weekend project

Since the weather is so cold and nasty I think I will stay in this weekend and tackle my worst nightmare.....cleaning up my arts and supplies area. I try to keep things organized but for some strange reason it never stays that way....lol.....

A special birthday

I would like to say "Happy Birthday" to a very special lady. Happy 60th Mom!! I know that there are alot of special moms out there but I think I have one of the best. She was only 17 when I was born and by the time she was 20 she had 4 children. I can't even imagine that.....By the time she was 30 she was a single mom that worked 2 or sometimes 3 jobs at a time to take care of us. We were never hungry, had a great home to live in and surrounded by love. She was always there for any school or sporting event we were involved in. She was there to take care of us when we were sick or to help us when we needed it. I know how tough it was to have 4 teenagers at home yet she managed to deal with all of our trials and tribulations. Though she did go gray early, I wonder why....lol....

When I found myself alone as a young mom with a little baby she opened her home and took us in for 7 years. She became a second mom to my daughter and was an amazing support to me. I don't know what we would have done without her.

She is the first person i call with good news and the first i call with bad news. She always listens and is there to help in any way she can. I don't know if I ever thank her enough but I hope she knows how truly special she is to me and how lucky I am to have her in my life. Through her example I have learned what it truly means to be a mom and hope that I am doing as good as job with my children as she did with me and my siblings.

She is also a terrific grandmother to her 7 grandchildren and shares a special bond with each and every one of them.

So mom here's to you and may we be lucky enough to have you in our lives for 60 more years!!! Happy Birthday, we love you.....Cheryl, Jim, Stacey and David

flea market finds

With the weather being so cold I am very limited to my favorite past time of heading to the flea markets. Luckily I live by an all year round one that has booths inside during the cold winter months. I was able to find a few little goodies to share with you. Love the old postcard and jewelry bits, can't wait to make some necklaces and do something with the wonderful tintypes!

Another collection

Along with stone angel photos another of my collecting passions is old photos and memorabilia from Niagara Falls. Since my first visit as a kid, Niagara Falls is one of my most favorites places in the world. I have made many visits since and nothing thrills me more than standing in front of the Falls and being mesmerized by the strength and beauty of them. Of course riding in the Maid of the Mist and going down that scary elevator to reach the bottom walking decks remain my favorite things to do there. As a kid i collected all kinds of souvenirs from my trips but recently i have become enamored of collecting photos and souvenirs from the 1800's and early 1900's. I love the way the Falls look in sepia tones and people back then were just as thrilled to get their photos taken by the Falls or in the studios against the fake backdrops. I love every day being able to look at the photos and imagine the roar of the crashing water and the feeling of mist on my face.

Little Angels

Ever since I was young I have been fascinated with angels. As I grew older I found myself drawn to the wonderful stone angels in cemetaries. I am always looking up images on the web and since Etsy started I have been lucky enough to purchase many wonderful photos. As I was looking on Etsy today I found the most amazing images I have yet to see and am going to start saving up to add these to my collection. They are by cavemanphotography and I thought I would share them with you. I am especially drawn to the ones featuring child angels or cherubs and these 3 just touched me so much. I wonder who's graves these little ones look over.

and the winner is...........

Well, i was going to post pics of my son drawing the name out of his hat but for some reason blogger is not cooperating with me so i cannot post the pics. So instead I asked the accounting team of Ernst and Young, you know those men in the suits at the Oscars, if they would do the honors of posting the winner on the next award show but they turned me down...boy this is not going to be a very ta da! moment ......so let's just imagine a drumroll playing and Hugh Jackman in his suave Australian accent saying " and the necklace goes to........."

JOY!!!!!

Congratulations Joy! Thanks so much for your lovely comment and if you would please send me your address I will send the necklace on it's way to you ckuhn1381@yahoo.com

Thank you all for your wonderful comments and for making me feel so welcome. I look forward to another giveaway in the future. So please excuse me while i go thank Hugh for a job well done....lol......

An assemblage for sale and a giveaway!

To celebrate my foray into blogging I am offering one of my clock case assemblages for sale and a giveaway of one of my necklaces! To win the necklace all you have to do is leave a short comment from now until Sunday. I will draw a name first thing Mon. morning and announce the winner.

