Category Archives: talented artists

sad news about home companion magazine

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sad news about home companion magazine
If you love whimsical goods, inspiring artists, cozy homes, fantastic finds and snazzy crafts, I recommend you pick up the last issue of Home Companion this month. This is one of my favorite magazines.  It has such a delicious mix of articles, photographs and inspiration. Just look at these yummy images… And what magazine has advertisements as interesting as their features?  I discovered these ornaments from Swirly Designs because of their ad.  I LOVE .
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life lessons from kathleen taylor

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life lessons from kathleen taylor
Meet Kathleen Taylor of Alpharetta Georgia.  She is the whimsical spirit behind these heart warming & humorous art works. A portion of her bio reads, "I began drawing and coloring as soon as I could hold a crayon. My favorite subjects were family portraits and fashion illustrations. On Sundays I couldn’t wait for the NY Times to arrive so I could color the Hirschfeld drawing in the theater section of the paper. I still .
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whimsical witches

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whimsical witches
Remember the artist feature on Jackie Jameson last winter? Well, less than one year later, she has hit the big time.  Many of her collage works are featured in the most recent Somerset Studio magazine (including on the cover!)  Read her artist interview here. We still have a sweet selection of her goods at our Rochester & Berkley locations, but she recently also opened an etsy shop. Here are some of her latest Halloween .
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fun and flirty handbags

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fun and flirty handbags
Meet Amy Kos of Dearborn, Michigan.  She is quick with the stitch, has a great sense of style and creates fun, flirty purses. We carry a variety of her lovely handbags at our Berkley location. I had the chance to ask Amy a bit about her bags & business. What inspired you to start creating art and how did you turn it into a business? I’ve always loved art.  Growing up it was always .
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playful paintings

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playful paintings
I attended a friendly little get-together a couple weekends ago and commented on a fabulous canvas painting above the dining room table.  Turns out it was done by a friend of the hostess. I love the playfulness, delightful subject matter and all the yummy colors… (go figure – being that whimsical is my favorite adjective) All these pieces are painted by the talented Sarah Fitzgerald of Los Angeles. Enjoy discovering talented artists? Then be .
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super smelling soy candles

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super smelling soy candles
Meet Siouxsan Miller & Anne Simonetti of Green Daffodil Soy Candleworks.  We just got in a batch of their fantastic smelling candles at our Berkley store and online.  They were recently featured in the Detroit News.  An excerpt reads, "Earlier this year, the Ferndale residents decided to start a candle company they named Green Daffodil Soy Candleworks. Their candles, available in 4-ounce and 8-ounce metal containers, come in a variety of scents, including lemon, blackberry .
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diy street fair in ferndale

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diy street fair in ferndale
Steve and I strolled the DIY Street Fair in Ferndale this Sunday and found a few fantastic artists/entreprenuers… like Gina Adams-Levy of Peace Love & Pots. This spring/summer she launched a successful flower pot/tray recycle program at the Northville Farmers Mkt, collecting over 500 lbs. of plastic, HALF of which was returned to appreciative farmers and the rest recycled! She also creates these 100% recycled garden flowers by cutting & painting various plastic containers.  .
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making fun new friends in the city

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making fun new friends in the city
One very fun thing about doing wholesale shows is meeting new friends.  My friend, Michelle introduced me to the lovely Texan duo of Cutting Up.  They create inspiring colorful intricate collages and offer them on all sorts of things like tees, belt buckles, hats and necklaces.  Here are a few of my favs… We (Michelle & Katie, Amy Peters and Jo Dee & Colleen) all went out for Thai in Hell’s Kitchen and had .
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dolly mamas – laugh about life

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dolly mamas – laugh about life
Meet Joey Heiberg (a.k.a. the original Dolly Mama)  of Allentown, Pennsylvania.  She has mastered creating colorful broads with quirky quips that are sure to give you a good grin. While growing up, Joey had always thought she would end up in advertising, publishing, or as a back-up dancer for Tom Jones. Little did she know that she would become a successful artist instead. She had always loved crafting things and by her 33rd birthday .
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car parts never looked so good

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car parts never looked so good
Meet Catherine Ivins of Olive Bites Studios in Farmingdale, New Jersey.  She is the clever gal who had the vision of turning a car part, button pin top and magnet into a fashion-forward green interchangable necklace. I had the chance to chat with her about her crafty talents… What inspired you to start creating your art and how did you turn it into a business? I have always been making things out of found .
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