Peggy Schaffer
Secretary-Treasurer NBSSCA

This month, High Noon chats with Peg Schaffer. She has "one high heel in the corporate world and one boot heel in the cowboy world."

On a recent flight, Peg was chatting with the person sitting next to her who inquired "So, what do you do?" Her response? "I manage 15,000 cowboys." And manage she does through her tenacity, her passion and her git 'er done attitude!

So how does a woman born and bred in Texas, with the papers to prove it, with a professional career that had her in the throws of international business, manage to "manage" those 15,000 cowboys?

Perhaps it goes back to her first job right out of college when she was hired as the first female sales rep for Playtex International. There she was, green out of college, sitting in a corporate sales meeting in Chicago surrounded by "men, scotch and cigars" and she, the only woman in a bevy brassiere. Undaunted, she went on to be top of her game, parlaying this role into top level marketing and sales roles with Porsche Carrera and Laurel Burch to name just two. Managing $30 million dollars in sales and flying around the world is how she ultimately stumbled into the world of Western collecting.

"There would be times when sales meetings or appointments didn't come together, so I would kill time popping into antique shops." This is how it all began. She started collecting smaller antiques then became a bit captivated by Western antiques, perhaps an outgrowth of her Texas roots. Eventually moving back to Texas, Peg became involved with the Texas Centennial celebration and the deal was sealed. She was in deep and going to get in even deeper.

Juggling her full time non-stop corporate job, she began selling her Western antiques at shows. She does recall, early on in the game, that it was a bit like that corporate sales meeting in Chicago - she was one of the few women in the business and it took a while to be accepted. It all happened because of the computer she would schlep with her. John Villines, then President of the NBSSCA, noticed her early techno-affinity at a show and asked her "you know how to use that thing?" "Sure do," she replied. "I bet you could manage our membership list on that thing," he countered. "Yes, I probably could." Well, that was how it started and now, for 10 years, Peg has not only managed the NBSSCA membership list, but managed the financials, written and edited the newsletter, but more importantly, been the driving force behind marketing the artists and artisans at the core of the NBSSCA. This is where her unstoppable passion really lies.

"This is the best job I've ever had that I didn't get paid for." Peggy talks at length about promoting these amazing artisans and sustaining and growing the culture and the collectors that will ensure their craft continues to thrive. Peg's passion also goes to nurturing young collectors and encouraging young artists to pursue their goals in master craftsmanship. "I do absolutely everything I can to promote and support each and every member and potential member of our association. As artists, these talented individuals are often not the best at promoting themselves. I tell them, 'your Momma taught you not to talk about yourself and it stuck so I'm going to do it for you." And do it she does. From sales techniques to marketing ideas to PR, she's there for each and every one of her 15,000 cowboys.

Peg knows how lucky she is to be part of this wonderful world of Western collecting and creating. "It's a culture and a family unlike any other and I'm so grateful to be part of it." Family? Hubby? Indeed. She just refers to him as her James Bond. He tolerates her western world but also has the collecting "bug". She's working hard to influence her daughter and three grandchildren to embrace the western heritage.

Now retired from the world of corporate sales and marketing, she's busier than ever representing seven high-end antique galleries in Texas, working tirelessly for the NBSSCA and, oh yes, she has a full-on other company of her own, Lucky Star Ranch with its line of old West rodeo art and graphics with a line of clothing in the works. Whew - it's tiring just thinking about it. Go Peg! It's your energy and enthusiasm that is an inspiration to us all.

Peg Schaffer
NBSSCA
P.O. Box 1969
Addison, TX 75001
www.nbssca.org
bitandspur@aol.com

Barbara Goldeen
Globe Trekker and Goddess of the Finest Native American Jewelry and Crafts.

Sitting with Barbara and her husband and partner, John Selmer, at their store in South Pasadena (CA) befittingly named Santa Fe Crafts, you are surrounded with the most dazzling and rich representations of the finest jewelry, basketry, kachina dolls and textiles to be found - Hopi, Navajo, Zuni and Pueblo to name just a few.

