Who wants to go?

A plea. From me.

Hey there, campers!  I kind of wish I was camping right now.

Look what I did to my full length mirror today!

It’s a pretty break, isn’t it?  You’re wondering how I made it break that way, right?  Well.

I have this really elaborate way of photographing my work for my etsy listings.  I basically take self portraits, using the mirror behind the camera, so that I can see the preview screen of my camera while attempting to set up the shot.  I feel pretty strongly about having human models, rather than static displays, because things get more hits in my shop when there’s a someone modeling them.

The full-length mirror/tripod/self-portrait method is fine when I’m photographing necklaces or earrings, but it gets a lot more complicated when the items are rings and bracelets.  I need two hands free to make this whole crazy scheme successful.  So, in trying to get a shot like this:

I broke the mirror.

Here’s my plea: if you are local, and have nice (and that definition is broad- you don’t have to have long, perfectly manicured nails or anything- check out my hand, above) hands, and are available during the day, I need a model.  I need this person really soon, and possibly, if it works out well, once a month or so on an ongoing basis.  I can pay in my work, baked goods, or any other barter type dealie (that’s legal).

You can comment on this post if you’re interested!  Thanks!

Cutest baby who didn’t come from my belly…

…cause mine are still the cutest, but man.  This baby.  I mean, check this out!

You’ll notice the watermark, and maybe that hat looks familiar?  Jennifer bought if from me at Holiday Heap this past November for her amazingly beautiful nephew, Eamon.   Thanks so much, Jennifer, for sending these photos to me!  And, if you’re a local, check out all the photography services Jennifer offers on her website (and enjoy one of my favorite songs on the homepage)!

Ohhhh, the cute!

If you’d like to commission a hat in the off-season (these are cotton, so great for summer and winter babies alike), send me a convo through my etsy shop.

Zander and I are off to the beach for the weekend, see you back here next week!

sigh.

Still just getting by around here, on too little sleep, too little patience, and way too much coffee.  I’ve been busy either at my day job, keeping Z-man occupied, and making work for Saturday’s Pile of Craft (you’re coming, right?), or any combo therein.  Housework, you may have noticed, does not appear on the list.  Neither does socializing.  Hence the title.

Here is my bright spot for today: when it’s rainy and dreary, and you’re overcome from spent emotion, and overwhelmed by the list of things to do, collapse on the couch and let a little friend remind you that you’re really not alone, after all.

blog guilt

You know how it goes, right?  You miss a week or so of posting, and here comes the blog guilt.  Well, usually, this happens to me because all the regular stuff of life gets busy.  This week, it was a lot more than that.  I can’t say too much, other than to share that there was a crisis that didn’t involve my family directly, but changed the course of things in my life dramatically.  It’s been a very long and very hard week.  Any prayers/thoughts/balloon releases/yoga poses you’d like to offer would be much appreciated.

Here’s what Zander and I have been up to, since Sage has left us for a three week trip to Germany and Hungary with her dad:

Don’t Break the Ice!

Also, some fun and happy things:

• check out this week’s episode of our local super show, The Signal, for a cool piece about the Charm City Craft Mafia!  Listen carefully, I’m the rainbow freak.
• this Saturday, Pile of Craft! Don’t miss it if you’re local to Baltimore!

• Hmmm, it seems as though someone has figured out how to take photos with the iPhone:

chicken pox=great opportunity…

I know, we wouldn’t usually think of it as such, BUT.  When I realized that I’d really not be leaving the house for three days, with poor, itchy Sage at my side, I got pretty psyched.  I have been really dying to get an earring design finalized for Pile of Craft, and whenever I’ve had time to work on it lately, I’ve been interrupted and unsuccessful.  

So, I headed up to the studio after breakfast, and got to it.  I hit a brick wall almost immediately.  My carpal tunnel has been pretty bad lately, and I was just in too much pain to work in thread with a tiny hook, so I put it aside, and instead worked on something I’ve been meaning to get to for a while now, namely- covering the original logo on this rotating display I bought from the local paperie when it closed down last month.  

Here’s the first side: 

…and the second: 

Terribly exciting, right?  Oh, no, just me?  ANYway, after I got this out of the way, I made a couple rings, then moved back to the earrings.  Sometime in the middle of all that, she who has been stricken with the POX wandered in, and I pulled out the gesso bucket o’goodness that I’d been stockpiling for times like these.  Here’s what my six year old artist created: 

Top: A Car (please note the red magnetic ribbon on the top)

Bottom: A Face, with red and black freckles, and a rainbow visor.  

