Mother's Day Handmade Postcards and Gift Ideas!

Quilted postcard by Joy $12.

Our fabric artist Joy Cafaro has created lovely quilted postcards for Mother's Day.  If you can't make it home for the special day, send her one of these - a true keepsake.

Mother's Day fabric postcard $12.

To mail these postcards, use a self adhesive first class stamp.  The stamp should be hand canceled and hand sorted in a post office.  Use a fine tipped pen to write your message.  After it is received, it can be framed in a 4' by 6" frame as a treasured memory.

If your mom is a great cook then Joy's  potholders make a wonderful gift for Mother's Day.  These hand crafted pot holders begin with a center core of heat resistant insul-brite sandwiched between two squares of cotton batting, covered with 100% cotton fabric and carefully bound together.  Just toss them in a washing machine and dryer to clean!

Cafaro cotton potholders $24.

Handmade bird theme potholders by Joy $24.

Roycroft Master Leather Artisan Gordie Galloway and the History of Roycroft Craft Guild

Galloway pouch bag with lilies $135.

Our Arts and Crafts style Roycroft Master Artisan Gordie Galloway has sent us a new shipment of his hand tooled leather purses in the smaller size with more on the way!  If you are not familiar with the Roycroft craft guild history,  here is some info for you from their Roycroft Campus Corporation site.

The Roycroft Campus is the best preserved and most complete complex of buildings remaining of the "guilds" that evolved in the United States at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Author, lecturer, and entrepreneur Elbert Hubbard began to develop the Roycroft Campus in 1897. Inspired by leaders of the Arts and Crafts movement in England, William Morris and John Ruskin, Hubbard started the Roycroft Press as a way to produce monthly publications and illuminated books. In March 1899, one of his essays "A Message to Garcia" became an overnight sensation and propelled him to worldwide fame. The success enabled him to rapidly grow his Roycroft community, adding thirteen additional buildings on the campus over the next ten years. It would become the vanguard of the uniquely American "Arts and Crafts" style, a decorative arts that emphasizes clean lines and simplicity of design. The artisans would branch out working in a variety of medium including wood, stained glass, and copper to name a few. By 1914, the new Print Shop on the campus would boast an equipment inventory of 23 presses and more imported handmade paper than all American printing institutions combined. In its prime the Campus employed over 500 people including women and minorities, and became a Mecca for master craftsmen and a gathering place for notable artists, authors, philosophers, and power brokers. 

Roycroft Copper Shop

The Campus, designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1986, contains 14 structures including the Inn, the Chapel, the Print Shop, the Furniture Shop, and the Copper Shop. The Campus began to fall into disrepair over time, and by 1989 was placed on the 11 Most Endangered Places list of historic properties. The threat to the historic integrity of the campus was real and imminent.
The Roycroft Campus Corporation (RCC) (formerly known as the Roycroft Revitalization Corporation), was established to preserve and restore the Campus. It helped lead the successful restoration and reopening of The Roycroft Inn in 1995. Next, the RCC is in the process of restoring the Copper Shop, a significant and severely threatened contributing structure that is a much-beloved icon of the Roycroft Campus. The Copper Shop serves multiple purposes as a visitor center, gift shop, gallery, and contains space for workshops and offices. Its ultimate goal is to preserve the unique architectural setting of the Campus, but moreover, to bring back to life the Roycroft community and ideals by re-introducing working artisans on the campus; developing comprehensive, compelling, and multi-faceted interpretative and educational programming; and encouraging the development of a center for creativity and innovation in the decorative arts, fine arts and literature.

Poppy and dragonfly Galloway bag $135.

Hummingbird pouch bag by Galloway $135.

Galloway water lily handbag $135.

New Wood Spreaders by Jonathan's Spoons

Real kitten tail!

In addition to our blackened cherry spreaders, we have gotten some maple ones and a special cherry kitten tail blackened medium spreader.

Maple Spreader $7.and Kitten Tail Cherry Spreader $10.

