HO HO HO

Thank you from all the artists/artisans from Blackberry Gift Shop for your kind patronage this year and all past years as well! 

Have a wonderful, safe holiday season.  We look forward to seeing you all in the new year ahead.

Our gift shop reopens on January 4, 2016  12 noon to 4pm.

Auf Wiedersehen!

We close today - thank you from all of us Blackberry Artists, for a wonderful Christmas Marketplace. We enjoyed meeting each and every one of you.
Wishing you a peaceful or exciting Christmas and New year - we'll be back on duty as artists in the gift shop on Monday, January 4th, 2016!

PS: This is the ned of daily posting - for newsletter subscribers, it's safe to adjust your MailChimp settings back to "every post" if you so desire. Thanks for hanging out with us!

On the twelfth day of Christmas ...

Watercolor dragonfly by Elizabeth Wallace

Almost there - Christmas is nigh.
Last night, as we snuggled together as a family, pets, and other visitors, with the smell of tobacco wafting gently in from the kitchen on the notes of a sea shanty, My True Love and I looked back over the last twelve months. A lot had changed - house, family, dog ... Our previous twelve days of Christmas seemed a lifetime ago.

"I think this seems appropriate," My True Love smiled as he reached behind the armchair, handing me a square package.
I opened it to find a beautiful watercolour dragonfly, its wings still shimmering from the water it emerged from s it dried out in the heat from the fire. A dragonfly - the symbol of change - how fitting.

Merry Christmas from us to you!

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,

For free, a knitting pattern , 

Five boxed foxes, 

Six waving branches,

A seven seas salty seadog,

Eight piggywig toes,

Around nine for winetime, 

Ten flowers on silk, 

Eleven paper boxes with earrings, 

A dragonfly for twelve months of change ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the eleventh day of Christmas ...

Earrings in handmade paper gift boxes by Zara Lau

Since it is our adorable baby's first Christmas, My True Love has decided that we should attend every possible party in the neighbourhood.
My idea of a first Christmas together is to go into deep hibernation in front of the fire and stay home as much as possible.
Never mind that I don't have any party clothes, or that I need to stay in to let the cat in, the foxes out, make sure the pig wipes his feet on the mat, shoo the gulls and stop the dog from worrying my slippers.
In the true spirit of Christmas Past, My True Love returned home with not one but eleven tiny boxes. Inside each handmade paper box was a beautiful pair of earrings, enough to make any outfit look special.
Maybe I am ready for the season after all!

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,

For free, a knitting pattern , 

Five boxed foxes, 

Six waving branches,

A seven seas salty seadog,

Eight piggywig toes,

Around nine for winetime, 

Ten flowers on silk, 

Eleven paper boxes with earrings, ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the tenth day of Christmas ...

Hand painted silk glasses case by Jane Ostenstad

Test-driving all the wine coasters maybe got away on me last night.
This morning (and I left the cat out on purpose to teach her and her party pals a lesson) I slept in till 8:30am. By the time I got up, My True Love had crept quietly off with the baby and the dog for a morning walk, leaving me what should have been a lovely slice of cinnamon toast with butter if he hadn't let the cat back in on his way out ...

Along with the greasy paw prints all over my night stand, she had also left her indignation across the lenses of my spectacles.

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,

For free, a knitting pattern , 

Five boxed foxes, 

Six waving branches,
A seven seas salty seadog,
Eight piggywig toes,
Around nine for winetime, 
Ten flowers on silk, ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the ninth day of Christmas ...

Wine coasters by Angela Holbrook

It was a good thing I finished my cowl yesterday.
It came in very handy as I hunted round the garden for the cat early this morning. She had been out partying during the night but this time, the dog had blocked her cat door so she wailed until I woke to let her in.
Or at least, I think it was the dog who blocked her way - the flap was somehow wedged in its frame as if something had pushed through. And I swear those were trotter marks in the snow outside but I must be dreaming?
So sleep-deprived now - My True Love noticed that I'm turning forgetful and brought he something to make things better - wine coasters that stay with your glass. These intriguing cloth envelopes fit on the bottom of a stemmed wine glass so where it goes, so do they.
And at the end of the day, around nine pm for me, that last thing I want is to be reminded of my memory issues and then have to remember to wipe up drips!

