Equinox Blessings and Happy Autumn

There's a crisp chill in the air and September is gone so swiftly. My garden is still pumping out tomatoes and basil and leeks and eggplant, and I'm roasting vegies for maranara ssuce for the winter.

Hello and bright fall blessings to you! I've got some news to share and an upcoming show at Hospice of San Luis Obispo

After eight years of participating in the Open Studio Tour, I have decided to take a wee break. I have been stocking my online shop at 1000 Markets with over one hundred works of art, including my pottery, painted silks, Day of the Dead festival ware, jewelry and collage. This year, since I'm not doing Open Studio, I will be setting up a gallery show of my art at Hospice for two weeks, from October 19 - November 3. I invite you all to see my work there. Follow this link for date, times and a map to Hospice of San Luis Obispo I will donate a portion of my sales to Hospice in deep gratitude for the healing work they do every day.

I have created custom art for many of you, and am available to creating your heart's desire for holiday gifts or something special for your home or office.

Drop me a note; I love hearing from you!

All the best, PattyMara

Day of the Dead Art with FREE Shipping!
Day of the Dead and Halloween Skull Mug: "Spiral Eyes" $22.00	Ceramic "Sugar Skull" Wall Mask for Day of the Dead, Custom Order $75.00	Dear Friend Ofrenda Tile and Family Tiles Too $15.00	Heavenly Fishing Day of the Dead Ceramic Tile $20.00
Ofrenda Tiles for Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Brother and Dear Friends $15.00	Eat, Drink & Be Merry Set of Two Black and White Bowls $35.00	"Sugar Skull" Mask for the Wall, Day of the Dead, Handpainted Ceramic $75.00	Sugar Skull Mirror for Day of the Dead and All Year Round $25.00
Day of the Dead Tall Mug Handpainted Original $22.00	Peace Please ~ Day of the Dead Clay Skull Free Shipping $75.00	"Poker Face Ace" Day of the Dead Square Plate Free Shipping $75.00	We'll Dance When We're Dead Skeleton Earrings or Pendants $18.00

About PattyMara's Sacred Heart Cafe & DolphinSmile Studio I paint silk, throw pots, fuse glass and collage poems in my enchanted DolphinSmile Studio on the central California coast. The spirits of the land and the devas in my garden keep me company. When it's real, art can heal! I've named my shop the Sacred Heart Cafe, because I want my art to nourish you and warm your heart, and be delicious, tasty medicine for all who see it, carry it, hang it, wear it, love it and give it away. Please visit my shop blog I enjoy custom orders, and have been very successful creating "heart's desire" art for my customers. Also, many of art products in my shop are made to order just for you. With this option you are invited to suggest a special color, image or message on the art I make for you. I offer gift wrapping for all of my products, and all mailings are packaged securely. BonBons of Gratitude for finding my shop at 1000 Markets!

PattyMara's Sacred Heart Cafe & DolphinSmile Studio Policies I am committed to creating an online gallery and shop that will delight you and give you the opportunity to purchase my art securely, with Amazon's A - Z Guarantee. I will ship your order within three days via USPS First Class or Priority Mail with delivery confirmation. Shipping charge includes packaging and handling. Gift wrapping is available at no extra charge. Custom orders will take longer since I am making it specifically for you, and I will keep in close contact to let you know of my progress and anticipated completion date. I do want you to be completely happy with your purchase. If you have any questions, or concerns about your purchase, please contact me. Your complete satisfaction as a customer is very important to me.

Day of the Dead Market at 1000markets: Amazing Artists Here!

1000 Markets

Day of the Dead Market

Visit the Market

Our Lady of Perpetual Chocolate Shrine and Snack Bar

During late October for the past eight years I have created a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) ofrenda (altar) during my Open Studio Tour. For many of my central California coast customers, it was their first experience of this vibrant celebration remembering our beloved relatives and friends who have passed on. On my altars I place bouquets of freshly picked marigolds, "the flower with 400 lives" which I grow each year in my garden. Named cempazuchitl by the Aztec peoples, the scent of marigolds is believed to draw the souls of our loved ones back to earth, forming a welcome path for them to follow home.

Also on my ofrenda, I place photographs of my dearly departed in colorful frames, alongside an offering of their favorite food. For my Minnesota dad, a plate of snicker doodles or divinity fudge, specialties he loved when made by his mother, my stalwart Norwegian grandmother Lila. For my mama, a child of Sicilian immigrants, a glass of deep burgundy table wine. For Marya, my "other mother", it has to be chocolate, bittersweet and dark, and plenty of it.

