Fill Your Wishes

Derek and I hope All your wishes are fulfilled this Holiday Season.

Derek's dream Christmas tree. All the Best... Tracey

Always..... New skirts, tops, dresses in linen and cotton will be featured in my Trunk Sales. Also on the cutting table bamboo yoga clothing.

The Show is Going Great

Here we are half way through the show and it has been very busy. Thank goodness because we are here to sell and you need people through the doors in order to make sales. I know my customer and she is showing up at the sale. Lucky for us that urban woman often likes Derek's metal work as well. His new peanut in the shell feeder has been a received enthusiastically, less than half are left. My new suit has been in the fashion show daily which has resulted in many women coming directly to my booth after the show to check out my other pieces.

The Countdown Has begun

The One of a Kind show starts a week from today. November 28 at 10am. There will be over 800 exhibitors from all over Canada at the show.

Here's where all of the sewing happens. It's getting rather crowded in here and typical of any 3 year old, my grandson Tyson, chooses spots in my sewing room in which to hide. Between the furniture and the bolts of fabric, it's playhouse heaven. I often find hot wheels cars "parked in it's garage" under piles of cut pattern pieces.

Derek's sparking up a storm. Just don't look at the bright light while he is working.

Save Money and Come See Me

Use this link to order tickets and save money. https://www.microspec.com/tix123/eTic.cfm?code=OOAKX13&promo=ASDrgfm

Here are a couple of pictures of one of my new pieces I will have for sale at the OOAK show.

Rocks and Sculpture

There was a great party for the unveiling of Derek's sculpture on Saturday. The Gilroys, pictured with Derek, commissioned Derek to build a sculpture that would hold a door which they purchased in Morocco. Derek's work which has always been very architectural in flavour works beautifully with the door.

Nick Eyles, Professor of Geology at the University of Toronto, was there to take us on a tour of the rocks which have been collected and displayed on the site of the Gilroy's home. We learned about the history of the rock specimens, how they were formed and how incredibly old they are.

This siltstone rock is from the Ottawa area and shows the beauty of the weather worn surface.

Ice Cream

There is so much involved when selling art. People want to see where you live, how you live and what gives you inspiration. We have always been here to answer those questions as well as others and tried to make people feel welcomed. We have been able to treat people to the sight of art, the soothing sounds of the birds, the fragrance of the blooming flowers and now the taste of great ice cream. We have rearranged our shop and brought in a freezer which will hold many flavours of ice cream made by Kawartha Dairy. From art to ice cream is it that big of a leap? It's not really from art to ice cream it's art and ice cream.

What does one wear to a wedding held at Toronto's Old Fort York you ask.

Well after a little research, an outfit that is reminiscent of the Fort's Officer's uniform and the Sgt. Pepper's album cover. The first show of my season is the Beyond the Valley studio tour and there will be uniform jackets for the fashion forward fashionista in all of us. www.beyondthevalley.ca

Repeat Customers

The robins are back and nesting in one of our sculptures. Here is an example of coexistence and mutual appreciation. There are only a few ways to make a completed sculpture more interesting and this is one of them.

Busy Days at Gallery 111

It was a busy weekend at Gallery 111. The Barrie Spring Art Tour brought many through the doors. Spring really is upon us now and it's about time. Not that I'm anxious or anything...... well yes I am. New season, new art, come check it out.

Ruby Diego on TV

That's the way it goes, hurry up and wait. I got to the studio nice and early so that I could dress the two girls who host the local show, DayTime on RogersTV, and then I sat and waited. I always bring work with me so I got some sewing done in the greenroom. Just before the show we were ushered into the studio where we sat and waited again. OK it's my turn. How do explain what your clothing design business is all about in 5 minutes? I have an assortment of jewellery on the table behind me but we never got to it. I could have talked about my designs for an hour but I'm happy with what we did. Show's over, picture time and we say our goodbyes. The two hosts look great in the clothing I provided for them. Thanks girls.

Buttons

I couldn't believe this when I saw it. A jar of Haunted Buttons. I thought I was the only one that was scared of, repulsed by and fascinated by a jar of buttons. I am a sewer and have been making clothing since I took home ec in high school so how can I be afraid of a jar of buttons. I have a vivid memory of sitting on the stairs going down to the basement in my childhood home and staring around the corner to my Mother's sewing area and that big jar of buttons. I must have been about five or six at the time. I don't know why they bothered me but a jar of buttons can still do it to me. In my adult life I have very rarely worn anything with buttons on it. No button down shirts, it's always been pull-overs for me.

Tucson.....

What to do... What to do............ You can find any size of almost any mineral here, from amethyst to petrified wood. This tent is full of pearls, pearls and more pearls. The string I happened to pick up was selling for $2800. Buckets of mineral slabs were available for lapidary work. New to Tucson this 6.5 ton meteorite. The gem tents go on and on. Just stopping for some waffles at the side of the highway. The Mineral Explorer with a fan.

Here we are in Tucson again.

We came originally just for the gem show but now we come for the eccentric city as well. Riding the city bus, like we do lets you see all aspects of city life. In the north of the city there is a new Whole Foods,"whole paycheck" grocery store that has a bar serving wine and beer on tap with large screen TVs for your viewing pleasure. The store was packed with upscale patrons wandering around eating and drinking. In the south end is another grocery store which caters to the Mexican population. It reminds me of our No Frills grocery at home with the addition of Virgin Mary statues in every size and almost every hot sauce known to man. My new favourite grocery store is one we found today just a short walk from where we are staying. My guess is that it has been around since Tucson was a whistle stop for the railroad. There wasn't any dust on top of the cans so there must be a half decent turnover. Hope so! Mom and Pop shops have never looked so good.

Day Out

Derek and I had a rare day out and who did we see but the guy we listen to every week day morning.

Being stay at home artists, like all of the other stay at home artists out there we listen to cbc. It just seems to go with the territory. Q with Jian Ghomeshi. When I finally got to meet him after standing in line for a while he signed my book and noticed that I had written some comments in the book. We agreed that Talking Heads was one of the best bands in the early eighties but I could not understand how he could like Rush. To each his own. The next day after meeting Jian I sent him an email saying that a number of years ago I heard a couple of girls sending their Mums a Mother's Day gift of a song. I too would like that same gift, to hear Leigh-Anne singing on the radio. What are my chances?

Stones and Stones

New Necklaces.......