SO I decided I was going to make as many gifts as possible for friends and family this year, and I was off to a good start: bought my supplies way in advance, would thieve a few sewing or assembling moments while my daughter was immersed in play--or Kung Fu Panda, which is her favorite movie right now. And I will confess that I, willing and non-hesitant, let her watch that movie several times in order to try to achieve my goal. Okay, even MORE than several time. The guilt has settled in...AND I still haven't finished all my gifts. So what do I do when I finally have a chance to work on them late in the evening?: Facebook...posting to my blog...ya know--"important" things.
So, here I am, trying to figure out how I'm going to get all the gifts done. Elves. Lots of 'em. Works for Santa, worked for that old Shoemaker (in that old fairy tale). So I'm pretty sure if I leave my stuff out overnight, it will be flawlessly and beautifully assembled by early morn. I will be shuffling in my fuzzy leopard-print slippers, squinting thru the mascara I forgot to remove the night before (not to mention the fingerprints Olivia deposited all over my glasses lenses), on auto-pilot to the kitchen to make my very necessary and very caffeinated java, and then I'll see it--The Stack of Love. Gifts looking fresh off the assembly line, and set out like a Martha Stewart magazine shot. Ahhhh, the relief....
Or is it? I mean, after all, the reason I was going to make gifts this year is because I wanted to make them special, functional and personal, all while trying to tap into my inner-Martha. So as nice as it would be to have Elves, I'd rather have the happy looks of friends faces when they see they got a one-of-a-kind art item that I made, by myself....Maybe that will heal the guilt I'm feeling of my little girl seeing Kung Fu Panda so many times. (That and the fact she want to be Master Tigress, who kicks A**--atta Girl!!)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Just imagine....
Okay,if you are a creative person, then you must enjoy an active imagination. And even though this post is not craft-related per se, my thought is that you enjoy anything of admirable creativity....So my guess is you are, at least in part, a Harry Potter fan. I discovered Harry when the 2nd book came out (Chamber of Secrets), and glommed onto them like a child does a "blankie". I love the imaginative details; and I love that it can be shown to have much deeper symbolisms, as "classic" literature.
I became a fan of a couple of podcasts that would analyze the stories, which added to my enjoyment of the series. One of the podcasts is hosted by Travis Prinzi, a well educated lover of Literature, a writer, and a teacher (among other things and I can't figure out how he fits all of it into 24 hours). Travis just published a book called "Harry Potter and Imagination: The Way between Two Worlds"; I am looking forward to reading Travis' insightful commentary. With all my own projects going on, I don't get much time to read. So when I do have time, I want what I read to be stimulating and thought provoking (unless it's at the end of a long day with my 3 yr old, in which case a magazine with lots of pictures of shoes and fashion suffices). If this book is anything like Travis' commentary, it will be a good read. Even if YOU'RE not an HP fan, I'm pretty sure you know someone who is.
Take a look: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982238517/ref=cm_rdp_product
I became a fan of a couple of podcasts that would analyze the stories, which added to my enjoyment of the series. One of the podcasts is hosted by Travis Prinzi, a well educated lover of Literature, a writer, and a teacher (among other things and I can't figure out how he fits all of it into 24 hours). Travis just published a book called "Harry Potter and Imagination: The Way between Two Worlds"; I am looking forward to reading Travis' insightful commentary. With all my own projects going on, I don't get much time to read. So when I do have time, I want what I read to be stimulating and thought provoking (unless it's at the end of a long day with my 3 yr old, in which case a magazine with lots of pictures of shoes and fashion suffices). If this book is anything like Travis' commentary, it will be a good read. Even if YOU'RE not an HP fan, I'm pretty sure you know someone who is.
Take a look: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982238517/ref=cm_rdp_product
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Spoonflower Samples are Here!
