WeBeesBuzz

goodbye for now

2008-12-05T18:29:00.004-04:00

it has been awhile now since i have posted anything of significant value (i feel) & i am sorry for those few faithful people out there who actually read my posts. i have been doing my share of crafting, traveling, cooking, shopping, visiting trade/craft shows etc. but my heart just isn't in it to blog about it for now. i have come to the conclusion after returning from Argentina and having all these wonderful memories of things we saw that to share it here just feels like work. when the time comes that you are doing something because you feel you "should" and not because you really want to than it's time to move on.

for now i would rather be making something than sitting here writing about it (perhaps this is because my full time job involves staring at this same screen!).

so~~~~~~~~~
my pictures will tell you more than my words can for now & if you enjoy seeing what i'm up to; come visit me (aka WeBees) at flickr where i will continue to post my life experiences in photos.

~things could change here, if they do you will be the first to know.

until i post again, have a safe and happy end of 2008!

Pinch me, is this real?

2008-11-25T10:47:00.001-04:00

Pinch me, is this real?
Originally uploaded by WeBees

a taste of things to come. i have been very busy and very slack in posting to the blog lately but i promise to catch up over the holidays and share all the wonderful-ness of Argentina. there was a wedding, beautiful architecture, great fashion, history and awe inspiring nature in El Calafate, Pagagonia. there was and is a lot to be grateful for! have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends this week.

orphan works bill~find out more

2008-11-14T18:20:00.005-04:00

Important for artists, photographers and desigers:
go here and learn more about the Orphan Works Bill.
please take action to keep our work safe and protected by copywrite laws.

100 Things in the world I love

2008-11-13T17:01:00.010-04:00

thanks Hula Seventy for the idea to share 100 things i love. tis the season to be grateful after all!
1.air
2.water
3.fire
4.dirt/earth
5.my cats
6.green
7.travel
8.pasta
9.rice
10.dark chocolate
11.yarn
12.textiles
13.reading
14.taking pictures
15.my husband
16.my family
17.my friends
18.fall leaves
19.snowflakes
20.the ocean
21.sand in my toes
22.yoga
23.nia/dancing
24.gardenias
25.gardening
26.fresh baked bread
27.homemade soup
28.mom's chocolate bourbon pecan pie
29.squash casserole
30.tango music (since I just returned from Argentina)
31.birds singing
32.quotes
33.colored pens
34.postcards/letters from others
35.purple
36.red
37.yellow
38.homeade salsa
39.NYC
40.DC
41.cherry blossoms
42.japanese design
43.candles
44.parties
45.entertaining
46.tom ka gai soup
47.trying new things
48.changing the page on the calendar
49.thanksgiving
50.halloween
51.new years day
52.cocktails
53.a good smile
54.children playing
55.music (almost any kind)
56.an open heart
57.trust
58.faith
59.road trips
60.spontanaity
61.randomness
62.the sky
63.fresh herbs
64.line dried laundry
65.a clean house
66.chocolate chip cookies
67.brownies
68.french fries
69.massages
70.a good haircut
71.$ in the bank
72.no debt
73.a good deep breath
74.sleep
75.sleeping in late
76.waking up early
77.avocados
78.art museums
79.weaving
80.cooking
81.sewing
82.taking the train
83.boat rides
84.first snow
85.libraries
86.calculators
87.binder clips
88.digital cameras
89.glue sticks
90.lavender
91.seashells
92.rocks
93.trees
94.honey
95.silver
96.jeans
97.dressing up
98.my husband playing guitar
99.leaving work early
100.myself!

yes we did!!!

2008-11-10T14:43:00.004-04:00

we toasted Obama on Perito Moreno glacier on election day! we were one of 2 American couples there and everyone was excited about Obama!

we joked that we would not come home if Obama didn't win but we were so glad to hear of his victory and glad to be able to come home to this wonderful country full of freedom, opportunity and people who are open to change!

loofa ~harvest time

2008-10-28T15:30:00.001-03:00

loofa harvest
Originally uploaded by WeBees

we haven't yet cut the vines but they've been frost bitten. we have harvested about 8 large loofa (between 16-24"). did you know you can eat them when they are small (under 8" or so)? i didn't realize it until i came across the info in another blog and i tried them cooked like zuccini, they are very good! we have been doing all the regular fall cleanup in the yard but i've also planted lettuce, nasturtium, arugula and cilantro for the colder season. we haven't quite had a hard freeze but i expect it will happen while we are away.

we depart tomorrow for Argentina for 10 days so i'll be away but back in mid Nov. with lots of photo's and excitement to share.

Diebold leaks election results~

2008-10-28T12:43:00.000-03:00

13 Days to Vote!

2008-10-22T13:08:00.001-03:00

13 Days to Vote!
Originally uploaded by WeBees

PHEW! Done, we rocked our vote yesterday. We will be out of the country in Argentina for the election so we cast our absentee ballot's yesterday. Get out there and get it done!

SafeLawns.org

2008-10-09T18:19:00.001-03:00

SafeLawns.org
Originally uploaded by WeBees

i attended a lecture 2 weeks ago on organic lawn care by Paul Tukey and this is the book he has recently published on the subject. somehow i thought organic lawn care would be a difficult subject to tackle but he broke it down into simple easy to follow steps.
1. reseed, reseed, reseed
2. compost, compost, compost
3. mow that lawn high and recycle the grass clippings right back onto the lawn
4. spray the lawn with compost tea, this activates the micro organisms that are alive it the soil so they can get to work
5. water properly (long and deep and in the am)
6. only create lawn where you will use it and enjoy it.
the last is probably the best advice and most important! if you don't use your lawn, why do you have it? convert some to wildflowers, some to vegetables, some to trees, shrubs and other plantings.

the book goes into a lot more detail but there are many free resources such as videos on the safe lawns website. now's the time to get that lawn ready for next year, if you love it use it, if not get rid of it!

