pumpkins, chipmunks and boy scouts.

Howdy, all you blog friends.

October has already been a busy month for the Far Studios crowd. With the cooler weather comes long hikes, campfires and camping trips. It's also conference month at school and inventory building at the studio.

Evie is working hard on a special order table that is in a style new to Far Studios. We can't wait to see the finished product. She's also crafting small and smaller pumpkins that are sure to grace many a mantle or flower pot this fall.

We have been hiking the Arabian mountain and Panola trails this week. Such beauty made so accessible by the good folks in Dekalb county, Georgia. We've seen deer, tons of vocal chipmunks, squirrels, snakes, and bugs. We even ran in to signs of a beaver population today.

God's creation is so varied and beautiful that we find ourselves thanking and praising Him every minute of every day. What a great and glorious God we are privileged to serve!

The Boy Scouts have been busy these last two months with many projects including the wonderful Weebloree at Burt Evans Scout Reservation. It does our hearts good to see how the older scouts teach and look after their young Cub brothers. Scouting has had 100 years of growing boys into responsible, productive and giving men. Our thanks to all who have given their time, energy, finances and caring to this worthwhile endeavor.

Does anyone know how many different sounds a chipmunk can make?

Bye 'til next time!

Another Saturday

Hi, folks!

Well another Saturday has come and is half gone. What have you done with your day?

Mowed the grass, cleaned the garage, did the laundry, shuttled the kids to practice, studied your Bible lesson?

Saturday's are seldom restful and always unpredictable. Some Saturdays are so busy you think blissfully of Monday coming. Some Saturdays are so numbingly boring you wonder why you bothered to get out of bed.

But still they come. Every week without fail. We spend every Friday looking forward to Saturday and every Monday praying for its return. We spend the week following last Saturday in reviewing the weekend and planning the next Saturday. Saturday is special. Not beautifully wonderful - just special, different from every other day.

Some folks feel they don't really live the rest of the week. They only exist until the weekend. Some people feel their real life is during the week and Saturday is just an unwelcome interruption.

Where do you stand? Are you on Saturday's side or are you a weekend martyr? Are you somewhere in the middle?

Just a Saturday-thinking blog. Don't think too hard. It is Saturday, after all.

wedding march

Hello, again. We (the Georgia contingent) made it back home from the Ohio wedding. As most weddings are, this one was lovely and both bride and groom were everything they should have been - lovely (handsome), sweet, happy (and relieved, I'm sure, that it's all over). Hope to post some pictures soon as I figure out how.

Lena, our ribbon artist and the bride, did most of the decorating herself. The wonderful ladies at Pat Catan's in North Canton (Canton) made beautiful bouquets for bride and attendants. The guys flowers and the mothers/grandmothers flowers were just beautiful. A big thank you to Lena's boss who became the much needed wedding coordinator! It wouldn't have been the same without you!

The groom's father walked Lena down the aisle as Lena's dad left for Heaven a few years ago. Mr. Holl also spoke a lovely bit in honor of Allen (Lena's dad) at the reception.
He also acted as best man. What a busy guy!

Audrey, our jewelry artist, was maid of honor and was just beautiful. Jordan, Audrey's daughter was also an attendant and did a great job. Mindy, the groom's sister, was absolutely lovely and did her duty despite not feeling well. (Here's hoping you've been able to rest and recuperate, Mindy!)

You would have all gotten a kick out of the ringbearer, Morgan. His mom, Jennifer, was another beautiful attendant to the bride. She had difficulty staying up front when it looked like Morgie wouldn't be able to complete his trip down the aisle. He was so brave, though, and stared at the ceiling the whole way down so he wouldn't be scared. He made it all the way without any trouble and we are all so proud of him.

The groomsmen, Chris and Joe, were real pros and did a fantastic job. Chris, a professional (and very talented) artist (and Mindy's husband) really knew his stuff and was such fun to talk with at the reception. Good luck at the Cleveland showing Chris.