I can’t wait to see what we’ll make tomorrow…  stay tuned!

Handmade mart!

This Sunday, come stop by booth number 26 and say howdy!  All the details and really great interviews can be found on the site…

 

 

See you there!

RACHEL, resident ROCKSTAR.

I am thrilled to send you over to design*sponge’s guest blog today, to read the words of the Charm City Craft Mafia’s very own Rachel Bone.  A superstar in our midst!  I am so prouuuuuuud of you, Rach!  <wipes away tear> 

 

house-werk, as opposed to kraft-werk…

House work has taken over my life, at the moment.  We had a bit of an ant infestation, so I’ve had to raise my cleaning skills up to the level of most of my diligent housewife friends, from the lowly level of functional, which is how I usually roll.  I’ve been trying to notice the beauty in all of these extra time-sucking chores, as opposed to dwelling on all the to-do’s for my craft that aren’t getting done.  For example, the view I enjoyed (not the poor, hacked up tree, but the sunset) the other evening, taking the laundry down off the clothesline.  

Pretty…

I’ve also had to spend a lot of extra time with the Z-man, who inexplicably contracted some sort of terrible, disgusting, flesh-eating style infection on (and in) his nose.  It looks like poision ivy, but we can’t be sure.  I can be sure that he’s had an inordinately difficult time leaving it alone, especially when he’s sleeping.  I’m keeping him dosed on Benadryl all day for this long weekend- he can’t take it when he has school, it makes him so sleepy, but at home it’s not so bad.  

Here’s a picture he took before the whole plague-on-the-face thing happened: 

And one of Sage, for good measure, which I think is far and away the best expression she’s ever had in a photo: 

Happy Memorial Day, I hope you’re all BBQ’ing the pants off the weekend!

Handmade Mart!

Hey y’all, come see us mafia folk down in Silver Spring next weekend for the fantabuluous Handmade Mart!  Click through for all the pertinent details… Indie crafts AND Indie Rock, what more could you want in a Sunday?  

this just in

My color is improving, today was definitely a little brighter (not really lavender, but maybe cornflower), mostly because I was too busy to be blue. 

I just got back from a mafia interview with a reporter from the Baltimore city paper, and I’ve got to get crackin on another project that’s set to be photographed on Friday for the Sun paper.  It’s press week here at HVM Designs. 

Speaking of press, you can help me out by voting for me in the Baker Artist Awards competition, if you feel I am deserving of your time and vote… I promise to keep all artistic promises I make here on the campaign trail, including to make things that are pretty, and to sell them to you.  Also, I promise to heartily love all kittens and babies that you show me.  My name is Heather, and I approved this paragraph. 

Anyway, check it out!  And, if you’re a Baltimore artist, enter!  And VOTE!  And thanks! 

Heap Wrap-Up

Holiday Heap was a heaping success!  Here’s some shots of my table- if you head over to my flickr feed, you can see the notes.  It was dark, but the flash was really obnoxious, so please excuse the grain and shake…

I had the best neighbors a girl could hope for, who made the day fly by!  Jenny CottonmonsterMama Strunge-

And Gary Filling-in-cause-he’s-the nicest-friend (you may recognize him from Red Tree in Hampden)at the Fisticuffs booth-

This guy kept us laughing all the livelong day.  And who was “us”, you ask?  Well, I don’t know what I did to deserve such a friend to help me, but I’d like to do it some more.  Julia the wonderhelper, and Stimulator of Indie Craft Economy came to be my personal slave for the day, and man, was it nice.  I had someone to schlep stuff, someone to give me a bathroom break, someone to put things in bags, it was pure heaven.  It only took us half an hour to break down the goods, pack up, return our table, and motor.  Julia, I am in your debt.  It’s official.  Also, please don’t be mad that I posted this really awful picture of you on the interwebs. 

Love!  Love!  Love! 

I did really well at the show, apparently cuffs are the new black- I almost sold out of them, and I got a really great response to my new freeform necklaces, selling many of them.  Any leftovers will go up in the shop later tonight, so hop over if you’re interested, but couldn’t make it out yesterday. 

Also, big shout outs to Fatima, Evan, Juliana, and Drew, who all came and burned midnight oil with me to help get everything ready on time.  You guys rule.

fun with hair!