Daily Ray of Hope photo today

2008-10-02T13:05:00.001-03:00

Originally uploaded by WeBees

this photo was choosen by sierra club for use in their daily ray of hope email.

You're only as young as the last time you changed your mind.
-- Timothy Leary

is she qualified?

2008-10-02T12:10:00.002-03:00

a bit long but well researched video on Sarah Palin's experience and qualification. the video is cut off on the left but it's really what is said, not shown here that's important.

Crafty Bastards DC

2008-09-29T19:16:00.017-03:00

this was a first for me attending Crafty Bastards DC Street Fair . i was pretty impressed with the turn out for this one day show. my intention was to see what kind of crafty goodness was at this show, who was exhibiting, what the foot traffic was like and if people were buying. being an attendee, it seemed there was a good turn out, pretty good variety of vendors and it was well organized. i came home with a few purchases from woolarina, spaghetti kiss & tasha mckelvey. other exhibitors that i didn't buy from this time but really liked were hats from rocks and salt, tee's by squidfire, leather cuffs by fistcuff, lunchbags by goshdarn knits as well as all the other vendors below i took pictures of.

Alitas Jewelry Booth-i loved his work but have a BIG criticism for his booth, it was well merchandised but there was no sign with the company name and no pricing so each person had to wait to ask questions about each product. oh well!

Pear Booth

Pear Booth

Pistol Stiched Booth

Shaghetti Kiss Booth

Something's Hiding in Here Booth

Something's Hiding in Here Booth-i think mustaches are going to be one of the next big image icon's (owls were still all around as well as mushrooms).

1 Girl 1 Boy Booth

1 Girl 1 Boy Booth

1 Girl 1 Boy Booth

Color Hive Booth

Cleo Dee's Squid Market Booth

Cleo Dee's Squid Market Booth-some clever props were used in this booth.

Claire McDermott Booth-all her jewelry shown was made from recycled skateboard platforms.

Claire McDermott Booth

The Small Object Booth-wonderfully clever items!

The Small Object Booth

The Small Object Booth

Greg Metal Booth-beautiful and unusual jewlry resembling enameling or cloisonne but made of more industrial materials. unfortunately he was almost sold out when we made it to his booth but i'll be on the lookout for him again.

Greg Metal Booth

Greenware Designs Booth

Biggs and Featherbelle Booth-their packaging and booth design was really well done. each assortment was well presented with fun colorful embellishing of ribbons and dots. simple, clean and cheerful.

Biggs and Featherbelle Booth
all the booths above with 1 or 2 exceptions were well merchandised and had good signage. i felt there were a lot of booths at this show that needed some work in this area, several vendors ran out of business cards as well but this is only the 3rd Crafty Bastards show (still folks-get it together). the quality of all the products seemed pretty high at the show but there were certain cagegories of product that were not well represented. it will be very interesting to see how well this show evolves and if it lasts. it hope so, it was a lot of fun and a good size. perhaps it could even expand into a 2 day event?

Craft Zine's Booth-making an l.e.d throwie
there were 3 demo's spread throughout the day and tables set up for each item. these little projects were fun and a good way to get out of the sun/or rain depending on when you were at the show.

Craft Zine's Booth-making an l.e.d throwie

Craft Zine's Booth-making an l.e.d throwie

Craft Zine's Booth-making button rings

Craft Zine's Booth-making button rings

Craft Zine's Booth-making button rings

cooking up a story

2008-09-26T12:33:00.002-03:00

thanks to my friend marley who passed this along to me. check them out HERE.

60+lbs of tomato's canned

2008-09-25T17:37:00.007-03:00

this is a bit overdue but i've been meaning to post about my first ever tomato canning experience. i picked up over 60 lbs of organic (mostly) tomatoes seconds (several varieties and colors) from two local farms and three of us split the haul and did the canning together. you can see how beautiful the red, orange and yellow varieties of tomatoes look when all are canned together.

we started at 11 am and finished at about 5 pm with cleanup (but still had to wait on two batches). we went with whole tomatoes and tomato juice to keep things simple no sauces, diced, salsa etc. we meant business!

our yeild was aprox. 9 quarts (6 whole tomatoe/3 juice) and 2-3 pints per person (per 20 lbs). not bad!

our reward while we cleaned up and waited on the last batches was the freshest tomato juice bloody mary's ever! they were fantastic and i'm so glad we didn't waste the juice! all the tomato "trash" went to the compost pile as well so nothing was wasted.

last year i made a promise to myself to can tomato's since i don't have a large freezer but i also tried my hand at peaches, peach sauce, blackberry sauce and blackberry jam. i experimented with peach and berry infused vodka and vinegars which i still have on hand and they turned out fantastic. economically speaking i'm not sure if it's worth canning but i don't think that's the point. it was fun working together with my mom and my friend on this project and learning a new skill that is certainly useful. i'll probably be making some apple butter and apple sauce before the season is over. i'll certainly be enjoying these goodies all winter long!

*ps. a word of caution~we had one accident at the end of our long day when i set a jar just out of the water onto the granite counter top without a towel. explosion, big mess but no one was hurt. inexperience is the best teacher!

Register to vote by OCTOBER 14th (in MD)

2008-09-24T14:58:00.004-03:00

to check your registration info go a HERE

where creative juice comes from...

