Category Archives: talented artists

Anahata Katkin – Papayalicious!

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Anahata Katkin – Papayalicious!
Meet Anahata Katkin of Ashland, Oregon.  She is the inspiration behind a lovely line of uplifting goods called Papaya!. A portion of her bio reads, "I have had a passion for collage since I was a kid. I cut up words and magazines for comfort. And the tradition lasted as I got older. I turned to sketchbooks and journals as early as third grade for that morsel for expression that magically seems to balance .
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ann arbor art fair favorites

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ann arbor art fair favorites
Some of my favorite picks at this year’s art fair… L. Balombini Tony Savoie Mud Spun Studio Jill Mayberg John Gutoskey Gray Art Studio  (this artist lives in my very own neighborhood!  I know where I’m going when I need a couple new hanging kitchen lights) James Michael Nemnich Click HERE to see my favorites from the 2007 fair. Enjoy discovering new & talented artists? Stay in the loop by signing up to receive .
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Fox 2 Detroit – green gifting segment 7.19.08

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Fox 2 Detroit – green gifting segment 7.19.08
Some of the items from the segment include: 1. the green book $12.95 2. recycled hurricane metal sign $29.50 3. wine bottle plant nannies $16.50 4. sustainable shopping bag $9.00 5. recycled wine bottle glass $16.50 6. golfer dog sculpture $110.00 7. recycled scented pencils $12.50 8. wine bottle platter $18.50 9. 1001 ways to save the earth $9.95

blue moon designs

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blue moon designs
I’m busy buying all the holiday goods for catching fireflies at the Atlanta Gift Show this week and I stumbled upon this delicious looking booth (minus the dog).  It’s not something I’d carry in our store but none-the-less drew me in with all it’s warm colors and great designs. A portion of Blue Moon Design’s artist statement reads, "At the age of 24 John has experimented with many different types of creative work. A .
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shadow charms

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shadow charms
  Meet Cherie Haney of Ann Arbor, Michigan.   She pierces through metal with a plasma cutter nearly as fast as she can draw on paper when she creates her playful Shadow Charms. We carry a few of her pieces at our Rochester and Berkley locations, but you can also find her full selection of goods at local art fairs and on her website. I had the chance to ask Cherie about her artwork… What .
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inspiring everyday affirmations

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inspiring everyday affirmations
Meet Emily Rosenfeld of Massachusetts. If you need a little affirmation throughout the day, she is the jeweler for you. Her brushed pewter words and symbols are beautifully balanced with colorful leather cords… making them a fun casual bracelet. For a daintier look, these uniquely strung pewter word beads are a fantastic choice. Emily graduated college with an English degree, but after taking a job with a production jewelry company, she realized she wanted .
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abundant blessings

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abundant blessings
Meet Susan & Connie.  These two women are friends, colleagues, moms, volunteers, optimistically active members of our global community and the creators of the Blessing Bowl. Their business began with a simple holiday gift eight years ago. Susan, mom of four children, created the original Blessings Bowl for friends and teachers who had touched her life during the past year.  Starting with beautiful, unique bowls, special paper and ribbon tailored to the bowl and .
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celebrate a life well lived

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celebrate a life well lived
Meet Karla Kretzschmer and her darling daughter Kristina.  Even though she lives right in Farmington Hills, Michigan – I met Karla at my recent art adventure in Alpena. At any rate, after chatting with Karla (who happens to be a catching fireflies fan) during lunch, I found out that she creates these wonderful celebration collages. A Celebration Collage™ helps people produce unique mixed-media art keepsakes to capture the essence of special events, milestones, memories, .
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more fun with miss hellmuth

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more fun with miss hellmuth
The last day of the workshop we continued working on our collage projects.  Here’s a shot of the fun ladies at our table and cute Claudine. At lunch time, we got the opportunity to dine with Claudine and her mom.   They’re both just delightful. These pretties are Catherine’s creations. And Aly’s sweet guys. My second piece was in honor of Samson.  The edge of the canvas reads, "Samsonville: the land of car rides, ice .
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a weekend with claudine hellmuth

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a weekend with claudine hellmuth
Thursday afternoon my two friends (Aly & Catherine) and I headed up to Art in the Loft in Alpena, MI to take a lovely little workshop from the talented Claudine Hellmuth. This is an example of one of her whimsical collage works. The first day we learned how to create any color we want by mixing the appropriate amounts of primary colors and black & white paint. Then each gal at our table chose .
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