Teena Flanner

Babies, lilacs, life!

My life has been rich and bountiful, joyful and like any life well or otherwise lived, has had sadness. My mom died in March and we all memorialized Elnora Marjorie in Colorado.  My son-in-law, Joe , drove his very pregnant wife Katie, 2 year old Jack, sister-in-law Susannah and me ( his mother-in-law, yikes!) across many, many hours of black ice in Iowa. I thought it was a wonderful tribute to a grandma who has not recognized any of us for years , for all of her grandchildren and great grandchildren to assemble as family. My son Chris chose to drive  instead of  fly, from Nevada , so we could all meet his "newish" 12 year old german shepard Miranda. Color group photo is "us" in Colorado at one of our favorite, corny,  fun places.

On April 9 our newest and still sleepiest ,little person arrived, Abbey Jane. A doll of course!

My shops have been patient because at this stage of my life and career, I shut down my studio for long periods to enjoy and experience life. After my long ago divorce in 1991, I did nothing but work and take care of my children , as their sole support. Now I work when I wish, plant and garden, travel a little bit, get up in the morning and walk my dogs or today, pick huge fresh bunches of lilacs, tulips, iris, some transplanted from my home in Virginia. What I am trying to say is that during the long, cold days of winter I may work all night, when my grandbabies are busy I put in long hours . I love my papier mache and will probably never stop creating new and old pieces.

My largest order for this month came from a lovely shop in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, Christina's of Stone Harbor. It was great fun, all mermaids and patriotic children and fun, summery stuff. Christine's in Mountain Brook Alabama ordered some lovely wedding pieces, the flower basket from my book and the beach children.

so now some photos to accompany the words above!!!!

This season is so beautiful that I can hardly stand it....

Papier mache and Christmas and family

Regular readers can skip the part where I keep mentioning my book, think I need to mention it as much as possible to keep it fresh for new readers of my blog! Pictures mostly today!   

we take gingerbread house making very seriously!

think I need a permanent red eye reducer for all these blonds!   

     angel clutching her teddy bear, we love teddy bears...old mohair bears, artist made bears, well loved raggedy bears.....

Edwardian wedding and reception

these are the photos of the introduction of my little bridal party of snowpeople!

The actual wedding

                                                                           

The word bridesmaid means she is servant to the bride!

this little bride does not need a bustle!

posing quickly, before anyone melts!

Atlanta gift show!

A little late for New Year's resolutions but finally they are becoming clear.Had a fabulous time in Atlanta at the gift show! Amazing creative spirits whom I consider friends , like  Charlotte Lyons, Wendy Addison,  and Rosemary and  Marsha from Tinsel Trading in NYC , Bethany and Bruce from Bethany Lowe designs, original artists, unique all of them! and they were all there! Hank and Lynda Hawley, my roommate in ATL , Donna Hamilton from Hearts and Ivy. I do consider all of us pioneers in what we do , tho' still young and beautiful...how DO  we do that!!I did not have time to find Debbee Thibault ,  an amazing artist when in Atlanta. And the shops and collectors, where would we be without their enthusiasm and energy.

will write more later and hopefully daily.  I would like to design gift wrap  and stationery and.....

Teena

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Happy holidays to mall!              

some of these creations now live in North Carolina with my new friend Susan............My son, Uncle Chris, reading to Jack ABOVE!

icicles over my studio..................................

Teena                                                                             Midwest Santa

Thanksgiving! Pilgrims! turkeys!

  Such a busy time of year for everyone. I am getting ready for a nice Thanksgiving week-end with my family. Packing the last of the orders for shops and trying to enjoy these unusual warm autumn days, planning a speech I am making and for an upcoming book signing at our library. Just enjoy your pre-holiday activities! Perhaps I can take Will for his last fetch and swim day at the beach!

Teena

Mermaids and hydrangeas

Mermaids and hydrangeas. Okay, I no longer live near the coast unless you count 17 miles from Lake Michigan but I  love all things coastal.

