Shopping Handmade in St. Paul, MN

Anyone in the Minneapolis - St. Paul area of Minnesota in search of handmade holiday shopping will not want to miss the Holiday Art & Gift Bazaar sponsored by Evoke Gallery. The event is scheduled to run through December 21. It is a great opportunity to find those special one of a kind gifts, while avoiding crowded malls. If you are looking for a magical experience aim for Thursday, December 13 when restaurants and stores join together for A Night of Magic in St. Paul including music, dining and shopping.

Baby Kaitlyn Nicole

Welcoming baby Kaitlyn Nicole and

wishing her & her mother the best of health.

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Bringing a baby home is such a happy time. Kaitlyn's mom has worked hard to prepare their home and make it a special place for their new baby girl. Having found just the right bedding (left), I was asked to make a plate (right) to would sit on top of a dresser, far from babies little hands. Art glass in a babies room? The idea was to bring in a unique piece Kaitlyn could hold onto later in life that would hold memories of the nursery she once had. The piece I created was not intended to mimic the traditional patters of the nursery set but rather be inspired by them. So I pulled colors like the petal pink and vanilla from the gingham, and design elements like the vine to make a contemporary piece. When in the room with the other patterns, colors and fabrics the piece fits. At the same time, it stands alone and I can easily envision it being something Kaitlyn might take with her as a young adult when she moves into her first apartment.

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Handmade Holiday Shopping

Beginning the day after Thanksgiving we quickly find ourselves in the busiest portion of the shopping season. Many of us make a mad dash to purchase holiday gifts for spouses, children, friends and co-workers. But how many of us can remember what we received last year. Many gifts are soon forgotten. The gifts we do remember were often unique or special. Consider that when shopping this holiday season. Before you spend money in a discount or department chain on something that was mass produced by the thousands, consider a handmade gift. Giving handmade items allows the receiver to have something crafted individually with skill and love, while using your dollar to support independent craftsmen. Handcrafted items often offer higher quality and more artistic design. Consider buying handmade as a way to make the most of your buying power.

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You too can take the handmade pledge at buyhandmade.org.

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Happy Thanksgiving

It becomes easy for me into slip into sadness during this time of year. Sad for things which have passed or will never be, it is easy to lose sight of everything else around me. But the world around us is to full of blessings for us to remain focused on that which we do not have. Thanksgiving can be a conscience opportunity to take stock in these blessing large and small.

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Wishing you a joyous Holiday full of food, family & fun…

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An Act of Gratitude

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Thankful to see Melanie has returned to Inspire Me Thursday after a brief hiatus, I aim to demonstrate my gratitude with this post. The graphic was taken from the design of a glass bowl I created last fall. I altered photographs I had taken, with the macro setting of my camera, in Adobe Photoshop. I have such a good time with the Creative Prompts at Inspire Me Thursday. They encourage me to try different things and enable me to share work with other creative souls. Although still fairly new to this forum I have already seen the beauty of this community. Thank you Melanie, I am truly grateful.

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Interested in seeing the original glass bowl this is based on?

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Check out the "Cook Hook"

It’s the small things in life that really bring me joy. Today it's the “Cook Hook”. I don’t mean to use it in the kitchen either. On the other hand, in the studio I go through rags like they are going out of style. There is generally water and glass grit all over the place. I’m either wiping a piece dry to get a better look at what I'm doing or cleaning glass before it goes into the kiln. Having a clean towel handy is a must. So when I saw this gadget, I knew I had to have it. It’s so nifty I thought I’d share. You can find this one at The Container Store for just $5.99.

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On their way to St.Paul, Minnesota...

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These pieces are on there way to St. Paul, Minnesota to be part of Evoke Gallery's Holiday Art Bazaar from November 13 - 21.
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All Saints Day

I haven’t crocheted in months, almost a year really. But in the last few weeks I got this craving to pull all my yarn out of the closet, watch chick flicks in my pajamas and crochet. I was sure it was the cool fall weather bringing this on but this morning I realized it was thoughts of my mother, who passed away two years ago today. So in memory of my mom who so patiently taught me to crochet, here are a few pictures of items I have made this last week.

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Made with 2 balls of Bernat Galaxy Nouveau, Mercury.

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Just one ball of Lions Brand Jiffy Thick and Quick made this scarf. Using a Q hook and double crochet stitches I was able to whip this out in a little less then half an hour.

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