My family and friends are awesome!    Not sure how all this could have happened without their help.    Yesterday my sis, brother-in-law and Jacob came over to help out.   Lou helped hang some shelves under extreme circumstances.  The building is not level.  The walls are not level, neither is the ceiling.  The windows are not even at the same heights.   Never ever do the marble test on the floors.   The walls are some old fashioned plaster and the studs are nearly impossible to find.   Yet Lou managed to get the shelf strong enough to hold my glass jars full of great creative stuff.    My sis Heidi was everywhere and anywhere she was needed.    My neighbor James looked at us like we were crazy when we asked to borrow his vacuum cleaner but he quickly obliged.    Jacob was the best.  He is my 11year old nephew.  He helped to clean off shelves and even swept up around the store.    It was all good until his iPod ran out of battery LOL!   I was almost gushy when he said “cool place Aunt Holly”.

There was still more to do this morning.  Kelly and Dave arrived at my house a little before 9AM to help move more furniture over to the store.   Dave set up the round table while Kelly at I discussed displays and classes.   It was so nice to meet their daughter Emily.   Of course I had to show her the Harry Potter room.   All the while I was hoping the doorknob wound not fall off again.  

Jersey Made was open for the first time today so that was very exciting.   It also meant that work tools needed to be hidden, empty tubs removed and painting supplies stashed away.   I totally enjoyed setting up my Leafpile recycled art items.   Since I will be at the store 5 days a week I won’t be able to do too many outside shows now but that also means that my artwork will not be getting destroyed by the packing and travel.  Mostly I am glad that my artwork can be available year round without being in the elements – this summer was the worst with all the rain, wind and damage.

Tanya and Steve from the Pinelands Music and Basketry came over for a visit.   While there we were noticing people walking right by Jersey Made and not stopping.   So we started doing some brainstorming.   Steve recalled a sandwich board that was no longer in use so he went home to retrieve it.   It was perfect!   Well really it was dirty and generally a mess but it showed some real potential!  Tanya and I started discussing the colors of Jersey Made and what paints I had available.   So the “Almost Aloe” from my great painting-on-wallpaper experiment inside was moved outside to be the new background for the board.   Just when we were trying to figure out what to do next with the limited supply of paint colors available Lauren showed up.   She had mentioned some unused paint at home that was looking for a new home so I had asked her to bring over the gray that she had.   Poof!   A coat of gray paint got added to the sandwich board.  

This became Tanya’s project for the day and it looks totally awesome.  We even figured some ideas for moving the sandwich board around since it is quite heavy.    Many thanks to Tanya and Steve for their ideas and contributions to Jersey Made today.

Meanwhile Lauren had also come with all of her artwork to display in the store.   Her business is Orange Slice Art and she uses her custom created fabrics to make awesome purses of many different types and clothing too!    So we moved some furniture around and found a great way to use her display rack and the existing flatwall.   Not without some mishaps though.   First I banged my head really hard on a wooden shelf.   I saw stars and had to sit for a few minutes until the pain subsided.  Another reason to have ice cubes at the store - ouch!     A little while later I came inside from checking on Tanya and the sandwich board to find Lauren clutching her finger with a paper towel.   She had gotten attacked by my extra sharp scissors.  I had packed my old canoeing first aid kit to take over to the store.  The first bandage I pulled out broke apart.  Guess I haven’t been canoeing in awhile.   All that was now left were my Wile E. Coyote bandages.   After fumbling around and dropping one on the floor Lauren & I finally managed to get a bandage on her finger.   The walking wounded - me with an egg on my head and Lauren with a kiddie bandage.   

Lauren has become sort of famous in my world.   I met her earlier this summer at a show and became fascinated with her lint rolling skills.    Her booth was right across from me so I could watch as she lint rolled the table cloth and then her purses.   Of course I had to go over and make a comment.   Ever since that day I have carried my lint roller to every show.    Seeing Lauren using the lint roller today at Jersey Made was such a big kick for me that I went for the camera.   Photographing her lint rolling has become a hobby at every show since.  LOL!

Bill stopped by the store today to see if he could help too!   Of course I had to mention the doorknob that falls off on a whim.  He quickly took care of that and then helped to set up the cabinets/wooden door area in the classroom that will help hold supplies and a little refrigerator.  Hopefully it will have room for an ice cube tray too for future mishaps LOL!

More artists will be coming in the next week to bring their creations to Jersey Made.  It was great to have sort of a dry run today.   I enjoyed hearing the many compliments and talking about future classes with the customers who came in to look around.   This location has not had a store for about a year so the sandwich board will really help to let people know that something exciting is happening at 33-35 White Street!   Something really exciting!!!!