Coming home for we Georgians was a real experience. We hit some storms in Kentucky and had a bit of trouble. We didn't realize how bad our back tires were. We did the classic spinout across two lanes and into a 10 foot deep ditch. But God is good and saved us from being hit by traffic or turning over in the ditch which was filling quickly with water! What an adventure! No one was hurt and there was only minor damage to the car. It got us the rest of the way home after Ray's expert driving got us out of the ditch.

Isn't God good. This whole trip could have been so different. Bless God from Whom all blessings flow. Bless Him all creatures here below. Bless Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

Well, gotta go. Be watching the Far Studios Etsy site for new items coming soon!

Big Yellow Bus

Well, we made it through the first two days of Rockdale County's school year. Had good weather but still managed a school bus accident on the very first day! How does one justify rear-ending a big yellow school bus with flashing lights? God was watching over the kids and no one on the bus was harmed. They all were shaken but went home with an exciting story to tell of the first day of school.

Let's hope the rest of the year is more boring.

Evie has been really busy on Etsy setting up treasuries. She has made some fantastic finds and has shown a real gift for curating.

Jordy completed her first High School Band camp with flying colors. She did confess to Gramma that she was a little homesick by the second night. She did get to room with one of her good friends. She loved the college campus and the dorm rooms. She even had fun on the field though she was exhausted and sore. Oh, what memories she's making!

Well, the wedding is only a few weeks away. Mom is trying hard not to worry about what isn't getting done. We're determined to enjoy the day. We, the Georgia contingent, will have only that - one day - with our Ohio crowd. The boys will have to miss one day of school (boo hoo). Please be praying for our safety on the road.

Evie has finished another fantastic shroom table. Even Ray likes it so we know it's worth consideration by her loyal fans. The wedding has kept our jewelry and ribbon artists from adding anything new to the shop but we anticipate wonderful things when the excitement has died down and everyone's schedules are back to normal.

I'm taking our friend, Michael, to church today. Let's hope he finds a church home at last. Heritage has some problems with some things but the people are loving and kind and trying to grow up in Christ. In the end, I think that is all Christ requires of us - To put God first in our lives and, secondly, to love each other as He commanded.

Well, have a wonderful Sunday and a safe week. We'll talk again later.

in laws

Had a wonderful week with Evie's in-laws. Wonderful people. We had great weather and a great time. Will miss them now as they've left for home.

Still, now we'll concentrate on FAR Studios ...oops, guess not. Wedding in a couple of weeks. School starts in one week. Our resident service man will leave for a short-term training assignment soon. Oh, well. We'll find some time somewhere for FAR Studios business. Stay tuned and keep checking the Etsy site.

Happy Tuesday!!

Well, Facebook hasn't hired me yet - surprise surprise! How many apps do you suppose they got on their question? A million? A billion? Two? But seriously, folks, who wouldn't want to hire a brilliant writer such as myself? Hmm?

Anyva, it's a new day. Thank you, Lord.

We had some major thunder storms yesterday. No big deal except we had family coming in by plane. Their flight was delayed for more than two hours and they actually flew through lightening when approaching ATL. Scary. But then some people feel Atlanta is scary even in good weather.

Anyway, they made it in safe and sound even if very weary. This week should be fun. FAR studios won't get much work done but family is far more important than dollars or even creative expression!

Speaking of FAR studios, we've had work featured in many treasuries on ETSY.com this past week. How exciting! People are beginning to notice us and we are very grateful.

Well, gotta go and mingle with the in-laws. Have a great Tuesday and a wonderful week. Adios!!

Facebook

Howdy, folks. How was your 4th?

Had an interesting experience on Facebook today. They asked if I wanted to be a "Beta tester". Does that sound safe? Would I be exposed to radiation? Are aquarium fish involved? Do I get paid? Well, we'll see. I submitted a sample question and my brilliant answer. I'll let you know later if my life is in danger!

I also found out that I apparently made an error when I posted a supposed link to this blog on my own Facebook page. I wondered why so few people are interested in my wonderful writing and my wry wit. Now I know!

I almost caused one of our Ohio artists to have a nervous breakdown this week. I proposed to her the possibility of becoming her permanent house guest. Wow! What fireworks. Burning telephone wires. Tearful Email. A trip to the counselor. I guess no one wants a short, fat, ugly gramma hanging around for an extended period of time.