2008-09-24T14:40:00.002-03:00

making lemonaid out of lemons

2008-09-17T17:34:00.008-03:00

deer are constantly a problem in my yard. along with them come nibbled plants galore and lyme disease (if you are unlucky-or just stick around here too long).
while surveying my yard this past weekend and again today i've discovered them eating my blooming sedum autum joy!

okay, bummer but at least they have been kind enough to leave me the flowers. so, i'm collecting them for some arrangements.

if you have a bowl, some tape and some similar flowers you can create a lovely little table arrangement.
tape a grid across the bowl, add water and flowers...

and there you have it!

Women Against Sarah Palin

2008-09-10T18:08:00.007-03:00

i've been away for awhile from blogging, i've been deeply entrenched as i watch our country head towards yet another possible (avoidable) train wreck. i've been watched both the DNC and the RNC and more importantly i've been speaking with anyone and everyone who will listen about the choices we have at the upcoming election. bear with me as i post some things that in no way relate to crafting, art, gardening, interior design or the other normal subjects of this blog. this subject is so important!

also; see what Deepak Chopra has to say about the upcoming election.

Friends, compatriots, fellow-lamenters (or for those of you who aren't you may want to read on before you cast your vote),
We are writing to you because of the fury and dread we have felt since the announcement of Sarah Palin as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Republican Party. We believe that this terrible decision has surpassed mere partisanship, and that it is a dangerous farce—on the part of a pande! ! ring and rudderless Presidential candidate—that has a real possibility of becoming fact.Perhaps like us, as American women, you share the fear of what Ms. Palin and her professed beliefs and proven record could lead to for ourselves and for our present or future daughters.
To date, she is against sex education, birth control, the pro-choice platform, environmental protection, alternative energy development, freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), gun control, the separation of church and state, and polar bears. To say nothing of her complete lack of real preparation to become the
second-most-powerful person on the planet.We want to clarify that we are not against Sarah Palin as a woman, a mother, or, for that matter, a parent of a pregnant teenager, but solely as a rash, incompetent, and all together devastating choice for Vice President. Ms. Palin’s political views are in every way a slap in the face to the accomplishments that our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers so fiercely fought for, and that we’ve so demonstrably benefited from.
First and foremost, Ms. Palin does not represent us. She does not demonstrate or uphold our interests as American women. It is presumed that the inclusion of a woman on the Republican ticket could win over women voters. We want to disagree, publicly.Therefore, we invite you to reply here womensaynopalin@gmail.com with a short, succinct message about why you, as a woman living in this country, do not support this candidate as second-in-command for our nation.Please include your name (last initial is fine), age, and place of residence.We will post your responses on a blog called “Women Against Sarah Palin,” which we intend to publicize as widely as possible. Please send us your reply at your earliest convenience—the greater the volume of responses we receive, the stronger our message will be.Thank you for your time and action.VIVA!
Sincerely,Quinn Latimer and Lyra Kilston
New York, NY
womensaynopalin@gmail.com
PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!* If you send this to 20 women in the next hour, you could be blessed with a country that takes your concerns seriously. Stranger things have happened.

border control, there's no simple solution

2008-09-10T11:15:00.002-03:00

Mosaic Monday~PS Water II

2008-08-18T16:44:00.002-03:00

enjoy these beautiful water inspired images~with hopes to bring you through the week feeling cool and relaxed.

1. stars, 2. Blue Tulips, 3. Cloudwatching, 4. tea break, 5. coastkeh, 6. blue planet, 7. Handmade fabric flower brooch, 8. Café Glockenspiel III - Munich, 9. sparkly water

Happy Summer Day

2008-08-15T12:38:00.001-03:00

Happy Summer Day
Originally uploaded by WeBees

have a great weekend!

Mongtomery County Agricultural Fair

2008-08-13T16:43:00.005-03:00

it's county fair time, through Aug. 17th and the weather couldn't be any better! i've been volunteering at the demo gardens run by the master gardeners in our county and i was there on Sunday during the parade. there were some darling kids (one fell asleep below in the window of the truck), a pink tractor and lots of 4H floats. in a time when kids seemingly grow up too quickly it was encouraging and fun to see so many kids participating in 4H events.

the demo gardens includes several different types of beds such as a "Bay Wise" garden bed, a Xeriscape bed, vegetables and a rain garden. we also bring in this "Salad table" designed by University of MD. it's quite a simple design and i plan to make one for use this fall. they are perfect for greens, peppers, radish, herbs and other shallow root plants.

i took a walk through the rabbit barn and almost brought this rex home with me! so sweet, so soft, someday!

enjoy the rest of these images which to me are the quintessential summer fair.

happy summer, enjoy what is left of it!

Project Spectrum ~Water

2008-08-07T15:29:00.007-03:00

the beginning of august signaled the final element for project spectrum; water. water is an element that obviously we can not live without. i have this theory that since i was born in the tropics near water it has become a vital, essential element for me to feel healthy, whole and fulfilled in my life. perhaps it has something to do with the sign i was born under as well but never the less i am always more relaxed and happy when i spend time around or in water.

i keep various things around the house to remind me of water including my model ship, (built by my grandfather), shells and blue accents which especially lend themselves to summertime.

during the summer i always get to spend more time around water with visits to the beach, pools, some boating if i am lucky and an annual river tubing trip in August etc.

i am also incorporating the colors of water (blue, teal, purple, etc) into my art projects and reading a couple books (Fountainhead by Ayn Rand & Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum M. Roberts that relate to water in one way or another. spend the rest of the summer soaking up the cool, refreshing and vital life that water has to offer you.

