Pumpkins and Mums

The garden is colorful most of the year thanks to Peter, our gardener from Heaven (and Germany).

A FABULOUS FALL FEST for 2010

We had a fabulous Fall Fest this year!

We served a thousand cookies and ten cakes in one day!

Everyone loves the Christmas Cookie Cookbook-all the cookies are so delicious!

Here's a photo of all the elves and me
relaxing after hours.
Our tradition of hors d'ouerves and Scarlett O'hara's.

Woodcarver, Eric Rinkleff,

Santa, me and Santa's elf, Chris

ILMATAR-Finnish Goddess of Creation

Pipka completes the painting of Ilmatar, Finnish Goddess of Creation. Ilmatar created the moon, universe and waters from the eggs in the nest resting on her knee. I added a blue egg to the nest thinking she created "man" after all was done. Pipka's painting is shown at the Peninsula Art School's "Noric Gods & Goddesses Exhibit"through November 2010.

Creative Connection - Septemer 2010

Cindy and I attended Creative Connection in Minneapolis. It's a show of finished work by artists of collage and assemblage, many nationally published. We were so inspired, especially later at the "junk" show in Shakopie. Hundreds of booths filled with items to be "re-purposed". Minneapolis has so many great shops and restaurants. We had a ball and are planning many creative projects using the treasures we found. My car was loaded!

Busy, busy summer!

It just wouldn't be summer at Pipka's without a few VERY fun summer events! I was lucky enough to be involved with two of them this week alone -- a fundraiser for Door County's own Peninsula School of Art called "Tablescapes," and a small little Cherry Art Reception that we had at our store in Sister Bay. Summer is the BEST time of year for entertaining -- and these two events had plenty of great ideas to make even the smallest event a great one:

Above is a photo of what my table looked like for Peninsula School of Art's Tablescapes event! This is the second year that the school has put on this event, with some of the peninsula's finest decorators and designers each decorating a table in their own style. All of the tables (over ten total) were won by event-goers through a lottery drawing, and after the lottery, an amazing summer luncheon was served. My table was simple yet was full of the things that I love best: candles, flowers, and plates adorned with rabbits!

Here are some of the other Tablescapes. This one was done by my friend Angie at Ephraim's Viva La Cottage:
And this fun, beach-themed one was from Ephraim's City Farmer/Celeste Wegman Interiors:
As you can imagine, it was great event to be a part of -- and I came away with many, MANY new ideas for decorating - not just the store, but my own home as well! I plan to post more photos in the next few days of our Cherry Art event at the store -- but it's a busy 4th of July weekend in Door County, and I want to help our elves out as much as I can!

Hello, Summer!

Even though it's still a few days away, it seems like summer is finally here. It seems like it's been raining forever, and although I know that we need it, it makes everything seem so dreary!

The good thing about rain, though, is how amazing our gardens look. I took recently took these photos of the gardens around the shop because I couldn't get over how beautifully in bloom everything was! I hope that you like these photos...and that you make your way to us soon to see them for yourself!

The shop is now open daily from 10 am - 5 pm. The store is busy with people checking our new merchandise and the 2010 Collection...life is good, but we miss you! Stop in for some coffee and cake sometime. :)

New Arrival

Happy day today! May 20th my first little grandchild was born, Avelynn Starr, 9 lbs. 4 oz. She's a beauty. Hope you won't mind future gushing and photos...typical grandmother! Life is good.

It's Spring...and we wish you were here!

As I write this blog, it's an absolutely beautiful day in Door County -- the gardens at Pipka's and around the county are filled with blooming daffodils and tulips, visitors are up for the weekend (the third-annual Door County Half Marathon is this weekend, which will bring over 1,800 runners and their families and friends to the peninsula), and plenty 0f Door County businesses are in the midst of spring cleaning, getting ready for May and the busy season ahead.

We at Pipka's are doing a bit of spring cleaning ourselves -- actually, more of a "reinventing." We've been bringing in new merchandise by the boxful -- new necklaces, bracelets (as pictured at left), and other precious adornments created by Pipka and Cynthia Wolfe; Toyko Milk soaps, lotions, and perfumes; many new original collage pieces; a variety of new cards and stationary (the Papaya Art line is my favorite!), home decor, new books...and of course, Santas!

