It’s been a good week!

Saturday, I was a lucky girl – had a lovely day in the city with my friend Lynne.  We had planned to catch Wendy Addison’s Trunk Show at Tinsel Trading but serendipity was at play and we got to squeeze in a Klimt show too!  The Neue Gallery is hosting a show on Gustav Klimt, with a handful of his paintings, many drawings, and some other treats.  The biggest thrill for me was seeing this beauty….a familiar piece to many of us but you just gotta see it for real.  The textures and metallics are stunning! 

Klimt01

After a terrific lunch and visit to the gallery Lynne and I dashed down to Tinsel Trading Co.  We stood and awwwwed in the window before heading in.  I can’t believe this is the only photo I have of us together from yesterday…..you can just see us in the reflection of the Pierrot costume that stopped me in my tracks:

Mwreflection

Tinseltrading

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I can’t remember when I first discovered Wendy – maybe in a magazine?  (Like Victoria or M.E.)  Might have been when I saw some of her wonderful pieces done in black and white.  Then the book Where Women Create hit the shelves and I buckled at the knees when I saw her studio/shoppe.  You KNOW what I’m talking about if you have that book.  It was indeed a privilege to meet her and to see her journal filled with deliciously juicy sketches.  And to stand and watch her theater in motion as she stood with a wink and pulled the tassle-ended string.  She’s a girl after my own heart – embedding secrets in her work.

Mwwendywindow

We had a wonderful time seeing all her products too.  The halloween items are clever – I especially love the skeleton in the coffin.  After Lynne left one of the things I asked Wendy about was the costume we had spied earlier.  Since I have a thing for Pierrots I asked her stand next to it for a photo.  Look how cute she is with her hand through the sleeve.  Like a fangirl I ran out onto the sidewalk for a quick snap.

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I will print out that photo and place it on my Wendy Addison (signed!) frame.  Doesn’t it almost look like an "M"?  Had to have it….as well as some other goodies from Tinsel Trading.

You might remember seeing on Pam Garrison’s blog that she and Jenny Doh were sprinkled with the lucky dust as they got to visit Wendy’s studio some months back (which led to an Artist Portfolio in Somerset Studio, Jul/Aug 07). 

I’ve been such a lucky girl – to take a train to the city for a warm October day with a friend, to catch up on conversation, and to feast on inspiring visuals…..the hour ride home was not enough time to scribble down all my thoughts and fresh ideas.  Thanks Lynne, thanks Gustav, thanks Wendy!

Lots of incoming goodies to show you…some will wait until later this week when I post my Halloween stuff.  How about this from Marylinn Kelly?  She delivers sunshine with her hand-colored-with-love envelopes.  Do you love her skullies?  The pin was a gift earlier this year – don’t you think she needs to be selling these on her site?  New rubber designs by Marylinn are at Rubber Moon.

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Here are some cards…..the first from my ghoulfriend Lisa, I think she needs a tattoo of these guys:

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And Michelle was so sweet to send this….she entered it for the Crush Crusade as she was crushing on the ink blot article on Somerset.  She dedicated it to me since I crush on red, and then surprised me by mailing it here!  I had to get that skull stamp for myself…she was an enabler – oh, and the Top Hat pick for the crusade!!  (Skull by Inkadinkado)

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Judicard

Paint the town Red?  Judi knew I’d love it.  And just a few days ago Lynne sent this….might have to try a few verses of my own.

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Two more things I have to share.  While at Valley Ridge I was giving Andrew a hard time about his Frank Lloyd Wright stencils he had just scored at Taliesin East.  I was teasing him that he should have gotten me some….and I even had the nerve to continue after we got home by threatening to spray paint his picnic table in exchange for the stencils.  Such a sweet man, he was actually going to send me two but I refused because I can get my own with a few clicks on the keyboard.  It was a touching offer wasn’t it?  So I never got around to ordering them and this week a fantastically painted box arrived on my doorstep.  You guessed it FLW stencils!  FROM BONNIE BENSON, another student at Valley Ridge.  She witnessed the fuss I made over them and as she passed by Taliesin on her way back home she got them for me.  How cool is that?  Thanks Bonnie!

Flwstencils

And the last story to wind up a really good week is a gift I got from my sweet friend Linda Warlyn.  I’m late in sharing this one as it was two weeks ago that she gave me this thoughtful present.  If you read the comments on this blog you have no doubt read Linda’s warm and generous words…..and wished she had a blog because you just know you’d like her.  So in the bag were these two boxes…not any ordinary boxes.  Black licorice!  I don’t even remember telling you here that I like black licorice but I blather on about everything I crush on so I’m not surprised it slipped out.  (Easter:  black jelly bean mention according to Linda)  BUT HERE’S WHY THESE BOXES ARE SO SPECIAL:  THEY ARE FROM FINLAND.  And you thought I might get through an entire long post without a single mention of ……well, you know.  But SHE knows, and so when she pointed it out I fell over in amazement at her cleverness.  AND because she knows I crush on scents, and four leaf clovers too, THIS sachet was another PERFECT thing.  Thanks Linda!  (and start a blog would ya?)

