This past August I was part of a wonderful sale called "The Artists Garden" and I really wanted to share the two lovely days with all of you even if it's abit late...and espeacially since today it's snowing! so I shouldn't put off 'summery' posts much longer I think, ha ha...
...So here we go...At the end of this quiet country lane....
There is a lovely and enchanted studio called "AshCreek Pottery" and the even lovelier host named Pat Stamp...
She extended an invitation to me to join in her 6th annual "The Artists Garden" craft and art sale, something I had heard much about and something which I was very excited to participate in....
The event took place in breathtaking countryside and in very close proximity was a lovely pond full of ducks, a barn full of goats, a huge flower and vegetable garden... so I was of course in 7th heaven!...the only thing missing were some little romping bunnies but they were probably smart enough to stay low and cool because the whole weekend was indeed a scorcher, two of the hottest days of our whole summer.
But the ducks stayed cool in their peaceful golden pond...
Pat even set up a tea and dessert room in her porch high above the action of the sale and in her quaint little kitchen...The artists were welcomed up here before each day to fuel up on fresh muffins, bagels and coffee...it was very sweet and cozy...
Down below scattered around Pat's studio and throughout her incredible acreage was a sea of tents each housing very lovely and unique artisans and crafters, about 20 of or so I think there was...
The weekend was so busy with customer traffic that Pat's husband Lloyd had to take out the plough and cut more fields to make more parking room!
We had the sweetest parking attendant, Alexander, to direct the constant flow of browsers and buyers...
...and there was even a group of people demonstarting some of their Tai Chi...it was the perfect setting for such a thing.
So here is me, little Bijou of Bijou's whimsy with all of my handmade wares...phew it was a relief to get everything set up just in time and I was able to relax after finally giving in that the ground was very uneven and my stands were far from straight, ha ha....
I of course set my tent up right by the pond so I could keep in the good company of the beautiful Muscovy's and Mallards all day long...
I was pretty sure that even if I didn't sell a single thing that weekend would be just perfect from being in close company of the animals...every time the goats would bray or a duck would glide and splash through the water my heart would jump for joy and it really started me wondering on why we don't live in the country!!!
I think this is one of my favourite shots that I took...
A major surprise and treat both days of the weekend was when Lloyd played his bagpipes. We could hear the music coming from deep in the forest and slowly coming towards us but just across the pond...then out of the trees steps Lloyd and than he walked the whole distance across the pond serenading the artists and buyers alike...it was so fantastic and speacil...
My neighbour tempted me all weekend with her sweet country stuffies....
And across the way from me was my friend Jana and a fellow AOMer working on some of her jewelry, somehow she managed to look cool and lovely despite the sweltering heat...
Also across the way was another fellow AOMer, the lovely Rosemary Thomas, selling her newest collection of pottery.
My dearest Dave Carlin was there and I did have a tendency to float over to his tent to hang out with this beloved man and friend oh mine:D....
And of course it never takes much coaxing for me and my pal Rachael to find some laughs and fun together, I was so glad she was there that weekend also...
There was good company of all ages actually:D...here's me with Dave's daughter Allison and her sweet baby boy Kristopher.
Each day around 2 or 3:00, all of the snow white Muscovy's would waddle out of the pond and putter around my tent...sigh...heaven:D ha ha....
There is my Jonathan nabbing a bite of lunch behind my Nubbins:D The 2nd day we rearranged the tent so we had abit more shade...(Thanks Jonathan my love, for all of your help, it couldn't have possibly been so smooth or as much fun without you there by my side:D XOXOXOX)...
I was pretty happy with my display...I went with mostly white fabrics and blue highlights...I used my trusty rabbit weather vane and the old antique frames from my Nanny to present my necklaces, which sold like hot cakes I must happily admit.
It was a brilliant sale, I am already looking forward to next summer's...
Though admittedly, I do look back at that weekend with much bitter-sweetness, which is perhaps why I didn't post about it sooner. Because the sale was all day Saturday and Sunday, not to mention the long days beforehand to get ready and then that Monday was when Hazel passed away...so at first I was very angry with myself that I was at this sale instead of home during Hazzy's last days...but I know now after some healing time that I couldn't have possibly known, that it wasn't my fault and that I was always there for her beforehand and I was atleast there to hold her when she had to leave...sigh...so I am trying to look back on the sale with gratitude and love because it was a great and speacil sale, the best so far I think.
Thanks for sharing with me....join me back here in a few days for a aerial tour of our little hometown and hopefully next week I'll have new work to share, it's not been a great month for headaches, so I've not been getting as much work done as I hoped for!!!!
We had never ever been in a helicopter before but had always wanted to experience it...
So we jumped in a heli that was spanking brand new, with only 15 hours of flight time on it and that at first didn't want to start, ha ha, this did not help towards Jonathan's fear of flying one bit!....
But oh it was worth the leap of faith that all would be fine....the views of our little home town were breathtaking...Here is Lake Nipissing towards the North...
Farthur North even still...
And there in the distance towards the North East you see our other lovely body of water...Trout Lake...
It was hard to get decent photos of us because we were squished in the seats, ha ha...and because we didn't want to spend too much time behind the lens...but here's me...in bliss....
And here's Lake Nipissing again but abit more towards the West...
And here's my handsome guy, Jonathan...he loved it every bit as much as I did, we were like school kids afterwards, ha ha jumping up and down and wanting to do it all over again...I was so proud of Jon because he does have a pretty healthy fear of flying.
This is towards the West, we're pretty lucky to be surrounded by alot of fresh water lakes...the islands you see in the distance are ones that Jonathan bikes to when the lake is frozen solid in the winter, it's a trek I've yet to brave since I myself have a big fear of going through ice, so though we walk and ski on this lake alot in the winter, I stay within half a mile of the shore where I know its not likely to crack!
Here is a shot of our summer festival grounds and our train yards which has the 'bypass' crossing over...which Jonathan passes everyday to go to work, I love passing over early in the mornings because the sunrise and view of the lake is always cheering...
And this is our neighbourhood...if you zoomed in to that little court in the middle...that's our court and if you see the house surrounded by tons of trees with a little red car in the driveway, that's our little cozy abode:D...we we're all excited to see it from this vantage point and loved the fact that we own so many beautiful trees:D
And that my friends is the tour...we took tons more pictures but I think you get the point...I hope your enjoyed your aerial tour and thanks for popping by and sharing it with me.
