Tangled Stitch

A new tote for Valley Artisans Market It’s been quite a week, opening myself up to life again that is.   I went to the love Art in the Public Eye event in Glens Falls on Thursday.   There was a band and good food provided by Samantha’s Café and beautiful, beautiful art.   I met a lovely mosaic artist who inspired me to get back to work, a lovely woman who is making a beginning making scarves and baby blankets which reminds me of my roots, and a lovely photographer who made me look at the ordinary in an extraordinary way.   A new beginning inspired by art, a call to remember the things I know I love and maybe open up to a few new ways to express myself. Friday I went down to Albany to work the telephones at WAMC fund drive.   Public radio is really the only place where some can find those subjects and music that can’t be found anywhere else.   It was so much fun, the food was great and it felt wonderful to be doing something helpful for the ar...

Hey Folks.  This weekend is our annual Holiday Open House at Valley Artisans Market.  There is a 20% discount on one item both days.  We have lots of wonderful guest artists and I have a few different offerings myself this time of year.  I have some crocheted wool scarves available and a few pillows.  I might even put the hand in my cubby, still thinking about that one.  This is my current cubby with the exception of a few new scarves and the dragonfly is in the Valley Artisans Market gift bag which will be won by some lucky VAM patron.  Lots of beautiful pieces and ornaments available please make it over this weekend where there will be refreshments and lots of cool art to look at, the Small Gallery looks beautiful.  That alone is worth the trip.  If you can't make it this weekend please come on by during the weeks leading up to Christmas, and don't forget to shop local where ever you are.  We need you Walmart doesn't!

This is a current view of my work here at Valley Artisans Market.  I am working here this morning and filled with peace and joy.  I have brought in a few new pieces that you may remember.  The Scream and Running Away(renamed Lines, more appropriate) are now living here until they find a new home.  Please come on by and see my work and the beautiful work of my fellow artists here at Valley Artisans Market.  Please buy local and handmade this holiday season as artists work very hard year round for this one special time of year and your dollars may mean the continuation of someones creative spirit.  The world would be a far sadder place without art so please support your local artist.  You may just be supporting the next Grandma Moses(my personal favorite) or the next Michelangelo.

Moody Blues available at Valley Artisans Market in Cambridge, NY What is peace to you? I think in these times of universal chaos, the greatest gift we can give ourselves and the planet at the moment is peace within each and every one of us.   We give the planet a gift when we find a few moments to just get out of our own way and find something that brings us peace. For me there is no greater peace than hand embroidering with my headphones on and some bluesy music spinning.   So when I finish this post that is what I’m going to do, to bring peace to the countryside of my chaotic mind. What brings you peace?   Is it a walk around a lovely lake, a couple of hours in the library just looking at books, a yoga class?   Or are you worrying about all the things you have to do today and not thinking about giving yourself a moment’s peace?   It’s hurting the planet; it’s making a planet full of frenetic type -A personalities afraid that if they even...

Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is available at Valley Artisans Market in Cambridge. I am trying to finish a piece so this blog post will be short and sweet like myself.  I am looking for the Yellow Brick Road, has anyone seen it?  I mean really has anyone seen it?  It must be out there somewhere as are the illusive pot of gold and the four leaf clover.  Perhaps the Yellow Brick Road is the road to our imagination where we can live any life we want if we just think we can and work really hard.  That is the road I wish to be traveling on today.  The road where I think I can and I work really hard which means it's time to turn off the computer, get my head in a good place and finish the piece(or peace) I'm working on. Have a great day, find your imagination and work hard and maybe we can be successful together(or at least imagine we are).  Blessings

This Heart Butterfly will be available at the Valley Artisans Market Seconds and Pottery Sale this weekend.  Every artist has work available at a reduced price and Kathleen the wonderful member in charge of this event has really outdone herself so please come by and shop!  Many of the artists will be in and out over the weekend so please come and meet us too! The sun is shining on the water, I made some great eggs, and I’ve been embroidering for hours.   What could be more beautiful?   I don’t have any pictures to share my phone is upstairs and I am in the galley room.   It looks like a galley, I’ll have to ask if that was the intention or not.    The house is built on the water which I found fascinating really.   I find everything about this place fascinating.   One of the cats disappeared for hours only to be found somehow under a bench next to the kitchen. It was wild and woolly but all’s well that ends well. I took a ride to C...

This funky soul is Lucinda.  She is currently living at Valley Artisans Market looking for the right man or woman to take her home. She is hand embroidered. I am the authentically funky soul today.  No earthly delights seem to be working on this funk that goes way down to the soul day.   Perhaps it's the clouds, perhaps it's the temperature, perhaps it's just a day to remember so I can rejoice on a happy soul day. Funky is a cool word.  You think of Funky Chicken and you smile.You hear a funky tune and it makes you move and if your soul feels in a funk you try to protect yourself a bit.  I fit into that last category so I'm listening to Mozart cos I'm a little too sensitive for words at the moment. I'm working up at VAM( my favorite place on earth), hand embroidering,(my favorite thing to do) and listening to all kinds of music which usually rocks my world and soothes my savage beastly soul.  But today nothing is really doing it, not even Aretha Fra...

