Winter Solace

While the kids were sleding I captured a shot of what was around me. It is the time of year to look at what is right in front of us and not to take anything for granted.

ATC trade

I received this trade from Annica Lindsten of Sweden the day before Christmas. What a wonderful gift. Check out Annica's blog for all her wonderful work.
Even the packaging was festive.

Enjoy

Christmas Day

enjoy the moment
thank you Jessica for this new ornament

Winter Wonderland

Don't you just love snowdays?

Buy Handmade

As part of the second annual Salem Open Studios, Feed Your Head will be hosting a Boston Handmade Trunk Show on Saturday, December 8, from 10 am to 6 pm and Sunday, December 9, from 10 am to 5 pm.

The Etsy Boston group, Boston Handmade, is a gathering of artists and designers who support one another in the pursuit of creativity made by hand. All members of Boston Handmade are registered sellers on www.etsy.com, an online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade, and are locally based in Massachusetts.

The Boston Handmade Trunk Show will offer a unique experience for shoppers to support local artists, designers, and business while getting a leg up on holiday shopping and enjoying light refreshments. Instead of an impersonal shopping trip to the mall to buy mass-produced goods, shoppers will be able to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience discovering unique handmade goods from art to jewelry to paper goods to accessories while getting the opportunity to meet and talk with the artists behind the creations.

Participating artisans are as follows:

Dawn Wilson

Amy Olson

Jaye Frisina

Allison Fraske

Jessica Burko

PAYING IT FORWARD

PAYING IT FORWARD.... is a great concept that has been around for a while. So fasinated by the concept I rented the movie . It brings me back to Sprinkles (the zine) days and makes me want to revisit the concept and way of life. I found this pledge and wanted to try it. How fun hope you join the movement.


Paying it forward, a la Dale Ann.

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 Bloggers who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange.
I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week… LOL… but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise!
The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

Trash to Treasure - New Scarves

These scaves are made from designer fabric sample books. Normally when the material is no longer available the books get thrown away. The fabric has never been used other than to show off fabric in bite size pieces. My favorite decorating place Ace Glass and Decorating saves the books for me. I take the fabric from the books and prepare it by cutting it into strips. I start by picking a color and build on that theme. These one of a kind scarves are assembled on a sewing machine. The ends are then hand sewn and embellished with fancy yarns or vintage buttons.

Vendor Night in Uxbridge, MA

The Taft school is having it's first ever vendor fair to benefit the Uxbridge Special Education PAC for Uxbridge Schools.
Come and visit the show and mention this postcard and you will receive 10% off your creatively anew purchase.

Dahlia's Show

For those in the Boston area, I will be doing a "Boston Handmade" show on Sunday, November 18th from 12-5:00 PM.

There will be complimentary wine and hors d'ouvres! Other Boston Handmade members featured include Amy Olson Jewelery, Designs by Lulubelle, Jessica Burko, Paper Menagerie, Ship by RLS, Stonehouse Studio, Thirteenthstory and Zesty Betsy.



The show is being held at Dalias Wine Bar and Bistro at 1657 Beacon Street in Brookline, Massachusetts. Come by, say hi, do some holiday shopping, and enjoy some wine and cheese!

I will have some new scarves for the cold winter months coming up. Come see them and mention this blog and get 10% off your purchase at Dahlia's!!!

Girl Time

Look up to the sky...
What a wonderful day at the Garden in the Woods. It was last Saturday already and my daughter and I took a trek over to Framingham for a new adventure. It has been on my to do list since June and in the last week i finally got there. What a wonderful adventure we had. We wandered the forest and found a wonderful place to make a fairy house.
There were only a few couples wandering around. It felt like a magical experience being in such a wonderful place. It also gave my daughter and I some time together in nature loving every minute of the experience. Surprises around every corner.
Try a new experience today and discover your bliss.

Vendor night was the hot spot

Thank you everyone who turned out for the Vendor's Night in Grafton. Boy was it hot and rainy but you came out anyway. Gearing up for the next show on Nov 18 at Dahlia's Wine Bar and Bistro in Brookline, MA more info to come. Here is the latest pieces created. Some blank journals with collage and fabric.

