Bras N' Boots Reminder, and Sneak Peak Take Three!

We are counting down the days to the fall sale! Here are a few more glimpses of the lovely items you'll see at the sale.

handmade soaps and gift sets by Judith Long of Long Family Farm Soaps

We are also looking forward to the second annual Bras N' Boots fundraiser at Whimsical Women!  We have addresses for women currently deployed all over the world who are anxiously awaiting care packages full of useful items to distribute to other service women.

Over the next few weeks, start collecting magazines, female toiletries, and books.  If you happen to be at Walmart or Target, packs of women's socks, soap, chap stick, and Luna bars are always care package favorites!

  

punch glass chimes from Tabatha Renegar

Bras N' Boots will be located at the entrance of the Whimsical Women sale. We will have boxes ready to be filled as soon as the sale starts, so please feel free to drop of the goods before you begin shopping.

 

pottery by Susan Bang

If you are unable to donate goods, we will be collecting funds to help support shipping costs. Additionally, if you wish to personally ship a package, we will have boxes sealed, addressed, and ready to go a check-out.  Simply swing by and pick up a box and you can ship it out next time you are near a post office.  This will help alleviate collective shipping costs an allow you to place a personal message of gratitude on the box before it heads overseas.

pottery by Jane Williams

We can't thank our guests and fans enough for their incredible support of our artists and now our sisters overseas.  See you in less than a month!

 wrap bracelet by Suzi Cook

Bras N Boots 2012: An Open Letter from Captain Molly Mae Potter

Dear Whimsical Women artists and fans,

In the summer of 2010, I was deployed to Afghanistan.  It was right in the middle of the Presidential-directed “surge',” with thousands of troops pouring into the country daily and the height of the war effort in full gear.  While deployed, I found myself traveling to some of the most remote, destitute, and dangerous places in the country.  The comforts of home were long gone and the daily phone call home was what held my sanity together.  Occasionally I would make it back to my primary base to take a shower, eat a warm meal, and get some sleep. Fortunately for me, I would usually have a package from friends or family waiting for me there.

The care package was more than just a motivator and a sign of compassion from back home.. When I called home, I would spout out a list of things that I wanted sent.  I wasn't requesting photos or movies, rather I NEEDED basic necessities.  When I opened care packages, I welcomed nice soap, toothbrushes, women’s razors, shampoos and conditioners, good socks, Chapstick, women's deodorant, tampons, and hand sanitizer.  These were TREASURES because in a country full of war and men, people seemed to forget about the women.

I started placing my care packages in the women's bathrooms wherever I traveled around the country.  I would go back a few hours later, and everything would be gone.  All that would be left were small handwritten notes of gratitude.  The women were so happy and relieved to get female-specific care packages!  At one point the base I was at ran out of tampons, and another shipment wasn't due in for weeks--these care packages literally were providing the basic comforts of life for women in uniform.

In November of 2011, one year after I got back from deployment, I couldn't help but think of all the women still deployed.  That's where the Bras N Boots idea kicked into full gear. The Whimsical Women Fall Sale seemed like the perfect venue to collect goods and boy, oh boy was it perfect!  Guests and artists alike poured out with support. Thanks to you, hundreds if not thousands of women deployed around the world received a care package from Bras N Boots.

This year we are going to do it again! We will be at the 2012 fall sale asking for your help! Currently we have 68,000 US troops in Afghanistan, several Navy carriers with over 4000 sailors out to sea, and thousands more deployed to remote places all over the world.  Let's make sure the women in these troops are not forgotten!

Here’s what we are collecting:

New travel-sized shampoos and conditioners/toiletries
Nice soaps and lotions
Women's magazines
Women's sports bras

Women’s boot socks
Chap stick
Sunscreen
Hair stuff (hair rubber bands and hair pins/clips)
Women's shaving supplies
Luna bars
Clear nail polish (colored nail polish is ok if it is a neutral color)
Nail files
Hand sanitizer
Liquid hand soap
Tampons
Books and “chick flicks”
Calling cards
Notes cards/stationary to send letters home
Small frames to place family pictures in

If you cannot provide supplies, we also need cash donations to help with shipping.  Last year we had more supplies and boxes than funding to send out everything we collected.  Every bit helps!

