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celebrations

Creative Family Art Workshops

UPCOMING ART WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS:

SESSION IV ~ artful + abstract ASSEMBLAGE on canvas

Starting the week of February 17th ~ SIMPLY ENROLL

SESSION V ~ a TOUCAN’S TRIP to TAHITI in TIE-DYE

Starting week of April 13th ~ SIMPLY ENROLL

ART WORKSHOP DETAILS FOR KIDS:

  • Hands-on + mixed-media
  • 4:00 – 5:30 PM
  • 1x per week/6-weeks
  • Tues or Wed or Thurs offerings
  • 5 years & up!
  • A celebration + mini-exhibit on the last evening for families & friends!

A PEEK INTO MINI MAKERS:

SESSION IV ~ mini Makers Mornings

Starting week of March 16th ~ SIMPLY ENROLL

SOMETHING TO HOOT ABOUT:

A CREATIVE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION:

MOUNTAIN PARENT MAGAZINE + LILYBART + HANDMAKERY

See PHOTOS of this full + festive + fun + feathery + flavorful + flock of friends at FIRST FRIDAY ~ February in the heart of the Carbondale Creative District for a MOUNTAIN PARENT MAGAZINE Reader Appreciation Party in our traditional MAKE & CREATE + 30 Drawings with guest artist ~ LILYBART!

OUR DIY IN MOUNTAIN PARENT MAGAZINE:

Our handmade upcycled DIY ~ SNOWY SNUGGLY OWL in MOUNTAIN PARENT MAGAZINE.

OUR RECENT DIYS ON ART BAR BLOG:

Sculpture with Kids ~ Ugo Rondinone Artist Study (Part One and Part 2) on Art Bar Blog! Discover how we used magnets for these mini monuments with kids!

BOOK A CUSTOM + CREATIVE CELEBRATION:

No date is too early to BOOK a custom + creative + childhood celebration on our Events Calendar!

SAVE THE DATE ~ FIRST FRIDAY MAY:

Be sure to pencil in the annual FAMILY BLOCK PARTY in downtown Carbondale | Colorado as we’ll be there creating in our outdoor art studio!

JOIN OUR SUMMER WORKSHOP LIST:

Get on the EARLY BIRD LIST for summer!

STAY CREATIVELY CONNECTED:

Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following our artful adventure on Main Street in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, dreaming, envisioning, crafting, creating, and celebrating!  Much love and happiness in this creative + colorful world, filled with collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting!  

Tag us and say hello @handmakery Instagram with your colorful creations, celebrations, and shares!  

Much love,

Ami

A Fairy & Gnome Celebration for 40!

We recently hosted a magical + maker birthday celebration with 40 little artists in our children’s art studio! A Fairy & Gnome Enchanted Land Celebration for a sweet lil‘ one turning SIX! Definitely the largest celebration to walk though our Main Street door in the heart of the Carbondale Creative District. Take a peek inside this precious party with a plethora of lil‘ people! Indeed our studio felt cozy but also so crafty and creative as it completely captured childhood!

Knowing our hands would be festively full, we reached out to our good friend and photographer ~ Hilary Brock to capture this colorful celebration and oh my how she captured all the delightful details of this dreamy day on camera! Hilary, thank you for working your photography magic, you’re so talented!

For this creative childhood celebration, we took insightful inspiration from our awesome artist friend and LA studio owner, Meri Cherry and her ~ Fairy Gardens for Kids. Meri always makes miracles happen with mini makers. Meri gave us complete creative confidence for this celebration, connecting and chatting through Instagram. With a few artful additions, a mushroom masterpiece and wondrous whimsical treasures, this process made all makers feel creatively confident and gave them time to connect and cheerfully chat as they celebrated!

Giggling guests arriving and picking out their creative spaces.

A little one caught in the magic of mixing in the morning light.

The studio starting to fill as guests began artfully arriving.

The birthday girl getting the process started with a smile in Sunday’s sunshine.

All hands were on deck, both big and small.

Birthday wishes were sparkling and seen inside the soul to later be shared in a birthday song.

The mix of ages made this creative event completely captivating.