Women's Night Out Show

Trash to Treasure - Holiday Cards

It is getting close to the holidays and usually there a plethora of cards that get sent around this time. If you are not one of those people that collects and reuses cards, PLEASE consider sending holiday cards to St. Jude's Ranch, a nonprofit home for youths that collects old holiday cards for reuse. Either cut off the backs of the cards or leave them intact. Children at St. Jude's earn money by creating new holiday cards from the old.

Mail the cards UPS "ground" or "bound printed matter" to
St. Jude's Card Recycling
100 St. Jude Street
P.O. Box 60100
Boulder City, NV 89006

There are many cool ideas and projects to using the cards for craft projects. Just google “recycle cards” and see what fun project you can come up with.

Send me one of your projects and I will post them! Deadline is December 31, 2007. Everyone submitting a project will get an envelope of "sprinkles" for their trouble.

Busy Week

It was such a great creative week. Up at 4 am most mornings cranking on the art and lovin' it. Friday night I went to see Owen Plant with Ryanhood, what a great surprise they were fantastic.
Saturday I went to Belchertown to visit artist Sharon Macarthy at her home with her new studio addition. What a dream studio and beautiful house she has. I also went to the Fiber Arts Center to see the exhibit "Fiber + Book" which was an interesting exhibit. I enjoyed the natural fiber aspect and the creative expression of the book.

Creative Energy

It is so amazing how the creative process works. I spent a Saturday with my friend Jessica Burko and since that day the creative juices have been overflowing. So many new projects in the works. I just got accepted to "Women's Night Out" here in Grafton, MA so come visit on October 19th from 7-10 pm. I will have brand new journals (the beginning of these are pictured above), tin lid collage and many other surprises. I am also working on recreating my website and my new business cards were ordered yesterday. Oh I can't wait to see how they come out!!!
GO CREATE! and have a creatie day
xo
dawn

Trash to Treasure - ATC's

A new feature will be my trash to treasure posts. Having been thinking about the artwork I do and where I get my supplies I have come up with a before and after if you will. Obsessed with rescuing items from the trash I found these papers and chipboard. The buttons came from a swap.
Participating in a Welcome Swap with Boston Handmade of ATC's I thought these supplies would be perfect. I cut the chipboard to 3 x 2-1/2" Then I sew the hearts to paper or fabric. Punching holes in the chipboard I sew through the paper/fabric with yarn. Finish it off with sewing or gluing on buttons and wallah ATC's for trading. Email me at dwreality@verizon.net if you are interested in a trade.
Have a creative day
Dawn

Where life takes us

There has been 6 years since our towers have fallen and how has life changed for you? Do you remember where you were? Do you remember the feeling you had? Take today and remember your life and where it has taken you.

Summer

With the summer over I look back to see where the time has gone.
MAY
Having many "BIG" projects to do the month of May was a little overwhelming, to say the least. My sister was to be married in July and the invitations that I was making needed to be done. With a last hurrah weekend we finished assembling them and out in the mail they went. WOW what a lot of work.
There was also my first Providence Open Market show which was a great experience but at the wrong time. I set up with my friend Natalie Gillihan of Lake Quinsigamond Pottery and we had a fantastic day.
To finish out the month my first CD design job was completed and sent to the printers. Check out Lisa Martin LIVE Lisa is a singer songwriter and is very talented. Acoustic Folk Rock is her genre and she kicks you know what.
JUNE
Well with School ending and a Girl Scout finale of camping and bridging event where I was honored with the Leader of the Year, to my surprise. Thank you all who wrote letters and nominated me, you are all very special.
My sister's bridal shower, that had a lot of coordinating and planning, I breathed a sigh of relief that it was over.
With doing all of these things in such a short span of time I decided I would just hibernate. We moved down to our summer camp after the kids got out of school and vegged. I didn't pick up any artwork until late July. I was burnt out. No more shows I said. NOTHING....
JULY
July was the rejuvination month which lasted until August. Being by the water and just chilling. Not having to be anywhere, no deadlines. Well except for THE wedding day which was such a beautiful day and went very smoothly. My children were like a princess and prince and I saw them as wonderful beings who are so bright and innocent from this world. "What a wonderful world" - Louis Armstrong

April

Well April was a busy month but the highlights were joining the Etsy Boston Street Team which has now turned into Boston Handmade



Joining such a wonderful group of talented people was the kick start I needed to get my business ideas in gear.
Here is a treasurey Amy Olsen put together for the group.

