More time has passed than I had planned since our visit so there is much news about shows, merchandise, and traveling to share. Each show is akin to a homecoming or a family reunion where we connect with friends or family we have not seen in a year. The newsletter is the same, chatting with friends that I have not visited with in a while.   On the first day of autumn Bill and I were driving on a lovely country road with breathing taking views. Our destination? The property where The Workshops of David T. Smith is located. And on this day the Second Annual Country Living Fair would be opening on his property.

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WAREHOUSE CLOSED Oct. 28 – Nov. 15

The warehouse will be closed on these dates. If you will need any of our products during this date you must place your orders soon. Orders placed after Oct. 25 might not make the deadline for the guys to get them out before we leave. We will ship the orders in the order they are received, so plan ahead.

TRADE SHOWS AND PAINTING CONFERENCES

Five shows in six months; that is a busy schedule! We love to go to the shows, but our bodies are telling us we might be too old to do this more than a couple of more years. It is hard work and a lot of traveling.

In September we exhibited at Tole Country Show in Oklahoma City, returned home and two days later left for Providence, RI for the New England Traditions Show. Tole Country, the grandmother of all our shows, has been around for a lot of years. Those ladies and their husbands work extremely hard to put the show on each year and they go the extra mile to take care of the exhibitors and teachers.

I have to admit that I love to go to New England I think in another life I must have lived there. It is smaller than it once was, but it is a great show for us, but well worth your support. We had a great show and look forward to returning next year and we will have three booths!

All the shows we attend have a special place in our heart. We really do not have a favorite one. At each show we renew friendships and make new friends. That is the beauty of this business. Bill tells me weekly that he has never worked with so many nice people. When he occasionally goofs on an order the women are so nice to him. We appreciate that, you are all special to us.

 
OK, retiring is out of the question! What was I thinking?

NEW PATTERNS
Rosemary West, Jane Allen, Maxine Thomas and I had new patterns on our home page that had been there a while. We recently removed some and placed them on the New Pattern Page to make room for ten new patterns.

Designs that I taught at HOOT in Columbus, Ohioand at NET in Providence, Rhode Island are now available.

We also added eight new ornament patterns by Jane Allen. Most of Jane’s patterns have step by step worksheets. These were new for NET and were a hit. The most popular pattern was “Home for the Holidays. It is a clever, delightful pattern idea. There are two ornaments in this patter. One is the outside of a bird house with Daddy Chickadee on the perch looking in. The other ornament shows Mom and two babies inside the birdhouse.

Jane has other patterns in our pattern section. (click here)

FOLK ART EXPRESS TRAIN

The popularity of our train has been wonderful. We had a good supply and planned to take to them to the NET Show last week. One small problem (a good problem to have though), we sold

them all before we left for the show. We had an ad in the last issue of PaintWorks. In that issue a preview of the projects that would be in the next issue included Rosemary’s Peppermint Express. That resulted in so many orders we sold all of the trains before we left for the New England Show.

We are now taking orders for trains that are due to arrive the last week in October. If you placed an order we will be shipping them in the order they were received. Even though a large number of trains are due to arrive half of them are already sold. So if you want a train you should place your order soon.

PAINTWORKS and QUICK & EASY MAGAZINES

(Designs painted on our tin are in the following issues.)

PaintWorks – December 2007

The long awaited Peppermint Express Train painted by Rosemary West is on the cover of the current issue of Paint Works. I think you will all agree that it was well worth the wait! The response has been overwhelming. This will be a timeless treasure in holiday celebrations for many years to come.

Lynne Andrews has three special ornaments in the same issue.

Quick & Easy – Special Holiday Issue – Winter 2008

Trudy Beard will have ornaments in PaintWorks Ornament magazine that will be out soon. I have a set of three heart boxes that will be in either PaintWorks or Quick & Easy soon. I can’t recall which issue it is to be in.

