Only a few more days left to get your Christmas shopping and preparations done. Wow, is that really possible? If you are still looking for a special gift stop by the store. We have a wonderful collection of artwork that make a perfect 'one of a kind' gift. We also have ornaments, cards and "Christmas Spirit" in a jar. New this week are bright and colorful handbags made from recycled plastic bottles, art prints and glass dome servers.
If we don't get a chance to see you we hope that you have delightful and warm Christmas.

Only a few more days to get your Christmas shopping and errands done. Amazing how the ti

Everybody Loves Alley

The link below will take you to the South Pasadena Patch story that was written about Miss. Alley. http://southpasadena.patch.com/articles/everybody-loves-alley
You can leave a comment on that site. You can also sign up to have South Pasadena news, events and deals sent to your email. I did and I wish I would have known about Patch before this Alley's story. If you are not in South Pasadena check their website, there might be a Patch link for your city.

Thanks Sarah McClure at Patch for such a nice article.

Alley's Back!

By now you know about the week we had with Alley missing. We are so happy to have her home and safe. We are convinced that she got out and got locked out by accident, not that she ran away. We are truly touched by the amount of support we received from our Zinnia friends, family and community. Alley being found was a community effort of the likes that I have never seen. With the help of the community we were able to get her back.
Several sightings were reported so we were sure she was in the area. I have to tell you that I had my doubts we would find her. I am not a pessimist, but I was terrified that she was taken by someone. On Wednesday night I stopped by on my way home from my 'other' job. I searched and when I didn't find her, I broke down. Thanks to Tamara I snapped out of it.
The overwhelming support we got was amazing. Bellini offered to help post signs, Videotheque (www.vidtheque.com) offered words of encouragement, Celeste at Munch Company and Robin at Jane and Joe Shoppe were also on the lookout. Javier, Tam's fiancé spent endless hours searching for her, waited at the store early in the morning and posted signs. He got to know the neighbors all around, the construction crews and oh yea, the police. Jav did so much searching that the cops were alerted that there was someone creeping around. Lars in the courtyard beyond the alley spotted her and came to the store to let us know that he had seen her come out after one of the nights we searched. AOL's Patch, a site that offers updated information about local news and events stopped by last week; the day of the event organized to raise funds for The Pasadena Humane Society and took some pictures and interviewed Tamara about our support of the event and Alley. When they heard that she was missing they called and offered to post something about Alley going missing to help get the word out. Once they learned that she was found they offered to write a story about this scary event. www. southpasadena.patch.com Bill at the South Pasadena Quarterly said he will be posting an update and a picture about Alley being found. This is just a few I can remember off hand. The number of people who expressed their concern and joy of finding her cannot be counted. Thank you to EVERYONE. Alley is enjoying her celebrity status. Yesterday and today customers stopped by and expressed their joy over Alley being found and stopped by to see Alley.
It is wonderful to be a part of a community that cares for its neighbors, families and pets. The fact that a little gray cat can bring us all together and so much joy, is inspiring.

Needless-to-say, Alley has a new collar that is quite fancy with a tag and a bell so we can hear her.

This picture is from my phone so it's a little grainy.
Alley Alli is back. One of our neighbors saw her last night and let Tamara know. Tame went to the same spot with the intension to camp there is she had to... it didn't take long. Alley found her way back and into Tamara's arms. I was driving home when Tamara called me and I headed to the store to give Alley a big hug. Perhaps ran a stop; the cop that pulled me over said I did. I told him that I slowed down; the cop said that if the sign said slow down I wouldn't get a ticket. Oh well worth it. I don't care. Well I care but I care more for that crazy cat.
I can not begin to express the angst that has consumed us. I was dreading having to go to the store tomorrow with no Alley.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR ZINNIA FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY FOR YOUR POSITIVE THOUGHTS, PRAYERS, CROSSED FINGER AND TOES. It worked... I can sleep.

As of this right now, no sign of Alli

Cross your fingers... we need your help

Alli decided to go for an extended walk tonight just before Joey closed up for the night. She has never gone on an "extended" stroll before and we are worried sick about her. A few people walking by said they saw her but we can't find her. I was there this evening and now Tamara and Javier are there and will be there for her when she decides to come back.
In the meantime, please cross your fingers that she doesn't get crazy lost.

