HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING?

I am excited that this stone is finally completed. It is a tribute to everyone and everything that loves to sing-people and birds in the garden. This beautiful spring is certainly cause for singing. How Can I Keep From Singing is an old Quaker hymn dating back to the 1800's in the United States. This arrangement by the Aeolians of Oakwood University emphasizes the celebratory and life-affirming aspects of this song. Happy Spring!

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST- ERIN DENNIS

Erin Dennis visited our studio this spring to lead the workshop on making beaded bugs. She will be joining our Spring Sales Event for the first time and will bring her love of beading, unique design and point-of-view to the sale. Erin is an exceptional designer, not only creating beautiful objects but loves to come up with clever ways to present and package her products as well. You will have a ball looking through her wares at Hollyhock Days, every weekend in May.

HOLLYHOCK DAYS CRITTER STONE- HOLLYHOCK THE CAT

My friend Kari likes to call this critter Holly but her real name is Hollyhock and she is the leader of the Hollyhock Days family of new critter stones that will love finding a perfect spot in your garden.

Hollyhock the Cat Stepping Stone

Here's the the whole family: Tiller Dog, Hocker Owl, Hollyhock Cat,

Weedy Rabbit and Skip Squirrel.

NEW MINI-MESSAGE STAKES

Our fantastic spring weather is causing so may things to pop into bloom, including these new mini-message garden stakes!

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST -ROBIN MACKINTOSH

I am very excited that Robin is joining us this spring for Hollyhock Days. She has been a part of our Holiday Gift Open House for years and has recently visited our spring workshop series with a fantastic session on making felted birds. Robin is a lucky, lucky girl...she has a charming, patient, supportive husband...2 fat, wiggly pugs (you cannot have a bad day when surrounded by pugs)...a doting mother who taught her that she could do anything she sets her mind to...and she gets to do something she loves for a living!!! She loves to make things...it all starts with jewelry, but sometimes a brooch idea becomes a wall piece...sometimes earring ideas make better lamps...so she has expanded her horizons, you could say she makes ornamentation for the body and home...Robin also has the pleasure of being a member of Eclectics, the artists co-op...could life be any sweeter?

NEW GARDEN STAKE THIS SPRING

This new stake is perfect for

a quiet sunny spot in your garden.

YOU CURSED BRAT! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE...

Do you remember that great scene in the Wizard of OZ when Dorothy grabs the pail of water to douse the flames on the Scarecrow and hits the Wicked Witch? Click here to see it: I'M MELTING! Jane is an avid member of a Wizard of Oz club and requested two new stones to add to my Wizard of OZ collection. They are ready at last for Jane to put into her OZ garden and she "won't have to go looking any further than her own front door"!

Look What You've Done Stepping Stone

Toto running off with a ruby slipper.

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST- SOUTH 20 STUDIOS

This spring, South 20 Studios will feature metal art for the garden cut from recycled car hoods, along with garden mosaics and as always, something that is certain to surprise you. S20S follows an intuitive voice when creating art and has an affection for found, scrap, salvage, and discarded materials. Give them a bowling ball and it will turn into a new life form! Re-invention is the theme to get the thrill of exploring new mediums and crossing boundaries. Bring it on!

These giant garden flowers are made from recycled automobile hoods.

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST -TEEDE STIPICH

Artist and Master Gardener student, Teede Stipich, combines her passions for jewelry and gardening resulting in unique garden jewelry designs. She features flowers and leaves, ladybugs and dragonflies in her unique designs.

Rabbit Necklace

Garden Inspired Imagery

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST- PAULA HAYEK

As a child Paula was always concerned about the feelings of her stuffed animal friends. That concern continues as she creates one-of-a-kind plush critters, allowing them to tell her just what their personalities might be. They all have a strong, unique appeal. Which one is going to end up with you?

Paula and I have worked together for many years. This spring we've collaborated to bring you the Hollyhock Days gang in both plush figures and garden stepping stones and stakes.

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST -LYNN BAXLEY

Lynn Baxley never met an art supply she didn't love! Now, using texture in clay, almost everything gets turned into an art tool! She has been known to arouse suspicion in hardware stores for making unnaturally intense observations of nuts, bolts, springs and ... well, hardware stuff - imagining what kind of marks they will make when pressed in clay. Her pieces are made from large slabs of wet clay, imprinted with texture marks from her bucket o' tools, then torn into pieces and reconstructed into her designs. After bisque firing, several steps of glaze application make each piece unique. Lynn is a long time customer who is joining us this spring for Hollyhock Days. I think you will agree, her beautiful pieces will make great additions to any garden!

These versatile orbs can hold water as a vase, be filled with soil and planted with your favorite flowers and used as lawn and garden artwork. I love items that allow you to use them in many ways.

Ceramic Birdhouses with a sense of rhythm. Aren't these great?

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST - LORI WOODS

Lori Woods from 5-B and Co. Candlemakers in Brookside will feature her best spring scents at Hollyhock Days. She is also making three custom scents just for our sales event this spring and casting the votive candles in bright colorful springtime colors. She will even be bringing DILL, one of her collection of herbal scents which is fitting since it is the Herb of the Year for 2010.

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST - LISA FREEMAN

Life is good! And from my piles of fabric & fibers & notions & papers & such, I love to create items that enhance our lives of simple abundance. I’ve been “tweeking” my style to offer a bit of a different look. My colors are just as bright as ever, and the quotes I’ve come across lately just make me smile. I look forward to sharing my newest inspirational creations with you in May!

Awesome floral wall or table blocks- NEW

Wall Quilts...but they look nice as tree ornaments too!

Inspirational Quotes

Wine Bottle Bags

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST-KAREN SKILLETT

Karen has been a friend and artist at our Holiday Gift Open House sales for years. This spring she has sprouted a green thumb and is joining us for Hollyhock Days. Karen's clever designs are highly appealing, innovative, and delightful. She has been making polymer clay jewelry for over 20 years and is very excited to work with bright colors and the gardening theme. Karen may have a bit of a brown thumb when it comes to growing plants but she certainly has a green thumb when it comes to making very creative jewelry and other ornaments.

Charms for the Gardener

millifiori necklace

Charms perfect for Mom!

HOLLYHOCK DAYS GUEST ARTIST-HOWARD HUGGINS

Howard Huggins joins Hollyhock Days this spring and bring with him wonderful custom made Adirondack furniture. What’s more delightful than sitting outdoors on a beautiful day in a comfortable chair with arms wide enough to hold your favorite beverage? Add an ottoman and life is good!

Looking for that perfect combination, Howard decided to focus on building the classic Adirondack-style chair and customers have been raving about the quality and comfort. To enhance the bucolic setting, Howard designed cedar planter boxes and a plant stand as well. Fill them with your favorite flowers and plants, and you’ve created your own little corner of paradise. In addition to the traditional chair/ottoman, his repertoire includes gliders and rocking chairs in standard and loveseat sizes. Her has also created a versatile gardener's bench!

Talk about a "comfy" chair!

Adirondack chairs are destination furniture, one-person resorts you put in your yard." Wayne Curtis, Yankee Magazine.

Plant Stand

This is Howard's gardener's bench.

Garden Arbor

Garden Bench

CARVED FOAM GARDEN STEPPING STONE AND STAKE WORKSHOPS

The stake or stone design is transferred to a square of insulation foam.

A sharp knife is used to carve the image in reverse on the the surface of the foam.

Robin has designed a stone that will feature a butterfly.

Davey has mixed the concrete to perfection for

these artists to use in casting their molds.

Smoothing the surface and tapping out air bubbles

helps to ensure the final cast will be just right!