Louisa is here to learn the ins and outs of operating a small, home-based, craft business. She is very computer savvy and will help me get posts out there on the web and will learn how to manipulate images in Photoshop for creating new floorcloth designs. Once we get things rolling, I am hoping she will write for my blog so that she can tell you all about her perspective on learning a new craft and soaking in what goes on in and around Canvasworks.

Please help me give Louisa a warm welcome!

This is Command Central at Canvasworks, where Louisa will be doing all things Internet!

“The Sandy Hook school community plans to move to a school in an adjoining town this week. The surrounding towns plan to send a “blizzard” of snowflakes to welcome them to their new school. Anyone who would like to send a snowflake can send them here with a message:
Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Parkway
Suite 103
Building 12
Hamden, CT 06514″

Just in case you’ve forgotten how to do it, here are some pointers. If you don’t think your little ones can handle (or should handle) scissors, they can draw the lines on and you can cut it for them. But please, let them do the magical UNFOLD!

Please pass this on and comment on here so we can see how many snowflakes are generated from this end of the project to create a BLIZZARD of love!

THANK YOU!

-Lisa Curry Mair,

Canvasworks

How to Make a Paper Snowflake

1.Download  the image of the circle http://canvasworksfloorcloths.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/snowflake-circle.jpg and print it on white 8-1/2″ X 11″ paper.

2. Cut out the circle.

3. Fold the circle in half.

4. This step is IMPORTANT! Snowflakes have 6 points. ALWAYS! So now you fold the 1/2 in thirds. That will make 6 sections when you unfold it.

5. Draw the lines where you will cut the snowflake. Don’t cut all the way across or the snowflake will not hold together. A good rule of thumb is to cut a decorative shape at the bottom, then cut out pieces along the edge folds and decorate the top edge.

6. Cut along the lines, holding the folded paper together.

7. When all the lines are cut out, put the scissors down and unfold your snowy miracle!

Submitted by VT Journal on Mon, 11/19/2012 – 2:29pm

Lisa Curry Mair

By BY NANCY SILLIMAN The News Review

WEATHERSFIELD, VT -On Friday, November 17, artist Lisa Curry Mair, owner of Canvasworks at 326 Henry Gould Rd. in Weathersfield, Vermont held a grand re-opening reception and a series of events that continued throughout the weekend to celebrate her new studio and gallery. The festivities included a tour of the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and several workshops. The demonstrations included “How to Stencil on Canvas” and “How to Stamp a Design on Canvas.” There were workshops on “Learn How to Cut Your Own Stencils” where you could use the stencil design at home to create your own floorcloths, placemats or table runners fashioned from canvas; John Carwitham Designs- “Geometric Patterns from 1739” and  “Learn to Marbleize Paint on Canvas”

Mair who has been in business nineteen years is originally from Groton, Massachusetts and grew up in Nova Scotia. She was a mathematics major and minored in art at Acadia University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She then illustrated children’s books which led “to research in historical aspects of early American life,” according to her website. She “started doing floor cloths and branched out into murals,” she stated.  There are beautiful murals, including a landscape of Weathersfield, Vermont and painted floorcloths everywhere in Mair’s creative new space. There is a depiction of a Mount Ascutney landscape on the stairway leading upstairs to the location where Mair’s bright and airy new office, library, worktable and sitting area are.

The style is Rufus Porter. “He was an 1830s itinerant mural painter,” she said. “He’s my third cousin five times removed, which is five generations back. Rufus traveled all over New England,” she explained.

Mair who is also an author wrote “Floorcloth Magic” in 2001, published by Storey Books, Inc, in North Adams, Massachusetts. “I was inspired by her book, five years ago and finally I’m going to make time to first take a class, then either purchase or make a large floorcloth for my dining room”, said Laurie Cobb, a Weathersfield, VT resident.

Mair has had several commissions, venues of which include Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Schuyler Mansion Estate in Albany, New York, the Museum of the City of New York and the Melrose Plantation in Natchez, Mississippi.

When asked how she began making floorcloths, Mair replied that when her husband of twenty-six years, Bart Mair built a kayak out of canvas, he had left over canvas and that became her first floorcloth and the rest is history!

For more information about Canvasworks visit the website at http://www.canvasworksfloorcloths.com or call at 802-263-5410.

These candle mats are the perfect touch for a small holiday table. They are 8″ X 8″. We have them available as a kit for you to paint (or give as a gift for someone else to paint). This one is called “Checks with Border Fruit” and it comes from a very popular floorcloth design we also make here at Canvasworks. Take a look at the floorcloth in a beautiful dining room by clicking here.

The kit for one of these mats comes with a heavyweight, primed canvas mat, a full-size template for transferring the design and complete directions teaching you how to paint it. The complete kit is $15.

Go here to order the kit today!

If you’d like to make more than one you can order blank candle mats. Each blank candle mat is $7.

Go here to order blank candle mats.

But it’s all worth it when you see the look on someone’s face when they open your gift and say, “Wow! Did you make this?”

