<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html lang="EN" dir="ltr" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-16"/> <title>News from the Treetops Studios - 2008</title> <meta name="description" content="Elaine Dendy and John Dendy live and work in their home studio north of Victoria, near Sidney, Brentwood Bay and the Butchart Gardens. We design and produce unique, exhibition quality, outerwear for women."/> <meta name="keywords" content="knit lace, shawl, wrap, mohair, cotton, lavender, earth tone, heather, McMorran's Beach House, Gulf Islands, hummingbirds, colored pencils, soapstone carving, Adobe Resort, Arts Council, volunteers, Tulista Park"/> <link rel = "stylesheet" type = "text/css" href = "../home.css"/> </head> <body> <div id = "pagebox"><a name="pagetop"></a> <h2>THE TREETOPS STUDIOS - SAANICHTON</h2> <p id = "navbarup"> &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../index.html">Enter</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../home.html">Home</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../tour/tour.html">Tour the Studios</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../fabart/fabart.html">Fabric Arts</a> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../visart/visart.html">Visual Arts</a>--> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../workshop/workshop.html">The Workshop</a>--> <br /> <a href="../study/study.html">The Study</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../gallery/gallery.html">The Gallery</a> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../commune/commune.html">Our Community</a>--> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../links/links.html">Links</a>--> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../gglsrch.html">Search</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="#Contact">Contact Us</a> </p> <div><p>&nbsp;</p></div> <!-- explicit vspacer --> <h1>WELCOME TO THE TREETOPS STUDIOS</h1> <div id = "textimgbox"> <div><p>&nbsp;</p></div> <!-- explicit vspacer --> <a name="maintable"></a> <div id = "roombox"> <div id = "roomtable"> <table border="1" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="10"> <colgroup align="left"> <col width="125"/> <col align="center"/> </colgroup> <tr><th>Back Issues</th> <td><a href="newsfa03.html">2003</a> - <a href="newsfa04.html">2004</a> - <a href="news05.html">2005</a> - <a href="news06.html">2006</a> - <a href="news07.html">2007</a></td></tr> <tr><th><a href="#1Mar">1 March, 2008</a></th> <td><a href="#1Mar">Starting up 2008</a> - <a href="#1Mar1">Winter Works - In Progress!</a></td></tr> <tr><th><a href="#1Jul">1 July, 2008</a></th> <td><a href="#1Jul">Spring "Marches" On</a> - <a href="#1Jul1">The Shawls of 2008</a> - <a href="#1Jul2">See Us at the "Artisans 2008" Show &amp; Sale</a></td></tr> <tr><th><a href="#1Sep">1 September, 2008</a></th> <td><a href="#1Sep1">"Artisans 2008" Show</a> - <a href="#1Sep2">Of Seals &amp; Shawls</a></td></tr> <tr><th><a href="#31Dec">31 December, 2008</a></th> <td><a href="#31Dec1">"Elle Scarf"</a> - <a href="#31Dec2">Of Coloured Pencils</a> - <a href="#31Dec3">A Working Vacation</a> - <a href="#31Dec4">The Artisans @ Christmas Show</a> - <a href="#31Dec5">Winter on the Coast</a></td></tr> </table> <a name="31Dec"></a><h4>31 December, 2008</h4> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td colspan="2"><p>Well folks, welcome the end of another busy year on "The Island". We're running months behind on these updates. But, hang in there. All sorts of interesting things are going on.</p> <a name="31Dec1"></a><p><strong>"Elle Scarf"</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; This part of the story all starts with Elaine thinking 'outside the box' - again. For several seasons she has been experimenting with making the knit wrap a more efficient and versatile garment. No, of course we have not forgotten about style and comfort. But what about ways to make the garment easier to produce and easier to wear? One of the first steps was a return to the basic poncho idea. Why not a very light weight version? Why not make two rectangles with the same width and length? Then stitch them together along the long sides, leaving a gap in the middle of the stitching for the head to go through. Ponchos are normally worn in the traditional front-to-back manner. With a very light weight fabric this variant 'poncho' could be rotated to expose one arm or the other and not sag or slip off a shoulder. It could even be worn like a <a href="#1Jul1">wrap</a>, with one end thrown back over a shoulder. John christened them 'The World's Biggest Button Hole' series. They sold well in spite of that.