Spring is definitely in the air!  We've had rain, some light snow flurries, wind, now temps in the high 60's... how typical for Springtime in the High Country!  If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes!
Recently, on a very windy day this lovely was seen holding on for dear life on the stoop outside our front door:

I kept an eye on him throughout the day, and I think he survived... gone the next morning.  You have to be a hardy lot to survive the winds out here!
On the gallery front, we had our Opening Reception April 6 for our 17th annual Recycle Art Exhibit at our new gallery location in Flagstaff Mall:

As you can see, we had a wonderful turn-out for the event, and the exhibit is fabulous!  Below is a piece created by the sixth grade class at one of our local middle schools, using Picasso for their inspirations:

This one captured my heart and imagination... such a wonderfully colorful piece! 

On the home front, I have been very busy in the studio, continuing to work on adding to my inventory.  Our regular exhibit at the gallery will open May 4, and I am also participating in the Spring Expo at the mall that day, so no rest for the weary!  Below is a bowl I finished the other day... the bright, cheery colors had me giggling with joy as I created it!  Which reminds me, if you are in the Flagstaff area and are interested in learning how to make these bowls, my next class is scheduled for Saturday, May 11 at Odegaard's Quilt Store.  Stop by and sign up!

I've also been listing some of my work in my Artfire shop on-line, so take a peek... you might find something you can't live without!  

Okay, time to get back to work... the days are flying by, and I have lots more to do to prepare for our summer rush!   

October Show and Tell

This has been a busy month for me!  I am working to build up my inventory for Holiday shopping.

Silk Scarves

Trivets in 3 sizes

I also taught my first Lids, Handles and Embellishments bowl class on the 13th.

I had 5 lovely gals in class, and they took off running with these new techniques!

And I have continued to add items to my Artfire Store, for those who are not in the Flagstaff Area.

Weather-wise, we had our first snowfall of the season:

I stayed home and thoroughly enjoyed watching it come down... love the changing seasons!

Last week, my friend Cinde and I took a day trip through Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona and ended up in Jerome, a quaint art colony located in an old mining town.  I didn't get shots of the town, but did get a shot of the San Francisco Peaks in the distance:

So with just a couple of weeks until the Holiday Expo show November 3, I'm busy working on what I will bring to sell.  The show will be at the Flagstaff Mall from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and there will be a number of Artists' Coalition of Flagstaff Artists there to show and sell their work.  If you are in the area, I hope you will stop by!

My class on bowl making

Yesterday, I taught my class on how to make a coiled fabric bowl, to 9 students!  That's a record number for one of my classes, but it worked out well.  All were anxious to learn how to make the bowls, and by the end of the day, each student had made a bowl to take home with them, and they were enthusiastic about making more!  Here are some photos I took during class:

Students working diligently on their bowls

Barbara working on the last few rows

Carla and Jeanna making great progress

Sue and Marla, with their colorful creations

Karen's bright, cheerful bowl, almost done

Karen with her finished bowl

Sharon, focused on her project

Sherry, with her colorful bowl

I was so pleased that all of the students seemed to have a fun, productive day, and hope they will continue creating more bowls.  My next class - Lids, Handles & Embellishments - is scheduled for next month, open only to students who have taken my basic bowl class, and there are at least 2 from this class who plan to sign up.  I will post pictures of that class afterword.  Happy bowl-making, ladies!

Coiled Bowl Class and "Blue Lady"

I taught my first Coiled Fabric Bowl class yesterday at our local quilt store, Odegaard's Sewing.  I had 7 lovely ladies as my students - one was a self-confessed complete novice to sewing - and they were just great!  We had a four hour class, and I took them through the whole process with some individual coaching where needed.  Here are some shots of the class, and a group shot at the end (one lady had to leave early, but all the others were either finished with their bowl or real close!)

I am teaching the class again May 5, and I hope the next group is as great to work with as these gals were.

On another note, I have been getting back into making "Spirit Dolls", something I began dabbling in about a year ago.  Here are the ones I made last year:

I loved how these came out, but I think I have taken my dolls to a new level with the one I just finished:

I call her "Blue Lady".  One of the things I like is the face, which is one of 3 I bought from Lyn Belisle.  She makes them from clay and they are fired, then painted.  The features are lovely, and the size is a little larger than the ones I made from a mold.  "Blue Lady is about 20" long and 9" wide at the arms.  

Now that I have more wood to work with, and a plethora of fabrics, yarns and other fiber and bead embellishments, I hope to have some sisters for her soon... and they will be on display at the Arts Connection Gallery in the Flagstaff Mall starting in May.  Come by and welcome the ladies!