So, my kids at church (2 kids, aged 12) raised a LOT of money for the recent fast we did- World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine.  I had told them at the beginning that if they doubled their fundraising goals (which they did, and then some), I would dye my hair whatever color they wanted.  They chose green.  Above is the photo of the first step, the bleaching.  I used Manic Panic Flash Lightning bleach for this step, in two stages.  I left it on for a pretty long time, but my hair is so dark, that it didn’t make it as light as wanted.  Thank goodness I only did streaks, if I had done my whole head, there wouldn’t have been enough bleach to cover the whole thing, and it wouldn’t have been as impressive when I put the green on. 

Here’s the result, I used Manic Panic in Evergreen. 

It matches my eyes!  What do you think?

Cyber Monday Special Offer…

Visit the shop today to enjoy free shipping on your order!  Just make your purchase, choose PayPal as your payment method, and enter the code “FREEDEC1BLOG” in the notes to seller section.  You’ll be refunded shipping costs. 

Here’s some things that I think would make smashing gifts (click on the photo to be taken to the listing)…

For the little girl with lots of hair accessories…

For the crocheter who loves the cute…

For the friend with eclectic style who you’d like to treat to something as unique as she-

Happy shopping!

My to do list for today

• Watch Veggie Tales with Sage
• Cut out 55 paper stars for Christmas Dinner tomorrow at church
• REST
• Package orders from this week (my best week ever on etsy!)
• fix garbage disposal
• listen to my favorite This American Life so far (it re-aired today)

Things that weren’t on my list, but popped up, demanding to be done:

• snuggle time with Zander
• import all Christmas CD’s into iTUnes
• Continue researching this and this
• Buy Frank’s Christmas Album, once and for all
• do three loads of laundry
• more snuggling

Local Gems

I love the Shop Local feature on Etsy- here’s some of my favorite picks from some local Baltimore area Etsy artists… (just click on the photo to be taken to the item listing over at Etsy)

I’m working on some custom orders today, two hats, three cuffs, and one barrette doll.   I’m thinking I’ll officially close up shop for Christmas next Monday.  For those following our personal housing saga, the house auction on the courthouse steps is next Thursday.  I don’t exactly know what that means, except that someone different might be asking us to leave sometime in the near future.  Fingers crossed…

…in which I ramble…

Hello there!  You’re looking a bit damp, as is my basement.  Come, sit, dry off and listen to the ramblings of a woman who jumps from topic to topic with no regard for continuity of theme.  No regard, I tell you! 

Today on my Google Calendar, at noon, was listed:  Sanity Break- go watch funnies on YouTube.  Well, friends, YouTube is down, or at least it’s down for me, so there will be no Power Thirst, nor Winnebago Man today.  (If you’ve not seen those videos, go find them when YouTube returns, but watch at home, without children around, and skip them if you’re offended by gratuitous profanity.) So, instead, we have a blog post o’ randomness, my favorite kind. 

Last night, I found a can in the pantry that was in serious danger of becoming the can you find when you move out of your house.  You know, the one that’s so old, it’s become one with the shelf on which it’s been sitting for decades*.  This particular can was filled with Baked Beans, from Wegmans.  I assume that I came across this can in the store, and thought, “hey, I like beans, the kids like beans, this is very close to being  a prepared food is actually safe for us to eat… sign me up.”  I think I picked up 40 cans.  Or so. 

Well, you guessed it, the kids wouldn’t touch them.  Z wasn’t even interested in the cut up hot dogs nestled among the saucy beans.  Hot dogs, which to this child are usually the HOLY GRAIL of all things food.  How was I to use these baked beans?  I’m glad you’re wondering.  I made them into chili.  It was darn good, too, and so easy, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t tried it before. 

Brown some ground beef, throw in a giant onion, tons (as in, 6-7 cloves) rough chopped garlic, cook those down a bit, drain if needed, then add in a double can of diced tomatoes, a can of plain pinto beans, some frozen corn, and the baked beans (the one I had was a big double can).  Cook that for a bit (5 mintues or so), then throw in some herbs.  I used cilantro, pepper, and a little chili powder.  You’re done!  It doesn’t need to cook down and meld like chili usually does, the bean-y sauce is enough to make it sweet and un-tomatoe-y.  MMMM, it’s even better the next day for lunch with Fritos.  Especially when you’re soaked through from delivering Meals of Wheels in the rain. 

In other news, the rain is supposedly turning to snow overnight, giving us an inch of accumulation, then melting later in the day.  My kids had better have school tomorrow.  Just sayin.  Mental Health Wednesday got pushed into Mental Health Friday this week, and Snow Day Friday and Mental Health Friday do not mix, my friends, they do not mix.  <crosses every crossable part of body>

The new class schedule is up at Lovelyarns, check it out if you’ve ever wanted to make a granny square project that didn’t bore you to tears, or make you want to run over “granny” with your car.  I think people have some strong feelings about granny squares, or perhaps not.   There’s also some amazing yarn (maybe, you should hurry though) that came in last week, including Malabrigo, which is really the best yarn ever.  Leave some for me, please, K? 

