Category Archives: talented artists

love lazy gal’s goods

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love lazy gal’s goods
Meet Martha Bishop… a.k.a. Lazy Gal from Williamston, Michigan.  She creates fabulous scarves, pillows and quilts from recycled sweaters.  A portion of her artist statement reads, "My studio is in my kitchen, so I can sew and cook at the same time. I love combining the old and the new.  I use thrown-out sweaters–this lets me make something out of nothing. And I get to go to thrift stores, which combines business with pleasure! .
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hip handmade goods at the ridge art show

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hip handmade goods at the ridge art show
A talented group of local artists are showcasing their wares for you to peruse and purchase for the upcoming holiday season. Visit these lovely artists Nov. 16 & 17 – Friday 6-9 and Saturday 10-5. It’s just a short drive from the Berkley catching fireflies, so if you’re coming out to our open house this Saturday, swing on by to see some of these sweet goods… Siouxsan Miller Jessica Doty Tracy Gallup Marcia Hovland .
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story people speak the truth

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story people speak the truth
Meet Brian Andreas of Story People.  He creates wonderful sculptures and works of art that incorporate ‘stories’ and bright images of figures. When asked about his stories – he comments, "The stories still lead me around at their own pace & if I’m lucky, I understand them soon enough to make sense of what they’re trying to tell me.  I feel that the stories are catalysts & they help give a new form to .
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kool ‘trash’ bags

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kool ‘trash’ bags
So… how do you make money by using garbage, a sewing machine and some thread? Just ask 14 year-old Shaina from Leonard, Michigan.  She brought in some of these juice box bags to our Rochester store and now we can’t keep them in stock.  We also offer them at our Berkley location and she recently  added wallets to the mix. Q. How did you come up with idea to create bags from discarded juice .
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pretty-darn-cute pewter goods

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pretty-darn-cute pewter goods
  Meet Kaycee Binns of Metal Morphosis.  She creates whimsical pewter goods like no other. A portion of her bio reads, "In 1993 I was waiting tables at a café with a dream of someday pursuing my passion for metalsmithing. After being invited to a friend’s baby shower and having no money for a gift, I melted down some left over sterling silver and created a rabbit-themed baby spoon. To my surprise, the spoon .
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hip art for playful hearts

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hip art for playful hearts
Meet Claudine Hellmuth of Orlando Florida… collage artist extraordinaire.  She creates mixed media collages that incorporate paper, paint, fabric, pen and photocopies.  She describes her work as whimsical and colorful with a dash of retro. Claudine is a very busy girl… writing books, putting together instructional dvds, teaching workshops, creating artwork for companies PLUS she still has time to create personalized artwork (as seen above).  You just send her your photographs and she creates .
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the wonderful world of rebe

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the wonderful world of rebe
One of my ‘must-stop-shops’ in Traverse City is Euphoria an earthly beauty boutique.  The warm colors and sweet displays create a wonderful shopping environment. This is where I was introduced to the wonderful world of Rebe handbags. Rebe came to be when Debra Weiss and Hillery Sproatt (a mother-daughter team) decided to follow their dreams.  Debra has a degree in textile design from U.C. at Davis and Hillery brings her art ability and design .
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magical places for you and your muse

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magical places for you and your muse
Meet Bob Thomas, folk artist extraorndinaire, of Monumental Finds in Frankfort, Michigan. Steve and I were headed back home from our recent ‘up-north adventure’ when we drove by these amazing creations.  By the expression on my face, he knew there was a U-turn that needed to happen. (almost 9 years of marriage will do that to ya) Bob’s shop is full of miscellaneous antiques and embellishments he finds in the Shenandoah Valley. And in .
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domaci gallery – worth the drive

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domaci gallery – worth the drive
Meet Mary & Tim Pritchard of Domaci Gallery in Rogers City, Michigan.  Steve and I met Mary & Tim years ago while doing the ‘art fair circuit’ and have kept in touch ever since.  This past winter I got a phone call from Mary with some exciting news… They bought a beautiful old building and were opening a gallery! We finally took a road trip up north this week and got to see their .
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drink in the beauty and wonder

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drink in the beauty and wonder
Meet Parran Collery of Eartha Handmade Tile.  We’ve been carrying her vibrant colored tiles for over five years and I still ooh and ahh over them whenever we get more in stock. A portion of her bio reads, "Encouraged at an early age by her artist-mother, Parran’s interest in art never wavered, even as she explored the worlds of psychology, womens studies, and literature in college. After graduating from the University of Vermont in .
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