Wow!

What a fabulous turnout we had for Helen Knaupps artists reception/exhibit!  The shop was brimming with happy people, good music, good eats, and the smell of hot apple cider!

Everyone who went home with one of Helens Santas or Snowmen left with a smile on their faces.  Each is truly a character unto itself.  But not to worry, we still have a nice selection of both Santas & Snowmen for your Christmas gifting! 

The lovely dragon tile piece by Stephanie Petershagen found its forever home on Saturday as well.  It will be missed by many, but the new owner is thrilled!  If she brings me pictures of the final installation I'll post them.  It was an extraordinary work of art!

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, an uneventful black Friday experience and that your Holiday season is off to a wonderful start.  Ours has been a blur up to now, but this too shall pass.  

Come see us at the shop, have a cuppa and check out all the fantastic vintage Christmas goodies and the locally crafted ornaments that we have for you this year.

Sincerely,

Dee, Paulette, and Elizabeth 

p.s.  The candles smell amazing!  And, we have the copper and resin pendants in!!  :-)

Thanks are in order...

Dolores, Paulette and I want to take a few minutes of your time to say Thank You to each and every one of our many loyal customers.  Thank You , to each of the many wonderful and talented vendors who came and went throughout the years, and Thank You more than you know to the ones who came and stayed.  The emotional support that your loyalty provided was invaluable.  We truly cannot thank all of you enough.

We wanted to wait until we had spoken personally to each of the current vendors before we made any official announcements on the blog or in public.  It is with some sadness that we tell the world that Creative Kharma will be closing its doors at 4 pm, December 31st, 2011.

We want to say that this closing is not a business failure in any way.  We are leaving feeling quite a sense of accomplishment - in fact.  We took an empty space with white walls and a very sterile feel and turned it into a place that is cozy and inviting.  We've kept the doors open through crushing economic times.  That's a success, no matter how you cut it.  But, realistically, things change.  In our lives, in our businesses, and in the community.  The uncertainty is the primary reason we decided to close now, on our own terms, rather than wait til it got to a point where we had no other choice.

All is not lost when the doors close however.  Crows Nest will still be hosting events, and we have a few other things up our sleeves.  AND, We are going out with a bang, not a whimper! 

This Holiday Season will be exciting, with the recent addition of new rubber stamps, handmade papers, scrapbooking supplies/embellishments, and artists tools and books galore to our ART SUPPLIES!!  And, tons of new art from Helen Knaupp and Stephanie Petershagen - I've just gotten 30 new pieces of art jewelry completed (and poured 6 dozen Holiday Scent candles) - Dee is bringing in more of her wonderful flaxseed heatwraps - the shop has been re-set & re-vitalized, with Christmas trees galore to be loaded with vintage and art ornaments.  We're jazzed and ready for the hustle and bustle to begin!

Don't miss the Art Exhibit, to be held November 26th (Small Business Saturday).  Come meet Helen Knaupp, have some spiced cider and check out how great the shop looks!

Shuffle shuffle shuffle...

It's pretty well constant, the shuffling that goes on in any small shop.  Each item in or out causes a ripple in the cosmic pond, thereby making the placement of all other items "off" by just a hair and a half.  Good thing we love playing house!  *smile*

We're in the midst of the BIG shuffle, resetting, getting ready for the Holidays, so if you come in and it looks like a bomb went off, please pardon the mess - it's simply clearing the way for the wonderfulness to follow!  :-) 

AND, wonder of wonders - Helen Knaupp has graciously chosen our shop to exhibit her original art.  Her carvings are FABULOUS, and priced to collect.  The exhibition will be Saturday, November 26th, from 10am to 6pm. Come meet the artist!

 Having brain fade at the moment, can't seem to get the postcard graphic to save in a format that I can upload.  So...next time!  :-)  Have a fabulous weekend - enjoy the sun St Helens!!

April? Really?

I am flabberghasted.  Astounded.  And yes, even a little ashamed.  Last post was April?  It's mindboggling how fast the time went. 

Even more astounding is that (shhhh!) Christmas is just around the corner.  I simply cannot believe it. 