 

*The can I found was only a few months old.   I did find a can once when I moved during college that expired in the 80’s.  It was creamed corn, probably inherited from my Grnadmommy’s pantry when she passed away.  And no, I didn’t eat it.  Eeew.

34th Street, 2008

It’s a tradition in our neighborhood to visit 34th street, to see the miracle of tons of electrified Christmas joy.  This year, we scored a hand-me-down wagon from some friends at church, and chose the warmest possible night to go.  Not even the light rain could deter us.  Sage sang and laughed the entire ride down, and lo, there was much rejoicing. 

This was my favorite house, the blue light house of Peace and Diversity. 

low-light kiddos:

Happy Christmas Prep, I’ve got to get back to mine…

somewhere in middle america…

I’m listening to the Counting Crows- Omaha – right now, and taking a really short break from making my last few custom orders of the year to ask you for a favor. 

I don’t have time to properly explain, but Juliet, Rachel, Shannon, and etsy have all explained it really well.  Please read about the law that goes into effect very soon, that will put lots of makers of children’s items out of business, including me, although to be honest, I would just have to stop making children’s items and stick to my “adult” lines (sounds dirty, eh?).  But, many, many, many of my friends would have to literally shut down their operations, not to mention all those out there all over the country, in Omaha, for example.  If you have kids, or if you know kids, help keep quality, safe handmade objects  for them a reality.  We need your voice! 

Please sign the petition( you don’t have to donate, although it looks that way after you sign- you can click “back” on your browser, then click the “signatures” tab to see all the signatures, and comments).  Learn more about what you can do.  Help us make a difference.  And, if you should happen to run into your favorite small-time maker of children’s handmade awesomeness, who is likely to be sweating profusely and mumbling quietly to them self in a corner, buy them a cup of coffee.  They’re gonna need it. 

Thank you.

I could do without the formstone, but…

…you can’t have everything. 

Please excuse my absence over here these days.  We did have a lovely Christmas, and now it’s New Year’s Eve already, and some things are normal and just as they should be.  Unfortunately, other things are quite amiss. 

We have to move, and we have to move by the 15th of January.  Luckily, I started looking for a new house right after the house we’re currently living in, and have been renting for the past year and a half, went back to the bank’s ownership in a foreclosure, so I’ve signed a lease (only about 6 blocks from our current address), and we should be all set. 

We will be all set, as soon as the whole house is packed, all the address changes are made, and on and on and o n a n d o nnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.  I will say that my community of friends and family have been so supportive- lending their time, dropping off tape and boxes, buying restaurant gift cards, donating their packing skillz and happily babysitting.  It’s been quite the outpouring, and it’s humbling.  You really can tell, as the old saying goes, who your true friends are when you are in serious need.  So, if you’ve helped and you’re reading this now, please know how grateful I am, for you. 

Bear with me these next few weeks.  I won’t have a shop update until after the 20th at the earliest, because setting up the kids’  part of the home is frankly more important than my studio. 

Send me your wishes if you’re far away, all your positive energies, good mojo, or whatevs.  I will need them. 

Back to packing… I’ll leave you with the last photo that will be seen from our current house, taken by my friend Drew, after we got back from the lights.  Happy 2009, may it be peaceful.  

It’s been a long december…

You know the rest, right?  I’m apparently loving the Counting Crows borrowed titles lately… it’s a new theme!  Whee! 

We are moved.  Things are getting homey.  No photos yet, but I promise a proper tour towards the beginning of next week, as I am off to catch a plane to sunny San Antonio later today for a Christian Educator’s Conference.  I’m feeling sad and happy about getting away- it’s hard to leave the kids for more than 2 days (I’m back Saturday), and I have so much to do to get the shop out of vacation mode, finish up the house, work on a pattern for my Valentine’s Day crochet class… never ending list, that one.   But, I am looking forward to getting out of the wintry mix we’re getting in Baltimore today. 

