Two days to go

till Saturday's show!

Preparations for the sale are in full swing. Above, Jerry Haas and Jim Sanderford are marking the booth spaces. We can't wait!

Only a few sneak peeks left!

Today, we're happy to feature these small original paintings and vessels by Ginnie Conaway.

Ginnie creates a variety of paintings, both framed and stand-alone, and paper mache vessels and critters. Be sure to find her art on Saturday!

Support Learning Together Art at 2014 Fall Show

Learning Art Together channels the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of low income, minority, refugee, and immigrant women in Guilford County by introducing the arts as a means of linking their native cultures to American cultural. Through the program, the women develop entrepreneurial, marketing, and business skills that lead to long-term economic and social self-sufficiency. Their work also creates and extends opportunities for multicultural awareness and sharing to the larger Greensboro community.

In February of 2014, a group of women from different countries with different cultures and languages met in Greenhill’s ArtQuest to start learning about art.  Over time the students became teachers; they taught, learned to communicate with, and encouraged each other.  The intertwining of cultures revealed commonalities that led to “From My Table to North Carolina.”

This project underscores the importance placed on preserving their culture and customs through food.  A simple discussion about food conjured sights, smells and tastes now shared with you from El Salvador, Mexico, South Korea, and Vietnam.  

At our 2014 fall show, Learning Together Art will sell cards and collages that will eventually become the page of their cookbook. Each collage card is created with hand painted and printed paper and is the vision of the individual student, based on memories of cooking and sharing food with family.

Learning Art Together is made possible through the Women to Women Grant from the Greensboro Community Foundation.

A Message from Molly Mae Potter, Veteran, United States Air Force

It’s been four years, one month, and five days since I returned home from my deployment to Afghanistan.  Since landing back in the USA from my deployment there hasn’t been a single day, and rarely a single hour awake, that I don’t think about something or someone or some memory from that deployment.  

I served in the military as an Air Force officer for six years, but for the rest of my life I will be a veteran of the US armed services whose life was dramatically altered from an intense, frightening war experience.  I returned home a broken soul who suffered from undiagnosed PTSD for many years.  I was finally diagnosed, properly treated, and cared for by my family, friends, military command--and my dog, Bella.  While the support of my family and friends was unparalleled, the love and support of my service dog Bella is what really rescued me in the end.

As more and more veterans are receiving treatment for PTSD, the need for trained service dogs to support the veterans through their treatment process is also on the rise. Once again this year at the Whimsical Woman show, we are going to support a local North Carolina organization dedicated training rescue dogs to support, love, and care for veterans struggling with PTSD. 

Founded by two local Iraq veterans, Warrior Service Dogs is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Asheville, North Carolina that is dedicated to linking trained rescue dogs to veterans suffering with the challenges of PTSD. The organization is the only of its kind that actually links the dog with the veteran and that supports dog and veteran through the service dog training process from start to finish. Once the dog and veteran are linked together, the veteran will work with the trainers of Warrior Service Dogs to train the dog to support the veteran’s needs. 

One might ask how a dog can provide support for someone with PTSD? While the specific struggles with PTSD varies from individual to individual, dogs can be trained to specifically help a person with disabilities manage their recovery process as well as provide therapeutic support along the way. Besides the unwavering love Bella provides in my life each day, Bella also wakes me up from PTSD-induced nightmares at night.

Last year Whimsical Women helped raise $3000 to support Warrior Service Dogs.  Since last November, the money raised during the Fall 2013 show has gone directly to supporting eight local veterans with eight new rescue dogs trained to support these disabled veterans and help them get back on their feet.  Your outpour of support has directly translated to positively impacting and honoring members of our community that have served our country in uniform.  With such an amazing show of support from last year’s show, we have invited Warrior Service Dogs back to Whimsical Women's 2014 show to help raise awareness of veterans’ needs and the positive impact of the love and support that a service dog can have in a local veteran’s life. 

Right now, Warrior Service Dogs need your support with donations of:

-Moist dog treats for training

-Leashes

-Collars

-Small orange cones for training

-Gift cards to Wal-Mart and Lowe’s Home Improvement

-Collapsible dog bowls

-Dog crates of different sizes

-Cash donations to help with veterinary bills, service vest gear, and dog registration

Warrior Service Dogs will be at located at the entrance of Whimsical Women. Please be sure to stop by and thank them for their support to veterans, and while you are at it thank their handlers for their support to our country!
 

Wag more, bark less!