Lindalicorice

NEXT:  my halloween pictures!  We are having a party Saturday…..and I’m not even done!

Comments

14 responses to “It’s been a good week!”

  1. Chris Avatar

    These photos are great, and so are your stories–so much fun! I saw a segment with Wendy on Martha Stewart last week and I’m going to make her little treat boxes for my nephews. Luckily, I have the match boxes! I love her. I really wish i could have been there.
    xox
    C
    p.s. We LOVE Panda licorice! I only eat the red, but the black, I hear, is to die for.

  2. Becky New Avatar

    Wow! Michelle, what a wonderful week! I so very much enjoyed reading this post! 🙂 Hope you are doing as well as you seem. 🙂 (hugs!)

  3. Barbara Avatar

    What a great day!!!! I want to go to tinsel trading so bad, but that and Wendy Addison…like the icing on the cake!!! Love all the lovely goodies you picked up and can not wait to see what you will be creating with them!!! You got some really nice goodies in the mail too!! Looking forward to your Halloween party photos!!!

  4. Carrie Avatar

    What beautiful cards from people! And lol Finnish licorice? Probably almost as good as German gummy bears, though more meaningful for you 😉 I wasn’t familiar with Wendy Addison though her stuff looks awesome. What magazine is M.E.? If you say what I think it is, I might die…

  5. flyinamber Avatar

    Gustav Klimt is one of my favourite painters!I love his way of exalting of women.My favourite Klimt’s paintings are “Bewegtes Wasser” and “”Der Kuss”..
    And I like those cards..

  6. Kathy Avatar

    Hey girlfriend! Your trip to the city sounds like SO much fun! And how cute is Wendy Addison?!?!? I’m so jealous you’re so close to NYC! Loved reading through this latest post, so much to see and read and be inspired by… thanks for all your effort! xoxo

  7. Linda Warlyn Avatar
    Linda Warlyn

    Klimt, Wendy A., Pierott, Tinsel Trading, plus good food all shared with the dear Ms. Lynne in one afternoon! WOW! Now there’s a perfect day for you! Loved seeing all those incredible goodies and totally awesome mail. You get the BEST stuff in your mailbox! When I spied that licorice from Finland…talk about a Michelle Moment! And a scented thing-y with a four leaf clover…had to get them! Thank you for the very sweet posting. We’re all so glad we “got” you! xox

  8. Barbara Avatar

    wow! I love your big photos and what a wonderful week with Gustav Klimt . Itoo love all his paintings!

  9. Megan Avatar

    haven’t you been having some fun – perfect, I love how the universe works with you!
    Mx

  10. sue Avatar

    Seeing Klimt work, up close & personal??? Wow, he’s one of my favorites, you are 1 lucky girl! And I agree about Linda-a real sweetheart & I’ve been telling her she needs a blog, too:)

  11. Andrew Borloz Avatar

    Aaaah, you got the Taliesin stencils – this is so funny! And that Gustav Klimt piece, I am going to NYC this weekend and I’ll make sure to see it before I meet my friend at Tinsel Trading for our shopping adventure. Can’t wait to go!
    &rew

  12. lisawcook Avatar

    Wowwy kazowy! Cool stuff.
    First of all I crush on licorice too and love the black jelly beans and I have a package of licorice mix packed for a 3 day “Wild Waller Wimmin Weekend” with my mom, sister and daughter coming up tomorrow. BUT we had a Finnish foreign exchange student living with us for a year and I could NOT stand the stuff he got from home! : ) Never could get that flavor – maybe not enough sugar in it.
    And Tinsel Trading Co is a favorite place for me. I go there when I visit my daughter in NYC. To die for always…How special to meet Wendy A. there! Talk about a best girl treat.
    And Linda W is the best girl friend to have too! I agree 100%.
    SO….there! Love it all!!
    Lisa
    ps. saw what you did with some of those old red labels! Linda told me to take a peek. Too much fun.

  13. Ulla Avatar

    Wendy is one of the most talented and humble artists I know! And as lovely as the photo you took!!! Lucky you! sounds like a thriller of a day!

  14. Mary Ann Avatar

    That’s a whale of a post. I enjoyed EVERY single word. And another stencil source to boot. Great Scott! Have I struck gold or what?

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