More to come, meanwhile, go check out these perfect hyacinth, the cutest hot cocoa drinkers, and more upcoming reason for me to avoid Target at all costs.  If I’m interested in feeding my family, that is…

Deep in the heart

I traveled to San Antonio recently, for a day-job conference, and on the first night, a reception was held at the Institutes of Texan Cultures.  Wow.  This was an amazing museum, chronicling all the different settlers of Texas through time, organized by cultural background.  I didn’t get to see every exhibit, although I spent the entire 2 and a half hours I was there soaking up as much as I could.  Here’s a little photo tour of some of the coolest parts:

 

Very Deco bibles and books from Germany and Eastern Europe

Sharecropper’s Kitchen

Amazing, huge quilt with a flag border

Large weaving loom

wall embroidery- detail and translation below…

Love this text! 

I wish the hook was more visible in this photo- it was really beautiful…

Spinning wheel, complete with spinning docent…

There was so much more, but I couldn’t get decent photos of everything- there’s a little more over on my flickr.  If you live near San Antonio, I highly recommend a visit!

New house tour!

Long overdue?  Yes.  Shall we? 

The living room!  Red+Pink = Love. 

The Dining Room!  Can you stand the excitement?! 

Check out those amazing framed fabrics- a housewarming gift from my dear Becca. 

The Cookery!  WHEEEEE!!!!!!

Don’t miss Zeke the cat down there at the bottom of this next one- laying on the highly sought after Casserole Tote Cat Bed ™. 

Hooray!  Wasn’t that FUN?  Next, the equally exciting UPSTAIRS!  Stay tuned…

House Tour, part 2!

First off, I’ve got to show you the living room with the sun shining- it’s pretty nutty how much light this house gets, even in the winter.  The down side is that the back of the house never gets any sun. 

The cat is too lazy to move with the sun.  This is my favorite place to crochet.  (Trac, those are your curtains!)

This is the little display I made to catch the light when it comes in the transom- the blue vase makes a cast on the wall, and the silvery stuff makes the whole ceiling sparkle there.  I mounted that mirror so it would throw the light over to the other side of the room.  The results are great. 

Nana’s Italian flag…

Housewarming Evil Eye from Jen (thank you!)

Ok, on to the regularly scheduled tour of the upstairs… here’s my room:

It gets that same all-day light, and there is always a cat in that spot. 

I added an inspiration wire above the mirror here to put all the really special things that the kids make for me.  There’s some detail of the purple card over on my Flickr page. 

In the hall outside my room:

10 year old Singer Sargent postcards in super cheap frames…

There’s no mistaking whose room is next on the tour…

Rainbow on wall and furniture from my childhood bedroom…

There’s Sage’s barrette doll hanging…

Here’s Z’s bed with the amazing quilt I was given when Sage was born- one of my parents made it when I taught school.  On the bed is the ABC blanket that was Zander’s Christmas present from Aunt Trisha and cousins. 

Artwork c/o Sage:

Bathroom!  By Ikea! 

Ok, I think there’s already wayyy too many photos in this post, so I’ll save the best room for another post… can you wait?  Please?  It’ll be worth it, I promise!

House Tour, part the third!

Hmmm, what could be behind door #3? 

Let’s take a closer look… is that a label? 

Why, yes it is… my favorite room in the house, the studio!  This is where all the magic happens, people! 

This is taken from the door, looking in.  I’ve still got my two table set-up, which I love- the drafting table at a gentle angle, and the lower flat table next to it.  The drafting table is perfect for yarn winding- right now you can see the borrowed swift (thanks Julia!) and on the other little outcropping, which is on the right (out of view here), is the ball winder.  Together, an unstoppable team.  Little K, there’s your barrette doll head on the table!  Also if note in this pic- the door (window) snake I had to make to keep out the BREEZE- not draft, mind you, but breeze.  That window is messed up, and it’s so cold in here, it’s very hard to work.  I’m glad I just finished some Malabrigo fingerless gloves to wear while I am in the studio. 

Here’s my inspiration board (if you click through to Flickr, you can see all the little detailed notes about the different things on there):

Here’s some of my storage- on the bookshelf are painting supplies, beading supplies, and adhesives, and in the basket on top, there is yarn, covered with my rainbow snead.  The little German medicine caddy has slide out drawers that hold ribbon and trims. 

This room came with closet hardware on two of the walls, which I’ve tried to put to good use (again, click through for more details on what all this stuff is):

I finally hung my diploma!  It only took 10 years! 

This is my “baltimore through the back door” photo:

I love my neighborhood, especially its quirky backsides. 

Some little random details:

Ellie the Ami

Tiny vintage wind-up doll from when I was a baby:

Hooray!  Our tour is complete!  Thanks so much for coming along!

c’mon over!

