A fun new travel design celebrating the azure water and beautiful beaches of the French Riviera. This watercolor painting was created to compliment the theme of the 2020 Philadelphia Flower Show. For more information click here.

Once again we are getting bombarded with snow here in Philadelphia. This seems to happen every year lately. Hard to believe that Junebug and I have been minding the booth for 12 years! What a gift. It’s so lovely seeing old friends and making new ones. I have the BEST customers. I thought it would be fun to share some photos from the show for those of you who weren’t able to come or would like to know what it is about!

The main entrance garden was alive with color and sounds from the Rainforest. Orchids and tropical flowers took the main stage with bamboo structures and numerous sources of water- including ponds, waterfalls, fountains and rain barrels.

One of my favorite displays was a wooded garden setting for a wedding. It was just lovely and magical!!

Isn’t it just dreamy?? I think there could be gnomes and fairies hiding about. Stop by again tomorrow for highlights of other sections of the show! : )

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It is a cold, snowy, blustery day here today. The birds are huddling around the feeders and I see snowmobilers scooting across the trail down in back.

Before I know it the family and I will be packing up the trailer and heading to Philadelphia for the Flower Show. Can’t wait. The colors, the creativity, the happy thoughts of spring and the smell of fresh dirt and mulch. From the PHS website “Holland: Flowering the World will showcase the extraordinary plants, creativity and talent of this region’s top horticulturists and designers along with award winning landscape and floral designers from the Netherlands.

The Flower Show is a top destination and “must experience” horticultural event, attracting 250,000 visitors annually to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, a showcase of excellence that dates back to 1829.

From towering windmills, wooden shoes and delectable cheeses, to the whimsical bicycles, canals and vibrant tulip fields of the iconic Dutch landscape, the 2017 Flower Show will share the diverse stories of horticulture, innovative eco-design, and modern urban greening and sustainability efforts of the Netherlands.”

Count me in. My design for this year’s theme features the Hedges & Hares team happily pedaling alongside a canal with an Amsterdam-ish hedge of row houses in the background. A sweet narrative available on a variety of items to take along as souvenirs/gifts from the show. The new design will be available online as well. For more information on attending the show click here. I’ll be set up in the Marketplace- Booth Z-1002.  Hope to see you there!

What a theme to work with! Where do you start… where does it end? ARTiculture. The fusion of ART and HORTICULTURE. A fun concept to work with- but rather challenging to encompass.

My design went through many revisions. I wanted it to be fun, colorful, current, yet historical and relevant to Philadelphia and the Flower Show. There are numerous Art and Garden references. Can you find them? I’ll post the nods at the bottom.

I love the little guy in the gallery of the garden who is viewing the flower series. A Surrealist exhibit is currently being featured at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and it seemed only fitting to add a melting clock to this fantasy garden full of sculpture, art and topiary. I had hoped to sneak a de Chirico train in the distance but there had to be some restraint… believe it or not!

Did you find the art references? Here is the list:

• Salvador Dali’s melting clock
• Alexander Calder’s kinetic mobile
• Andy Warhol’s famous flower prints
• The Venus De Milo
• A rabbit posing as the Rodin’s “The Thinker”
• another rabbit posing as Degas’ “Little Dancer”

There are also historical garden references…

• the stepped hedge from Great Dixter in Sussex, England
• the bird topiaries from Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA

Every year we stay with friends in Kennett Square during set-up for the show. They live a half of a mile down the street from Longwood Gardens. For years I have driven by the gate on my way to work in Philly. This summer I finally had the opportunity to go! It was amazing. The topiary garden was more than I could stand! The conservatory, views, orchids- were completely overwhelming. I really couldn’t take it all in. A second visit is in order. : )

Come to the Philadelphia Flower Show! It is a blast and a welcome relief to the winter. I’ll be there in booth Z-1002. Stop in and say hi! For more information click here.

There have been some fun pieces coming out of the kiln at Clayscapes for me! Exciting. This little darling makes my heart go all a flutter.

The new hand thrown pots for the Philadelphia Flower Show are coming out nicely. Each one will be planted with an Angel Vine or Rosemary Standard.

