More stuff up in my Etsy shop...

 

I've been dying to get back to doing some decoupage under glass work, but things have been too busy. Sadly, that means that my Etsy shop has been languishing -- until this morning, I only had seven pieces posted! Many of my favorites -- like the conjoined twin skeletons are gone, and while ideas spin in my head, there hasn't been enough time to execute them. I guess it's a good problem to have, but frustrating, too, since it feels like I've been letting my etsy space slowly die.

After a lot of thought, I've decided to add large-scale photography and reintroduce handknit baby hats. Think of it as widening the net. I'll also add smaller photographic prints, including some macros and small pieces from instagram and, eventually, some more decoupage under glass pieces.

I hope you stop by and take a look!

I have to step away from the wax and paint fumes for a bit...

Getting ready for Handmade Mart and the opening day of Cheverly Community Market and I think I need either a nap or food. And probably a bath, since I seem to have coated a good part of my left hand and arm with silver wax.

And here's my big confession: I've never been in a craft show before. I'm a little (lot) nervous. Selling stuff through third parties (stores, etsy) is no problem, but the whole people interacting with me thing? That sends me right back to middle school, where I was painfully shy. Funny, since I blog in three places and take thousands of photos of everyone else. What can I say? It's a quirk.

Have I mentioned that I'm getting excited about Sunday and Handmade Mart? Look for my banner between 10am and 5pm on Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring -- there are a ton of great artists who will be represented, and I can't wait to get a look at their work!

Here's my vendor profile...

I'm excited about a lot of things right now!

The next three weeks are crazy. Crazy I tell you! Spring break is over for the kids and there are only a five weeks left before summer, and I'm fairly certain that every minute is going to be a whirlwind...

* Cheverly Community Market kicks off an exciting new season with a potluck this Saturday night. Details here. You'll be hearing a fair amount about the Market from me this year...and I'm glad to be part of it again.

* ChvProm is next Friday! This is one event that makes Cheverly a magical place to live. Our group has big plans this year...big plans. I can say no more.

* Cheverly Day is next Saturday. If you've talked to me in the past month, you know I've been sort of preoccupied with getting the program ready -- it's a big one. I think that the very best thing about this program is that there are so many stories of people who live here, why they came here, why they stay. And a bunch of stories of families who have been part of Cheverly for multiple generations. Can't wait for everyone to see this!

* Cheverly Community Market opens the 2011 season on Saturday, May 21.

The thing I'm most excited about? I'll be in my very first craft fair on Sunday, May 22. Silver Spring's Handmade Mart is a juried fair of super cool vendors, and I'm thrilled to be part of it this year. Please come visit me there!

My Thing-A-Day 2011 Map.

Now...what to do next? Hmmm....

I made it all the way through Thing A Day 5!

There were times when I really didn't think I would make it this year. For some reason, this February has been a creative void and I've really had to push myself to do anything. Except knit socks. Four completed pair and two well on the way...maybe February should be known as Sock-A-Day.

I'd planned to finally learn to silkscreen, do some embroidery and some metal work, and some sewing, but it was pretty much socks and photography and cooking this time. Maybe March can be New-Thing-A-Day.

I'll put together a map of everything I made this month, but in the meantime, click on any of the links to the right to see what I made this month.

Thing-A-Day 2011...It's Alive!

Well, February 1st is here, and you know what that means...it's Thing-A-Day! I'll be posting links to my projects over there on the right, but you really should go to the main site and take a look at all the cool things that people are doing. It's definitely an inspiration.

Today, I was a little lazy -- just detail on the sweater I was already working on. Actually, I don't think "lazy" describes my state, so much as exhausted. I spent a few hours with Paul's fourth grade class today (Teacher Appreciation Day), and knitting a few inches is really all I have left in me. Honestly, I don't know how Miss Hall does it day in and day out.

Things I learned about 4th graders today:

1. The boys and the girls do not sit together at lunch. Duh.

2. The girls coordinate their tag day (out of uniform) outfits. It entails a lot of discussion.

3. No one wants to sing. Again, duh.

It's almost February...and that means Thing-a-Day!

Brrr...it's so cold! And it's been cold for a long time...we've been below freezing for days in the DC area. You'd think we'd at least get some of that sweet, sweet snow, but no. I digress.

Whether you're burrowing under covers wearing multiple sweaters and socks (so sexy!) or enjoying t-shirt weather (I hear you, happy Californians), February is the time to make stuff. Thing-a-Day 5 is here to goad you into doing just that. For the fifth year, hundreds of artsy/craftsy types will pledge to make one thing every day and post about it online.

This is my third -- maybe fourth? -- year of Thing-a-Day. Twenty-eight days of creativity shouldn't be a challenge, but believe me, it is. Sure, you could just do the same sort of thing every day...you know I'd be tempted to knit every single day...but the fun is learning new skills and stretching your abilities. Having said that, I'm definitely going to knit. And bake. And paint. And make plates. And, and, and... You get the picture.