Selecting artful treasures was a happy highlight as each proud artist personalized their piece.

The morning light seemed to sparkle, shine, and create its own song & dance surrounding the marvelous mini makers.

Fairies and gnomes seemed to become artfully alive, appearing around the tables.

A maker and her sweet mama caught in a magical moment.

The whole family jumped into the artful action of this creative + crafting + community celebration in downtown Carbondale|CO!

A photo precisely about the pieces on point to protect the enchanted land.

Fairies lit up with sparkle-n-shine as they flew above the tables, taking in all the magic of the makers caught in the moment.

Creative, cozy, childhood, celebration, crafting, community, chaos, captures, collaboration, connection, Carbondale Creative District, children, and coming together in colorful Colorado with cheer!

It’s all about the process, the details, the experience, and the memories that will forever stay in the mind and heart of the makers.

A delightful-n-dreamy rainbow cake baked by the birthday family, both bright and brilliant.

Sweetness + smiles + stargazing + sunlight on a super Sunday in the studio.

A closeup capture of a mushroom masterpiece including both fairy & gnome, a beautiful butterfly taking flight, a pathway on point, and an enchanted land all handcrafted by a clever child.

Tag us @handmakery with your colorful creations and celebrations on Instagram!  

Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following our artful adventure on Main Street in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking, dreaming, envisioning, crafting, creating, and celebrating!  Much love and happiness in this creative + colorful world, filled with collaboration + connection + community + arts & crafting!  

Much love, Ami

Candy Cottage Captures

FIRST FRIDAY we hosted our annual + traditional ~ Candy Cottage + Golden Ticket Event!  It was a cozy evening as every seat in the studio SOLD OUT several weeks in advance.  Artists spent two hours in the art studio dreaming up delightful + decorative details using candies and other exciting embellishments downtown in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District.  Earlier in the evening many families visited Santa over at Carbondale Arts for a festive photo and join in The Annual Tree Lighting Celebration on Main!  Take a peek!

Love how this candy cottage has an elegant “squishy stained glass” appeal.

This event was offered as a “drop off” so parents could stroll downtown and dine, while kids could come together in a creative community focused on colorful cottages and candy!

A detailed roof captured in color,  pattern, repetition, and texture, yet oh so tasty!

Shimmery smiles of sugar plums.

Surprise and wonder with a hint of maker magic!

The workshop was buzzing with Santa’s elves hard at work.  Even a few reindeer were making their way around to artfully assist!

Tiny hands making BIG art + accomplishments.

Love how the elements used in this candy cottage compliment one another for a eye-catching contrast.

Lots of thought went into how each artist was going to design and decorate their custom candy cottage!

The entryway of this sculpture was complete with a marshmallow arch and tiny rainbow balls to detail.

A sticky Friday night with “Visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads”…

There were many tasty temptations.

Another delightfully detailed rooftop, could you guess her father’s precise profession?

Many artists focused on spectacular landscapes to surround their clever + crafty creations.

A lovely rainbow pattern to define and detail!

The hunt for the perfect treat to tailor.

The magic of the makers felt a bit like mingling in Santa’s workshop!

A gorgeous straw rooftop made by this mini maker.

The creation of a landscape architect!

Making memories as makers that were m-m-m good!

The delightful details of kids as creators.

All was calm.  All was bright!  We truly had a wonderful night!

This artist received a special recognition for ~ The Most Delightfully Detailed, but it was not an easy decision for the reindeer judges with all the impressive candy cottage creations!

A close up of the cottage selected as ~ The Most Delightfully Detailed.

It was pretty peaceful as parents came to pick up, just as the clock struck eight!

Another mighty fine cottage with a fantastic landscape to compliment!

Discover our recent article ~ DIY CARDBOARD CANDY COTTAGE in the MOUNTAIN PARENT to create your own 2-D gingerbread house with children!

ART WORKSHOPS FOR 2019:

Enrollment for January is currently underway!  Join us in the studio as art workshops are quickly filling!  We’ll be adding more offerings with time!

WORKSHOPS + CLASSES + CAMPS

handmakery  A pretty peek at a priceless + perfect + on point pairing when it’s purely your painting party! Photo popped seconds before a parade of lil’ people were about to pour in for possibilities to ponder, and you’re the party person to please!

