“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.~James Baldwin

Good Morning,

It has been a very heavy week around the world...I have more to say about that in my note...but for now...I am going to fill your eyes with beautiful images of nature...
 

Blooms and Light

Sometimes the most surprising and wonderful things happen. I gathered this group of FLOWERS for a photo shoot and placed them in the kitchen sink to use the next day.

I puttered around for a few minutes and went back into the kitchen to find the EVENING LIGHT peeking through the window illuminating the flowers....be still my heart! 

"We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity." ~Malcolm X
 

In the Garden 

Wildflowers....

Our neighbor gave me a giant bag of wildflower seeds to plant in our garden and they are blooming! I call them our "micro greens" because they are very densely planted and looked like baby salad greens when they started to sprout. 
 

Tiny blooms are starting to appear...

Bees are buzzing around the plants...

I can't describe the delight I feel when I see such artistry in nature..look closely at these beautiful stripes! 

How to Build a Flower Arrangement 

Start with a base foliage like dusty miller and add a few "draping" flowers. 

Cut excess foliage from flower stems to help preserve water freshness. 

Continue adding layers of flowers in the center of the bouquet.

Add a focal point like these dark peonies. 

Add pops of color (peach roses) to draw your eye around the arrangement.

Finish with a "surprise" element like these tiny iris. 

Change water often for longer lasting bouquets. 
 

The Poppy 

Taking a closer look...

at the life cycle of a poppy...

beautiful at every stage...
 

In the Studio

We LOVE seeing our linens in "the wild."

This image is from @mantelandtable. Barbara wrote a blog post about Made on 23rd linens and how she styled a tablescape using our raw-edge napkins and a blush table runner. Pop over and have a read here.

Thank you Barbara! 
 

Our county moved to Phase 2 last week in response to the Covid outbreak and many stores and restaurants have opened with limited occupancy. We will continue our contact-less curbside pick-up process for local customers....Your purchase will be waiting for you on the steps just inside the studio door.

My husband will have knee replacement surgery next week so our household and studio are still on strict quarantine. 
 

Note: Open Studios of Clark County has been CANCELED  this year (first weekend of November) and many many local artists count on that event to support and sustain their businesses. Covid has taken a huge toll on independent artists. Galleries have been closed, workshops and maker markets have been cancelled, and artists are finding it hard to show their work. Please continue to support local artists by reaching out to them! They will not survive without our support! You will find a list of Open Studio Artists here and more featured artists on our blog! 

Featured Project 

Our Linen Throw Sale has been extended!

The new BLUSH and CURRY linens create the perfect pop of color for Summer decorating and outdoor Picnics! Click this link to see all the colors!

If you missed this in our last newsletter, here is a video that shows several different ways to style a throw. 

Shop Linen Throws

Just for Fun 

Workshop Calendar  

We will resume our creative workshops as soon as we feel it is safe! Watch for classes and dates!

If you are interested in Zoom style workshops please let me know at deb@madeon23rd.com

A Note from Deb 

This has been an "uncomfortable" week for most of us. There have been protests around the world as people are outraged by the death of George Floyd and the continued racism and injustice against the BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) community.

The Instagram Community challenged us to black out our screens, be quiet, listen, and learn about racism. It was a time for education...little sleep...wrestling with our own uncomfortableness...self reflection...and a desire to understand. 

I usually stay away from politics and hot topics on my platforms but I have learned that being silent is a betrayal to ourselves and others that need our support. "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." ~Martin Luther King Jr. 

If we are white...we are guilty of racism...that is very uncomfortable to say and to write. A white person can never understand what BIPOC experience. But...we can learn to be antiracist and that is work we must all do!  

“The heartbeat of antiracism is self-reflection, recognition, admission and fundamentally self-critique,” he said. “While a racist when charged with racism will say, ‘I’m not a racist,’ no matter what they said or did, an antiracist would be willing to confess and recognize what they just said or did was, in fact, racist.”
~Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Antiracist 

Julia Schostak, our daughter's partner, created an extensive ANTI-RACISM RESOURCE list that I think you will find very helpful! Thank you Julia for sharing this list with us! 

Until next time,