Garden Visitor

I almost didn't see this little fella on my way back in the house from feeding the horses this morning. I had just noticed that I had forgotten last evening, to pick the cherry tomatoes in the back door garden, when I happened to notice the painted turtle under the vine. He looked like he was ready to move on because there weren't any tomatoes low enough for him to reach with his wrinkly orange spotted neck.

Because I wanted him to hang around until I could fetch my camera, I pulled a tomato, popped it open with my fingernail, and put it down in front of him.

He appeared grateful for the meal and not the least bit camera shy...

When he had finished his first tomato, I enticed him out into the sunshine in the walkway with another ripe juicy treat, so I could selfishly get a few more pictures of his nice markings...

We've been seeing him around for several days so hopefully he'll be around as long as we have an abundance of Tommy Toes.

...and as you can see, we're not hurting in that department.

I love Mondays...I know you are not supposed to and if you really and truly do, I know you shouldn't say it out loud, but I've always loved Mondays. This is my day to get organized for the week. I've done some laundry, pulled weeds from some of the gardens, almost finished a blogpost, will do some office work, and pack for the antique booth. Earlier this morning I talked with my friend at the gallery in town and I'm headed there one day this week to take some floorcloths...don't know why I hadn't thought of him sooner, but everything has it's time doesn't it. 

I've really been thinking alot about how I can contribute to our sleepy but potentially wonderful downtown, and the best way I know is to support where I can instead of going out of town even if things look to be more "happening"...and lucrative...although that is a big part of the draw anywhere!

Anywhoo, I hope you enjoy your day doing whatever you do on Mondays.

Just my two cents,

Angie

Art with the Alpacas....yep!

Crazy right? Well if the alpacas were creating the art...maybe, but not so in this case. The LARK artists of Randolph County are hosting their second annual summer event at the High Meadow Alpaca farm in Asheboro. They have invited me to participate as a guest artist and I am so excited.

I hope you locals will be able to come out to the farm for a fun day of art, food and lots of fun! See you there.

Just my two cents,

Angie

The Booth...again.

The booth....seems like that's all I've been talking about on the blog for weeks is...the booth. It's probably because that's all I've been working on and finally we've taken our first installment down to The Depot at Gibson Mill  for the booth. I don't know why I even bothered to make a floor plan because I had to make changes first thing...but that's okay, it turned out fine. I hope there will be bare spots when I return with more things this week anyway!

Like in our shop at home, I tried to have areas of similar items, which is a challenge in a 10' x 10' space. This month, we are featuring all of our pitchers and creamers on the tiered unit on the left just as you enter the booth.

From the shop, we took out the entire side wall of treasures for little girls and ladies of all ages, including the matching vanity and chair, jewelry, dresser accessories and some vintage clothing, hats and some really, really cute evening purses.

I'm excited beyond measure to have a concrete floor to showcase my floorcloths! I normally have to hang them and no one knows they are rugs if they aren't familiar with floorcloths. Now, I just hope people will go ahead and walk on them. The one in the back is a 4'x6' and took over two weeks to complete and the one in front is a 2.5' x 3' and took nearly a week. There is a lot of preparation work before the art ever goes on them and then there are 6 coats of poly applied for protection...so go ahead and walk on them...it's perfectly safe. I've been making them for almost 23 years and I have it down to a science. About the only way to damage them is to fold them or place them on a carpet instead of a hard floor.

I should have gotten more pictures of the side walls, but I Erin was ready to go, bless her heart for helping me all day, and we had much to load back onto the truck before we could head home.

I hope you can get to Concord soon and visit not just my booth but the other 500+. I see something each trip that I need! Really!

Next week I promise to talk about something besides the booth! See you then.

Detours

Isn't it amazing when life just happens without you planning for it? It's better than we can imagine if we don't get so attached to the little things and just go with the flow...it's taken me 51 years to get to this point...but it's great no less!

Fortunately, I am not referring in any way to the acts of nature we experienced here in NC last week...earth quake trimmers and Hurricane Irene. I felt the earth move under my feet and didn't realize what it was, and the hurricane just blew all the flowers off of my bougainvilleas. Thank God, that was it!

Although the same day as Irene blew through, our daughter called to say she was coming home for a month...or so.

She's been offered a new job and has an opportunity to take an extended trip home...and she's taking it. We are thrilled! She hasn't been home since last December and Sam and I are the only ones that have seen her since. She will be here this Saturday afternoon.

Not only have I been preparing her old room by cleaning out all of the things I have stored in there, I've been getting a plan together for our booth at The Depot. We can start moving in this weekend but we first need to build a couple of walls and paint...and make some other really cool things that I will show you next week.

So, long story a little shorter, we decided it was just crazy to try to open the shop this weekend with all that has changed in a little more than a week...remember if you will, the booth at the Depot came open suddenly and I had no idea two weeks ago that we'd be doing that!

