Wednesday, September 30, 2009

honeysuckle lane is having a sale!

honeysuckle lane - lana manis



as you all know i just love lana manis and her company honeysuckle lane...i've been buying and treasuring her wonderful paper designs, paintings and what not's for years along with my mom...i think of her often as her pieces are displayed in my studio...certain to bring me a smile...her pieces make a house into a home...




one thing about lana is she never ever stops...she has her pieces available in so many venues that i know she must get very little sleep - for the demand is high for her little treasures...i fear she can never slow down for she has so many talents and pieces to bring us: handmade valentines, fraktur style watercolors, soldered jewelry, make-do pincushions, needle work, ribbon work, dolls, and fanciful paper whimsies often inspired by 18th & 19th century folk art.











so whether you think of what you just might be needing, think also of the upcoming gifts that you will be giving; from friends to family to teachers, you will find something very special and handcrafted by lana...




i'm providing some links to her sites for you to browse; and if you weren't aware she has been chosen year after year to receive the honor by early american life as one of america's best craftsman, her pieces are referred to as "museum quality" and certainly will be collected for many years to come...






her sale for 20% off of all her wonderful wreaths is currently on her etsy site and is only until 10:00 p.m. thursday - i think these have got to be the most beautiful creations she has done yet...she always continues to amaze me.








she will also be having a weekend only sale on the two sites below but it's a secret of what items she will have until then! here are her links:





lana's information is always listed on my blog under artists to see along with her blog link...

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

what a morning...

you know i'm struggling with the change of seasons right now...but i had forgotten just how bad october is...yes, we have the beautiful leaves to awe us, but come on the winds are going to blow my house down... the one good thing about being me, is i tend to wipe away all the little things that annoy me, in a way this is good for it's always new when it arrives again, but in a way it's not so good for i never really learn to accept things, really....






today as the alarm chirped me from my dreams, which were not great to begin with, i awoke to no power, and it was freezing....then the search is on for the flashlight, which i'm organized in my terror of the dark, so it's kept right beside me in the dresser...no batteries...year after year after year, my batteries are dead....i'm going to go buy 50 flashlights this week and hide them all over the house, for they seem to disappear, ala clarence and eli i'm sure....but they won't admit it...




so candles it was as i stumbled through the house around the animals on the floor....hollering in my head i sure wish the time would FALL BACK!!! phones are out, pitch black and the winds are howling....i hear a racket out front and peer out the window to see the city guys up on the poles trying in this weather to get those lights back on so we can all start our day....seeing how cold they must be with the wind blowing them all around, i was honestly counting my own blessings that i wasn't on the high wire....and as magic would have it, on came the lights...the pleasant hum of the heater kicking on, the day seemed hopeful for a moment...until i considered the wind again - my true enemy, i thought it was the dark, but no, today i'm sure it is the wind...




but i'm going to get out of this funk, one way or another....i think i'll make some more coffee, turn on the stereo to drown out the sound of the killer wind and have a piece of boston creme pie....then, paint a bit....the day might just get a bit better...
new boards are coming very very soon, but in the meantime here is my link for you to browse to see what is available now: www.dallisongameboards.com





Sunday, September 27, 2009

i was feeling kind of bummed...


you know those days when you wake up and you are just a little sad, a little down, just a little blue for no known reason? that's how i felt today. it is rare for me to get up without a smile, for i am a MORNING person, which annoys everyone around me....but today i was just a little sad so decided i'd jump into housework - doing the things that i had put off for some time...spring cleaning again really, before the house is finally closed shut for many months to come...maybe that was the sad feeling, letting go of the freshest of air, not waking to birds singing anymore; for they are long gone...and knowing that i have to prepare for this upcoming season...



but as things go - something always comes along to lift up our spirits...so when i took a break to finally check my email after several days i received this forward from my dad, who is always full of sending me inspiring things - and at the perfect time...hmmmmm, has to make you wonder...


and as always, it made everything just perfect again...


