Horse Barn Hill Image ~ Red Oak Hill

This is another image of my growing collection of Horse Barn Hill images. It is one of my favorite places in the world, in beautiful Storrs at the University of Connecticut. For most of us who live in this area, and for students who attend the university, it is a place to go to for quiet and reflection. This image is matted and framed to 20 x 30. It is also available in cards.

Red Oak Hill Studio ~ New Images

This image of an Israeli quilt at the bazaar in Old Jerusalem was one of my biggest sellers at the gallery last weekend.  The colors are so vibrant.

Ah, the lovely and medicinal pomegranate was found in Hebron, Israel.

Check back in because I will be posting new images throughout the week.  All of us here want to thank you for coming into see us last weekend and making our weekend successful.  Eileen

Free Spirits Fibers

We continue our collaboration in putting Eileen's images on fabric and sending them across the country for Mary Alice to work them into decorative pillows. Here is one very popular image, The Reading Fairy, that you will find at our holiday show and sale.

New from Stringing Them Along

Karen and Lynn will have a new collection of necklaces in many lengths and interesting textures. Click on the image below to get a better view.


They'll have an array of great bracelets as well, to be worn singly or layered. They continue to search bead markets where ever they go to find unusual beads and findings to make their one of a kind pieces. I went with them to the Brimfield market this summer. They really know their way around that place and all the little improbable bead caches!

Our model and a satisfied customer.

Here are pictures of Carla modeling a new Amazon Creek Studio hand knit hat that will be available for our Holiday Sale. The first 2 photos are pictures of the hat and how it looks on her. The third photo is another Amazon hat that her grandmother purchased at our June show. Doesn't she look delighted to have such a beautiful hat?

This is America's Top Model for the baby set!

Sachets from Free Spirits Fibers

As Mary Alice stated, this is a new venture that we are starting. My part of the business is making these sachets that are filled with lovely lavender. I have enjoyed getting back to sewing, and learning about the wonderful new fabrics that are now on the market, and learning how to put them together. These items will make wonderful stocking stuffers, gifts for coworkers, teachers, etc.

Keep checking back for some of my new photography images, and additional photos of sachets.

Free Spirits Fibers

For this holiday sale, Eileen and Mary Alice have been busy creating for you. Mary Alice has been working with a variety of fibers as seen in the felt pillow and patchwork flannel scarf. She envisions the scarves becoming like flannel shirts - soft, familiar and well worn.

Eileen has been creating lovely lavender sachets to add a delightful scent to your drawers and closets. She has also sent on some of her photo images printed on fabric (including the very popular Reading Fairy) to Mary Alice so she can "frame" them with fabric, and turn them into decorative items for your home or for gifts.

Please visit the Gallery over one of the three weekends we're open and see what delights are in store for you!

Meet our new guest artist

We are delighted to have Essex woodworker, chef, and caterer David Courant join us with his beautiful wooden kitchen tools.






One extraordinary thing about David's work is how it celebrates the individual beauty in each piece of wood, mostly rescued or recycled from kitchen remodeling projects.

David will be offering a great range of products, from handmade chopsticks and mustard spoons to a beautifully packaged keepsake wedding cake knife. To view more of his work, visit his web site, Cuisine Courant.



Keep visiting us to find out more news about events, artists, and products. We'll be posting regularly now that the sale season is upon us!

Countdown to gallery opening, Saturday, November 28. 41 days!!

Find us at Land of Local Treasures!

We are delighted to have our handcrafted creations at Land of Local Treasures in Storrs. Now you don't have to wait until our holiday or spring sale to pick up a gift item or a purchase for yourself.

Land of Local Treasures is located at 1029 Storrs Rd, Rte 195, one mile south of UConn. They are a boutique/consignment shop, where you'll find local artists, antiques, vintage goods and more. They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm. Stop by and shop locally!