Here is the info on the piece for sale. It is one of the heaviest pieces due to the weight of the wood clock case. It measure 16-1/2" by 15" and is 5-1/2" deep. I added a wood finial to the top and to the front i added old paper, various old faucet handles and some old spoon handles. The little girl is an original photo, not a copy. She has a little tin ribbon in her hair and a little brooch i made with a paper bird. If you are interested please drop me a line at ckuhn1381@yahoo.com

The necklace is titled 'The Sparrow" and is made with a vintage optical lens and part of an old woman's watch with the initials ESW on it. A sweet little piece of art to wear almost anywhere!

heART of Winter

Mark your calendars, it's almost time for Earth Angel's heART of Winter show. If you have never been to an Earth Angels show you are missing out on seeing the most fabulous gathering of some of the best folk artists in the country.

.Artists to attend and showcase their creations include:

Jennifer Lanne

Barbara Strawser

Nicol Sayre

Debbee Thibault

Pat Castka

Lori Ann Corelis

Dara DiMagno

Deirdre Friebely

Laurie Meseroll

Jill Wiener

Jody Battaglia

The event will be held on Sat. Jan. 31st from 12 to 6pm and on Sun. Feb 1st from 11 to 3 in Downtown Warwick, at a NEW LOCATION. You'll find us at the charming McEwen Street Studio (16 McEwen Street(, around the corner form Akin's Pharmacy just off Main Street.There's an "Early Buyers' Breakfast" on Saturday from 10-noon for those collectors and enthusiasts who would like to shop early for the best selection.

Warwick is in one of the beautiful valleys in Orange County, New York. It is full of fun shops and little cafe's. Almost like stepping back into time.

I am not able to attend this show but I urge you all to go and meet the artisans and see their creations up close and possibly take a few home with you! I will be at the Spring Show in May so stay tuned for info on that show when it nears!

Winter Wonderland

First of all, i want to thank all of you that have posted for such a warm welcome to blogland. Your kind words have warmed my heart on this cold, cold, day! Thanks to the wonderful, kind Lori Karla for introducing me on her blog. As most of you know she is a very special gal and i am thrilled to count myself as one of her friends.

One thing that Lori and I share is that we are both NorthEast Ohioans. Which means we are in the part of the state that Mother Nature likes to have fun with! She sends us much lake effect snow from Lake Erie, in fact she was so kind as to drop of 7 inches on Sat and plans more for us today. Along the way she decided to throw us into the deep freeze that is hitting some of the country. Today is the warmest of the next few days at a whopping 6 degrees. Above is a pretty view of the snow from my back patio, sure is pretty to look at but no fun to drive in or shovel!

Also shown is my interpretation of a winter wonderland. Can you imagine wearing a hat like that on a cold snowy day! Stay warm wherever you are.

my inspirations

Everyday i am inspired by my creative children. My daughter Callie who is 20 is an wonderful artist. No matter what medium she creates with ,her work never ceases to amaze me. I wish i had her talent! She is also a creative writer and even as a child her stories were so grown up, it was hard to believe that she had such an imagination. Now that she is a newlywed and starting out with a new career she does not have as much time to devote to her art but hopefully she will one day get back to creating,

My son Wyatt also inspires me. He is my buddy that i drag along to flea markets, antique shops and art supply stores, I don't know how much longer that will last now that he is 13 but I enjoy every minute we spend together and all his suggestions about what would work with my art. Along the way he is also inspired to create which i think is so important for children. I was informed though that now that he is 13 he is no longer a child but they will both always be my babies!

Can you tell I am a proud mama!!!

Welcome

Hello and welcome to my blog. I am Cheryl Kuhn of small stories studio. I have finally decided to take the plunge into the wonderful world of blogging. For years now i have read and enjoyed many blogs and i look forward to being a part of this wonderful online community. If you don't know i am an Earth Angels Toys artist and am blessed and so fortunate to work with the amazing Jen O'Connor. Please hop over to http://www.earthangelstoys.com/ to see my work. I thought i would start off my blog with some photos of my favorite pieces to show you all what inspires me most. Happy looking!