Reviewing Summer

Lots of moms are breathing sighs of relief as the yellow schoolbus chugs down the street to take their young ones back to the ABC's. We wander through the house with baskets picking up summer toys, stripping bedsheets, stowing sleeping bags and start marking the calendar with sports practice and art and music lesson dates.
Life at Liz Beth's Gifts was VERY interesting! We got more artists/crafters signed on, have decided to carry more craft supplies and have ordered and are waiting for threads, shuttles, needles, instructional books and DVD's.
New instructors who are on board now are Norma Prinsloo, a talented ceramic artist who builds innovative and practical ceramic pieces. I love her glazes! She recently acquired sets of porcelain molds and is looking forward to expanding her wares. I can't wait to see what she does with that!
Also new is Melissa Jones, who teaches art from a classical viewpoint, and uses art of masters to illustrate and inspire new artists. Melissa will be teaching young students Wednesday after school at Creative Community Classroom in Liz Beth's.
Closer ties were made with the great vendors in the Springville Antique Mall. They have been on the lookout for old tools and machines that will help us teach and create and we have acquired some wonderful, reliable, well-made sewing machines, irons, doll houses and craft samples like old laces, tatting, and instruction books. It's a winner for them and us!
New class options have been added: sewing by machine, art for children, ceramic pottery. Classes by appointment for some things has been added. Scrapbooking Workshop Night is under development.
There are rental spaces available at Liz Beth's starting at $45 per month if you would like to display and sell crafts for the fall and Christmas season. Please come and talk with Glenda about that, and soon! There is a limited number of spaces.

Duct Tape Wallets and Tote Bags

The past few weeks at Lost Arts Studio in Liz Beth's Gifts has been a wonderful learning experience. It has been fun demonstrating some of the Lost Arts such as tatting while shoppers come through expecting run-of-the-mill Chinese fare instead find local fine crafts.
Tatted bonnets, yards of edgings, handmade ceramic serve ware, ready-to-smock children's outfits, tatting supplies, DMC floss, original paintings are surfacing again at Liz Beth's. Every day there are new items brought in by crafters. Sara Trotter brought in several boxfuls along with lots of original ceramics by a crafter from South Africa.
It is invigorating to be surrounded by such creativity bursting forth. I love overhearing comments, like "There's so many interesting handmade things here, I like this shop". We have even made friends with a fine gentleman, Harold, who is sharing with us his Duct Tape creations such as a camo duct tape wallet and duct tape roses. He promises to schedule a demonstration day soon and will show how he makes these items as well as tote bags and purses out of ....duct tape! Come by and see some of them at Liz Beth's. We'll let you know when he plans to come demonstrate.

June Class Schedule for Lost Arts Studio

Lost Arts Studio

That is a name suggested by Kathy, who usually has great ideas for my energy....Lost Arts....that is usually the things that attract my attention. Something unusual that requires more work than common, that is more intricate, that is not trite and has too many adherants. That describes intaglio printmaking, and tatting, and smocking and drawing by hand, and calligraphy and illumination: all in danger of becoming lost arts!

Lost Arts Studio is located within Liz Beth's Gifts and is an concept that is forming into a pursuit. The seed of this idea has been captured by others and is growing within Liz Beth's to include the ministry of Community Presbyterian Church and their gifted teachers of arts, crafts and studies. They will be demonstrating beginning Satuday, June 6, so come by to see what they have to offer, too.

Well, here are some of the offerings of Lost Arts Studio for June. Be sure to check with the shop to see additions and re-scheduling. We are seeking to add new instructors and new "lost arts."

June 3 Wednesday "Draw like Calvin & Hobbes" 2:00-3:00

June 4 Thursday "Tatting" 1:00-2:30

June 5 Friday "Polymer Clay: Dog Treats" 1:00-2:00

June 6 Saturday "Tatting" 10:30-12:00

June 6 Saturday "Colored Pencil: Grapes" 2:00-3:00

contact me by email if you need more details on any of the classes, or if you are interested in teaching a "Lost Art" in Liz Beth's, too.

rgcnichols@centurytel.net

See you soon!

