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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
I could do your books for you
books???. . . erp. . . . . .
like I said, you ladies are soooo organized. . .
Wow Kelly, you have created a little slice of heaven and it is absolutely breathtaking! How on earth you actually find the space and time to work I'll never know, but who cares, somehow you create magic anyway!
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)and have spent the last 20 years running around after hubby so am well qualified.
No Fair! I've got First Dibs by virtue of having known Kelly longer! I LOVE to sort things and cook.... and I've been following my man for 44 years - tomorrow! More Experience!
ladies, ladies, ladies. . . . no need to fight, trust me, there is plenty enough work to go around. there are reasons I don't show you what goes on behind the counter. my creative process is a pretty messy one, and I leave a total disaster in my wake. I can reach my sewing machine, airbrush, glue gun, iron and computer from the same spot, and many swear that some day I'll melt my monitor with my iron or paint my sewing machine green. I wouldn't want to give up my current space, but I sure wish I had a huge, brightly light room with an 8 ft cutting table and hanging mohair racks hidden in the basement or something.
things are especially messy this week. I found out on Monday that I had to empty my storage space by Friday or risk losing it all (we can start another topic about ex's someday) I have zero storage space left here, and had about 30 55gal trash bags of fur, fabric & vintage clothing to deal with, not to mention several pickup truckloads of props and household goods. 12 bags ended up at Goodwill and 14 ended up at the dump. ouch. (I'm a horrible packrat :redface: , and never tossed anything. you never know when that size 38 sportcoat you wore when you were 20 is going to fit again - or come in handy when you need that color to dress a bear :crackup: )
by the way. . . ya'll are welcome to visit my studio anytime. it's open pretty much whenever I'm awake, which is 6 am to midnight. I walk my pups an hour in the morning and an hour at night, but that's pretty much it. I rarely lock the shop when running short errands and frequently greet people who are leaving the studio as I enter with a 'gee, did you enjoy your visit? I hope you found everything ok'
small town life :dance:
after all those kudo's, I thought ought to post a pic taken behind the counter. . this while working on the Don. you can see him here w/out his helmet and pre-airbrushing. you can also see a fabric wall that dearly needs re-folding :redface: (and Rosinante, before she got ears, eyes and saddlery)
(and apparently that's a dead chicken lying to the right. . :pray:
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: )
another shot, taken with my friend Pierre (he's 6'2", to give you an idea of scale)
Ah, now I feel so much better! You are human after all. :hug:
Back Road BearsOh, that's a HORSE's head between Don's legs!! :redface: I was thinking he was rather well endowd and, um, furry! :redface: :crackup:
Kelly, if you need to unload any of those bags of fabric I'll give you my address! 
Oh, that's a HORSE's head between Don's legs!! :redface: I was thinking he was rather well endowd and, um, furry! :redface: :crackup:
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
boy, you ladies sure are frisky. I'd like to be a fly on the wall at one of those late-nite-show-gabfests ya'll talk about.
yes, it's a bear sitting astride a horse!!! in this case, I needed to do the horse first, so I would have some place for the don to sit while I worked on his clothing and details.
FenBeary FolkCongrats Bobbie on 44 years tomorrow 
Daphne, shame on you :crackup: :crackup: I have to admit I was a little puzzled
What I didn't tell youse all was the other side of the room is a war zone.......................I took only choice pieces out of my huge pile of stuff for my new work space and am not sure what I am going to do with all the rest 
Kelly, We could all live in a cupboard, Bobbie does the cooking, I do the books, now all you need is a cleaner, mohair sorter, greeter for visitors.................................................
When can we start :dance:
Its like a fairy land and I too live in a place where we often come down in the morning to find we have not locked the door, our GSD is on hand though especially if she thinks the postie is getting too familiar with the house.
Cincinnati, OhioDaphne, that was hilarious. Rarely do I "laugh out loud" at something I read but LOL!!!!!!!
Kelly, 
What is the vine growing on your building? I know the lighter green is potato vine. I'm wondering what the darker one is? Another variety of potato vine? Or something different altogether?
Hugs, :hug:
Aleta
Teddy Bear and FriendsI've been to Kelly's shop, and it is just as amazing and lovely in person as it is in the photos. Although, I haven't seen it in the summer -- perhaps another visit is in order!
(My first job was over the river and through the woods from Kelly's corner of the backwoods ... cue "Small World" ... but I didn't meet Kelly until he started making bears, of course. And I think I've known him longest of anyone in the bear world, so I get first dibs on living in wonderland!)
Mindy
Back Road BearsKelly, We could all live in a cupboard, Bobbie does the cooking, I do the books, now all you need is a cleaner, mohair sorter, greeter for visitors................................................. :thumbsup:
I'll be the mohair sorter.... I have LOTS of experience!!!
