fall is here, plus big chill applications

 

Fall’s here, which means excellent things for all of us who live in the north eastern United States.  Namely, pumpkin, apple and cinnamon everything plus an unnaturally high enthusiasm for hurling one’s self at the front lawn at even the smallest of leaf piles.  We’ll need to wait a few weeks before there’s no risk of sciatic damage, but once there’s a big enough leaf pillow in the yard it is party time.

Plus, there I am sitting in an apple tree.  Never too big for that.

In other news, applications have been posted for the 2013 Big Chill craft fair.  My baby!  This is the 5th event I’ve organized at Mayo Street Arts and we’ve got big, big plans for this one.  DIY crafts for young and young at heart, a whole floor of local vendors and, of course, beer + wine available for shoppers.  Yes, being an adult is awesome.

 

Week in Pictures: Picking Apples a.k.a. Ice Cream & Hiking

We went up to Hiram, ME today as part of a yearly sojourn involving apples and a great view of the Saco River without too much huffing and puffing.  The apples this year are really scary looking, we managed to find almost a full bag of okay ones after about forty five minutes of looking… very strange.  They will all go in to pies and sauce, I guess… life is so hard.  😉  Maybe it was the hot summer.  In any case, we rewarded our search with two enormous ‘turtle sundaes’ from the gift shop at Apple Acres.  It was a lesson in patience, mostly because there is no line and the ladies behind the counter are simultaneously making fudge, cider donuts, milkshakes and ringing people up.  It was also a lesson in patience because I’ve found I’m a very busy and impatient city lady… so maybe it was just normal and I’m obnoxiously efficient.

After spooning my weight in fudge, caramel and ice cream in to my foodhole we headed to Mt. Cutler to climb it.  Good idea!!  A short hike, but the ice cream weight really did me in.  I threw my camera, water and car keys in to my old Bean bag and headed up with J.R.  I didn’t complain out loud nearly as much as I was on the inside, but it was well worth the familiar view.

-a.e.h.

Pickles, Picnic, End of a Season

Good afternoon.  I’ve been curating again!  So much fun to make treasuries when you’ve got the time…  Click on each image to be taken to a selection of 16 items by awesome artists and vintage superstars.

Design Your Own Embroidery Hoop by merriweathercouncil.

Picnic! Treasury – featuring items by vendors who will be at this weekend’s Picnic festival.

Chilled Dill Pickles Print by hartart13

pickle people Treasury – featuring delicious, pickled perfection.

2 Bicycle Etched Pint Glasses by phoenixfirestudios.

 end of the summer Treasury – featuring all those good, Autumn-y thingies.

Warm Colors, Cold Days

My “Reaching Apple Tree” bottle cap necklace made it in to a VERY well done treasury today.  Take a look!  Click on the image of the necklace to get you there.

Reach for the sky!

The treasury was put together by ArtsyAsh101, click on her name to visit her Etsy shop.

In other Autumn news – tomorrow is Tara and Brian’s WEDDING DAY and Kate and I get to be team photographers.  We will also be thoroughly drunk by the end of the night so those two better get the posed/family/pretty shots in before I forget how a flash works. We’ll be sharing Kate’s Mom’s digital Rebel (whoa whoa fancy digital camera!) and both be sporting film outfits too.  My trusty Mamiya C330 will be doing double duty as a camera and a centering weight to keep me from toppling over after one too many PBRs.  Yes yes yes!

Vendor Spotlight: Photo Market

Hey y’all, just getting rejoining the internets here.  Seems I’ve taken the month of September (originally intended for relaxation and learning new craft skills) and turned it in to the month of being insanely busy getting ready for an art show, making jewelry to match, going on location at work and thinking far ahead in to the future (i.e. December) and figuring just how many little bottle caps I’ll be squirting epoxy resin in to for the next 60 days.

nice purple grey vines, PM!

Considering my recurrent need for them over the last several days, I want to take a minute to give all credit where its due to the folks at Photo Market at 945 Forest Ave. in Portland.

perfect September sunset gradation

I use these guys for everything.  And no matter how busy they are whenever I go in someone is bound to be good for a laugh.  Which works for me because my internal laugh-o-meter gauges how endearing others are.

this one prints perfect every time

Most importantly, the staff there has embraced (albeit reluctantly, I mean, who wouldn’t) my fickle process of shooting in film and printing digitally.  It’s born out of necessity (no darkroom access and…no time!) but they stopped making fun of me and trying to sell me digital cameras long ago.  Thanks guys.  🙂

art show at a flower shop ooh la la

So if you’re curious to see the handywork of their printers maybe you might like to stop at the gallery above Harmon’s & Barton’s on First Friday for a peek at my solo art show “Orchards and Atmospheres.”  Not only did they print the photographs but they printed the images I use in bottle cap jewelry, magnets and pins.  On Friday you’ll see these little versions alongside the large photographs…a more portable, affordable version of the real thing!

the perfect set for your friend molly

P.S.  What else is new?  I’m going to Find tomorrow to drop off some wares!  Paper Moon in Westbrook gets a visit later this week.  Meanwhile I’m plug-plug-plugging away at getting my Etsy site full of interesting listings.