</p> <p>The general idea of a garment with a hole in it stayed with Elaine. She has been experimenting with designs for a small two-piece women's knit scarf. One line of thought involved assembling two smallish rectangles, long side to short side, into something like a letter 'L'. The vertical, and longer, part of the 'L' goes up and round the neck. The shorter, horizontal, panel then wraps around the returning end of the long panel to make a loose tie - a bit like wearing a man's tie. The project was christened the 'L Scarf' of course.</p> <p>That concept evolved, almost immediately, into the very decorative scarf/tie that you can see in the image on the left below. Elaine folded the shorter panel back upon itself and stitched it down to form a long loop - a channel that the longer panel could be easily threaded through to form a dickey, a tie, a neck warmer, a scarf, or whatever. Along the way the name evolved as well. The yarn in one test model gave the 'L' scarf a very Latin look. So naturally, that was the 'El Scarf'. From that point on the possibilities for developing the basic design idea grew very quickly. We finally settled on a more general name, the 'Elle Scarf': much more feminine, of course, and a reference to Elaine's french-canadian heritage. (Those of you that know a bit of French will have noted that Elaine's e-mail identity is '<a href="#Contact">e-laine</a>', a gentle pun on wool in the e-world.)</p> <p>The customer response was immediate. So, the puns aside, at this point we knew that we were on to something interesting. Elaine submitted a short article to Mary Anne Oger's <a href="http://www.knitwords.com/previous.html">KnitWORDS</a> magazine. You can see that at page 42 of issue #42, Spring 2009. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a> </p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="../images/n08093.jpg" class="imgtblctr" width="194" height="302" alt="Elle Scarf"/></td> <td><img src="../images/n08103.jpg" class="imgtblctr" width="193" height="302" alt="Elle Wrap"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><p>It is important to take care with these sorts of namings to firm up your artistic identity. In Elaine's case it is particularly important as she has mastered the art of going off in two directions simultaneously. Of course, that isn't possible in the so-called 'real' world. But in the design world it can happen at any time - and without warning. Part way along the pathway to the 'Elle Scarf' Elaine realized that some of the work on foldings that had gone into the early versions of the design could be applied to smaller single panel wrap. The Treetops Studios have produced foldable single panel wraps for a long time. But they have usually been folded corner to corner, as in the last example in a <a href="news06.html#31Dec2">2006 series</a>. Where a single panel wrap was folded along an edge it was usually to form a collar or lapel. But why not fold the panel more deeply or make the panel long enough that it could be doubled across the wearer's front? The result, shown in the right image above is, naturally enough, the 'Elle Wrap'. And there is lots of room for design development there too! Why not the bolero form below?</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><img src="../images/n08115.jpg" class="imgtblctr" width="502" height="246" alt="How To Wear It"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><p>All that innovation threatened to confuse the clients at the shows where Elaine presents her new wares. There are always a lot of 'Please show me how to wear it.' requests - even for some of our long established lines. And we suspect that many more viewers are too shy to ask. We decided to encourage the question. John got to open his coloured pencil box for a change in order to produce the table card above. A nice break from writing xhtml code! &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a> </p> <a name="31Dec2"></a><p><strong>Of Coloured Pencils</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; Opening the coloured pencil box at The Treetops Studios is almost a ritual affair. John's mother had often done her work-up drawings in coloured pencil. As she grew older - and as the art supply companies began to experiment with an artists' grade coloured pencil - Mom brought home more pencils than she was ever likely to use. Think of: 'STABLE' - STash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy! Bits of the stash turned up all over the house after we moved into the studio. There are now at least 200 pencils, of various ages, type, colour and quality in a case of small drawers perched on the corner of John's drawing table. Someday he might standardize on a big new set from one of the leading manufacturers, if only to get to the modern lightfast pigments. But until we start working to a gallery standard in coloured pencil the ones in the case will do 'jes' fine'.