I’m blogging this week about the ACC show this past weekend over on the mafia blog.  Come say Hi, so I’m not lonely, and learn about things like these…

It’s not called ‘Charm City’ for nothin…

I’ve been trying for years and years (ten, to be exact) to explain to my family why I live where I do.  My sisters both live within 30 miles of the house we grew up in, where my mom and stepdad still live.  While many of my classmates from high school moved on to different places, I would guess about the same number stayed close to home.  I was one of the black sheep who went off to college and never came back. 

When I start off on this line of argument, usually with my mom (and by argument, I mean in the healthy, discussion kind of way), I point first to my neighborhood, Hampden.  It’s a gem, people.  A lot of neighborhoods in Baltimore are, and this is the one where I’ve planted my flag.  It is, in truth, a neighborhood.  I can’t tell you how many times I see someone I know on the street and stop to chat about their new job, or the puppy they’ve adopted, or how that back porch rehab is coming along.  I volunteer with Meals on Wheels, which puts me in touch with some old-school Hampdenites with lots of stories.  Just this morning, I got to chatting with the last client on my route, and found out she was born just half a block from where I now live.  She told me it just makes her head spin to see the changes that have come to the neighborhood since she’s lived here. 

From this point, I usually launch into a defense of my community of friends.  I recently had to move, quite suddenly.  I put out a call to nearly everyone I knew, asking for babysitting help, food help, packing help, HELP.  On moving day, we had to ask some people to come back the next day, as 14 people were just too many to have in the house at once.  It was an incredible outpouring of love.  We are cared for, I tell my mom.  We are loved here. 

Here’s the thing, though.  I never have been able to get my point across the way I feel I should.  There’s just something about here that feels good, that feels right for me.  And so, I’m thankful to my friend Seth for summing up this feeling in an OpEd piece he wrote in the Sunpaper today.  I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did, and if you’re on of those wondering souls… I hope you’ll have a little more of an answer as to why I love living in Baltimore. 

Go read it.  Thanks again, Seth.  You rule.

to those who covet cool things at low prices…

Head over to Red Prairie Press to help Rachel celebrate three years in biz!  30% off everything, this week only, so hurry!

shop mini-update!

Head on over to see two new items for this week, with a whole new spring line of necklaces coming next week!  I can hardly contain my excitement!!

Happy St Pat’s!

Saint Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland, the homeland of my ancestors.  Nice going, Patty! 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from my favorite smilin’ Irish eyes:

New Spring line launched!

It is still not feeling very spring-like here in Baltimore, but I’ve been plugging away with flowers and warmth in mind nonetheless, and today I’m excited to debut my spring line!  It’s called Corinthian, and it has been inspired by Greek architecture, the color palette of spring, flowers, Medusa, and sun shapes.  The first two pieces (below) are in my etsy shop now, and the rest of the necklaces should be up by tomorrow, if the sun cooperates! 

Corinthian Necklace, No.10

 

Corinthian Necklace No.8

Heather Ross book Giveaway!

Heads-up!  Go visit the mafia blog to enter to win Heather Ross’ new book, Weekend Sewing!  Comments will remain open until Monday afternoon, when a winner will be chosen at random.  Happy commenting!

Friday self-portrait

Annie and Rachel look way cuter, but this one of me is funny…

…because, it’s supposed to be a picture of the necklace…

good things

• Zander’s latest obsession, with maple sugaring in Vermont (via Buster)
• sitting in the sun in the comfy chair with a warm cat curled up in my lap
• mental health Wednesday
• feeling appreciated at my “day” job
• many, many new babies born this week
• the cameraderie of my kids from church- working on a project that everyone will enjoy
• perfecting the ultimate comfort food recipe- GF/CF biscuits and sausage gravy
• finally remembering to add Ballykissangel to my Netflix Queue

I’m addicted…

…to google analytics. 

I mean, how did I get by without knowing that this is the breakdown of WORLD visits to my etsy shop?

1.	United States	310	78.09%
2.	United Kingdom	15	3.78%
3.	Canada	11	2.77%
4.	Turkey	9	2.27%
5.	Romania	4	1.01%
6.	Australia	4	1.01%
7.	Spain	4	1.01%
8.	Sweden	3	0.76%
9.	Greece	3	0.76%
10.	Macedonia	3	0.76%

There’s a pretty pie chart to go with this data, but I am not savvy enough to get it over here.  There’s also an amazing map, which highlights the countries your visitors have clicked through from- this just blew my mind.  I’ve noticed North America higlighted in a darker green, which meant most of my visitors have come from the US and Canada, but I’d never opened the full report for this particular area, UNTIL TODAY… when I was FLOORED, I tell you, floored!  On!  The!  Floor!  by the fact that I’ve had visitors from Finland, Iceland, Thailand, LATVIA(!), South Korea, Poland, Ukraine, Romania… I’m so happy right now, I can’t explain it. 