Handmade Greeting Card Workshop

A workshop in handmade Greeting Cards featuring some new products from Stampin' Up is to be held at Liz Beth's Gifts in Springville, Alabama this Saturday starting at 1pm. The instructor is to be Carolyn Ates, a representative of Stampin' Up. She has a long history of crafting and especially making creative and clever greeting cards. She has recently attended a Stampin' Up convention in Atlanta and will share some of the clever innovations she learned there. She said that she also will have some Stampin' Up products available for purchase.
Be sure to call the shop to reserve a space for you and a friend and come support Carolyn! See you there!
Liz Beth's Gifts 205-467-7697

Crafts Class Listing

I hope that you enjoy the Brugge Lacemaking video from YouTube on lacemaking. That illustrates one of the lacemaking methods, bobbin lace. Lacemaking was once done totally by hand by several methods. When it was made by hand, only the very wealthy royalty could afford or indeed, legally wear lace. Those were the days when in fact, there was a "fashion police!"
I have started teaching lessons in another lacemaking method, "Tatting", and will be holding classes at Liz Beth's Gifts in Springville. The first is this Saturday, May 16th, beginning at 1:00 pm. It is a 90 minute class. One shuttle, thread and instruction booklet are provided for a fee of $13. This is only an introductory lesson. It will take you more sessions and lots of practice to become proficient. You will, however, be amazed at how much yardage you can make over the years.
Part of my collection of tatted lace is also on display at Liz Beth's. It has been a side hobby, not my sole focus since learning how to tat in the early 1980's. Included in the collection are tatted baby bonnets, baby booties, edgings, collars and doilies. Whether you want to come learn how to tat, or simply see some tatting on display, please come visit Liz Beth's Gifts in Springville.

Liz Beth's Gifts

Liz Beth’s Gifts

6360 US Highway 11 Springville, AL 35146 (205) 467-7697

Shop hours:

Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00 am-5:00 pm

Sunday-Monday: closed

evenings for classes by appointment

Homestead Hollow Spring Weekend

This has been a great weekend, despite a little rain during the day. Glenda and I have been setting up the craftmaking section, and I have been able to purchase some craftmaking supplies for re-sale. It has been great to get out the yards and yards of delicate tatting that I made during the 1980's when Holly and Jenny were little and have not put to use yet. I have smocked outfits and doll dresses in the works on display to advertise smocking classes. Colored pencil drawings of strawberries, cherries and apples are framed and hanging for display. Tables ready for craft classes are set up with chairs awaiting students.

I have even met some potential tatters and young aspiring artists Saturday and hope that they come back soon to see me and talk about their talents and what they want to do with their gift! Some dear friends from the past have come in: Miss Terri and her mom and another relative and I had a wonderful reunion and talked about Amber and Harper and Garrison and Aunt Frances. So good to see old friends.

As long as Glenda and I can hold the shop together, I hope to be teaching at least on Saturdays, with some Thursday classes and nights by request. If there is an old-time craft that you would like to attend or perhaps to teach yourself, please give Liz Beth's Gifts a call. It's in Springville. Or better yet, stop by and tell us you saw our blog!

Setting Up: Assembling Pieces of the Past

Since I started falling in love with fat Crayola crayons as a child, I have been preparing myself for an art career. I have taken classes in school for art, basketweaving, community courses in smocking, tatting, graphic design. I have even completed a degree in art and art history. Pieces and gathering, creating and showing, learning and divulging. I am trying to pull together various threads of interest from my life into a way to pass on the crafts and skills that I have spent a lifetime learning. From those humble, simple threads I am attempting to tat, to weave, to crochet a work of beauty and to inspire others to pick up their threads and do the same!
Soon Liz Beth's Gifts in Springville, Alabama will be host to classes designed to pass on "Lost Arts" skills. Perhaps it will take a recession for some of us to slow down enough to learn some of the old skills that decorated and adorned a simpler life, and joined a lot of craftsmen into a community of beauty. Please consider joining us at Liz Beth's whether you are interested in learning a new craft or feel the urge to pass on a skill that you have to others.