Connie... laughter makes you live longer..... glad I could add a day to your life!
lol, talk about a trip down memory lane. . . Mindy was the first person that I met from the teddy bear world. she came to our house to interview me in the spring of '97 and I remember it very clearly. I had a particularly out-spoken partner at the time, and I had been scared to death about what might come out of his mouth for months beforehand. he was a somewhat well-known artist in his own right. with an over-inlflated view of his own importance and I had seen him in action before. I had no idea what to expect from a magazine writer/editor, but when when this pretty, fresh young girl who looked about 18 and might have been ann hathaways stand-in came up the walk, I was completely terrified that he might blow the whole interview for me, and kept warning my partner to 'be nice' as I opened the door. I was sure he would eat her alive.
I needn't have worried. we made through lunch just fine, everybody making chatty, small talk conversation and I started to relax. . .a little. Mindy not only passed muster, she handled the conversation with aplomb. after lunch, we excused ourselves and headed for the sun porch for the actual interview, Mindy and I, with my partner in tow, and began to seat ourselves. The 'ex' was a big talker and I was just starting think that I'd never get a word edgewise in my own interview when Mindy smiled nicely him and said 'oh, no, not you. this is Kelly's interview. we'll call you if we need you'
the silence in the room was deafening, I froze, he froze and turned bright red, and I thought, 'oh, no. . .oh crap. . . there goes my interview, my new carreer, the whole works because this man is such a prima dona he's probably gonna shriek 'leave this house' like Joan Crawford and point to the door. I gave him one of those pleading, threatening looks that can only mean 'no, please' and 'one more word and you're completely dead' and he turned and quietly left the room.
I gave Mindy a weak smile and said 'gee, you're really good. I've never seen anyone handle him like that before.
she just shrugged, tossed her hair and said, 'no big deal, I've met worse' and went out on with a very good interview.
make no mistake, this lady could've given Katie Couric a run for her money if we hadn't snagged her first
and hey! I have pictures!!
Aleta, the darker green vine is a antique morning glory cultivar called 'Grandpa Ott' it has 1000's of beautiful dark purple flowers about 1.5" across, and grows to about 25 feet by mid-august - and it reseeds it's self. great plant. I can seed you seeds next fall, if you like. I sweep them off the sidewalk by the millions.
and I'm still laughing at Daphne's
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)We bow to you Mindy, you ARE the Queen of Kellyland, by dint of timing.
Daphne, after having looked at Don Quixote last week or so, that never even occurred to me.
NOW I can't look at the set without seeing your take on that image. Wow...
And how come our stuff looks like STUFF, when every single nook & cranny in your shop looks so artfully arranged, Kelly, even though some things are obviously not put back where they came from or are overstuffed?? Hmm.....
P.S. Let's see we're now at Page 8. Kelly, you've just learned The Most Valuable Lesson here: following some of our inane conversations can eat up whole days. Don't fall into our trap or you'll see a definite drop in Productivity!
That being said, are you going to throw some dirt into the buckets of those sprouting trees out front?
And, are you the whole Chamber Of Commerce in Narrowsburg yet?
Bobbie, sweetie, there's room in my life for a whole passle full of ladies. . .er. . friends :redface: . you can all come, just promise me that I'll never have to cut or sew another piece of mohair.
dahlinks, I vant to direct. . .
I don't know what's happing with the trees, as they are not on my storefront (mine has a pergola built of white birch that didn't sprout) but they are leaving them up regardless, to light the mews during the summer. they actually took some of the left-over trees from the rest of the street and lined the whole alley with them.
inane, yes, but chatter with friends is always fun, and my case, reconnecting with folks like you, Denise P, Mary Ann W, Mindy - Paula (who I do hug hello annually at Hugglets) the list goes on and on -has been particularly sweet. also, seeing some of the new artisty amongst those on the list has really inspired me creatively, so I figure it's time well spent. besides, I never need an excuse to avoid real work. .
speaking of. . I've been meaning to reply to your sweet email, but am so caught up trying some of the felting techniques you told me about that you have only yourself to blame for my tardiness. I'm way behind on a project because of my storage move, but my felting is going 10x as fast now, and wait'll you see my next wabbit!!!
PS: I don't belong to the local Chamber of Commerce. my personal feeling is that getting things done quickly and right is stifled when they put you on a commitee. I just go ahead and do it and wait for the fallout. only occasionally does someone balk when they catch you decorating their storefront for free ;-)
Shelli,
I'm in awe of your neat space - I've never finished unpacking from our move a year ago and don't know where half my stuff is now. My work space is about 3 feet as I still have boxes piled in my studio that have never been unpacked because as I've said before - I can't do organization. I've accepted that fact and I'll just relace stuff as I need it rather than go looking for ithugs,
Brenda
No way you would win. I win. I'll prove it.
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)they actually took some of the left-over trees from the rest of the street and lined the whole alley with them.
YES YES - that's the alley I meant! It was all light up and decorated for the holidays and looked about 6' deep but very long!
Lovely spot tucked away for a dalliance with some hot chocolate!!!
