Heart to Heart Kiel, Wisconsin

Madison

2012-02-09T07:44:00.003-06:00

Finishing up packing my trailer this morning and then I'll drive to Madison and start setting up my booth for the Garden Expo. I'm excited! I've got new stuff to show to my great customers there, and look forward to seeing the show myself! I'm donating a beautiful "condo" birdhouse for the raffle there, so get to the show and buy a ticket or two....there's lots of fantastic stuff to win!

2012-01-30T16:40:00.002-06:00

The shop's filling with things that will be taken to the upcoming Garden Expo in Madison and to our wholesale customers with shops around the country. Think bright, citrus-y colors, polka dots, masses of flowers and happy thoughts.

2012-01-30T16:39:00.000-06:00

2012-01-30T16:36:00.000-06:00

All You Need is Love

2012-01-18T12:15:00.001-06:00

LOVE banner done on salvaged ceiling tin. Tis the season.

Blue Skies

2012-01-17T11:49:00.002-06:00

Outside there's a blizzard, but in the shop it's warm, colorful and happy! Here's a pic of an engraved sign that I just finished prototyping...did the art last year but ran out of time to finish my work before the show season kicked in. Everyone loves a sun!

2012-01-10T16:25:00.003-06:00

It's time to get serious about Spring, even though we're barely into January. I'm taking advantage of a couple days of unusually warm weather for Wisconsin in winter. It was almost 50 degrees today! Warm enough to open the doors, don my mask and leather apron and play on my plasma torch. Here's a pic of some new hearts for Valentine's Day and beyond. I got the opportunity today to trace and cut a nice batch of banners.

Angels

2011-11-23T17:02:00.002-06:00

I've finished a couple of angels for our show in De Pere this weekend. Vintage everything; barn wood, ceiling tin, copper grounding wire, corrugated roofing steel. I really do try to re-use and recycle as much as is feasible, partly because it's good for the environment, partly because I adore old stuff. More angels to come, and if I'm lucky there'll be one left over for me to hang at home.

2011-11-21T15:20:00.003-06:00

I'll have a couple of these mirrors with me in De Pere this Saturday. They're a little smaller than most of my mirrors, measuring about 18" square. Of course the price will be a little lower than that of the more elaborate pieces, and they're still adorable.

One-of-a-Kind

2011-11-21T14:26:00.004-06:00

I love making special, one-of-a-kind items. There is, of course, a limit to what Tom and I can accomplish in a year, but I'm going to make an effort to make and bring a good supply of these things to our last 3 shows of the year. We're enthused about these events! They're in our "back yard", so to speak; De Pere, Wisconsin, Marquette in the UP of Michigan, and Baraboo, Wisconsin. They're smaller events than we usually do, but smaller is better sometimes better! I'll continue to post items as they're finished. Hope this gets my peeps charged up!

2011-11-20T21:34:00.004-06:00

In a complete departure from my usual posts, I really must share this photograph of a fabulous barn in Belgium. It embodies so much of what I love; history, patina, design, color and pattern. I wish...

Crescent Moon

2011-11-20T20:43:00.002-06:00

I finished painting and glittering some moons to take to my holiday shows. Worked on some glittery stakes, too (stars, reindeer, snowflakes, mittens, the words "Joy" and "Brrr"). I'll post pics later!

2011-11-18T09:47:00.002-06:00

Just three holiday events left for the season for us, but they will all be special. It will be our first time in De Pere, Wisconsin at the Redbird Holiday Craft Faire, our first time in Marquette, Michigan for their Christmas Craft Show, and our second showing at The Very Merry Holiday Fair in wonderful Baraboo, Wisconsin. I will be building special holiday pieces and one-of-a-kind items for each of these shows, and will post pictures as I finish things. Watch for a new batch of mirrors...Tom just made me a batch of beautiful frames from some salvaged beadboard that are going to turn out fabulous when they are done! This is a photo from last year's show in Baraboo. It's a high quality, intimate affair! I'll be posting more about the show and Baraboo later.