Believe it or not...I am NOT super woman! I can't do it all...boy that feels good to say out loud. Try it ladies, it's liberating in some strange way.

If you were planning to stop by this weekend, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please give us a call next week and we will open especially for you. Seriously! It's all pretty and clean and I'd hate for no one to see it before I start taking things out for the booth.

Oh, and I'm excited to announce that yesterday we had a featured item on Etsy's blog....

Antelope Lodge Floorcloth by Angie Nelson

....and today we sold our first item from Ranch Dressing Online , also on Etsy. Yay! It's been a good week!

Vintage Pink Health-o-meter Bath Scales

I hope you all are having a good week too and I will be back here next Wednesday, hopefully with photos of the construction process of our booth. Take care!

We are Going!

It's not that I've been keeping anything a secret...I'm not very good at it anyway, but my page is up on Design America-Texas today, so I will go ahead and tell you. We are going!

I'm excited not only to be included in this show, but this one is close to Erin. She can come to Texas for a day and we can work in a visit to Oklahoma after the show.

I hope you will take a few minutes to look at the website and check out the fabulous artists and designers that will be there. Oh My!

Now, to work. I've got lots to do!

We Have a Give Away for You!

October has been an exciting month for us! Besides announcing Ranch Dressing's grand opening weekend for November 26th my work has been featured in two magazines. Yes, two. I'm honored...and beyond excited.

First, is the Cree Coaster set that is included in Cowboys and Indians Magazine December Issue and Holiday Gift Guide. Here is a peek at the page, but you'll want to get a copy of the magazine for all the wonderful articles and the complete gift guide.

#2 Pair of painted canvas coasters by Angie Nelson

Look for Jeff  Bridges on the cover. 

The second feature is in Cowboy Way...not the Woody Harrelson movie...the magazine. It is in Thea Marx's section, Ranch Living and is one of the neon floorcloths...the one initially designed last year around this time of year to benefit a young bull rider battling leukemia. He's very healthy and engaged to be married the way.

Fall Issue 2010

Dancin in the Dark...why didn't I think of that!

You can see the entire section from this link...but here again, you will want to grab the magazine and sit down and enjoy the entire issue.

And now for the rest of the good news. I'm giving away the pair of Cree coasters featured in the gift guide. They are original art painted directly on the primed canvas and sealed with poly for many, many years of use. They are cork backed to protect your table top. 

What you need to do for your opportunity to win is to follow our blog or become a Facebook Fan. If you are already a follower/fan we appreciate you and would love for you to help spread the word.  Leave me a comment either here or on our Facebook page that you are following us or that you have suggested us to friends.

On Monday, November 15th we will randomly choose a winner. The important thing to remember is that you HAVE to leave a comment on the blog or on our Facebook fan page so that we get your name as an active participant.

Good Luck!

It's a GO! Free Rein Art and Design has a new look.

We've officially re-launched our website as of midnight Tuesday and are so happy to have all that behind us! It's a simple design with a cleaner appearance than the version we've been sporting for the last few years. Now all that is left to do is get in the studio and produce new work for the new website!

This is our new back ground...I love the bright yellow...so different from what we had.

Normally, I wouldn't send you away, but today, I'd like you to take a look and see what you think. If you find any bugs please tell me.
You can find it at Free Rein Art and Design

Worktable Wednesday: Not Black or Red

Hugging Bear Border Floorcloth awaiting leather rug fringe

If you will remember a couple weeks ago, I showed you some sketches in my journal of a new floorcloth design that got it's start from a standard design shown on my website. When I left you, the decision of what color rug fringe was left to the customer and we were all on the edge of our seats waiting...well, I would love to believe that...LOL...

After learning that there is NO black in the room although some black furniture exists in the adjoining bedroom, I suggested that we go with brown instead. There are lovely brown picture frames in sight of the future rug position and they need to be tied to something else in the room...so we switched out the black for brown and added turquoise to pick up that color from the shower curtain.

We are going with brown leather rug fringe with the rough side out for a soft look.

Brown leather before it's cut into fringe

Tomorrow I will begin cutting the leather into fringe. What do you think about using the rough side out? I haven't done this before but it looked like the obvious thing to do this time...and how do you cut YOUR fringe? Scissors, utility knife or rotary cutter? I have used all three.

Worktable Wednesday...A Peek into my Art Journal

When a customer orders a floorcloth from me they can have anything under the sun they would like...some want something completely original and some like the standard designs just the way they are...and then some want the standard design, but customized. That's the beauty of a floorcloth...it can be tailored to your needs.

On the worktable today is a blank canvas waiting on approval of a design. The customer found something on my website that she liked but wanted something with fringe. In my mind I couldn't see fringe on it in it's original composition and I asked her if I could tweak it a bit in order to make it work with fringe.


