Wednesday, October 31, 2012

This video does cuss and swagger alot, but it is so fabulous. Macklemore &Ryan Lewis are getting some excellent coverage right now for their song Same LOve in support of gay marriage and equality, but dang, this is the song I did my dance break to at the studio.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

this one isn't a drawing, but I just love the way this darn turned out. It looks a bit like those fancy new bar code smart phone things, but in neon lemon and grey. I really love darning sweaters and socks to prolong their usefulness, add some character and infuse the fabric with extra love. I almost never get socks at thrift stores, but when you go through the trouble of mending a once new sock, I think it counts as thrifty style.
If you are interested in a January mending class at my studio, be sure to get yourself on the mailing list.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

3 more radical ways to make time in your life for creative persuits when you aren't doing it full time (yet).

I hope you enjoyed my last post on making time for art with kids. Here we go one step further in rearranging your relationship to time and work. These ideas work equally well for those who do not live with children, but who have day job responsibilities as well as creative dreams.  I am really inspired by how Steeb manages this in his life and I appreciate the work he does outside the studio so I can spend more time doing my craft. If you aren't familiar with my husband's art, check it out here.

1.Use vacation time and sick days to make art.

steeb in the studio during his week of vacation.

Steeb does this every year and takes his one week paid vacation to prepare for an art show. He stays up late,  goes to concerts and paint paint paints. Even if you don't have the luxury of paid vacation, consider planning a creative vacation to push a project forward. You won't have money coming in necessarily, but eating at home and no airfare makes it more economical than a regular vacation. Save for it as you would any dream to Hawaii or NYC. And if you need something official to help you request the time from your boss and sweet talk your co-workers into covering your shifts, consider taking a class, scheduling a public event, or going on an organized art retreat.

bonus inspiration: Our friends Jen and Will applied for an artists' residency in Iceland to make their schedules have room for a month of art. They are there right now! With a toddler! You can read about their adventures right here. For the record, she works in a bakery and he in a bar. They applied, saved and filled in some financial gaps with a Kickstarter campaign.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Already setting aside goodies for the big craft show in december. You can read my Urban Craft Uprising interview HERE and then check out the other amazing vendors. and p.s. Thanks for an awesome day at the farmer's market. The weather was super wet autumn but I still had a great day. Hat selling weather I call it.

Friday, October 12, 2012


I sewed this little badge to show at my farmer's market booth and now I just figured out how to actually link it on the web. Go ahead, click the reverse applique f. I love the combination of technological and scrappy.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

eye of the tiger

I grew about a cup of these beautiful tiger eye dry beans. I found such delight popping open the dry pods to see the swirled patterns inside.

Monday, October 08, 2012

it's in the details

Complimentary gift bags made from my own scraps. A new way that moth and squirrel makes recycled remarkable and helps you give the gifts that get remembered.

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

5 ways to make time for your art when raising amazing kids

Without grandparents nearby or daycare in our lives, making consistent time for our art is the major challenge as a family. Steeb and I just hung an art show at the Old Town Cafe and it was a crazy week. F is wearing the same pajamas for the third day in a row, but we did it and so can you.

 5 tips to make time for your art, changing out of pajamas optional.

1.    Do the dishes while the kids are awake, do your art while they sleep.

    If you are at home with your child, it doesn't mean you need to be on the carpet pushing trucks around all afternoon. It is valuable for little ones to see and participate in the tasks that make up our lives. If you get the chores done with the kids around, then when you get your private time you aren't using it to fold laundry. This goes for both household chores and errands related to your business. Often there are little chores related to making art, like buying supplies and preparing materials, that can be done with kids underfoot.
And perhaps it goes without saying, but it's okay to have a messy house around a deadline.

    2.    Recognize your child's rhythm. 


Work with your child's a natural energy flow if you are trying to create while they are around. You may need to play wildly at the park or have an extended snuggle to get the quality of time you need to do your creative work at home. Reading a favorite book one more time before you get to your project can prevent a little whining person tugging at your sleeve for an hour.