A Cone Zone Christmas!...

I feel so very fortunate as we were blessed with nice weather this past weekend while we hosted our 8th Annual Holiday Folk Art Show and Open House! We had a record number of guests who stopped by to spread smiles and collect special goodies for the gift-giving season. A big THANKS goes out to all that came out from both near and even states away to join us! We enjoyed visiting with you and were pleased that you enjoyed your visit! So, I know you're waiting to see the latest photos from this year's festivities, so here goes!


* I wasn't kidding about the "Cone Zone Christmas" which I appropriately coined for this year's event! We started MAJOR construction in September, had gaping holes on 3 sides of our home to work on our foundation and expanded sub-ground living spaces. For those of you who have been to our home in the past, there was an apparent change to the appearance of our front yard. It's certainly no where complete, but with a little imagination, I think many of you were able to see the dream in motion.....



* I took the Cone Zone Christmas one step further into Johannaland, and whimsified them just a touch with shiny aluminum tree branches and vintage baubles! It was a play on words that materialized unexpectedly :)


* Our new front porch vestibule addition is still just in our minds, so a temporary plywood porch greeted guests. I dressed it up with an old sled, the tree topper of that vintage aluminum tree and one of my latest snowmen figures from Primitives by Kathy.....


* Upon entering, guests were greeted with this fun center display of eye candy! As usual, with my endless list of to-dos, I didn't have a moment to snap any photos until about an hour before the event started. It was as rush-rush frenzy indoors while shoppers started to arrive early outside.


* A closer peek reveals my love for vintage style. My reproduction Santas and snowmen collectibles happily mingle amongst old antique finds...


* Quick! I strike a pose between shooting the various displays! I look calm, but trust me, I was breaking a sweat in that fuzzy sweater, living up to its name :)


* A quick 180 behind me reveals a close up of my whimsical lollipop snowmen!
One shopper said they were "creepy cool"... Guess a little of my Halloween side tends to reveal itself in other holiday creations of mine!


* A quick pan to my left and you see my mantel strewn with the remainder of my one of a kind holiday originals for this season. I only wish I had made more for a web sale this year, but with our construction and busy scheduling, it has been difficult to find more time to devote to these labor intensive pieces. I promise next year to spend more time on a holiday collection of one of a kinds!


* Here's a peek at "Miss Merry Be," an original winter kitty who found a home this past Saturday!...


* Two more delightful snowmen originals with arms open wide, also found homes!


* Looking toward the front door, you see the backside of my entrance table filled with a variety of holiday goodies! Let's take a closer look.....


* A grouping of "sock snowmen" designed by my mother, Kathy Parker for Primitives by Kathy were a big hit! Cute!


* Festive ornaments dangle while Santas and snowmen stay firmly clipped to a lovely white feather tree. A sleigh filled with pre-packaged snowmen ornaments ready to give as gifts was quickly emptied once the shoppers arrived....


* Here's a wide shot of the main room. Off to the left is the passage to our kitchen which I unfortunately ran out of time to shoot! Next year, I MUST be more organized! Better yet, join my mailing list for the official invite and see if for yourself next year!


* Let's take a closer peek at my front display where the armature from an old lamp shade makes for the perfect display for my latest charm necklaces, offered by Primitives by Kathy...


* It's time to make a WISH!


* Remember that large snowman on our front porch? Well, he has a mini-me snowman companion! heheh!


* I always have some great year-end close-out sales at our Open House! Here's my corner of Spring delights, and even with the chill in the air, the pastel birds were flying the coop!


* Speaking of birds, my sweet "SING" charm was a fun find along with the Penny Rug charm necklace and others. I grabbed an old plant stand and some clothespins to soon find that I had a fun way to display these wearable art pieces...


* One of the first pieces you notice when you enter our home is this lovely hand-crafted cabinet that JP made for me YEARS ago to house my art supplies. It's more of a catch-all piece now, but certainly has not lost its luster! This year, I topped it with a vintage Christmas tree from my mom's childhood, passed down to me. I grew up decorating this tree in my bedroom each year, and now it's our family tree! (it has also made for a great prop at my local shows!)


* Ahh, I spot one more set of these fun characters standing next to that magical tree!


* And what's not Christmas without a little Halloween! Well, that's how I roll at least :) Enter my studio room to see a grand display of year-end Halloween delights, all marked down for our shoppers!


* I cordon off half of this workspace and devote it to Halloween each year. It goes through quite the transformation in just a few hours time. Hmm, who's that in the window?


* Well, if it isn't Mr. Jack, the black cat, watching the birds from his favorite roost! In the foreground, crescent moons, owls and jack-o'-lanterns play well with the black cat king himself....


* The clock was ticking... one minute till, and JP and I were running around finishing the last possible details, lighting candles and preparing for our guests! I quickly grabbed a pile of box trays to hand to our shoppers as they arrived..... WELCOME!


* We were greeted with smile after smile which made all the effort so worthwhile!


* Guess those box trays came in handy as folks collected ornaments and other delights to fill their homes with!


* At the end of the day, Jack and I posed for a happy pic, as we reminisced over a lovely day filled with countless hugs, laughter and smiles! I appreciate that so many of you saved the date and joined us for our 8th Annual Event! Next year will be the big 9, so please mark your calendars for the first weekend in December, 2011 and join us once again! You won't regret it :)

Cheers & Happy Holidays,
~ Johanna