Scenes from our Spring 2009 show

We had beautiful weather for our spring sale and a great time visiting with all of you who stopped by. This is a lovely bouquet from Lisa's garden. Not to mention the lovely and yummy Italian cookies that we purchased for our customers. We re-purposed the pot belly stove into a cookie counter.

Here is a new piece from Lisa of Feats of Clay. It is a very calming vase, and the design is so unique.

Her canisters continue to be available and would make a one of a kind wedding gift.

Gaze upon these two charming hats. Mary Alice from Amazon Studio hand knit these and they are one of a kind. They both sold, and one of them is on its way to England for a beloved grandson. Don't worry there will be more for the holiday shows.


Here are some of the raw materials that will be made into the always amazing necklaces, earrings, and bracelets by Lynn and Karen for STRINGING THEM ALONG.


Last, but not least, a sample of a pillow from Free Spirits Fibers, along with photos from Red Oak Studio. Very spring like.

Thanks again to all who visited. We will see you for all your holiday shopping needs.

New Mugs This Spring

I tried something new with my mugs lately. I've been throwing them in porcelain, then carving them with wire. When I got some out of the kiln I set them out on the table to look. Not the best backdrop, but the light was so pretty.


I hope you'll stop by this weekend and take a look. I'd love to get your feedback on size, glazes, etc. I'm really having fun with these and I think I'll keep making them until I get one just right for you!


I've got some new bowls and beads too. Lynn and I were discussing our menu over a beer yesterday, thinking about festive food and drink. My favorite thing lately (from my favorite food blog) is this Feta Salsa.

Come by and say hello on Saturday!

Lisa

Amazon Creek Studio & Free Spirits Fibers

The spring show for June 6 is quickly approaching and summer weight scarves are on their way east.  I'm excited to say that I will be joining them on the 6th, and, with Eileen, introducing our new line, Free Spirits Fibers.  Both of us over the years have enjoyed sewing and handwork and as Eileen began to talk about printing her photographs on fabric and I found the same passion working with fabric that I have had with yarn, Free Spirits Fibers was born.  Two of her flower photos headed west recently and lent themselves to "framing" with fabric and enhanced with embroidery.  They will join reversible bags suitable for shopping, project holding, books and more, as well as other patchwork and quilted pillows.  We're in our infancy but are very excited about the possibilities and would love to have you let us know what you think!  I look forward to seeing you on the 6th!

Spring

Well, That wasn't SO bad :-). Time to rise up, shake the down out of my ears, and think about gardening and our spring sale. We'll be open just one day for spring of 2009. We'll have photography, knitting, jewelry, pottery, gourds and leather goods for sale, of course. But we also invite you to stop by just to say hello and celebrate spring with us, and let us thank you for your support over the last few years. We'll have some tasty snacks and hopefully a beautiful day to be out and about. We've been tweaking the gallery bit by bit, so if you haven't been in for a while, stop by and take a look. As always, we appreciate your feedback about our work and our space.

I got to get a little jump on spring this year by potting up some of my planters into little dish gardens. My friend Liz is part of a fledgeling family horticultural enterprise called Pots and Petals in Foster, RI. Husband Keith's focus is on woodland natives, son Howie and daughter in law Rana are starting vegetable seedlings. Liz shares my love for succulents, especially Hens and Chicks. For me they are like Japanese Painted Ferns. Each one is its own little painting and I never find one that I wouldn't like to take home. 

Well, Liz decided to try her hand at raising them last fall, and did she ever! Winter chatting got us thinking about collaborating on some dish gardens together, so last weekend we did. It was a cool, rainy Sunday, but with a glass of wine, a big propane heater, and  our supervisor at the helm,

we were ready to go!

We think these came out great. They should fill in a bit over the next month or so.

I'm having trouble resisting showing you all of them.

They'll be pretty cozy in their little corner of the greenhouse. Liz will take some to sell at farmers' markets in May, and I'll have some at the gallery on June 6.

Happy digging! Lisa