Finally!! First Friday Photos...

Our First Friday celebrations at Artist Alley are so much fun. I always mean to take tons of photos, and inevitably I remember at about the time I'm locking the door. Last night was different, and I thought that I'd share a few of my favorites with you here.

I hope that you'll be able to join us for a First Friday Opening sometime soon. And if you do, please remind me to take your picture!

Baby it's cold outside...

Yes, that's right, it finally feels like winter in Southern Pines! You wouldn't know it to look at it, because it's sunny and beautiful from the inside looking out.

Everything is warm and bright here at Artist Alley too thanks to the shining new additions in our front window and on the lawn. Angela Cummings Thompson and Ed Duke each have a few new metal creations outside, and Amy Keith just made a delivery of her original stained glass artwork too. You'll find shining stars in all the colors of the rainbow, dragonflies blowing in the breeze, and some multi-colored rectangles and squares that make me think of Frank Lloyd

Wright. (Amy didn't site him as her inspiration. It's just where my Falling-Water-Loving-Mind goes when I look at them!)

These pieces are bright...they're funky...and they're guaranteed to lift your spirits too. Please visit soon to enjoy them, and all of our other North Carolina Made Art and Fine Crafts, in person during our Anniversary Month here on New Hampshire Avenue.

What in the wold is it?!?!?!?!

I have only one question for you today, "What in the world is it?!?!?" The little treasure shown in the photos is among my all time favorite "stuff", and I have no idea what it is or where or how I can get more like it.

I received this piece and several others like it in a care package from Jeanne Rhea, a fabulous artist from Raleigh, North Carolina. The package also included lots of parts, pieces, and electrical components that I adore. I used the first of them in an amazing pair of earrings that I made last May. And that is how my quest for this elusive part began.

Since that time, I've asked Jeanne, her electrically talented husband, other artists, and their manly gadget-loving spouses. I've checked with my favorite local local hardware store, Edwards Hardware... made a trip to a new favorite hardware store, Burney Hardware... and I even resorted to plodding my way up and down miles of aisles at Lowes. These adventures left me with lots of interesting finds; but no luck in identifying my mystery piece.

It's with a hopeful heart that I now turn the mission over to you, Dear Readers. Do you know what it is?!?! Do you know what it's called?!? Do you know where I can get more of them?!?!?!? Please respond to this post with your vast knowledge of the mystery part, or even your best guesses. The first person to respond with the correct answer will win fabulous prizes! (And my eternal gratitude too.)

With Gratitude

Ahhh...the holiday rush seems to have run straight through Christmas this year....and what a wonderful Christmas it was! We were blissfully busy here at Artist Alley, and it provided the perfect end to our first year in this location.

Through it all, I've found myself to be extremely sentimental and grateful. I'm grateful for my husband and son; we seem to grow closer with each passing day. I'm grateful for my family ,who I hold near to my heart but don't see nearly enough. I'm thankfully for my friends; the old and the new. My life wouldn't be nearly as interesting without them in it. I'm also grateful for the sense of community that I've found in this business and in the town of Southern Pines; it exceeds my wildest expectations and it continues to surprise me.

I'm thankful for the artists who have touched my life. Some show their work here at Artist Alley. Others I've met through participation in the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild. Others I've encountered at various shows. And still others I met at Art and Soul in Hampton, Virginia. (A very special group of these women refer to themselves as "The Lounge Lizards". Need I say more?) All share their work and creative spirits with the world, and for this I will be forever in their debt.

And finally, I'm thankful for our customers who support The Arts in North Carolina. We are blessed with the nicest customers in the world. Their support provided us with the distinction of being voted as one of Moore County's Top Three Art Galleries, and their appreciation of what we create makes it all worthwhile.

Thank you to each of you who mean so much to me. I hope that the New Year provides you with immeasurable happiness and peace in your heart.

Elvis Sighting on East New Hampshire Avenue

No....not that Elvis...this one!

Imagine our surprise early on Saturday morning when Elvis made his appearance in our store window! First we saw a man in a Santa hat with a leash in his hand. Then, the next thing we knew, and we were expecting a dog, there was Elvis in all of his glory.

Alan and I couldn't get out the door fast enough to see if we had really seen what we thought we saw. By that time, Elvis was a few doors down; but his owner kindly turned around to say, "Hello". While he paused to do this, Elvis caught a glimpse of himself in the windows, and he thought that he'd made a friend. So, of course, he greeted him quite enthusiastically.