It was in Marya's memory that I set up my first Our Lady of Perpetual Chocolate Shrine and Snack Bar. The shrine is sculpted from clay, fired, painted and gilded. I usually balance some dark chocolate kisses on her head, and surround her with organic, fair trade chocolates, bon bons and brownies, cocoa dusted almonds and butterfingers.

Guest to my Open Studio are invited to enjoy some chocolate, as well as fresh baked Pan de Muertos (Bread of the Dead). I bake this bread (or ask my eleven year old nephew Aiden, a fine gourmet baker to do the honors) once a year for my altar. Redolent with anise and decorated with skull and bone shapes, the oval loaves of pan de muertos fill the air with an aroma to die for! This year, the ants found one loaf and invaded it. I set it outdoors as an offering to all the ants I have killed over the years. They seemed to enjoy it very much.

Please visit our Day of the Dead Market showcasing the creative work of six unique artists:
http://www.1000markets.com/groups/dayofthedead

Here is a prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Chocolate, which I wrote the year my other mother Marya passed away, suddenly and too soon.

Oh, Bountiful Mother, our Solace and Comfort. Give us this day our daily bar of dark and sweet delight. For all the children of war, transform all the bombs.....into bonbons. Where there is fear, let there appear.... a comforting cup of cocoa. For those who hunger and thirst for justice, gather us together and shower us......with fondue. When there is sickness and no desire to eat, bake us some magic brownies. For all the lonely hearts of our world, deliver a heart shaped box of......nuts & chews. Where there is bitterness in our lives, infuse it with the sweetness of.....fudge. Oh, Truffled Goddess of Delight, we yearn for your cocoa kisses. Be always present at our parties. Wrap us in your creamy arms. Melt in our mouths. Amen. Alleluia. Pass the brownies.

Hospice El Dia de los Muertos

I will be setting up my Day of the Dead artwork/altar at Hospice of San Luis Obispo for their beautiful event on Sunday, Nov. 2. I just unloaded another kilnload of latte mugs especially for the show. Details/map to Hospice here: www.hospiceslo.org

Open Studio First Weekend A Great Success, One More to Go!

I had a blast last Saturday and Sunday welcoming over a hundred people to my Open Studio Tour. It was wonderful seeing my faithful customers and I met many new ones too. My Day of the Dead jewelry was a hot seller: all the beaded dancing skeleton earrings sold quickly. I'm making more this week to replenish the earring tree which I made from a rock rose bush branch from our meditation garden.

On Sunday during the tour I had time to play a few songs on my accordion with my band Hear the Darlins Roar. Our drummer, Barry, emailed me today with the great news that his Day of the Dead skull mug that he purchased was a big hit at the office. More mugs will be going to live there soon.

Our Lady of Perpetual Chocolate Shrine and Snack Bar was visited with great devotion by all. The most popular item there was Aiden (11) and Nina's (12) home baked Pan de los Muertos, a sweet, anise flavored bread shaped into skulls.

This week I am filling orders and replenishing stock, in preparation for the second weekend of the tour. I sold three of my beaded turquoise and coral watches, so more of those will be next on my to do list.

New Greeting Card with Skulls & Our Lady of the Guadalupe Dunes

Fresh off the press, our new line of greeting cards: Fishtale Greetings! This card features six of my handpainted Day of the Dead sugar skull tiles. Comes with 100% recycled paper envelope, and is blank inside for your personal message.

Other images in our premier printing are: Our Lady of the Guadalupe Dunes, from an original illustration of mine celebrating our local dunes, as well as Bruce's amazing photography. His images include light paintings of our garden calla lilies, peacock feathers and his hilarious street sign and manhole cover photographs.

All of our new card designs will be displayed at my Open Studio Tour this weekend. (gulp!)

New Colorful Day of the Dead Tiles

I have painted twelve of these six inch ceramic tiles with colorful calaveras, in the tradition of the Day of the Dead sugar skulls. They are listed in my etsy shops for sale, and will be on my Day of the Dead altar during Open Studio. Each of them is one-of-a-kind, and we just sent art to the printer for greeting cards with six of these beauties. Stay tuned.

Poker Face Ace, another Day of the Dead Handpainted Ceramic Plate

This plate cracks me up. For anybody who can play cards and not show your hand in your facial expressions, this is not for you. For the rest of us who can't hide our emotions when those aces appear in our cards, this plate is for you.

Here is the joy when life brings us sweet surprises, mystery grace, familiar connections~out of the blue.