A perfectly placed round table with chairs in the center of their store, which they opened just a year ago, has quickly become the destination to spend delightful hours with this engaging, bright and elegant couple, learning about these Native American creations - the finest you'll find anywhere in the world. Learning from the masters, both Barbara and John have earned the reputation as nationally renowned collectors, appraisers and authorities. Sit at the "table" long enough to place your purse down and the offer of "water?," "glass of wine?", "champagne?" comes from Barbara, John or sometimes from both at the same time...they're a great team and a pure delight.

But back to Barbara, our inner cowgirl and her life journey to this point - and what a journey it's been. Barbara tells the story with a twinkle and smile that just says, "I've had a ball" but also says, "there's more I'm not telling you..."

A perfect example of this is how it all began. She starts the story from the early 1970s when she was living in San Francisco and designing a clothing line using exquisite textiles from Guatemala - a line of fashions picked up by both Macy's and the-not-too-shabby department store I. Magnin. "I would spend four months a year in Guatemala, selecting fabrics and textiles for my line of designs. I was able to do this very successfully for years until the revolution made it too dangerous to travel there any longer."

So, how does a young woman, born and raised in San Francisco, end up traveling to Guatemala to select textiles and fabrics instead of using the very vibrant fashion districts in San Francisco? When posed this question, Barbara said nothing but the look and twinkle in her eyes said it all. Her husband John jumped in to say, "it had to do with that hippy era, didn't it, honey?" She said nothing. Silence at the round table. Then John boomed, "It was a guy! There had to be a guy involved!" Well, yes indeed, Barbara admitted, "love, or young lust" had her traipsing back and forth from North America to South America "buying textiles." Well, perhaps the revolution put the nail in that coffin too, but more details were not revealed - John didn't want to know...and Barbara wasn't telling.

Now back in San Francisco, Barbara had always wanted to see the Southwest so off on the train she went, first to Flagstaff then on to Zuni looking for Lena Boone, renowned fetish maker. Barbara was overwhelmed by the "power" of the area and the culture, and yes, she bought an amber fetish and was hooked!

She traveled back and forth from San Francisco to Santa Fe until karma intervened with an offer to move to Santa Fe to administrate an educational grant just bestowed to the Save The Children Foundation - the project would be named Santa Fe Crafts. So there it was, 1984, and Barbara was living in a trailer outside Santa Fe. Among the many incredible experiences she had there was the chance to meet and have tea with Fred and Alice Kabotie - an event she still remembers.

The Santa Fe Crafts project found Barbara involved with museums across the country, among them, the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles where she met fellow Native American passionado John Selmer. John had been collecting Indian art since he was a child - the match was destiny and they were married in 1991. Together they became an unstoppable and amazing team.

Since 1991, together, they have traveled the globe, built collections world wide including the famous Kashiwagi Collection now housed in a Japanese museum. They were also integrally involved in the early days of the now major retailer Coldwater Creek, supplying handmade American Indian jewelry, when Coldwater Creek still was all about "Made in America."

They've been sent as emissaries to Canada and beyond for the US Government on trade missions. On one trip to Canada, they ended up in remote Alert Bay where they commissioned an Indian artist to create a totem pole for Discovery Channel's new flagship store in Washington D.C. The store is gone now but the pole resides prominently in the White House.

So back to the round table in their shop in South Pasadena. The stories could have gone on for hours, several bottles of champagne could have been drunk - some lives just lend themselves to that, and the life of Barbara Goldeen and her husband John Selmer are two of those.

Barbara Goldeen & John Selmer
Santa Fe Crafts
1123 Mission Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
(626) 799-03070
www.santafecrafts.com
sfc@mindspring.com

Living With Your Collections

There's something special about those who have embraced the Western and Native American lifestyles. It's a passion that runs deep for the art, the pottery, the textiles, the leatherwork, the furnishings - the history and the richness. The passion for collecting runs deep as well. Some have small collections while others amass enormous collections running the gamut from world-class saddles to art that could fill a museum.

