Treasures on the Trail

04/18/2024

Another new item using my flowers and a bike wheel.

04/18/2024

You asked......and we are delivering! We have had so many people telling us that we need to make our flowers spin. After a little research, trial and error, we have done it. This will only be on our large wheels as we have discovered that it doesn't work well on smaller wheels. We will still have flowers that don't spin and we will also be offering spinning wheels with no flower. We only have a few in stock at the moment as these ARE REALLY NEW!

The shop isn't quite open yet as we just got back from AZ a week ago. I am still in the process of cleaning the shop after winter and then restocking items. But as always, if you are in the area and I'm in the shop working, I'll gladly let you in.

HAPPY SPRING!!

09/16/2023

03/05/2023

This weekend (March 4th & 5th) the Casa Grande Art Association is celebrating their 13th Studio Tour. I have been invited to participate and will be at the Casita Workshop demonstrating ceramics techniques while making clay adobe huts. I will be there from 11:15 - 1:30. So if anyone reading this is down in Arizona and in the Casa Grande area, stop by and say hi and see what the Casita Workshop has to offer.

02/28/2023

Now that the calendar says spring isn't that far away, I am starting to think more about the shop. I have been working on some new items. Here is an example of one of my latest projects...mosaic rocks. You wouldn't know it, but as soon as you pick it up you can tell it isn't a real rock. It is a faux rock made out of styrofoam. Who could carry a real rock on their bike?

02/27/2023

Hello from Arizona. I know all of you up there (Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin etc.) have been having a pretty snowy winter. We have been receiving pictures from many of you of all the snow. Believe it or not, Arizona has been getting lots of snow also. Of course that is all in northern AZ but us down here, in southern AZ, have been getting lots of rain. Some days I feel I am back in Minnesota in the summer. Since you all have been sending pictures of the MN snow, here is a picture of the results of our AZ rain. We have a dry basin in the back of our house. Last winter we never saw even one drop of water in that basin. Well so far this winter it has now been flooded 5 times. This is what it looks like as it was actually coming up the steps to our patio. This has NOT been a normal AZ winter by any means. And yes, I know, you don't feel sorry for us. We will be heading back to MN the end of March and hopefully all the snow will be melted!

07/23/2022

FINALLY!! The day has arrived. The shop is re-opening TODAY! It is currently 12:20 am and I am still working trying to get everything done. This is what is looks like at the moment. As you can see there is still a big mess on my counter and unfortunately in other places too. Just a week ago it was still just an empty space so I have come a long way. Hopefully by 10:00 it will all look wonderful. Hope to see you soon!

07/05/2022

What do you do on a rainy 4th of July? I spent the day painting in anticipation of opening. Getting closer to that day!

06/25/2022

Time for another update. We are getting closer! I'm not going to be able to open by the fourth of July, but I'm now HOPING for mid July. Sheetrock has arrived and that will start to be installed on Monday. Later in the week I can begin painting. The last time I did anything out there was back in April when it was taking everything out. Now I can begin to feel like I am doing something constructive out there. Can't wait until I can start bringing everything back in. This has been a hard process for me. I want to thank all of you who have stopped by and said the kindest things and shown relief when you
find out that I will be opening again. There were days that it was just what I needed to help me get through this. Now please remind me to never even consider another remodel/addition again!! It has not been fun. I will make one more update announcing the day I will open. Can't wait!!!

06/07/2022

As of last night, this is the progress that has been made on our addition and rebuilding of the shop. They are still telling me that they will be done by the end of June. I am having a hard time believing it, but that is what they are saying. I still see lots of work that needs to be done. I guess I just need to be patient which is very hard for me as I am the type of person that needs everything done NOW. So I am just staying busy with projects for the shop and try not to dwell on what I cannot control. It WILL get done and I WILL be open again.

05/07/2022

Besides trying some new art I have also returned to some of my wire art that I have done in the past. The bike is made out of just one piece of wire and is sometimes quite frustrating to make!

05/06/2022

We did have a very hectic crazy winter in Arizona this year. We sold our house there that we had for over 12 years and bought a park model in an RV park. The new place needed lots of work and we spent about 3 months redoing it. It didn't leave much time for working on projects but I did have some fun with some new artwork that will be in the shop once it opens. They are candy wrapper collages. Each piece contains an original watercolor (which I had never done before) that is mounted on a 6 x 6 canvas, and every piece contains a candy wrapper. I like them as they are colorful and fun and I just have fun creating them. I hope you enjoy them and that they will bring a smile to your face.