I'm checking in today because we're planning for the Holidays now, and was hoping for some customer feedback about 1) what you've loved but wished we had more of from previous seasons, 2) what you've seen out in blogland or at sales that you really wish we'd offer locally handcraft, and 3) we'd really be appreciative if our candle lovers would let us know if there's a scent you'll be making bulk purchases (6 or more pints) of - so we can plan accordingly.  (New page with many of our scents has been posted.)

I personally would appreciate it enough to offer one free pint candle (your choice of available scents - a $9.00 value) for every 6 pint order pre-ordered/prepaid by December 1st.  Nothing is worse than knowing exactly what you want and finding that the place you've always gotten "it" from is sold out.  (Except maybe being the one to have to tell you that we already sold out of your pre-planned, already checked off your list, but at the last minute gift purchase.  :-/ )

Sooo...leave me a comment, or call the shop and let us know what you want to see this Holiday season at Creative Kharma.

A Sunny Day

How amazing, the difference in ones outlook a sunny day can make.


For the first day in seemingly ages, I feel energized and optimistic. The shop has had a mini-facelift, and the feedback has been fantastic. Thanks to everyone who has been so kind as to tell us how wonderful the shop is. You may not know, but those words are the ones that keep small business owners going in these dismal economic times.


I hope each and every one of you is enjoying this fabulous sunny day in whatever way makes you happiest! Happy Easter from all of us here at Creative Kharma!!

We're on Yelp!

Check it out: Creative Kharmas Yelp!

I love this concept. There is a Smart-Phone app that allows you to search for local businesses that have what you need, and, the best part - if you "check in" at the business - many businesses offer special discounts for checking in. To take the concept even further, businesses can offer rewards for customers with multiple check ins!

Yelp! offers customers the ability to write reviews and rate local businesses like many other online business pages, however, Yelp! takes it a step further by listing businesses with more listings and better ratings higher in search results.


If you have a business, take the time to claim your business page on Yelp! You can monitor your page views, recommend other businesses you love, and you have total control over the content on your page. And it's free! Life is good!

And in parting, I had to share this amazing ledger page. I can't for the life of me remember where I found this, so if you know could you please comment so I can give credit where due. If you use this image, please share by uploading a picture of your completed project and post a link in the comments section. I'll pull all the links in a few weeks and re-post the image and the links to your completed artworks. (I'm hoping to figure out how to use linky's!)

Have an absolutely fabulous weekend!

More Online Goodness to Share

One of our ab-fab vendors, Debbie, offers some mind blowing deals on mixed media madness at Creative Kharma, but did you know she also has an Etsy shop where she sells her original art? The creator of "Bling Diva's" - (retro darlings who wear your necklaces when you can't) - Debbie does lots of original pieces with mid-century flair. Check out her shop, Altered Edge Design, newly listed in our Wall o' Fame over there ---->

One of our newest vendors is Amy, of Clothespin Cards. Her cards are pretty darned fabulous, made from upcycled vintage goodness and hand typed on her trusty vintage typewriter. Please click her blog link in the sidebar and check out her awesome greeting cards, then pop into the shop to pick up a few and to check out the other vintage goodies Amy has brought.

Take a look at the art of Helen Knaupp as well. She's an amazing artist who works in watercolor/gouache and makes fabulous carvings of birds and Santa's. (View her Oregonian article by clicking the button in the sidebar.) Her work is available at Creative Kharma and at the Real Mother Goose. http://www.therealmothergoose.com/collections/collections_knaupp.htm

That's all for tonight, but I'll be back soon with more great stuff.

Have a fantastic rest of the week!

Sharing

Creative Kharma is working to build a supportive community of artists and craftspeople. We are also committed to supporting other woman owned businesses and local artisans.

To that end, we will be sharing some of our best resources for supplies and also posting websites and blogs of local artists and artisans. Please take a look at our sidebar (to the right) each time you visit, we will be adding clickable logos for:

• Businesses who sell supplies for artists and artisans
• Blogs or websites of local artists and artisans
• Inspirational blogs and websites (and awesome give-aways)

Our first offering is our very own Miss Dee's new Esty Shoppe - Applegirl Studios. Her heirloom quality artist original porcelain dolls, art dolls, and porcelain "art doll parts" are top quality artisan crafted goods.

