A Festival Of Trees

Join In!

Since we totally missed the Festival of Trees in Exeter when we attended holiday open house (you can read about it here), I thought....."Well, why not host my own little festival of trees."  Brilliant!

So here's the scoop. If you blogged about your tree this year, send me a picture and a link to you post. If you're not a blogger but have a picture of your tree you'd like to share....send it to me so I can include it in Mercantile Muse's Innaugural Festival Of Trees. The festival will take place next Friday, December 21st. If you want to particpate, please send me your tree picture by the end of the day Wednesday.  

Oh this is gonna be good........I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner! 

Here's ours from last year..............

I can't wait to see yours!

A virtual Festival of Trees that we will all get to enjoy. Now, remember, it won't be a 'festival' if you guys don't send me your pictures. Come on, it will be fun!

I'm so glad it's Friday. It's been a very busy week work wise and I've been juggling that with shipping a lot of prints. They've been going out all over the place including Vancouver, New York, New Jersy and the United Kindom. I love that. 

I am looking forward to enjoying the weekend, even though there is much to do around here. No big plans. Maybe a little grilling tonight and there is always the possibility of YouTube dancing and singing, as you well know. Tomorrow....no plans, no parties......we're just going to wing it.  What about you, any big plans or parties to go this weekend? What are you going to be doing?

Freeform Friday

In the Spirit of Christmas, here's a perfectly beautiful song for you. There's something about a boys' choir.  We watched The Bishop's Wife last night. It's my favorite Christmas movie. I admit it, I'm quite partial to Cary Grant. There will be more classics this weekend, for sure. Enjoy. If you're reading via email, click here.

Have a great Friday. It's sunny but crispy here today and there may be some snow on the way this weekend. Finally. I'm always hoping for a white Christmas.

Ciao for now,

PS- have you entered the December Giveaway yet? It's for $200+ in handmade prizes. That's right, more than $200 in prizes will go to one lucky person.  But it can't be you, unless you enter. There is no time like the present.

I'd Like To Introduce You To Some Friends Of Mine

via oBo creations

People You Should Know

It's time for this month's sponsor spotlight. Why you ask? Because these people are so generous and talented, I think it's important to introduce you.

Just so you know, there are mere hours left to enter this month's giveaway, which is again, quite ridiculous.  This months sponsors are all part of the $175 in handmade awesomeness that is going to go to one lucky person. One. If you haven't entered, you won't have a chance. If you do, so excited you act like Tom Cruise on Oprah's couch. Except your excitement might last longer than his. Just sayin'.

I can't tell you how thankful I am for the support of these wonderful people. I hope you take a moment to check out their shops. They rock. Of course, you can also check out their other links and connect with them in different ways. It's worth it. There are great people to know. Just look at what they're giving away for pete's sake!

Studio Mucci makes whimsical LUXURY PAPER DECOR out of high quality tissue paper. Whether you’re planning your wedding, birthday party or redecorating, Studio Mucci products can be used to brighten any event or transform your home into something magical. Everything is hand-made with love, and a great deal of care. Based in Stillwater, Oklahoma Studio Mucci serves a global market, which includes both direct customer sales and retail distribution to the world's fashion elite.

You will find Studio Mucci here:

etsy shop/facebook/twitter/pinterest/tumblr

Foothill Fibers 'n Photos

Kate is a busy lady. She has two shops on etsy, one of them Foothill Fibers 'n Photos where she offers one of a kind creative crochet, photography and patterns. Clutches, bags, sunsets, and beach scenes all live harmoniously at Foothill Fibers 'n Photos. Kate also sells patterns to you can crochet awesome pieces too.

You will find Foothill Fibers 'n Photos here:

etsy shop/ Kate’s Other Shop- StoryTellers Vintage/facebook

Papyrusaurus

Ashley plays with paper in a variety of ways which sometimes turn into fun, sometimes hillarious papergoods, Papyrasaurus has bookpage print  for your walls to handmade stationery, and whimsical ornaments . She's a crafter who makes book page prints, cards, ornaments and more. Many of her items show off her playful, funny side.