My Favorite Show of the Year

2011-09-29T12:04:00.004-05:00

I love Colorado. Everything about it; the landscape, the climate, the weather, the history. This makes my week in Colorado Springs for the show at Rock Ledge Ranch a delight for me. I only wish that it was not such a long drive, but there are always adventures and challenges and artist friends that I don't see very often and lots and lots of customers that have been coming to my booth for years and years. I feel the love there. Thank you to all my wonderful customers. I can't wait to see you again.

Barnwood Mirrors

2011-08-31T14:05:00.002-05:00

I've finished a handful of mirrors for the fall shows, and a lucky few people will be able to take one home. I think they turned out great! I worked with a variety of frames, both painted and greyed barnwood. I'm so looking forward to seeing Heart to Heart's dedicated collectors in the next few weeks.

Autumn

2011-08-21T21:28:00.003-05:00

It's right around the corner! Halloween and the harvest season are fast approaching. This season is so much fun to design for: bats, spiders, cats, jack-o-lanterns and funky purples, orange, lime green and black are in order. Boo!

Some things I saw this summer

2011-08-11T21:13:00.005-05:00

My summer schedule affords me the opportunity to see some beautiful scenery and a little time to relax and enjoy it between shows. The Lake Michigan shore in Michigan, the Black Hills in South Dakota and the Northwoods in Ely, Minnesota each hold their charms, and the first Saturday in August I am lucky to be able to do a show that lets us stay at our cabin in Northeast Wisconsin, truly my favorite spot in the world. Thank you to everyone who came out to see us this summer. We love each show and so look forward to seeing you (and your lovely scenery)each summer. Fall is right around the corner and there is a great deal of activity in the shop. Thinking purple, green, orange, yellow....bats, cats, pumpkins and crows. Lots of ideas swirling!

South Dakota

2011-07-14T17:09:00.003-05:00

I'm two time zones west of Michigan already, and getting ready to set up our sweet little show in Spearfish, South Dakota. The whole state is green and lush from the heavy rains this year, so different from most years when it is a spare and parched landscape. There are still many acres of burned forest visible from I-90 near Rapid City from the fires that raged just a few years ago. I do love my week here, with the intense sun and low mountains covered in dark pines (that's why they call them the Black Hills). City Park in Spearfish is a great place for a show, with it's icy stream running thru and the kids on inner tubes chilling in the hot weather. I'm looking forward to the weekend!

Sailing to Michigan

2011-06-29T20:39:00.003-05:00

I'll be taking my truck and trailer onto the USS Badger tomorrow and sailing for Ludington, Michigan. It's a great way to relax (it's a 4 hour crossing) and to avoid the drive through Chicago.

I've got a trailer full of stuff for my shoppers in Ludington this Saturday and Sunday at their Art Show, and for the following weekend in Plymouth. I've been doing Art in the Park in Plymouth for nearly 20 years. Wow! Anyhow, here's a pic of some of the stuff I'll be loading tomorrow morning. Bright, polka dots, whimsy, happiness. I'm so looking forward to my stay in Michigan!

2011-06-18T17:00:00.002-05:00

Been awhile since I've posted...we've had a busy Spring and are feverishly preparing for our summer art shows. I'm so looking forward to it! I love my summer shows and especially the opportunity in July to spend a little time at the beach in Ludington, Michigan, head West to Spearfish, South Dakota (beautiful) and then to the far North to Ely, Minnesota. Love the camping with the sound of loons to lull me to sleep. We have plenty of new stuff to keep our repeat customers entertained, so come on out and say hi!

2011-04-13T08:55:00.003-05:00

Good news for our friends in Iowa! We will be at the Beaux Arts Festival in downtown Davenport on Mother's Day weekend (May 7-8). It's a great opportunity to take Mom to a fun little art show. We'll be on the East end of the show on 2nd St. Lots of colorful stuff in our booth just in time to brighten up the outdoors now that the grass is getting green and the frost is out of the ground.