These are great for spreading jams and jelly, soft cheeses and butter on crackers or toast. Pair them up with one of our Phil Capper bar boards and you have a wonderful handmade gift!

Phil Capper bar board $12.00

Celebrate Earth Day by Helping Blue Birds!

The celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd began in the United States in 1970 and was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson, who had long pondered about finding a way to "put the environment into the political 'limelight' once and for all" (his words). There are actually two Earth Day celebrations  - the other one is held in March on the equinox.  Earth Day is now celebrated in most countries of the world. Earth Day is a perfect time to reflect about what you are doing to help protect the environment. There are many ways that you can celebrate alone and with others.  (Information from Wikipedia)

One way to participate in Earth Day is to put out a blue bird house.  They are rapidly disappearing  and need our help now. House sparrows and starling have been taking over their natural nesting places and the blue birds are unable to compete.

Ken Wheeler's bird house $148.

Our bird houses are perfect for blue birds and are handmade by a local artist out of reclaimed wood from his property. Ken wheeler has his bird houses on his acreage and they use them year in and year out.

Photo of Ken's blue bird in his house.

Location is key - the blue bird houses should be erected in reasonably open areas with scattered trees and a considerable distance from buildings.  The house should face an open area with a tree, large shrub or fence from 25 to 100 feet in front.  This gives the young birds a place to fly to that is out of reach of predators.  The house should face south or southeast.

The bird house should be mounted on a fence post or metal post at the height of from 5 to 7 feet from the ground to prevent predators from reaching them.  If you set it on a fence post, use a sheet metal collar or conical guard 18 or more inches wide and attached just below the house.  If predators are not a problems securing the house to an isolated tree but away from multiple branches.  They house should be set out by February 21 for that season.

Hand made blue bird house $148.

What are you doing to celebrate earth Day?  We are participating in Camera Critters so do visit them.

Soy and Beeswax Sunbeam Candles - Made with Solar Power!

Paraffin votive with essential oils $3.

The Gallery is thrilled to add these lovely handmade candles of soy and beeswax and essential oils for scent. The candle making facility is built of salvaged woods and covered in solar panels.  The artists of Sunbeam Candles are truly earth friends - they compost, support local businesses, carpool and pay their workers a living wage!

Pure beeswax candles $12. and $20.

Mother's Candle, lavender oil $20.

Birthday candle scented with orange, grapefruit and cedarwood $20.

Peace Candle scented with eucalyptus, lemongrass and cedarwood $20.

Blessing candle scented with lemongrass, sage and ginger $20.

Orange for Animals

Avon - rescued from an abusive home.

 
April is Prevent Cruelty to Animals Month sponsored by ASPCA and orange is the color to wear to show your support.  This sweet cat above is Avon who is being fostered at Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, a no-kill shelter in Asheville, after being rescued from an abusive home.This is such an important cause and takes so little to raise awareness.  Please vote for them in the ASPCA Shelter Contest and help them raise needed funds.  Click Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, NC -  Vote and place your vote daily!

Peter Lanphear chenille scarf $45. Small cat zipper bag by Jude Stuecker $16.

A simple way to join ASPCA's awareness program is to go orange this month - wear a festive orange rose, scarf or purse.  Tie an orange ribbon on your car, mailbox or pet!  There are so many ways to get creative with this fun color.

Silk fabric flower by Kathleen Lewis $28.00

Lyn Lyndall's butterfly purse $250.

The Gallery dedicated one of our window displays to the color orange - let us know how you will Go Orange for ASPCA!

The Gallery's front window!

We have join with Camera Critters today.

Mixed Media Greeting Cards for Spring

Collage greeting cards $11.

Artist Kathlene Ford Walters dropped off more of her wonderfully eclectic mixed media greeting cards just in time for spring and the coming holidays - Easter and Mother's Day.  Decorated with bric brac, lace, silk flowers, old photos and buttons, they are a work of art suitable for framing.