Hey, remember ten years ago, when only the coolest people had cell phones, and no one had personal websites, and no one from freaking LATVIA was able to check out my freeform crocheted necklaces? 

NUTS.  In the best way.

Friday self portrait

I’m pretty sure Annie didn’t mean to do this every Friday, and maybe I won’t either, but I did think to snap a photo whilst in the studio today, winding away… and since Friday is my studio day, it seems fitting to share. 

And, here’s the piece I worked on today:

What did you work on today?

Urbanite’s Green issue

Check out what the nice people at Urbanite wrote about us:

The members of the Charm City Craft Mafia (http://www.charmcitycraftmafia.blogspot.com/) and the Baltimore Etsy Street Team (http://www.baltimorecraft.com/) make all manner of locally sourced art and crafts, often with eco-friendly materials. Jennifer Strunge creates her stuffed Cotton Monsters out of recycled clothes. Shannon Delanoy of Sweet Pepita builds children’s apparel from old T-shirts. Phuong Pham of Phampersand Press relies mostly on recycled and found materials and organic pigments to create books and paper. Red Prairie Press’s Rachel Bone sources organic cotton for some of her children’s apparel. Val Lucas of Bowerbox Press looks to recycled maps and atlases for her line of books. Heather von Marko of HVM Designs crochets wearable art from bamboo and soy fibers. And Carly Goss of Carlybird hand-weaves scarves and other textiles with bamboo and Tencel threads.

Yay, mafia!  And, BEST!  WOOT!

In other news, I finished a sweater.  My first ever sweater for myself, in fact.  I decided to ask the children to help me take a photo for the blog. 

You can sort of see the sweater in there, right?  The photographer got a little carried away:

I did enjoy his enthusiasm, I think I’d like to work with him again sometime… he’s super cute, to boot…

mother of the year

In an attempt to be better about documenting things the children do (as I am the WORST at this), here’s some things I’d like to note about Ms. Sage, aged six.

She lately says, “how cool is that?” a lot, but not in the “Wow, that is really cool” way, rather as a question to see if I agree with her plan of action.  As in, “I’m gonna get the tape and THEN do my homework, Mom, how cool is that?”  And then I get to say, “Uh, not cool in the least.  Homework first.” 

Cause it’s all about the discipline at my house.  You have been warned. 

Also, a couple weeks ago, when winter was still hanging on firmly here in Baltimore, I took the kids for a walk in the chilly rain to the nearby park.  I remembered some crocus I had seen blooming, and I said to Sage that I’d show her a special surprise when we got to our destination- something amazing and lovely and magical.  As we walked on, she started guessing. 

“Is it a rocket?”

“I know!  It’s a giant mushroom!”

“Maybe it’s somebody’s dog or something.”

We got close to where the crocus patch was, and I pointed it out.  “See, the purple place up ahead?” 

She was excited now.  “Is that the thing?  Can I run up there?”

She did, and knelt down to touch the little tiny flowers poking up through the cold earth.  Zander and I caught up and he bent down to get a closer look, too. 

Sage turned back to me and said, “Well, Mom, I wouldn’t call this magical.”

I can’t wait until she’s 15.  Sigh.

Again, with the passing of time.

It’s one thing, you know, to feel yourself aging.  I mean, for me, it’s really not a big deal, and I love my birthdays.  I love my kids’ birthdays as well, but there’s something about sitting here thinking about how I now have a FIVE year old and a SIX year old that freaks me a little. 

It just can’t be possible, and that’s the end of that story. 

I made Z-man a Very Hungry Caterpillar cake for his b-day.  It’s his fav book, and I saw some awesome tutorial (that I regrettably can’t find now) someplace online, and went to town.  It’s much easier than you think- it’s just a bundt cake, cut in two (freeze it first, you’ll thank me later), then shifted to make the “s” shape.  Crumb coat, then freezer again, ice it, and decorate with candies, icing, or a mixture of the two. 

He loved it.  I was surprised how excited he got, as I didn’t bother to make the colors correct or anything.  Proof, I suppose, of his greater flexibility these days…

(click to embiggen)

Happy 5th birthday, little big man.  Mamba loves you.

