Jill Cardinal at Passionflower Design

How lucky were we when local teacher and artist Jill Cardinal said, "Yes, she'd love to have a show upstairs in our attic gallery during the month of September." ? And yes, she would be happy to curate our front window with a little teaser for her show entitled A LITTLE FOREST FOR MY HEART & OTHER STORIES. The show opens on Friday September 3 , the window is up now. And, as always we are charmed and amazed by what happens when we throw open our window (so to speak), let an artist wander through our basement and showfloor and bring their magic to the space. And we are equally as intrigued as we wonder just what will flow from the studio of this prolific artist. I first met Jill when I took one of her classes at Oregon Art Supply - she is the queen of collage and book arts in Eugene. And you know we love collage and bookarts!

Jill has a lot of hearts.....see them all in a banner across the window?

And here's these small clay hearts that she's making with sticks and wires and metal pieces attached to them......


It is a magical forest......

And if you're here on Friday night about 6 p.m., and if you listen very carefully, you may hear some remarks from the artis. In the meantime click here should you like to read her artist's statement. Or click here should you like to get some ideas about the classes she is teaching at Oregon Art Supply

Saving the World

One flower at a time......

A little visual prayer for water.

Visiting Lark Press in Portland

Here's one of my favorite cards we've had at the shop this year..It's from Lark Press in Portland..and since I was going to Portland and since I'd heard they had their studio kitty korner across the street from Ink & Peat, I figured I could have a most excellent shopping adventure on North Williams St. and meet the folks whose cards I sell as well.

(please do take a moment to take note of the card as it is the classic one speed girl bike - the bike we all dream about)

So after a most inspiring visit to Ink & Peat, in which I was so enchanted I neglected to take my camera out so that you will just have to go to Pam's great blog Housemartin to get an idea of how special her store is, I walked across the street and found

Lark Press.

It's part working studio,

(here's their letterpresses)

and part tres charmant retail with a quasi industrial vibe.

Industrial, urban, and cozy....I liked it.

They had a few walls of cards with a carefully vetted selection. All a little crisp and clean but soulful and witty too.

Plus they evidently had a love of nature and embrace the quirky. What's not to love?

Especially this happy little totem pole like succulent in the brown pot above.

Besides cards, they had original art - most of it hand pressed or printed or pulled by one of the three artists whose work you see above.

Even their brown paper bags were works of art.
I can't wait to show you what I took home with me. Stay tuned.

Summer Clothing

Because Lindsey says I should.......link to other places I discover in net surfing world....Here is a beautiful collaboration between Iben Hoej who is a Danish fashion designer who commissioned British paper artist Su Blackwell to create her papercutouts as context for the clothes. I like independent artists supporting other artists. And I like the fact that, if you like Iben Hoej's clothing, pretty much the closest place you can find it to the states is in Greenland.

An End of July Bridal Bouquet

Here's Becky & Lindsey putting the finishing touches on a bridal bouquet.

Photos by our customer Bill Brewer.

Summer at Home

Watering tillandsias in the kitchen sink

......and trying to remember to keep my mouth closed when I walk in the yard........else it will be full of spiderwebs.

Sticks and Stones

This may be as close to swimming in the river as I will get all summer. And if it sounds like I am whining, it is because I am. Though I must say, I did love these big bold pieces with river rocks and sunflowers......

Flowers &Art - A Winning Combination

Sometimes it doesn't take much......the spent blooms of sage and plantain and some unkown grass sitting in a bouquet by a charcoal drawing......One must not just consider the flowers.

Context is everything.