To help us celebrate the spring season and all that it has to offer, we're inviting you to enter our Wishing Well Santa contest! This is my favorite Santa of the 2010 Collection, and I am giving one away (signed, of course! to one very lucky winner. To enter, just send us $2.00 as well as your name and address to:

Pipka's of Door County
Attention: Wishing Well Santa
PO Box 348
Sister Bay, WI 54234

If you're wondering what the $2.00 is for, it's for a special Habitat for Humanity donation that I'd like to make to the organization at the end of May. Door County's Habitat for Humanity chapter is a wonderful organization that I have supported over the years, and I would love to be able to help provide a home for a Door County resident that is in need of one -- with your help!

We'll draw a winner for the Wishing Well Santa on Friday, May 21 -- which means all entries need to be postmarked by Friday, May 14. After the drawing, we'll reveal the lucky winner in another e-newsletter, and send the personalized and autographed Pipka Santa off to its new owner! It's just our way of saying that we miss you...and we wish you were here!

Pipka's is open Friday and Saturday from 10 am - 5pm for the next few weekends and will open full-time in mid-May. Stop by -- we have MANY new and exciting things to show you!

Love,
Pipka

PS -- After a bit of a hiatus, I am back at my blog and hope to be posting to it frequently, even during the busy summer months! Be sure to check my blog for special sales, events, drawings, and more...it's a great way to keep connected to Pipka's all year-round!

For my wonderful customers...Free Shipping Days!

Pipka's 3rd Annual

ST. NICHOLAS FREE SHIPPING DAYS

Order December 1 through December 6

and receive free shipping*

with beautiful free gift wrapping available upon request

I will also sign each piece for you!

Order online (www.pipkasofdoorcounty.com), by phone (toll-free: 800-829-9235) or in the shop...order December 1 through December 6 to help us celebrate St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6)...we'll ship your order FREE*. If you want, I can personalize my signature to your recipient, and my elves will gift-wrap if you'd like!

Shipping is by UPS ground, so you'll receive your purchases
in plenty of time for Christmas giving!

Thank you for your loyalty...enjoy the holidays!
Love, Pipka

*Free shipping to a single address only, please.

Christmas Present to Myself....Itzy and BJ!

You all know how much I love my Tigger. He's a wonderful companion, but I began to wonder if he wouldn't like some company! I'm at the studio or shop a lot of the day, and he's left to snooze or look at the window all alone.

Recently, someone brought in a young mother-to-be cat to my veterinarian...the cat was almost a kitten herself, no more than 7 or 8 months old, and she gave birth to four adorable kittens! Of course, they had to stay with their mother until they were weaned, but two of them captured my heart the moment I saw them.

This is my first picture with Itzy (a female calico) and BJ (orange male) the day I brought them home! I kept them secluded for a couple of days, but Tigger was eager to see what was behind the door. Gradually, I introduced them to each other, and Tigger got to see the newest members of our family (when they would slow down long enough!). Now they lay next to each other on the couch and there has been some brotherly licking, so I know they'll be the best of friends!

If you can offer a "forever home" to a shelter kitten or older cat, isn't Christmas the time to give yourself and that little creature the best gift of all?

Love, Pipka

How to Run a Kiosk

This year, I wanted to try something that I've always enjoyed seeing: having a kiosk at a mall! I love the way they look at holiday times because they're all themed for the season and have the perfect gifts all ready to go.

My son Jon lives in Milwaukee, which is famous for the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa (upper west city of the city), so I drove down to check it out. The mall itself is beautiful and has the perfect clientele for my figurines...and they had a kiosk available right by Santa! How perfect is that? I can't be down there all of November and December, of course, so my son and his fiance are going to run the kiosk and oversee some other who will be helping customers.

However, I am planning to be there on November 27 and 28 (Thanksgiving weekend) as well as December 19 and 20, so I hope my friends and collectors will come by and say "hello."

Putting the kiosk together, as you'll see, is quite a production. Here's a photo of Jon and Deb - my sister-in-law who also works at the Door County store - with boxes towering over them! All the merchandise we needed was delivered at the same time, which is how we planned it.

