Remember this shot from Lark Press in Portland? Do you see the green and white print that is at about dead center in this photograph?

Well, I have another question for you.

Exactly how good do you think that print looks in my house? Well readers, that is what is known as a rhetorical question, because we already know the answer. I love everything about this print.... the color, the subject, the literalness, the mystery.......Also, and I know this goes against blog etiquette but I have to talk price here. This is a handscreened print by the artist, it's 5 out of 10 and it cost $50.......and that my friends, wether you shop at Goodwill or Gucci, is a bargain.....or maybe better known as affordable art!

The Jungle of Earthly Delights at Passionflower

While I was gone.....

We replenished our supply of butterfly wings....

got a whole slew of mounted

insects

and many more beautiful framed winged creatures......all of which I think inspired Becky

to raid our stash of fun papers and to cut loose with her favorite striped paper (vintage Target) so that she might dress her boy in some butterfly finery......

Could he be more charmant?

She calls him Jungle Boy......and I want to go on a walk with him.....

Late Summer Store Shots

It was fun coming back to the store after a week in New York and seeing everything with a fresh set of eyes.....(plates by John Derian)

I love the earthy organic vibe (driftwood sculpture & vintage Chinese cart wheel),

our hint of ethnic (Ethian Coptic Cross)

AnD OUr CaBIneT of CuRIosItIes (ceramic tumbler with spider image by Laura Zindel).

It's always good coming home.

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.