The View from my Nest...

Much of my home is decorated with my kid's artwork!

Winter has finally arrived here in Colorado! It has snowed all day and I am feeling cozy here at home. I'm fortunate to work from a home-based studio near the Rocky Mountains, and when we have a long snow weekend in front of us, it brings to mind many snowy Colorado memories. I wish the kids or my brothers were here and wanting to make a snow fort!
I want to share an image from my home today, and that's what I call a view from my nest. I know---enough already with the bird references! I'm a bird-nerd. But once again, I truly do have a great bird photo to share and will leave it at that! If you are enjoying a snowy winter day where you are, I toast you with my hot chocolate :)     Happy New Year to each of you!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne





We Love Birds?!

I always have a look out for organizations and companies that share my love of birds. One reason for this is that I collect birds and bird images for my home and as gifts. I think birds add charm and beauty to our home. I also like the gift of a bird-themed item, as I think it is light-hearted and it reminds me of nesting and coziness. I hope my friends and family still like (or even love) birds!

I was poking around the Internet and found an organization new to me called http://www.welovebirds.org/. Of course, I had to check it out. This site is fun to visit and is perfect for folks who love having pet birds in their home. You can buy bird feeders, cages, supplies, toys, and several movies to watch (when watching your real-life birds gets boring). My daughter is a trainer at a bird aviary in Loveland, Colorado, and I know that birds like to be entertained and challenged when they interact with humans. I was glad I found this website!

It has been a 9 years since I had a bird in my home. My son especially liked working with the parakeets we used to enjoy, and our supply of bird paraphernalia is stored in the rafters. I may need to start thinking about pulling those items down and making room in my home for living birds...they would look great beside my wool ones!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Time flies at year end!

Museum of Contemporary Art Show in Boulder Colo.

I am astounded that I haven't touched my blog since December 8th! I haven't checked in with the folks I follow, either, so I am really out of the loop! Besides my annual gig as Santa's little helper, I've been spending a lot of time planning and scheming about how Nestle and Soar Studio will function in 2011. This is a fun and terrifying job!

My new website is almost ready to go live, and that is something I've wanted for a while. I've been showing my folk art in museum shows and craft fairs in Colorado in November and December, and it is always rewarding to watch people look at my art...wonderful to receive face-to-face feedback. I am also designing a new series of bird-inspired valentines in time for the love-fest that is February! If you love love, you'll enjoy this new series.

Grandpa and Brayden (our littlest Santa)

The most important thing I've been doing for the past 3 weeks is getting ready to host family and friends for Christmas. Our kids and their kids won't all be able to gather at one time this year. I send out my heart to all of you who, like us, have kids in the service this holiday season. No matter how, when, or where we "gather" in body or in spirit, may each of our homes be filled with peace and laughter as we close out 2010 and prepare for 2011.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Bright Orange and Pink Sunsets...

What's on my studio table today...

Today I am thinking about those orange and pink and yellow sunsets that just blow your socks off! This is the kind of sunset that makes you want to pull the car over and just look at it for 5 minutes. This is the kind of sunset that should you be lucky enough to share it with your significant other, fireworks might well happen!

As I think about bright sunsets, I decided to start making a wool version of my own. I am far from finished, but I couldn't resist sharing my progress today. Here is the wool-on-wool-on-wool stage of my needle felting. It will be a week or so before I am ready to add other elements to what I hope is a landscape view of a sunset in the distance. Wish me luck!

Laura Johnston's photo on Etsy

I also have been looking at what other artists do to express the awe-inspiring sunset, and thought I'd share my favorite find. A fellow Etsy.com artist named Laura Johnston took this amazing photo and is selling archival prints of it. I think it is remarkable, and not just because there are birds involved! As I continue to enjoy my reminiscing about sunsets this week in the studio, I think I'll try to capture the vibrant energy in Laura's photo. you can see Laura's etsy shop here.

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Knitter's Paradise

Click here to see more about Yarn Keep

My knitting-to-relax habit has served me well in the past few weeks. I've really noticed that if I don't knit in the evening right before bedtime, I don't sleep as well! The rhythmic motion of this mindless activity seems to put me in a trance.

"I took up knitting from time to time as a relaxation, but I always put it down again before going out to buy a rocking chair." Beatrice Lilllie, 1898.

Does my enjoyment of knitting make me sound like an old lady? Maybe not if I haven't added the rocking chair yet!

I understand there are lots of celebrities who also knit...not that what celebrities do has any impact on me. It just helps me think of knitting as not just for old ladies. I've heard that Julia Roberts, Tracey Ullman, Dakota Fanning, Kristin Davis, and, get ready for it, Tim Daly, enjoy knitting. Perhaps people who have to spend a significant amount of time waiting around like knitting. I've noticed it is more social than reading because you can talk while you knit.

Blue Sweater -- already knit!!! Click here to learn more.

I found two lovely items for those who love knitting like me...one is for those who actively knit and the other for those who enjoy hand knit items! Hope you enjoy checking them out...and oh, yeah, here's a picture of Tim Daly. Just for fun!















Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne

Organization for a Craft Room

I guess I do like lots of color!

I will admit that my studio is a bit chaotic. The wall colors are bright and splashy. Every horizontal surface is filled with collectibles and objects in more bright colors. I work with all kinds of fiber, and that is fluffy and taking over! So when I think about organizing a craft room, my own space cries out for attention. 

Sometimes I fantasize about having the kind of studio that looks like it was just featured in a lifestyles of the rich and famous magazine--you know the kind--more ads for fancy perfume and watches than editorial content. Other times, I fantasize about having the kind of studio that tolerates paint messes on the floor and rowdy wine and book club ladies after hours. Mostly, I'd just like to find the stuff I'm looking for.



Soft wool is a great pincushion--it lubricates your needles!

I have been planning a few craft organization ideas lately. One place that gets my mental vacuum cleaner going is a site called ThreadBanger. I have linked the post I'm referring to and it is filled with inspirational photos of craft spaces. When I see other craft or art studios, it makes me want to renovate my own!

What is the one most important thing you would like to do to organize the room where your creativity takes place? Comment to this post and be added to the drawing for a wonderful wool heart pincushion! Drawing will be held on Dec. 10th, so add your comment today!

If there is one thing I cannot tolerate in my studio, it is straight pins scattered on the floor or counter. I love a good pincushion!

Thanks for stopping by,
Georgianne