spouses (between us), it is a daunting task. 

 

 

Home Again, Home Again

We have been in California for almost two weeks. We were there to attend the memorial service for my mother-in-law. The service was held at Cal State University in LA where she was a Professor Emeritus. The stories about how she helped so many in their educational pursuits as well as careers were wonderful.  We knew many of the stories but just as many were a surprise. She was an amazing woman and so unselfish.

The rest of our time was spent clearing out her home.  We made a dent, but are by no means done. She and her husband had purchased the home in 1945 and her four children had all grown up there, each leaving at least several boxes of stuff. The amount of photos was overwhelming in itself. Add to that the papers, photos, and mementos her mom left to her. Simply, it is quite a lot.  She didn't really care about having things, but just living adds stuff.

We did spend one day on our own.  We had breakfast with my brother and visited Zinnia on Mission St in South Pasadena. I called Tamara, the owner and my friend, before going there to make sure she would be around.  I am glad I did because I was greeted by a full marching band  on either side of her front door when I arrived! Can you imagine her going to all that trouble just to greet me?

Well, okay, she didn't go to all that trouble.  It was just a coincidence that the strolling band arrived at her store at the same time I did. They were there to serenade the Mission St shoppers.

I love Tamara's store, but decked out for the holidays, it was very creative and cool.

All through the store Tamara and Joe Carrion (who also designed some cool stamps for me when I was owner of Stampers Anonymous) drew in black and white Christmas themes.  Modern and old fashioned at the same time, they did this window complete with a scalloped wood Christmas tablecloth.

I thought that we had a very cool bathroom at the Creative Block, but Zinnia has an even better one.

I am always so inspired when I am at Tamara's store.

Right down the street from her, a block or three, is my cousin Jeff's art studio.  We stopped in to see him and his lovely and talented wife, Lorraine.  If Zinnia inspired us, BurkeTriolo Studio knocked our socks off.  Everywhere one turns is a great idea, great art or clever use of space and materials. Most of the design work was done by Lorraine who should be an interior designer. It is all a lovely artistic blend of old, new and funky.  Jeff and Lorraine are such gracious and welcoming hosts.  It was a great day for us and a needed change from the sad work of clearing out John's mom's home.

 

Home Again, Home Again

We have been in California for almost two weeks. We were there to attend the memorial service for my mother-in-law. The service was held at Cal State University in LA where she was a Professor Emeritus. The stories about how she helped so many in their educational pursuits as well as careers were wonderful.  We knew many of the stories but just as many were a surprise. She was an amazing woman ans so unselfish.

The rest of our time was spent clearing out her home.  We made a dent, but are by no means done. She and her husband had purchased the home in 1945 and her four children had all grown up there, each leaving at least several boxes of stuff. The amount of photos was overwhelming in itself. Add to that the papers, photos, and mementos her mom left to her. Simply, it is quite a lot.  She didn't really care about having things, but just living adds stuff.

We did spend one day on our own.  We had breakfast with my brother and visited Zinnia on Mission St in South Pasadena. I called Tamara, the owner and my friend, before going there to make sure she would be around.  I am glad I did because I was greeted by a full marching band  on either side of her front door when I arrived! Can you imagine her going to all that trouble just to greet me?

Well, okay, she didn't go to all that trouble.  It was just a coincidence that the strolling band arrived at her store at the same time I did. They were there to serenade the Mission St shoppers.

I love Tamara's store, but decked out for the holidays, it was very creative and cool.

All through the store Tamara and Joe Carrion (who also designed some cool stamps for me when I was owner of Stampers Anonymous) drew in black and white Christmas themes.  Modern and old fashioned at the same time, they did this window complete with a scalloped wood Christmas tablecloth.

I thought that we had a very cool bathroom at the Creative Block, but Zinnia has an even better one.

I am always so inspired when I am at Tamara's store.

Right down the street from her, a block or three, is my cousin Jeff's art studio.  We stopped in to see him and his lovely and talented wife, Lorraine.  If Zinnia inspired us, BurkeTriolo Studio knocked our socks off.  Everywhere one turns is a great idea, great art or clever use of space and materials. Most of the design work was done by Lorraine who should be an interior designer. It is all a lovely artistic blend of old, new and funky.  Jeff and Lorraine are such gracious and welcoming hosts.  It was a great day for us and a needed change from the sad work of clearing out John's mom's home.