I got together with my friend Carole.   Normally this is our quilting get-together time but Claudia couldn’t come.   So after a bunch of begging I got Carole to have me come over anyway.  It’s always good therapy to hang out at Carole’s house.  She always serves something delicious that involves chocolate.  So I packed up my buttons to make some charms while we chatted.   In my box was an assortment of old keys that I had been playing with to make them into charms.   I had tryed alcohol ink but didn’t like how they chipped when the keys hit each other.  So I used leftover cans of 3 spray paints and came up with this white/silver/blue look.   As Carole’s daughters came over to see what I was doing they spotted the keys in my box.  I took out a few and layed them on the table.   Carole’s eyes opened wide!   She started laying them on the table in all kinds of configurations.   Kind of looked like the same way she designs quilts.   Did I mention that Carole makes 9 patch designs in her farm on Facebook?   HAHA!!

I figured I would feed into Carole’s excitement and pulled out all the keys and locks onto the table.   Next thing you know she had a ruler and was measuring them.   They were lined up like little soldiers on the table.   I was watching the ideas forming in her mind with these keys.   I had sort of lost my inspiration for them after all this painting without the “look” that I wanted.

We had fun identifying all the keys.  Notice the large oval Ford key – the trunk key for my old 1988 Escort.  Oh the flashbacks a small piece of metal can bring.

It became apparent that a mobile was going to be created.   What should we use that would make a hanger for the keys?   Well you may recall that Carole is my ‘curly willow’ friend.  She has the most gorgeous tree in her backyard.   Last year at trimming time I went over to help gather the branches to make wreaths.  So outside we went – in the dark – to give the willow tree a little trimming.   After a few short jokes and a willow leaf mess we had the makings ready.  Carole quickly formed the willow into a wreath about 6″ across.

Back inside for more measuring and rearranging.  The keys were tied together with quilting thread (as if there is any other kind of thread for such a purpose).  Carole finally had the wreath she had envisioned.   The lock made for a nice hanger at the top.  The keys jingled happily together.

This got Tuffi’s attention.  Tuffi is a cute dog but extremely hyper.  Most times she is in the garage when company is over but for some reason Tuffi likes me.  LOL!   Perhaps I don’t panic at her leaping and holloring and just wait until she calms down to pet her on the head.   She really liked the key chime and had to investigate closely.   Personally I think she was just showing off her new haircut and neck scarf because she knew the camera was out!!!

Here is the “Key Chime” all completed.  The curly willow will slowly turn brown as times passes.   It is now part of the decor at Carole’s house.  She wanted money but I assured her that I wanted to continue eating her cookies and drinking her tea.   Payment was not allowed.   Off I went to eat the last cookie.

Now that these keys have a new home I have a reason to gather more old keys and try re-creating again.  

As usual the buzz word for my blog is recycle.  I may not reuse every single thing I come across but I come pretty close.   I love turning recycled objects into art.   Since I am a avid collector of stuff it helps me with my stash management as well.     In a way it has truly turned the key that has unlocked the direction for my creations!!  

Thanks for reading…your comments make my day!!!

Some things just happen that are so funny you have to blog about them….  Last evening was one of those times.  Here I am for a ‘crafting’ night with 2 friends.  When I arrived they were preparing to eat tails & ears – oh my – apparently I am ignorant in the buffalo chicken world.

Promptly after dinner both my friends started on their Apple laptops.   They paused briefly during my show-n-tell from my Sewing at the Farm weekend to ooh and ahh over the many gifts that I receieved and the things that I made.  Still the laptops stayed out until finally I had to point this out to them.  I grabbed my camera and stood up, tripped over a few cars and firetrucks lined up on the floor as I made my way around the table to take a picture.

So here is Abbie and Pola and their matching Apples….

Meanwhile I was playing with the Big Shot and die cutting chickens and roosters and playing with the paper.  I had brought along my stamping bag of goodies thinking that we were really going to create something last night.  

When Abbie took a break and layed down the laptop I asked to borrow it – I was itching to fit in!!!  But this gave Abbie idle hands and she started blowing bubbles.   Never saw bubbles like this before.  They just floated around and stuck to everything they touched – fingers, curtains, walls and even the dog.  Before you knew it the whole room was full of bubbles.  I put down my laptop and picked up the camera again….

Of course this just encouraged Abbie to continue blowing bubbles.  Meanwhile Pola was still busy on the laptop.  How can you do computer stuff in the midst of all these bubbles and giggles?  

I like friends that make me laugh!!!

I have a new campaign of my own going on now.  I get tons of spam on my blog and that is driving me crazy but it just happens.  It sure would be fun to have a few real comments mixed in there.  So I decided to bribe my readers LOL!!!   There will be a free www.LeafPile.org pencil for you to repay you for taking the time to comment.   That would just create the perfect bubbles in my world….

Since I don’t have an Apple computer I am off to eat a MacInstosh for snack.  May you all have many bubbles in your world today….