Gardening, Drawing, Working in the studio

Working on the 2010 Dolphin Studio Calendar. Making color separations and learning ALOT

Eating salads from the garden most nights.

Irish Inspiration

This post is to inspire you - my readers to check out these pictures taken on my Irish travels, and join in the flower making fun on June 26-28 at my flower making workshop. I still have room on all three days -

This post if also for my friend Diane who takes AMAZING pictures of flowers, morphs them into art and helps me at the workshops.

The details on the workshops are:

• They are held in my studio in Pittsfield, MA.
• 10-4 each day
• $150 per day
• Come one, two or all three days
• One and two day students can come on any day/s that work/s.
  

Scroll down to see what the flowers I have made look like and email me at www.crispinaffrench@gmail.com if you have any questions or want to register.

Family, Flowers, Food - Ireland

Who needs a welcome mat when this is the entry of your home? At the cottage where we stay in Nogra, one first has to travel through a notable low walled flower garden full of blooming poppies, daisies, fuchsia bushes, calendula, asters, clematis and countless other unusual colorful, odd shaped gloriousness.

Intermittent rain is keeping the lush greens soft and everywhere. Sun warms the ground and the wind has been keeping us in layers, wool socks and all.

We went to Galway in search of a healthy food grocery shop today. We got turned around (and around) in traffic due to the Volvo World Sea Race that happened to be in town today too. We just parked the car and walked around the waterfront to check it all out.
Chris was in his glory when we found the big diggers and trucks!
I was really happy to find descent cup of black coffee to put an end to the throbbing headache I was toting around this morning!
Healthy food was available there too - a booth called Good Food Ireland - which is sort of like our Berkshire Grown back home. We had lunch there - really yummy organic meat sausages served like hot dogs. Veggies were not offered but I did sample the smoked salmon - Yummmm. The woman who waited on us gave me lots of info on the organization including a touring map with their members locations all over the country. No word of a whole, healthy food grocery market though.

We ended up shopping for basics back in Kinvara at the new, giant, not very good Londis. They did have organic milk and some organic fruit and vegetables. The potatoes we had for dinner were very tastey (rightly so!)

On the way home from a walk to the beach Lucy fell asleep in the stroller with a handful of wildflowers for 'Daddy'. A red clover, buttercup, purple vetch, and a couple others, he put them in water, short stems and all - a reminder of the love I have for my family!

Then there was the tea party. Violet and Lucy seem so easily entertained. Mostly it is the fact that they have each other but they are pretty creative thinkers. Every piece of silverware was searched out and on display for their festivities. They must have been expecting quite a crowd!

this is an aside:
I wish I could figure out how to format and post pictures better with this software. It would be great if the text that pertained to the pictures on my posts could correlate a little better~ Maybe someone out there can help me? I have tried to get help through blogger but that is quite a maze and requires patience

Potholder Rug Making Workshop

A three day Potholder Rug making workshop began last Sunday in the studio. A great group people turned up, some from far away places (like Michigan, Missouri, and Arkansas!) with all sorts of backgrounds. While most people stayed for more than just one day there were single day visitors everyday adding new input and fun to the core group.

My friend Eric made some Potholder Rug looms for me to sell - and they sold! He was able to join in on Sunday to learn the process. He was my first ever male workshop student!

Everyone left with beautiful rugs, a clear desire to continue creating and and a few sore fingers!

My workshop schedule for the rest of the year will be posted on my calendar soon.

The next workshop is a one day event on May 16 - Recycled wool felt flower making. 11-5:30 $150 includes all tools, materials, and lunch

Every Wednesday the studio is open for my Sewing Lounge and shopping.
Come by anytime from 11-5 and see the newest recycled creations from my studio. Bring a project to work on or just pop in.

Zinnias and Hue Test

Zinnias are one of my favorite cutting flowers. They are pretty long lasting in water and the hue and texture of their colors are just so rich and yummy. I had a bumper crop in my first year cutting garden on Melville Street. They are still coming too!

Are you a color lover? I sure am. The richness of color next to color is one of my earliest childhood memories - in the art supply store. Truly better than candy. Here is a fun test to take. Click here and see how you do.