You can find Ashley & Papyrusaurus here:

etsy shop/ facebook

oBo Creations

oBo offers colorful OOAK hand painted jewelry by Olga. Her signature style is a "dragon skin" pattern which she creates using a special technique and paint that results in magical unpredictable shapes and color shades. Each piece is unique. oBo’s range includes pendants, rings,  bracelets, necklaces, and bobby pins.  Olga has plans to expand her line to include non-jewelry itesm such as key chains and portable mirrors etc. - all  painted in her ‘dragon skin’ style.

oBo Creations can be found here:

etsy shop/facebook

Lucky Cat Handmade

Mafalda makes the loveliest accessories including purses of varying sizes and cases for your glasses and phones.  She works with beautiful fabrics to create designs that will cheer you up whenever you use them.  You’ll find that Lucky Cat Handmade only uses the best fabric and hardware, ensuring that each piece is made with love and care.

Lucy Cat Handmade can be found here:

etsy shop/facebook/blog

Hybrid Handmade

Cari-Jane is always finding inspiration around her, especially from nature and incorporates that into her designs.  She is a trained architect, but works away in her Hybrid Handmade atelier as a metal-smith making jewelry.  Her architectural influences can often be seen in her works, as well as her love of nature which most often inspires her. She works in series, exploring different themes and is currently creating new works in her Into The Wild range. Hybrid Handmade jewelry is a lesson in details, often unseen except by those who wear it. Her aim is to create pieces which have a power to transform an ordinary outfit into something extraordinary.

Hybrid Handmade can be found here:

etsy shop/facebook/twitter/pinterest/flickr

The other two sponsors are me and the Gman. You'll find our stuff in Bates Mercantile Co. and more on Gar's studio here.

I'd love it if you got to know these shops a little better. I don't think you'l be disappointed.

(if you're receiving by email, I apologize if there are no pictures. Blogger is playing games. I'm off to try to outsmart it!).

Have a great day,

Pam

ps- don't even ask about the formating! It's doing it's own thing there too. Argh!

 

What I've Been Working On

In the Office/Studio

Things have been busy around here. You can relate, right?  By day, I've designing brochures, and ads, and such for my Speakeasy clients. By night, I've been prepping stock for the craft fair Garrett and I are participating in next weekend.

1. I'm always working on new illustrations and right now I'm in the 'tweaking' stage of my latest, Ahoy Matey.  This will go in our etsy shop, and I'll also offer it at the fair, as an archival print. When I decide I'm done tweaking. 

2.  Add to that printing and cutting stationery. I got a good few packages put together last night. I'm including my old standbys like the Louis Louis pop art pink chair.

3. I'm also including new designs, like Under Foot which was inspired by woven rugs. This too will be available soon in our shop. It's just a matter of squeezing in time to list it. 

4. I've been making custom paper stars using my own paper designs. I'll let you in on a little secret....these stars are not something you can just whip out quickly. It's a process of printing, folding, gluing, attaching hanger, and drying.  I love how they turn out, so it's all worth it. [If you want to try some of your own, you'll find my tutorial here.]

5. Painted clipboards have been on the list too [like I showed you in this recent tutorial]. They're just fun. I worked on these on Sunday, which seems to be a good day for that sort of thing. You can just sit and watch the game, and paint away.

I know that some of you with etsy shops, are doing the fall/holiday craft fair circuit. What have you been busy making? I wonder if the rest of have plans to attending any fairs in the coming weeks?

That's it for the desk/cocktail table/kitchen table dispatch today (yes, I take over whatever space I need to work on these projects!).

In Case You Missed It

Yesterday marked the launch of the Mercantile Muse October Giveaway. It's in full swing and I don't think you'll want to miss a chance to win all of the wonderful handmade items up for grabs. $175 worth of handmade items, in case you were wondering.

In other news, the sun is shining! It's been pretty sparse here lately. The week has been soggy, to say the least. In fact, it's been so soggy, we had our first fire of the season last night, just to take the edge of the damp. The sun is a very welcome sight.

Enjoy your day.

See you on the flip side,

Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood: Sponsor Style

They're The People That You Meet

I know. The Sesame Street lovers among us now have that song stuck in your heads. Let me get to the point. Since opening our etsy shop in 2010 and starting to blog in 2011, I've met some pretty awesome people. They're talented, they're creative, they're hardworking, they're supportive and they are downright generous. 

Generous? Yup. My sponsors this month (all people I've connected with along the way), are putting up prizes that, combined, total more than $180 in great stuff. I think that deserves a little recognition. Plus, I think you're really going to like them and what they're doing.

Bleu Oiseau Photography

Ashleigh is a wonderful photographer in Washington state.  Her shop offers art photographs, photo blocks, calendars, iPhone covers, and even jewelry.