</p> <p>Even without any showing of 'gallery' pieces in coloured pencil, there is still lots of pencil work in an active studio. John, like his father before him, usually works with the old Eagle brands of Turquoise graphite drawing pencils and Verithin colour layout pencils. There was also more than a life time supply of them already in the studio when we took it over from John's parents. And, just to complete the record, there is a 24-pack of modern student grade pencils in the sketch bag. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td colspan="2"><a name="31Dec3"></a><p><strong>A Working Vacation</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; Once or twice a year we go off 'down the coast' for a working vacation. That usually means a ferry crossing from downtown Victoria to Port Angeles, Washington, a shoreline drive around the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, and then on to Seattle, Tacoma, Puyallup or Portland for a show or seminar. That's the excuse we give anyway. It's really a reward to ourselves for a successful season, a chance to meet with friends and, of course, to shop up stock for the studio. The selection is always better than on Vancouver Island and with the Canadian dollar still at a high value in American terms, the prices are comparable.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="../images/n08123.jpg" width="286" height="302" alt="A Windy Beach"/></td> <td><img src="../images/n08133.jpg" width="423" height="294" alt="Sea Mammals"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><p>And, of course, we try to fit in a few days at the <a href="http://www.adoberesort.com/">Adobe Resort</a> in Yachats, Oregon, every time we are across the border. Elaine got in a lot of 'stretch out and relax' time and John went off scouting for 'paintables' up and down the coast. Some day there will be time for a real painting holiday. Not that there isn't more than enough opportunity for sketching and painting within a few minutes of our front door. These shots are like 'votes' for where we might go if we need a break from <a href="../study/studyda.html#MH4">living in a paradise</a>. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td><a name="31Dec4"></a><p><img src="../images/n08143.jpg" class="elmfltleft" width="296" height="302" alt="Looking Outside"/><strong>The Artisans @ Christmas Show</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; And speaking of living in a paradise, this image is a late afternoon view southeast from the front porch of the new Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula (<a href="http://www.cacsp.com/">CACSP</a> for short.) site at Tulista Park in Sidney. Obviously, it's right on the ocean front. In the other directions around the building there is a children's play park, public 'facilities', ample parking, a covered picnic/BBQ facility, a playing field big enough to fly kites in an on-shore breeze, the dock for the Washington State ferry through the American Gulf Islands to Anacortes, Washington and a mile of public walkways south along the breakwater or north into the town of Sidney.</p> <p>This image shows one of those fine mid to late autumn days we get on this coast. Definitely one of those 'paintables' I mention above that I do not have to travel very far to revisit. It's a bit different when the wet season sets in - the first winter storm struck on 2 November this year. But the winters here on the coast are more like Piedmont, North Carolina - with a lot of extra wind - than anywhere else in Canada. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p> <p>Like small community arts groups everywhere, the CACSP has taken on a great burden by setting up in a site of its own. As I have tried to indicate above, the Tulista site itself is very attractive. The rental arrangement with the Town of Sidney is very liberal as well. The Town remains responsible for interior and exterior maintenance. The CACSP pays a modest rent and is responsible for utilities and the operation of a small canteen counter (coffee, tea, soft drinks and packaged snacks) for users of Tulista park.</p> <p>The problem is going to be the transition from an 'event based' society to a 'site based' one. The operation of a fixed site on a fixed schedule inevitably leads to discussions of hiring a 'site manager'. The skills needed for the selection, training and supervision of an employee and handling the paperwork that comes with 'employer' status may not be present in a board of directors used to organizing a series - even a successful and varied series - of individual events. Good staff is indeed hard to find - and harder to keep. The need to meet the payroll and pay the rent always presents new challenges to a volunteer board of directors. Finally, event oriented volunteers do not always adjust to working shifts, month in and month out, to keep a site open and manned. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><p><img src="../images/n08153.jpg" class="elmfltright" width="464" height="302" alt="Showing Inside"/>But let's put all those reservations aside for the time being, along with the dire warnings of grim economic times to come. Instead, let's celebrate the first 'event' at the new CACSP site. Last year's 'Artisans @ Christmas' show ran in a small rented office space in the centre of Sidney. That venue was expensive in comparison with the new Tulista Park building and not well suited to a show. Nevertheless, the show itself was a success and we have great hopes for this year.</p> <p>Just setting up the show on a new site was an event in its own right: perhaps like the family work party turning out to move young relatives into their first home. There were problems with lighting and show racks and a general shortage of storage and display space. But good humour prevailed and we opened on time and sort of on budget. Congratulations to all! &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td colspan="2"><a name="31Dec5"></a><p><img src="../images/n08163.jpg" class="elmfltleft" width="368" height="302" alt="Pine and Hydrangea"/><strong>Winter on the Coast</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; The new Arts Council site on the waterfront in Sidney took up a lot of Elaine's show time through to the end of 2008. But she still put out her latest creations at three of the long-standing Christmas craft shows she likes. Sales were not too bad. Perhaps most of her regular customers had already made their Christmas shopping plans before the threats of a North American recession appeared.</p> <p>The real slowdown in her show season has been a knee injury. We are not sure what the issue is yet but it appears to be a combination of the gradual onset of age and arthritis complicated by a bad sprain and perhaps some ligament damage.</p> <p>There usually isn't much time for us to get out for long walks in Elaine's show season. That's a real downside to a busy studio life in the arts and crafts here on the Peninsula. Of course, John spends a lot of time fetching supplies, making deliveries and setting up and taking down Elaine's booths at the shows. But he does get time to get out along the side roads and trails in our neighbourhood. Elaine gets jealous. John 'gets his miles in'. Usually with a small digital camera in his jacket pocket. He collected this image of maturing pine cones and the last of the autumn foliage on a hydrangea as it looked like a 'paintable'. Since then it has come more and more to look like a promising subject for engraving onto a studio Christmas card. Perhaps a hand printed run of twenty-five. Not this year though. Just too busy. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p> <p>The usual autumn weather: warm bright days followed by cool rainy ones held on through most of the late fall. The autumn flow of southwesterly windstorms out of the Pacific brings inches of rain upon us and branches down onto the power lines. There were several short power failures this fall but nothing like the serious outages of <a href="news06.html#31Dec3">2006</a>.</p> <p>The normal weather pattern changed abruptly on 13 December. By dawn on the 15th it was -6 Celsius and very windy. It stayed cold and stormy until Christmas, reaching down to -9C, with a wind chill of -14C on the 20th. What, with snow and power failures, it has been one of the least pleasant holiday seasons we have had in out fourteen years on the Island. </p> <p><img src="../images/n08173.jpg" class="elmfltright" width="236" height="227" alt="Jason and Aedan Under the Tree"/> <!-- Original image copyright Angie and Reg Ball. Modified and used with permission --> <a name="31Dec5"></a><!-- anchor for hummingbird story only --> But, like 2006, there is a happy story to tell. First off, you need to know that the winters here are usually so benign that a few of our <strong>hummingbirds</strong> - mostly Rufus males it seems - winter over. We and at least two of our neighbours keep feeders out all year round. But at -9C the sugar syrup was as thick as the proverbial molasses. The snap decision was to bring the feeders in overnight to thaw. The follow-on was to pour the syrup out into a glass measuring cup and warm it to 'baby bottle'. (Even great-grandparents can still remember that temperature on the inside of the forearm.) The feeders went back out at dawn. The local alpha male, a Rufus, suspended his feeding rights and for the next few dawns we were treated to the sight of three different species of hummers 'tanking up'. And then perching as close to the warm globe as they could. The second species is clearly the tiny Calliope. The third species will take a bit more investigation. But we're sure that they will be around for a while. Even on The Island, it has been cold enough that it will take a few more weeks before the earliest blossoms are all out.