Seedy Art

Got a tip on artful seed packets full of lovely heirloom seed varieties from 

Hudson Valley Seed Library.

How could we not order and share some?

Brilliant red, butterfly attracting, blooms for gifting? Grumpy, but fragrant gnomes? Gleaming edible flowers and foliage?

All right in our wheelhouse.

The true gift was that of a young gardener in the family starting some of them for us while we were gallivanting around Europe right during prime seed sprouting season.

She did a great job!

We have nasturtium, zinnia, 

and a bumper crop of lovely, lemon cucumbers.

So gifted!

Now to think of something clever to do with the beautiful artist-designed packets. 

Anyone? Anyone?

Look at this!

NDL on a Mission

We got to go here. Motawi Tileworks factory and outlet store in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Motawi makes beautiful tile and has rights to make the wonderful images of Charley Harper into ceramic art pieces. His work is perfect for reproduction in the lovely colors and finishes of kiln-fired glazes.

When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don’t see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures. I regard the picture as an ecosystem in which all the elements are interrelated, interdependent, perfectly balanced, without trimming or unutilized parts; and herein lies the lure of painting; in a world of chaos, the picture is one small rectangle in which the artist can create an ordered universe. - Charley Harper

It is possible one or two made it back to Wisconsin.

Another Motawi tile theme is arts and crafts/mission-style designs. You can see a few here and many more at their website. 

Speaking of Mission....

Here at NDL we are going to adapt and adopt the Motawi company Values and Mission Statement. 

Bout time we had some direction around here!

Values and Mission Statement

What do we do?

We make distinctive stuff and do things in a (relatively) healthy way. We share our story. 

And we have fun.

Why?

We believe we can make the world a better place by making beautiful (or at least cute) things for everyday places and model healthy(ish) neighborhood and family practices.

How do we do this?

We make things that are valued for their design and quality (or their quirkiness, or because they amuse us, or because they help us reduce, reuse, or recycle stuff).

We cultivate an intentional (home) workplace culture that fosters (almost) constant improvement, positivity (mostly through the wit and wisdom of Mary Englebreit and Calvin and Hobbes, greeting card slogans, or signs we see on our travels) and consistently high (as possible) performance all while drinking lots of coffee.

Wish us luck at our next performance review!

Cross Country Xmas

Wherever you are, whoever you're with, however you got there, for whatever amount of time you are together...

..have a very Merry Christmas with the ones you love.

Julie Paschkis card from Artists to Watch.

Shotgun Wedding

We were at the John Michael Kohler Art Center and the event in their auditorium looked to be classy.

No air of hurriedly made arrangements.

Just a hint of true Wisconsin crept in with the golden shotgun shell boutonnieres.

But the exhibit of the season was Wisconsin through and through. 

"Seeing Wisconsin" had elements of the old curiosity cabinet.

And a long view of what the deer sees while the hunter is trying to see him.

But the famed art center attractions that people come from near and far to see. 

The ones that remain as the galleries undergo change of artist and theme several times a year are the washrooms. 

Artists, with support of Kohler and use of their foundry were invited to create the washrooms of their dreams.

This one near the main entrance is called simple "The Women's Room".

If you go to Sheboygan to go to the Art Center make sure you "gotta go" cause you are going to want to see them all.

And, this is one place where gender will not keep anyone out of the "ladies" or "gents" as a kindly docent would be happy to help you investigate any of the facilities as long as the "coast is clear" of anyone trying to actually do their business in any of them.

Go! Have a look in the loo. And then go some more.

Jelly Angels

Vintage Kerr jelly jars feature an angel above a crown image.

There are squat jars with the angel on the inside.

And slender jars with the angel embossed on the outside bottom.

We cannot find a really good explanation of why this image was used, 

but we like it very much anyway.

Maybe we like it even more because it is inexplicable.

Don't we all need angels watching over us in our domestic endeavors?

It is the most likely reason for our high success rate of jelly and jam setting despite our disregard for following directions to a T.

If only light bulbs came with a guardian to protect us every time we stand on a wobbly chair to change them.

Spatularium

One fine Northumbrian day we took a walk along the lovely  Haltwhistle Burn path to Haltwhistle.

We checked out the town, had lunch, and met an elderly gentleman who asked us about the current election in the states and what we thought about "That Noisy Fella". The man stated that he thought the candidate in question "could wreak havoc in an empty box". Spot on, fine sir!

Moving along we passed a window display that informed us that we were not at the Spatularium showroom, but that if we wanted to be we should keep walking a mile or two down the road and we would be there. This of course was way too intriguing to ignore.

We walked to the edge of town and finally arrived and found the "showroom" was actually a woodshop, and backroom office full of plastic totes stuffed with product.