Final Round Collaborative Block LayersProject

2008-08-01T16:41:00.006-03:00

this project which began in early '08 is finally coming to a close. below are the blocks i've completed (minus 2 photo's) of which i am keeping 4 and shipping the remaining. each round has been inspiring, thought provoking & creatively insistent that i keep going with it. it has not always been easy knowing what to contribute but that's both the challenge and joy of a collaborative project. i have yet to receive the remaining blocks from the other artists but i'm waiting with high anticipation. for now i have my blocks hanging from a mobile but will eventually find another home for them, perhaps a few will be framed. as i shipped my final blocks out there were a few that i just knew were intended to go to certain people. i'll cherish this project and all the blocks i receive.

Herbalist, story teller Doug Elliott

2008-07-29T10:44:00.014-03:00

Herbalist & story teller Doug Elliott spent the day at Red Wiggler farm this past Saturday leading nature walks, identifying useful herbs and telling stories. i've seen and heard him twice now and he is truly an energetic, positive & joyful person to be around. he is full of interesting antidotes, stories, wisdom and useful information. one thing i am trying to do as a master gardener is identify more native and other useful plants.

Doug talking about the many uses of stinging nettle

a boutonniere made of burdock burrs and a small flower will naturally stick to clothing. he also mentioned that the man who invented velcro was inspired by the burdock burrs.

chicory Flower

plantain- roots and leaves (can be used as a poultice)

POISONOUS~ Hemlock or Cowbane

Oxcalis~leaves can be eaten in salads to lend a tangy, sour taste.
*please see further information regarding plant use since many plants may have parts that are edible and other parts poisonous (or certain preparation must be followed for safe use).

Bridgman Pottery

2008-07-28T17:57:00.004-03:00

Bridgman Pottery
Originally uploaded by WeBees

i've been appreciating Bridgman Pottery's work since finding her on flickr and had my eye on a few pieces including her berry bowls. i just loved the glaze on this one and these three pieces make a nice addition to my expaning collection of pottery in teals and golds.

Brookgreen Gardens

2008-07-25T18:59:00.001-03:00

sorry for the long absence but i have been vacationing and enjoying the summer so much i just don't have much patience for sitting at a computer these days. i wanted to share some of the beautiful flora and garden beds from our visit to Brookgreen gardens in SC on our 4th of July vacation. below are just a few of my favorite plants and planting combinations from Brookgreen. the color combinations were spectacular, with one garden room being predominately cool purples and the next hot reds and oranges. there were many mixed borders that were a riot of colors. below are some of the spectacular sculptures that were in garden beds, ponds and the sculpture rooms at Brookgreen. the garden beds that contained sculptures had plantings that were color coordinated to enhance the sculptures such as grey marble and purple agapanthus or black bronze with deep purple canna leaves. i had been anticipating my visit to this garden ever since i first heard about it while in college in Savannah and then again when i visited Huntington Beach State Park (which was also bequeathed to the state by the late Huntington family). we split the visit up over two days and visited the historic plantation area and zoo the first day, the sculpture rooms and gardens the second. this place has something for everyone and if you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area i highly recommend a visit!

Mosaic Monday

2008-07-14T16:15:00.001-03:00

Mosaic Monday
Originally uploaded by WeBees

i'm back from a wonderfully relaxing and much needed vacation. hope you all had a great 4th with happy celebrations including friends, family, fireworks and food (the 4 f's)

Red Wiggler Solar Events

2008-06-24T17:30:00.005-03:00

this upcoming Saturday between 4-6PM Martin Vosseler, who has been walking across the US since Jan '08, will be at Red Wiggler farm in Gaitherburg MD to celebrate solar! please click the image below for more details about this upcoming event.

Island Canvas~Up for Grabs

2008-06-23T12:13:00.005-03:00

creative friends, do you want to have your own business from home? do you have sewing skills? do you have room for a sizable sewing studio? are you willing to move equipment and materials from a location in New England? if so please contact me for details. my good friend, the owner of Island Canvas is relocating and will not be able to keep the over 25 year old business. she is willing to give the business to someone who will take over the operations and transfer the website and phone lines to their name. this is a wonderful opportunity and you can make as much or as little as you want from this well established New England business. she need to resolve this by the end of July at latest so please pass the word if you know anyone who might be qualified and have them get in touch with me or Island Canvas directly.

CSA Haul Week 2

2008-06-17T13:21:00.002-03:00

serious bounty. we got spring onions, turnips, turnip greens, radishes, garlic scapes, asparagus (probably the last for the year), strawberries, mixed braising greens & snap peas. From the PYO (pick your own) garden I got dill, cilantro, gallardia, yarrow, bee balm, batchlor's button, lovage, nasturtium, lavender & mulberries! Whew, what a great week all for around $25!
i spent the weekend cooking and gardening, it was lovely!

Salmonella Problems in Tomatoes

2008-06-13T21:46:00.005-03:00

as a master gardener i'm sometimes privy to some great info that's passed along to me. i thought i'd share for those of you concerned about the recent tomatoe salmonella outbreak. if you can buy local tomatoes, please see below for what kinds are safe (many) and continue to support the local farmers who are growing these and probably loosing money because of people who are choosing to boycot tomatoes to be "safe". happy tomato eating season!