</p> <p>And, with that happy prospect to look forward to, we'll wrap up 2008 here at the Treetops Studios. Here is a snap by our daughter in Bowmanville of grandson Jason - at the back - and great-grandson Aedan - in front - checking to see if there is enough room under the tree for all the gifts they are expecting. It was tight, but ... . And, as always, the very best wishes from all of us to all of you for 2009. Take care of the those you love and help someone who needs you. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> <a name="1Sep"></a><h4>1 September, 2008</h4> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td><p><img src="../images/n08053.jpg" class="elmfltright" width="362" height="302" alt="Shawl on Display"/>It has been one of those 'busy' summers around the Treetops Studios. Of course it has! But, then, are there any other kinds of summers here? The last big outdoor project is in train: Several of the concrete panels in the driveway have 'settled' to the point where there is a danger of runoff from the winter rains getting into the backfill around the east and south sides of the house. And the poured concrete pathway John's parents put in along the west - downslope - side of the house has cracked apart since the house was built 25 years ago. Naturally John had visions of a slightly wabi sabi installation of raked pebbles and salvaged pavers. But he sipped on his coffee for a few minutes and the 'inspiration' passed.</p> <a name="1Sep1"></a><p><strong>"Artisans 2008" Show</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; The focus, again this summer, has been on the "Artisans" show by the Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula. Elaine had a strong presence in women's outerwear and household accessories. Some more of her ideas on very light, 'easy to wear - easy to care for' wraps and shawls moved through the trial stage to series production this spring. The image at the right shows a light weight triangular shawl in the foreground. The bright sienna and the silver gray wraps folded over the racks in the background are hers as well. Sales were good. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p> <a name="1Sep2"></a><p><img src="../images/n08063.jpg" class="elmfltleft" width="408" height="302" alt="Soapstone Seal in the Sunlight"/> <strong>Of Seals &amp; Shawls</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; There is no question about their broad appeal of the wraps and shawls and their adaptability to different situations and different 'wearers'. For instance, this soapstone carving of a seal head by <a href="http://www.craigarthurbenson.com/">Craig Benson</a>, the Door Prize for the Show, looked a bit out of place when it was first set out on a table top at the entrance to the Show. When we do see seals close up it is often a head popping up out of the water to have a look at us.</p> <p>John was not in the show. But he was, as usual, part of the set-up team. And a seal on a table top is clearly a design challenge. A quick check of Elaine's stock turned up a plausibly sea-green wrap. Nestled in the sunlight on the folded wrap, the display now gives a much better impression of life on the Peninsula. The arrangement was changed later on in the Show: something more permanent, and Elaine got her wrap back. But in a well-lit hall it is a joy to be a part of the set-up team. There are lots of these 'challenges' to use as an excuse for exploring the three-sided relationship of the object, the venue and the viewer. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> <a name="1Jul"></a><h4>1 July, 2008</h4> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td><p><img src="../images/n08013.jpg" class="elmfltleft" width="441" height="302" alt="On A Beach"/><strong>Spring "Marches" On</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; If you remember, last year at this time it was still more like March than the usual endless sunshine, light airs and low 20's (Centigrade! The low 70's Fahrenheit.) In fact, the cool and wet continued right through to November. The local joke is that 2007 started with a January and a February and ended with the usual November and December - with eight Marches in between. Only slightly exaggerated. </p> <p>Up until a few weeks ago it looked as if we were in for the same thing. Some friends and colleagues from the 'old days' happened to be in the area. The husband is an excellent amateur photographer. The late spring evening promised to be bright and calm. So off we went, cameras in hand, for dinner at <a href="http://www.mcmorrans.com/">McMorran's Beach House</a>. Set on the bluffs along the east shore of the Saanich Peninsula, it is one of our favourites for the food, the atmosphere and the long, sunlit, evening views out across the water to the Gulf Islands.