First Ladies Craft night...so crafty!

So we finally did it and it was so much fun.

Last week we gathered at Tangerine for a ladies craft night. Everyone brought a little treat to share and a few ephemera-esque goodies and we simply played, ate, had a little wine (thank you Julee Herrmann) and made junk journals that were pretty snazzy. I on the other hand was sneezy.

Early in the day I came down with a gross cold compliments of my little guy who likes to bring me these things home from school. I didn't want to cancel so I was the hostess with the pocket full of tissue and a big red nose. My apologies to anyone I germed.

The food was suppose to be quick and easy, a bag of chips, a bottle of bubble water but we had some really yummy stuff. Is it just me or do wine, women, food, and art go perfectly together.

So we have to do it again because we just have to. In June there will be another, and we will be making party hats! and I promise journals one more time, you can never make or have enough journals.

If you have not been to Tangerine in a while it is time to come in, check out what classes are cooking and hang out. Where Women Create just came in and it's beautiful, so is the new ADQ. Stampington is going to release it's new children's magazine perfect for little artists, super for summer.

Michael Demeng will be here in September and I am opening Registration June 1st. The projects are amazing, I will post them this week. His workshops fill up fast so make sure you call or come in early.

For mothers day I got a pretty terrific grill and made some killer pizza. Yes you can BBQ pizza and it rocks me upside down. Just use a pizza stone, some applewood chips, your favorite dough recipe, and all the pizza fixins. OMG ladies you will never put pizza in the oven again.

I think I will bring some to our next ladies craft night.

Make Art + Be Happy

Mustachio!

It is February here in California and once again I am being tricked into thinking winter is over. This is the time of year when we get a few exceptional days that make you think about little sweaters, sandals and pic-nics...

I have fallen for it before but I am older and wiser and know that this is a little teaser, a false spring that will turn back into frosty mornings and much needed rain before the real spring arrives.

Daffodils are up, ah magic. I love when they push through the soil and bloom over night. Daffs are one of my daughters favorite flowers and I planted a big sack full of bulbs for her when we moved into our house about 15 years ago. Every year when they come up I remember her excitement and how much she loved these little tea-cup an fairy dress blossoms.

She outgrew daffs and became a tulip girl, but they still had to be yellow, I planted those too but they come up red! There must have been a labeling mix up at the nursery but I like to think they come up Red because I love her so.

Here at Tangerine things are changing and blooming. The new studio is up and I should begin working in it next week. Hopefully we can work out the live feed soon, stuff that takes technical-know-how boggle me and take a little longer. The store still has some of the construction dust to get rid of but I finally got everything put away, it looks so pretty!

We have some new things, some silly gifts; mustache clings for your bathroom window so you can try on a different face. We have a hot-flash space gun that is actually a fan to cool you off when you pull the trigger. The candy is back, just a few favorites because it just wouldn't be the sweetest place in Dublin without it!

New friends keep arriving and it makes my day to meet someone knew who gets what we are doing here at Tangerine and that is loving the sweet things life has for us, laughing at the things that amuse and confuse us, making art because it is what is inside us, and creating a community of like minded people who remember how to play.

Come play, make art and be happy!

Guess what I just did?

Here are some before and after photos...pictures sometimes are better than words but coming in and seeing it for yourself is way more awesome!

I took a storage area that has not seen the light of day for 15 years and turned it into a studio at Tangerine. It was hard to be in two places at one time, now I can make art and be at the shop at the same time, twice as much fun.

The space is small, half the size of my regular everyday studio but with a little space engineering and a lot of thinning I was able to fit in just perfectly, it's a happy squeeze.

I have more to move in, a little more organizing to do and I have to make a big mess and make it my own but as of today I feel officially moved in.

Enjoy the photos!

Make Art = Be Happy.

G

Merry Everything...

Well it has been a terrific year here at Tangerine. I have made some new friends, met some great artists and the customers who show up once seem to show up again and again...I am grateful, blessed and on most days just blown away by how this little store has such a big heart.

I am still in the process of updating the website. I hate doing it and it is always on my list of things to procrastinate, top of the list actually. My goal is to have it all pretty and new by New Year unless something more exciting comes up like a root canal.

New Classes are going up today, this I am seriously excited about, there will be plenty of fun art making here this year so keep checking the website for updates.

In January I am building out a tiny studio here at the store, it is going to take a little muscle a lot of imagination and some magic to make it happen but it will be a sweet workplace to make art and do demos. Many of you know that my home and studio are not too far away from Tangerine and often I can be found there instead of here. Hopefully with a studio space at the store I can be found here more often.

I wish all of you a very Merry Holiday season may you be surrounded by people you love, have plenty of cookies to nibble on and may the new year bring growth, prosperity, discovery, and harmony.

Make Art=Be Happy

Oh my it has been forever since my last Tangerine post. It has been so incredibly busy. There is a lot going on here is the scoop...

Classes, Classes, Classes

I got a lot of heat when I decided to taper down the workshops, I think what I needed was time to learn how to do it right, it was a little too much work for me last year (I got a little overwhelmed). I have it down now I think, I seem to be feeling a lot groovier about it so we are gearing up again for some regular workshops. I have some great instructors and I have a little bit more time to do some teaching myself, very exciting.

Check out the Tangerine Website elevenmorningstangerine.com for all the details! Here is a little teaser:

This Saturday I am teaching a paper clay doll workshop, we are doing the tiny mermaids you have all seen in the store. They are sweet, have arms that swing, embellished fabric tails, and twisty wool hair decorated with itty bitty shells. It is a long class but we have a lot to cover and everyone should goes home with a finished doll (for those of you that promise you will finish your project when you get home but never do). There might be one or two spaces left.