Well, my two swatches are here! They came out really well. The orange in both designs is very bright--vibrant without being florescent, however. The printing is crisp and neat, and the fabric is nice an soft. The weight of the material is more an apparel type, but I'm hoping for some home decor weight at some point. So it's nice to see what the colors print like in comparison to how my screen is calibrated. What I hope to do is to make some designs to sell on my Etsy site So will post more when I have it.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Not Exactly Punctual
Well, it's around 2 weeks past Thanksgiving, so I guess an entry here about all the things I'm thankful for is a bit passé. Not very timely of me. Over the years November has become quite an "event-full" month, filled with both celebrations and loss: birthdays, anniversaries, and loss of loved ones. Just as every coin has two sides, so does November. I've been debating all this time as to whether I would post any comments around this time. One part of me wants to commemorate those I love and the other side that wants to keep it private-Not because it's so personal, but rather "Does anyone really want to hear it?". So I'll compromise and do a little of both....
My mother passed away 2 years ago on Nov. 19, 2006 from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She was a type of person who was rarely sick; but by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer was Phase 4 and relentless. She was gone in 3 months. Gone. My Dad lost his wife of 40+ years; my daughter lost her chance at having a Grandma (my husband's mother passed right after we were married); I lost my personal angel. Melodramatic? Maybe. But so what--my Mother was/is a HUGE part of my life. She inspired me to dream, to succeed, to love, to laugh...of course others in my life have, too, but my Mom was IT. I got my artistic talent from her, and her sense of fun as well. People told us we looked alike; strangely enough, we had "matching" moles on our right hip. (Too much info--yeah, you're probably right). My point ultimately being that my Mom was too big a part of my life not to mention her here--a journal of things of art and life that I enjoy and love. So here is a tiny sample of one of the things my Mom liked to do, and what has stayed with me....
When I was a tiny kid--and I remember this well--she would take me for walks, as many Moms do. But she would stop along the way, numerous times, to show me the bark of a tree, up close in all it's detail, touching and really noticing it. She would point out clouds; how each leaf of a tree is different, just like a fingerprint; the tiny universe that is the center of a flower; a bright color someone was wearing; a happy dog's wagging tail; a smiling baby. Things that are often passed by, glanced over, my Mom noticed. It has given me the gift of appreciating that many more things in life, and I try to incorporate those details in some of the work I do. So she is with me, all the time. Not in the way I'd RATHER her be, but in the way she can and needs to be now.
I miss you, Mom.
My mother passed away 2 years ago on Nov. 19, 2006 from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She was a type of person who was rarely sick; but by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer was Phase 4 and relentless. She was gone in 3 months. Gone. My Dad lost his wife of 40+ years; my daughter lost her chance at having a Grandma (my husband's mother passed right after we were married); I lost my personal angel. Melodramatic? Maybe. But so what--my Mother was/is a HUGE part of my life. She inspired me to dream, to succeed, to love, to laugh...of course others in my life have, too, but my Mom was IT. I got my artistic talent from her, and her sense of fun as well. People told us we looked alike; strangely enough, we had "matching" moles on our right hip. (Too much info--yeah, you're probably right). My point ultimately being that my Mom was too big a part of my life not to mention her here--a journal of things of art and life that I enjoy and love. So here is a tiny sample of one of the things my Mom liked to do, and what has stayed with me....
When I was a tiny kid--and I remember this well--she would take me for walks, as many Moms do. But she would stop along the way, numerous times, to show me the bark of a tree, up close in all it's detail, touching and really noticing it. She would point out clouds; how each leaf of a tree is different, just like a fingerprint; the tiny universe that is the center of a flower; a bright color someone was wearing; a happy dog's wagging tail; a smiling baby. Things that are often passed by, glanced over, my Mom noticed. It has given me the gift of appreciating that many more things in life, and I try to incorporate those details in some of the work I do. So she is with me, all the time. Not in the way I'd RATHER her be, but in the way she can and needs to be now.
I miss you, Mom.
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Monday, December 22, 2008
Elves Wanted
SO I decided I was going to make as many gifts as possible for friends and family this year, and I was off to a good start: bought my supplies way in advance, would thieve a few sewing or assembling moments while my daughter was immersed in play--or Kung Fu Panda, which is her favorite movie right now. And I will confess that I, willing and non-hesitant, let her watch that movie several times in order to try to achieve my goal. Okay, even MORE than several time. The guilt has settled in...AND I still haven't finished all my gifts. So what do I do when I finally have a chance to work on them late in the evening?: Facebook...posting to my blog...ya know--"important" things.