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,

For free, a knitting pattern , 

Five boxed foxes, 

Six waving branches,
A seven seas salty seadog,
Eight piggywig toes,
Around nine for winetime, ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the eighth day of Christmas ...

Eight piggy toes sculpted in alabaster by Tom Reid

Still snowing overnight.

The cat has been out frolicking in the garden with her mystery pals while the dog barks at the gathering gulls overhead.

I swear there's a lick of salt crust on the window panes, even though we're a kilometer or so from the inlet, and I'm sure I caught the baby humming a sea shanty ...

This evening's treat from My True Love was for the baby - he calls her his little piggy - an enchanting alabaster pig. Bedtimes are such fun counting ten little piggies and then the eight piggy toes

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,

For free, a knitting pattern , 

Five boxed foxes, 

Six waving branches,
A seven seas salty seadog,
Eight piggywig toes, ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

Artist Call: New Members in the Blackberry Artist'S Society

work by Sarah Ronald

Psst!

New Members: First Call for 2016 Members

PORT MOODY ARTIST CO-OP SEEKS NEW MEMBERS FOR EXPANDED GIFT SHOP

First Chance to Apply to Blackberry Gift Shop in 2016!

Are you an Artist or Artisan with:

*  High quality, unique art and/or fine craft with wide demographic appeal

*  The ability and interest to work monthly in a co-op environment in Port Moody

*  Well-thought out packaging and marketing for your artwork

*  A good range of price points for your items

*  Interesting year-round product as well as holiday gifts

If so, Blackberry Artist's Society is doing a first jury call of the year.

Applications may be picked up at the Gift Shop in the Port Moody Arts Centre,

2425 St John's Street, Port Moody, BC
or
Downloaded online here - Blackberry Artist's Society Application for Membership [pdf]

Applications must be received by February 7, 2016, 4 pm at Blackberry Gift Shop or by email notification. 
Applicants must attend the jury session to discuss their work February 10, 2016 at 7 pm.

Monthly jurying resumes in March.

For more information, visit www.blackberrygiftshop.ca, call the shop at 604-931-2008 ext 102 or email blackberrygiftshop [at] live dot ca

On the seventh day of Christmas ...

Salty sea dog driftwood sculpture by Pat de Couto

As I clicked through knitting my cowl this afternoon (nearly finished - beautiful chunky wool!), I suddenly felt that there were eyes upon me. I looked up just in time to imagine a fox tail twitch to stillness.
Facing the cubs, I sternly wagged my finger (silently - the baby was on an afternoon nap - oh bliss) to stay well behaved. But still I could feel those eyes ...
I turned slowly in my slippers, surveying the walls when suddenly just out of my line of sight I saw a movement. The figure on the driftwood sculpture - where did he come from and when did he arrive?
And are those really gulls crying overhead?

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,

For free, a knitting pattern , 

Five boxed foxes, 

Six waving branches,
A seven seas salty seadog, ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

One more week ...

artwork by Sarah Ronald

No snoozing!
A quick note to remind you that our Blackberry Artist's Society annual Christmas Marketplace is now in its last week. We are open every day, from 10am to 6pm during the week, then until 5pm on Saturday and between 12 and 4pm on Sunday.

The main Marketplace will be cleared starting on Tuesday, December 22nd but the gift shop remains open until 4pm that evening.

So don't leave it until last minute - shop local, shop often and support your local artists!
We really appreciate it :)

On the sixth day of Christmas ...