What to do with these collections so they become part of your life and lifestyle instead of taking up space in boxes in the garage or worse yet, locked away in storage where they can't be enjoyed?

This month, Smoke Signals is very honored to prescribe the ultimate remedy for this problem. She's as passionate about your collections as you are, yet has the amazing ability to take your treasures and incorporate them, in the most elegant manner, into your home and lifestyle. She's Kris Lajeskie - Kris Lajeskie Design.

Interior designer extraordinaire - absolutely, but she's much more. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and a look at some of the rooms and environments she has created reveals her rich and dynamic approach to showcasing art and artifacts. Kris understands that creating a collection is a very personal and serious endeavor. To that end, she sees her role as that of curator, showcasing pieces while paying attention to every detail from lighting down to the perfect nail head.

According to Kris, the biggest challenge when working with these important collections is to ensure that they do not lose their impact and individual beauty when they enter the home. So often, collections become displayed in a way that does not do them justice. "I consider myself a purist," says Kris. It's of utmost importance to her to retain the purity of a collection - focus, presentation and balance, and yes, the ever-present air of understated elegance.

While Kris has worked on projects around the world, from the finest hotels to penthouses in New York, her genuine love for her clients and respect for their collections rings through in every project. "I have a ball with my clients! I don't ever want to interrupt their passion for collecting." Kris designs homes and environments to her client's tastes - not her own. She approaches each project as a collaborate effort. She grows with her clients as their collections continue to grow, tweaking, adjusting, or completely re-doing. "Working with collectors is an ongoing and dynamic process. They never stop collecting so my role continues for years."

Kris creates and designs from her heart. She works with a number of hand-selected artisans worldwide to create the perfect accessory or showcase. She's a perfectionist, she's fun, she's genuine and her creativity knows no bounds.

Kris Lajeskie
www.krislajeskiedesign.com
kris@krislajeskiedesign.com

Photo of interior and carved display cabinet by Grey Crawford.

 

 

 

So Who's Dressing the Rodeo Queens?
Julie Ewing of J Ewing Designs

Whether it's the top spot of Miss Rodeo America or state and regional rodeo queens, one thing is certain, these cowgirls, athletes, and advocates of the Western lifestyle are always dressed to the nines in the most decadent of designs rivaling Paris haute couture, embellished with the rich inspiration of the American West.

So where do these fabulous women get their amazing clothes? Not off the rack we can assure you.

In the small town of Bastrop, Texas just outside Austin, Julie Ewing, of J Ewing Designs, spends hundreds of hours designing, hand sewing and hand beading blends of sumptuous leathers, exquisite lace, handpicked crystals and stones and the richest of fabrics into one-of-a-kind masterpieces - truly art to wear.

Julie's passion for what she does is reflected in each of her creations. Taking her inspiration from Paris haute couture and the romance of vintage designers, Julie has developed a trademark look - pure glamour, elegance and grace.

Throughout her more than twenty years in Western design, Julie has seen five Miss Rodeo America's crowned in her creations as well as numerous state and local title winners. But a close look at what she does and what she creates could undeniably be donned at the Oscar's or out for an evening in Monte Carlo. She creates the unexpected while maintaining an air of classic elegance and rare beauty.

As we watch Western-inspired designs finally begin to make their debut into mainstream America, we, who have always embraced the romance and beauty of the Western culture, wait in anticipation for the day when these designs finally hit the runways of New York.
 
That's not far off. In an exciting conversation with Julie, she revealed that she and her designs had been requested to exhibit at a show in New York this fall. Daunted by this offer yet ecstatic, the idea of this small town, multi-talented, charming Texas gal to actually have the chance for the world-class market to embrace her designs...very exciting indeed.  