And the website of Corrine Byers, Articus Studio. Grab a cuppa and be prepared to be amazed. She always has fabulous goodies at fabulous prices. She offers inspirational photos of her art, several galleries, a guide to adhesives and "everything you ever wanted to know about paper".

From ATC's and bookbinding to jewelry and dollmaking - awesome stamps, unusual findings, polymer clay, tools, and so much more. Tim Holtz, 7 Gypsies, Lisa Pavelka, Inkadinkadoo, Judikins - it's a feast for the imagination. Microscope slides, metals, I just can't say enough about her selection. It goes on and on.

And if I can speak for a moment about my personal experience, I've bought from Articus since I discovered the website 3 1/2 years ago and have always found Corrine to be the nicest of human beings, the shipping is amazingly fast, the customer service is excellent. "Best of the Web" material!

Make Someone Happy Today. Yourself.

Wonder-full-ness for today. I stumbled upon this bit of deliciousness on Diana Freys blog, (she shared it from the French Charming blog.)

The positive message, the affirmations it contains are exactly what every one of us needs at one time or another. If you've seen it, what the heck, it's only a couple of minutes and is well worth watching again. :-)



So today, I choose Happiness. Hope you will too.

A re-set and some new goodies

The shop has been fabulous-ized, and lots of new goodies have been added in almost every area. We have gone over to the sepia side, with touches of copper and old wood, old photos and pottery.

We have new mixed media goodness as well - postcards, vintage valentines, drilled bamboo skinny tiles, some new textiles and vintage sewing goods including lace, needle cards, and more.

Valentine Themed Candles are in. These special edition soy candles in open containers smell fantastic, and @ $9.00 each they're going fast!

Our fingerless gloves have been a best-seller this winter. At $10.00 a pair they're a fabulous gift item, but don't forget a pair for yourself. We also have matching cowls and hats, and a few tams as well. All top quality local craftsmanship at incredible prices.

Why not soothe your aches and pains, or just get warm, with one of our heat wraps? Place it in the microwave to heat and enjoy penetrating warmth. Available scented with aromatherapy herbs or unscented, these 100% natural flax seed heat wraps offer soothing moist heat to ease your sore or tired muscles.

Looking for a one-of-a-kind gift for someone who has everything? Come check out our great selection of original art and goods from many local artisans.

© Helen Knaupp

Necklace © E. Robideau

Mask © Stephanie Petershagen

Okay, I'd like to apologize now for the abysmal formatting of these photos. Whatever blogger did to the photo utility is awful. Yikes. Each photo I uploaded planted itself firmly at the top of the page and I had to go cut the code and place it where I needed it. And I'm SO not that techno-literate.

I guess I'll have to play around with blogger more to get the hang of what I consider to be a huge step backward.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and that your week is even better!

Cha-cha-cha-changes

What a fabulous January this has turned out to be! The shop is in one of its evolutionary upswings, with changes happening almost as fast as we can run.

Paulette has rejoined us at the front counter after a 6 month sabbatical. Going back to 2 days a week is both hard and exhilarating at the same time. Classes are going, and everyone is having a blast I might add. We have pictures of the Fairy Abodes that were completed last weekend, as soon as Dee lets me get my mitts on her new camera *grin* I'll get those posted.

I hope we have a reader. I'm not greedy, I just hope for one. Today. If you're out there, do me a favor and leave a comment so I know I'm not talking to myself.

One last thought, it's only a few short weeks til this beauty happens:

Spring Dreaming
©Creative Kharma 2010

We're going to try something different and are looking for some feedback from our participants. We will be offering a 20% discount to participants who sign up and pay for their session/s 72 hours or more in advance.