I will keep you posted.

In case you haven't heard there is a new "day". You know like, Mother's Day, Friendship Day... This Saturday, November 27th is the very first ever, "SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY". It's actually a great idea. A few years ago Cyber Monday became 'day' so why not one for us, the small businesses. It's true, we have been hit by the economy and we appreciate all the support that you, our friend and customer give us. This Saturday is a great idea and I hope it really becomes an annual 'day'.

I found the following at while doing some research about Small Business Saturday on a the website; greenandsave.com and I couldn't have said it better:
This year in between Black Friday and Cyber Monday there will be Small Business Saturday. Shopping at local retailers is a great way to support your local economy and this year American Express is launching a nationwide effort to spur business for small merchants on Saturday, November 27^th.
“Small business is the engine of job creation in the US economy,” said Mr. Chenault, chairman and chief executive officer, American Express. “It is also among the sectors hardest hit by the recession. By spreading the word about Small Business Saturday, we can help raise awareness about the critical role small businesses play in cities and towns across the country at a time when they need support the most.”


Stop by on Saturday and enjoy fancy cider and homemade cookies while shopping for the treasures you need this holiday season. Remember we carry gifts, doo-dads and supplies for the crafter in all if us. If you get stuck or you are unsure how to make something or use a product be sure to allow us to assist you, Tamara, Joe and I will do our best to help you.

It is our wish that you have a Happy Thanksgiving and hope see you soon.

Struggles of the year...

Holiday music.... hummm. I was driving to work earlier this week and I accidentally found the radio station that starts playing Christmas music way too early, ya that station. I thought they didn't start playing those ‘oh so festive’ tunes until Thanksgiving. Whyyyy! Who likes Christmas music this early?

Any hoodle my point...
Yesterday morning Tamara and I were opening the store and she turned, she starts her iPod. It’s Christmas music, AAAAAAAHHHHH! She's one of them I groaned and told her that it was way too early, customers would leave; I tried everything to make her stop. I gave in when I realized that she had a fun selection of music, like the Chipmunks. Tam and I were humming and singing along, there were four or five customers that were singing, too. Ha ha on me, perhaps it's not too early. I remember listening to the Chipmunks Christmas music when I was a kid... in Spanish. Did you know they speak Spanish?
This might be a little funnier if I've shared the dream I had a while back where I was talking to squirrels. When I shared that with Ross he asked me what we were talking about and I realized the squirrel and I were not speaking English, I spoke squirrel. When he asked what that sounded like, a weird sound came out of my mouth that I have not been able to do again since. I guess if I speak 'squirrel’ then chipmunks can speak English.

Here we go... the holidays are here. Yikes! At Zinnia we are excited about our Holiday theme. The store looks like we just moved in, there are boxes everywhere. We took down the Cirque de Bizarre art, packed up the Halloween goodies and brought out our Christmas magic. Oh ya, with all this going on, the stories open and busy preparing the gallery.
Since you are reading this you obviously care, I will share a few pictures for those of you who live too far to make it in. Our theme is... wait for, "An Illustrated Christmas". What does that mean? The entire back ground and most of the props will be drawn. Drawn on the wall, the furniture and on foam core. The pictures below will give an idea of what have been up to.

Joey gets started with a wreath that will hang over the mantle.

I think Tamara is drawing the window that
Oprah is always looking out of.
(Get it? Okay side note. When Oprah is moved she pauses and gazes
out into the distance. I'd like to think she is looking out a window.
Okay never mind, moving right along.)

Ta Da! I think it looks like a giant coloring book

Check out the black cord to the lights on the window...
yes, that is drawn.

The front window looks super cool. The drapes and table cloth are drawings on foam core. The presents are also drawing but I don't like them... I like real presents. Ha ha.

For now, that's all I can share. I hope that you all have a creative and warm holiday season.

Addicted to Tape at Zinnia POSTPONED until Nov 28th

POSTPONED until Sun, Nov 28^th 11 to 3 p.m.

