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I have just finished my new 4” Welcome Angel, 3” Harvest Wreath Angel and 2” Harvest Bouquet Angel for 2013. The beautiful rhythms of the shell designs echo the unforced rhythms of grace that bring us the right harvest at the right time with gentleness and rest.

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I spent the last day of my Nebraska trip visiting dear friends that live on a farm near Seward. I have visited them many times, but each time I visit I am impressed with the stunning beauty of their home and surrounding landscape.

Allen and Lynn are both artists. Allen farms and Lynn teaches at Concordia University in Seward.

Allen designed and built this house during the winters from 1996 to 2000. His background in sculpture and farming influenced the design of the house and are inherent in the form and materials. Poured concrete shapes create the main structure of the house inside and out. The cement surfaces are raw and unfinished, reminiscent of natural stone – honest and powerful! Corrugated metal commonly used in farm and storage outbuildings connect and enclose the sculptural cement forms. The façade is interrupted with windows of traditional glass and others of recycled glass bricks. The tension in the overall design is at once dynamic and classic.

There is nothing shy or reticent about this structure, it stands as a monument of commanding presence in the wide open country and sky of the Great Plains.

Most of the inside walls are concrete, the floors are recycled slate from old school black boards that Allen cut into large tiles. The entrances are detailed with polished black river rock set into cement. The furniture and art are contemporary and the overall effect of the interior is subdued and elegant. Allen and Lynn worked together to design the interiors and the yard and garden.

One of the joys for me as an artist and designer is to enjoy the unique vision and work of other artists. What a pleasure it is to visit Allen and Lynn’s and see the beauty in the work of their hands.

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After our event at the library I was invited to Carol James’ annual fall party.

The photographs start in the front yard, through the great room/dining room and out to the back deck and yard. Carol attended to every exquisite detail herself. This lady is a gifted designer and her party was as good as it gets – elegant – inside and out!!

Carol’s food was perfectly delicious, beautiful, and extravagant.  What a perfectly lovely backdrop to visit with old friends and meet new ones. It was the best party and I had so much fun.

Wow, I wasn’t expecting to experience world class design and entertaining during my visit to my little home town in Nebraska. Thank you, Carol!!!

My Guardian Angel Shadow Boxes are perfect, fast and easy to frame my angels. You can see in the video two of the 5” angels framed and hanging in my downstairs hallway.

We are running a special on these shadow boxes to help you get acquainted with them. Order one or more, either the 7″ or 8″ Guardian Angel Shadow Box, and we will ship one FREE. One free shadow box per order. This is a limited time offer until the end of September.

Click here to order the frames on our website: www.margaretfurlong.com or call 503-391-2825.

I am so excited to go home again and do an angel signing at the new Falls City Library. Even though this is not the same library I grew up in, it is still nostalgic because the library at home was such an important part of my growing up. I always had a book checked out from the library; I was one of their best customers.

Each book I read took me on a wonderful adventure and expanded my imagination.

My mother, who was a teacher for many years, passed down the love of reading and learning and this legacy was the root of my romance with books. I must admit that I was sometimes accused of being a book worm and my family would ask me to “put that book down and talk to us”.

Well many years have passed and I continue to love reading. Now my favorite book is the Bible as I have discovered the eternal beauty of this book and so, along with many other books, reading is still a highlight in my life.

It will be such a pleasure to meet old friends and make some new ones. And it seems appropriate that this will take place in one my favorite places when I was growing up.

Thank you for this sweet invitation. See you at the signing!

Mark your calendar to come:
October 7, 2012     2:00 – 3:30PM
Falls City Library & Arts Center
Kathy Martin
1400 Stone St
Falls City, NE 68355
Phone: 402-990-9876