"Gratitude is the king of all virtues. Without it...there is no happiness in your life. It's really that simple."


Here's what Melody Beattie said:
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."


so now i'm able to snap back into my usual pollyanna by replacing my thoughts of regret with gratitude....thanks dad....








for game boards to help you out of the doldrums: www.dallisongameboards.com

Friday, September 25, 2009

is it just me?

i'm telling my bff the other day who is out in california about flash mobs; she was clueless, never having had heard of them. so i'm laughing and telling her just how fun, cool, great, amazing these are; she was unimpressed, and then stated, "sounds stupid"... i told her just wait, one of these days there will be one down in charlotte and i and another friend will be going, flash mobbing away. she said it really sounded stupid and why would i want to do that...

hmmmm...

makes me wonder if it is just my sense of humor, my sense of fun...

so later i was at a football game and asked another friend about flash mobs, she immediately started laughing...we began comparing the ones that we had seen on youtube...i told her that i was certainly going to figure out where one was going to be eventually and be going, she said she wanted to come too; so that is 3 people who think it's great...we did agree that this was one of the best; quality not so hot, but everyone loves this song and those parachute pants; don't they?




i think we need to dance, wherever we are, whatever our circumstances, dance...





oh yeah, if you want to look at game boards, here is a link: dianeallison

Thursday, September 24, 2009

look who i found!







i am signed up to receive the AFA (american folk art) sites updates, which usually, i think, come out seasonally... i hadn't been to the site for sometime and thought i'd better check out what artists are on and what artwork they have to show to us...and look who i found!




sam florance - WHATinSAMhill







i was thrilled when i found sam florance and her work which i hadn't seen before...it caught my eye immediately, for the colors and themes are full of fun, adventure and life's events...i was immediately won over - and digging deeper and reading about sam, i knew why... a self taught artist, with a voice that you can actually attach yourself to; for she made me smile and laugh out loud, a talent in it's own right.



here is an excerpt from her profile; then you'll understand what i mean:





"so I said the only way he could get one of my paintings was to marry me. So he did. But I shouldn’t make it sound like we’re a one-sided enterprise. Oh, no. In my turn, I live happily with maple syrup taps and buckets and plastic piping, maple-flavored everything, and a huband-built house where"


just makes you want to read more doesn't it?





i wanted to share her information with you - but i didn't want to add to much of sam, for i want you to have the fun getting to know her for yourself...- so here are a couple of links so that you can browse her pieces and fall in love with her too....



sam florance, on etsy: WHATinSAMhill

sam florance, on AFA: WHATinSAMhill

sam florance, on 1000 markets: WHATinSAMhill




Tuesday, September 22, 2009

we are taught to fear...





we are taught to fear....and rightfully so, for the world can be a fearful place, confused, chaotic...my parents taught me the fear that one needs for survival and i too have taught my children...







when i first moved to this small town there was a 'fixture' of a human being wandering the streets...selling his poems, artwork and rocks downtown...my oldest then 12 was filled in by his friends as to who this man was...certainly somebody that you would 'fear' if your eyes fell upon him without any information...my son was told he was 'safe', he was just joshua...with his wares out for all to see on the sidewalk my son would on occasion stop and buy one of his stories, years later he still holds on to them, for joshua wrote them, reason enough...





when my youngest was around 4 we were walking the quaint downtown and there was joshua in one of his usual spots, blanket spread out, selling his rocks...eli was taken aback, and scared...i held his hand tighter and said it's ok, it's joshua, there is nothing to fear, let's go look at his rocks...so we did, eli knelt to the ground carefully picking up each rock and looking for sparkle and rolling it in his hands...joshua, was smiling, friendly and telling him in length about each rock ...it put eli at ease...as eli picked the 'best' rock that he could find i handed eli the money to give to joshua and we walked away...


about a year ago he was going through his rocks and pulled one out and said this is 'joshua's rock', like his brother before him, it made an impact on his mind, his heart and spirit...when he sees him walking along the road he turns to watch the unknown man, still curious about him, but no longer scared...it was a lesson to be learned, do not judge a book by it's cover, everybody counts, everybody is special and everybody has a gift...






but as the story goes, the town is saddened that joshua isn't here in his rightful home...you can read below...