Salmonella Problems in Tomatoes
Gerald Brust, IPM Vegetable Specialist
June 11, 2008

Here is some recent information about the outbreak of tomatoes contaminated with Salmonella. As most are aware this outbreak is linked to the consumption of certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing raw red tomatoes. Since mid April, there have been 167 reported cases of salmonellosis nationwide caused by Salmonella Saintpaul, an infrequent serotype of Salmonella. The numerous cases in recent weeks indicate the suspect tomatoes have been widely distributed and probably originated from the same source. Symptoms of salmonellosis, which usually appear within 12 to 72hours of eating contaminated food, include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, headaches, stomach cramps and fever.
The raw tomato types that are most inferred as the source of contamination are red plum, red Roma, and red round tomatoes. As of June 10, 2008 The Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers to limit their consumption of tomatoes to the following types: cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomatoes sold with the vine still attached, tomatoes grown at home or tomatoes grown and harvested from the following areas that have not been linked to the outbreak: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia, Wisconsin and from certain counties in Florida. Consumers who are unsure of the source of purchased tomatoes or raw tomato products (such as salsa, guacamole or other dishes) should contact the place of purchase for the information. Although restaurants, grocery stores, and food service operators have been advised by the FDA not to offer for sale or service raw red plum, red Roma, or red round tomatoes and products made from these types of tomatoes unless they are from one of the areas listed above, most stores and restaurants are still removing all tomatoes of these types as a precaution. This is the latest information, but be aware things can and probably will change over the next few days.

Friday Favorites

2008-06-13T16:04:00.005-03:00

Friday Favorites
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Here is the latest group of inspired shots from my flickr contacts. So much talent, this particular mosaic includes shots inspired by my latest reading of "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. The first row being of the animal theme, second and third vegetable themed and last row, miracles created by flickr friends. Happy Friday the 13th, hope it's a lucky one for you!

Meet Barack

2008-06-09T16:37:00.001-03:00

if you haven't already~let me introduce him to you.

yippiee~Spoonflower invite

2008-06-05T21:23:00.005-03:00

i'm thrilled, i got my much anticipated invite to join the beta site Spoonflower this week. i have been digging out my archive of designs and getting them ready to try colorways, determine scale and figure out which ones i want to print. here is a sneek peak of one. i'm having a hard time deciding how much i want to share so i will be taking it slow to start.

another exciting creative persuit of mine this week was attending an open studio night at a local art center. i found out about it just in time to attend this month. i have not drawn from a live model since college, or aprox. 10 years ago. this was never really my thing but since i draw all day long on the computer and rarely from life with actual pencil and paper i wanted to give it a whirl. what do you know, i can actually draw and doing so without being graded took some of the pressure off. it was quite liberating and i'll be going back now regularly! just to prove i mean it i'm posting a photo of one of the sketches i did. ordinarily i'd be too insecure to show this but i'm moving on, trying to be happy with what i did and not compare myself to others. i never use to draw the heads or faces of the models in school so for me, just attempting to draw the whole figure is huge!

get out there and do some drawing folks, we all can weather it's doodling, drawing people, flowers or landscapes, it's the process not the outcome that's important to practice. i'm going to publish this before i change my mind now.

and finally the furniture...

2008-06-03T18:13:00.003-03:00

the furniture at ICFF, well it's technically the International Contemporary Furniture Fair but obviously there was oh so much more there than furniture. these first two photo's were a fabulous booth, quite minimalist but with a few pieces that really had character. the chairs shown here are totally a hoot with someone sitting in them, from behind they really look like some boxy suited person.

the bureau is whimsically made of what appears to be scraps from other furniture, weather made to look so or actually recycled from found drawers and other pieces i love the mixed wood tones and pulls.

there was so much baby furniture. this is either a show suited to that age bracket or lots and lots of people are having lots of kids these days because there were more baby furniture and accessory booths than ever before. the designs were incredibly beautiful ranging from quite minimalist to very sophisticated whimsical takes on classic lines. this line is made to grow with the child from a crib to a small bed it can be reassembled in various configurations.

bamboo was a very popular choice of materials being used for everything from lighting to chairs and tables frequently being mixed with other hardwoods for variation in texture and color.

sorry this post is short on information regarding the exhibitors but large in inspirational imagery. enjoy~

these beauties for the bathroom show some bold use of color and their designs place them clearly in the furniture category even though there is not a traditional bathroom cabinet to be found.

the Italian section was very minimalist and sexy as expected. there was a focus on simple lines but they were a bit more curvaceous than in the past few years and a few exhibitors had some stunning more traditional pieces like the one below but again with a modern twist and a somewhat whimsical edge.

my favorite chair of the show. this was the same booth that had the white feather pendant lamps (again in the Italy section).

both this and the previous photo's are great examples of the subtle color combination of brown and lavender with accents of grey (vey monochromatic).

wallcoverings, floorcovering and textiles

2008-06-02T22:43:00.006-03:00

this is my favorite group of products at ICFF, both because i work in this field and because i love looking at patterns, feeling textiles, seeing beautiful textures and innovative developments in this field.

Anne Kyyro Quinn's textiles cross the boundaries between floorcovering, wallcovering and the more traditional textile functions. these works are textural, sculptural and bold. they beg to be touched, walked on or leaned against.

Lawrence of La Brea is one of the floorcovering exhibitors that stood out by crossing the boundary from floor to wall with their patchwork rugs made from denim and other textiles.

wall covering was HUGE at this show. there were several exhibitors last year with wallpaper but the scene has literally exploded in the past year. i remember growing up with wall covering and seeing wall covering in almost every home. then in the 80's & 90's it almost disappeared from the market. right now what is being shown is bold patterns, floral, damasks, and printed textures in vibrant colors or graphic black and white. Miss Print~London lines feature simple retro graphics including florals and small scale organic geometrics that are whimsical and cheerful.

British designer Tracy Kendall Jackson uses materials such as sequins, strips of paper, puzzle pieces, larger than life scale florals and other bold prints. the area of texture in wallcoverins is one that is still open to a lot of new possibilities.

Flavor Paper again exhibited with a large booth featuring pop art like images which were geometric, whimsical and more sophisticated in bright colors and metallic finishes.

