November Creative Art Shows!

Cure' of Ars ~ Annual Gift Gallery

November was a busy month participating in other creative arts shows ~ several of the "Friends of a Feather" group participated in the Cure' of Ars Gift Gallery. Mom and I had our Vintage Arts Studio booth ~ where we sold my paper mache' birds and ornaments, and Mom's beautiful handstitched, wool ornaments, among other handmades...

Kathi and Joan ~ who are quite the creative team and display extraordinares ~ joined forces as Burlap JunKtion in a double booth. They are two of our "Friends of a Feather" extraordinares as well!

Angie ~ a.k.a. Junie C ~ another "Friend of a Feather," also participated ~ her booth was next to mine...and boy, was she busy!! She has quite a following!

Willa had a booth at the Cure' sale where she sold her unique and very stylish clothing and wonderful baby items ~ you can always find her unique clothing at our "Friends of a Feather" sales ~ as she too, is one of us "Friends!"

Steve Hess ~ From the Summer's Garden ~ Annual Holiday Extravaganza!

Three of us Friends of Feather also participated in this wonderful sale that was open every weekend in November. Steve Hess is an amazing artist who makes wonderful garden stones decor, as well as amazing floral wreaths for the season!

Several other local artists also participate in this annual sale ~ there is always quite a selection of wonderful gift ideas to purchase at this creative arts show.

November in the Studio!

Thanksgiving Gathering

in My Studio

My studio was a very busy place this past November! During our family Thanksgiving day celebration, it has been a tradition for some years, that my kids ~ all grown up now ~ and I gather in my creative space to make an ornament for the upcoming Christmas.

This year was somewhat different in the fact that Sara, my oldest, is 7 months pregnant with our first grandbaby. She wanted to work on "letters" of the baby's name that she will decorate and put up on the wall in the nursery. She first modge podged old children's literature text to the letters to use as the background ~ we will see where she goes from here ~ since she didn't have time to finish it today!

Jennifer, my second to the oldest, had started on a Christmas garland a few weeks back in my studio. She wanted to complete her project up so that she could display it in her home this Christmas.

My youngest ~ Michael ~ seemed to enjoy making one of the Paper Mache' birds that I host workshops on periodically in my studio.

Soldering Creative Workshop

Another fabulous time in the studio in November was when a duo team of instructors, Ali and Kara, came to my studio to teach a class on soldering ~ they have taken a workshop from one of the best soldering artists in the country, and it showed as they taught this class. I took the class myself ~ I am always looking forward to learning a new craft!

We were first instructed to create a collage ~ a section of the completed collage would be used for our charm...

Kara and Ali were very hands-on instructors ~ they wouldn't let us "miss a trick!"

Placing the copper foil tape around the edges of the collage under two pieces of glass...

Soldering around the edges...not as hard as I thought!

Plenty of flux, and a clean soldering iron makes the solder adhere very nicely to your piece!

This soldering workshop will definitely be on the workshop schedule that I am developing for the long winter months! If you ever wanted to learn about soldering...these are the gals to learn it from ~ right here in my studio!

Miniature Keepsake Scrapbook Workshop

My mom and I hosted another Miniature Keepsake Album workshop in the month of November. Kaki was making her keepsake album for her husband who is a history buff, and has just been published ~ she plans to display old family photos in it for him for Christmas.

Laura participated in the workshop...she wanted to make the album for her Girl Scout leader for Christmas ~ she is a very sweet girl who seemed to "get" how to make the album very quickly!

Lisa had quite a selection of fabrics that she brought with her ~ it was hard for her to choose which ones to use in her Miniature Keepsake Album.

It turned out beautifully ~ we added a little embellishment that I had laying in my studio ~ a unique piece of old round lace ~ just to see how it could be finished off!

"Charm School Soldering Workshop" ~ with Ali Gripp and Kara Ward

Join Ali and Kara in this introduction to soldering class Saturday, November 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You will learn all you need to know to create beautiful soldered charms... the kind that are smooth and flawless! This workshop will take you from "beginner" to "can do it myself" in just three short hours. Come learn from the girls that were taught by the well renown soldering artist Sally Jean Alexander. All supplies and tools are included in the fee. You will come away having completed two charms and with the supplies and know how to create another. The workshop fee is $125.00. To reserve your place in this fun creative workshop, email me at vintageartsstudio@hotmail.com ~ space is limited and is available on a first come first serve basis. I hope to see you here! Lauri

The Art Girl charm bauble that you see above is one of the charms you will be making for yourself in this creative workshop.

The three photos below represent some beautiful examples of Ali's and Kara's pieces...for reference only...these will not be made in this beginner workshop, but can be made in a more advanced workshop that may be scheduled at a later time ~ to be determined. Here is an example of one of Ali's and Kara's beautiful charm bracelets.

I love this one with the little floaters inside...

and this one is just beautiful!

Talk About Personality...These Little Birdies Are Too Cute...and Fun to Make!

I taught my "A LiTtle BiRdie ToLd Me" Paper Mache' Workshop in my Vintage Arts Studio. I was excited to have a full class of fun girls that wanted to make these "little birdies." It seemed that everyone enjoyed making them ~ it gets a little messy, but nothing that doesn't wash up easily!

The little birdies started to sing! The photos below are of everyone's finished little birds that they took home ~ talk about personality!

Due the popularity of this workshop, I will be forming another class soon. Please email me if you have an interest in making your own! Lauri Meyers - vintageartsstudio@hotmail.com

A Little Birdie Told Me Paper Mache' Workshop

I will show you how to make these fun Paper Mache' Birds ~ each bird develops his own personality as he is being created by the maker...if you would like to take this fun class call me (913) 963-2985 or send me an email vintageartsstudio@hotmail.com The class fee is $50.00.

"A LiTtlE BiRDie toLd mE"

Busy week...after the Big Friends of a Feather Event

The fall is such a wonderfully cozy time to me...the beauty of nature is breathtaking...autumn presents itself in all of its warm and subtly rich hues. It has been a busy and fun week...the clean up and reorganization after the Friends of a Feather Fall Event, having a workshop in my studio, going to The Farmstead with some friends and spending a quiet, (finally sunny) Sunday afternoon with my husband Brian. I had to take some photos in the courtyard while the sun was shining brightly today...the sky was so blue!

These are a couple of my angels in my garden...hand created by Steve Hess.

This week in my Vintage Arts Studio Mom and I hosted our Rustic Winter Ornaments Workshop for a couple of lovely women who were sister-in-laws. Mom instructed them on how to make a couple of the ornaments that she designed using beautiful rustic fall colored wools. Mom is very patient when she teaches...though she will make you rip a stitch if you need to...I remember her making me rip stitches when I was a little girl...as unhappy as I was when she told me to do it...it was always for the best! :)

The Farmstead...if you've been there, you know that this is all you need to say to describe this warm and inviting special place...Cheryl from Now & Then, my mom, Jana (a dear old friend of mine) and I went to The Farmstead owned by Kelly and Ron Littman located north of the airport...it was an beautiful setting...in the winding, gravel backroads of the countryside in Platte County...the sale had all kinds of wonderful architectural pieces, old wooden signage, handcrafted art and jewelry by very inspiring local artists to offer to the discerning eclectic buyer. A couple of the Friends of a Feather vendors were a part of this fabulous sale ~Angie, Junie "C", Mary Alice of Beading Hearts and Sheila and Craig of Odd Folies. This was my most favorite purchase from the sale...a local artist who just recently received the prestigious honor of winning 3rd place overall in the Westport Art Show~ Chari Roberts Peak...she is an outstanding artist!