But I must say that I'm very pleased with the kiosk. It's tasteful and showcases the Santas well. Here I am at the cash register just after we finished setting up. We had quite a few people come by this past weekend, including some little ones dressed for Halloween! Santa hasn't set up at the mall yet, but I'm sure he will help bring a lot of attention to Pipka's little kiosk, too.

The mall is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the address is 2500 North Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa, just off State Hwy 45 at Cty Hwy 100. To find my kiosk, go in the Crate & Barrel entrance and Santa and I will be right there!

I did meet some of Santa's helpers, and we posed for this photo. Shopping at a mall at Christmas with the holiday music, the decorations, Santa, and buying gifts for people you love. What could be better than that?

Love,
Pipka

Fall Fest in Sister Bay!

The weekend of October 16-18 was special...as it is every year...because Sister Bay where my little shop is located has a huge festival! All the artists line up their booths on Mill Road, right in front of Pipka's, and there's a steady stream of people in the shop all weekend long.

I made a variety of cakes with aspecial Rehrucken pan (see "Pipka's Kitchen" on my website, pipkasofdoorcounty.com), and here are some happy shoppers with my Elves Deanne (right) and Donette (center) by the tableful of cakes and cookies. An hour later, there were nothing but crumbs! (Luckily, I had many more in the freezer.)

By the end of the weekend, we're all tired...even though we've seen old friends and met new ones. Deanne's husband, Ed, always comes by with a special libation known as a Scarlett O'Hara, (he and Deanne mix them here), and we all toast our success and welcome fall in Door County (from left, Debbie, me, Amy, Deanne, Deanne's granddaughter Ashley, Donette, and Marj).

Love, Pipka

Art...in Southern France!

I'm just a few days back from a whirlwind week in Durfort, a village at the southern tip of France. Our group of artists - from all over the U.S. and from the U.K. - stayed in a three-story home called La Cascade that had three-foot-thick stone walls and big, cozy kitchen (where Nesa, our chef, surprised us all at every meal!). Below, the front door of our home for the week...and a photo of the running stream in the backyard. Nesa is holding a homemade bun with some jam. She never planned our meals - she just used whatever fresh foods were at the market that day!

The two leaders of the workshop were Lynne Perrella and Anne Bagby, renowned artists from the United States. We worked every single day except one! We made the most of it, sightseeing in nearby villages such as Revel, where we found bakeries, bookstores, marketplaces, and antique stores.

As always, I took photos of doors and door knockers. This was an especially beautiful one with the elaborate leaded insert and elegant hand. (Click on any of these photos to see them larger on your screen.)

We had several meals in cafes, including our group out for pizza. There are many wonderful appetizers such as these shrimp with oranges, and figs wrapped in bacon. And, of course, the desserts!

We all learned so much in the class. Here are just a couple of the pieces of art...the wide-eyed woman is by Anne, the
circus girl is Jennifer's, and
the woman with the jester-style hat was Sandy's work.

Lynne coached us in one exercise where we made silhouettes that expressed our work, and then we put them on the windows and doors...the woman's face, below, was mine. Lynne said it represented a mountain of ideas with many more ideas below that will come out in the future. I feel that that's true, and whenever I get together with other artists, I'm more inspired than ever.


I'm going to post even more pictures on my Shutterfly page, so if you want to see more of the countryside and my adventure in Southern France, go to my Shutterfly album on Durfort! (give me a couple of days - I have a LOT of photos!)

Of course, I have to end this blog with a picture of a French chat - there were many friendly cats in our little village.

Love,
Pipka

My Turtle Cake Recipe

I must make a dozen cakes a week (my special Scandinavian Almond Cake) for guests who come into the shop, and I recently added a new twist with the Turtle Cake!

Use the standard recipe (click on the "My Turtle Cake Recipe" title to see it), but pour only half the dough in the pan. Then drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the dough, sprinkle mini chocolate chips all around, and add chopped nuts. Pour the rest of the dough on top, and bake as usual. The layer of "turtle" mixture is a surprise that your family and guests will love!

Enjoy,
Pipka

A National Award for Pipka Collectibles!