Also, please consider checking out our Facebook page and becoming a member!  We will provide updates on the drive status as well as pictures of the recipients of your goods.

Thank you for your support and outpouring of love.

Respectfully,

Molly Mae Potter, Capt, USAF

Sneak Peak, Take Two!

Here's another sneak peak of some of the art you'll find at our fall sale!

From Linda Mace:

From Ginnie Parrish of Blue Frog Designs:

From Suzi Cook:

From Adriana Granados, Nut Ivory Art:

From Jackie Liggins, Organic Art:

From Edie Craig of Art Yarn Yummies:

From Barbara Brandel of Artworx by Barbara:

 

 From Catherine Kramer:

So many beautiful pieces of art--we can't wait!

New this fall!

The Whimsical Women are proud to announce our fall sale, Saturday, November 17, 2012! Check out the fall flier in the post below.

As well as all the beautiful new art, such as these lovely windows from Liz Kaplin and Linda Palladino, we have a few new policies for this sale. First, we are asking for a small admission fee, only $1 for adults. We Whimsicals have grown and changed a lot in the last couple of years, and this small fee will help us continue to provide our guests with free food and entertainment and put on a great sale with lots of Whimsical touches.

It will also help us provide another new, much-requested convenience: we will now be able to accept credit cards! Although we still welcome cash and checks, if you need to pay for your art with a credit card, you will now be able to do so. However, please do plan to bring one dollar in cash for the admission fee. (You know how Whimsicals hate to make change!)

Finally, the Bras and Boots drive for American service women will return for a second year, so start collecting your soaps and goodies for our troops! Check this blog or our Facebook page for more announcements about the drive, the fall sale, and sneak peaks of the art you'll find there! (Artists, if you would like to share a sneak peak of your art on the blog, contact Kim or Luli.) See you soon!

2012 Fall Sale

Metalmorph 2012

Whimsical Woman Susie Christensen and her husband, Dempsy Calhoun, will host a showing of their art October 5-7. Details are below. Read more about Dempsy Calhoun, whose sculpture is on display at the North Carolina Zoological Park and the Habitat for Humanity Forsyth ReStore Facade, among other places, at http://www.dempsycalhoun.com/index.html.

 

More Summer Fun for Whimsical Kids

A while back, this blog featured information about Barbara Eure's Summer Enrichment Camps for Kids. You should also know that Whimsical Woman Toni Becker is pleased to offer 6 weeks of summer art camps at Lewisville's a.l.o.e!


These camps will run weekly throughout the summer, and each week campers will explore art through a different theme. For example, during "For the Love of Nature," campers will incorporate nature into their art and find inspiration from their surroundings. Projects will include making a glass wind chime; a mosaic stepping stone; and paper ornaments and sculptures that incorporate seeds, leaves and plants the camps will collect themselves. Dates for each camp week and details about weekly projects are below.

The cost for the camp, which runs 9:00-1:00 Monday through Friday, is $100 per week. If you book a massage or nail service at a.l.o.e at the time of registration, you will receive a $10 discount. A sibling discount is also available: $100 a  week for the first child, $90 a week for the second child. Please note that these discounts cannot be combined. Campers should bring their own lunches.

For more information or to register for the camp, call 964-0288 or email Toni whimsicaljewels@rocketmail.com. If you register for two or more camps, you will be entered to win one of Toni's fused glass pendants or a custom designed ring!

6/11-6/15
For the love of nature
This camp features incorporating nature into the art and finding inspiration from our surroundings.