Here's where we are today....

The Original Floorcloth Design      Hugging Bear            Angie Nelson© 2009

These are the sketches from my art journal...where I keep records of my designs and ideas..sometimes for specific client's and sometimes just things I'm thinking about painting. For this client I've scanned the page and sent her three options according to her thoughts on color. This is the first time she's seen the idea of using the bear motif as a border rather than as the only focal point on the rug.

Here are a couple pages from 2008 when I first started thinking about tipi art for floorcloths...I either use markers or Prisma colored pencils...and sometimes both.

Since my customer already knows what the bear actually looks like I probably won't do a mock up of the entire piece like I would do for a new design. There is a small design fee for new work that covers the time spent on the concept and I will actually do a small acrylic painting on paper representative of the actual piece. The fee is applied to the cost of the new floorcloth so it really is no additional cost.

So here I sit with the blank canvas...ready to start. I'm looking forward to seeing her decision...I'm kind of leaning toward the red fringe myself...how 'bout you?

Cowboys and Indians Magazine...My Favorite!

I'm checking in this morning for a quick hello and to touch base with you all. I hope you are having a wonderful summer...seems like it's hotter all around the country than ever...I know it's been killer here with the 90 degree temps and 80 % humidity.

I'm spending my time during the heat of the day in the studio or online researching the values of things going into the shop. I am working hard on my time management skills...the ad I mentioned earlier is now in print in the latest edition of Cowboys and Indians Magazine -look for Reba on the cover. I got a preview about two weeks ago and wanted so badly to show you...

Most months, there is a handsome cowboy on the cover, but every so often they will feature an outstanding cowgirl. This time it's our girl Reba with a 10 page feature article.This is also the Western and Native Art issue. Good stuff!

FYI, I have 8 years of back issues that I'm going to start parting with  soon. Who's your favorite cowboy? Real or movie star, I bet he's been on the cover of C & I. And, just so you know in advance...Russell Crowe is not going anywhere.

At any rate, my website traffic was somewhat improved over the weekend and I am excited. This issue will be distributed through September at lots of interesting venues such as the Western Design Conference in Jackson Hole, Wy and the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. My ad is in the back in the General Store section.

I had wanted badly to try and exhibit at the Western Design Conference this year. I haven't been since 2003 or since they moved it from Cody to Jackson. After some discussion with Rick back in March and a few tears later I decided he's right...again...and that it would be crazy to throw another element into my life right now...I am, after all  supposed to be enjoying this journey I'm on. So, I thought I'd take a shot with my favorite magazine and see what happens.

I chose to use an old pet portrait that's still on my website because it's one of my absolute favorite pieces. It was exhibited at the WDC in 2002. The adult dog is my dad's and is still alive and well, while the pup, Cowboy, was my son's. We lost him 2 years ago to kidney disease and there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about that dog! He was the one I yelled at every morning of his life with us until his last couple..."Bad dog, bad dog!" He reminded me of the dog from the movie Hope Floats that chased and barked at the ducks everyday...well Cowboy barked at and annoyed the horses coming into the barn every morning. It's just what he did. Good memories.

I hope you will run out and get a copy of the September edition of the magazine if you don't subscribe to it already. It's full of interesting articles and the ads have more eye candy than you can absorb in one sitting. I always check them out first to see what's new with my peeps!

Talk to you soon.

Worktable Wednesday

I am using my worktable again and it feels sooooo good to know where all of my supplies are and have space to work. This was worth all the effort of the re-do. I hardly remember the bumps and bruises.

Today's project is for me. I am working on a collage with 20 years worth of memories...from day one in the floorcloth business. My first hand lettered and hand drawn business cards and brochures created by my sister and I in 1989 to accomplishments in 2009. I'm not quite sure where to draw the line or just how big this thing is going to be.

I wanted to do a collage to save wall space and put the history all in one area. I didn't realize until today what an accumulation I have! I have impressed myself. I think sometimes we forget how we get were we are.

This is me in 1990 from a newspaper article....I look like a kid! 

I had just mailed slides off to Country Living Magazine.

I think getting into the magazine gave the confidence to continue and build a business rather than to supplement our income while I was out of work raising our daughter.

The plan was to go back to work once she was in school and I did try that for a while but it felt WRONG! I am so happy the way things have turned out.

I can't wait to show you the collage when I'm done. No promises when...it will evolve as I am inspired. It will most likely be done this month. I will keep you posted. 

Has anyone else taken on such a project...so much in one piece? I don't think it will have any rhyme or reason, but we will see. Talk to you soon.

Worktable Wednesday

If you are a follower you know what my worktable "really" looks like these days...but I actually finished a commissioned floorcloth last week...Benadryl and all.  If you are a Face Book fan you've already seen it there.