Here are a few postings from my other TaD projects -- I'll post the link to the posterous site on February 1!

pricklygirl Thing-a-Day 2010

pricklygirl Thing-a-Day 2009

I hope a few friends register this year. Hint. Hint. Hint.

Like my new socks? I'm on a kick...

Etsy Treasuries -- Buy Handmade

Do you know about Etsy treasuries? Sellers curate collections of their favorite work by other Etsy artists and it's an interesting way to see what others are looking at. I started making lists only this month -- you can see mine here -- after being featured in nearly 20. Believe me, every time I'm in one, I'm absolutely thrilled -- and honored -- to be in such amazing company.

This holiday season, consider using the Etsy treasuries to find handmade, unique gifts. When you buy handmade, you have a connection to the artist. You contribute directly to a small business. You get something very special.

Learn more about the Buy Handmade movement here. And get 15% off anything in my etsy shop when you enter "Buy Handmade" at checkout.

My new favorite website

I visit the Craftzine site every day (honestly, more than once a day -- it is that good.) Today, they had a great post about Agence eureka, a site devoted to vintage graphic stuff. It's great inspiration for anyone who loves the art of craft.

Thing-A-Day 2010 has come and gone

So another month-long creative binge has come and gone. This year's Thing-A-Day felt very quick -- usually I'm wracking my brain for projects during the final week. And yes, if you count the blocks, there are more than 28. I made two things a few times...I blame the snow.

If you haven't looked at the Thing-A-Day 2010 site, you really should. There's all sorts of stuff there, from illustration to writing to metal work...some great, some not so great, but the idea of a whole bunch of people commited to doing something creative appeals to me.

Now, on to the next project...

Shameless Self-Promotion: New Plates in my Etsy Shop

At long last, I've added four -- count 'em four -- new plates to my nearly year-old Etsy shop. There's a pair of lions, an organ-filled torso, and two plates with beautiful red corral and starfish. With any luck, more are on the way this week. I hope you'll take a look...

And now, back to your regularly scheduled program...

This Is My 200th Post and It Is Awesome (but not because of me...)

Have you seen this video? I think I've watched it a dozen times since finding it last night...

Until last night, I'd never heard a Lady GaGa song. I still haven't heard her -- this is all I need. At the end of the credits, there are a few links, and, being very curious about the talented people behind this... Jark and Mason. Very cool blog with links to other very cool projects. Can you tell I'm intimidated by the sheer awesome here?

This post comes close on the heels of my birthday -- 43rd, thank you very much. It's been one of those years where, if I look back and ask if I'm better off now than I was a year ago, honestly I have to say no. I'm not glum or anything, just stating facts. I'm hoping things improve soon. Creatively, it's felt like a year of stabbing in the dark, sometimes hitting, mostly missing. It's not for lack of ideas, but accidents in execution. Literally every craft project I've started this fall has been a disaster. Knitting that doesn't quite work, felting that looks like blobs, painting that...ugh. And the plates -- I don't know what's happening, but it is not good. Isn't this sort of thing supposed to happen before some sort of giant cathartic breakthrough? I could really go for that...

Artocratic goes live!

A dear old friend, Linda Ceriello, has a new online art magazine -- artocratic -- which goes live today. I am thrilled to be featured as one of the artists in their inaugural issue (scroll all the way down to see a photograph I did a few weeks ago -- it's meringue on that whip). There's some really interesting work on the site, including three short pieces by writer (and high school classmate) Daniel Grandbois. Explore the whole site -- there's a lot of food for thought and I look forward to visiting it often.

In middle school (Prairie Middle School in Aurora, Colorado, thank you very much) I knew a very cool girl named Linda Ceriello. Linda and I were partners in 7th grade home ec. We made 13" red velour stuffed lips pillows together (pudding, too, but the pillows were the best part of home ec). She was the coolest girl I knew at the time -- very rock and roll. And at a time when I was painfully shy, she was my friend.

In high school (that's Overland High School, right across the grass from Prairie), we were both very involved in art and music. We had a high school vocal recital together...that's me all the way over on the left. Linda is second from the right. She was really good at art, and I was...intimidated. Now, I grew up making art -- it was always part of my life. It got me through a lot of times when actual confidence (which I sorely lacked) couldn't. I was always that kid who could draw, that kid who could do needlepoint, that kid who could... But Linda and another dear friend, Kris Langan, were really good at art. I mean really good. I didn't think I was in the same league and I let that guide me right out of Sam Short's art room (and, to be honest, from those friendships). What a mistake. I concentrated on the other thing -- music -- that was relatively easy for me. I went to school for that, and continued on all the way through grad school and the start of a career. Deep down, I always wished that I had stuck with art.

Now that doesn't mean that I regret the years I spent honing my musical abilities -- not by a long shot. I met people -- including my husband -- and had amazing experiences that I would never disavow. But whenever I'm especially stressed out, I've always returned to visual arts. Growing up with two very artistic parents, visual arts are probably hardwired into my DNA. And over the years, I've definitely gravitated to the visual side of things. Between photography, graphic design and the decoupage work, I'll probably put "artist" as my occupation on this year's tax forms. Not too bad.