Molly Mae Potter, Veteran, United States Air Force

Keep your eye out

for Chris Ogden's iSpy wreaths at our fall sale!

Chris uses vintage ornaments, repurposed and natural items, and contemporary pieces to create one-of-a-kind wreaths that are extremely detailed and unique.  Looking at them is like playing the children's "I Spy" game--you never see the same thing twice!

Thanksgiving Greeting Wreath

Calendar Wreath

Record Wreath: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Colors Bright and Bold

Today's sneak peek is from Heather Jones of Heather Jones Graphics.

You can purchase paintings like these at our fall show, or talk to Heather to commission a custom painting.

Check out Heather's website and her Facebook page!

Additional parking at 2014 fall show!

The Whimsical Women are happy to announce that we’ll have additional parking for our November 22 fall show!

Brookstown United Methodist Church, located on the corner ofYadkinville Road and Lewisville-Vienna Road, has generously agreed to let us use their parking lot. The church is about ¼ mile from the show site. There will be a shuttle bus to take you to and from the event. The shuttle will be FREE! (However, we’re pretty sure the driver would gladly accept tips.)

If you choose to park at the church, please park in marked spaces only (not on the grass). Thank you, and we can't wait to see you soon!

Beautiful Beadwork

 It's November! The countdown to our fall show is official: only three weeks to go.

Today we offer a sneak peek of beautiful beadwork by Carolyn Fay. Carolyn began doing hobby bead work with stringing and bead weaving in the 90's.  Upon retiring in 2013 from 34 years as a dance costume designer and technician at UNCSA, she began reveling in bead weaving and bead embroidered jewelry-making full time.

It's official!

Our fall flier 2014 is up! 

As always, our fall sale will be held at 2233 Vienna-Dozier Road in Pfafftown, NC. Gates will open at 10:00 AM, and admission is one dollar for adults (kids are free).  Please bring your own shopping bags, and like the ladies on our flier, carpool if you can!

We'll have food and drinks while they last, and this year, we're excited to offer music by Wicker and Jones!

Wicker and Jones have been playing their blend of Piedmont blues, vintage jazz, ragtime, and gospel in the Piedmont and beyond for over 20 years. Danny Wicker, the king of the Piedmont guitar, has developed a powerful finger and slide technique that hearkens back to the golden age of Southeastern acoustic blues of the 20's and 30's. Mel Jones brings original blues compositions, a rhythmic harmonica, percussion, and a storyteller's soul to the duo. Together Danny and Mel have released two CDs and have twice won the Charlotte Blues Society's competition to advance to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

And one again this year, we'll be raising money for Warrior Service Dogs. Warrior Service Dogs is a nonprofit based in Asheville, NC dedicated to linking trained rescue dogs to veterans suffering with the challenges of PTSD. During the fall show, we'll collect cash donations and items like moist dog treats, dog crates of all sizes, leashes, collars, collapsible dog bowls, and more for this fabulous organization. And we'll feature more information about Warrior Service Dogs on our blog soon!

We're getting excited! See you soon!

Whimsical mother daughter pair

We wanted to be sure you saw this art by Iris O'Quinn (we misspelled Iris's name in a previous post)

and be sure to look for this jewelry made by Iris's daughter Wendi Mink! Check out more of Wendi's work on her website.

You're braver than you believe...

 

You'll feel brave AND beautiful with these creations by Genna Carter of Bracelets4Braces.

Baskets, bracelets, and ornaments, oh my!

At our fall sale, you'll find

these beautiful baskets (one even holds a wine bottle!) by Pamela Buchanan,

hand-crafted ornaments and other art by Iris O'Quinn,

and stunning jewelry by Wendi Mink.

More previews coming soon!

A place where every character is unique

That place is not only our fall show--it could be your family! Celebrate your uniqueness with this recleamed wood art by Millie Barnhart of WildFlowers on Hilltop.

You'll sparkle all fall!

Susan Carter creates one-of-a-kind brooches and earrings using paper, copper, Swarovski crystal, and re-purposed jewelry.

This is Susan's first Whimsical Women show. You can see more of her work on Etsy at SusieArtist.

Shining some light into cool fall days...

Though the days are getting darker, these mosaic mirrors and candle holders from Priscilla Williams will keep your home bright all fall and winter!

Looking forward to the magic of the fall!

For our first sneak peek of the season, here are some inspired pieces from Gail Wall, metal artist:

flowers, dragonflies, goddesses, and birds to adorn your garden! No telling what else will come into creation before November...