So, here I am, trying to figure out how I'm going to get all the gifts done. Elves. Lots of 'em. Works for Santa, worked for that old Shoemaker (in that old fairy tale). So I'm pretty sure if I leave my stuff out overnight, it will be flawlessly and beautifully assembled by early morn. I will be shuffling in my fuzzy leopard-print slippers, squinting thru the mascara I forgot to remove the night before (not to mention the fingerprints Olivia deposited all over my glasses lenses), on auto-pilot to the kitchen to make my very necessary and very caffeinated java, and then I'll see it--The Stack of Love. Gifts looking fresh off the assembly line, and set out like a Martha Stewart magazine shot. Ahhhh, the relief....
Or is it? I mean, after all, the reason I was going to make gifts this year is because I wanted to make them special, functional and personal, all while trying to tap into my inner-Martha. So as nice as it would be to have Elves, I'd rather have the happy looks of friends faces when they see they got a one-of-a-kind art item that I made, by myself....Maybe that will heal the guilt I'm feeling of my little girl seeing Kung Fu Panda so many times. (That and the fact she want to be Master Tigress, who kicks A**--atta Girl!!)
So, here I am, trying to figure out how I'm going to get all the gifts done. Elves. Lots of 'em. Works for Santa, worked for that old Shoemaker (in that old fairy tale). So I'm pretty sure if I leave my stuff out overnight, it will be flawlessly and beautifully assembled by early morn. I will be shuffling in my fuzzy leopard-print slippers, squinting thru the mascara I forgot to remove the night before (not to mention the fingerprints Olivia deposited all over my glasses lenses), on auto-pilot to the kitchen to make my very necessary and very caffeinated java, and then I'll see it--The Stack of Love. Gifts looking fresh off the assembly line, and set out like a Martha Stewart magazine shot. Ahhhh, the relief....
Or is it? I mean, after all, the reason I was going to make gifts this year is because I wanted to make them special, functional and personal, all while trying to tap into my inner-Martha. So as nice as it would be to have Elves, I'd rather have the happy looks of friends faces when they see they got a one-of-a-kind art item that I made, by myself....Maybe that will heal the guilt I'm feeling of my little girl seeing Kung Fu Panda so many times. (That and the fact she want to be Master Tigress, who kicks A**--atta Girl!!)
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Just imagine....
Okay,if you are a creative person, then you must enjoy an active imagination. And even though this post is not craft-related per se, my thought is that you enjoy anything of admirable creativity....So my guess is you are, at least in part, a Harry Potter fan. I discovered Harry when the 2nd book came out (Chamber of Secrets), and glommed onto them like a child does a "blankie". I love the imaginative details; and I love that it can be shown to have much deeper symbolisms, as "classic" literature.
I became a fan of a couple of podcasts that would analyze the stories, which added to my enjoyment of the series. One of the podcasts is hosted by Travis Prinzi, a well educated lover of Literature, a writer, and a teacher (among other things and I can't figure out how he fits all of it into 24 hours). Travis just published a book called "Harry Potter and Imagination: The Way between Two Worlds"; I am looking forward to reading Travis' insightful commentary. With all my own projects going on, I don't get much time to read. So when I do have time, I want what I read to be stimulating and thought provoking (unless it's at the end of a long day with my 3 yr old, in which case a magazine with lots of pictures of shoes and fashion suffices). If this book is anything like Travis' commentary, it will be a good read. Even if YOU'RE not an HP fan, I'm pretty sure you know someone who is.
Take a look: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982238517/ref=cm_rdp_product
I became a fan of a couple of podcasts that would analyze the stories, which added to my enjoyment of the series. One of the podcasts is hosted by Travis Prinzi, a well educated lover of Literature, a writer, and a teacher (among other things and I can't figure out how he fits all of it into 24 hours). Travis just published a book called "Harry Potter and Imagination: The Way between Two Worlds"; I am looking forward to reading Travis' insightful commentary. With all my own projects going on, I don't get much time to read. So when I do have time, I want what I read to be stimulating and thought provoking (unless it's at the end of a long day with my 3 yr old, in which case a magazine with lots of pictures of shoes and fashion suffices). If this book is anything like Travis' commentary, it will be a good read. Even if YOU'RE not an HP fan, I'm pretty sure you know someone who is.
