Summer Daze

It’s official. As I flip the calendar from May to June our summer begins. Alaskans tend to pack a year’s worth of gardening, barbequing, fishing and general warm, outdoor activities into the next 90 days –yes, June, July and August is about all we have for summer living! I’m dancing to a whole new schedule this summer with our commitment to selling Fresh Art at the Spenard Farmers Market. I feel consistency is key to sales and keeping my customers happy which hopefully will keep me in fresh metal. June also kicks off more intense volunteer duties as the Alaska Botanical Garden Art Show Coordinator, one of my FAVORITE events. I’m rounding up the artists, encouraging our participating new artists, sending out e-mails and following up with communications to layout and design the artists brochure and signage. The fundraising Gala is June 24 and the Garden Fair is June 26 & 27 this year –they usually sell out but there’s still time to get your tickets to the outdoor Gala!

One of the pieces I’m working on for the ABG Outdoor Art Show is taking the forms I welded “Steel Wool” from and making topiary sheep.

The wonderful folks at Sutton’s Brown Thumb Greenhouse sold me 3 bags of (Gold!) Spaghnum Moss to fill out the bodies of the adult sheep and two baby sheep. What a great greenhouse and Patty was so helpful showing me their examples of topiaries in progress. The large photo at the top of the post is a shot of their topiary work area. Here is a link on how to make living walls and another resource for making topiary's (thank you for the lead Julianne!)

I also picked up a few new hanging baskets to embellish my welded plant stands that we sell.

This weekend is the Festival of Flowers and Anchorage is a HUGE city of flowers…I think it’s due to our long, dark winters that make us all go a little crazy for all things colorful and LIVING! For FRESH ART this weekend, Daddy-O will be manning our booth at the Speanrd Farmers Market and I will be at our booth downtown at the Town Square from 12– 6pm on Saturday. My own garden still needs some attention

and the veggie beds need to get put in but holding customer’s purchased pieces has filled it up so it doesn’t look lonely at all! Customers have bought plant stands and sculptures for surprise birthday, wedding and Father’s Day gifts and asked if we could hold the artwork for them until their special day. The photo at the bottom shows the crowed front garden –plus a STACK of upcycled duct work that I cut the “Steel Wool” curls out of that now needs to go to the metal recyclers -it's on my "to-do later" list! I’m more concerned about caring for the hanging baskets that were sold with the plant stands –I don’t want them to wilt with the sunny weather we’ve been having so I’ve hung them on

the cool, back doorstep. Not a problem babysitting though, I love having all the hanging baskets and (SOLD!) happy art waiting for their new homes.

End of the month also meant I got to take a road trip up to Half Moon Creek Gallery to do the month end inventory. Sales were fantastic and Chris, Christian, Sarah and Abigail (pictured) have the Gallery looking beautiful as usual. Check out their web site or FB link for summer glass torchwork, mosaic and fusing classes & workshops.