It was the spring art tour in Wisconsin along the Mississippi River a couple of weekends ago. As I've said before the small towns and bluff country here are some of our favorite places to go. Private studios and galleries open their doors to the public and show everything from pottery to glass, paintings, and fiber arts.
Of course, on of the first places we stopped was the Stockholm Garden Center. They sell perennnials,annuals, and shrubs. I found my Coral Charm peony here so grabbed that right away! Also picked up a red variety peony, a scarlet flowering geum, and a clematis. My next purchase will include some of these icelandic poppies for my cutting garden strip. I love the orange!
I also may include some oriental poppies if I think I can keep them under control.
I don't think you can beat orange and purple as a combination.
This is the icelandic poppies with some euphorbia.
The alliums were really banging it out! These look great with anything silvery gray.
I love the idea of these bird forms that were outside one of the shops. Filled with soil and moss
and then planted with sempervivums they will be so pretty when they fill in. I personally think they need a few more plants though.
This shop (Palate) has a wonderful collection of gourmet items and kitchen goods.
And this is the gallery (Abode) and the Stockholm Pie Shop. We plan to work our way through all the pies!
This building use to be an antique store and has just recently opened as a B&B.
This little shop next to the gallery specializes in Wisconsin made cheeses, preserves, wine, and beer. Their spicy tomato currant jam is fantastic!
One town further south, the town of Pepin, is where you find this gallery. Saw some beautiful hooked rugs done by a local author/ fiber artist, Mary Logue.
And now for my one and only purchase of the day- a pottery wren house from Stockholm Pottery. Looks great in one of my gardens and will remind me of such a great day!
This last weekend was the fall Fresh Art Tour along the river in Wisconsin. The weather was pretty good, especially on Friday- sunny and warm. We started in the village of Maiden Rock where two galleries were participating- Secret Heart and Swan Song. The latter carries some of our work so we set up a table outside for a few hours on Friday. Of course my most favorite thing to do was sit on the porch of the Smiling Pelican Bakery, drink coffee, eat the most delicious quiche and banana cream pie, and soak up the sun.This bakery is always our first stop when we come down and it has been closed all of this year for remodeling.
The porch has been extended outwards and wrapped around the side to increase seating. Usually it is so crowded by 9:00 the line extends out the door and you're lucky to get a table. The food is so good I have never seen anyone leave the line out of frustration. Well worth the wait! We drove up into the bluffs- colors just changing beautifully so we should have a couple more drives to enjoy peak color- and bought goat cheese at a family farm on the tour. The woman there also weaves rugs.
A stop in Stockholm netted me homemade fudge at the candy store and a visit to the antique store where I bought this 'cat' basket for only $3.00! I loved the green color and the cute little wooden carved cat.
I'm putting it in my kitchen for now, but it would be ideal for holding yarn so it may end up elsewhere.
The Abode Gallery is another must when in Stockholm. This visit I purchased some repurposed ornaments made from recycled steel.
They are made by a young woman,Tammy Roy, and as you can see they are fashioned from bits and pieces of steel and wire bent into leaf shapes.
I hung them with another of my purchases- a handmade punctured tin star ornament from another shop in Pepin.This shop carried hand forged iron cooking utensils and tinwork along with handwoven baskets and redware pottery. It was like a step back to the 18th-19th century. I thought the dark patina of the steel leaves contrasted with the shiny tin star was so pretty.
I also purchased some bird and leaf shaped tin cookie cutters. Decorating these cookies should be fun!
I also picked up some sarongs at a shop in Stockholm. I really like using them for table runners.
The colors are so beautiful and I have never paid more then $15.00 for one.
All in all it was a wonderful tour!