All this is by way of saying that the thing you're supposed to be is probably always inside of you, if you only stop, sit quietly for a bit (hours, days, years) and listen really hard. It's already there. You have everything you'll ever have locked inside -- it's your job to figure out how you're going to realize it.

UPDATE: I received the nicest comment from Linda today (you can read it in the comments section) -- it's so interesting to see how different people experience the same thing. Also -- thanks Linda!

Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea, Series 2

My favorite tea company, Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea, has just released their second series of limited edition teas! This series is a radical departure from their first, and I think that people will love it (as much -- maybe even more -- than the first series)!I drank some of the Jackee Muntz this weekend (the inner inner circle sometimes has its privileges) and it was delicious -- sort of honeyed but brisk at the same time.

Visit their website, read the clever stories, see the freaks, stay for the tea. You'll be glad you did.

Inspiration, brought to you by a 47-year old woman.

I'm totally behind.

I'm sure you've already heard of Susan Boyle, of Britain, and how she wowed the judges and audience on Britain's Got Talent (I guess this is the original version of American Idol. I dunno. I don't watch tv.) The judges and audience couldn't show less respect when she walks onstage and chats with the judges before singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. The middle judge (girl in a green dress) even puts her hands up behind her head, showing Ms. Boyle her armpits, which seems particularly dismissive to me. Members of the audience (as well as the judges) sicker and roll their eyes. Then she sings. And she is surprisingly good. And they have to show her respect. It's wonderful to watch their attitudes change.

Now I don't think it's a great voice (I'm not going into all the pedagogical stuff here, but my opinions are backed by many years of vocal training and several vocal degrees from well-respected conservatories, so...) It's quite a nice voice, presence, etc., but -- like every singer I've ever known -- there's always work to be done. (Seriously, every good singer is always trying to get better. Even Renee Fleming. Even Domingo. That's part of being an artist.) But she has tremendous guts to do this and she acquits herself beautifully. It's an inspiring performance that should remind us all to take chances whenever -- and wherever -- we can.

Shameless Self Promotion

Hi everyone...I know you normally come here to read about...well, I don't really know why you come here, but I'm glad you do!

Anyhow, I've decided to celebrate the onset of actual lovely spring weather in the DC area by having a sale in my etsy shop. Six pieces are marked down: get plates with Buddhas, a snake, a human body...or small bowls featuring sharks or turtles for (relatively) cheap.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled doodling and ranting...

Something cool happened...to me!

I know. I'm just as surprised as you are. It seems like cool stuff happens all around me, but never actually to me. Well, today is the day that changed. And I'm going to commemorate it with a glass of port. In a minute.

The cool thing... I got interviewed for a really, really, really cool online art publication, The Artery Magazine. Here's an excerpt (many, many thanks again, Laura!):

Her work is such an unexpected mix of household and sci-fi; from mushrooms to deer remains, the metallic silver discs are the perfect serving platters for an artist’s party. Kathryn has held strong against selling out by gluing puppies to the plates in order to make a few bucks, although she did do a classy butterfly ware for her mother-in-law, and she’s a completely approachable seller.

They're actually talking about me! Wowee wow wow!

(If you're curious, visit my etsy shop...)

The best-laid plans have run amok.

Okay, maybe not the best-laid plans, but this week is not turning out quite the way I thought it would. Tonight, Paul is having an MRI -- we're trying to find out why this kid has so many bad, bad headaches. In fact, he's had some level of headache for the past four days. Miserable for everyone. Everyone.

Anyhow, since I'm not sure what the rest of the week holds, I thought I'd post this hint for something fun to do this Saturday now. Mayorga is a cool place and they have really good local coffee. And the band is not too shabby, either.

Also, in case you're curious, I'm posting graphic design/web-related stuff I'm doing on the old pricklygirl site. You can also reminisce about the old days, if you're so-inclined.

Blogs I love...

This morning while waiting for a bunch of photos to upload to flickr (a bunch meaning 144), I was catching up on a few of my favorite websites. One of those is craftzine, and I don't think I've ever left that site without sending a link to someone or being inspired to try something new. It's a goldmine. Today I really struck gold. And inspiration. Elsa Mora makes beautiful things. And I love her writing -- simple, honest, self-aware and occasionally funny. She did a great project with her mom using a blank book. Reading through the thread, I found two fantastic quotes:

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give".Winston Churchill.
We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

You know how sometimes something really obvious hits you over the head? Elsa's writing did that for me this morning. (Okay, okay, it may also have something to do with the weird lovey feeling I have because our house is full of peaches, tomatoes, sunflowers, and other fantastic things from a day spent at the Cheverly Community Market and Clagett Farm. Also, I made salsa at 10:00pm last night and our house smells great!)