Both the ASU campus & Boone community have been affected by a man who has come to be known has Joshua Watauga. He is famous for selling his rocks & stories on King Street for many years now. The stories & rumors surrounding him, however, are the real mystery. For a man who means so much to this community, we seem to know so little.Joshua collapsed behind a restaurant sometime in the past 3-4 weeks and spent some time in Watauga Medical Center. He has since been transferred to the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He is currently in stable condition but will require full-time state-supported care. According to the people @ Wake in charge of his case, He will more or less become a "ward of the state" & there will be no control over what inevitably happens to him. PLEASE do not let Joshua get lost in the system like so many do. PLEASE invite all of your friends so that we can bring awareness to this cause & hopefully get Joshua placed in Boone or somewhere nearby until a place in Boone becomes available. Both Appalachian & the town of Boone do a great job of creating a sense of solidarity and community. Many of us view Joshua as a very vital member of that community and promoter of that solidarity. Hopefully we can now band together & help out one of our own who is in need.Thanks so much!!'


you see the town has of course tried to help joshua throughout the years, like any town would ...the citizens have tried to help him individually, as all caring people would...but joshua helps himself, he lives outside on these mountains...provides for himself through the selling of his work, and it is always an uplifting site when you see him in the spring, but you are forced to think to yourself, thank God joshua made it through another winter, for you know in your own reality you wouldn't have...joshua is living his life, his way...





Thursday, September 17, 2009

what a fun day!






today is the kind of day that i love....caught up on work, things seem to be drying well, shipping for the week is done and out... and a bit of time to spare! so what did i do?, well i pulled up my files on antique game boards that i fell in love with...i pulled out my book of antique game boards and sat for a spell and soaked up the designs and colors that are beginning to form in my mind...




the beginning is always the most fun, but the most challenging...how to make the pattern, how to mix the colors, always having to consider all the 'browns' that i will add to the finishing process...so it doesn't come out too dreary in the end...and do i start with a sketch or go straight to the wood...today i decided to go straight to the wood...


but it is starting to take form...looks like 2 checker boards and 3 parcheesi boards will be the outcome...do you want a peek? ok, but just a little one...this is the antique piece....i will add my own black lines to pull in the black molding that i like to use...it will be a fun piece, for there is a lot of freehand painting to do....this is the time you can find me in the studio at the strangest times for i think 'i'll run down and change a shade or do just one more color'...this is the time where little sleep or food is needed for i become so involved that nothing else matters until the piece is done...





here's my link: www.dallisongameboards.com


Monday, September 14, 2009

15 years...

how it all began...






this morning it occurred to me that i have been making game boards for 15 years now....it is so hard to imagine, time really moves right on by...i started to think back over the years and made myself laugh when i began at the beginning...




i was living in dallas, texas then...(and honestly, a piece of my heart will always belong to texas)...i was a ferocious quilter - crafting several quilts a year... my girlfriend taught me how to sew on a sewing machine and how to quilt...the first quilt that i made i used the 100% cotton batting...i wanted something warm and toasty for my oldest son, for this was to be his. i joined the quilting group - stitch 'n _itch....a gathering of 8 of us, once a week to quilt, eat and dream....the batting was so thick and tight that i would have to use pliers to pull each and every needle through...since i was a newbie to the quilt, the 'others' thought i was just 'mad as a hatter'....but eventually another quilter used the same batting, and pulled out her own pliers...



i picked up a 'do it yourself' type magazine that is no longer available...i read an article about making game boards yourself for your walls...i thought i'd give it a go... after hitting home depot for a piece of wood and molding, michael's for paint and stain - having no experience in hammer/nail, paint other than wall paint - off i went to see what i could do...