2011-04-12T17:27:00.003-05:00

We've had a great time at our Spring shows so far. We had beautiful weather in Florida and Alabama and met so many wonderful people in our booth. We hope we can repeat that trip as it felt as much like vacation as work. The wisteria and dogwood were blooming, and for a northerner having left home in a blizzard it was a little bit of heaven. Just enough to tide a person over until our fragrant lilacs start to bloom. Nothing can beat that! Last weekend our dedicated fans in Minnesota came out in droves for the Spring Festival in Shakopee; I've never seen a line like the one before the show opened on Friday morning! We've got a couple of weekends off to catch up for our May shows, and to design a couple of new things....Au revoir

2011-03-03T14:47:00.003-06:00

There are absolutely no signs of Spring here other than a longer day and a few brave birds that are venturing north. There are huge piles of snow everywhere and temperatures in the 20's during the day. I am having to content myself with building and painting flowers and other things for the warm season to come. I'm a bit obsessed with painting on salvaged window screens lately. Here's my latest. Flowers. Flowers. Flowers.

Garden Expo

2011-02-14T15:23:00.002-06:00

The Garden Expo in Madison was a great success this year. We went from sub-zero weather on Thursday morning (-12 F) to 40 and sun by Sunday afternoon. Spring Fever! Big, big crowds and happy people. Lots of my dedicated customers came and found something new to take home. I love seeing them all. I found homes for both of my paintings; hard to part with but they both left with people who fell in love. This is a photo of the first of the two which will be hanging in a porch. I think that's a perfect spot!

2011-02-09T11:04:00.002-06:00

I tried my hand at painting last week. It's something I've thought about for a long time but never had the time or nerve to tackle. I had a couple vintage window screens taking up space in my shop and they looked like a good place to start. Here's my second attempt...I'll be taking it to the Garden Expo in Madison this weekend. I'm rather proud of it.

2011-02-04T17:37:00.003-06:00

We've been busy this winter making new stuff for our collectors and faithful customers. I'm excited for the show season coming up! New birdhouses, flowers, signs & steel cutouts. Cats, dogs, polka dots and some very special one-of-a-kind BIG things...it has been so much fun in the shop. Blizzards rage outside but inside it is bright colors, flowers and whimsy. We're headed to the Garden Expo at the Alliant Center in Madison, Wisconsin next week and are looking forward to seeing some of our favorite customers there as well as stocking up on seeds and other gardening goodies for ourselves.

A Very Merry Christmas

2010-12-17T10:55:00.002-06:00

A Very Merry Christmas to you all! We are in a winter wonderland in Wisconsin...huge snow piles and crispy weather. This is a shot from my last boutique show of the year in Baraboo. Thanks to the hardy souls who braved the weather and came to enjoy the wonderful selection of artists and the free chocolate and champagne! Mmmmm.

2010-12-13T13:58:00.004-06:00

We've survived our blizzard. No better time than now to dream about July and my summer shows. Here's a couple of photos of my booth in Spearfish, South Dakota in July 2010: beautiful hot weather and a lovely setting near an icy stream that is perfect for tubing or wading if it gets too hot.

2010-12-13T12:46:00.003-06:00

We had such a great time at the Very Merry Holiday Fair in Baraboo. Despite the threat of poor weather there were great customers, some new and some familiar faces. Thanks to all who supported this wonderful event. It was my first time in Baraboo (!) and I loved it! It is a thriving artist community and a beautiful part of the state. This was my last show for the year and we will now busy ourselves with preparing for 2011...most importantly designing wonderful new things! I have more ideas that we can possibly tackle!

2010-11-01T16:57:00.002-05:00

Leaves are raked, patio furniture put away, fleece and wool garments are waiting on the sidelines. No snow yet, but we know in Wisconsin that we are lucky to have made it to November without having seen any. The smart ones in the North take up a hobby in the winter. Skiing, snowmobiling, skating, dogsledding, ice fishing. They can actually make a person anxious for cold weather!

Some new Halloween pieces

2010-08-28T10:18:00.001-05:00

2010-08-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

2010-08-10T07:20:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a long time between posts, but the summer show season is almost over! Here are a few photos of my booth in Spearfish, South Dakota. The show is in a beautiful little park with a cold, clear stream running behind my booth. Beautiful!

Pagoda Bird House

2010-03-03T19:30:00.000-06:00

Our new little hanging birdhouse.