1. Wind-Chime- Make a glass wind chime, celebrate the wind
2. Mosaic Garden Stepping Stones 
3. Paper Ornaments incorporating seeds, leaves, grass found outside
4. Nature Sculpture using pebbles, feathers, flower pedals, leaves, shells, cones anything found outside

For the Little Ones
1. Tissue paper flowers with photo of the child inside and a paper mache vase
2. Painted Pot Using fingers to create lady bugs and butterflies
3. Butterfly paper mobile
4. Stained glass-using tissue paper and colored cellophane

6/25-6/29
Loomed Ages 7 and up
This camp explores making your own loom from a shoe box and then weaving on it. We will also make straw loom and weave an item of your choice-belt, bracelet, etc.

1.Shoe Box Loom to create a woven fabric collage to hang in your home.
2.Straw loom to create something wearable

7/16-7/20
Collaged Ages 3-7

1. Paper person
2. Small nature sculpture
3. Small Trinket box with buttons, shells, beads, magazines, photos


7/9-7/13
For the Love of Nature OLDER KIDS (7 & up) AND YOUNGER KIDS age 3-6

This camp features incorporating nature into the art and finding inspiration from our surroundings.

1. Wind-Chime- Make a glass wind chime, celebrate the wind
2. Mosaic Garden Stepping Stones 
3. Paper Ornaments incorporating seeds, leaves, grass found outside
4. Nature Sculpture using pebbles, feathers, flower pedals, leaves, shells, cones anything found outside

For the Little Ones
1. Tissue paper flowers with photo of the child inside and a paper mache vase
2. Painted Pot Using fingers to create lady bugs and butterflies
3. Butterfly paper mobile
4. Stained glass-using tissue paper and colored cellophane

7/30-8/3
Everything Clay (Older kids Ages 7 and up)( Younger 3-6)
This camp uses air-drying clay to make various projects. Both groups will make the same projects.

1.Clay decoration that child decides (ex. Sun, moon, tree, face)
2.Thumb Clay Pot to store small things- Paper clips, earrings, pencils etc.
3.Beads- Make your own colorful beads

8/6-8/10
Recycled and Upcycled Ages 7 and up. 
What we will create!

1.Paper Ornaments from old unused paper
2. Paper Mosaic using old magazines, recycled paper to make a wall hanging
3. Making a vase out of old glass bottles using recycled paper and tissue paper
4. Art from bottle caps
5. Colorful cap mobile 

Photos from Spring Sale

The recent Spring Sale was a beautiful success! The Whimsical Women were pleased to have photographer Christine Prisk attend the sale to capture pictures of our art, our customers, and our own whimsical selves. Re-live the day--or if you missed it, see just how beautiful it was--at www.christineprisk.com/whimsicalwomen.

Christine Prisk is a Chapel Hill-based professional portrait and event photographer.  One of her personal goals with photography is to support and showcase independent, creative, energetic women in business, so being the official Whimsical Women Art Show Photographer was a perfect fit for Christine! What Christine loves about photography is the feeling that she can give someone when they delight in photos that have meaning to them.  About her art, Christine says, "Yes, I love playing with light, I love new baby skin, I love capturing unseen moments … but the real reward is knowing that someone is feeling something unique within themselves when they see my images."

 

The images from the show are available for purchase (prints or digital files) from Christine's website. Prices have been significantly discounted for the Whimsical Women.  Digital files come with print rights and may be used for all promotional and business needs, such as business cards, marketing materials, or posters. All purchased images receive a final professional editing before delivery.

Christine also offers creative headshot and product sessions, family portraiture, milestones and events. For women-owned businesses, she will happily work to help you afford professional photography that showcases you and your artistic and entrepreneurial endeavors. To order prints or ask a question, contact Christine at christineprisk@earthlink.net or 919-244-7440.

Sneak Peak, Take Two

The spring sale is only days away! Here is one more sneak peak at what will be available on Saturday. These scarf slides were made by artist Lisa McMillan. See you on Saturday!

Support Celebration of Children at the Spring Sale!

Beside all the wonderful art available at Saturday's sale, the Whimsical Women are selling raffle tickets to help support the 7th Annual Celebration for Children Benefit! Celebration for Children supports social and economic projects in San Ramon, Nicaragua. The flier for the benefit, which will be held the day after the spring sale, is below. When you come to shop on Saturday, please consider supporting this great project!