And I hope you don't mind, but I've already addressed the envelope to you. I'm sending some of our wonderful Black & White seeds, for Love-In-A-Puff and Purple Hyacinth Bean. Along with Malabar Spinach, they are our 3 most favorite upwards-vines.
We use all 3 shades of Sweet Potato vine, but find them to be much happier trailing over edges and eventually forming ground covers.
The heart-shaped leaves of the Grandpa Ott (what a lovely name, for surely it was named after the Grandpa who grew them in someone's family!) are very similar to the darker-green, heart-shaped Purple Hyacinth leaves, except their backsides are purple and the vines are dark red. The spikes of flowers that come out to the front look like large sweet pea blossoms. Then the pollinated flowers turn into 6' long pods of ELECTRIC Magenta! Half a dozen or more of them on each spike hanging all over the vines, while it continues to bloom is most unusual.
And the ferny, lacy-looking Love-In-A-Puff tendrils swinging in the breeze are SOOO delicate!! It immediately start putting out 1.5" puff-balls in bright green - to see the morning and sunset sun shining through them melts a gardener's heart! After they dry the 3 compartments each have black seed in them; where they were attached inside the puff is a white heart shape. The seeds look nice just dry in a small vase or jar.
I'll be happy to send some of each to anyone who's interested. Both of these start slowly but grow with a vengeance by late July through frost.
And don't worry about replying to the email, Kelly: that you're busy needling is answer enough!!
Ha-ha! 
I've been enjoying the pictures and the chatter. Such wonderful spaces for creating bears and other critters! Kelly, yours is the BOMB.
I work at my dining room table (c'mon, fess up...I'm sure others do the very same thing!). I really like being in the thick of things and can't imagine being in a bedroom or, shudder, the basement. But my supplies are not in a central area; in fact, they are separated by one floor: most of my mohair and other supplies are in the aforementioned basement, and some of my jointing supplies and ribbons and other things are in boxes in the linen closet on the top story, near the bedrooms. All those stairs are good for my girlish figure, right? 
Oh, but I have plans, people...must find storage and migrate things to the same floor... 
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)Nice New avatar Pic, Debora! I was just admiring you & DH yesterday in your past one.
I can see now how you stay so LEAN!! LOL
Back Road BearsDaphne, after having looked at Don Quixote last week or so, that never even occurred to me.
NOW I can't look at the set without seeing your take on that image. Wow...
I'm so sorry! :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
I'm having the same problem too... even though I KNOW what the picture is of I can't SEE it that way. :redface:
Newcastle, Ontariothumperantiques wrote:Shelli,
I'm in awe of your neat space - I've never finished unpacking from our move a year ago and don't know where half my stuff is now. My work space is about 3 feet as I still have boxes piled in my studio that have never been unpacked because as I've said before - I can't do organization. I've accepted that fact and I'll just relace stuff as I need it rather than go looking for ithugs,
Brenda
No way you would win. I win. I'll prove it.
Well, we've been here almost 2 years now, and the rooms are still the same - bexes are not unpacked, still living out of a soft suitcase, cuz there is too much stuff in from of our dresser to open the drawers, and if you come back in 5 years, it will be the same. TRUST ME, I WIN! But just think, if we move again, I'm half packed already :crackup: !
hugs,
Brenda
DoodlebearsHi Kelly, I have just looked at all the pictures of your studio and wow what a dream place to work each day. You really have made a wonderful world all of your own. I have posted befor about your Don Quixote and said how amazing I think it is, but I didn't ralise just how big he is. Kelly you are such a treasure to your neighbours, I wish I had a neighbour that would decorate the street for us at Christmas. Your garden loos wonderful, what a creative guy you really are Mr Dean!
wait'll you see my next wabbit!!!
I'll be looking out for him/her.
Hugs, Jane.
Kelly, after your earlier posting I did a quick count backwards (using fingers ... and toes ... and ... :redface: ) is it really so long since we first met ... *scratches head, frowns, wrinkles nose* ... I think it was Islington maybe ... it feels like almost a lifetime ago! Well, certainly an entire relationship ago each ... (and several resultant wrinkles in my case ... yours, on the other hand, are perfectly disguised of course!)
As you say, TT is a great place to reconnect and revitalise ... good to find your smile and your welcome sense of humour here!
Teddy Bear and FriendsKelly, I'm going to bask in the warmth of your compliments for at least a week.
Bobbie, I'd love to have a few seeds if you have extras. Shall I send you an SASE?
Everyone else, your studios are fabulous. Chris Pike may be contacting you for photos for me. Hope you're willing to share with the wider collecting world. We promise not to print addresses and to discourage casual visitors.
And, sign up to make Christmas carol and Rock Star bears. C'mon, it's a challenge, it'll be fun. You know you want to.
Oh good grief, I've got to work. Rumor has it we can leave early if our work is done. (Makes me feel like my son asking every night at dinner: "Did I eat enough to have a treat?")
Happy (holiday for some) weekend!
Mindy
