‘Dear Edmonds’ Greeting Card Campaign meets goal — now it’s time to buy!

Last summer, Create Next Steps reached out to the community with a goal of gathering 1,000 handmade greeting cards. A total of 89 artists of all ages submitted 1,047 cards, which came in a variety of mediums including acrylic, watercolor, pen and ink, encaustic, collage, crayon, photography and more. The cards are on sale on the Create Next Steps website in packs of five and 10 (cards are packaged as mystery bags). All proceeds from sales and donations will benefit Edmonds Food Bank, Washington Kids in Transition, and the Edmonds Senior Center.

The “Dear Edmonds” greeting card campaign started at the beginning of the summer, with two communities — Edmonds and Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, both putting the challenge out to residents to engage in art and creativity.

The Edmonds challenge was organized by Nicola Davies of Create Next Steps, an organization that offers leadership coaching and creative expression as tools for navigating transition. Nicola saw an opportunity to bring the community together and to combat the loneliness, isolation, and boredom that many were battling during the Covid-19 quarantine.

The campaign is meant to encourage more letter writing, which can be a safe way to reach out to family and friends right now. Taking the time to handwrite messages and sending to individuals can be a meaningful experience for the recipient (and the sender)!

Both the Edmonds and Ballard challenges exceeded their goals. To learn more about the “Dear Edmonds” initiative, go to the website or Facebook page.

Localvore offers new art selections for Fall

New curated kits are now available on the Edmonds Localvore website. Localvore features local retailers in unique curated kits. Some of the newest kits feature art (like this metal piece from Cascadia Art Museum) or a combination of activities to do at home (like this origami set from ARTspot.) Check out the website to see all the local goods!

Glazed and Amazed features art kits to complete at home

With cooler weather coming, now is a great time to start thinking of indoor art activities. Glazed and Amazed, located on Main Street in downtown Edmonds, offers several paint-at-home kits. You can order your pottery choice over the phone or pick it out in store, and the team will provide you with paints, brushes, and written instructions. Available pottery can be found here. Additionally, you can call the studio with any questions at 425-673-5474.

In addition to the painting pottery kits there are options for Acrylic Canvas Paint at Home and Clay Gnome Take Home Kits. Get painting!

— By Rachel Gardner

Rachel Gardner has a heartfelt appreciation for art in all forms and believes everyone is an artist, some just don’t know it yet. A dedicated and involved Edmonds resident, she can often be spotted onstage cracking jokes between sets or in the audience enjoying local live performances. She enjoys being playful with her art and finding unique ways of expression, like forming a boho-grunge-folk ukulele trio with local Edmonds moms.