Not the sexy sirens but the magical mermaids are in my mind this month. I kept my Norfolk house so perhaps I can still be coastal!

  she is a bit seductive I   will admit!

Many of my shells come from estate sales so perhaps the damage is already done. does anyone know how to tell which seashells are being harvested and in a sad way?

Teena

Victoria , the beautiful magazine is back!

www.teenaflanner.com

Victoria the lovely magazine is back! The first "new" issue will be near the end of the year. People have inquired which issue featured my papier mache . Here are 2 pages from December 2001. It was a fabulous experience. The editors and photographer were wonderful. They arrived from NYC in the morning and after the work and after lunch , we wandered around an old section of Norfolk and found an old bookstore. One of our group collected vintage etiquette books...oh ,how we have changed!.. and we found one she did not have.

My daughter Susannah helped us do the styling and it was a memorable day.

Family wedding!

It would be so wonderful to have my creative mind and

be technical. photos from "wedding "are all a jumble!

The little threesome is the recent bride, my niece, Kara, surrounded by her groom Mark, (with the top hat) and brother, my nephew Kyle. I use molds for my work but a little customizing is quite fun, hair color etc. The bride and her brother have dark shiny hair and the colors were a luscious fuchsia and orange. It was a wedding that all weddings should be, beautiful, friendly and a re-gathering of far extended family and family of the heart. The bride had a personal handwritten note at each place. Just a memorable affair, perfect actually.

Norfolk and Mermaids

I went to Norfolk to visit my cotswold cottage.I had lived in both Virginia and Wisconsin for many years but now lease this home to a wonderful man who loves and maintains my gardens.        sorry girls, this is how mermaids in Wisconsin spend the winter!

             

           !

weddings

My niece , Kara, is getting married this July, to a wonderful guy name Mark. The wedding is right in the middle of my summer show. I want to be there because I have missed many important events for years and years with my travel schedule. Surely I  am old enough now to get an alternate plan!

My geneticist brother Mark, a different Mark , is flying in from D.C. tomorrow, he ordered "warm weather" yikes, this is Wisconsin. He is no stranger to snow as we are all from Colorado and he goes almost each week-end.We are all so excited!

daffodils and tulips!

Happy waning winter, a time to dream of spring when all is still snowy!

teenaflannerstudio@yahoo.com

The Easter is in a few select wonderful shops. If you are interested,please email me. If I have a shop in your area ,I will direct you, if not, I will quote you a price. All of my work is ltd edition, signed.

Teena

studio shots

A place all my own to work and sit and to find  inspiration.

Snow

How lovely it is in Elm Grove today.Fresh snow each day makes me want to just stay in my studio and have a fire all day long. Sort of a lull in my life, before the book staff arrives(tonight), before my 70 year old elm is felled (Monday)and before my youngest daughter and her enthusiastic dog, Norman, comes to town, tomorrow.He tries to play with my old Charlie and I give him an "A" for effort but Charlie doesn't get it.

I will put up a couple of photos of ideas I have for the book, preliminary shoot ideas. I will try to be more interesting next week!

We are doing 4 seasons so I have a Thanksgiving and autumn room set up, Winter with Christmas and winter ideas, a Summer room(the hardest on a snowy day of Feb 1 and Spring with lots of bunnies, daffodils and vintage millinery. Spring is always so easy to imsagine in Feb as the days are getting longer and flower markets, even the local giant Pick 'n Save has bulbs growing in little pots. My forced narcissus have all wilted so I am going to purchase a few plus summer garden flowers.

This book has been fun and a lot of work. Have a lovely February  .

Teena

Birthday

Today is my birthday.Tomorrow I will begin anew...on this blog and with my new age!

My sweet little Charlie's last week-end.

Book shoot this week-end. I have a make up pers on, a couch on end in the middle of the kitchen and lots of props for the stylist and photographer, they will be here for 3 days!Promise to be more interesting next week!

Teena