Have any of you viewed the FAR Studios sponsored treasuries on Etsy this week? Evie did a beautiful job of gathering amazing art from many Etsy sources. Her newest compilation is "Functional Art" with something for everyone represented. Have fun with that!

Have a wonderful rest of the week. Remember church on Sunday. It's the cool place to be on a hot day!

blah blah 2

Hiya folks!

I'm getting yelled at (or Eed at) for not continuing this blah blog. So here I go once more to record trivial trivia and contribute to the dumbing down of America.

One very bright note - FARStudios.etsy.com is once more a going concern. Evie has restarted our Ebusiness with a bang. She has added some beautiful new papier mache work that you will be sure to love. Give it a look see and I know you'll find something on there to love.

We're still in Georgia and still loving it. Waiting on orders for our next move. Still hoping for Ft Jackson but I know we'll find interesting and fun stuff to see and do no matter where we end up. At least Ray's next assignment will hopefull preclude the possibility of any more long term deployments. Yippee!!!!!

We had a wonderful visit with our artist, Jordan, this summer who was able to spend almost 2 weeks with us. We miss her terribly now that she's back home. We hope to offer framed art from her soon.

The littlest member for the team, Elijah, is showing talent in his mom's chosen media, papier mache. Maybe you will get to see work by Elijah soon.

Our talented ribbon and craft artist, Lena, is getting married in August to a wonderful guy who happens to be a talented music mixer. What do ya think, Brad, want to work for FARStudios?

Audrey, our jewelry artisan, was married last August and has had her hands full with her new digs, new hubby and Jordan's new high school band commitments. Hopefully, we'll see more work from her emerge this winter.

Cub scouts and Boy scouts have slowed down for the summer which gives Evie more time to work. She and Orie fashioned a fantasy throne from some old 4 x 4s this week. It's really cool. She's going to allow the neighborhood kids to paint it when the weather dries out a little here. Should be interesting. We'll post pictures when it's completed.

Well, gotta go. Have a safe and fun 4th of July and remember our boys and girls who are serving you in all the armed forces.

ketchup

Sorry I've been so remiss about this blog. I'll do better.

Got to go home for Christmas. Snow! I forgot how pretty (and cold) it is. All the FARstudios crew were together for one short night. Had a lot of fun talking and catching up while the guys played video games. Ate ourselves silly (isn't that what you're supposed to do?). Got to briefly see old friends at church Sunday.

The Georgia crew went home to cloudy days and suspicious pets. Found our neighbor had finally succumbed to his 16 year battle with various cancers. We felt bad that we weren't here when it happened. We missed the funeral.

Ray's leave is up today (Monday, January 18). We'll miss him when he goes back to work tomorrow. The ball will also start rolling toward our reassignment. Mom is hoping for Fort Jackson in South Carolina. No telling though till we get the orders.

Evie wants to make us legal with an LLC. Mom isn't so sure that is necessary but if we want to grow, it's the way to go. Next step is to find a cheap lawyer! (Do they make such a thing?)

We love the Etsy site but are looking for other venues too. We also are going to try to stock up so we can do a craft show or flea market booth. Ho, hum - winter vacation is over I guess.

Lena, our ribbon artist, is engaged!!!! Planning an August wedding, she's begun planning in earnest. I doubt we'll see much of her work on the site this year. You never know though!

Mom is ecstatic! God gave her three beautiful daughters and now 3 handsome sons! Isn't God good!!! She's also excited about the possibility of more grandkids!!!

Ahhh! Life is so good with Jesus. He cares for us in all seasons of our lives. We have resolved this year to yearn for Him more, to seek Him more diligently, to Love Him more deeply and to obey Him more willingly. May we learn to get quiet and listen for His marching orders.

Well, as this new year begins may each of you find joy and contentment in the lives you lead under His guidance. Love ya!

catching up

Sorry it's been such a long dry spell. A lot has been happening.

As we stated before, the FAR Studios crowd got together in June for a few very short days. One of our members had to rush home to be with her fiance who's mother was very ill. His mom went home to Jesus a few weeks later.