My me mosaic

2008-06-02T11:16:00.001-03:00

My me mosaic
Originally uploaded by WeBees

The name of the game:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Dumbarton Oaks

2008-05-29T18:18:00.009-03:00

our Memorial Day plans origionally included a trip to PA to see Longwood gardens but we canceled them in favor of a little r~n~r at home. to satifsy my garden itch i invited my mom to come along with me on Sunday to Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown. this is one of those places i've been meaning to visit forever! WOW was it worth it.

we had the most perfect weather, not hot, not cold, no clouds.

there were no crowds! i'm not sure if this was because it was a holiday weekend but i really don't care why the locals and tourists were not flocking to this garden~i hate crowds, i love gardens, more for me!

here we found Pan in a little hiden corner.

we timed the visit just right for the end of the peony blooms and the peak of the roses.

i have no idea what this thorny bramble bush is but these spikes were large (4-6") and the bushes were 8-12' tall.

although there are numerous "rooms" to the garden each with a different theme the overall feel was very Italian in style. this makes sense since the garden was bequeathed to Harvard mainly for Byzantine, garden and landscape studies (as well as other areas of study).

tagged, i am

2008-05-29T11:04:00.010-03:00

Cici of sistahs that knit tagged me so here goes...

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
i was graduating from SCAD, trying to find a job in the textile industry, preparing to move from ga back to md

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
work, blog, nia, cook, laundry, knit (okay that's 6)

3) Snacks I enjoy:
edamamme, french fries (weakness rarely indulged), fruit, pita chips & hummus, nuts-various other than peanuts & cheese

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
start my own company, donate, travel, help out family, invest, own a farm

5) Places I have lived:
Philippines, Maryland, Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia

6) Jobs I have had:
carpet designer, textile designer, retail sales (all sorts), manager of Mrs. Fields cookie store

7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better (hope they won't mind):
Christina
Kara
Marley
Sarah
Betz

kitty alarm clock

2008-05-29T11:02:00.002-03:00

this is to funny not to share, if you don't have cat's you probably won't understand.

ICFF Accessories

2008-05-28T17:42:00.011-03:00

there were a lot of accessories being offered this year, many being additions to furniture or lighting lines and others companies with a focus on this category. below was an offering from a furniture company whom i presume was looking for a whimsical way of using up wood scraps. these blocks have wind up music makers with many melodies to choose from and they wobble around as they play. i can't find this company anywhere and apparently i didn't get a business card so let me know if you have additional info on this exhibitor.

Dwell Studio had a nice line up of linens and children's accessories and furniture shown. the designs focused on organic silhouettes, classic fretwork and more traditional renderings of organic subjects such as flowers, leaves, insects and birds.

there was a strong presence of British & UK design this year. this velcro wall system by Rachel O'Neill of northern Ireland, was another creative use of everyday materials. she also creates lighting and other accessories using velcro assembled in various ways.

British designer Lucy Renshaw's accessories are self described as "Bespoke Eco Furniture" which accurately identifies these accessories created using found textiles and other recycled objects in bright and funky color combinations.

there were a lot of black and white accessories with bright pop's of color. eco & green were the buzz words of the show this year with almost every exhibitor featuring products that were made from recycled materials, found objects, ecologically sustainable woods (FSC Certified) and other such materials. due to this there was a strong handmade presence or at least a visible "hand" in much of the work created.

ICFF Lighting

2008-05-27T18:39:00.013-03:00

i am always drawn to lighting that is unique and uses new or unusual materials. this year at ICFF there were quite a few lighting vendors that caught my eye.

i don't have all the vendors names since i went for work and it was not my main focus but i do have some images to share.
from sparkles, to handmade papers, beautiful patterns and 3-d surface formations lighting is showing a strong presence and it's more creative than ever.
these feather pendant lights and handmade paper lamps were personal favorites of the show.

Josh Urso uses fabrics that have been formed and "frozen" in space. he also has a beautiful line of furniture using the same technique of molding and shaping fabric and rope into solid forms.

a very eclectic chandelier using found objects all unified by white.

Project Spectrum ~Earth WIP

2008-05-27T15:48:00.011-03:00

here is my latest wip for the series of works i've been doing for project spectrum. the project will be shifing from the element earth (green, brown etc)to air at at the end of May. this simple, quick & free pattern for the
Lichen Cowl is fitting since Lolly founded Project Spectrum.

in planning for the next element, i did a yarn stash reorganization and inventory. while i had all (well not actually ALL!) of my yarn pulled out i was grouping them by color and decided to arrange it in a color wheel. this was really fun because it gave me a great overall sense of which colors i gravitate towards and i clearly like bright colors! i also have a LOT of natural undyed yarns from my days of working at Churchill Weavers. if you create a colorwheel with your yarn drop me a line and take a photo, i may need to create a flickr group for yarn colorwheels...

ICFF Students and Designboom

2008-05-24T15:14:00.012-03:00

the idea behind these salt and pepper shakers is that you have to break them to use them. how clever is that? the more i thought about the idea the more i liked them, them are a simple and beautiful design from Mey & Boaz Kahn from Israel.

i forgot to include this fun trash filled chair by a student (Nick DeMarco)at the california college of the arts booth.

