Weekly Wrap Up 11/10/09

Overlooking the amazing Indian Summer this past weekend here in Chicago, I do believe the holidays are here! For Dolan and I this means a number of wonderful things: no more out-of-state traveling for art fairs, some much needed quality time with friends and family, hikes through the fields and streams of the Shenandoah Valley, fun handmade shopping, the baking of holiday cookies, and, as goes the tradition, the launch of our annual Etsy holiday sale. Now in it's third year, the Etsy event is our biggest sale of the year with store-wide discounts on each and every work in the online shop. All orders over $100 will receive a free holiday gift and orders over $500 will receive free shipping. Additional deal and discounts are available to newsletter subscribers so be sure to head over to the sign-up page and join. In honor of the sale, you'll start noticing Panel Paintings in the shop starting this weekend along with new Rescued Wood Constructions and other original works. Starting Tuesday morning, you'll see prices begin to change throughout the shop as we update the site with our discounted holiday sale pricing. Throughout this process, we appreciate your patience with the shop construction and brief transition period and hope you'll excitedly visit the shop Wednesday morning, November 18, to see the completed holiday shop.

For the next week, we'll be quiet online as we busily prepare for the holiday sale. Before we go, we leave you with a quick recap of some recent news:

Completed Commission
Inspired by Fall Foliage at Renegade Craft Fair Chicago, the colors were inverted and the trees filled out for this most recently completed commission for a Chicago couple. The final piece was delivered this evening and is going to look beautiful on the couple's large brick wall. Dolan has 3 more commissions to complete before the end of the year. Up next, is a 24" x 48" bird-themed commission with tactile, 3d collage elements. Look for more commission pics on Facebook and here on the blog.

Fall Foliage No. 02 (2009) - mixed media on wood - 40" x 60"

Bright Side Project
In October, we were honored to participate in The Bright Side Project, a blog whose mission is to brighten your day with daily giveaways centered around fun, thought-provoking questions. We gave away a $100 gift certificate, immediately redeemed for a Fall Foliage paper print, after selecting our favorite answer to the question we posed "If you were exploring an old house and pulled up the floor boards, what would you most like to discover?" Thanks to everyone that participated; the answers are definitely going to inspire some new collage works by Dolan.

News from our Retailers

• Lark & Key (Charlotte, NC) just opened a second location in Southend, NC | mark your calendars for an official opening celebration on Dec 4
• HighStreet (Cincinnati, OH) has launched an online shop for heir favorite home furnishings and decor | more to follow so stay tuned
  
• Seagrass (Winnetka, IL) has also launched an online shop | we love all the cottage/coastal selections especially this woven stool
• Fly Bird (Oak Park, IL) don't miss the once-a-year Holiday Hootenanny where you can save 25% off all purchases November 12 from 6pm-9pm
• Artful Home (online) be on the lookout for the In the Cattails BOX PRINT reproduction in the upcoming holiday catalog mailing | also check out their holiday guide with 100s of gifts under $100
• NEW STORE Squash Blossom (Colorado Springs, CO) thanks to former Sacred Art employee now Squash Blossom Colorado Springs director Emily Lincoln, we just shipped 4 boxes of work to our first Colorado shop | check out Squash Blossom's Facebook fan page while their new site is developed
  

Art Wall
Check out Art Wall, a new virtual display space for discovering the work of independent artists curated by Katie Stephenson. We're honored to be part of the site's launch; find us in the living room display with an illustration by Jessica Gonacha Swift.


Wholesale Catalog Headed to Printer
Over the next few weeks, we'll be printing and mailing over 250 wholesale catalogs to nationwide retailers. If you've been considering artwork for your shop, now's the time to apply for a wholesale account. Complete our online wholesale application to receive your copy of our 2010 catalog.