Addicted to tape!

with Kelly Kilmer

Love collage? Have you been caught buying up rolls of tape and you’re not sure of everything that you can do with them? In a bit of a sticky situation? Looking for some new ideas of what you can do with one of the hottest art supplies around? Look no further! In this class we will explore a myriad of techniques, tips, tricks and ideas that you can do with decorative tape. Learn how to layer fun and colorful backgrounds using what some call stickers, but what most call tape! We will explore masking tape (not the old stuff, but the fun colorful stuff available in many different designs and colors), decorative tape, and more! Walk out of class with your head spinning with ideas, and a smile on your face.

Optional-You can bring your journal to class to work in, or the teacher will be supplying paper for you to work on.

Supply list: Scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 3 1" brushes to glue and paint (I like chip or bristle brushes)

Updated Website for Zinnia

Check out the new website that Tamara has been working on for a few weeks. I think it looks great... even if I couldn't find a picture of me. I better start holding that cat more often when someone breaks out a camera.

Don't miss out... this is the last week that the Cirque de Bizarre at Zinnia. Soon we will be saying hello to all the holidays that follow. If you are local it would be too bad if you missed out on viewing the artwork that was part of the show.
I am working on a slide show for you but I first I need to catch up with everything, now that I back from vacation. I had 209 emails on my office account... ay ya ya eee.

It's road trip time for us again. Ross and I are in Utah in a tiny town between Zion and Bryce Canyon. No worries though I can still keep you updated with Zinnia news.

This weekend on Saturday, October 23rd is the South Pasadena Art Walk. This is an evening event where South Pasadena spotlights the numerous art galleries in the area. South Pasadena is a tiny town with several treasures for the art lover in all of us. Check out this link for the details. www.southpaschamber.com Also, if you haven't had a chance to see the Cirque de Bizarre artwork is still up in the gallery for another week. On the night of the show a few weeks ago we had Slammin' Sliders food truck who were a great hit so by popular demand; they're back. The Art Walk also has wine tasting going on so all together you get art, yummy food and wine. What more can you ask for? Okay, a mani-pedi would be awesome.

Made By Hand: The Fundamentals of Collage class Sat Oct 9th

Made By Hand: The Fundamentals of Collage

Sat. Oct 9th 11 to 3 p.m.

with Kelly Kilmer

In this workshop, you will learn some of my favorite quick and easy composition and design techniques. Learn how to bring together background papers and focal images in various ways, creating unique and expressive pages. These are fundamental techniques that can be applied to a multitude of media.

Please bring your journal to class if you have one, or the instructor will be supplying paper for you to work on.

Supply list: journal (see above) Scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 3 1" brushes to glue and paint (I like chip or bristle brushes) OR a few of your favorite glue sticks

Please phone 626 441 2181 to sign up. Thanks and hope to see you there!

Saturday was amazing. We had an incredible turn out. It was packed and very exciting to see all of our friends come out and enjoy this wonderful evening. Having a food truck join in was a great idea... thanks Tam. We had Slammin' Sliders (www.slamminsliders.com) parked outside with their very delicious sliders. Someone (I think Tamara or Javier) gave me a box with a couple sliders while I was at the register and I was blown away. I had two sliders a Pink Pepper Crusted Lobster and a Kobe steak. OMG! Delicious. The lobster was a little spicy but too yummy to not eat. I have to confess... I had no idea what a slider was until I asked and the look on Paul, Joey and Tamara was priceless. Hey I was 25 years old when I first had meatloaf. Meat in the shape of a loaf, who knew? Well everyone else knew, that's who.
I spaced on having my camera but took a couple with my cell phone so the quality is kinda yucky. I will post pictures of the artwork later this week but for now I have to share these of my new friend Lili. Lili came with her sweet clown-pixie-like costume. She was adorable and she let me take few pictures. Isn't she adorable?

Say Cheese!

Lili got a little tired but she still looks great.

and... then there is Joey. Someone made super cool hats and well Joey couldn't resist.
He doesn't drink and I think that's a good thing. Cheers!

For those of you who could not be here on Saturday, make sure to stop by again; I will post pictures of the art.

Thanks to all of our Zinnia friends, the artists, art lovers, new friends and Slammin' Slders for making Cirque de Bizarre a great time. Big Tent hug to Tamara for her vision, you are an inspiration and I know I am lucky to be able to hang around and learn from you.