Normally, I don't show commission work online because of piracy. My clients pay me to design and paint something specifically for them and it really hurts us all when a knock off shows up on ebay for mere pennies...yep it's really happened.

Anyhoo...this one was commissioned by a woman that is donating it to an auction that will benefit breast cancer and the more people that see it the better. It will be part of the silent auction at the Rally for the Cure - Golf Tournament at the Old North State Club July 14th, 2010.

She called me in May and said she wanted a floorcloth with a woman in pink on a golf course and that she liked the gate there and would like to include something from that......

So this is what we ended up with.... Stylized gal and stylized trees with an argyle border to coordinate with her pink sweater. The emblems in the corners are from the sign at the gate with the club's logo. Very "cutsie". Lots of fun.

Live, Laugh, and Do whatever it is you love!

Where Bloggers Create Party...Welcome to my Studio

I'm always a day late and at least a dollar short...and here I am again late for the party I've been looking forward to. Not my birthday party which was last night and lots of fun by the way...but the Where Bloggers Create Party sponsored by My Desert Cottage. To visit all the participants follow the link and look on the sidebar for the "Party Guests"

There are never good excuses for being late but always lots of reasons. On Friday which was my 50th birthday I had planned to finish up work in the studio around noon and take the afternoon to do some fun stuff for myself and write this post. Well, I ended up spending the day in a Benadryl funk and in and out of consciousness. I got stung by a wasp on Thursday and by Friday morning was absolutely miserable...swollen, red, blistery and itchy like you can't imagine. I didn't even celebrate my birthday until yesterday....anyway...I am now much better and ready to party!

My studio, as some of you that follow, may have guessed, is in complete chaos as I write. I've mentioned it in many posts recently that it looks like a hurricane blew through. When I signed up to participate in the party, I thought I could show you old photos and you'd never know the difference...but, that just isn't right! I will show a few old and a few current.

This post will serve two purposes....1. the blogger party. 2. the before pictures for our renovations that are soon to start.

My husband built the studio in late 1991 and I began working in there full time in January 1992. I had the upstairs portion and he had the downstairs. This is what it looked like last summer. This summer it will get railing and a board ramp like I showed in a previous post. And be updated with white trim and red screen doors. The garden in front will also be replanted with delicious smelling herbs like scented geranium and lavender.

The studio has served me well as my floorcloth studio and as space for art classes over the last 18 years. You can imagine the beating it has taken with all the hauling of materials up and down stairs and kids regularly running in and out.

I have had the same white walls and stenciled wild horse border since day one...ugh! My tastes have matured quite a bit but I just haven't had the time to make any changes until now. I'm going back with white walls but the border will bite the dust by the end of this week I hope.

 So here's where I am today....working simultaneously on floorcloth commissions, making items for the shop that will open in September, and renovating the studio upstairs and down.

WARNING: THIS IS NOT GOING TO WIN AN AWARD FOR PRETTY! Maybe next year...

You will be greeted by one of our sweet dogs upon arrival. This is Ada. She usually comes in for the day unless she's shedding...like now. By July we will be good to go again. Bless her heart, she just doesn't understand I can't have black dog hair in the finish coats of my floorcloths.

Welcome

As you walk in the stairs are immediately to the right...this is one of the first floorcloths I designed 20 years ago. The one on the floor is maybe 10 or so years old and yes that's dirt! I know I should be ashamed!

You see my office in the corner when you arrive at the top of the stairs. I've taken out the giant old Gateway computer and rarely ever take my laptop up there. We've also taken out our land line and it's actually been quite liberating to go unconnected while I'm working. I'm in the process of finishing a small floorcloth and once it's delivered I will stack as much as I can on the work table and begin painting the walls and ceiling this week. I've already unloaded some shelves.

This is my inspiration board where I have been accumulating ideas for my shop for the last couple of years...it has spilled over into a folder now but I leave the original things up to remind me that dreams come true and start with an idea or two. The custom boots have always been inspiring to my floorcloth designs...and too I am giving myself a pair sometime this year to celebrate being 50.

The corner where I keep my paint...outgrew it quickly so I also have a cabinet just for acrylics and specialty products. Another one of my first designs..."1840"

Multiple projects going on here...finished projects and loads of supplies underneath...You just don't know how much I am looking forward to opening the shop and having order back in my studio.

More finished projects and more stuff literally stuffed under the table, in boxes, drawers and cabinets.

I look forward to the day when I have floorspace again to paint large floorcloths...My worktable is 8' x 8' and my available floor space used to accommodate room size rugs. It will be so wonderful to have that much space when most of this stuff goes downstairs into Ranch Dressing.

So, this is my studio where I create. I hope you will come back in September to see the finished shop and renovated studio. I apologize for the length...when I haven't written for a while I tend to ramble. Now, I'm off to visit the other bloggers that create and look forward to seeing the beautiful places they work and live.