I’ve learned (the hard way) what to do and what not to do to make this work. I’ve made things that people weren’t as excited about as I was. I’ve attempted to make things that ended up taking too long and at the last minute I had to abandon it and run out and buy something else and I’ve made things that ended up costing me way more than I had planned.

These 5 tips will help you be the hit of the holiday by showing off your crafting abilities staying within your budget and getting it all done before Christmas dinner is served.

Tip 1 Choose an item that you can reproduce comfortably.

Make one for yourself for practice. This helps to figure out how long it takes and to work out your best method. Decide how many people are going to get this gift and decide if you will customize it for some people (or all).

Tip 2 Get all of your materials before you start.

Nothing slows up the works more than having to run out and get more supplies in the middle of a project. Make sure you have it all ready for action before you begin.

Tip 3 Make all of the items at once.

Break the project up into steps and complete each step with all of the pieces one step at a time. This saves tons of time. You only have to have out the tools and paints etc. needed for each individual step.

Tip 4 Check how you will wrap it.

Will it need to be shipped? Fragile items can lead to heartbreak. There’s nothing worse than opening a carefully wrapped handmade gift to have it come  out of the box in 100 pieces! Think about making gifts that are not breakable and are easy to wrap.

Tip 5 Include a note

A handwritten note with information about the history of the craft or how you made it, how to care for it, and suggestions about how or where to use it is the icing on the cake. Don’t forget to add a “Made for Mom by Me, December 2012″ line!

Need an idea? Go here for an example gift to make!

Sets of 4 canvas-on-cork coasters in a nice box are just $12!

There are giclee-quality ready-to-frame matted prints of Lisa’s paintings as well. You can order these online at http://currymairdesigns.com/folk-art-gallery/ The 8″ X 10″ matted prints are $25. You can also get 11″ X 14″ matted prints. They are $40.

A limited number of signed, framed prints and a few original paintings are available at the gallery as well.

We also have PRINTED floorcloths! These floorcloths are photographs of Lisa’s original artwork, printed on canvas then mounted on heavier canvas and finished with a sewn hem and several layers of a clear coat protectant. If you love floorcloths, but can’t quite bite the bullet to pay for an original, handpainted one, these are for you! Come to the studio to pick these up or have us send them to you!

Tulip Vase Printed Floorcloth 20" X 40"

This Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired design is in beautiful shades of blues, grays and reds, with subtle shading and painterly effects reminiscent of old painted chests. Use this on the floor or hang it as a wall decoration. Cleans easily with mild soap and warm water.

Price: $145.00
$125.00Price:

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Peaceable New England Printed Floorcloth 24" X 36"

The original painting of this design was developed over a three month period, when Lisa studied the Peacable Kingdom paintings of Edward Hicks. She reworked the theme to represent her pairings of wild and domestic animals living peaceably together in the fields of Vermont.

Use this on the floor or hang it as a wall decoration. Cleans easily with mild soap and warm water.

Price: $145.00
$125.00Price:

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Quails and Grapes Printed Floorcloth 24" X 36"

The original floorcloth painting for this design was developed from an Early American painted tin tray. It is done in beautiful shades of green, gold and copper with leaves stamped around the border.

Use this on the floor or hang it as a wall decoration. Cleans easily with mild soap and warm water.

Price: $145.00
$125.00Price:

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Tumbling Blocks Printed Floorcloth 30" X 72"

From John Carwitham’s set of “Designs for Floorcloths and Inlaid Floors” from the mid 1700′s, the Tumbling Blocks floorcloth is wonderful in a hallway or in front of a kitchen sink. This one is printed in black, gray and rose.

Use this on the floor. Cleans easily with mild soap and warm water.

Price: $195.00
$175.00Price:

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Bordered Pineapples Printed Floorcloth 30" X 72"

The original floorcloth, painted by Lisa Curry Mair, is in Dorset Gold, Richmond Gold, Black, Cottage Red and Burgundy. The pineapples were hand-stamped throughout the design, using a stamp made by the artist. This would be perfect in an Early American hallway or country kitchen.

Use this on the floor. Cleans easily with mild soap and warm water.

Price: $195.00
$175.00Price:

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Wreaths and Diamonds Printed Floorcloth 36" X 60"

This is a beautiful design using stenciled wreaths to encircle the border. The central black diamonds set off the Richmond Gold background and the deep green details. This design is based on 19th century painted floor patterns and works well in all kinds of situations.

Use this on the floor. Cleans easily with mild soap and warm water.

Price: $195.00
$175.00Price:

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Here’s the schedule:

Friday, November 16

5:00 pm to 10:00 pm  Grand Re-Opening Reception- Meet Lisa Curry Mair, tour the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and workshop , browse designs, see works in progress and enter to win a Canvasworks Floorcloth. Please email the studio (lisa(at)canvasworksfloorcloths.com) with your name  and phone number if you plan to attend  on Friday night.

Saturday, November 17

10:00 am Studio Doors Open. Meet Lisa Curry Mair, tour the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and workshop , browse designs, see works in progress and enter to win a Canvasworks Floorcloth.