You will find Ashleigh & Bleu Oiseau here:

on etsy/ on facebook/ blogging/ on twitter

Papyrusaurus

Ashley- different person/different spelling- plays with paper in a variety of ways. She's a crafter who makes book page prints, cards, ornaments and more. Many of her items show off her playful, funny side.

You can find Ashley & Papyrusaurus here:

etsy shop/ facebook

Hazel Brown Designs

Hazel makes the most wonderful girl's clothing and women's

accessories. They are full of color and spunky attitude,

inspiration she gathers from her children.

You can find Hazel her:

shop/facebook

Hayley's Paper Love

You might have guessed by the name of her shop, but Hayley is another paper artist.  I am lovin' the new doggie silhouette's she's added to her line which includes cards, decorative clothespins and jewelry.

You can find Hayley here:

etsy shop/ facebook/ twitter

StoryTellers Vintage

Kate is a serious hunter and gatherer of vintage. Her online shop continues to expand and when she's not busy with that, she's working fairs with her goods. She has something for everyone in her shop. Honest.

You can find StoryTellers Vintage & Kate here:

esty shop/ facebook

Faveritte Creations

As you can see, Amy creates happy things including pillows, security blankets and pj/sleepover buddies. She is literally 'infecting the world with color and honest joy one unique creation at a time'. When you visit her shop, you're sure to leave with a smile.

You can find Faveritte Creations & Amy here:

etsy shop/ facebook/ twitter/ pinterest/ blog

DreamPillowZzz 

Matthew has a love for fabrics and has turned that into DreamPillowZzz. He sews custom pillow covers and his line runs the gamut from classic to modern. Something for every one's home.

You can find Matthew here:

etsy shop

Starlight Woods

Lisa began making her eco-friendly line of jewelry with trees that had fallen from storms. Her chevron ring was recently featured in Real Simple Magazine and she is also in the running for Martha Stewart's American Made Contest. Go Lisa!

You can find Lisa here:

esty shop/ facebook/ twitter

One thing that really makes me smile about these people is that these are not big manufacturers or stores, these are individuals. They're sewing, crafting, taking photos, or seeking out the coolest vintage finds. They're doing what they love and it shows. I love that the handmade movement is bringing us back to a place where we know the person we're buying from, and even if we don't it sure seems like we do since it's a person to person transaction. It's very cool that on this worldwide web it's being brought back down to interpersonal connections and that's how all of these sponsors came to be sponsors. I've met them a variety of ways...through our etsy store, through the team I captain on etsy, through Mercantile Muse and through facebook. 

Then of course, there is my last sponsor who I did not meet via the world wide web, Garrett- my other half. He is of course, the concrete master behind Lia Artisan Concrete Designs, who is always mixing something up in his studio.

Now, what this sponsor spotlight brings me to is the fact that the September giveaway is winding down. You only have a few more days to enter. 12:01 am on the 30th is the cut off, so why not enter now to be sure you have a chance? 

And by all means, show these sponsors some love. I think you'll enjoy checking out their links and getting to know them a little bit better.

Over and out,

GIVEAWAY-palooza!!! Not To Be Missed!

I Know, It's Hard To Believe

Rest assured it's true. Yet again, I've got another great giveaway in store for you. I said it last time and I'll say it again, the giveaways on the Muse just keep getting better and better. $180+ worth of the most fabulous prizes is nothing to scoff at.  How awesome are my sponsors? Pretty stinkin' awesome if you ask me.

So here's the scoop, number one, you must be a follower of Mercantile Muse to enter. Beyond that, there are a ton of other ways to earn entry points. The more points you earn, the greater the chance you have of winning this ridiculous prize package.  You can even earn more points every day by visiting sponsors shops. Talk about a bonus!

You can stop guessing what's in this giveaway because here it is, in all its glory.  You might need your sunglasses, because the glare from its brilliance is pretty blinding, if I do say so myself.

Let's go over that again.  One pillow/cushion cover from DreamPillowZzz, a bookpage print from Papyrusaurus, tangerine tango wood ring from Starlight Woods, cookbook from StorytellersVintage, a pyramid paperweight from Lia Artisan Concrete Designs, a lovely wristlet clutch from Hazel Brown Designs, a bookpage flower ring and hair clips from Hayley's Paper Love, a pair of custom ladybug pillows from fAveritte Creations, a vintage handpainted bone china Nippon plate from our shop- Bates Mercantile Co., your choice of print from Bates Mercantile Co., and a photographic art print from Bleu Oiseau Photography.