Are you following us on Instagram!?!

Happy Holidays! Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following along on this artful adventure!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking and dreaming!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world full of collaboration + connection + community + crafting!  

xo Ami

DIY Cardboard “Candy” Cottage + First Friday Crafting

Happy December + Happy Holidays!  Save yourself long hours in the kitchen spent mixing, rolling, cutting and baking gingerbread dough – use cardboard instead for a ~ DIY CARDBOARD “CANDY” COTTAGE!

This fantastic upcycled material is abundant and easy to use.  Plus, you can avoid a sugar melt-down by skipping the temptation (and expense) of supplying bags of candy, sprinkles and royal icing – and sculpt your own candy cane columns and gumdrop windows using modeling dough.

This open-ended, creative process is fun for ages 5-12 (or, say, age 35+, if Mama is so inclined).  These cottages can be used as holiday ornaments, wall hangings, or added as a 3D element to a canvas painting, as shown here.  You can even make a village; a timeless, long-lasting heirloom, completely made by – hand from the heART!

Traditionalists who want a classic edible gingerbread house (complete with candies galore) can skip the inevitable sticky cleanup at home, and instead, deliver their children to December’s FIRST FRIDAY ~ CANDY COTTAGE WORKSHOP at HANDMAKERY, where crumble-proof walls and every sweet adornment will be provided.

See the full CARDBOARD “CANDY” COTTAGE article in Winter Edition | Issue 10 of the MOUNTAIN PARENT magazine offered FREE throughout the Roaring Fork Valley in print (oh SO beautiful) and/or online throughout the world!

SUPPLIES FOR CARDBOARD “CANDY” COTTAGE:

  • Printable download
  • Pencil + eraser
  • Cardboard
  • Scissors
  • White school glue
  • Hot glue (adult use)
  • Clear wrap
  • Masking tape
  • Modeling dough: Crayola Model Magic (white)
  • Tempera paint + brush
  • Glitter (fine white)
  • Chalk markers (optional)
  • Embellishments- white pom-poms, red & white paper straws, striped cupcake papers, wire stars, & white string.

PROCESS FOR CARDBOARD “CANDY” COTTAGE:

ONE  Download a FREE printable template on handmakery.com/blog.  Prepare a cardboard cottage cut-out ahead of time by cutting out two shapes:  one will be the cottage, the other will be the roof. Using white glue, attach the cardboard cottage to the cardboard roof by overlapping just a bit and gluing in place.  Dry.

TWO  Have a mixture of smaller pieces of cardboard scraps available that can be cut and used for pop out details.  Lighter weight cardboard is ideal as it’s easier to cut. Corrugated cardboard adds a wonderful texture and is also easy to cut.  Architectural pieces can be drawn and cut to create doors, windows, porches, fences, shed roofs, steps, a chimney, and more. Draw, cut, arrange, and glue down detail pieces using white glue.  Dry. Cottages will become one-of-a-kind mini-relief sculptures!

THREE  Cover completed cardboard cottage with clear wrap and use masking tape on the back of the cottage to temporarily secure.  This protected surface will allow modeling dough pieces to be placed on the house to dry without attaching to the cardboard cottage and will keep the cardboard protected from paint.

FOUR  Keep cottage covered with clear wrap.  Move into making accents using Crayola Model Magic which is a fantastic product for use, flexibility, and simple drying.  Start by rolling coils to imply snow and icicles. These pieces will take on the look of white icing. These snowy details can run along the edges of the roof, cottage, above the door + windows, and atop the chimney.  Use modeling dough to also make candies such as gumdrops, mints, candy canes, and other savory + sugary treats. Wreaths, snowballs, and snow piles can also be fun additions. Allow pieces to air dry in place, on top of the clear wrapped house.

FIVE  Paint dry modeling dough candies using paint and a small brush.  Allow painted pieces to dry on top of the clear wrapped cottage.  Pieces that are to remain white are beautifully painted with white glue and sprinkled with fine white glitter for added sparkle.  Dry.