11:00 am Demonstration “How to Stencil on Canvas”

11:30 am Workshop “Learn How to Cut Your Own Stencils”

Workshop 1: How to Cut Your Own Stencil

In this workshop you will learn how to manipulate a design and make it your own, and make it exactly the size you need. Then you will cut your own stencil which you can use to make your own floorcloth, placemats or canvas table runner at home. This is a great skill to have. Stop spending so much money on stencils that aren’t quite the right size!

Please sign up now so we will have enough materials on hand for you.

$10.00Price:

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1:00 pm  Meet Lisa Curry Mair, tour the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and workshop , browse designs, see works in progress and enter to win a Canvasworks Floorcloth.

2:00 pm Demonstration “How to Stamp a Design on Canvas”

2:30 pm Workshop 2 “Learn to Create Your Own Stamps”

Workshop 2: How to Make a Stamp

In this workshop you will learn how to create a foam stamp using your own design. Then you will cut and glue a stamp which you can use to make your own floorcloth, placemats or canvas table runner at home. Stamping is fun, simple and a rewardingly fast way to create a pattern. This is a great kid’s project!

$10.00Price:

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3:30 Meet Lisa Curry Mair, tour the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and workshop , browse designs, see works in progress and enter to win a Canvasworks Floorcloth.

5:00 pm Studio Doors Close

Sunday, November 18

10:00 am Studio Doors Open. Meet Lisa Curry Mair, tour the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and workshop , browse designs, see works in progress and enter to win a Canvasworks Floorcloth.

11:00 am Demonstration: “John Carwitham Designs- Geometric Patterns from 1739 ”

11:30 Workshop 3 ” Learn to Marbleize Paint on Canvas”

Workshop 3: How to Create a Marble Texture on Canvas

In this workshop you’ll get down and dirty and learn how to wash, swirl and stipple to make realistic-looking marble using paint, brushes, rags and other fun tools on canvas samples. With this knowledge in hand, you’ll be able to create your own Carwitham floorcloth masterpieces!

$10.00Price:

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1:00 pm  Meet Lisa Curry Mair, tour the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and workshop , browse designs, see works in progress and enter to win a Canvasworks Floorcloth.

2:00 pm Demonstration “My Cousin, Rufus Porter!”

2:30 pm Workshop 4 “Learn to Paint a Tree Using a Brush and Sponge ”

Workshop 4: How to Paint a Folk Art Tree

In this workshop, you’ll learn an effective way to paint a beautiful, realistic tree on canvas. This is a fun, easy way to achieve great results when painting landscapes on floorcloths or murals.

$10.00Price:

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3:30 Meet Lisa Curry Mair, tour the 200-year old farmhouse, studios, gallery and workshop , browse designs, see works in progress and enter to win a Canvasworks Floorcloth.

5:00 pm Studio Doors Close

I have a long (35′) closet running down the entire long side. I am determined to make this storage space useful and accessible, something I have never been very good at! There’s room for my office at the top of the stairs. I’ll be able to roll my chair back and gaze out the patio doors to the pond and back yard- lots of inspiration for my murals and folk art paintings.

I’m sill working on the tables. I want three 4′ X 8′ tables at 35″ high. My plan is to be able to pull these together to create an 8′ X 12′ table for painting and finishing floorcloths or for working on murals, and I would also like to be able to separate the tables so I can conduct my classes up there, with 2 or 3 people at each table, with room to move around between them. Just to complicate matters, I’d also like to be able to break the tables down and store them in the closet so I can have access to the full floor for large floorcloths and murals. Please let me know if you have any great ideas of how I can do that!

Plans are underway for a Grand Opening of the new studio. On November 16 from 5pm-10pm there will  be a Wine and Cheese Reception. On November 17 and 18 the studio will be open with demonstrations, classes and tours throughout both days. Keep checking back here for details or “like” Canvasworks on FaceBook for even more information.

Lisa will setup a site visit with you and come to your New England-area* home. She will take measurements and photographs of the prospective mural room(s) and discuss with you the theme of your mural, the elements requested (historical buildings, specific animals, ships, trees and plants, etc.). Within a few weeks, Lisa will create a painted sketch (on canvas) of your mural. With this sketch, she is able to transpose the scene to the photos of the room, allowing you to see exactly what your mural will look like on your wall. At this point you can suggest changes to the scenes and double check the measurements.

Over the next several months Lisa will paint the murals on canvas in her studio. Unlike her relative, Rufus Porter, she will not be underfoot in your home! Lisa uses a wet on wet techniques (very similar to watercolors) to create very soft skies and backgrounds. These are applied while the canvas is lying flat- impossible to do vertically on the wall! When the mural is complete it is rolled and shipped to your home. A professional wallpaper hanger will apply the mural using heavy wallpaper adhesive. The finished product looks like it has been painted directly on the wall and the bonus is if you move to a different house you can take the mural with you and hang it again!

Call the studio to discuss pricing and to set up a site review.

To see more mural images and folk art, go to Canvasworks’ sister site http://currymairdesigns.com.

*If you live outside of the New England area, the site review can be done by Skype. Lisa will walk you through the measuring and photographing process.