I'm so pleased to let all my friends and collectors know that the Collectors Information Bureau (CIB) just awarded Prizm/Pipka Collectibles First Place in the Figurines ($100+) category for the 2008 Cold North Santa! CIB is an organization for manufacturers/retailers that tracks dozens of collectibles from many artists - including my designs - and follows the secondary market for pricing. In addition, they give annual awards, and I'm privileged to have won several through the years, including Artist of the Year. And now the Cold North Santa, one of my favorites (I love polar bears) is the newest award winner!

The large Cold North Santa (the one I'm holding in this photo) is Retired, but the 6" Reflections size is still available (click the title at the top of this blog entry see him close up)...we expect to have him in stock this fall, and with this new award for the design, you should pre-order to ensure that you'll be able to get him!

With this award just announced, I know I'll have a nice weekend...I hope you do, too!

Love,
Pipka

15th Anniversary Weekend with Friends!

The 15 years that I've been designing Santas has flown by, and it's amazing how many paintings I've done...Michele at Prizm said there have been nearly 800 different designs with the Pipka Collectibles name. For something that important, we have to celebrate! I invited collectors from all over the country to join me in Door County last weekend, and we enjoyed many different events.

I had a Welcome Party at my house and spent a lot of time cleaning and getting the house decorated JUST RIGHT...after all, two of my houseguests were going to be Santa and Mrs. Claus! Sparkling lights are one of my favorite things, so my friend Bob and I decorated the trees and shrubs outside...then I announced that dinner was ready!
















After dinner, we had a quiz and gave out prizes...did you know that in the early days of the State of Massachusetts, it was illegal to celebrate Christmas?! The early founders felt it should be observed strictly as a somber, religious holiday. I celebrate the religious meaning, but I don't think I would have liked living in Massachusetts - the ban lasted for 22 years!

By the next morning, we found ourselves eating again at the Northport Pier Restaurant, right the tip of the peninsula. Here I am with the Hodels and on the boat tour with Debbie Hortin (our "Titanic" pose!)...
















We all posed for a group shot by the water's edge:




My garden at the shop was the setting for an afternoon Christmas storytelling party with Roy Swanson telling us how he drove the streets of San Francisco every Christmas as Santa...he was the inspiration for this year's "Christmas Eve Drive" figurine. Lloyd Mickalson from our local Storytellers Guild related favorite Christmas stories, and we even had time to tell about our own favorite Christmases. My best memories are of my parents spending so much time putting up a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, and then lighting candles all over the branches. I felt like a princess as I first peeked around the door to see the beautiful tree and its presents!

Last Saturday night, our 15th Anniversary Collectors Dinner brought us all together for...more food! And more stories about the past 15 years and all the visitors to Pipka's whom we love. As you can see, friend Bob helped with MORE lights!

A highlight of the evening was having Santa join us! Santa John Hansen and Mrs. Claus (Barbara) gave out many presents. John is featured on a special Pipka's of Door County ornament. Bill Motzer, another Santa who was on hand for the celebration with his family, is also represented in my work, the "Always Believe" figurine. I think they both embody the joy and spirit of St. Nicholas.


There's just too much more to tell about in a little blog...by the end of the weekend, we were all exhausted but very, very happy.

Love,
Pipka

Christmas in July!

Time has flown with so many summer events at the shop. Christmas in July was great fun, as it always is, and we took pictures of Santa, Mrs. Claus, and my "elves." In the photo are (l. to rt.) Deb, Deanne, me, Cindy, Santa, and Marj. Mrs. Claus was taking the photo.

The day gave us all a chance to do one thing we love (well, TWO things): baking Christmas cookies...and eating them! It was wonderful to see the variety, and most of them were from one of my cookbooks (that have my favorite recipes as well as those from my collectors and friends...you can see those cookbooks by clicking here). Here's one of the tables we set up for the cookies:
The entire Village of Sister Bay joined in the fun this year...more than 30 businesses had special events such as a Krumkake baking demonstration (those are yummy Norwegian waffle cookies), live caroling, free drawings for merchandise and much more. If you're planning a trip to Door County next summer, plan it around July 25 - we'll have such fun!
Love, Pipka

Scandinavian Almond Cake...Delicious Variations!

