Amy Artisan

Whether we want to admit it or not, summertime is winding down. My sister has been back teaching for 3 weeks, Miss Butterfly started first grade (!) this past week, the sunlight looks different each day & indeed the days are getting shorter. Before too much longer, my summer Saturday ritual of going to the [...]

There are so many types of crafting these days – a quick look in my spare room confirms the variety of crafts that I dabble in. Many times, it seems as though “like congregates with like” and you have to pick your craft for an event: knit/crochet nights, scrapbooking weekends, etc. Here in Chicago, a [...]

Chicago is known as a blues town. This summer, I’m experiencing a different twist on local blues. I’ve mentioned numerous times that one of my favorite parts of summer is the fresh produce – whether it’s attempting to grow a few things on my deck or my weekly treks the farmer’s market on Saturday morning. [...]

I have always enjoyed taking pictures – it probably started with my toy camera, as a child. Before too long, I was using a Kodak Instamatic – then a Kodak Disc camera – then a 35mm point & shoot – then a 35mm Advantex – then a digital camera…of course, it wasn’t long before I [...]

After the seemingly unending winter that we had here, the arrival of spring & the possibilities of backyard gardening seemed even more exciting this year. Growing up in the ‘Ville, a local nursery chain advertised with the tag line “It’s time to play in the dirt again…” and I truly looked forward to that activity [...]