It is the last day of January

I guess it is time to take down the tree. We never seem to want to let the season go, so we put it off a little too long. A friend is coming over Tuesday and we are going out to lunch. She is picking me up because she wants to see the kitchen cabinets I am painting. I asked her if I had to clean the house (I normally only clean when my mom and dad are coming to visit). She said "heck no", but I know the tree would shock her in February. She puts her tree up right after Halloween because she loves the season also. Why is it everyone thinks it is OK to put a tree up early but not keep it up until, say March or April? My friend is definitely in the majority and I am in the minority.

I am the eldest of 5 children. I have the youngest child. She is spoiled, but not rotten. My sis and mom have been buying her Angel Ornaments since birth and as I was wrapping them I had to take a picture. My daughter has enough ornaments to decorate a tree all on her own.



Here are a few of MY favorites. She loves them all.




Everything is packed and put away till next year.

Valentines Day and Some New Events at Three Rooms Gallery-Felix Pottery

The Gallery is involved with The Winter Wine Walk On Feb. 18, 2010 in the Gardnerville downtown area. The hours will be 4:30-7:30 PM and the theme is "Let's Whine About Winter-Wine & Chocolate Walk." Registration is located inside the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center, 1477 Main St., Hwy 395, Gardnerville. Wine Walkers will pay a $10 registration fee and purchase a $5 commemorative wine glass. This same glass can be used for
the 2010 "Thirsty Third Thursday Wine Walks" that resume the third Thursday of each month May through September. Wine Walkers visit participating downtown businesses to receive their sip of wine and are given a chance to browse the stores. This gives town people a chance to meet the owners, and in our case the artists, see what is available for them when they shop "local", have a few treats, taste different wines and chocolates, and have an evening out. Dress warm, wear comfortable shoes, and bring a flashlight!

Many of the artists at the store are ready for the Valentines Day holiday with a great selection of products in every price range. Here are a few pictures.

Of course we have to start with a little soap. This soap is made Monoi De Tahiti Oil. Monoi De Tahiti Oil is a unique blend of cosmetic quality coconut oil and the natural essence of tiare flowers (Tahitian gardenia). No preservatives, emulsifiers or animal products are added. This is poured into a Trillium Flower Mold and packaged in a red organza bag. Perfect for gift giving.

Next we have many different jewel artists. Here are just a few pictures of the perfect Valentines Day gift.













Some other gifts include photography, ceramics, paper and fiber art.



Come join us for a fun filled evening. Shake off the winter blahs and come enjoy some fresh air, the company of good friends, good wine, wonderful chocolates, all right here in our town.

Lorraine Felix "Potter Extraordinaire"

When I think of Lorraine I think of "Sunshine". I do not believe I have ever seen Lorraine without a smile on her face ( I sure hubby Bob has ). The two of them have owned the building that is now "Three Rooms Gallery-Felix Pottery" for 18 years. They bought it from a man who lived and painted in the house, using the front room as his gallery. They rented the building to a few antique stores over the years before they opened it up to the artist community. Now the "Little Yellow House on Main Street" is home to over 30 local artists and craft people.

I make soap.




Lorraine makes this.






Confused? Don't be, these are a couple of close up shots of Lorraine's signature Horse Hair Pots. She takes a chunk of clay and makes a beautiful shaped vase or bowl, then using different organic materials to give it color, she places horse hairs on it before she places it in the kiln to fire ( don't worry, the horse hair if from a local groomer who saves her the hair pulled from the horse's brush ).

This is the whole picture.


I know, not a very good picture, but you get the idea. They are incredible. Each one is a work of art. I just wish she had more time to make them.

She is very busy with the store right now, she is the treasurer of the Main Street USA program, and is now involved with The Partnership of Community Resources.

They have brought the "Ring in Kindness" project to Gardnerville, NV.

Ring in Kindness is inspired by the Ben's Bells Project. http://www.bensbells.org/About.html

Ben Packard, of Tucson, AZ, passed away before his 3rd birthday. His parents began trying to cope with their loss. They came up with a design for Ben's Bells and started making them in their back yard studio with friends. The bells are hung randomly in their community twice a year to encourage kindness to others. Since Ben's death, it has been the kindness of others, strangers and friends, that has helped them begin to heal. Each bell is created by many hands, all volunteers, and are hung in the community twice a year.

