Captured in the Workshop!...

EEK, my Holiday Folk Art Show is less than one week away, so I have spent several late nights in the workshop finishing up my collection of winter originals! For days on end, my working uniform of choice has been an oversized hoodie, comfy pants and a pick to keep my hair out of my face. In fact, I am donning the same attractive attire as I type this post tonight. (hehehe!) Well, little to my liking, JP has enjoyed a few spontaneous photo sessions, busting into my disastrous workshop and catching me in the act of creating! Poor me, helpless behind my long work table, tried to ignore the lens in my face and silly gestures he was making to get me to look up and play along! And despite my dowdy appearance and completely scattered workspace, I thought I would share a few images with you. Ya sure, I was once Martha Stewart's Doer of the Week, but that doesn't mean that I don't make a crazy mess every time I set out to create :)  Well, enjoy the images and captions, and I hope to see many of you this weekend at our open house!

Fa La La,
~ Johanna



* Keep in mind, these photos were taken past midnight on Saturday ~ I guess that's technically Sunday morning! My goal was to complete all my originals over the weekend so that I could take their photos before this week began. Mission accomplished, thank goodness!



* Looks like JP was able to squeeze a little smile out of me!



* I was adding the final touches to my characters. That usually consists of mica, glass glitter and accessory trims. As a child, I was fascinated with fashion, drawing and designing clothes for imaginary girls on paper. Now, it seems I am still designing and dressing characters in my own, unique way...



* Hmm, rather homely pic of me adding red glass glitter to the brim of a snowman kettle cup character. You'll notice below that I questioned my decision afterwards. After a bit of pondering, I covered that band of red glass glitter with a layer of twinkling silver. Trust me, it looks better!



* Me pondering..... while JP snaps the moment.....



* JP captures a picture of me adding a wispy black collar to a holiday cat...



* More of the same. I like how the collar adds more definition to the overall design...



* Here, it seems that I have a captive audience of wintery characters awaiting their final trims...



* Adding more glue for glass glitter to a kitty egg cup...



* Eeek! An overhead snap reveals my sloppy work table..... I have tried to stay organized as I work, but it just seems impossible!



* Sunday night rolled in, and I was finally ready to take photos of each original creation. Look, I'm wearing that darn hoodie again, but I let my hair down :)  Seriously folks, I promise to clean up for this weekend's event!



* And JP was having so much fun yet again, that he snapped a screen shot of one of the photo previews I was taking. Pictured is a quartet of holiday egg cups including my first reindeer! This image will probably appear in my Christmas 2011 Gallery whenever the heck I get around to updating it :)

For now, I have plenty to do! We strung lights on our "house in the works" today. For those attending, you'll notice that the exterior is a bit rough, and fingers are crossed that next year, we have things more finished. The front room is all set up as a holiday store, and I am on to my Halloween room tomorrow. One day at a time, right?  SEE you SOON!

Jolly Fun Tease!...

As promised, I thought I would share a wee little tease from my wintery workshop! The first 8 images are a peek at just some of the collectible holiday originals that I am painting this week! Of course, they all need their vintage patina, mica sprinkles, trims and any other adornments that I may choose to add. And yes, I am aware that I have less than 2 weeks to complete this collection, photograph each one, then clean, rearrange the house and decorate! Yikes! I hope I will still be standing when we open our doors on December 3rd! Wish me luck as I certainly need it... For now, enjoy the peek. And now, I am signing out as I am on a mission to prepare for our 9th Annual Holiday Folk Art Show & Open House, destined to be here soon whether I am ready or not! Where did this year go??

(Dear Mr. Calendar,
Can we add one more month to your pages between Halloween & Christmas? Pretty please?  :)

Enjoy, and I look forward tor seeing so many of you soon!

~ Johanna



* Just a peek at some of my Christmas characters awaiting their final touches....



* A pair of cats and a larger owl are certainly looking underdressed!  But, soon that's about to change...



Looks like Missy Mistletoe is close to being ready for the big day, but a glass glitter brim and collar are still in order...



* The base coat has been applied to this wintery owl, and soon I will decorate his hat and perch!



* The top half of a snowman egg cup peers through a crowd of red and white delights...



* I thought I would add a few holiday ghosts to this year's mix!  Why not?  :) There's always the Ghost of Christmas Past to haunt us through the holidays, right?



* And the mice have a been a big hit this year, so a few holiday ones are in the works!



This sweet snowman candy container is anxious for a little twinkle and a set of arms!



* As for my holiday reproductions, I am unleashing a very limited line of snowmen sitters that I designed for Bethany Lowe. Sadly, they never made it into the catalog, and only 16 were produced!  Why, I don't know as they are such jolly fun!.... But, I will have these exlusively available to the folks that attend our Open House!



* And I ordered a few fun "Ruby the Snowbust" characters from my Primitives by Kathy holiday line...



* Also new this season are these sweet snowmen and Santa novelty boxes from my Primitives by Kathy line. Each reproduction will be signed too.....



* Here's a close-up on this year's sugary looking snowmen clothespin clips that you can snap to the boughs of your holiday tree. Dangle their legs over the pine needles for a whimsically fun effect. These characters are from my Bethany Lowe Designs line...

* Back by popular demand from my Bethany Lowe Designs line are these collectible Santa ornaments! They also have a snowman friend to match....



* And another fun group shot of this year's latest Santa characters, again from BLD, also clip to the boughs of your tree!

For all of these fun delights and MORE, please join us on December 3rd & 4th for our Holiday Open House. I will also have a fun variety of illustrated notepads and charms, along with additional winter characters and ornaments. And as promised, the Halloween fans can enjoy the year-end orange and black reproduction delights that I will have available in my back studio room. Don't miss it!

For the official invite and details on this special event, please Join my Mailing List for the scoop!

Setting the HOLIDAY Mood!...

As many of you know, my creative friend Matthew Mead is ALL about the holidays! I had the pleasure of contributing a fun Halloween story and shared my photos in his most recent Autumn issue. That was certainly a treat! Now, that the holidays are fast approaching, I suggest you order a copy of his latest HOLIDAY with Matthew Mead edition! It's a 144-page book-azine celebrating and offering inspiration for the holiday season. You can purchase your expanded keepsake edition NOW which is well ahead for the 128-page newsstand edition. And check out Matthew Mead's website for sneak peeks, holiday giveaways and even a vlog on what's in store!

Happy Holidays,
~ Johanna

Busy at Work!...

Well, you haven't heard much from me as I have been a busy elf working long days in my workshop in preparation for our annual home show this year! As the first weekend of December rolls in, we will be opening our doors for our 9th Annual Holiday Folk Art Show & Open House! There is so so much yet to do, but I wanted to reassure those attending that I am busy at work, preparing for your visit! Wish me luck as I need it! And with any of that luck, I hope to post a few teaser pics here of what I am working on, time permitting of course. So, check back if  you can, and I'll see you soon :)

~ Johanna



For those of you interested in joining us, please Join my Mailing List for the full scoop!

And for a sneak peek at years past, here's a fun look back down memory lane:

2010 Cone Zone Christmas
2009 Take a Peek Inside
2008 Scenes from our Home Show
2007 Holiday Open House

Cheers,
~ Johanna