These are great publications and if you do not subscribe you should. They are filled with articles by some of the best painters in the industry. You do not have to be a traveling teacher to be a good painter. Many of the students in my seminars paint as well or better than I can. I love that! We are all kindred spirits and love folk art. There is so much to be shared and magazines of this quality are an excellent way to improve your skills. So what are you waiting for? Subscribe today! PaintWorks and Quick & Easy

 MORE NEWS OF OUR FOLK ART EXPRESS TRAIN

Sonja Richardson painted a beautiful "Hansel and Gretel Express" design on our train. The name says it all. She painted eight tin ornaments tucked then in all the nooks and crannies of the train. It is completely different from Rosemary’s and is equally as special. Sonja’s designing skills are both beautiful and unique.

The pattern will be on our web site soon. There are two patterns, one for the train, and one containing the instructions and pattern for the ornaments.

COUNTRY LIVING FAIR – Morrow, Ohio

Bill and I left a day early for the New England Traditions Show so I could attend the Second Annual Country Living Fair. What a treat! I am so glad we went. If you are interested in reading a bit about the show and see a few photos click here.

Place photo #9 here (Country Living Fair)

NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR WEB SITE

Gift Certificates

Trading Cards

NEW ADDITIONS COMING SOON (Definitely something to look forward too!)

Bargain Basement

Sample Sale

The long talked about discontinued samples will be added by the end of the year. They will not be included in the Bargain Basement section. There will be a Sample Sale Button in our contents soon.

(We will give you a heads up when these are completed and go live to the web.)

GATHERING OF FOLK ART FRIENDS

There is still space in the Annual Gathering of Folk Art Friends, an annual Texas based fall seminar taught by Rosemary West and me. We would love to have you join us. It is a week away. Can hardly wait!

BLESNICKLES SANTA and TINSEL TREES

This is a test… we are checking to see how many of you read the newsletter thoroughly. Beautiful Paper Mache' Belsnickles (German Santas) and turn of the century Tinsel Trees to our Web Site. If you place this code on your Web Order (no phone calls for this) you will receive a 25% discount on these items.

The patriotic Belsnickles are available in two sizes in either red, creamy white or dusty blue. The trees are available in four sizes and are wonderful.

The discount will be offered next month to all of our web customers. You will have first choice so if we run out of sizes and/or colors you won’t be disappointed.

JOYCE HOWARD BOOKS

I have several copies of the New Tole and Folk Art Designs (Painting Techniques and Patterns) by Joyce Howard. I have hard cover with dust jacket, hard cover with no dust jacket and soft cover books. Some are in very, very good condition and some not so good, but all of the pages are in tact.

It was my good fortune to paint with Joyce for a number of years. She has influenced my painting more that any other painter or designer. Her books are treasures, much sought after and not easy to find.

To receive more information about their conditions and cost please email me personally DellaAndCo@aol.com. They will not be listed on the web site.

NEW SAMPLES for 2008

It was like Christmas the day two boxes of new samples arrived for me. I had more fun pulling them out of the box and visualizing which would be chosen to add to our web site. These are all reproductions of antiques. You will be able to purchase them at the Creative Painting Conference in January. Speaking of the Creative Painting Conference, have you registered yet?

OK, I know that Christmas 2007 has not arrived and I am already giving you a heads up about a new line of ornaments for 2008. They will be unlike any we have now. No, I won’t even give you a hint. Some will be debuted early in 2008 with others following in late spring. I know you will be pleased with the new shapes and designs.

He stays with the groomer when we are out of town. The first time we left him to travel to a show I was concerned about leaving him. She told me "not to worry". He would not be lonely as she has three Bichon’s to play with. I could call to check on Beau, she would check with him to see if he was missing us, and if he was she would check with him and he could use the phone to tell me he if he was lonely. I was able to put things in the proper perspective when she told me that.

The most exciting news I want to share with you is the wonderful trip we will be taking soon. For several years we have planned a trip to Europe and life keeps getting in the way. On October 30, Bill and I and two good friends, Mike and Carol Tinney, will be leaving for a four day stay in Venice , Italy and an eight day Mediterranean cruise. It will be a much deserved “dream trip” for us.

Remember to think with your heart as “life is like a work of art, designed by the one that lives it”. I don’t know who wrote that, but it certainly hit home. That is why I will be thinking of you as I sip my cappuccino at an outdoor café on the Grand Canal in Venice next month.

Hugs,

Della