We caught up with Elvis again several hours later. He was in town for the Reindeer Run, and from what we hear he thoroughly enjoyed the festivities. Our visit with Elvis and his owner made our day, and we're still laughing about it.

By the way, he's been named Elvis because of his melodic singing voice. We couldn't help but notice a slight sway to his hips too. And, as he rode out of sight, we caught the scent of peanut butter and bananas, and we swore that we heard someone singing, "Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me".

Oh how we love Southern Pines!

Imagine thousands of lights twinkling in a darkened room, festive carols wafting through the air, and the scent of an amazingly beautiful gingerbread village. Then there are the Christmas Trees, wreaths, swags, tablescapes; and of course...the children.

If this brief description whets your appetite for a festive holiday experience, and you plan to be in the area over the weekend, I would HIGHLY recommend a visit to The Festival of Trees at Pinehurst Resort. We had a wonderful time decorating a tree for this event, and many of our artists joined the fun by making a charitable donation of their work. All proceeds from this event benefit The Sandhills Children’s Center

The Sandhills Children's Center is a private, non-profit day school for young children ages birth through five who have mental retardation, sensory impairments, and other developmental disabilities. Many of these children are medically fragile and have severe and profound multiple handicaps.

The mission of Sandhills Children’s Center is to provide services of the highest quality for children with and without special developmental needs. Located in Southern Pines of Moore County, North Carolina, the Center offers comprehensive services, including daily transportation and speech, physical, and occupational therapy twelve months a year. The Center currently serves 110 children in the center-based program and 150 children in the home-based Outreach Program.

The Sandhills Children's Center is a wonderful organization, and they're most deserving of our support. Besides that, this event is a fabulous way to kick-off the holiday season. I promise that it will fill your heart with the true spirit of Christmas!

Fall Arrives at Artist Alley

As we've been preparing for Christmas during the past few weeks, I've been struck that fall has finally arrived here at Artist Alley. Almost overnight, our little tree out front went from rich summer green to glowing reds and oranges.

The weather here has been fall-like too. A blustery wind has been blowing, and no matter how hard I try, I can't keep up with the fallen leaves in our doorway.

On another note, a purple petunia is still blooming in all it's glory in front of the store. With December only five days away, this strikes me as odd. Purple petunias were among my Dad's favorite flowers. In fact, I planted them this year with him in mind.

Thanks, Dad.

Metal Art by Ed Duke

My friend, and fellow artist, Ed Duke creates one-of-a-kind metal sculpture from parts and pieces that many of us would consider to be junk. From railroad spikes to skillets, shovels to pipe wrenches, and all points in between; Ed finds inspiration and breathes new life into these cast-offs.

Ed suffered a creative block earlier this year. I'm thrilled to tell you that he's worked his way through it, and during the last month, he's been creating at breakneck speed. The photos with this entry show a few of his latest and greatest, and he's been adding to his collection here on almost a daily basis.

His loyal fans at Artist Alley are benefiting from his renewed creativity, and we're all thrilled for him!

Please enjoy the photos here or visit Artist Alley to view Ed's work in person. A selection of his creations are also available for purchase in our online store.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... (Admit it, you're singing the song; aren't you?)

Actually it really is starting to look like Christmas here at Artist Alley. As you can see by the photo, the journey to get to this point has been an exhausting one; but so far, we're all still smiling. This festive painting was created in watercolor by Pinehurst Artist, Fay Terry. It's being held by my work-worn son after a very long day of decorating and displaying new art.

It's my plan to get back on the blogging bandwagon this month, so please stay tuned for all of the further details about our holiday transformation.

Art that You Wear (And Eat!!)

At Artist Alley this Friday, November 2nd, from 5:00 - 9:00 we'll be celebrating the talented North Carolina artists who create jewelry, handbags, clothing, and accessories. It will be an evening of "Art that You Wear", and it promises to be an exciting one!

Artists will be present throughout the evening to mix, mingle, and discuss their work; and as always a variety of delectable refreshments will be served. In fact, we plan to debut a new line of edible art made my local cheesecake artist, Terry Duffell. Terry will be personally serving her velvety smooth cheesecake with a homemade buttery graham cracker crust and sweet sour cream topping. (Can you say, "Yummy"?!?!)

This event will provide you with an opportunity to meet many of our artists in person, while browsing an extensive variety of their seasonal work.

If you're in the area, I hope that you'll join us. If not, a selection of these artists' work will also be available in our online store.