No worries, the staff was friendly and accommodating showing us the wares and telling us all about the business. Then the spatula artist himself showed up and gave us the workshop tour including instruction on the basics of spatula creation.

Tim Foxall is a very enthusiastic and congenial guy. His spatulas reflect his spirit.

We couldn't choose, so we went for the quantity discount. 

It was a bit like going to the dog pound and trying to leave all the puppies but one, behind. Fortunately the spatulas take less care and travel well so we could be a bit more generous in giving them homes.

If you are ever in Haltwhistle, UK we recommend you stop in at the spatularium to see Tim and his crew and all their little spatula friends. 

Northern Arts

The Blue Moon Art Tour is coming up this weekend.

Our favorites.

Horse hair pottery by Reg Behrends.

Oils and pastels by Sara Qualey.

It's free. It's fun.

Cable 4 Fun 4 sure.

Hungry Bird

Beautiful, and useful for making even a non-artist feel talented.

 A young designer created a game for the iPad based on the iconic William Morris pattern called 

The Strawberry Thief. 

Morris based his work on what he saw happening outside his window as thrushes raided his kitchen garden berry patch.

Here is the story of how designer Sophia George created theStrawberry Thief iPad game for the Victoria and Albert Museum.

As the bird soars across the screen following your finger and eating the berries in its path the pattern appears as a pencil sketch.

Next the design is washed with color as the bird flies over it.

And finally the berries appear more quickly, but harder to find in the fully-colored,

 smaller scale image.

There is no score. No prize. 

It is however lovely and meditative.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra provides the perfect soundtrack for a precocious bird going about the business of doing what birds do in and around the garden.

Get a little taste of the Strawberry Thief here at vimeo.

Coming Soon...He Saw, She Saw

Here's a hint....

Airtistry

Here's a breath of fresh air in the Lindbergh Terminal, F concourse restrooms.  

Spotting this mosaic by reclaimed materials artist Michael Sweere provided a nice distraction from the travel frustrations du jour.

Under a shades-of-pale-blue tile sky...

porcelain plates become billowy clouds.

The clouds cast a dark tile shadow across sunlit, lighter tile, Midwestern fields, forests, and lakes.

And in the lav? A cleverly designed aviation-appropriate drain detail.

Guess what happens when you take a photo under a motion sensor water faucet?

Yup. Clean camera. Bad words. 

And another use for the amazing Dyson Airblade.

Swingtime

Remember the old porch swing? It was a gift on one of the first, if not the first, Mother's Days we qualified for. 

You might have noticed it as the backdrop for many NDL photo shoots.

It came from the Sears catalog about 25 years ago. It was 5' long which is hard to find these days. Three medium or up to five small people could sit on it, and one average height man could lay flat out for a nap. It originally was varnished wood , but over time saw at least three different colors of paint.

 Finally it could not be glued, nailed, or coaxed back to wholeness. So we took our old friend to the local wood artists at Elm Grove Woodworks where they copied the design down to the last detail and lovingly made a new and structurally improved replica of our beloved porch swing.

Solid Ash with a beautiful grain.

Milled spindles just like the original ones.

Still the requisite 5' long.

Finished by NDL herself with carefully followed directions from EGW.

We were only able to enjoy it for a few brief weeks last fall and can't wait to hang it this spring when the weather finally decides that it wants to be conducive to porch life.

Just like the one we grew up with 50 years ago, and the one our kids grew up with for the last 25 years, this swing is ready and willing to receive babies who need a soothing bedtime ride or a place to go outside when they have woken way too early for the rest of the snoozing household members. It will do duty with the post-preschool set who will want to see to see how high it can go. It might again hold courting teens someday. It assuredly will get much use by a couple of oldsters who like to watch the world go by from a gently swaying perch.

C'mon by anytime you have a few moments to relax and enjoy our view.

Doctor (Laura's) Orders

A full cup of coffee, a comfy chair, a bit of time with no distractions, and a reliable internet connection are the only things prescribed for a session of
Happy Therapy with Amy.


So much color after so many months of so much white might have you reaching for your shades as you browse the eye-popping images in 
Amy Butler's color and design-saturated online magazine, Blossom.  

View as needed. No limit on refills.

You Can't Take it with You, but You Can Pass it On

Here, from The Pristine Kitchen Towel Collection is an example of some very clever thinking.

This thoughtfully gifted dishcloth with cuke recipe is from Kite Flying Society of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

If you are looking for a very special gift for family or friends consider placing a custom order to have towels made featuring an heirloom recipe of your own. Think of what a hit it would be at your next family reunion, bridal shower, or multi-generational Christmas cookie bake!

And while you are at the Kite Flying Society Etsy site check out their original creation, the Blank Canvas Bib for the little abstract artists in your life. Fun!