Third Thursday art walk gets into holiday spirit

Little Creek Lambs is a small family farm in the Grande Ronde Valley. The farm produces diverse products, producing not only Texel and Dorset breeding stock and market lambs, but also unique designer woolen products, yarn and naturally raised eggs from a flock of laying hens.

Aynn Lackey's one-of-a-kind handbags are constructed from wool felt made exclusively from fleeces sheared from the farm flock. The mill Lackey uses to process her fiber is located here in Oregon and is also a small family run operation. They do not use any harsh chemicals, bleaches or dyes in processing the felt. The resulting felt fabric, Lackey says, is soft to the touch and a beautiful natural cream color.

Lackey is designing and hand piecing each of her purses in her sewing studio on the farm. She says she is striving to create designs that use all natural fibers from beginning to end. She is using either Pendleton Woolen Mills fabrics or pure cotton fabrics to line each design.

Handles and embellishments are vintage and/or all-natural such as shell and antler buttons.

Lackey's woolen designs are for women who appreciate and celebrate the use of natural fibers. From winter snows, to summer heat, each fleece reflects a year in the life of the farm's ewes. Lackey says her line of handbags celebrates the special way that sheep provide this fabulous product called wool.

Catch the enchantment of the season at The Potter's House. The Potter's Houses Gallery & Gift Boutique's annual open house is the signature event that kicks off the holiday shopping season. The enchantment begins Nov. 1 and continues through Nov. 10. There will be a Raku firing demonstration at 7 p.m. during Third Thursday Art.

Shoppers wait all year for the grand opening of the house turned gift boutique that includes 52 decorated Christmas trees, Eastern Oregon's largest display of nativity scenes and many more holiday delights.

Bob and Judy Jensen, owners, begin preparing for the shopping extravaganza every September by moving the furniture from the 100-year-old home to a storage facility.

Normally the art and gifts available for sale from the Potter's House are displayed in the store beside their home. But the Christmas season calls for an increase in inventory and a need for more display area — much, much more. The Jensens convert their home into a retail store for the occasion.

The Potter's House presents a unique experience in art appreciation, hospitality and gift giving. Located in the blue house on the corner of Sixth and Penn Street in La Grande, The Potter's House features art from several Eastern Oregon artists:

• Bob Jensen, who produces functional stoneware pottery and sculptural raku ceramics

• David Allen, who produces turned wood pieces

• Marlis Rufener, who works in fused glass and produces bowls, wall pieces and jewelry

• Pete Harson, who makes blown glass pieces

• Cheryl Hagen works in metal and mixed media

• Eric Valentine, who produces photographs, books and calendars

• Terri Axness, who is a watercolorist.

Brown Bag Market, 1315 Adams Ave., will have a wine tasting with Gilstrap Brothers Winery for Third Thursday Art Walk. Warren Gilstrap will be conducting the tasting, and will feature all their wines including the new release 2005 45 Magic Syrah. Food will be served too.

Back to Nature, 1617 Fourth St., will be featuring artwork by local artist Linda Elliott. Original oil, watercolor and mixed media paintings present glowing

images of a variety of subjects, concentrating on animals and flowers.

Also this week: On Friday, local musical maestro Al MacLeod will play selections from his holiday recording, "Joy To The World" at The Potter's House in La Grande.

The CD was released in 2005 and features mostly traditional Christmas songs played on MacLeod's first guitar, a Made in Japan classical.

The guitar comes out from 6:30 until 8 p.m. or so and will provide a festive holiday background while shoppers browse.