Phew. I'm tired just typing all of that goodness.   

Before I leave you to enter to your heart's desire, here's a little more about my very generous sponsors. 

Dream Pillows

Pillows created by Matthew James with beautiful fabrics.

Papyrusaurus

Providing you with fun and sometimes awkwardly hillarious papergoods, from art for your walls to handmade stationery, and whimsical ornaments.  Like the Papyrusaurus facebook page for upcoming craft show appearances, shop updates, coupons and giveaways.

Starlight Woods

Eco friendly handmade Jewelry, Key chains, pendant necklaces, chunky rings, stud earrings and hand painted ornaments made from storm damaged trees and fallen branches that we re-purpose into unique and one of a kind pieces. Lisa's creations were recently featured in the August issue of Real Simple Magazine and she is currently a finalist in Martha Stewart's American Made Contest (you can vote for her here).  You will also find Starlight Woods on Facebook and Twitter.

Storytellers Vintage

"Every item has a story to tell.  What is here today, may be starting a new story tomorrow."  You will also find Storytellers Vintage on Facebook.

Lia Artisan Concrete Designs

"From the Earth, Cast In Stone". You will find Lia Artisan Concrete Designs website here, wholesale orders are welcome. They are available retail on Bates Mercantile Co.

Hazel Brown Designs 

Hazel Brown designs happy, fresh, unique clothing and other goodies, inspired by the fun-loving, carefree personalities of her 5 children.  You'll also find Hazel Brown Designs on Facebook.

fAveritte Creations

"Infecting the world with color and honest joy, one unique creation at a time."  You will find Amy blogging, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Pinterest.

Bleu Oiseau Photography

Beautiful Home Decor: Fine Art, Landscapes, Nature, Still Lifes, Wood Blocks, Recycled Cards.  You will find Ashleigh blogging here and on Facebook, on Twitter.

Bates Mercantile Co.

That's us! Me and Garrett that is. You'll find Bates Mercantile Co. on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. And as you probably know, you'll find me blogging right here, on Mercantile Muse. 

Now, time for you to get busy entering the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On another fantastic note, it happens to be our niece Maddie's Sweet 16. How'd that happen Maddie?  Happy birthday to a beautiful girl.

(photo credit Kali Potito)

Have a great day everyone. Especially Maddie.

Ciao for now,

Photo Challenge Day 7 & Freeform Friday

via color canopy

Food, Glorious Food

Happy Friday all! Man, do I love Friday. Not that I don't love the other days of the week, but Friday means the weekend is just about here. It means we'll probably do a little living room and kitchen dancing later to Youtube. It means we get to kick back a little bit and enjoy some downtime for a couple of days. I'd say Friday has a lot going for it. 

This Friday has even more going for it. It's got food ala the Mercantile Muse photo challenge. Another one of my loves.  I enjoy making it, I enjoy sharing it with those I love and dammit, I'm hear to say, I enjoy eating it.  There is nothing like sitting down with people you love and having a delicious homemade meal. That's when food really says love. 

Talk about love, Ashley's little man as been bitten by the Tomato Love bug. I can relate.

'more please', via Ashley, Papyrusaurus

Happiness is a living garden at the window. Cari-Jane was wondering what on earth she would do for the food challenge when she found this lovely little living garden at Sainsbury's. How perfectly wonderful. Especially for only a £1.

'how does your garden grow?', Cari-Jane, Hybrid Handmade

Don't forget to feed your soul. Thanks to Karen for that important reminder.



'my heart in hand, my soul to feed', via Karen, Bridgit's Bell

Not a great picture of moi, thank goodness I'm not too vain. Mom and Dad sent this one over of me about to enjoy one of my favorite meals, my Dad's linguine in white clam sauce. It is hands down the best anywhere. Not that I would know because I never order it anywhere because I know it wouldn't live up to his.  I just wait to be invited over for dinner.

photo by Marge Dignam

More food love. Emma's 'Pepper' apparently likes to show her food some love.

This could be an ad for Science Diet.

'Pick ala Pepper', via Emma, My Boju Life

I'm an egg girl. I could do an egg commercial the way Pepper could do a Science Diet commercial. Anyway, any how. Scrambled, poached, soft boiled, hard boiled, omelette...well, you get the idea. Of course, it wouldn't be breakfast without my tea (in my favorite mug, greatly faded but still with Mrs. Slocumbe on it which makes me smile, see freeform friday for more on Mrs. Slocumbe).