SIX  Carefully set all modeling dough piece aside and remove the clear wrap.  Arrange pieces in place for gluing down onto cardboard. Most dough pieces can be glued with white glue.  It can be helpful for an adult to hot glue fragile icing pieces for strength and a quicker dry time.  Use chalk marker to add small details of color on the cardboard cottage.  White chalk marker can imply small areas of icing and colored chalk marker can add vivid details to the cardboard pieces.  Now, you can add your embellishments including,  white pom-poms, red & white paper straws and striped cupcake papers, wire stars, and white string for lights.  Most embellishments can simply be glued in place onto the cardboard. 

Be sure to tag @handmakery on Instagram with your Cardboard “Candy” Cottage creations as we’ll be featuring your work on our feed! #candycottage

A peek inside the studio at a mini-exhibit + recognition ceremony for our Winter-IE Wonderland Workshop as family and friends gathered to celebrate Cardboard “Candy” Cottages atop a wintery landscape!

JOIN US IN THE STUDIO ~ FIRST FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7TH:

>>>>> RESERVE TICKETS for DECEMBER 7TH!

Happy Holidays! Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following along on this artful adventure!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking and dreaming!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world full of collaboration + connection + community!  

xo Ami

Art Making + Lindsay Jones Exhibit

A peek into our studio on First Friday in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District celebrating Dia de los Muertos in downtown Carbondale | CO!

Click to see all the artful action as artists created “in the style of” our guest artist ~ Lindsay Jones!

A collection of 30 pieces on our gallery wall created by local artist ~ Lindsay Jones!  This collection will display through December!  Lindsay is a contemporary artist, surface pattern designer, and graphic designer. She works in a variety of media including drawing, painting, digital art, sculptural constructions, and installations. Her fine art work reflects on ideas of landscapes and environments that are built, altered, shaped, and manipulated, while using playful patterns and abstracted imagery. When Lindsay is not working, you can find her outside camping, exploring remote lands, mountain biking in the desert, or racing cyclocross, all of which inspire her creative work.

A sculptural piece created by Lindsay Jones in her Pattern Recognition collection.  Artists of all ages created “in the style of Lindsay” as they made flags in her unique style and color pallet.

PHOTOS OF THE OPEN STUDIO ART MAKING:

Discover more about Lindsay Jones and pop into her shop to purchase her beautiful pieces featured in our gallery located at 449 Main Street in downtown Carbondale | CO in the heART of the Carbondale Creative District!

Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following along on this artful adventure!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking and dreaming!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world full of collaboration + community!  

xo Ami

ABC Flower Safari Exhibit

Thrilled to introduce you to Gina Vide of  Willowday!  Gina is an amazing (…and oh SO talented) artist living in Sweden, between the sea and the city!  She’s flower-inspired, a maker of miracles + magic + moments, with an ornate eye for “delightful detail in the delicate” captured through design and illustration!  Her style is whimsical + wondrous, and completely full of woo + wow + wonder!  She loves creating + crafting with children and exploring a creative + colorful childhood.  So honored to have Gina’s ABC Flower Safari and Fir Fox + 24 Flower Friends travel to our studio for a little collaboration!  Literally, they came by airplane into Aspen, for First Friday ~ September, to celebrate our One Year Anniversary, in our NEW location on Main Street!  TODAY, Gina launches her ABC Flower Safari Art Prints!  Next month she’ll launch her NEW book ~ ABC Flower Safari!  The timing is just perfect to celebrate a sneak peek of her creations through a hands-on artmaking experience inspired by the artist herself!  Enjoy peeking into Gina’s amusing animal alphabet as a little tasty treat this Thursday!  Enjoy the joyous journey!

Our First Friday artmaking event ran from 6 – 8 PM.  Early birds anxiously waited outside the studio, with faces and hands pressed to the glass!  Happy faces were peeking in and excited to get creating with Gina’s ABC Flower Safari!  Yes, a true artful adventure for all ages!

Gina Vide creates magic with her whimsical creatures made from paper, paint, cardboard, and flowers.  Here you can see “Fir Fox” and a few of his furry friends as they take off by airplane from Sweden to visit the Rocky Mountains, landing in Aspen | CO, just before we picked them up for the ABC Flower Safari Exhibit!