All Around ABC Carpet

2008-05-23T11:15:00.014-03:00

window display at ABC~this was very minimalist for them. i fell in love with their window displays when i first visited this store in 1996. they always amaze me and don't disapoint.

cute message board in the children's section. i love to look at the children's section for inspiration. these fun little vignettes are a complete, wonderful world of fantasy and make believe. who wouldn't want to live in that surrounding?

bright and fun display of Soolip products also in the children's section.

these blank journals were a favorite of mine in the stationary section on the first floor. i didn't write down the name of the bookmaker but i believe she is Danish? they are handmade, blank and have these little "bits" sprinkled randomly on pages throughout the book. if you happen to know the name of this book maker please get in touch or leave a comment.

love these~cork wrapped glassware.

these beautiful necklaces caught my eye among all the gorgeous jewelry. of course being a "fibers" major any unique use of fabric catches my eye and the lovely use of silk as cording was just stunning. the two on the outside of the display reminded me of the vintage necklaces with the big chunky beads wrapped in fabric~do you know the ones?

this tabletop display was so inspiring to me because of the mixture of old vintage looking teacups and china with more modern earthenware. i am always struggling to mix these two styles in my own home so i found this one of the more intriguing tabletop displays.

okay this funky, shaggy chair wasn't at ABC but was at a furniture store right down the street on Broadway btwn 17 & 18th...very fun!

PS. i take notice of bloggers who do and don't use capitals and i am switching to the latter for speed of getting things published. from here forward i will only use capitals for names of People, Places and Companies. i do hope no one takes offense!

Collaborative Block Layers Round 3~Received

2008-05-22T10:51:00.003-03:00

These are the latest unfinished blocks I have recieved. The project is becoming increasingly intersting. The materials used are wonderful, vast, unexpected and sometimes disturbing. I have spoken with several of the other artists in this project, we are all pressed for time and finding it a challenge to fit the project into our schedules as I knew we would. When the project began I spent too much time obesssing over what materials to use, what I wanted to add and how I wanted the block to look. Through the last three rounds I have been able to let go and allow a more stream of conscience reaction to lead me in my additions to these pieces. To me this project is all about the process, reacting to the other materials, finding the time to just "do" some art.

1. Block Swap Round 3-1, 2. Block Swap Round 3-2, 3. Block Swap Round 3-12, 4. Block Swap Round 3-4, 5. Block Swap Round 3-7, 6. Block Swap Round 3-6, 7. Block Swap Round 3-10, 8. Block Swap Round 3-3, 9. Block Swap Round 3-11, 10. Block Swap Round 3-8, 11. Block Swap Round 3-5, 12. Block Swap Round 3-9

Project Spectrum Earth ATC's

2008-05-18T14:30:00.002-03:00

PSEarthATC2
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Here are the two ATC's I created for the "Earth" swap. I used earthy colors and materials including seeds from cantelope and watermelon.

I'm off to NYC for ICFF, Surtex and the National Stationary Show. I'll report back with lots of photos of the latest trends, designs and products.

Latest Library Load

2008-05-17T10:18:00.001-03:00

Latest Library Load
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Here are the books I've got at home from the Library right now and a few of my own new purchases. Top down, a few books on Argentina as we plan for our fall trip. Alice Walker "A Poem Traveled Down my Arm"~delightful. Orchid growing book, I repotted all my orchids last weekend. "Design it Yourself"~great little how to on various things. "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver~Amazing book about her family's one year 100 mile diet~more on this later!
Book about Nelson Mandela, a few gardening books and the last two part of my textile collection: "Art Textiles of the World: The Netherlands" and Tricia Guild "Pattern" ~Whew that's a lot to read!

Mom's Birthday Gift~Hand knit washcloths

2008-05-15T13:13:00.001-03:00

Mom's Birthday Gift
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.

-- Ruth Ann Schabacker

Mothers Day at the Textile Museum

2008-05-12T17:31:00.005-03:00

I took my mom to the Mother's Day Program and Tea: "The Language and Secrets of Wearing Japanese Kimono" with Ann Marie Moeller and Norie Watanuki
This is one time where being a shorty got me the privlege of being choosen from the audience to have the kimono dressing demonstrated on me! Wow, it was so fun, somehow the color they choose was complimentary to me and I was dressed just right to be able to take off my jacket. It took Norie about 40 minutes to fully dress me and she demonstrated two different ways of tying the obi. There are more photo's here . The kimono did keep my posture perfect and it also made it a bit hard to breath (and sit but traditionally I'd be kneeling). This was such a memorable mothers day for both my mom and I! I'm sure I won't have an opportunity like this again and I didn't want to take it off.

"Ann Marie Moeller, collector and historian of traditional Japanese textiles, and Norie Watanuki, certified kimono dresser, discuss the complexity of selecting a kimono and obi and the messages conveyed by the choices. "~ The Textile Museum

Departure from reality to El camino del Rey

2008-05-09T11:36:00.001-03:00

Red Maple Replacment Tree

2008-05-06T17:09:00.005-03:00

Here is the little gem of a Red Maple tree that we planted this past Sunday to replace our fallen American Plum tree. We (my husband) dug it from a neighbor and had it back in the ground within 30 min. Best of all it is a beauty and it was FREE!

I spent the better part of the day planting our seasonal flower pots, hanging baskets and various other treasures throughout the garden. Among them were herbs, some very cool dye plants (Wode and Japanese Indigo) and much to my husband's dismay, Stinging Nettle. It was a green thumb day!