The Heart of the Matter has a new home with a lovely woman I met while working at Valley Artisans Market.  We had such a beautiful conversation about spirituality and life.  Every time I work up at VAM I meet the most interesting, artistic, and spiritual people I have ever met.  It's no wonder it's one of my favorite places to be.  I am working up at VAM this afternoon so if you are in the neighborhood please drop in and say hi!  I have decided to take Follow the Yellow Brick Road out of my Etsy shop and to bring it up to Valley Artisans Market where hopefully somebody will see it in person and fall in love with it.  This piece has a lot of meaning to me so I am hoping that it will have a lot of meaning to somebody else too. I must run along.  Have a great day and follow your heart and find your yellow brick road.    

This piece is called Prom Dress, it is available at Valley Artisans Market. I would like to give you a gift.  Put down whatever you are doing and go find some music that inspires and speaks to you and just listen, just work, or just dance. The inspiration of music can not be underrated.  Music has the ability to go deep down in our soul and find the beauty in everyday life.  I woke up in the middle of the night with Clair De Lune by Debussy swirling in my head, inspiring a poem and a row or two on  the christening outfit I am working on.  Absolutely beautiful song about the moon by the way.  Just beautiful and magical. The poem can be read at The Connections That Bind Us at this link.  http://theconnectionsbindus.blogspot.com/2012/06/light-shines.html I woke up this morning to Oh Darling by the Beatles and then I was just inspired beyond belief to embroider a piece based on The Long and Winding Road by the Beatles..  I've come to realize i...

Today I was working up at Valley Artisans Market and I decided to go a little early and visit the New Skete monastery. What a beautiful, peaceful place it is. First there is a small pond where you can sit and look clear down to the bottom of the water. There was a family of frogs there to entertain while I sat there. I then went to the larger of the two temples. It is a beautiful square room and there are saints painted on all of the walls of the bigger temple and it is awe inspiring to see them painted in all their glory. While I was there I reflected a bit on the saints and tried to find peace and guidance from them. It is really a magical place where the cares and worries of the world seem far off and distant. There is a smaller temple a little bit further along the path and that is probably the most spiritual place I have ever been. As you walk in the door the altar lights up and it feels magical and very spiritual. It feels like the light shines only for you and then af...

Tree Hand is available at Valley Artisans Market.  Please stop in and see it in person and see all the beautiful work by other artists.  I still have several pieces available in my Etsy shop so not adding anything new today but there are beautiful pieces available right now. This is one of my favorite pieces.  I love the colors in the background and it is my favorite hand.  I am working on a piece at the moment and still uncluttering so I can have room for the things I love.  Peace, love and understanding and I'll be back soon. Blessings

This lovely sparrow is available at Valley Artisans Market, where I will be tomorrow afternoon if you happen to be in the neighborhood. I was at a loss really as to what to write today and then I settled on the Valley Artisans Market as it is one of my favorite places in the world to work.  Not just work as a salesperson which is a joy all by itself, but as an artist. I really have been blessed to be accepted by some of the most talented artists I have ever met along with meeting exceptionally nice people, both artists and customers alike.  It's easy to see why I like being a salesperson there because every time I am there I meet another extraordinary person I would have never met otherwise.  I have met young artists, new artists, established artists, reiki healers,  and others with beautiful souls, including a monk who thankfully did not take a vow of silence as he was a delight to speak with.  The work and the quaility of the work by all the a...

This is Tallulah. I went up to North Creek with my traveling artist companion Cheryl to drop off some of her beautiful glass and Tallulah and a few of her friends to Nancy at Seven Sisters Gift Shop in North Creek. We had a great time laughing and gabbing all the way up and all the way down the mountain. And yes it was even misty and raining and ice pelleting. But thankfully Cheryl drove and she is a pro at driving in adverse weather conditions and yes it is as beautiful in North Creek when the weather is not snowy or sunny. I am such a lucky gal to have met such great artists and friends in the last few years and yes it is great to reconnect on Facebook with older friends too. You never have too many friends and they just make your life wonderful. They fill in all the little pieces of you whether they be the first boy you danced with, your first real boyfriend and his wife, the girls you went down the shore with and drove up rt 9 with , all your shake your booty girl friends from...

This piece is called Moody Blues. It currently resides at Valley Artisans Market in beautiful Cambridge, NY. I was fortunate enough to work there today. I really love being there, from the drive through the countryside, to the view of the mountains, to the beautiful energy of the other artists and Hubbard Hall, to all the beautiful work I get to look at and the lovely artistic patrons. And I toned down my enthusiasm a little. Today was no exception. Being so soon after the holidays it was a little slow but I had several lovely customers and browsers. One of the people I met today was a lovely young painter who was thankfully killing some time and making my day a little less quiet. She was taking a painting class but arrived early so as not to be late so we had a lovely conversation about art. I told her we are always looking for artists but her husband is in construction and she moves around a lot. Her next destination is Ireland, which to be honest is a destination I have nev...

