We Proudly Introduce
Our Guest Artist, Kathi Robinaugh
She began creating as a child, and has done Primitive painting, sewing, and stitchery, and altered art. She also has enjoyed doing shows, consignment, mall booths, antique booths and a little wholesale. She is now primarily selling online. ( you can see her shops to the far right side bar listings) After several years of scrapbooking the kids' pictures, she began to do other papercraft type projects and is currently focused on primitive and whimsical altered art, such as handmade journals, prim tags, and anything else she can find to alter! Her customers appreciate that she has an eye for design. She is talented in visualizing things in her mind as she shops and creates items in non traditional designs. I received a catalog from a wholesaler today and it was all sheep, willow trees, stars and crows. I have to admit, I am really tiring of that look, probably because of "over kill" in the market. When I looked through Kathi's many Esty web sites, I was immediately challenged as a crafter, as I found her ideas all new and refreshing to see! I love her use of nostalgic prints, and bringing the past to the present through her creations. It reminds me of a nostalgic time when the simple things in life were revered. One thing she has shared on her blog recently was her love of her grandmother who passed when Kathi was 25 yrs. She had been a huge influence to Kathi, living next door, and they no doubt felt very close to each other. When I look at Kathi's work, I can actually sense the feeling of her having known and loved such a person.
Her granny has been an inspiration to her in her work, even yet today
When the heart weeps for what it has lost,
the spirit laughs for what it has found.
SUFISM
Over the years, I have seen and have worked with some of the most talented people you could ever meet.. Kathi Robinaugh is no exception, as she is right up there amongst the best. She knows a great deal about design and follows her instinctive creative abilities and runs with it! Kathi's work has been featured in Country Marketplace and Merchantile Gatherings Magazines, and on the cover of the Ohio Country Register
Kathi and Darin are involved with their church family, reaching out to others. She sings in the worship team (she says she \loves , singing for people, and mostly for GOD is something she's always wanted to do), tutors children one afternoon a week, and works in the food panty and soup kitchen when she can. They were "youth sponsors" with the high school kids for 2 years, helping them plan fundraisers, taking them on trips and outings, etc. Kathi recently shared with me that even though she is not baptized Mennonite, they attend a Mennonite church, and live according to the Mennonite beliefs. Kathi said " Its a modern Mennonite church...no buggies, cape dress or head coverings, and we all live in modern homes, etc. We use our lives to set us apart. I know I have become a much better person since we've been going, and at the same time, achieved some of my dreams while doing it. And made many close friends, and casual friends, in the church family. Those are the friends that stayed with me and brought food, movies, and coffee-drinks-that-don't-taste-like-coffee when I was on crutches, thank God for them! "
Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun. ~George Scialabba
The following also explains a lot of what Kathi is about. I was reading her blog the other day and read a post she wrote, that was so profound, I have asked to share it and her pictures here with you. It is one thing to be a talented artist, but rare to write about some one you are certain, God inspires their work. If you can read this and not have a lump left in your throat and a desire to do better...read it again..this is powerful testimony to what faith means.
(Hello! We spent most of June on the road...4 hotels in 4 weeks, and thousands of miles walked, it seems! We are youth sponsors at church, and last week went with them to the Mennonite Church Convention in Columbus, Ohio, about an hour from home. This story has a funny part, but also has some very sad parts and gets a bit preachy, just a warning....) While we were in Columbus last week, every night we'd run across a few people begging for change for bus fare. After the first night Trace (my 10 year old son) said he had 42 cents that he wanted to give this woman that was needing bus fare...I kind of discouraged him, but he didn't understand...and the more he questioned it, the less convinced I became of my own argument. And it was a little disturbing, watching her standing there begging, just wanting to get home, while thousands of Mennonites marched past her, ignoring her, carrying their $3 bottles of water.