Hugs!
Suki

Joey added a new class

A couple of weeks ago he had the "Paper and Paint" class. From that class his students requested a class about using the 'figure' in their art. It was a little difficult to explain, because it really was born from the feedback he received from the Paint and Paper class. I had my camera and captured the photos below that should help explain what "Paint, Paper and Figure" class. Joey had three students that created beautiful pieces. I love it all. This class will come around again soon. If you are interested remember to check our website for our most updated class schedule. If you are on our email you will get class information on a weekly basis, most of the time.

P.S: Joey is laughing because he knows he is not really 'the evil twin". Scroll down and you'll understand... or not.






P.S.S: Don't forget about Cirque de Bizarre this Saturday.

Come one, come all...

to one of the Greatest Shows on Earth!

Please join us

Cirque de Bizarre

Circus freaks, fools and curious oddities.

Opening and Artists' reception

Saturday, October 2nd

7pm to 9pm

An eclectic collection of

33 mixed-media artists

Show runs 10/2 to 11/1

THIS IS DEDICATED TO ALL OUR READERS:

WE THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!

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Kelly's new pen class this Saturday!

I'm very excited to debut a new class this Saturday, 9/25 at Zinnia! Class is from 11 to 3 p.m. There are some sample pages below (and there's a sample in the store). If you have any questions, please email me at EGorey99@sbcglobal.net

You can see more of Kelly's work here.

Please call 626 441 2181 to sign up!

Pen Work

This isn’t my pen class, more of a part two, a further way to explore layering with pens on the page. In this class, we will take our pen work to the next level. We will dive right in experimenting with writing ideas and techniques on quickly collaged pages. This class will not only teach you ways to use your pens, but also you will be working hands on with collage, as well. This is not a calligraphy class. Think more along the lines of guided hands on experimentation. If you like the different ways in which I approach my art journaling on the pages that you see on my blog daily, then you will love this class! You will learn to love your handwriting and to take it to a whole ‘nother level! (Note: My “Everything You Wanted to Know About Pens and More” class is not a prerequisite.)

Please bring your journal to class if you have one, or the instructor will be supplying paper for you to work on.

Supply list: journal (see above) Scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, roll of waxed paper, roll of paper towels, permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 1" brushes to glue (I like chip or bristle brushes) OR a few of your favorite glue sticks

This weekend at Zinnia was busy with customers, crafting (just a little) and getting supplies and merchandise out. The Halloween merchandise is flying out the door and has been a hit.

I made an attempt to make balls of roving wool. Alley was napping so I was able to get quite a bit done. That all changed when she woke up. She sniffed the wool and dove into the bowl like 4 year old dives into the ball pit at Chuckie Cheese. She was rolling in the wool so fast that I couldn't really get a a decent shot. Check out the below, pretty funny right? She got a little nutty; a customer was amused enough to get her camera out and snapped a few pictures.

When she settled for two seconds I got this one.

I think it's funny that she gets into all kinds of containers which is why we call her the 'Container Entertainer". When we catch her she almost seems to pose for the camera and seems a little annoyed. I think she refers to me as 'the paparazzi'.




Aside from Alley's antics we have been busy receiving the artwork for the Cirque De Bizarre. All I can say is, amazing. The show is going to be so much fun I found out that one of the Zinnia team member might where a costume. Eeee-yikes... I had not even considered a costume. Paul suggested that I dress up like a trapeze artist, hilarious right? That would certainly put the Bizarre in the Cirque for sure. I'm not sure about the custume

In the meantime, if you are one of the 33 artists selected make sure your artwork is dropped off ASAP. If you have any questions, please give us a call. (626.831.6808) We also have postcards for the show; if you think you can get the word out stop by for a stack.

This past weekend I got to the store to find furniture moved around, evidence that Paul had made a stop at Zinnia during the week. He has a great eye for merchandising (err of course he does) and when he is on a roll he will come in with ideas and most of the time it works out pretty good. Since I only work 2 days when I get to the store on Friday I have to look around and find where things have moved or new merchandise that was put out.
We are preparing the store for the October show; it is very exciting to see the artwork start trickling in and getting the gallery set-up for what promises to be a fun and exciting event. Make sure you mark your calendars for Saturday, October 2nd... the freak show is on the way.



Few pictures of Alley... she is a goofy cat and we love her antics.