Handmade Holiday Show - This Saturday!

Don't miss the Laurel Highlands Artisans sponsored Handmade Holiday Show

Saturday, December 4, 2010
Noon - 4 pm
Located at the Greater Latrobe HS Center for Student Creativity

Take 10% off your order at Expressive Letter Photography if you mention that you saw it on this blog!

Christmas and Greeting Cards, Photo Collages, Individual Letter Photos, and Custom Framing

It's Crunch Time!

The fall season is always the busiest for artists and crafters, and this year is no exception. For the Laurel Highlands Artisans, not only are we individually busy with many festivals and shows at this time of year, but we are also sponsoring our very own show as a group in a few weeks. So as exciting as it is, it is definitely crunch time!

Some wonderful things have happened over the past few months within our group. With the start of a basic website, we have been able to spread the word a little better about who we are and what we do. Our group is growing and we have a variety of talented artists that are willing to share so much great information in order for us to grow our businesses. We are upgrading our website and hope to share what we do in a way that is easier for the public to view.

And then there is the Handmade Holiday Show. On December 4th from Noon - 4pm we are sponsoring a show of such talented vendors, some of whom belong to the group and many more in which we admire their work. The Center for Student Creativity in Latrobe, PA will be full of local artists with quality handmade goods. And of course, to share our successes at this time of year, each vendor will be donating an item toward a Chinese auction in which all the proceeds will benefit the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign. So mark your calendars and we'll see you there!

"Like" us on Facebook

We are now an official page on Facebook. For a complete list of vendors and updates for our Handmade Holiday Show don't forget to "like" us (listed under Laurel Highlands Artisans). There is a great variety of products that will surely fit some of the Christmas gifts on your list.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurel-Highlands-Artisans/108386745895473

Productive Meeting

We had a very productive meeting last night and can't wait until the December 4th show! There are a lot of very unique and talented artisans selling their great products there. It will be held at the Center for Student Creativity at Greater Latrobe School District http://www.glsd.k12.pa.us/7516104710459507/site/default.asp from Noon - 4pm.

We will also be starting a facebook page, so as soon as that is up and running be sure to "like" our page, it will be a great place to hear about our updates and see a list of the participating vendors. I'll post more about our page once it has been created.

Great Fall Festivals!

Well, I have to admit, I have completely neglected this blog, and the website needs to be updated, but this has been one busy fall, with festivals, markets, and a new school year upon us. However, the weather has been pretty cooperative and this past weekend was completely crazy for a few of our members here in Ligonier. Fort Ligonier Days fell on a weekend boasting beautiful weather. It was so packed that it was hard to even get into some of the booths!

As we embark on the fall festival season, please keep us in mind for Christmas gift ideas. Our group is sponsoring a Holiday Show on Saturday, December 4th from Noon-4pm. We have hand-picked fellow artisans and crafters that we feel sell unique, high-quality work. There will be a variety of vendors so you will surely find something great for those on your list!

Glades Pike Winery Open House

Any artists interested in participating at the Glades Pike Winery Open House on Sunday, November 7th from noon-4pm? The cost is $20 a table and we have had really good success in the past:) Please contact me at m3@shol.com!

New Things Coming Up

If you are a school or a non-profit organization you may be eligible to particpate in the Artist-in-Residence offered by The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art or Arts Path at IUP. Pull up there sites and see how to proceed.

Also, Waking Bear Studio will be at Ohiopyle this weekend for the Over the Falls event. We will also be there for the Music in the Mountains over Labor Day Weekend. We are also doing a special exhibit at Artworks in Johnstown with a reception on November 20th. Please come join us for any of those events!

Ligonier Living

You can now find a link to the Laurel Highlands Artisans on the popular Ligonier Living Blog! This is a great blog to follow to keep up with what is going on in the quaint little town of Ligonier where many of us our based. Find our link along the right column under Ligonier ART.

Love a Dog Live a Better LIfe

We are preparing ourselves for the imminent arrival of our new mastiff puppy. I am nervous and excited and realized yesterday it has been over 15 years since I have had a puppy. I dreamt about my dad this morning and saw his "puppy" Packets in the dream. My father was rarely strict about anything, but he sure had the puppy on a schedule. One day I went over to play with Packets and my father told me it was the "baby's" nap time and he was not to be disturbed. The love my father had for that dog was tangible and could make him smile at the mention of the dog's name.

Perhaps my father felt relief when he met District Judge Cook who married Rick and me. After a wonderfully personal marriage ceremony by the JP, we all left the court room......except I found myself looking for my dad. Upon going back into the room, I found the two men talking quietly to each other. With a hearty laugh, my father turned to me and we left the room together. I asked him what they had been talking about when I came into the room.

"Art Cook told me that all my dogs would be waiting for me when I get there." It only took me a second to realize he was talking about when he would no longer be here either. I felt a chill and then happiness because my dad looked so relieved. What prompted the conversation, I will never know but I do know my father believed it to be true.

I have had so many dogs and each has been a wonderful addition and individual in my life. My philosophy is to surr0und them with love and to treat them as a cherished member of the family. Someone told me once that dogs are only around for a short time because it does not take them very long to get everything right. Doesn't say too much about us stupid humans and yet I will always believe that to Love a Dog is to Live a Better Life.

www.laurelhighlandsartisans.com is up and running!

I cannot even begin to tell you how frustrating certain aspects of web site development have been for me. Starting from scratch and learning HTML, to CSS, then moving to Dreamweaver within 6 weeks was an overload. So to create this site from scratch in about a week and a half was a feat in itself. (And to think I just wanted to skip ahead to making it pretty, thank goodness we started out with HTML, because knowing that is how I was able to fix mistakes better than with Dreamweaver's automatic settings). Then just when you think everything is under control and on schedule a kink is thrown your way. Simple things became more difficult than they needed to be because I couldn't even think straight after so many hours of staring at the computer. Sending my site to the remote server was what set me over the edge, so I finally figured out how to at least get it to the school's server in time to turn it in. Well, no more weird web address - I got it where it belongs, without any frustration today!

Make sure you bookmark www.LaurelHighlandsArtisans.com

Web Site Design

Whew! My six week grad course on web site development is over, and I feel like I learned more than I thought was humanly possible in that short amount of time! It was definitely THE hardest class I have ever taken part in and wish we had more time to perfect what I learned. I suppose that will come with experience.

I wanted to create a site that would be utilized well into the future so I suggested creating a site for the Laurel Highlands Artisans. This group has provided such a wealth of information and knowledge to me about marketing my photography. Plus it is really nice to get together with other people with similar goals and interests, yet at the same time we are all so different.

The website includes many, many resources in which to learn about each of our members' work, where to find us selling our wares personally or at galleries and shops, links to websites we find useful, and information about the Handmade Holiday Show that our group sponsors. You will soon find us at www.LaurelHighlandsArtisans.com. Until then, please check us out at http://msit.bloomu.edu/alr17134/LHA/index.html

Thanks for supporting local, handmade products!

The Beginning of our Blog

How exciting to see Laurel Highlands Artisans are putting themselves into the internet world! This small group of artists has been meeting for a while to work on business concepts, discussing upcoming art works and also joined together as friends. There is STRENGTH in numbers. We each offer a different avenue for the arts.

My husband and I create metal and clay sculptures for home and garden. I will post some of our works later this week as I am getting ready for the Ligonier Country Market on July 3rd! Come see us if you have a chance.