The last day we were there, on the way to the convention center we passed a man holding a used paper cup, blank look in his face, weakly asking for change. My husband told him "sorry, I don't have any change", which wasn't true...I did have some, but it was in my phone case and hard to get to quickly. So before we walked back to the car, I got in my case and came up with a dollar bill and some coins, and put them in my pocket for easy access.
On the way back to the car late that night, he was still standing there, now slouching some and looking even more blank and tired. I went up to him and emptied the contents of my pocket in his cup...the funny part is, I also had our Subway receipt in my pocket, and accidently gave him that too...I realized it after I put it in...and of course, it's never a good idea to give your CC receipt to a bum, so I had to tell him, sorry, and get in the cup to pull it back out (imadork) When I did, I saw that he'd only had a few cents before I put mine in. He looked in my face with that blank stare, then in the cup, just staring....it was really sad.
Then Trace came up beside me and smiled, patting me on the back...
I can still see his sad face...if God is with US, then God is with him too. But he probably doesn't even know it.
Even if he does take it to buy alcohol, we all spend our money, which is so much more than he has, on foolish things too. So who are we to judge?
One of the stories we heard last week was about a group of nuns that were with Mother Teresa, and how they came to her one night telling of finding a woman in an alley, who had just given birth. The baby was stillborn and the rats were eating it. (I know, that's sickening and hard to hear) They asked her, where was GOD? She replied, "God was there....but where were God's people?"
That is something I will never forget, and all I could think that was God was with that man, while God's people just walked by...
Thank you Kathi for sharing your life and talents with us
here at the Carriage House!
Questionare..
Did you ever study art? no, unless you count in high school, and ceramic classes that I took for probably 10 years, starting at 16. That's a story, but I won't tell it here...not that exciting!
what and who first introduced you to altered art and making crafts? I started making things to sell in 1991, started on my front porch, and it grew into shows, consignment, etc. Then we got the internet! I was making a lot of primitive things...pillows, signs, etc, and started messing around with walnut ink and tags. Pretty soon, all I wanted to do was glue things! And stamp, and tear things apart....
where do you get your inspiration to make such wonderful items? mostly from my junking finds. Some of them just scream out what they want to be. Others I put somethings that look good together, then make up a little story about it. I'm also a magazine junky, and love all the Somerset magazines, and the paper craft magazines. I never copy anything, but it gets me "in the mood" to go make stuff. So I have to be careful when and where I read them! (I told Darin those magazines are like porn for crafters....but don't put that in the article, lol)
I have the sense from reading your blog, that you have a deep love of things past...was or is there someone in your life that influences you to turn the clock back in time when creating works of vintage art? I've always loved history, esp the 1800's, Civil War time, thanks to Laura Ingalls Wilder and Scarlett O'Hara. My whole family loves antiques and old stuff. My Granny Chic look is inspired by my Grandma, who I spent a lot of time with growing up. She died when I was 25 years old, and I had a very hard time with it. To make it worse, she lived behind us, so I could see her house from mine, and it was so hard, knowing she wasn't there anymore. But when we cleaned out her house, I brought a ton of stuff home, both to remember her by, and because it was just so cool! Even old wood clothespins remind me of her, as well as doilies, china, kitchen tools, etc. I have her piano, my clothes are in one of her dressers, etc For my last birthday, my parents gave me her sewing box that was always sitting out, and a big change purse that she carried her "bingo money" in. Those items are so precious to me.
Families ties are important to you...do your children/ Mr Whim enjoy your interest in altered art as well? Nope, and they don't get it either. They will help me with anything I need, like dying tags, sanding stuff, etc, and I have gotten Brody doing a bit of altered art, with his scrabble signs. He and Jordy both can draw really well, Jason is an excellent musician, and Trace is creative, but keeps it to his legos. My mom is an artist with a long history of different mediums. She can do things I can't, like drawing, crochet/knitting, and she is a perfect seamstress and makes quilts all the time. We try to scrapbook one day a week together, and my dad will hang around looking at what we do. He even will buy me scrapbook supplies that he thinks I will like, which is pretty cute. His claim to crafter fame is Buckeye necklaces (for the Ohio State Buckeyes), and a real cool looking bird feeder. But my grandmothers both made things, as well as my aunts and my one uncle is an excellent woodworker, as was my maternal grandfather
I see you like to personalize your work with photos of loved ones and often will change the photo to give an aged look or altering it a little for effect...what is your favorite program to use when uploading and editing photos? I use Picasa, which I downloaded free. I usually like it, but sometimes it will give me fits!