</p> <p>Fooled again! The weather turned cool and misty with a light chop from the east. But, as is often the way with a camera in hand, an opportunity walked by below me. The boy on the beach had stopped for several minutes, trying to push the piece of driftwood out into the chop. I started shooting for composition and posture as the distance between him and the older gentleman widened. The camera caught junior in mid-stroke, unposed. He is probably too young to remember 'The Karate Kid'.</p> <p>A long spring is not all bad of course. The succulents that we planted several years ago to save on the water bill in our, usually, dry summers have gained a lot of ground among the lavenders and heathers in the front gardens. And, a 'volunteer' colony of naturalized oregano has spread into the lawn along the back of the house. This summer looks like heading into our normal 'coastal desert' mode so we'll see if the oregano can survive a dry season - with a little help perhaps. It's a delight to mow - with a non-fuming electric mower of course.&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td colspan="2"><a name="1Jul1"></a><p><strong>The Shawls of 2008</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; The reorganization of the Treetops Studios has gotten far enough forward, since our last news, for Elaine to put some more of her ideas into production. The Shawls of 2008 are the next step in her exploration of the possibilities of light weight knit and knit lace wraps that began in <a href="news05.html#15Aug3">2005</a> and <a href="news06.html#31Dec2">2006</a>. The 'Gossamer' series shawl on the left below is in mohair, blended with brushed synthetic. It is very light, easy to wear and adaptable. Depending in the colour - it works best in whites, very pale off-whites and light earth-tones - and the wearer's choice of drape, it can be a very feminine formal to a fling-on accent piece.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="../images/n08023.jpg" class="imgtblctr" width="190" height="302" alt="Knit Lace - Straight Drape"/></td> <td><img src="../images/n08033.jpg" class="imgtblctr" width="209" height="302" alt="Knit Lace - Cross Drape"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><p>The knit lace on the right above is a lighter weight adaptation of the previous years' series as well. The fibre is again cotton, a cotton blend or a quality synthetic. The gentle earth tones shown here have been the most popular. But Elaine has started to explore the same patterns in loosely spun cotton bouclé blends. In addition to the informality of the bouclé texture, the play of light through the knit lace patterning creates an impression of depth. On the cone the yarn is dark and sometimes the texture is not apparent. Even in the six or eight inch square trial swatches, that Elaine knits up to test a new yarn, the yarn does not always tell its story. Once the fabric begins to drape off the knitting machine bed the effect can be quite unexpected.</p> <a name="1Jul2"></a><p><strong>See Us at the "Artisans 2008" Show &amp; Sale</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; Now, do you want to see more of these shawls, as well as hundreds of examples of the other fine things that Elaine and the craftspeople of the Saanich Peninsula work at? Then you have to come over to Vancouver Island and join us at the <a href="http://www.marywinspear.ca/">Mary Winspear Centre</a> in Sidney. It's time for our 14th "Artisans" Show &amp; Sale, 12 July to 10 August. &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> <a name="1Mar"></a><h4>1 March, 2008</h4> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="5"> <tr> <td colspan="2"><p><strong>Starting up 2008 at The Treetops Studios</strong> &nbsp;&nbsp; Welcome back to 'News from The Treetops Studios' - and to the 2008 edition. If this is your first look at the Studio News, the <a name="1Jan">Back Issues</a> are available above. Just click on the year. If you are a new visitor to our Studio, you might like to <a href="../tour/tour.html">Tour the Studios</a> or <a href="../home.html">Enter</a> the main site after you have read the News. Then, the next time you return to the Studios, just click on the <a href="sitenews.html"><b>What's NEW on the Website?