Being an independent designer, her resources to accomplish this are limited, yet opportunities like this happen perhaps once in a lifetime. On behalf of Julie and the unveiling of great designs of Western America, anyone with the philanthropic spirit to encourage Julie and her debut in New York should email: info@designamerica-nyc.com. How exciting if any High Noon Smoke Signalers can help get J Ewing Designs to the Big Apple!

Julie Ewing
J Ewing Designs
www.j-ewingdesigns.us
Email: jewingdesigns@aol.com

Denise Langley
Denise Langley Design
Cortez, ColoradoDenise Langley Chaps

If Coco Chanel had designed chaps, it's likely they may have resembled the ones created by Denice Langley, as this month's "inner Cowgirl" is about taking the Western style to high design. Growing up in Cortez, Colorado, passionate about horses and being crowned Rodeo Queen in high school, Denice was always a step apart from the traditional look of her rodeo-ing counterparts. Even as a young girl, her eye went to the styles of Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel and Hermes - sophisticated, rich and perhaps a bit whimsical.

Denise remembers when she was in high school, she just hated the cowgirl shirts and outfits that were available to buy at the local tack stores. She wanted to look different. She would buy $50/yard gabardine fabric, design and sew her own shirts to wear at competition. Soon, she wasn't just making them for herself but many of the men wanted them too. At a very young age, Denice Langley, designer, was born.

But life got in the way for a period of years and Denice became part of the six figure corporate world working in Oklahoma City as a retail manager for Helzberg Diamonds. Then one day, as she was nearing 40, she woke and realized she wasn't happy. "I would go to work when it was dark and come home when it was dark - seven days a week! This is no way to live!"

The opportunity to work with her mother's thriving business in New Mexico gave her the escape route she needed and put her back in the world of horses she dearly missed and loved. Selling her home and living in a horse trailer for a year and a half, Lisa got back into showing cutting horses.

But, in true Langley style, she wanted fancier chaps than the ones that were available. So, instead of saving up to have them custom-made, she saved up and bought her first leather sewing machine and designed her own. Incredible tooling, detailing and fit, they were an immediate hit and she found herself taking orders, designing and making chaps for many men on the circuit.

Not happy with the silver available to use as accents, she found her own silver supply and, with the help of a cassette video, became a self-taught engraver. That's Denice, self-taught all the way driven by a passion for transcending Western-style to high-design! Artist extraordinaire by nature, today her lines include purses to rival any Hermes bag; belts and accessories to adorn that little black dress, custom sandals, vests and coats. A stunning suede cape adorned with fur and sterling took the 2009 Western Design Conference Fashion Show by storm drawing oohs and ahhs from the savvy Jackson Hole crowd.

But wait -there's more! Denice creates the most fabulous line of boot accessories which she calls "UFF's." These boot adornments take any pair of cowboy boots or UGG's and transforms them to the mood your in that day. Want a little fringe, perhaps you're feeling a bit in the mood for mink? These interchangeable zip-on boot cuffs take the average and transform them into the exceptional.

Today, Denice is back in her hometown of Cortez, Colorado where she still works seven days a week but now it's in her studio with her horse right outside and her dogs at her feet. Everything Denice creates is original and completely hand-made. You'll find no rhinestones on anything she makes but what you will find is what she does create will turn heads on 5th Avenue in New York. It may be western-inspired but it's all high-style.

Denice Langley
Denice Langley Designs
10405 Hwy 491
Cortez, CO 81321
(970) 564-5184
denice@denicelangley.com
www.denicelangley.com

This month, Smoke Signals chats with Lisa Sorrell, founder, owner and artisan of Sorrell Custom Boots.

In a most engaging conversation with Lisa Sorrell, it became immediately evident that this woman is truly an artist passionate about her work - creating some of the most beautiful boots anyone's feet could ever don.

