It’s Time for a Mad Tea Party!

We all love prizes! Here’s a wonderful opportunity to explore and meet some of today’s innovative folk artists. As you explore and visit the wealth of blog sites, you’ll have the opportunity to enter your name into drawings for prizes. Sounds like a win-win opportunity, doesn’t it?

The Mad Tea Party
The Mad Tea Party

I plan to enter. How about you? Have fun at the party!

Click the image to begin your exploration.

Enter to Win! Johanna Parker’s “Lucky Lumina”

Oh, I was soooo tempted to keep this a big secret. I want to win this wonderful little guy.

He is a one-of-a-kind creation from Johanna Parker and you can read all about him on her blog. Johanna is giving away this loveble little guy and you can enter! Sigh … I guess I can’t keep a secret!

Johanna has licenced a collection of designs to Bethany Lowe this year and they are fabulous!

If “Lumina” isn’t Lucky for you, you can still own some of Johanna’s reproductions. Take a look at one of our Celebrate365 long-time advertisers, Traditions in California. They’ll be more than happy to help you make your selection and ship it to your door!

It’s Official! She Designs Like A Star.

Sue Myal and Sue Sprunk, owners of Artistry of Poland have selected a winner in the Design Like a Star contest. David Blair, a retailer who won the first competition, assisted in the judging.
Susan Vanderhoek, a folk artist from Salem, Oregon, submitted three different designs. The judges selected her Victorian Santa entry as this year’s winning design.
According to Vanderhoek, Victorian Santa Claus is 4.5 inches. His red hood sports festive

holly leaves in  hunter green. The ornament will be painted in a gloss for shine and lightly sprinkled with German glass glitter.

It’s almost unimaginable to find an ornament line without a Santa Claus, but this will be the first for Artistry of Poland!

“Susan’s design has inspired us and we hope to add additional Santas to the Artistry of Poland line,” said Sue Myal.

Artistry of Poland will work closely with Susan through every step of the ornament creation process. She will receive 10 ornaments and her design will become part of the Artistry of Poland collection in 2010.

Susan is a member of American Holiday Artists. You can view her work at seasonalwhimsies.blogspot.com.

More from Atlanta … Debbee Thibault American Collectibles

Tortoise and the Hare
Tortoise and the Hare

While many of us are in the midst of Arctic-like temperatures, it’s kind of nice to think about spring.

Debbee Thibault’s American Collection of folk art debuted 15 new paper mache sculptures last week in Atlanta.

The Nest will hold Egghead, available in pink, green, lavender and yellow.
The Nest will hold Egghead, available in pink, green, lavender and yellow.

The Nest will create a wonderful spring table-top display for jelly beans, Debbee’s  new Egg Head pieces or those glittering glass eggs in your ornament collection.

Debbee also previewed a new collection of prototype jewelry in her own signature style.  “I’m just testing the market with these,” Thibault explained.  “These pieces might not be made.  It all depends upon how well retailers like them and order them for their stores.”

Personally, I love the idea of “wearable” art!

Paper mache jewelry collection from Debbee Thibault
Paper mache jewelry collection from Debbee Thibault

The jewelry collection includes three bracelets and two necklaces.  The large “Story Telling Bracelet” is a wide bangle decorated with angels to guide us through the New Year.

If you like this new concept become a part of the Debbee Thibault collection, contact your favorite retailer and tell them!

Debbee Thibault Easter Chick ornament, made in Germany
Debbee Thibault Easter Chick ornament, made in Germany

Debbee also displayed a collection of 8 new glass ornaments.  All were prototypes and none bore official names nor prices.  These were so new that they had just arrived from Germany.  Again, Debbee is uncertain if these designs will become part of the 2009 collection.  Contact your retailer if you’d like to place an order.

dt-rabbit-fairy

Spotted Rabbit and Springtime Fairy Ornament

Friends in Christmas Folk Art Show, Martinsburg WV

Looking for a fun getaway this weekend?  Folk artist Paul Gordon is hosting a Christmas folk art show at his Martinsburg, WV studio November 15, , 2008 from 9 AM to 2 PM.

Friends in Christmas

204 South Queen Street, Martinsburg, WV 25401

Participating artists include:

Kitty Babendrier
Stacey Bear
Lori Ann Corelis
Allen Cunningham
Dara DiMagno
Paul Gordon
Nichol Sayre
Scott Smith
Roberta Taylor

See the links at the right for more information about these talented artists and their work.