And… I’m excited to possibly be bringing some of my ceramic pendants with me to the show for purchase. (Fingers crossed that they come out of the kiln okay and in time!) There will be a limited number of them with various designs and colors available with the neck cuffs. Live rosemary and boxwood cuttings were used to create the designs as well as burlap textures. I wanted to incorporate the plants and textures used throughout my work to tie it all together. Not sure about pricing as of yet. Please contact me directly if you are interested… I don’t expect to have them for long. : )

Oh my goodness! We are so busy here at the studio. I leave for the Philadelphia Flower Show a week from today! This year’s theme is Brilliant! – based on all things English. What fun! Junebug and I are looking forward to being immersed in English Gardens all week- Formal hedge, cottage gardens, topiary and English roses! Shown below is my new design for this year’s show featuring the Hedges & Hares bunnies. We can’t leave out “Keep Calm and Garden On” or the Wellie, or the Cavalier King Charles or lastly the beautiful Teapot. We know how the British enjoy their tea!  Enjoy!

If you will be attending the Flower Show be sure to stop by booth #1002 and say hi! Hope to see you there! All of the designs featured are available at http://michellemasters.com. Click here to order.

Finished pots and saucers! Yay! I can just imagine them planted with petite topiaries. Here are a few close ups- hand thrown and deliciously imperfect. Each stoneware pot is stamped with a swirly seal and encouragement to d r e a m. A cream glaze around the rim sets off each pot.

There are only 8 available for the Flower Show… assuming that the others come out of the kiln in one piece! Let me know if you want me to hold one for you. I’m thinking they will cost between $48 and $55 depending on the plant. Matching saucer included. : )

Oh, if there were only more hours in the day…

Some of this week’s pots… can you picture topiaries planted in them?

I am MUCH better at collecting ceramics than making them… but I did jump at the chance to do some throwing this winter when I found out that my sister-in-law was taking a class with one of her friends at Clayscapes in Syracuse. It has been at least 15 years since I’ve done any throwing and I am slowly (very slowly) getting up to speed.

I’m so happy that I found out about Clayscapes! There are rows of wheels, shelves for drying and kilns in the studio while the Gallery and store for materials is located next door within the same building. The classes are 10 weeks long. For more information here is their website.

The Flower Show is around the corner and I am always looking for nice containers to pot my topiaries in that are for sale in my booth. Although it is the busiest time of my business year and I’m trying to create a new product line I of course saw no reason to not make my own pots as well.  Am I as crazy as that sounds?  It is possible.  Remind me to start earlier next year.

I am no Guy Wolff or Goff Creek Pottery– check them out… amazing! It has been a great opportunity to play with clay again, visit with Kitty and Val and be in ceramic studio environment. So much talent!

Speaking of talent, our teacher Tim See makes it all look so easy. Check out this amazing video on YouTube. I’m in awe. I have learned so much in the few short classes that I’ve attended. It’s challenging to only be there one day a week but with the kids, farm, family and business… I can’t really even afford that but I know it’s important for my creativity.

Wednesday was a productive day!

So, stop by my booth if you are attending the Flower Show and see what made it through the fire. Maybe I’ll put some on my website later as well if my throwing isn’t terribly haphazard.

And, let me encourage you to DO something that you haven’t done in a while!! Do something that you’ve never done before but always WANTED to. It’s good for your soul and your spirit! Time is of the essence friends. : ) Enjoy some of the pieces for sale in the Clayscapes Gallery-

I just received my final order of pillows for the Flower Show from my seamstress. They are darling! I’m so excited. Birgitta does such a beautiful job sewing. The quality is top notch. I’m thrilled that I get the opportunity to collaborate with another woman in my community and benefit from her talent. Each pillow has an invisible zipper in the bottom seam with a removable insert. Many designs this year have a contrasting fabric backing allowing the pillows to be reversible!

Here is a little sneak preview. Some of these I only have one of, others are multiples. If you have your heart set on one of them and you won’t be attending the show email me and I can do a special order for you.

Vintage Paris Opera House Photo on Belgian Linen w/black fringe (1)

The Paris Hedge design on cotton with fringe.

le Chanticleer design on cotton with Floral trim and gingham backing.

Fleur de Lis Topiary on cotton with gingham trim.

Fabric samples for trims and pillow backings.