05.12.13 light

First blog photo taken on my iPhone – definitely need to devote some time to learning this newest camera but got the job done while busy at the craft fair yesterday. It was a day filled with good people, creativity, light, and music; the guy next to me made cigar-box guitars and played juicy, happy/sad blues all day long…

blog051213_windows132/365: windows

 

04.14.13 craftstravaganza

Yesterday I got to scope out my digs for the upcoming CRAFTSTRAVAGANZA! (say it loud with lots of reverb). I’m really excited to be part of this big, indie craft fair at the state fairgrounds in St. Paul. Consider yourself invited! The big day is Saturday, May 11 from 10am to 5pm. I’ll be rolling out new work and new items including wood-mounted prints.

If you’re in the neighborhood, stop and say hi. I’d love to see you.

blog041413_progressctr104/365: progress center, state fairgrounds

tis the season

As I shared in this week’s newsletter (check out the link or, better yet, subscribe here), I’ve been busy in the studio getting ready for the holidays. I did my first craft fair a few weeks ago with two more coming up. Plus, I designed a whole bunch of new items and I re-launched the AvantGardenPhoto Shop on Etsy. It’s all a big, merry blur at this point!

For those of you in the Minneapolis area, I’ll be at two upcoming holiday art fairs: Lyndale Winter Market & Festival of Lights TOMORROW (Saturday, Dec. 1st) from 4-8pm. This event will be lots of fun with live music, free s’mores & cocoa, art activities for the kids and Santa himself. Local artisan market, a fire performer, and free parking, too! Plus, I’ll have many of my new designs available, things that make great gifts like journals, calendars, and framed mini prints.

I’m also rolling out new holiday card designs for 2012…et, voilá!

Avant Garden Holiday Cards

Cards come in two sizes: note (4.25″ x 5.5″) and greeting (5″ x 7″). They are printed on 100% PCW recycled heavy card stock. Singles and box sets available in the SHOP.

It’s not too late to order. Really! Are you thrown off by the early Thanksgiving this year? I keep feeling like I’m way behind until I realize it’s still November! No worries.

Another thing I’m very excited about are the new Avant Garden Photo Calendars.

blog_calendars

Calendars come in three styles: FloralUrban, and Vegetable. And two sizes: 4×6 ($19.50)and 5×7 ($28).

These babies are a true labor of love. I print them in the studio on 110lb Crane’s Lettra 100% cotton letterpress paper. I’m kind of a geek about things like beautiful paper but, seriously, this stuff is gorgeous. It’s so thick, I have to feed it through the printer one sheet at a time.  I know you have a calendar on your phone, but having something artful on your desk or fridge will brighten up your life on a daily basis. It’s good to surround yourself with beauty. Or, treat someone else to a beautiful 2013! Calendars make a super gift; they always fit.

One more cool thing about the calendars: the 5×7 calendar will magically turn into 12 fine art prints. As each month passes, simply trim away the calendar part. You’ll have a 5×5 archival print (includes a 1/4 inch border) that will fit beautifully into a square frame kind of like this:

framed-calendar-print-urban

You can decorate your house or give the framed prints as gifts. Pretty cool, right?

If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll visit the Etsy shop and I really would love to hear what you think. Now, I need to get back to work. Have a lovely weekend! And don’t forget to stop by the Holiday Fair tomorrow if you’re in town. 64th & Lyndale, right here in South Minneapolis.

AvantGardenPhoto – Grand Opening

After a great experience at my first craft fair last weekend, I finally have the Etsy shop up and running, too! You are officially invited to come in and browse!

The shop is AvantGardenPhoto and contains a lot of the new designs I’ve been working on including cards, journals, and fine art prints. Many great gift ideas and affordable options – mini cards start at $2/each!

Here’s a peek at a few of the new items I debuted at the craft fair:

I’ll share more information in the coming days. But, for now, please visit the shop and let me know what you think! I would love feedback on everything – products, prices, descriptions, etc.

To celebrate the Grand Opening, I’m offering blog readers, Facebook Friends, and Avant Garden News subscribers FREE SHIPPING through 2012!  Coupon Code: BLOGFREE

Please add the shop to your Etsy favorites, share on your favorite social media site and/or blog, or pass the information on to a friend. Thanks for helping the cause 🙂

**Fine Print: Free Shipping in the U.S.**