Sometimes in life an opportunity comes along that makes you look at what you want or what you need that requires a risk or maybe a leap of faith. As I'm sure anybody who has read my blog since the beginning knows that I had a couple of setbacks in my artistic life. I shared those setbacks until I stopped sharing them and then thankfully a few really great buds got me to thinking about what my hand embroidery means in a different way. Emily who got me to realize that it's really about my love of the stitch not so much what happens after the stitchery. It's not about the price tag it's about the stitch. She knows me so well, I guess we're kind of sisters of Panerahood where we meet every Tuesday morning. Doing something because you love it not because you can make money at it really makes all the difference. The saying about doing what you love and the money will come is really kind of true. Kathy who got me to look at everything I do, right down to the littles...

Happy Thanksgiving a day late. Had a wonderful holiday with family back on the island. So nice to see everybody. The kids have all gotten so much older(where does the time go anyway), the food was delicious, and the company even better. I am blessed to have such a wonderful family. I have so much to be thankful for and news to share with my artwork also. Tomorrow is our Holiday Open House opening up in Cambridge at Valley Artisans Market, there are so many beautiful things to choose from. I am so looking forward to it! Please drop in and give it a look you won't be disappointed I promise. We are also having a raffle for a Valley Artisans Market tote bag,jam packed with goodies from all of the artisans. All you have to do is spend $20.00 and you will be entered in the raffle and that also means that if you spend $40.00 you will have 2 chances. $60 and you will have 3 and so on and so on. The artwork included in the raffle is very beautiful so please come. I will also be se...

Hi All! Tomorrow I will be at the Barn at the Bridge artisan show at 250 Lakehill Road in Burnt Hills. The hours are from 9:00 to 4:00. It is a beautiful red barn and a beautiful venue for a show. This will be my first time there and I am so excited. There will be many different artisans and friends and such beautiful work. If you are in the neighborhood please stop by. Today I was working at Valley Artisans Market and marveling at just how wonderful it is to be a working artist. On my home I was just overwhelmed for a moment at how lucky I am. There is a beautiful bridge(actually it's a road) that overlooks the beautiful hoosic river. It takes my breath away on good day and it really overwhelmed me with it's fall beauty today. Between that and the wonderful day at the market, I realized that if you have a dream and you take baby steps toward it you can live the life you've imagined. Not hard to see where Thoreau found his inspiration in nature. The thought that ...

What an interesting few days it has been. Firstly this piece is hand embroidered on tea stained muslin and it was bought by MaryLou from Valley Artisans Market. It reminded her of a childhood home. I love to make pieces that resonate with the people who buy them, remembrances of a happier time. As for myself, it is in a style of embroidery which I made back when I started. I would hand embroider pillows, not framed pieces not enough confidence for that at the time. When I joined the first coop I ditched the country style it thinking it was not "artistic" enough. Silly, silly me. Valley Artisans Market celebrated their 30th anniversary this past weekend with a pottery seconds sale, a show in the small gallery of Ginny McNiece and her daughters work. Very, very lovely. Very complimentary to each other, but very unique also. If you are in the neighborhood please come to see the beautiful works in the gallery and in the store. We had demonstrations, myself demon...

This piece is called Sunny Heart and it was one of my favorite pieces. Luckily for me it was also a favorite of a lovely lady from New Jersey(my home state) Today was my second day working at Valley Artisans Market and this was my first sale of the day. I love to hand embroider hearts. Just love them(maybe it's the valentine thing) but this piece was just made for the frame I framed it in. I'm not sure if you can see the detail in the photograph but the frame is rustic and it suited the orange watercolor and the stitchery just wonderfully. I never thought too much about framing in the past but I'm finding it wonderful searching for different frames and framing techniques for different pieces. I'm glad someone else saw the specialness of the combination. What a wonderful experience to be in VAM. I am among such talented artists I could just gush for hours. Every time I go there I see some extraordinary work of art that just leaves me in awe. Today it was a gourd ...

Today was the day that I dropped off my work to Valley Artisan's Market and this was my first sale. I'm so excited! I didn't expect to sell anything so quickly but boy was it a thrill. It's such a lovely place and all the people I have met are wonderful and welcoming. Sunday I went with Cheryl to celebrate their 30th Anniversary party. Can you imagine any business surviving for 30 years? When you meet the artists and see the commitment that they have to their art and to each other it makes it easy to see why. Just a wonderful experience so far. I am finally caught up. So many wonderful opportunities and so much embroidery. I love to embroider so it's been a wonderful time. I made the switch from the bags and the scarves and pretty much have decided to work on framed pieces, hanging pillows and my little wire art things and ornaments. I realized that although I loved my bags, I don't really love sewing on the sewing machine and there is a lot of mac...