Good Morning and Happy Saturday Lovies! It's been awhile since I've indulged in a good blogging sit-down, so this update is long overdue. 

As you may or may not know, Hubby, Puppy, & I have been in the Northland of Virginia since December. He's been dealing with some business deals for the sale of his marina, which has resulted in us having to move out of his family home. We've been sifting through 60+ years worth of tangible memories. Books, antiques, knick knacks, paintings, sculptures, etc etc have all been boxed up and stashed in the 25' long cargo trailer we purchased for the move.

Knowing that we would be here longer than the three weeks we'd originally planned, I accepted a few commissions that have kept me busy as well. You may recall the Crabirondack Chairs from the previous posts. Well, a friend of a friend saw them and commissioned me to make 4 for him. I found an affordable supplier for the un-assembled adirondack chairs in Waverly, Va. (Hooray for Made In America!!!)  I wound up accepting a commission for an additional two chairs, and was relieved to finish all of them yesterday.

A few months ago I was invited to participate in an Arts & Crafts Fair that will be held in May. I decided that the tasks of moving, shopping for a new home, and finishing 6 commissioned adirondack chairs was not enough to heap onto my proverbial plate. I also needed to create enough surplus items that I would have products for an Arts & Crafts Fair. 

After agreeing to do the ACF, taking stock of my supplies, and brainstorming with my husband's daughter , Ashlie,  we decided to try our hand at creating one of a kind "Booty Bags". If you are unfamiliar with the term "Booty Bag" it is simply a handbag constructed of "upcycled" pants...usually jeans. The decision to make these was also influenced by the fact that my mother had recently donated about 50 pairs of jeans of all sizes for me to "use in my art". Very timely.

The two which we have finished are featured below. We are also working on a wine-themed hand bag, anti-bullying hand bag, and one based on the CoExist slogan supporting religious tolerance. These bags will initially run around $100 apiece, which is an absolute steal for a one of a kind artistic statement piece. Dates/Location for the Arts & Crafts Fair at which they will debut will be posted soon! 

Hand Painted Custom Adirondack Chairs!
These three chairs are the first of my foray into functional art furniture. The chairs are a little lighter weight than I would like, and I'm uncertain as to the durability of the paint/sealer outdoors, but they were a lot of fun to work on. They look fabulous at their new home. I would recommend throwing a tarp over them during rainy weather until I find a satisfactory outdoor sealer for them. I use exterior latex paints and a clear coat sealer, but I'm still discovering what works and what doesn't. Expect to see more of these in the near future, as I am currently working on four more custom pieces and have orders for four this summer. Yay!