Philadelphia Flower Show

2010-03-03T19:21:00.002-06:00

Bright bright bright colors: lime green, aegean blue, citrus, school bus yellow, tomato, happy pinks and wine. The mirror is made with chunky molding and embellished with tin flowers made from salvaged metals.

Philadelphia Flower Show

2010-03-03T15:14:00.002-06:00

Our little 12'x12' home for 9 days. We are seeing large crowds coming thru the show this year as our friends in the East are winter-weary and anxious for spring. The show is full of flowering plants and wonderful displays.

Philadelphia

2010-02-01T17:30:00.003-06:00

I am going flat out getting ready for our show in Philadelphia next weekend. We have a wonderful following there after many years of selling to shopowners "Out East" and always look forward to seeing our friends. Here's to good weather for our trip!

A New Birdhouse

2010-01-26T18:10:00.002-06:00

Tom and I prototyped this little hanging birdhouse this week.....and I rather like it. It will be a second attempt to use reclaimed corrugated roofing steel for a birdhouse roof. Our first attempt failed as each time we tried to bend the metal to make a peak it snapped. Since the angle is shallower on this birdhouse we are hoping it will work. I painted it with layers of dribbles, swirls and drops. My favorite way to paint lately.

2010-01-18T16:45:00.002-06:00

We've been making a few mirrors this winter. They take a little time but I love them! The flowers are made of salvaged roofing tin, ceiling tin, and embellished with reclaimed copper grounding wire and chunky ceramic beads that I found in a St. Vincent de Paul resale shop several years ago. I bought a big box full of them (they are vintage beads made for macrame projects. Flash from the past). Sometimes it takes a while to find just the right application for something like that. This funky lime green one will be shipped to Eureka Springs, Arkansas in a couple of weeks. You can see it at Wilson and Wilson Folk Art.

2010-01-16T16:33:00.002-06:00

Here's another picture of the new gift shop.

It doesn't have a name yet........I love the

name Higgledy Piggledy but I'm getting

pushback from Tom. I don't think he can

imagine himself saying it!

2010-01-16T10:47:00.002-06:00

Who can resist a little green tree frog? Thanks to my friend Blakeley Wilson at Wilson & Wilson Folk Art in Arkansas for this idea. She has a fantastic funky store in Eureka Springs and does amazing artwork with her Mother. A must-see shop if you're in the area! (She is also a great customer and carries a wide selection of our stuff). wilsonandwilsonfolkart.com

2010-01-15T14:29:00.002-06:00

Winter's the time to create for the spring and summer seasons. It's hard to get in the mood for summer when there's 10-foot piles of snow in the parking lot and I'm wearing layers and layers of turtlenecks, fleece and down to stay warm! Temps are in the low 30's here this week (HEAT WAVE!). It gives us all hope that Spring could indeed arrive.

2010-01-09T15:34:00.004-06:00

I am working on a display area in my studio this winter. Hours will be by chance or by appointment for now but perhaps before too long I can keep some regular hours. I hope to have an open house in the spring for my local fans.

2010-01-09T12:14:00.003-06:00

Steel Hearts on a 4-foot tall stake, lovely in a garden or clustered with a birdhouse or flowers.

Corrugated Hearts

2010-01-09T11:21:00.003-06:00

Our whimsical hearts are made from recycled corrugated roofing tin and painted with abandon....drizzles, spatters and swirls. My shop floor and shoes look the same after a few batches of these!

2009-08-17T18:46:00.002-05:00

Our one-day show in Lakewood, Wisconsin is a blast for two reasons....it's full of fun and enthusiastic shoppers and it's close enough to our cabin on the Peshtigo River that we can spend a couple of days there. It's heaven. This is a picture of the river (with very low water!) right in front of our cabin. That's Tom trying to find a trout. We can open the windows and listen to the rapids all night long.

2009-08-17T18:33:00.002-05:00

I had fun this afternoon decorating this chunky green mirror. The workshop is bustling, trying to get ready for our big September and October shows. It is always my busiest season, and full of shows that I love to do. Once it starts on Labor Day weekend, however, there's not much time to do anything but pack, drive, do the show and repeat!

