Flatwoods Folk Art

Do you ever feel.....

Do you ever feel like just when you are getting ahead of the game, whatever the game may be at that given moment, that something comes along that knocks you back down?  I think I'm kind of feeling that way today.

I had just finished the two books for my giveaway winners, was starting to get the "studio" organized, getting the house settled back down after all of the painting and wham I came down with this horrible stomach virus Saturday evening and it lasted through Sunday evening.  YUCKO!  My ribs and sides hurt so bad that I actually took pain meds last night in order to be able to get to sleep. 

Tom is the best at taking care of you when you are sick and he definitely had a dose of it this weekend.  Because on Sunday his mother started with the same tummy ick that I had.  He told me I was Ward B and his mom was Ward A and he just kind of stayed in the middle to make sure we were both taken care of.  He is a trooper and I hope Santa takes extra good care of him on Christmas day.

So, anyhoo, back to me and my pity pot.  I worked on a small booklet for one of my altered tins last night as I sat in bed...have you ever tried to create art in bed while you are sick?  As Tom's mother would say, NOT GOOD!  *S* 

Now I am trying to get back in the swing of things with creating, I am shipping items that we have been selling on Etsy and on or website and I am taking photos of the giveaway books before I ship them off.

I will post photos of a few altered tins I will be listing on Etsy this week so please be on the lookout!

Hugs to everyone and thanks for the pity pot time.  *S*

Lesley

Monday's Musings

Good Morning Everyone,

I love the colors of Autumn...so bright and crisp and brilliant!!

In keeping with the hues of Fall I have found the following beauties on Etsy....

The Pretty 1

Gypsy Intent

Irregular Expressions

Japonica's

Lorelei Designs

Tijusai

Jamn Glass

Brook Owens

Cardinal House

Enjoy spending time perusing these beautiful shoppes on Etsy.

Autumn Blessings to you all,

Lesley

In this space...

Good Morning Everyone,

During a time in our lives when it feels like our economy will never be the same and people who never thought they would have to worry about money are having to feel those pressures it seems that it is so easy to get caught up in the WE that we forget that there are those that are dealing with much deeper issues.

In light of these feelings this morning I wanted to take a step out of the "Lesley" box and post/blog about a heart rending story that is happening right where Tom and I live in Virginia. 

It began on October 17, 2009 when a Virginia Tech student, Morgan Harrington, went to a Metallica concert with friends in Charlottesville, Virginia and vanished.  There is still no sign of Morgan although 2600 acres have been searched for clues of her disappearance.

The family has set up a website, a family blog and there is a reward available.  Please take the time to read about Morgan and to check out her photos and other stats.  Here is the link:

http://findmorgan.com/

Please say prayers for Morgan, her family, friends and community as we try to bring her home.

Blessings to you all,

Lesley

 

Monday's Musings.....

Good Morning Everyone,

Today I went in search of antique Halloween items on Etsy.  I am not sure that they are all antique but I can tell you that I came across from very spooky items for sale.  It truly is the witching month.....

19 MOONS

 

SWEET LIBERTY PRIMS

ARQUEBUS STUDIOS

 REMNANTS (MY FRIENDS KERIN & CHARLEY)

SUSHI POT

 

MUSEUM OF SLEEP

LONDON'S GATE

JANIE D. MATTERN

 ORBITING DEBRIS

ART GIRRL

Have a wonderfully ghoulish time as you soak up these shops.

Blessings to you all.

Lesley

 

A few tags from my online class...

Good Morning Everyone,

I wanted to post a few photos of the tags I have created in my samples for the Tape Transfer Tag Classroom that I am teaching over at My Creative Classroom.  If you haven't signed up you still have time...click on any of the tags and it will take you to the site....

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I will be posting about more good news either tomorrow or Tuesday so be sure not to miss that announcement.  <smile>

Blessings to you all,

Lesley

Just in case you have forgotten.....

Hey Everyone!

Just in case you have forgotten I have a giveaway going on to help promote my class at KC's Artist Studio Retreat in Colorado in February.

Here is the link to the original post:

http://flatwoodsfolkart.typepad.com/flatwoods_folk_art/2009/09/a-giveaway.html

Please pop over and read it cuz the giveaway date is fast approaching!!

Hugs to you all!!!

Lesley

P.S.  Please think about donating to our Chip In for Tina Wright.  Even if all you can do is $1 every little bit counts. 

Help for a fellow artist...

Good Morning Everyone,

Tina Wright, a friend, fellow artist and one of the creators of Paper Cowgirl in Waxachie, Texas, recently found out she has advanced stage colon cancer. 

Tina has such a beautiful spirit and her determination and bravery in fighting this disease truly inspired me to want to reach out to this blogging and online community to ask for your help.  The costs of the tests, treatments and surgeries are just another stressor for family already having to deal with a diagnosis such as this so I have set up a Chip In for those that feel compelled to help.

I know that we have all been in those positions where someone has reached out and helped us and perhaps this will be seen as a time to pay that forward to Tina.  Every dollar helps so please give as you are able to.

I would also like to ask that if you blog or have a website that you place the Chip In Widget there as well so that we can get the word out to as many people as possible.  If you cannot get the widget on yoru blog please send your bloggers to mine so that they might also have the opportunity to help Tina.

Here is the link to Tina's Chip In Page:  http://flatwoodsfolkart.chipin.com/mypages/view/id/1428447d1b777db4

You can grab the html code for the widget on that page as well.

Please go here for Tina's Blog:  http://tina-wright.blogspot.com/

Go Here for Paper Cowgirl:  http://papercowgirl.blogspot.com/

Remember...every prayer, every bit of positive energy, every positive thought and every cent counts.

Blessings to you all,

Lesley

Online Classes Begin Today!

Hi Everyone!!!

My two online classes at My Creative Classroom begin today!  I am so excited and hope that all of my students are as well.  <smile>

If you would like to sign up there is still plenty of time....just click on the links under my banner above to be taken to the information.

Have a beautifully blessed day everyone!!

Lesley

 

Art & Soul Wisconsin - Registration begins tomorrow (10/11)

Good Evening Everyone,

Registration for the newest Art & Soul Retreat to be held in Madison, Wisconsin begins tomorrow (10/11) at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Here are the classes I will be teaching:

Inside The Vintage Album

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SALVAGE SHRINES

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will also be teaching an evening ATC Class.......

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Altered Tin Class

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We hope to see you there!!!  If you have any questions about my classes please be sure to either post here or email me.

Blessings to everyone!!

Lesley

 

A Lesson Learned...

Good Evening Everyone,

Well, Tom and I learned a lesson regarding our website and how we should handle it while we are away for extended periods of time. 

Tom placed a message on our website The Wednesday before we left stating that we would be out of town and not shipping orders until after we arrived back home on October 7th.  It appears that this message was not seen by one of our customers who placed an order on the website and some ill feelings have been a result of this. 

So in the future I believe we will have to do more than just place a message in large letters stating the dates we will be gone and the date we will return and that shipments will not go out  until after our return. 

I am a sole proprietorship and we buy, invoice and ship on our own.  As those of you who know us from art retreats, our blogs and our website we pride ourselves on trying to go above and beyond with our products and service and this incident really has me shaken. 

I have tried explaining the situation to the customer to no avail.  I do not like leaving things not settled but all I can do is keep my side of the road clean.  What's the saying....stay calm and carry on.

Thank you all for letting me talk about this issue here.  We would love any ideas or hints on how others handle their sites while they are away for extended periods of time.

Blessings to you all,

Lesley