Every letter of ABC Flower Safari is inspired by an animal and a coordinating flower.  Meet “Fir Fox” pictured above.  Can you even believe Gina created a full alphabet connecting an animal to a flower?  We have her ABC Flower Safari Art Print in the studio and we’re happy to announce these original prints are now available in her Art Print Shop!  You can also read more about our collaboration on Willowday!

A favorite photo of a little artist completely inspired by Gina’s “Fir Fox”!  Children used cardboard, paper, paint, and flowers to create their very own Willowday inspired masterpiece on First Friday!  Gina’s imagination runs wild, can’t even think about how whimsical her NEW book ~ ABC Flower Safari will be!  Love this must-see, “Fir Fox” Adventures | No 4 | ~ “Once upon a Friday, Fox read a fairytale in the fern fort.” #willowdayfoxtales

Gina’s “F is a Fir Fox” is part of a series she developed to spark imagination in kids and the world around them, using flowers, paper, cardboard, and animals.  You can use #willowdayproject to share some of your very own creations part of #willowdayflowersafari on Instagram!

Gina started this series with kids in mind.  It grew from her long interest in children, teaching, nature, play, and parenting with a fun crossover to illustration.  She loves the simplicity of elements and imagination found in nature walks with children that evoke a story.

We met several years ago on Instagram (@willowdaygram + @handmakery) and became part of the Rockin’ Art Moms.  Over the years we’ve kept in touch and have formed a friendship afar…someday we’ll meet!  Gina started a summer series, Friday Flowers for Kids, on Instagram.  She was able to complete her delicate + detailed series by September as the perfect highlight to welcome fall and First Friday!  It all came together and the gallery wall went up with ~ ABC Flower Safari handcrafted by Gina Vide!

A favorite letter is Gina’s “Lilac Llama”!  We weren’t able to get ahold of lilacs this late in the season but how this artist so lovely improvised!  Discover Gina’s 3D Lilac Llama with template to make your very own.

The studio was alive and in full bloom as children of all ages shuffled through the studio (sneak peek) with their families.  Picking flowers, painting cardboard, cutting and gluing paper, assembling parts and arranging pieces.

Look at this delightful dog inspired by Gina’s letter D “Daisy Dog” created by a nine-year-old, aka my daughter!

A most mastered “Hydrangea Hedgehog” inspired by Gina Vide’s letter H!

Love how this family formed a team of makers.

This sweet-sisterly duo spent the evening inspired, emulating Gina’s letter P “Peony Pig” for a priceless + pink + pair of pigs on parade!

This family “art affair” definitely brought community, closeness, collaboration, creativity, color, and craft to a complete circle!

Meet Gina Vide more in-depth in a Maker Mom interview over on hello, Wonderful!

A couple of happy zookeepers in the studio of safari!

Another F is for “Fir Fox” mastered by this maker!

Meet E is for “Eucalyptus Elephant” definitely a most favorite in the ABC Flower Safari collection!

This artist must have known she’d need to wear red to compliment, and really make her gorgeous green elephant pop in this priceless photo with a little P-O-W-!!! and polka dots!

Many artists were intrigued and inspired to create their own creations and unique combinations!  Love this delightful D for dolphin!

With our logo being the owl, couldn’t conclude without adding Gina’s letter O is an “Oxypetalum Owl” handpainted in one of our most favorite tints of turquoise!

Love how this mini maker matches her eyes to her owl’s eyes in a wide-eyed expression!  Hooo!

Next month Gina Vide will be launching her NEW book ~ ABC Flower Safari!  We look forward to celebrating with her!  Be sure you’re on Gina’s Willowday Mailing List!  Excited to announce HANDMAKERY will be highlighting a very special “fox celebration” inspired by Gina’s “Fir Fox”  which is perfect as we welcome fall, the changing seasons, and Gina’s NEW book!

In the studio, Gina also creates the most beautiful pieces using petals, leaves, and other items collected from nature during her walks in nature!  Definitely pop into her Art Print Shop and say hello!  Thank you Gina Vide for bringing your inspiration all the way from Sweden!  So LOVE all you do!

Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our BLOG for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following along on this artful adventure in beautiful Carbondale | CO at 449 Main Street!  Send us a note anytime!  We’d love to hear what you’re thinking!  Much love and happiness creating in this creative + colorful world full of collaboration + community!  

xo Ami

Art Workshops + Studio Peek + First Friday

Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.  – Pablo Picasso

ANNOUNCING FALL ART WORKSHOPS!

Workshops + Classes + Events start September 4th, 2018!    

PENCIL IN & JOIN US:

DATE:  September 7th | First Friday 6 – 8 PM

EVENT:  HANDMAKERY’S 1st Year in NEW Location Celebration + First Friday + FREE Art Making to Connect with Exhibit + Open Studio + Gallery Exhibit!

EXHIBIT:  Swedish afar artist, Gina Vide of Willowday, and her creations for upcoming book ~ ABC Flower Safari!  Gina’s work will incorporate playful + whimsical animals, flowers, paint, illustration, and typography all captured through photography!  All ages will love this beautiful + delicate + detailed exhibit!  Read more about Gina Vide!

LOCATION:  HANDMAKERY located at 449 Main Street in beautiful + historic downtown Carbondale | CO at the heART of the Carbondale Creative District!

CONNECT WITH @HANDMAKERY ON INSTAGRAM!

WORKSHOPS + CLASSES + CAMPS

POP-UP EVENTS

LISTEN to hear more about our art program!

Keep checking HANDMAKERY.COM as additional programming will continue to be added throughout the year!  Programming will include: children’s weekly art workshops for expanded ages, arts + craft evenings for children/adults/ladies/couples + family, holiday art making, art camps, open studio, one-of-a-kind birthday parties + special celebrations + customized events, specialty summer workshops, special guests + speakers, pop up events, and more!  What would you like to see offered?  We’ll let you in on a secret… our first Ladies Art Night is coming soon! Take a VIRTUAL VIDEO TOUR of our studio!

A PEEK INSIDE THE STUDIO:

Featuring ~ Children’s Art Workshops, Mini Maker Mornings, Birthday Parties, Adult Arts & Crafts Nights, and First Fridays & Pop Up Events!  Take a peek, below!

CHILDREN’S ART WORKSHOPS…

MINI MAKER MORNINGS…

BIRTHDAY PARTIES FOR ALL AGES…

So far, thirty, one-of-a-kind parties have been hosted in our studio in our first year on Main Street!  Get your special event on our events calendar!  No date is too early to pencil in!  Send us an email hello@handmakery.com and let us know what you’re dreaming!

ADULT ARTS & CRAFTS NIGHTS…

Our first ~ Ladies Art Night is coming soon!  Create a personalized account or contact us to get on the wishlist!

FIRST FRIDAYS & POP UP EVENTS…

We hope to see you at September’s First Friday on Main Street and in the art studio soon!  It’s truly such a wonderful way to discover your community and connect!  Tag us @handmakery with your creations on Instagram!  Follow our blog for more inspiring process-based art projects!  As always, thank you for following along the artful adventure in beautiful downtown Carbondale | CO at 449 Main Street!  Send us a note anytime at hello@handmakery.com to let us know what you’re thinking and dreaming!  We’d love to hear your ideas!  Much love and happiness creating!  xo Ami

Opening Night Celebration!

www.handmakery.com

First Friday was our ~ Opening Night Celebration at our NEW art studio location at 449 Main Street in downtown Carbondale | CO!  With a wide array of ages and not knowing exactly how many guests we’d have joining in, we kept it celebratory + simple + full of dazzle, painting and embellishing ~ Celebration Crowns!  Main Street was blocked so everyone could enjoy an evening strolling the streets of historic downtown!  The night was festive and full of flavor, with everyone back-in-town from summer adventures.  The community was alive, vibrant, and actively adventuring around this artistic town!