Do you ever do tutorials . If so, are they posted anywhere ? I have in the past, but I'm sure none of them are still floating around. I also did 2 or 3 projects for the now defunct Country Marketplace magazines, and one for Mercantile Gatherings. One of my goals for this year is to do projects like that on my blog. And to get up the nerve to send things to Somerset.
what is your favorite medium to work with? I love paper, old photos, charms, buttons, ink and stamps, paper flowers.old junk like keys, etc. I also love paint and like fabric. Mostly I just like mixing it all up!
Forums you participate or post at?? I post at P&R and the Keeping Room. . . I have others I belong to, like Lollishops, Old Farmhouse Gathering, Etsy Supply Street team (esteem) but I don't have enough time to interact with them much. I am also on the super sweet and friendly Cottage Style Street Team ...essteam on Etsy supply team , and will post in their threads on the etsy forums, but rarely post on any others there.
what was the one project you did that you knew was your best ( or your favorite) work? A few years ago, I did a collage in an old picture frame with no backing...used an old photo of 2 little girls on it, then added a nest with 2 eggs. I really loved it and kept it for myself (which I rarely do)
How many hours a day on the average do you work in the studio?. on days I'm off work, up to 6, counting packing orders. Somedays I can't get in there at all!
where are your favorite "hang outs" to find items to do altered art with? The Urbana Ohio Flea Market (small but full of goodies at good prices and dealers willing to haggle), Goodwill, there's a good resale store about 30 miles away, that always has some good finds.Sometimes craft stores, but there is nowhere but Wal-Mart to buy craft supplies, within 30 miles. Also garage sales, or the famous Springfield Antique Show and Flea Market.
Favorite blogs sites you like to visit for inspiration for the type of craft you do? I occasionally visit favorite blogs, but none regularly, I just don't have time. Most of the ones I visit are my friends, to see what they are doing and how they are.
I do like Everyday is a Holiday http://everyday-is-a-holiday.blogspot.com/ Just because it is so darn cute, and Jenny and Aaron are always doing something fun!
http://lollishops.blogspot.com because I am a member there, and wish I had more time to spend there, doing challenges and what not
Tina from Denmark is one of my etsy friends...we buy from each other and swap fairly often! http://tinybear-dk.blogspot.com/
Deb Neerman was a customer from back in the ebay heydays, we still chat but not enough (sorry!), and she is so nice, funny, and of course, uber talented! http://debneerman.blogspot.com
Jan is another ebay idol turned customer, turned friend...she loves me and I love her, but again, I am terrible at keeping up with emails. She is a lot of fun, wild ideas and just a blast to "hang out" with http://polkadotbarn.blogspot.com/
Steph is a good friend of mine, also in the SSODS street team, and we've hung out in real life too, which is pretty cool. Tons of talent too! http://sunshinenravioli.blogspot.com
I have several of your webistes already listed Are there any places in Ohio that you presently sell items (shows, shops or malls?) There is one, The Marketplace, here in West Liberty that I sell a bit at, but that's all.
What are your favorite things to do when no crafting ? scrapbooking, junking, shopping at real stores for clothes, shoes, purses and of course, craft supplies. Like I said, hanging out with Mr Whim or my kids, parents, or going to Bible study or out for coffee with my friends. I also like to read, but rarely do. And I like organizing!
Flowers for kathi to say...thank you!