'brekkie and cuppa scald', via Pam, Mercantile Muse

Out the back door, the apple tree is doing it's thing. This also makes me smile.

'keep the doc away', via Pam, Mercantile Muse

Personally, I'm not sure I can forgive Bonnie for taunting us all this way.

'a rainbow for lunch', via Bonnie, {PaperKeeper}

Could this beetroot raita that Reshma made be any prettier? I've never made 'beetroot' raita before. Cucumber, but not beetroot. I think it's time I tried. Luckily Reshma included the recipe.

'color me pink', via Reshma, Color Canopy

Next up in the photo challenge is 'it's in the details'. If you want to play along, just get me your photo (email me via the button under my profile) by the end of day Sunday. Read more about the photo challenge here, and you'll find our other challenges linked here. Go on, have a look. 

Freeform Friday

In honor of today's challenge, and the fact that this has been running around in Ashley's head for a few days due to the aforementioned challenge, I give you food, glorious food. There's so much more the gruel. Click here if you're reading by email.

I'd be remiss if I didn't include a clip of Mrs. Betty Slocumbe, from Are You Being Served. It's a favorite in our house and my parents. Usually we have to call each other up after an episode and talk about it, if we can stop laughing, and then laugh all over again. This group of department store workers were always up to something. This cast kills me. They broke the mold when they made Mollie Sugden. She has given us more laughs than I can count.

Here's German Week, just one of the promotions to bring more people into Grace Brothers. Mrs. Slocombe's in the pigtails. Click here if you're reading by email.

And one more. Warning:Not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. There were many, many double entendres on Are You Being Served. Things you'd never get away with on US TV. (Which in itself cracks me up, since we have no problem with violence or sex.).  However, Mrs. Slocumbe's hair alone is enough to make me smile. Of course, I have to say, this isn't nearly even the best stuff. You can't fully appreciate her if she's not playing off Mr. Humphries. Click here if you're reading by email.

Weak as water!

That's it from here. Be sure not to miss the giveaway. It's well worth an entry for a chance to win $145 of handmade goodness. Don't miss the link up party either, if you've got a blog, a shop or project, the link up is still live. And remember, you might get picked to be featured on Mercantile Muse next week!

No big plans for the weekend. Just some projects around the house and of course the youtube dancin'. What about you?

Ciao for now,

Hello Summer

In The Thick Of It

Just like that, we're in the thick of Summer. Right before the Solstice last night, Summer rolled on in. It was roasting yesterday.  We hit 100. Humidity was high which made it feel even hotter....and the pool still looks like dirty water after spending and arm and two legs on soft swim. Whatever.  We'll work on that today and whether it's clear or not, I will be in later because Gar-man just stuck his head back in the door and said 'it's worse than yesterday'.

To welcome the new season, some pictures from the apre wedding brunch on Sunday, that just say Summer to me.

Ah, the smell of salt air at Glo's house. Just a block away from the sand. How wonderful it is to live where we do.

The boys (or boy) of Summer. Way to connect Cayd!

A pretty Summer wedding bouquet.

ICE CREAM MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One More Day to Enter

The Giveaway closes at midnight. If you've waited this long to enter, you've waited as long as you can. Go enter for pete's sake. This is a not-to-be-missed giveaway! 

As Summer Made Itself Known

It wasn't the heat that brought us down, but rather the loss of another friend. I know, I know....this year has not been kind. We say a sad farewell to our buddy Mike.  He had some health challenges in the last couple of months, and it just seemed like his body didn't have the strength to fight them.  Mike was  thoughtful- always had something to give you and was ready, willing and able to fix the stupid window on my car for the umpteenth time and whatever my Dad needed fixing on his stinkin' lincoln; he always had a nice word; he was Gar's buddy;he was an all around good egg. 

At least we know that he's now with our buddy Bob who we lost a couple of years ago. Mike was really great while Bob was fighting cancer. Always there. The way friends should be.

I'll see Mike (left) and Bob (right) together on my computer desktop everyday as my photo gallery moves through its pictures.  And, I will always remember Mike arriving to our 4th of July lobster bakes on his moped. That's the way he rolled. 

So long Mike, it's been great to know ya. Rest in peace.

Sunset Meadows

Mike's sunset at the meadows last night. Pretty send off.

Enjoy the day wherever you are.  It's all you've got!

Peace out,