If you see something you're interested in you can sign up by phone @ 503-366-7973, by email - creativekharma@ comcast.net, or by dropping by the shop Tuesday thru Sunday 10am to 6pm. Don't forget to pay for your session early and receive a 20% discount. (We do accept credit/debit card payments by phone for your convenience, but will not be accepting paypal to keep your costs low.)

We will offer morning, afternoon, evening, and weekend sessions. Please indicate which works best for you when reserving your session.


Dee and I will be adding more sessions to this list so check back often for more exciting workshops!

Bear with us, we'll get the kinks out eventually. :-)



Background Check
In this session you will learn many different methods of building backgrounds. Build skills that will transfer to all facets of your mixed media work, from ATC's to assemblage to room sized murals. Work with paper, paint, pastels, water soluble crayons, ink, and much more. You will leave with at least one sheet of background paper. All materials provided. $25.00

What's This Thingy Called?
In this session you will learn the names and uses for various jewelry "parts". In the hands on portion of the workshop, you will learn how to form a balanced composition and assemble beads on a "head pin". You will learn how to form the loop at the end of the head pin and how attach several together to form a finished piece of jewelry. You may choose to assemble several pairs of (pierced ear) earrings or a bracelet from your completed head pin assemblages to take home with you. All materials provided, however you are free to bring any special beads you would like to use. $25.00

Domino!!
In this session you will alter several actual dominoes in your choice of decoupage, collage, alcohol inks and or paint. When you are satisfied with your design, we will finish them to hang from your choice of chain. You will take home one or more completed pendants. All materials provided. $25.00

Fly Away Home
In this session, we will form a wire bird nest pendant complete with a lovely lampwork egg to hang from your favorite chain. A fabulous vintage heishi bird fetish will finish the pendant nicely. You will leave with one completed pendant. All materials provided. $25.00

Serendipity Squares
If you love unexpected results, this session is the one for you! You will prepare an 8x10 background then cut it into 80 squares. Those 80 squares become the basis for your work of art. You will leave with one or more beautiful art pieces to hang in your home or give as a gift. All materials provided. $25.00

My Art Journal
In this workshop, you will alter a composition notebook in your own unique style. Options include paper, fabric, wallpaper, old photos, personal photos and found objects, the list goes on. We will add pockets, ties, and envelopes to your notebook to add inspirational notes, photos, bits from magazines, etc. Although this is a stand alone session, I recommend that you have some basic knowledge of attaching various materials to books and to each other, or that you have taken one of our collage or background workshops previously. (This helps ensure that you can take full advantage of this session and complete a journal.) You will leave with one complete journal, or a nearly complete journal and the skills to finish it. All materials provided. $25.00


Paste-Paper-Repeat is an introduction to collage. We’ll get our hands dirty and learn how to attach lots of different things to a collage. All materials provided. $25.00

5 Part Harmony is an introduction to altering random items. You will get your choice of random goodness to alter in 5 steps of your choice. Materials provided, but you are free to bring “stuff” that you’ve always thought you could do something to and make it cool. $25.00

Collage in the Round will build on skills you have. You will work in 15 minute increments, then move one space to the right for the next person to work on, for 15 minutes. This is a fun class that has fabulously unexpected results. All materials provided. $25.00

Mixed Media Art Dolls
In this workshop you will create your own one-of-a-kind art doll. Materials provided will be tiny porcelain “body parts“, bamboo tiles, copper wire and mesh, buttons, beads, metal pieces and any other odds and ends I can come up with. Building these pieces is fun and great therapy!

Feel free to bring to class any little trinket or other item that would personalize your art piece or make it special for you. Workshop size will be limited to four students and scheduled as often as we have 2-4 paid participants.
$45.00

Fairy Abodes
This is a fun workshop in which you will build a whimsical “fairy house” using your inner child imagination. These can be used outside as bird houses, under cover, but are wonderful pieces to decorate for the holidays and display in your home.

All materials will be provided. Abode forms, bark, twigs, tiny pieces of fabric for curtains, accessories, decorations, wood pieces for furniture (we all know that fairies need tiny little beds!), moss, glue guns and a few surprises!
Sessions will be offered each time we have 2-4 paid participants.
$42.00