Tweenbots of awesomeness

A great example of art making life better, from Kacie’s website:

In New York, we are very occupied with getting from one place to another. I wondered: could a human-like object traverse sidewalks and streets along with us, and in so doing, create a narrative about our relationship to space and our willingness to interact with what we find in it? More importantly, how could our actions be seen within a larger context of human connection that emerges from the complexity of the city itself? To answer these questions, I built robots.

Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal.

Given their extreme vulnerability, the vastness of city space, the dangers posed by traffic, suspicion of terrorism, and the possibility that no one would be interested in helping a lost little robot, I initially conceived the Tweenbots as disposable creatures which were more likely to struggle and die in the city than to reach their destination. Because I built them with minimal technology, I had no way of tracking the Tweenbot’s progress, and so I set out on the first test with a video camera hidden in my purse. I placed the Tweenbot down on the sidewalk, and walked far enough away that I would not be observed as the Tweenbot––a smiling 10-inch tall cardboard missionary––bumped along towards his inevitable fate.

The results were unexpected. Over the course of the following months, throughout numerous missions, the Tweenbots were successful in rolling from their start point to their far-away destination assisted only by strangers. Every time the robot got caught under a park bench, ground futilely against a curb, or became trapped in a pothole, some passerby would always rescue it and send it toward its goal. Never once was a Tweenbot lost or damaged. Often, people would ignore the instructions to aim the Tweenbot in the “right” direction, if that direction meant sending the robot into a perilous situation. One man turned the robot back in the direction from which it had just come, saying out loud to the Tweenbot, “You can’t go that way, it’s toward the road.”

Go watch the video- and thanks to Kacie Kinzer for a great project.

Thanks, Vegan Examiner!

Many thanks to Christina, the Baltimore Vegan Examiner, for featuring a photo of one of my vegan necklaces on her blog! You can still get tickets for this Wednesday’s vegan fibers lecture, too, details are in her post. Hope to see you there!

Underwater Sculpture

Take equal parts sculpture, eco-mindedness, and diving, and you get the amazing, inspiring work of artist Jason de Caires Taylor.  

Visit the mafia blog to check out the video of his work.  Just amazing.  

cool theme for the year…

 

Sorry I’ve been a bit absent here, personal life drama,  full-on crazy production mode for spring craft shows, and busy-ness with my “day” job has meant less time for the ole blogarooni.  

Stumbled across this website, naming 2009 as the International year of Natural Fibers today via whipup, and thought it was tres cool.  My business slogan is “for the love of fiber”, and man, do I love this website… so much info!  Go check it out!

Mother of the year, Mother’s Day edition

Awesome things about today:
1. hearing things like, “I don’t know if he’s as fat as Santa, or God…” -Sage, this afternoon, talking about an author on NPR
2. getting all manner of laminated awards, handprint pictures, homemade cards, barrettes bought by the babysitter of the year, text messages, emails, upside down tomato planters, and phone calls- all exalting your having pushed out some babies
3. watching a video at church where Sage explains why she loves me- “because she cooks me cereal and lets me watch DVDs”- I inquire about the cooking of cereal, she responds with, “you know, CHEX.”
4. movie-like wind whilst hanging laundry on the line and pushing my hands through cool dirt
5. contemplating bedtime at 8pm

Monday, monday…

Here I am!  Still kickin, I broke down and bought myself an iPhone, then spent every waking minute playing with it.  I’m already working on new app ideas, although I don’t have any idea how to write the code… but I have lots of opinions and ideas!  There could be some better GFCF diet type apps, I’d love some better knitting/crocheting apps…. might have to enlist a friend on this one. 

Anyway, I’m very excited today to be recording some sounds for an upcoming radio show on our local NPR affiliate, The Signal.  If you’re local, I hope you’re already listening to this show, it comes on Fridays at noon, which is prime studio time for me, so I’m always tuned in.  There’s an encore later in the evening, too, or you can check it out on their website, here.  I’m so excited to be a part of one of my favorite shows!  I’ll post info when I know more about when the episode will air. 

Let’s see, what else… I’ve been swatching for an awesome custom order the past week, and sort of hitting a brick wall of color.  I’ve been asked to incorporate gray into a necklace design, and I’ve had a lot of trouble finding a gray that’s cool enough (cool vs. warm, rather than cool vs. lame) to match the other colors in the palette that’s been requested, so there’s some searching and tweaking happening now.  I’m also trying to build up stock for some upcoming shows- the Pyramid Atlantic show, and our own Pile of Craft show are coming up so fast!  If you come by either of those shows, look for the mafia booth (at Pyramid) or the HVM Designs booth (at POC), and say hello!  You might get a little treat!