</b></a> link when your browser opens our site. It's set up like our Studio News, with the most recent additions at the top of the listing.</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="../images/n08043.jpg" width="278" height="302" alt="Elaine at the Beginning"/></td> <td><img src="../images/dada3.jpg" class="imgtblctr" width="402" height="302" alt="John's Nook"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2"><a name="1Mar1"></a><p><strong>Winter Works - In Progress!</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp; This winter, and on into the spring, the real news is the re-organization of The Treetops Studios. Elaine's fibre arts capabilities have expanded continually since she set up her first knitting machine in a corner, above left, of the basement 'rec-room' ten years ago this May. Over the past two years her experiments with the more exotic fibres - cashmere, alpaca, mohair, llama, and angora - have 'challenged' our inventory system.</p> <p>Then, a trial run for a local producer of up-market alpaca accessories convinced us that we had to draw our image archives and design resources more tightly into the Studio's day-to-day operation. So, ... John's cosy painting and drawing nook, above right, has been taken over by floor to ceiling shelves of books and pattern files. The painting and drawing area has been moved into an even 'cozier' space in his workshop. That in turn led to a serious wave of 'down sizing' in areas where we are no longer active and of things that were been stored away when we took over the Studio from John's parents fourteen years ago.</p> <p>Needless to say, that all has slowed up work on both sides of the Studio. It's a bit like living in a tidal basin. Boxes flow from one end of a room to the other. With each ebb and flow, more things fall into place. There were quite a few Studio coffee breaks that got adjourned to our favourite local coffee house, to escape from the clutter and to think in the clear air. It wasn't all grim going. John discovered his consort of recorders and the sheet music to go along with them. (Elaine knew where they were all along, of course. A big smile and a; "You just had to ask.") By the end of February we are beginning to get a sense of how to get to work in the new spaces. There is a lot of tinkering to be done yet and many boxes filled with 'stuff' for the local classified adds and for garage sales once the weather begins to clear up. Watch this space! &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="#pagetop">Top</a></p></td> </tr> </table> </div></div> <div><p>&nbsp;</p></div> <!-- explicit vspacer --> <div><p>&nbsp;</p></div> <!-- explicit vspacer --> <h4><a name="Contact">Contact Us</a></h4> <p>Elaine Dendy <a href="mailto:e-laine@shaw.ca">e-laine@shaw.ca</a><br /> John Oliver Dendy <a href="mailto:dendy@islandnet.com">dendy@islandnet.com</a><br /> URL: <a href="http://www.treetops-studios.com/index.html">http://www.treetops-studios.com/index.html</a></p> <!-- #BeginLibraryItem "/Library/copyright.lbi" --> <p>Copyrights for the entire site, unless otherwise stated :<br /> Text and Photography - &copy; 2001-11 John Oliver Dendy<br /> Design and Art - &copy; 2001-11 John &amp; Elaine Dendy<br /> Web Layout - &copy; 2001-11 John Oliver Dendy</p><!-- #EndLibraryItem --> <p>Revised 23 March, 2011</p> <p id = "navbardown"> &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../index.html">Enter</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../home.html">Home</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../tour/tour.html">Tour the Studios</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../fabart/fabart.html">Fabric Arts</a> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../visart/visart.html">Visual Arts</a>--> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../workshop/workshop.html">The Workshop</a>--> <br /> <a href="../study/study.html">The Study</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../gallery/gallery.html">The Gallery</a> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../commune/commune.html">Our Community</a>--> <!--&nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../links/links.html">Links</a>--> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="../gglsrch.html">Search</a> &nbsp;&nbsp;|&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="#Contact">Contact Us</a> </p> <p> <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=referer"><img src="http://www.w3.org/Icons/valid-xhtml10" alt="Valid XHTML 1.0 Strict" height="31" width="88" /></a> <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/"> <img style="border:2px blue ;width:88px;height:31px" src="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/images/vcss" alt="Valid CSS!" /></a> </p> </div></div> </body> </html>