First, I would like to thank everyone who attended the Girdwood Christmas Bazaar and especially those who brought home a piece of Stray Goose Studio for themselves or a gift! Your support is greatly appreciated and I consider the sale a success thanks to you:)

Second, since another week has flown by bringing us all that much closer to Christmas, here are the details for Stray
Goose Studio's Open Studio Hours:

This weekend, December 11th & 12th Open Hours: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Next weekend, December 18th & 19th Open Hours: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

The address is: 241 Higher Terrace here in Girdwood (see map)—feel free to park on the left and (carefully!) go down wooden steps to the lower tiny red cabin. You will be able to browse ready made items for sale as well as see the processes behind how they are made, ask questions and get more of my story as a maker. If you think you would like to place a custom order or customization request and have it made by Christmas the order deadline is Saturday the 19th (so long as you don't require shipping time, if you would like time to ship take that into consideration!)

In other news it is shaping up to be a great winter here in Girdwood! I am excited to have been getting out and enjoying the good weather and winter scenery. Yesterday was the first backcountry ski tour of my season and while I need to re-acquaint myself will how to ski powder (!!) it felt great to skin up a mountain again. Every year it becomes easier, the muscle memory surprisingly still there, and more fun. Always good to have a tired, happy dog as well! I will post some pictures soon, keep in touch!

Well, I have to say I am enjoying being self employed! My life for the past few weeks has consisted to getting out into the cold clear weather we have been having here, encouraging my legs to run, and preparing inventory for the upcoming Girdwood Christmas Bazaar where I will have a booth on December 5th. With the days being as short as they already are it feels like that's all there is time for... still, there is something comforting about the quiet, cozy way November is in Alaska. So soon true winter will hit, the snow will fall, the people who are all over the world soaking up sun-beams will return and life will accelerate towards the hyper-active outdoor lifestyle of a ski town. Till then I'm content making my wares and going for icy runs with my Finn dog, uninterrupted.

Here are a few shots of snow and ice as well as a few showing the process behind the new card cases I made the other morning. Check out the finnished product out at www.straygoosestudio.etsy.com! As always but especially with my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving, approaching I want to thank those who have helped me get to this point where I can call myself a professional artist (at least in the winter!) full time. I could not be here without the support and encouragement from my friends and loving family!

As of October 17th Stray Goose Studio has unpacked and launched into studio work with vigor and a deadline. With Christmas not far away I've been busily restocking my inventory for Sevigny Studio as well as to re-establish my online shop, hopefully to open in the next couple weeks. It feels good to re-make my studio space (especially since this time is better than ever!) and re-direct my mindset towards making.
It was a very taxing work season fishing this summer which then rolled right into adventure travel time without so much as a pause. Always living life by the seat of my pants; I rented the space in which I now reside over the phone while visiting my sister in New York. Thankfully it all worked out!
There is nothing better than after months of upheaval and uncertainty to have all my belonging in one place, under a dry roof, with a comfortable bed in the corner, a Finn dog nestled into the pillows and time to relax--literally since May 11th. Of course I couldn't really rest until everything was unpacked, organized and the gaps filled with things from thrift stores and Costco... Just having my own space and quiet is lovely, even inspiring. I want to go run. I want to sit at my freshly build jewelers bench and crank out earrings late into the night!
Pictured here are a few peaks at what I have been up to in the last week as well as a few shots of my new little home. As always, feedback is appreciated and stay tuned for more!

For those of you following along it may be apparent that my pre-fishing season boat work continued seamlessly into the actual fishing season with barely a breath of down time... that by way of apology for my lack of presence here but until September 1st I am at the whim of my Captain and the behavior of the fish we seek! So far the fishing has been slow to start; we have been very busy as a crew however, getting the boat in order and working kinks out of our operation. Just a few little projects left, which is why I have time to account for that here, and then closures might be a little more relaxing (if nothing breaks and something always does but that's fishing).
As for art, my First Friday opening at Sevigny Studio back in May went well. I sold three pieces the night of the event and Katie and Bill were excited about my work bring featured over the summer. Hopefuly it continues to sell, it would be pretty neat to come home from fishing and have sold out... maybe wishful but hey, worth shooting high.  Just before I left all my new work in their hands I did photpgraph it for straygoosestudio.com but it's only now that I have posted it. Take a look; feedback is always appreciated!
With that, I am off to the Fat Mermaid here in Valdez for the wood fired pizza and a beer. Will do my best to catch up again when possible and, fingers crossed, post pictures of some giant sets!