Good news though. Our artist and her man did marry last weekend! They ditched the big wedding plans in favor of speed and had a lovely little ceremony in a small chapel in our home church. No white wedding for them. Red and black and silver were the colors they chose. Mom thought it sounded ghastly but it really did work out well. More red than black helped.

Our youngest artist has had a lot of adjustments, too. Her mom was the bride. A change in houses, city, and school will be easier to take than the loss of her two cats. Her new daddy is highly allergic so the kitties couldn't make the move with the family. They have been turned over to really nice people who will find them loving homes.

Evie and the boys are on their way to another scouting weekend. This is the cub scout Webloree! (That's pronounced wee blow ree.) Tons of work but also tons of fun.
The oldest son is den chief for the younger son's pack. He has a lot of responsibility this year but his scoutmaster has full confidence in his abilities.

Speaking of scouts, Honor Court was this last week and older son earned his first class rank and six more badges. He's already well on his way to his Star rank.

How are all of you feeling lately? Has h1n1 reared its ugly head in your lives yet? Both boys and their mom have had the flu already and have suffered with secondary infections after. But they are healing and are no longer contageous. Mom's mom has somehow missed out on the Ugh so far and hopes to stay healthy. Maybe it's all the fruits and vegies!

Ray is still deployed out east (mideast that is). We miss him terribly and pray for him constantly. Hopefully we'll have him back before Thanksgiving.

One of mom's paintings sold last month on the Etsy site. The buyer wrote happy comments after receiving the painting. Now mom is thinking of doing a new work. She's been kinda discouraged by what she considers her lack of talent in this area but if someone likes it, maybe it's OK to do what she loves. Whadya think?

Had an interesting visitor in the back yard last weekend - a beautiful beige colored heron glided gracefully across the back yard just as mom glanced outside. What a wonderful blessing from God to be allowed to see such sights. The deer have been stubbornly absent of late so the bird was a great surprise!

Well, it's been nice bloggin' ya. Have a great weekend and remember Our Father in all you say and do and think! Love ya! Bye

Homecoming

Well, Far Studios personnel are all home. The Ohio bunch are in Ohio and the Georgia bunch are in Georgia. Even Ray is home for a short assignment before returning to the desert.

We discovered that the youngest member of our team, Jordan, is multitalented (one word, two?). Anyway, she not only draws professionally, we have discovered she is a master sculptor as well! What gifts this kid has! Over the weekend we also discovered she can play the piano by ear! We are all soooo impressed!

A little sadness, too, as Audrey's future mom-in-law graduated to heaven last week. Please pray for Sean and his uncle as they work on settling the estate and clearing up debts. Sean really needs the Lord's comfort now. There are a lot of decisions to be made in a very short time. May God give grace and wisdom during this troubling time.

In the middle of all this, Sean and Audrey are househunting. It's fun but stressful too. They need a home of modest cost but big enough for the three of them, two cats and one dog with good schools for Jordan and somewhere in the middle of their separate work areas.

Scout season and school are both starting up with a vengeance here in Georgia. Evelyn is attending popcorn training today! What's that you ask. The cubs sell popcorn for their big fundraiser every year (Scout popcorn instead of scout cookies!). At least it's a healthier vice! (More manly too!)

Gramma is now a professional artist! She has sold her second painting! "Looking up" sold on the etsy store this week. That was a fun one to do as she experimented with metallic paints. Hope the new owner finds it's fun to look at in their home.

Well, gotta go. Hope you all have a beautifully blessed week! Bye!

Holiday Heaven

How was your 4th? We had a great day. The girls all made it in safe and sound to sister Evie's house. FAR Studios personnel are all together for one whole week!

Lena brought a beautiful ribbon wreath to go in the shop. It's bright and yellow and very cheerful. Everyone fell in love with Evie's newest papier mache creations.

Evie's test projects for outdoors have done very well. The new finish seems to be handling heat and rain just fine. We wonder if her new stool can be finished in a way to allow it to be used in a garden. Wouldn't that be grand!

We had half the neighborhood over for food, fun and fireworks yesterday. The girls pulled up just in time for the start of the festivities so we were able to introduce them to most of our friends. What a wonderful time!