Snowfall tile by Jan Pavlic

Snow fell for the first time this Christmas. I looked out of my bedroom window in the early hours this morning (! i wonder why!) and big fat blobs of white stuff were falling, covering the grass ... and the cat. She must have been partying hard, as there were tracks and paw prints over the whole lawn ... and was that an orange brush tail disappearing into the shrubbery?

The cat and I counted snowflakes on the ceramic tile, the latest gift from the Blackberry Artist's Society gift shop that My True Love brought home, as we snuggled together to get warm and fall asleep again.

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,
For free, a knitting pattern , 
Five boxed foxes, 
Six waving branches...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the fifth day of Christmas ...

Foxes in boxes by Sarah Ronald

After last year's move, the last thing I wanted to see this Christmas was another box.
However, this bundle of foxes in boxes that arrived in front of me this evening are so enchanting that My True Love is forgiven.

The dog has started howling at night - I wonder why? and where did the echos come from?

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,
For free, a knitting pattern , 
Five boxed foxes ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the fourth day of Christmas ...

Yarn with free cowl pattern by Dalia Levy

Christmas is creeping up and I'm beginning to feel the stress. My True Love has noticed and regularly whisks both dog and baby out into the crisp air for a looooong hike on the forest trails.
Last night, after the chocolate baby incident, he brought home a skein of hand-dyed local yarn with a free knitting pattern, so this afternoon I'm destressing by knitting up a superfast cowl to keep my neck cosy when I join the two out on hikes.

At least, once I can find the end of my yarn ... I think it might have a cat attached?

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm,
For free, a knitting pattern ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the third day of Christmas

Intarsia wall plaque by Del Holbrook

Unwilling to share the chocolatey treats that she knows the dog will love, the cat has been hiding the marzipan delights under the baby.
How do I know this? At 2am, I found myself dealing with a peculiarly sticky brown substance apparently oozing from my child. Being half asleep and with my nose plugged ready for the onslaught, it took an entire clean-and-change before I absentmindedly licked my thumb ...

Joy Peace Love, My True Love reminded me.
I have chocolate smeared on my slipper and the dog won't leave me alone.

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers,

Three wooden words of calm ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the second day of Christmas ...

Felted slippers by Yara Pyrozhok

So the mystery of my vanishing treats continues.
Both the cat and dog apparently "know nothing" and I've had to prowl round the house hoping to find the missing chocolates. Without a shredded bag that they came in, I'm pretty sure that the dog has not eaten them ... but the cat is looking really smug.
I followed her down to the basement today, totally appreciating the warm toasty felted slipper My True Love presented me with this morning as I shuffled around where the heating does not reach.

One lidded treats jar,

Two toasty slippers ...

Catch up with all the 12 days of Christmas posts!

On the first day of Christmas ...

Lidded bowl by Lucy Hwang

This year I am hoping for a peaceful Christmas season, unlike our house moving saga from the year before. My True Love and I are settled in to a new house - we've done as much renovating as each of us can stand. The cat has stopped shredding curtains and has settled down as "ruler of all she surveys"; she is now stalking our new dog when she's not spying on the baby.
Maybe I can relax a little...
...with the marzipan chocolates that arrived one evening with My True Love, neatly packaged in this gorgeous ceramic jar.
At least, that's what was in the jar yesterday evening - this evening I pulled out a dehydrated fishy treat and a milk bone. Hmmm?

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

One lidded treats jar ...

Daily posting alert! and Daily Marketplace alert!

Dear reader

This is the time of year when the Blackberry blog goes nuts with its 12 Days of Christmas postings (catch up with 2014 here and 2013 here and 2012 here [phew!]).
This means that starting Monday, there will be a post on the blog every single day until we close on December 22nd.
If you are signed up to subscribe to the enewsletter, you may want to Manage Your Subscription by changing to the weekly digest ... but we are more than happy if you continue to receive a little slice of Blackberry every day!
See you in the gift shop soon :)