7th Annual Celebration for Children Benefit!Sunday May 6th from 5-8pm 
Casbah 1007 W. Main St. downtown Durham 

We aim to raise $20,000 to support our various youth education projects in San Ramón! We continue to build and renovate schools, school kitchens, supply rural schools with much needed desks and supplies, support the public library and the handicapped children's learning center.  With your support we can keep expanding and improving these important programs! 

Check out the exciting activities we're offering this year!

• Gourmet appetizers by Sage & Swift Caterers
• Full bar with 10% proceeds going to SCSRN
• Live music by Saludos Compay local latin music band!
• Silent Auction with prizes from great local businesses
• Free salsa lesson at 7pm followed by salsa dancing 
• RAFFLE DRAWING: Win a free trip to San Ramon and Finca Esperanza Verde with airfare included!  You do not have to be present to win so this is a great way to get involved and support Education in San Ramon even if you can't make the event!
• STUDENT raffle:  Introducing our first ever student raffle.  Buy a raffle ticket in the name of a student and provide them with a life changing cultural immersion experience! (details on website)

Event tickets are $20/$10 for students, children under 10 are free.  Raffle tickets are 1 for $10, 3 for $25, 7 for $50, 15 for $100. 

For more details and to purchase event and raffle tickets visit our Celebration for Children page!  Also, please share these links, info and flyer with any and all of your family and friends!  

Sneak Peak!

Below are some the great pieces of art you'll be able to see and buy at the Spring Sale!

From Janice Kalin:



From Brenda Moore:





From Manda Holden:



From Liz Kaplin:



From Liz Kaplin and Linda Palladino:



From Luli Sanderford:




Artists, if you would like your work to be featured on the blog, please email Kim! We can't wait to see what else the Spring Sale will bring.

Enrichment Summer Camps for Young Artists

Whimsical Woman Barbara Eure, an experienced teacher and professional artist, is pleased to offer two exciting opportunities for budding artists this summer.

First, the Pottery Enrichment Summer Camp, open to students grades 1-9, is designed to train children in the art of pottery in a professional studio. The development of skill is an important part of this camp, and the program will feature two 3-hour sessions for hand building or throwing and three 3-hour sessions for glazing. Students will have the opportunity to create with clay, work on the wheel, and to gain broader knowledge about using pottery and other art forms in a decorative setting.

The camp will run June 12, 13, 14, 20 and 21 from 9:00-12:00. This schedule allows 6 hours for forming and 9 hours for glazing, allowing drying and firing time in the middle. Each student can complete several decorative and functional pieces of pottery or one challenging one. Getting muddy is all in the making, so clay-friendly clothing is a must! The cost for this class, which includes material and firing fees as well as light refreshments for the campers, is $560. A deposit of $100.00 will be accepted to hold a space before May 31, 2012.

Second, the Summer Drawing Enrichment Camp, offered to students 4-7 grade, will run Monday, June 25 through Friday, June 29, from 10 am-12 pm. Students will have five 2-hour sessions in drawing. This class is designed to teach children the basics of drawing, which is the foundation for all other artistic media. In this course children will learn step-by-step methods for rendering pencil compositions, from roughing in to shading and finishing, tips for selecting and utilizing drawing materials, descriptions of the pencil points and their corresponding strokes, techniques for shading, using graduating tones in value scale and skills for improving manual dexterity and developing keener visual perception. The cost for the class is $450. A deposit of $100.00 will be accepted to hold a space before May 31, 2012.

If your young artist would like to take one of these classes, or if you would like more information, please contact Barbara Eure at 336-922-3473 (home) or 336-403-5927 (cell).

The Spring 2012 Whimsical Women Show...

... is just three months away! It will be held on May 5th on the Village Green at Southern Village in Chapel Hill, the same wonderful location as last year. I am so looking forward to it!