You are invited to get involved in spreading kindness through handmade pieces of art, each piece touched by many hearts and hands. If you find one take it home and hang it up. Let it inspire you.

Community Participation Days are the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month from 2:30-4:30PM at Felix Pottery 1459 Hey 395 Gardnerville, NV 89410
Felix Pottery's phone number is 775-782-5434
and Partnership of Community Resource's phone number is 775-782-8611

Lorraine of Three Rooms Gallery-Felix Pottery

I talked about how I meet Lorraine years ago a couple of days ago. OK maybe a week ago.



Lorraine started her pottery adventure in high school. She enjoyed the classes very much.




After school she meet Bob. He swept her off her feet and soon they were married. Lorraine had the opportunity to take some time off work and she filled that time taking.........pottery classes, of course. She took so many classes and progressed so quickly the art center in Carson City offered her a JOB teaching a children's class. Lorraine is great with kids, she treats them like the mini adults they are. She respects them and expects them to respect her and the studio, too. Soon Lorraine was organizing the studio, which lead into ordering supplies, which lead into taking over the artisan's shop. She was now teaching classes, taking inventory, ordering supplies, stocking shelves, working with artists to sell their creations, and working the store. This made for a more than full time job, but for volunteer pay. So...Lorraine took the plunge and opened a studio in Gardnerville, NV in a little shop by the old car wash in the Anker Building. This is where I meet her. She was teaching adult classes at night and children's classes through the Rec. Center during the day. We had many a fun kid's class and birthday parties, the adult classes were a riot. She had this shop for years until she and Bob built a house with a studio. Lorraine closed the store and taught private classes at the house and the children's classes at the Rec. Center or at the schools.

Fast forward a couple of more years and we find Lorraine and Bob with their adorable yellow house downtown empty (pictures in previous post). The antique shop had outgrown the space and had moved. Lorraine had stayed very active in the artisans community and felt there was a need to showcase the local artist. With her downtown store right on Main Street Lorraine quickly became involved in the "Main Street USA" program for the Downtown Gardnerville area. This program works with other businesses in the downtown area to promote our town, shopping local, the Museum and Cultural Center and many other events which include many programs to support our schools and our children.

I guess you could say Lorraine has been involved with the program before it even started. She made clay "memorial crocks" for the 125 anniversary of the town.



Tomorrow I will talk a little about Lorraine's personal art. I will also show more of the gallery and some products made by other artists.

We are Blessed

As the news came out yesterday about another natural disaster I thought about how quickly our lives can change. Without us having any say, control or thought going into it, in the blink of an eye everything we have worked for is gone. Things may not be perfect in my life right now, or yours, but I do know I have the love of my family and friends. Knowing someone cares about you and how you feel, makes everything OK in my book. Making a difference in someones life makes it all worthwhile. I pray that this next year is a healthy and smooth sailing year for me, my family....and you.

Three Rooms Gallery-Felix Pottery

A long time ago I took my 7 year old daughter to a pottery class. There were 10 young children there for the class so I asked the teacher if she wanted me to stay. She smiled and said "Sure, if you want to." Watching the kids was a lot of fun and before too long one of the boys looked at me and asked me "How do you make a cow's ear?" I was more than happy to help and moved to answer him when the teacher leaned into him and said in a soft voice "What do YOU think a cow's ear looks like?" Watching him close his eyes and think, then open them and start making a cow's ear the way HE saw it taught me a lesson I have often used dealing with my daughter. You do not always have to give an answer. You can let a child show you what they see and boy, oh boy, do you get some interesting results.
That was the beginning of a great friendship between me and Lorraine Felix. I love watching her teach and have taken classes myself. She brings out the best in her students. She forces you to be creative. All with a simple question. "What do you think it looks like?"
This is Lorraine.





Lorraine's dear husband, Bob does all the handyman work at the house they own in the Downtown area of Gardnerville. The next few days I will show the store, products, some of the happenings, and give some information about this treasure. I am proud to be a part of it.

A Beautiful Night

This is the view from our front porch.