"I'm a boot maker, not a cowboy" is her opening statement. And how she stumbled into her craft is story of the most unlikely of circumstances. Lisa was raised in a strict religious community in Missouri akin perhaps the Amish. At an early age, Lisa began sewing her own clothes as what she was allowed to wear couldn't be "bought at Macy's." By the age of 15, she was an accomplished seamstress sewing clothes for women in the community. At the age of 20, she married and together she and her new husband moved to Oklahoma. Needing a job and knowing her talent for sewing, she answered an ad in the local paper for a position stitching boot tops. She had absolutely no idea what this was - had never heard of it before. But, her sewing skills landed her the job and she spent the next 1-1/2 years working with master boot maker and designer Jay Griffith. And the rest as they say, is history.

By 1996, she opened her own business which, as she tells it, could never have been done without the dedication and support of her husband Dale. Now, both wife and mother, her husband provided her the team support to develop her artistic design skills and begin marketing her rich creations. She began by making real working cowboy boots but her real love was creating what she calls "office boots" - the kind of boots men wear with the finest suits in professional environments. It was these "office boots" that brought her artistic talent to the forefront. In the most charming of statements, Lisa believes "cowboy boots are a way for men to wear high heels in bright colors."

Well done Lisa for in just 3 short years, her work was recognized and featured in Tyler Beard's hard-cover coffee table book, "The Art of the Boot" published by Gibbs Smith in 1999.

Today, Lisa's clients span the globe from Belgium to Buenos Aires. While the majority of her clients are men, the number of women she designs for is on the rise. She meets personally with each of her clients for custom fittings but more importantly so she can glean the personality of the person destined to wear them. Through that, she can create the design and incorporate the colors that will reflect the heart and "sole" of the wearer. "They aren't just a piece of footwear, they tell a story."

As a boot maker and an artist Lisa feels that "cowboy boots are the perfect representation of art and craft meeting." Today in her studio, she employs an apprentice but don't expect overnight results. The intense design work and craftsmanship that goes into each pair takes time.  You can be sure, though, that they will be worth the wait!

Lisa Sorrell
Sorrell Custom Boots
217 E. Oklahoma Avenue
Guthrie, OK 73044
405-282-5464
www.customboots.net
customboots@aol.com

This month, Smoke Signals is honored to "sit in the saddle" with...

Lisa Skyhorse, Skyhorse Saddle Company, Durango, Colorado

"It's so fun to be unique within the good old boys network," was Lisa's opening comment in our interview. Unique perhaps because she's a woman, but more likely unique because her passion, her artistry and integrity all go into each piece she creates - heirloom pieces that are built to ride.

"I feel so lucky that at a young age, just in my twenties, I discovered what it was I wanted to do - build the finest saddles. I was always artsy and as an art student at UCLA I began dabbling in leather as a medium and found I loved it. I began selling my pieces at street fairs (purses, belts, etc) which paid for my last two years of college."

Following graduation, Lisa moved to Northern California where she opened Sundance Leather Company and in short order, had 33 employees and a full manufacturing operation producing her purse and belt designs. One day she realized she had become a manager of a good-sized business and was no longer practicing the art she loved. She wanted to be an artist again. She spent the next two years apprenticing with a very traditional artisan saddlemaker. As she recalls, "When I finished the first saddle I ever made I knew this is what I wanted to do." And done it she has. As you're sitting at your computer reading this article, take a minute, open another window in your browser and go to www.skyhorse.com and just be blown away by the works of Lisa Skyhorse. Sometimes it's true, a picture is worth a thousand words... Sigh... it's one beautiful work after another. Okay, back to the story.

Along her way in life, in 1972, Lisa met husband Loren Skyhorse. A perfect match as Loren was the consummate horseman and quickly became as passionate about saddlemaking as she is. Coming from a long line of leather toolers, Loren works alongside Lisa today using tools that belonged to his grandfather. Together as a team they create works of art in saddlery.