Julee Hermann is doing a "Get your holiday craft on" class next week. Super special intro class price, to get you all giddy and inspired. The morning class is for beginners the class that follows will be doing a project a little bit more challenging. It really doesn't matter where you are with your solder skills it is always a treat to have some class time with Julee.

This month I will also be teaching an altered jewelry class, smalls shrines-big impact. This is a very popular class, super fun, messy and the end result is almost always breathtaking.

In December Iva Wilcox will be teaching a beeswax collage class. OK so imagine this, lots of vintage imagery, paint, stains, the smell of natural beeswax melting, and going home with a project you are proud to give but might just keep because you love it!

Christmas

Every year I make a couple dozen ornaments for the store tree a wee thing that is a different color every year. This year the tree is a light brown and the ornaments are all made of paper and vintagy things...sweet! The ornaments are leaving as fast as I can get them up so you need to jump on over and grab one or two before they are all gone.

Is it me or does this holiday come earlier every year?

The new Papaya calenders are hear and they are even better than last year!

We have the BEST stocking stuffers; flying monkeys, Jesus bubble bath, unicorn bandaids, snake pens, stationary, mustaches, ginger puppets, colored pencils pony playing cards....

Changes

The store has been moved around a little to make more room for classes, and in January we will be bringing down a wall for some serious art supplies. The paint, adhesives, linen canvas, wax, markers, and a million other yummy art stuff should be arriving soon.

In the spring we will be doing more painting, collage, and some sculpting!!!

The website and blog will be getting a face lift finally, and the dreaded mailing list and promised newsletter should be a reality before we know it (I know, I know I am slacker!)

A video is in the making, I will put the link here just as soon as it's complete.

Gina's Faves

Winter is a great time to make art so put on some soft socks a big sweater, break out a space heater, plug in the glue gun and get makin' mama! Oh don't forget cookies and hot cocoa!!!

My favorite gifts are made by people I love. Here is a list of some of my most favorite gifts I have given and received...

Anything baked with good chocolate, real sugar, and packed in a tin.

Homemade Pesto, salsa, chocolate sauce, and caramel, especially if a little spoon is tied to the jar with a ribbon.

A knit scarf.

A ribbon pin with old stamens in the middle.

Baskets filled with all the makings for a pasta dinner or a cookie making orgy.

A cigar box filled with crafty supplies; glass glitter, a great white pen, Dresden, ribbon, lace, old sheet music, a good paint brush, a squeezy tube of glue, vintage pearls, and felt flowers.

A basket of yarn balls and a crochet hook.

A hand thrown tea mug.

A giant canning jar full of gumballs or Hershey's kisses.

A handmade card with a really long letter about childhood memories, a funky photo of the two of us with missing front teeth and a promise to always be friends.

Have a super November day.

Make Art=Be Happy

Holy Cow!!! There is so much going on! First I need to shout out a little about Tinsel and Treasures. Iva Wilcox is doing it again! Oh yes ladies you don't want to miss this. Every year there is a line to get in, the art is beautiful and so worth the wait, Iva has the Alamo Women's Club full of talent, these are some quality art making chickadees, they also happen to be amazing nice people too. Iva is pretty picky about who gets in and she puts a great deal of thought into showcasing some terrific artists.

It is a fun way to spend a Saturday, get your Halloween on, start your Christmas shopping, get inspired and meets some fantastic people. There is a small admission ($3) to help with the costs of the event, make and take art sessions with Dede Warren, and a sweetie table sponsored by Tangerine.

Don't miss it, be there or be octagonal.

Here are the details:

Saturday September 18th 9am-3pm (rain or shine)
Almo Women's Club (Cute Venue)
1401 Danville Avenue, Alamo
$3 admission (but there are free cookies inside!)

Micheal Demeng!!!
Has it been a year since his Royal Highness was here with his crusty clown heads, epoxy, metal cars, glass tubes, crazy golden paint? Yesiree it has and he is back to do it again. Classes filled up quick, there is a short waiting list for any last minute-gotta-ge-in'ers.

This is going to be so damn-demengted. Michael is teaching three new classes, signing books, giving out goodies, and the wine label he designed for Sue Bartollucci of Madonna Estates in Napa will be making it's debut, he will be signing labels too!

I love this guy, he is one of the best instructors I have met and a heck on a fun and interesting guy, he makes art like no one else I know. It is an honor to host him again.

He will be here September 26-27-28 and even if you are not taking a class you can stop by after class on Sunday and meet him, and have him sign your stuff.

Call Gina (that would be me) at Tangerine if you want to try your luck and squeeze in to one of the classes (I can be bribed with chocolate cake).

If you are enrolled for the workshops be sure to check the website elevenmorningstangerine.com for your supply list and all the information data.I promise a new class list soon. It has been wild busy but there will be some new classes posted soon to help you fight the winter blues and keep your creative juices flowing.

Make Art = Be Happy

Cupcake Saturday!

Oh me, Oh my...

Tomorrow is Saturday and it's "Cupcake Time" Kayla made a couple batches of her famous cupcakes for the store (my mouth is watering!) We are having a little summer clearance sale with some artsy-craftsy goodies, a few things in the store are on sale (making room for new stuff) I am planning on doing a little flower-fairy make and take just for fun.

It is summer and I thought it might be fun to gather a few of my favorite customers for a some sweet and silly.

If you are out and about stop by for some great goodies and say hi.

Have a super summer day every one.

Make Art= Be Happy