I am excited to be part of this group and will be making changes to the website and shop to accomodate the new ideas.

Another highlight was going to see Owen Plant at Passim.


He is a talented singer songwriter that I have had the pleasure to meet. Check out his website to hear some of his music.
He is playing in September again so check him out.

Summer love

Well Hellllllooooooooooooooooo
I am breaking out of my summer cocoon and returning to civilization. We are so fortunate to live at my inlaws lake cottage for the summer. It is a magical place to unwind and relax. No TV, computers etc... Although we still work it slows life down a bit to connect with nature and each other.
So much has gone on during this summer I will fill you all in soon. I am gearing up for the Fall and busy-ness of life. Artwork has been good and little by little I've been doing more of it.



Check out my article just published in the newest Handcrafted by Somerset Studio on news stands now

Rainy NorEaster

Well in New England you never know what your gonna get for weather. Today we had a NorEaster which in the winter would have been feet of snow. Instead it's inches of rain. Good day to hang out with the kids. We had a fun day. 1st Ange came up with an art project we will be working on this week. We made a large slide like viewer to look at the sky. then we painted it on a small piece of paper. we each are making a strip of them.
Then it was shaving cream on the glass table. They could have done that all day. of course you need to wash it off so into the tub with bathing suits and fits of laughter. WOW I wish I could get so energized from it all like they do.

I took pics but can't find my cabel to download them boo hoo
as soon as I find it i will post
creatively
dawn

new grouping

this is the current blocking for the website. I've included a picture of myself even though I don't like pictures of myself. I hope to keep this changing with new artwork. Keeping it fresh and alive, just like spring. Ahhhh spring I really want the warm weather to be here. Keep the faith

peace

Life is amazing

I am amazed daily at how life unfolds in front of our eyes. Last saturday I had a play date with my dear friend Jess. It was pure heaven. We did our artwork, we talked about artwork, we laughed what a gift from heaven. Since I have been jazzed and experimenting with different media combinations. Embossing powder, fusible webbing, fibers, burning paper, resin necklaces, book arts and everyday something else evolves.

I also had chai with Mary and talked more about art. What a perfect day.

The universe is redirecting me to live my joy. It is possible. Everyday to choose your thoughts, redirect my thoughts, choose the good thoughts because we are our thoughts. If you haven't read the Hicks book series you should look them up. If I can soak up this information and start living it my life will change dramatically and all for the better.

I also met Linda Brescia this week. What a generous artistic soul. She told me about this book, wonderful techniques and eye candy if you love texture.

So life is coming into the season of spring. I wish you bursting buds, large pink and orange gerber daisies, and the sun shining on your face.

Hearts of Stone

Stones

In the sunshine

Remember

Alone

Hearts of Stone

colors of the heart

where do we stand in the mist of it all?

Lovely photo from California. Day by Day we go along remembering all the things we've done, all the things we want to do. Bursts of creativity come and go. Melencoly knocking at the door waiting to come in for a visit and never leave. Fight the urge to get stuck in the same ol' same ol'. Challenge yourself. You can do it! Get up and feel the sun on your skin! Write to that special someone you've been thinking of. Remember who you are in this lifetime. Splendid, fantastic and lovely.

Create anew

Life is an art. How you treat people translates in all you do.

Winter is leaving us slowly and I look forward to spring with it's warm sun, fresh air, and the cleansing of the soul.

Let the light of day spark your creative juices

Dawn

Takes time away

Blogging takes so much time away from creating actual artwork. Especially when you have so little time to give. so here is my latest work I working on an interpretation on Catrina by Miquel Linares.
So if I find some extra time to post I will periodically. Otherwise keep watching the website for some up to date work and happenings.