I'd like to believe that the biggest reason people come to my shop in Door County is to purchase my Santa figurines, but I admit that many people come in for the free cake and coffee! We have delicious coffee - flavored and ground right here in Door County - and I have a wonderful recipe for Scandinavian Almond Cake. I bake about six cakes a week, and our customers love them! Click here to see the original recipe!
www.pipkasofdoorcounty.com/Santa-Ornament-Collectibles/index.phtml?cmd=details&prodID=RehrPan&track=12%4016&catID=16&start=4&fID=0&sort_field

Here are some scrumptious variations on the original recipe: In place of almond extract, add any flavored extract of your choice, such as:

LEMON
- lemon extract and lemon zest
- top warm cake with a lemon glaze (powdered sugar & lemon juice)
- add 1 heaping teaspoon poppy seeds

ORANGE
- orange extract add orange zest
- top warm cake with orange glaze (powdered sugar & orange juice)
- add vanilla extract

* To the cake batter, add any of the following:
- mini-chocolate chips & chopped Door County dried cherries
- finely chopped dried apricots
- toasted & chopped nuts: pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds
- blueberries, fresh or frozen (dust with flour first so they don't stain the batter or sink to the bottom)

* Baked cake fillings - add these to the pan before baking:
- Turtle Cake: Pour half the cake mixture in the pan. Add a layer of caramel ice cream topping and chopped pecans. Top with remaining cake mixture and bake as directed.
- Streusel Cake: Pour half the cake mixture in the plan. Add a streusel mixture of brown sugar, raisins, and nuts. Top with remaining mixture and bake as directed.

* Cake fillings - Cut the cooled cake lengthwise and fill with:
- lemon mousse or lemon curd
- chocolate mousse
- strawberries and pink whipped cream
- Nutella

Simply Elegant!
Cut the basic cake into slices. Top with fresh raspberries, raspberry sauce, and real whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar.

Raspberry Sauce
Cook 1 package of frozen raspberries, 1 cup water, and 1 cup sugar over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon red food coloring, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and cook until thickened. Force mixture through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl to eliminate seeds. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. It will get thick but thins out again when reheated.

Enjoy! Eating is one of my great pleasures, and I'm glad to share these ideas with you!

Love,
Pipka

April in Paris

Paris metro stop designed in the art nouveau style by Hector Guimard. We took the metro everywhere but walking is also possible and much more scenic!

Our first 3 hour lunch in Paris at the locally famous Le Navigator near the Sorbonne. Wine and good food! These French meals require a long walk afterwards. The scenery is beautiful in this famous

area, coffee shops, book stores, museums and university student hang-outs.

A Paris street performer. This young lady was singing and playing in Monmarte, the artist district of Paris.More photos will be posted so stay tuned!

Love, Pipka

Springtime in Provence!

Here are my friends, Bob and Sara Larsen from Door County. We're just beginning our dream trip to France! We'll spend a week in Provence and a week in Paris. We rented a house in each place so we'll have all the comforts of home and can buy food and flowers for our dwellings.

Upon arrival in Isle de Sorge, we come upon a market to delight all the senses: flowers, meats, breads, clothing, antiques, olives, everything one could want is there! Of course, food is high on my list, so bread is purchased immediately, as are flowers for our kitchen table. Now I feel we are really in Provence. By the way, a loaf of bread is $1 and a bouquet of flowers is about $5 - a bargain!

Our village is surrounded by an ancient wall and castle ruins. We spend hours walking and exploring, a new sight around every corner. There's so much history here, it's awe inspiring.
I always love visiting the churches, the beautiful statuary is inspiring. This may very well be another Madonna in our line one day!


I'm obsessed with the architecture of doors. I don't know if it's because I live in Door County! No, I think I've always loved doors - their patina and architecture is so artistic in Europe. Each one has its own unique style and color and craftsmanship. The periwinkle blue is the color of Provence. It matches the blue sky and looks beautiful next to the olive groves on the stone houses and the climbing roses on the buildings.

We visited different villages every day, so I'll be posting more on the blog. Please visit again and come along to Avignon and Orange with me, and then later, April in Paris!

Love,

Pipka