Lena wants to take mom's owl painting home so mom will have to do a new one for the shop. She'll do another owl and she wants to try a kitty portrait. We asked "Moonie" if she would pose for it but she hasn't gotten back to us (meow).

We all missed Ray and are praying the time goes fast til we are together once more.

Audrey was bothered a little in church today by the Baptist belief in "the elect". We explained the verses and the reason the concept should not frighten her. It's a tough one to swallow when first encountered. Ray's blog might help. Have a look at it some day.

Well, gotta go. Have a wonderful week and remember God in it.

Happy Birthday America!

It's finally here. One of our favorite times of the year - Independence Day! July 4th is always an eventful day for our crew. Sometimes exciting, sometimes sad but never boring. We do our best to be together as a family on this most American of all our holidays.

Firework shows are carefully planned and weather reports are closely scrutinized. Everyone reviews their recipes and plans picnic menus. Lawns are manicured and flowers planted. We love the homes where people make the effort to hang bunting and fly flags.

Despite the critics both here and abroad, America is a very special place filled with very special people. We have a great deal to be proud of and shouldn't be ashamed to flaunt it once a year.

Our spelling might be iffy and sentence structure shaky but Americans are all poets in their own way. Travel about the country and you will find someone worth listening to on every street corner. Our greatest stories are our own lives.

We owe our present pleasures to our rich and varied heritage. People have believed enough in the dream of a free America to give their lives in it's pursuit and protection. We only have one big problem.

We have faulty memories. We have forgotten the cost of our free America. Most heinous of all, we have forgotten our God to whom our founders pled for guidance and inspiration.

This year, as you celebrate with fireworks, food and family, take the time to thank God for his provision and protection. Also thank those who are even now giving their lives to serve you.

Our family will be together this weekend with a few notable exceptions. We will be missing and praying for Ray who is serving his country in the deserts of the east. He is one to be proud of and we will tout his grand qualities to all and sundry.

We will also be missing so many who have left us in the last few years. But we won't be maudlin. We will be remembering and laughing at old stories and thanking God that we had them with us for a while.

We wish you all a wonderful and fun-filled holiday. Enjoy the sun (there will be sun, right?) and clap for the fireworks. Eat too much and laugh till your sides hurt. Win all your races and listen carefully to the old folks. Their stories are America. Your stories are America. Happy Birthday!!!

Hello from the other side of FAR in Canton Oho

Just wanted to tell everyone hi and of course say hello to my wonderful mommy and middle sis Evie.
As my mom said we are all artists in our own way. Some of us better than others. Evelyn is amazing and mother is a sewing genious. We have some over her pieces to prove it and on top of that she can paint too.
I am still struggling to find my niche. I tried jewelry and sold a piece or 2 but have not had much luck. If anyone has any good jewelry making tips..please let us know. I tried my hand at sculpey and I love it but $$$ is tight and it is hard to afford supplies.
Hope to be able to contribute more to our shop soon.
God Bless and Please pray for my daughter and I. Life has been pretty tough.

growing

Good morning America!

The sun is shining here as usual. We love it here and are not really looking forward to our probable move next summer. Oh, well. God has been good everytime with wonderful places and wonderful people to get to know. We know this move will be no different.

Some of you may have noticed a new contributer to the blog. Ray is Evie's husband and a US army sergeant. He is also an artist and some day we'll convince him to contribute to the Far Studios store on Etsy. Take a chance and read his blog "A Fight with Depravity". He works very hard to study and learn and to share what God is teaching him. It's heady stuff!

Well, the scout made it home safely and wasn't even that tired - wonder of wonders! He earned a whole chest full of merit badges and the admiration of his leaders, the respect of his fellow scouts! You should see the targets from his rifle test. He is a real sharpshooter!

We shipped him off Monday to Helen, Georgia. Helen is an Alpine lookalike mountain resort town that Evie says really looks like the villages in Germany. She should know. She and her family were stationed in Darmstadt (I think that's how it's spelled) for three or four years. They loved it there.

Orie is spending the week with a friend's family in their time share. He wasn't there two hours before he was tubing down the Chattahoochi (spelling?) river. This has sure been an adventurous (checked the dictionary on that one) busy summer for him. Oh, to be young and courageous! (Gramma says getting old and rickety does have some advantages, too.)

Elijah has been enjoying having his mom all to himself. We've dragged him everywhere with us. He has shopped, walked, explored, worked, exercised, and generally contributed with us all of the last two weeks. We've decided to keep a journal of all the cool things he says. A seven-year-old's perspective is really unique! Even when he's in trouble (not our Elijah!) he's entertaining. Gramma says one of the greatest things about living with her daughter's family is getting to know the youngest of her grandchildren.

Well, gotta go. Only seventeen days left to clean and sew and craft before the family arrives for a visit. Can't wait! Hope you are all having a loving happy day. Remember God in all you do. He never forgets you!

Bye

A Fight With Depravity:ISN'T IT ENOUGH?

Ray's newest blog.

Scouts abloomin'

Well, how have you all been? Read any good blogs lately?

Here's another.

Orie has been at boy scout camp all week (after helping with cub camp all last week). He comes home tomorrow. We'll see if he's glad or sad.

He went swimming immediately after arrival Sunday and promptly vomited his lunch. "I had french fries coming out my nose, mom!" Gross! He has had something go wrong everyday and has not slept well at night but he still was happy to be there Wednesday when mom saw him on parent's night. We can't wait to hear his stories tomorrow. Hope they aren't all gross!

Evie learned to sew this week. She made both Orie and Elijah aprons on her new sewing machine. She enjoyed it until informed that sewing needles don't last forever and should be changed every few projects. She's such a tightwad!

Evie is also working on another piece of papier-mache furniture. You wouldn't believe it but these pieces are really strong. Her first big piece, a small table, was really sturdy and very imaginative. It was a tree with gnome houses and mushrooms. The new piece is a toadstool stool. We can't wait to see the finished product.

Lena has promised us a whole box of her special ribbons. We'll be sure to get them posted to the FAR Studios store on Etsy.com as soon as they arrive. She makes the most beautiful bows with the most wonderful colors!

We may all actually be in one place the week of the 4th. Audrey and Lena will be visiting with Jordan in tow. We can't wait! We've planned all kinds of things to do and places to visit and, of course, we will work on making things for the store.

Mom (or gramma depending on your perspective) is sewing up a storm making quilt blocks to be made into custom pillow covers. She has decided to make one for herself out of her late hubby's old shirts. We'll see how that works out. She is also considering making computer monitor and TV covers. She things media screens are big ugly black eyes in the room and should be covered when not in use. Great dust blockers too.

Well, gotta go. Hope you all have a great weekend. We'll let you know what our Scout had to say!

May God bless you and may you bless Him. See ya.

blog blog blog

Howdy folks! Welcome to the FAR Studios blog. We are a group of craft artists who love color, fun and creativity. We invite you to check out our shop at FARStudios.etsy.com. We've been in existence for about nine months now and are still learning the ropes of running a business.

We are four at the moment - Evelyn (the brains of the outfit), Audrey (a genious in art), Lena (a crafter of unlimited imagination) and Colleen (mom). We each have a different area of concentration but love to compare notes and trade ideas. We also live in two different states which makes networking difficult sometimes.

Art and business can be a weird combination but it sure keeps the old brain cells firing. We can't make everything we would like to sell and we can't sell everything we make so compromise is the name of the game. Isn't life just like that!

Our art is closely tied to our faith. Hence, the name of our company - FAR Studios. The name comes from Proverbs 31 - the example all christian women try to emulate. God sees us as being worth far above rubies (FAR).

Three of us are moms. One of us is a gramma. One of us is a lady in waiting to be a lady in waiting. This blog will be about our company, our art, our families, our lives and our faith. We will sometimes be brief and sometimes wordy but, hopefully, we will not be boring.

Boy and cub scouts, preteens and teenagers, weather and worry, school days and PMS days, money and mayhem, etc., all will be orated here. We hope we've made a good beginning.

Talk to you later - Take care and stay steady.