holiday sale

It is time for our first annual pre-holiday sale starting at midnight and continuing through Wednesday, December 2. Everything in the inleaf shop, is 15 percent off. Just enter inleafholiday in the box on the checkout page. All sales orders will ship by the end of the week and I will gladly provide gift wrapping upon request. Wishing all of you a happy and handmade holiday season!

gratefulness

Miles from the nearest shopping mall, surrounded by loved ones and crisp cool air — we took a nice post thanksgiving family walk this morning at Sugar Hollow at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Everyone had a chance to romp, splash, crash, and converse. So much to be thankful for...

patterns, and textures hiding everywhere

my lovely family

neither Freja the dog nor cousin Liam have time to touch the ground

branches, searching for images for a future project

sword fighting, the stick way

craft + design

The car is unpacked, and I am catching my breath after this weekends craft + design show in Richmond, Virginia. I did have a wonderful time, despite the stress, long hours, and tidious preparations. My booth came together nicely, and my sales exceeded expectations, but most importantly I made numerous new connections with visitors, craft and art supporters, and other artists (some of them produce amazing work which I will feature in another post later this week). A few lesson's learned - bring more inventory, lighting is super important, and not accepting credit card payments at your booth can be an issue. Will do better on all fronts next time. I am grateful for my fun and helpful booth neighbors Robyn and Marc from iron design company and potter Robert Hessler. My lovely husband deserves big thanks (he already got plenty of hugs and kisses) for his patience with me while designing and constructing the displays, and I am also indebted to my fantastic friends Julie, Virginia, and Lauren who's sales skills far surpasses mine. Thank you! Now it is time to reclaim my house and my family, and gear up for the upcoming turkey feast. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I wish you a relaxing time with friends, relatives, and loved ones.

and the show will go on...

Yet another week plus has past since the last post. I have one more event to get ready for before I can catch my breath. Next weekend I will be in Richmond, for the Craft + Design show at the Science Museum of Virginia, along with over 70 talented artists and artisans from all over the country. Many of you are pros when it comes to shows of this caliber, but this is only the second time in my career that I am participating in a juried event like this. I am grateful to have been accepted and invited, but I have to admit that I am terrified. I am feverishly working on new inventory, as well as booth design, and promotional materials. I want everything to be perfect, and I am fretting over every little detail which drives both me and my lovely family crazy. It is the bane of being a perfectionist, an overachiever, and slightly neurotic when it comes to quality control... I'll bring along these new appliqued pillows, created entirely from soft vintage linens, with the raw edges left to be touched. I will also have new wall pieces on display and a series of table runners. I wish all of you could join me. If you are in Richmond, VA this weekend I would love to see you. Thank you for all your encouraging comments about the studio tour! It was a great success. We had lots of visitors and good sales. Thanks to everyone who came to visit. It made the weekend very special.

joining the tour

Frantic preparations are underway as I am getting ready for the annual Artisans Studio Tour this weekend. 15 studios in the Charlottesville area will open their doors and a total of 30 artists will showcase their work and craft. I will be at The Barn Swallow along with potters Janice Arone and Mary Ann Burk, and textile artist Enid Adams. I'll bring a stack of fresh leaves to demonstrate my leaf printing technique and I am introducing new bags, art quilts, and pillows. The fun fig market totes are also available in the shop. The studios are open from 10 - 5 both days. For more information, directions, and other details visit the tour website. The weather is supposed to be glorious and I hope you will join us if you are in the area!

imogene + willie

If it was not so far, I would take my lovely husband by the hand jump in the car and head over to imogene + willie. We would get there in time for some shopping, and I would finally find that perfect pair of jeans I have been searching for. Then we would stay for supper and song by the bonfire in the back yard, hanging out with other imogene + willie friends and Lalai the lab.

Imogene + willie is a boutique/design studio/manufacturing center housed in an old gas station in Nashville, TN. The company was founded by husband and wife team Matt and Carrie Eddmenson, who after working for years developing denim wear for big brand names wanted to branch out on their own. Imogene + willie is a unique concept where creativity, craftsmanship, and authenticity is flourishing under one roof. Person to person interaction is at the core of their business model, as is utilizing local talent for production, marketing, and photo shoots. The store is filled with their jeans, dresses, and t-shirts, mixed in with vintage finds and other expertly crafted goods. If you can't make it to Nashville I encourage you to visit their website (don't miss the fantastic introductory video by John Moessner), browse their look book, or contact them to find out how to get your hands on those perfect cuffed jeans.