Open Studios Sale This Weekend and Sandy Relief

{our poster and postcard design!}

 I cannot believe how December flies by. It seems like yesterday I was working on the postcard and poster design for this sale, and now the sale is tomorrow!

Are you in the Albany, New York area? You should stop by the sale - it's our fourth annual Holiday Delmar Open Studios - and it's this weekend Saturday December 8 and Sunday December 9 from 10am - 5pm. We hold the sale at my friend Liz's Vigoda's studio/home in Delmar, New York, and Liz and I have been updating information on the sale on our website (www.delmaropenstudios.blogspot.com) and Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/events/116877265135873).

{one-of-a-kind hand-built ceramics by Liz Vigoda}

Liz is a dear friend and creates the most unbelievably gorgeous ceramics and I can't wait to see what new pieces she's made. All her pieces are hand-built and one-of-a-kind, so many folks arrive as early in the weekend as they can to choose from the best selection. I'm spending my day finishing some new pieces of jewelry for the sale.

{custom Loretta Fontaine Jewelry sterling silver Maria ring}

This will be the last weekend to order any custom photo jewelry pieces for the holidays. I always have a bunch of these very special custom orders on my bench this time of year. This charming little pup on the photo is on the ring is named Domino!

{New! Loretta Fontaine blank recycled paper notecards}

..and brand new this year are my blank recycled notecards I had printed on recycled paper - all with images from my new book, Eco-Happy: Three Steps Towards An  Earth-friendly Life. I am SO pleased with how they came out and the quality of the cards.

Liz and I have decided to donate 10% of our sales to Hurricane Sandy Relief. Our area in New York was mostly spared from damage, but we know many others in the Northeast that have been affected by this tragic storm. My husband's family is in the New York City/New Jersey area and they were hard hit. Liz will donate to the Red Cross and I am writing a check to a downstate Long Island Habitat For Humanity chapter.

Happy Holidays!
Loretta

A Great Plate makes the lunch...

{lunch on Liz Vigoda Pottery}

 Lunch today - nothing fancy, just a turkey and avocado sandwich - but made so nice on a beautiful plate! I've been collecting my talented neighbor Liz Vigoda's pottery for a while now and it always makes me smile!

 Liz and I are working out the details of our annual Delmar Holiday Open Studios and I've been working on the postcard design today. We're planning on December 8&9. (I'm designing on my trusty old 12" Powerbook G4, you know one of those ancient non-Intel Macs! I know I have to get a new computer soon, but it's so hard to say goodbye to this handy Mac since it still does it all! Let's say I already replaced the hard drive once myself and am SO attached!)

{Liz Vigoda botanical vase}

 Here are the images Liz sent me for the postcard. Isn't this beautiful? Each piece is handbuilt and uniquely decorated.

{Liz Vigoda pottery}

Here's another image Liz sent me, which I LOVE since chickadees are one of my favorite birds, but don't think the horizontal image will work out on the postcard design...

When the postcard is done I'll post the final design!

Loretta