i was hooked....i made several and asked what my friends thought, they loved them. so as my oldest son was in less need of my time - you know, run in and run out?, i thought i'll take the boards around to stores in dallas and see what they think...i was greeted so warmly by the stores and if they didn't think they could sell them they told me of another store to check out...

after a couple of stores welcomed my pieces my business had begun...i had $25.00 to invest in the start-up of my company - so i typed letters to stores that were listed in the back of country living magazine - attached a small picture of my piece...and off i flew...i've always said it was 'luck', but my dad says luck=hardwork...so i have come to accept that yes, it was night and day hard work that made it all fall into place...




originally, my mailman cut my wood squares and would leave it at my home when he dropped off my mail...







a 'tough biker' would later pull up to my home on his motorcycle, his cat riding in his 'carry bag' and he would take my painted boards, loading them on his bike and take them home to add the molding...he was a funny site, cat and all - and i was so interested in checking him out closer. one day a friend of mine and i went to pick up the framed boards at his house - he lived in a wonderful old original section of dallas, where the homes are arts and craft, to die for homes. when i went in i was struck by how odd the inside was, for the furnishings were small and fragile - antiques that reminded me of Louis XVI...it was an odd marriage - biker and Louis XVI...he then took me to his wood work shop where he showed me his lathe. that began my love of the lathe and i am determined to one day craft from one myself...




as i decided it was time to leave the city i read about my little town in a 'great small towns in america' - packed up my son and his 5 cats in my corolla and off we went. 13 years later - i'm still here, in my little paradise... my work has changed throughout the years for people have come and gone through my life leaving me with invaluable knowledge for my craft. my introduction to power tools was probably a life saving event - for your wrists do start to become disagreeable after years of use... i've known students, moonshine runners, oldtimers, artists and hippies throughout these years, each adding their own unique stamp to my heart...if i had to do it all over again, i would do it all the same...







for game boards, here is my link: www.dallisongameboards.com

Friday, September 11, 2009

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

zoe nelson...


zoe nelson - artwear








i was excited to open my email today from my friend zoe nelson....she is not only a friend, that taught me the ropes at our local co-op gallery, but she is an amazing jewelry designer...



i thought i had better get her info. to you, for the holidays believe it or not are coming before we know it! i have several of her pieces, which i truly treasure, the quality is beyond measure, her creativity is constant and her passion for her design is obvious...the piece below i am actually going to order and ask her to add two more pearls to signify my family for she happily does custom work...




i thought i'd share some of her designs with you so you can see for yourself...her link is always to the left under the "artists to check out" section too....her prices are incredibly reasonable for one of a kind designs in sterling...





here is a direct link to her site: zoe nelson - artwear


and if you would like to check out her blog, which is well worth it, for you will 'feel' right along with her, whether with laughs or down right mad for her, here is her blog link:








Tuesday, September 8, 2009

i can't believe it's already here


as i was driving the other day, there it was, right before me, a bright yellow tree! it's hard to believe the leaves are already changing, but with all the rain and the cool summer that we have had they are off to an early start...sitting on my deck is taking your life into your own hands, for the trees are full of nibbling squirrels, which means you are bombarded with acorns from their tree jumping...thump thump thump is a very familiar sound...




so much is going on in the studio right now...from visitors to custom orders that i've been tied to my paint table for weeks...but that is a good thing, and so much fun too...




remember when i said i was going to cut back on work? well you know as soon as you put that thought out there you are going to immediately be challenged...and i was, from so many game boards to be made, custom work, new designs in the making, studio tours, interviews and the writing of books, it's been a whirlwind of a year...i honestly cannot believe i'm already seeing red and yellow leaves and closing my window at night for it's way to cold!




in the next few weeks i will be introducing 4 new game boards....3 parcheesi's and 1 checker board...in red, blue and greens just to tease you a bit....
if you are in need of browsing, or color therapy, here is my website link: