The Holiday Sale is coming right up!

It's that time of year again, where a bunch of hand-picked local artists gather their wares and help turn the studio into a magical holiday boutique.

We'll have beautiful, contemporary ceramics from Vancouver's Ruby Farms, gorgeous bags and totes by Beaverton's Sew Sisters,  jewelry and accessories by Kris Zorko, Sharon Wing, Lulu and T, and 45th Avenue's own Iris Lomax. Hand knit scarves of impossibly soft German wool by Caitie Brown, tiny Fairy shoes and dresses, and Fern's Famous Fudge, too.

Check back here for a sneak peek at lots more... I'll be taking pics and sharing them as the goods are delivered, so stay tuned!

Here are the details:

Sale Hours:

Preview evening and Artist reception:

Friday, December 7th 

6 - 9 pm

Saturday & Sunday, December 8th & 9th

10 am - 6 pm

Remember, the Holiday Sale comes but once a year, so drop by and say hello!

Holiday Sale coming right up!

It's Thanksgiving Eve already, and I'm happy to announce that our annual Holiday Sale will be happening in the studio next weekend.
I don't have much time, since I'm in the middle of frantically cleaning my house before family and friends join us tomorrow for a potluck feast. (I think it's good to have dinner parties and sales...it lights a fire under me to clean up!)

So, without further ado, here are the pertinent details:

Preview Evening: 

Friday, December 1st 

6:00 - 9:00 pm

Saturday, December 2nd & Sunday, December 3rd

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Stay tuned for some sneak peeks of lots of cool stuff

 handmade by local artists,

and have a Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

As always, a portion of every sale is donated to Oregon Food Bank.

a sneak peek at the Holiday Sale!

Rene van der Spuy creates distinct eye-catching designs inspired by nature, travel and everyday experiences. Her original, limited edition prints (some black and white; others embellished with watercolor paint, paper or thread) are carved and printed by hand on a press. 

More recently she's  connected with her inner seamstress; making pillows inspired by her collages and prints. Screen printed with water based ink onto heavyweight 100% cotton fabric, she adds felt, buttons and hand-embroidery for a special touch.

Born and raised in South Africa, Rene has lived all over the world, from Australia to Brooklyn, and currently resides in Portland. 

Click here for the Holiday Sale dates and times!

gaga over glass

The Holiday Sale in the studio is coming up in just a few days,

 so the sneak previews will continue!

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale

Preview night and artist's reception:

Friday Evening, December 4th  •  6-9 pm

Saturday & Sunday

December 5th & 6th  •  10am - 6pm

4458 NE Brazee, between NE 44th & 45th Avenues

in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood

Joining us for the sale once again, we have two wonderful glass artists:

First up, Jenelle Kathan from Moonbeam Glassworks

 Her latest ornaments will be available at the sale on Friday evening…come early for the best selection!

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Kathy Kollenburn makes beautiful bowls, plates and decorative pieces

and she's been quite busy putting together new pieces for the show.

Hope to see you this weekend!

beautiful, functional pottery

The Holiday Sale in the studio is coming right up, and joining me will be some very talented potters and sculptors who have been (literally!) up to their elbows in clay and glazes to bring you beautiful and functional works of art for your home.

 Julie Stewart's gorgeous glazes evoke the sea,

and her serving and dining pieces are dishwasher safe and lead free.

Her stacked Raku "rock" lamps bring a rustic elegance to Portland's Craftsman homes.

 Courtney Wilson's modern, clean lined style...

and lastly, Elisabeth Cook Sullivan is a master animal sculptor, 

whose current passion is building carousels and horses.

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale

Preview night and artist's reception:

Friday Evening, December 4th  •  6-9 pm

Saturday & Sunday

December 5th & 6th  •  10am - 6pm

4458 NE Brazee, between NE 44th & 45th Avenues

in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood

and the countdown begins!

In just a little more than two weeks, the studio will be magically transformed from its current status as art supply disaster area to a beautiful winter boutique featuring the creations of over 20 local artists for our annual holiday sale. Stay tuned for previews of some really original and cool art and functional crafts!

The very busy hands of Rachael Ramos!

Rachael Ramos is a serial crafter. She seems to always be doing something fun and creative with her hands. We never know what she's going to bring to Camp Cactus, but it's always unique and beautiful!

Here are some examples of her work from past sales:

And here's a little bit about Rachael in her own words:

I learned to make things and be thrifty from my grandma. It was her most valuable gift to me.

My handmade items are mostly crocheted, sewn or knitted, but there isn't a craft out there that I don't like, so you never know what I will do. Most of my materials are partial skeins of yarn and vintage fabrics and beads, found at thrift stores, yard and estate sales - so items are often one of a kind because of the limited materials.

~
I hope you can come and shop locally this year
 and meet all our talented artisans!
Click here for all the details: Camp Cactus 2014 Holiday Sale

Holiday Sale 2014

I'm happy to announce that in less than two weeks, 

Camp Cactus Studio will again be magically transformed into a warm and cozy gallery and boutique, featuring the art and craft of 24 fantastically gifted local artists and craftspeople.

As always, we'll be donating a portion of all sales to the Oregon Food Bank.

Please join us on Friday Evening, December 5th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm for our preview evening, and a chance to meet many of the artists, sip wine, nibble delicious goodies, and shop for locally made treasures.

Hours:

Friday, December 5th  6:00 - 9:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday

December 6th & 7th  10:00 am-6:00 pm

We're located on NE Brazee, between 44th and 45th Avenues in Portland's Hollywood District.

Stop by and have a cup of hot cider 

and share some holiday cheer.

Stay tuned... in the days to come I'll be sharing sneak peeks 

of what our artists are working on to bring to the show!

More art!

Maura Greenblum brought some beautiful

repurposed paper wreaths, perfect for your 

Shabby Chic decorating

New to Camp Cactus this year: 

earthy, functional ceramics by Greg Sparks

And Kris Zorko is back with her gorgeous Note Totes,
paper tile mirrors and plaques.

Come and check out all these goodies and more
 this weekend only, our last sale of the year:

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale
Preview evening: Friday, December 6th from 6 - 9 pm
Saturday & Sunday, December 7th & 8th from 10 am - 6 pm
4458 NE Brazee,  between 44th & 45th Avenues
in Portland's Hollywood district
See you there!

a sneak peek at the holiday sale

The Camp Cactus Holiday Sale is exactly 6 days away, and our wonderful artists are working away in their studios making fantastic art!

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale

 Preview Evening: Friday, December 6th  •  6 - 9pm

Saturday & Sunday December 7th & 8th  •  10am - 6pm
We're located at 4458 NE Brazee, 
between NE 44th & 45th Avenues
in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood

Here's a small sampling of work by mosaic artist Pauline Dugas Tait, who's shown with us for many years. This year, in addition to her incredible mosaics, she's bringing her jewelry work. I can't wait to see her new designs!

© 2013 Pauline Dugas Tait

© 2013 Pauline Dugas Tait

coming right up!

I got a phone call today from one of our wonderful and loyal customers, asking if the Holiday Sale is happening this year….oops. Guess I've kind of fallen down on the job this year! (Sorry about that) Never fear though, because I've just now put on my public relations/advertising/town crier hat to announce:

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! 
The 2013 Camp Cactus Holiday Sale is coming!

Preview Evening: Friday, December 6th  •  6:00 - 9:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday, December 7th & 8th  •  10:00 am-6:00 pm

4458 NE Brazee, in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood

Here's the postcard:

(click to enlarge)

Stay tuned for photos and info about our fantastic local artists!

happy december!

The 20th annual Holiday Sale is in its last hours...new art has been arriving all day!

 Hand blown glass

the knucklehead pups may not be art, but they are certainly entertaining

 Gretchen Boylan still has a few pieces left...

 Judee Moonbeam's fabulous bags

 gorgeous earrings by Lori Presthus

 Malas by Michele Avanti

 Matt Brown's photography

 Rachael Ramos

 Joy

...and more Joy!

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale

4458 NE Brazee

in Portland

Open Sunday Dec. 2  •  10 - 6

See you there!

accessories galore!

We're happy to have the opportunity to showcase some cool accessories this season.
First up is Tamara King, whose gorgeous and hip color and print combinations make me want to run directly to the nearest fabric store and start hoarding colorful cottons...then I remind myself that I don't have to -  I can just buy from Tamara and she can supply me with my fix!

 Such happy colors!

 I want one of each of these little pouches!

 The linings are as cool as the outsides, don't you think?

Camp Cactus Holiday Sale hours:

Opening Night:

Friday, November 30  •  6:00 - 9:00pm

Saturday & Sunday, December 1 & 2:

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

The studio is located on NE Brazee Ave. between NE 44th an 45th avenue

click here to see a map

it's time to celebrate!

I can hardly believe it, but it's already been twenty years since we started this.
It all began when my family moved to Portland from San Francisco in 1991.  That first autumn, I noticed there were lots of "holiday bazaars" held in private homes all over my neighborhood. I had never seen anything like it before, and though the taste level ranged from 1950s-era crocheted toilet paper covers to much more sophisticated fine art and craft pieces you might find in a gallery setting, these homey craft shows were really the precursors to today's pop-up shops. It sure sparked my entrepreneurial spirit, and in October of 1992 I decided to give it a try at our house.

I wrangled a few creative friends, cleared out the first floor of the house and we set up a temporary shop, complete with hot cider and cookies to make our shoppers happy. I wish I had photos of that first sale, but after spending an hour on my knees looking through old photos, I gave up, poured myself a glass of wine and decided to recount the tale without pictures.

I did find my records from the first sale, though...we sold hand painted ornaments, the first Santa dolls I ever made, painted wooden bowls, birdhouses and lots of goofy crafts that were popular back then.

This year, we have a host of amazing local artists making everything from blown glass to wearable art.
I draw the line, however, at crocheted toilet paper covers.
Stay tuned!

in other news...

I've just loaded some new items in the Camp Cactus Etsy shop, just in time for holiday decorating.

Click on the photos in the sidebar to peruse the goods.

two more hours!

The Camp Cactus Holiday sale is winding down! 

We'll be open today until six pm, but we still have some wonderful treasures, 

all handcrafted by local artists.

Like these groovy signed letterpress posters by Sarah Fagan:

 and recycled leather flower cuffs by Susan Hurst: 

 Cozy crochet hats and handwarmers by Rachael Ramos and fused glass by Kelly Boverman

 elegant neck-warming scarves by Ann Wilson:

 Adorable upcycled skirts and organic cotton onesies by Joan Heart:

 and last, but not least:

We still have a few boxes of Fern's Famous Fudge!

Camp Cactus Studio

4458 NE Brazee

in Portland's Hollywood neighborhood