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Opening Night on Main Street!

finalbuilding

We hope you’re enjoying the last days of summer!  Have you heard the news!?!  HANDMAKERY just moved to Main Street!  We’ve been working all summer to get our new studio up, running, and ready for HANDMAKERY’S Opening Night Celebration ~ First Friday, September!  We’re so excited to be located in downtown Carbondale | CO!  We’ll now be located in the heart of historic downtown at 449 Main Street, in between flowers, yoga, coffee and across from piping hot pizza, sounds tempting, right!?!  Yes, we definately have the BEST neighbors!  We’re incredibly excited to be part of the community and the Carbondale Creative District!

Summer involved planning, designing, constructing, ordering, organizing, and decorating our new studio which we LOVED!  Highlights of our new space include: being nestled in the heart of the community, 14′ ceilings, timeless wood floors, historic charm, a crisp + clean + modern flair, natural lighting + big windows, all our favorite art supplies, and maybe our favorite element…  a teeny-tiny restroom!

PLEASE PENCIL IN + JOIN US:

September 1st | First Friday 4 – 8 PM

HANDMAKERY’S Opening Night Celebration + First Friday ~ FREE Art Making + Suprise Giveaways + Studio Tour!

STUDIO SNEAK PEEK EVENT:

We hosted a ~ Studio Sneak Peek + Free Kids Art Making last Thursday from 4-6 PM!  Several families + creatives came to tour the NEW studio and out-on-the-town to create ~ a wondrous wearable~ to shine + showcase + sport + spotlight around town on ~ First Friday, September 1st!  We had 100+ people attend this spectacular evening event!  A HUGE thank you to everyone that attended our first event!  The support for mini makers on Main (…and coming soon BIG maker events….including adults, ladies, couples, family + friends) was incredible!  See additional photos of the sneak peek in this week’s Sopris Sun newspaper on page 8!

Take a peek at our video-clip gone-wild over on Instagram, highlighting all the artful activity of our ~ Studio Sneak Peek!

At the ~ Studio Sneak Peek, artists created {hands on + mixed media} Owl Feathered Necklaces using cardboard, beads, jumbo pipe cleaners, markers, glue, stickers, string, sparkles and more!  Everyone had a great time in the studio!  Over the last several years over on Instagram, I’ve admired Wendee Wingfield, a local + Roaring Fork Valley photographer.  Wendee RSVPed to our event, I couldn’t even believe it!  We had never met before but when she walked in with her five children, I was beyond thrilled to finally meet Wendee and her children in person!  Wendee Wingfield generously sent me a gorgeous collection of photos she took of the ~ Owl Feathered Necklaces her children created in our NEW art studio on Main Street.  If you’re not on IG yet, it’s a fantastic place to meet new friends with similar interests!  Find us on IG @handmakery!

Take a glimpse at Wendee’s Wingfield’s photos below and discover her amazing talent + beautiful collection over on IG @wendeewingfield!  You’ll be amazed at what she sees through her lens and the life she creates!

Photo credit (below): Wendee Wingfield Photography

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Art Workshop for Children

 

Join us!  Today we’re celebrating my dear friend, Barbara Rucci of Art Bar Blog, and her #1 New Release, Art Workshop for Children: How to Foster Original Thinking with more than 25 Process Art Experiences!  Beyond excited to highlight two inspired projects from this book that we themed under an Art Bar Dessert Party: Cakes + Doughnuts with young artists in our own studio!  Here’s a creative clip to give you an idea, just how beautiful Bar’s new book is for creating a creative childhood.  To get the inside scoop, juicy details, chance to meet the maker and all her magic, dive in here!

Barbara invited me to join her book blog tour that will feature 26+ amazing kid + art bloggers.  Over the summer I had the honor to preview and endorse Bar’s new book, Art Workshop for Children.  I was on a three day camping trip, and basically couldn’t put this incredible book down.  After returning, completely inspired, I preordered it on Amazon and spent all fall anxiously awaiting its arrival!  When my book arrived on October 15, it felt amazing to finally have it in my hands.  It’s truly a gem that will shine in our studio for years to come.  Beyond amazed at all the 25+ creative workshops, simple in both setup and supplies!  Bar basically delivers a rich, open-ended, studio experience, keyed into unleashing a child’s creativity.  Bar unfolds an easy to follow, beautifully visual layout, that guides one towards expressive exploration and artistic discovery in a studio, classroom, or home.

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