Take a look: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982238517/ref=cm_rdp_product
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Spoonflower Samples are Here!
Well, my two swatches are here! They came out really well. The orange in both designs is very bright--vibrant without being florescent, however. The printing is crisp and neat, and the fabric is nice an soft. The weight of the material is more an apparel type, but I'm hoping for some home decor weight at some point. So it's nice to see what the colors print like in comparison to how my screen is calibrated. What I hope to do is to make some designs to sell on my Etsy site So will post more when I have it.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Not Exactly Punctual
Well, it's around 2 weeks past Thanksgiving, so I guess an entry here about all the things I'm thankful for is a bit passé. Not very timely of me. Over the years November has become quite an "event-full" month, filled with both celebrations and loss: birthdays, anniversaries, and loss of loved ones. Just as every coin has two sides, so does November. I've been debating all this time as to whether I would post any comments around this time. One part of me wants to commemorate those I love and the other side that wants to keep it private-Not because it's so personal, but rather "Does anyone really want to hear it?". So I'll compromise and do a little of both....
My mother passed away 2 years ago on Nov. 19, 2006 from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She was a type of person who was rarely sick; but by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer was Phase 4 and relentless. She was gone in 3 months. Gone. My Dad lost his wife of 40+ years; my daughter lost her chance at having a Grandma (my husband's mother passed right after we were married); I lost my personal angel. Melodramatic? Maybe. But so what--my Mother was/is a HUGE part of my life. She inspired me to dream, to succeed, to love, to laugh...of course others in my life have, too, but my Mom was IT. I got my artistic talent from her, and her sense of fun as well. People told us we looked alike; strangely enough, we had "matching" moles on our right hip. (Too much info--yeah, you're probably right). My point ultimately being that my Mom was too big a part of my life not to mention her here--a journal of things of art and life that I enjoy and love. So here is a tiny sample of one of the things my Mom liked to do, and what has stayed with me....
When I was a tiny kid--and I remember this well--she would take me for walks, as many Moms do. But she would stop along the way, numerous times, to show me the bark of a tree, up close in all it's detail, touching and really noticing it. She would point out clouds; how each leaf of a tree is different, just like a fingerprint; the tiny universe that is the center of a flower; a bright color someone was wearing; a happy dog's wagging tail; a smiling baby. Things that are often passed by, glanced over, my Mom noticed. It has given me the gift of appreciating that many more things in life, and I try to incorporate those details in some of the work I do. So she is with me, all the time. Not in the way I'd RATHER her be, but in the way she can and needs to be now.
I miss you, Mom.
My mother passed away 2 years ago on Nov. 19, 2006 from Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She was a type of person who was rarely sick; but by the time she was diagnosed, the cancer was Phase 4 and relentless. She was gone in 3 months. Gone. My Dad lost his wife of 40+ years; my daughter lost her chance at having a Grandma (my husband's mother passed right after we were married); I lost my personal angel. Melodramatic? Maybe. But so what--my Mother was/is a HUGE part of my life. She inspired me to dream, to succeed, to love, to laugh...of course others in my life have, too, but my Mom was IT. I got my artistic talent from her, and her sense of fun as well. People told us we looked alike; strangely enough, we had "matching" moles on our right hip. (Too much info--yeah, you're probably right). My point ultimately being that my Mom was too big a part of my life not to mention her here--a journal of things of art and life that I enjoy and love. So here is a tiny sample of one of the things my Mom liked to do, and what has stayed with me....
When I was a tiny kid--and I remember this well--she would take me for walks, as many Moms do. But she would stop along the way, numerous times, to show me the bark of a tree, up close in all it's detail, touching and really noticing it. She would point out clouds; how each leaf of a tree is different, just like a fingerprint; the tiny universe that is the center of a flower; a bright color someone was wearing; a happy dog's wagging tail; a smiling baby. Things that are often passed by, glanced over, my Mom noticed. It has given me the gift of appreciating that many more things in life, and I try to incorporate those details in some of the work I do. So she is with me, all the time. Not in the way I'd RATHER her be, but in the way she can and needs to be now.
I miss you, Mom.
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