A Call To The Museum of Communications

ring, ring...........ring, ring.

Somewhere in the distance we could hear the call, the sound beckoning us, but not the automated ring tone programed into a cellphone, uploaded from the marketplace of unending choices.  This was a RING, a sound from the past calling us back into our history and tempting us to take a new adventure.
On Tuesday morning Rayne and Tippy made the trek to The Telephone Museum, otherwise known as The Museum of Communications.  Located in industrial Georgetown, just steps from the Boeing runways this museum is by far one of the greatest hidden treasures of Seattle.  It houses an extensive collection of communication devices from teletypes and telephones to satellites and vintage computers.
While we both enjoy the beauty of an old phone, Rayne has been building her collection of telephones for many years.  This passion led us to discover the delights of this local gem.  We were lucky enough to receive a guided tour by one of the lovely volunteers and spent hours wandering through the vast collection.  Unlike most museums you are allowed to touch the treasures and at times are even asked to answer incoming calls!

Needless to say, we loved every minute of it.

 

Click the dial to see more photographs on our flickr photostream.

The Museum of Communications

7000 East Marginal

Seattle, Washington 98108

http://www.museumofcommunications.org/

Tippy meets Alki

As Rayne and I know first hand, there is almost nothing that can compete with the constant love and companionship of a sidekick i.e. the big D.O.G..  I myself have often wondered what I would do without the morning cozys and kisses that I have become accustomed to from my sweet loving Mr. Bingly.  As strange as it may seem, I at times view him as my North, my rock and possible guide in life.  So, It is not unreasonable to ask how far I, and maybe we, could take this doggy obsession.  

This weekend, at the Alki Arts Fair I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful lady that answered this previously unasked question.

Welcome to the world of Felted Fantasies!!

by

Sheila Saxon

This talented artist knits beautifully functional purses upon which she hand felts
ANIMAL PORTRAITS!

 

 

Felting is an incredibly difficult technique to learn which takes immense skill and patience.  I myself briefly and quite unsuccessfully dabbled in the world of felting and am still applying Band-Aids to my artist ego.

So, I was surprised to discover that Sheila began felting only three years ago.

Kudos Sheila

With any luck I will be rockin a Mr. Bingley purse in my very near future. 

Sheila Saxon has an etsy store but is taking a short vacation to travel the local Arts Fairs. 

Felted Fantasies

ART - with a PURSE attached

feltedfantasies.etsy.com

check out her website

http://www.feltedfantasies.com/dogs.html

Here are a few more images from the Alki Arts Fair.

The Sev Shoon Arts Center tent where we spent the afternoon doing etching demos and speaking with the public about printmaking.

Betsy pulling a print.

An afternoon Bloody Mary at Chupacabra with Julie, yum.

And finally......Rag Top Heaven.

Ballard Farmers Market Adventure

It was a rainy Sunday in the Emerald City.........

In the early morning light the vans, cars, carts and vendors arrived and began raising the tents to display their goods. 
We of course were still at rest, sweeping up the leftovers of our dream adventures.  As the sun swept up from the east on its daily exercise westward we rose, gathered our umbrellas, met up and began our journey.

 The Ballard Farmers Market is located on the historic Ballard Ave NW. It is open every Sunday, year round, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Local Farmers Markets are often the best way to gain access to the rich variety of organic foods from your local environment.  

Keep in mind that for a newcomer the selection can often be overwhelming.  We suggest that you walk the entire market first, see what intrigues you, check pricing and quality then begin a second lap. The things that intrigue you on the first lap could become must-haves by lap two.

We found many gifts of the earth, and in this list you can see some of the lovely fruits and vegetables we took home with us.

 

Sugar Snap Peas, $3.10

Carrots and Sweet Onions from a flower vendor, $2.00 each

Apricots $3.00, $1.85   2.99/lb or 2lbs for $5 from ACMA Missions Orchards in Quincy, WA

Honey Sticks $3.00, $.25 each, from Golden Harvest, The Bee Ranch on Whidbey Island, WA

Beets, 2x $3.00 a bunch from Full Circle Farms in Carnation, WA

Olive and Herb Fougasse $7.00 from Tall Grass Bakery, Ballard WA

Blueberries and Rasberries 2 for $6.00 from Sidhu Farms

The Ballard Farmers Market also offers a specific area for artists of Seattle to display and sell their creations.

These artists mostly offer jewelry and other small handmade crafts.  On this visit we had the opportunity to meet a few highlights and one in particular who we plan to revisit and interview in the coming weeks.  Desiree, of Desiree's Folk Rag Dolls.

 In addition to the delights of the market, there are lots of boutiques and stores to capture one's eye.  A Farmers Market is a wonderful time to explore the surrounding area.  Like the vendors who participate in the market the area restaurants and shops also put on their best in the hopes of partaking in the flow of commerce.  In Ballard many of these are small businesses with local ownership. 

So, we suggest you...eat, drink and be happy!  Something we often take time to do! 

Lunch
The Other Coast Cafe, The Rajun Cajun, 2x $8.00 
http://othercoastcafe.com/

Damasalfly

a small local boutique with very affordable pricing.

5346 Ballard Avenue Northwest
Seattle WA

Necklace and earrings, $33.00
Red Jacket, $38.00

The Ballard Farmers Market is a wonderful opportunity meet face to face, the vendors and farmers that work hard to bring us healthy organic goods.  The vendors are always willing to talk with customers which offers a chance to learn about the available healthy options. Visiting this Farmers Market also provides the occasion to walk around and enjoy a historic area of Seattle with a rich history of fishing and boat building largely influenced by it's Scandinavian emigrant population.

http://ballardfarmersmarket.wordpress.com
http://www.ballardhistory.org