2009-06-22T22:45:00.002-05:00

I did the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts in Minneapolis last weekend. My booth was facing the historic Pillsbury Mill and behind my booth was the only falls on the Mississippi River as well as downtown Minneapolis. I have never been in that part of the city before and thoroughly enjoyed it.....my only regret being that I was so busy that I could not get out of my booth to enjoy some of the regional bands that were playing during the show. There will be many gardens in Minnesota that will be a little bit brighter after they've been decorated with the birdhouses and other whimsies we sold, tho..... and I am a little more familiar with all the one-way streets in the city. And I LOVE that vertical neon sign on the Guthrie Theatre!

2009-06-01T14:29:00.001-05:00

Yes, birds will use them!

2009-05-19T15:10:00.002-05:00

Welcome, summer! It was a long, long winter in the North and we are happy that our sunny summer season is almost here. Our painted steel sun face is 21" in diameter. There is a keyhole in the back for hanging. $60.

2009-04-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

2009-03-23T16:23:00.003-05:00

A little pink bouquet, perfect for Mother's Day! Steel flowers painted and sealed so they're suitable for indoors or out. The container is a vintage sap bucket from Quebec which I painted and decorated with a tin flower.

6 flowers (2 ft tall)......36.00

Sap bucket...28.00

2009-03-22T12:24:00.004-05:00

INSTANT GARDEN, NO WATERING REQUIRED

These are our new little 2-foot tall painted steel flowers. No worries if you plant these in your garden! No need to water or weed......just enjoy. A bunch of 6 is $36.00. Multi color.

2009-03-12T16:43:00.000-05:00

The watering can is a vintage European can that I painted and decorated with a flower made from salvaged ceiling tin, reclaimed copper wire curly-cues and a few glass beads. The flowers in the background are painted steel and look charming in a garden. No fuss!

2009-03-07T20:08:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow's the last day of the Flower Show. We're exhausted but happy! Thank you, Philadelphia, for a great time. We enjoyed the show as much as anyone (amazing displays, and the first time I've heard opera live). Great food, too! We have a long drive home, but will enjoy a little quiet time in our small town after the energy and activity of the city. And I think that after all the birdhouses we sold here the wrens will have some hot digs in the East this Spring.

2009-03-03T20:32:00.000-06:00

We won a ribbon for Third Place-Garden Accessories at the Flower Show last night....a good feeling after all the effort that goes into preparing for and doing this show. We've seen lots of our customers from last year and a lot of new ones, too. It's quite exciting for a couple of small-town midwesterners to do a show in a major metropolitan area. (Not that we've never been in a city before, of course......we do shows in Chicago, Detroit, Colorado Springs, and Minneapolis to name a few). We've been enjoying the Philadelphia friendliness and especially the food. It's been a memorable experience so far!

Philadelphia Flower Show

2009-03-01T19:19:00.000-06:00

The flower show's official start was today, and there were huge crowds here to enjoy the wonderful displays. This year's theme is "Bella Italia". The designers have created courtyards and gardens full of ancient-looking sculptures evoking both ancient and modern Italy. There's even a garden portraying Atlantis peopled by mermaids and other fantastical and mythical sea creatures. My favorite!

2009-02-24T16:54:00.000-06:00

Heart to Heart is headed to Pennsylvania this week for the Philadelphia Flower Show.....the biggest flower show in the United States! It's an awesome display of garden artistry, and this year's theme is "Bella Italia". There will be many huge displays built from live plants, from flowers to full size trees. Last year there were even ponds and streams in the gardens. Incredible! There is a marketplace where our booth will be, full of everything from jewelry to garden tools. I'm taking my camera and will post from the show to share the beauty.

2009-02-20T17:19:00.000-06:00

This is a salvaged raised door panel that I decorated with cut ceiling tin pieces. I rather like how it turned out, and hope I can do a few for my shows. I'm not sure if there's a message behind this design, but I think that little flower is happy to be blooming.

2009-02-19T18:28:00.000-06:00

We just finished a batch of these nice big birdhouses. They're roofed with steel shingles that were salvaged from one of the biggest old Victorian houses in New Holstein, where I live. I love knowing just where the stuff we use to make our birdhouses comes from and knowing a little story about it is that much better.