Merry Christmas

Wishing you all in Cyber land a very Merry Christmas and a Mooey New Year!

Are You Famous?

Do people stop you on the street and say "Wow, you're her!" ? That's what one of the children at the Landenberg Christian Academy asked me the other day when I went there to do a book reading for them. Sadly, I had to reply no, only that I was a legend in my own mind and someday maybe... LOL! The kids were really great. I started with the preschoolers who I didn't really expect to be able to sit well through my 40 page book. They were really very well behaved and excited. They sat quietly and listened and at the end got to come up with the school director Julie Malone and give my 4 ft stuffed Millicent the cow a big hug. Next I read to the older grades, 3-5. They were also very well behaved and asked great questions at the end. I got to do a little more than just read with this group. I brought all my early writings, scribblings and sketches, in addition to the original paintings used for the book, so I was able to present the entire process of how I wrote and illustrated the book from beginning to end. It was a very fun day and I hope to do it at other schools in the future on a more regular basis.

Julie Malone had this to say about my visit

"I would highly recommend having Karen O’Lone-Hahn visit any school. It is incredibly valuable for students to see real life examples of people who have put a dream into reality. It is also valuable for them to see that even published authors need to work hard and persevere through the entire writing process from the initial ideas, to the rough drafts, to the final published work. Our teachers were extremely pleased with Mrs. O’Lone-Hahn’s visit, as it proved to be a highly educational, as well as inspiring experience for all of our students."

Millicent and the Faraway Moon Reloaded

This is no longer available at Lulu.com . Get it on Sale on my etsy page.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/33528826/childrens-book-millicent-and-the-faraway

Artists are like Diamonds

Even though there are millions of diamonds in the world, each one is unique and shines with its own specific beauty. Such is the way with artists. Each has his or her own unique vision and talent and like a diamond, is special and brilliant. I am privileged to know many other artists whose work I can marvel at and enjoy. I know glass blowers and potters, fabric artists, wood carvers, metal smiths, jewelers-the list goes on and on. I never tire of seeing what someone else is up to, reading the stories that they tell in their work. Every time I go to an art show or a gallery it is like a banquet, a feast for my eyes. Today I spent the day gallery sitting at the Artists Connection Gift Shop in Oxford, Pa.. Truth be told I was regretting signing up to do it as I felt I had too many things on my plate to take a day to spend gallery sitting. I have to say that I am glad I did. I had such a nice time talking with Dave Bliss ( a photo restorationist) and a member of the Connection who was sharing the shift with me. If left up to me, I think I would sometimes corner myself into a cocoon with things I think I HAVE to do, missing out on the company of wonderful human beings like Dave. I am new to the Oxford Artist Alliance and am also glad I went as I got to spend more time talking with Paula Graham, a jazzy watercolorist and creativity coach. When left alone, I spent my time looking around the shop, enjoying the work of various artists. Larry Denver is a masterful wood carver, his pieces generally being inspired by nature. There was lots of jewelry-cool stuff by Storm Fight Designs (Stacey Peterson and Jamie Cox) Deja Vu Artisan jewelry (Cheryl Gross), quilted wall hangings, photography, fabric accessories, paintings by Dianne Blanche Stirrat and the work of several others (myself included)..... The day was quiet though. Only two people came in. Oxford is a tiny Pennsylvania town that is working its way from sleepy rural community to one that is trying to catch up to the rest of the world. I am sure that their are plenty of art lovers in Oxford and the surrounding region and as the Alliance becomes better known, the traffic in the gallery will increase. I hope that those of you who are reading this, if you are local, will take the time to go there and see the awesome work being offered by the artists in the shop. It is located at

38 South 3rd Street in Oxford

Gift Shop hours:
Thursday 11-4
Fridays 11-6
Saturdays 10-5