All Things Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival '08

2008-05-05T22:36:00.010-03:00

I have to say I was totally unaware of the magnitude of the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival I attended this last weekend. I attended on Saturday with a friend and her 4 year old daughter. The weather was a perfect spring day! The festival was VERY crowded, having no basis of comparison I don't know if it was more or less crowded than normal. I have realized that I am not a crowd person so this was a lesson in exercising extreme patience. I continued to look on the bright side by taking in all the wonderful yarn, the beautiful animals (sheep, lama, rabbits etc.), the beautiful drive in the country, my best friends birthday, viewing the experience in the eyes of a 4 year old. All this was good; for the most part. My friends daughter was very excited to see the sheep and started the day by running excitedly and falling immediately, skinning her knee. Because she was so upset and in pain, she was afraid of the sheep and need her knee fixed up. So, she and mom found a food line of choice to wait in while I went to hunt down a band aid back at the entrance to the fair. About 30 min later, I returned with Cotton Candy, a crayola band aid and they were at the front of the food line. Things improved from there, we had a picnic in a shady spot, watched the Sheep herding and did a little shopping before heading out. I must say that the events of the day as they occurred saved me some serious cash. Next year I will budget both my time and money, arrive earlier, and be more mentally prepared for the crowds and the show.

1. Maryland-Sheep and Wool-2008, 2. My Levin & Raja fleece from Y33 aka Opal, 3. Brooks Farm, 4. DSC00197.JPG, 5. IMG_5133, 6. Sheep, 7. Ramy, 8. Snuggly Sheep, 9. hello there, 10. 2008 Sheep to Shawl competition, 11. Sheep Shearing, 12. Sheep and Goat Cheese, 13. Line of cars waiting to enter, 14. Lamb, 15. double horn Jacob sheep, 16. Fibre Co. Organik, 17. Tess' Superwash Merino Lace, 18. MDSW 2008: Brooks Farm, 19. Eat our dust!, 20. Closer
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

I did bring home a few wonderful things from the show; Yarn, soap, needles, a pattern, some herbal moth repellent, a few plants from Putnam Hill Nursery and a beautiful pewter pin.

Goodbye American Plum Tree~Sad Arbor Day

2008-04-29T15:09:00.003-03:00

Arbor Day was officially on April 25th but this weekend I spent several hours on Sunday at the Mo. Co. Arbor Day events at the County Extension office giving tours of the Demo gardens there. I woke up on Sunday prepared to go to Yoga and then volunteer, then I looked out our back windows and sadly discovered our tree had come down! We didn't plant this American Plum but it seemed healthy enough despite a wicked drought last year (I did water the tree). The roots just came right up out of the ground in the heavy winds and the tree came over without breaking a branch. I asked my husband not to get the saw out just yet and I consulted with an Arborist on Sunday and it was as I thought, not a tree that could be saved. I said my good bye's, thanked the tree for it's shade and wildlife refuge. I picked out a tiny Eastern Redbud that I planted on Sunday and will replace this beautiful Plum with a beautiful Red Maple soon. I'm so glad I took lots of photo's of this beauty while in bloom this spring.

Collaborative Block Layers~Round 3

2008-04-29T14:44:00.003-03:00

Yesterday I sent out Round 3 blocks for the "Collaborative Block Layers Project" that I'm hosting. These are really starting to be fun as more people are collaborating on them. Some of them I think could be "done" as they are. We have 2 more rounds to go before they will be ofically completed and will be distributed to each of the 10 artists participating. Each person will end up getting 12 blocks to do with whatever they wish (perhaps put into a book, frame separately or together, hang on a mobile etc).

1. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-5, 2. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-4, 3. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-11, 4. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-2 Front, 5. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-2 back, 6. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-1, 7. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-8, 8. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-10, 9. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-7, 10. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-9, 11. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-3, 12. Block Swap Round 3 Completed-6

Make Every Day Earth Day~Plastic recycling

2008-04-22T18:22:00.006-03:00

Happy Earth day! I have the fondest of memories of this day going back to highschool. I remember my senior year skipping school to go down town DC and join with thousands of others to celebrate the Earth, listen to music, wade in the nasty reflecting pool on the mall and walk around visiting various vendors selling and educating about "environmental" practices and products. We have come along way but somehow today just feels like any other day since I couldn't "Skip" work to celebrate. I do try to celebrate the earth everyday by doing the smallest of things including recycling, composting, buying local/organic, using florescent bulbs, not using chemical cleaners and gardening products, you get the picture. I have dreams of someday owning a house that I can convert to solar/alternative power, use FSC Certified wood and other recycled and "green" products but for now I do the little things I can. Recently I have been trying to incorporate recycled objects into my art projects. I've been wanting to try this plastic bag fusing project now for months so I finally sat down to cutting and fusing a bunch all at once with open windows and a good movie. I don't know yet what I will use these for, they have endless possibilites and it was so easy and fun (other than the fumes). Give it a try, there is a great tutorial over at Etsy Labs.

I hope you will do what you can to give back to our mother earth.
Please~"Make Every Day Earth Day".

Mosaic Monday~Flowers

2008-04-21T16:26:00.001-03:00

Mosaic Monday~Flowers
Originally uploaded by WeBees

This week because the flowers are blooming and it's so rainy and dreary I hope this virtual spring bouquet will pick you up.

Pink petals and clover

2008-04-17T19:04:00.001-03:00

Pink petals and clover
Originally uploaded by WeBees

This little photo was selected to be published in Sierra Club's Daily Ray of Hope today along with the following quote.

I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. I skip down the street and run against the wind.

-- Leo F. Buscaglia

NYC Art Blitz~Part 1

2008-04-14T18:48:00.011-03:00

I've been absent due to my recent 5 day whirlwind tour of lots of art in NYC. I had a business trip up last week and added a couple days on to that for my own art, shopping and food enjoyment. As usual I pushed myself to see as much as possible but this time I felt I made my choices wisely and the pace was enjoyable.
This entry is heavy on text but hopefully you will do more exploring of the visuals available through the links.

First I walked from my hotel to FIT and saw two exhibits the first of which was Sole Desire: The Shoes of Christian Louboutin. It doesn't cease to amaze me how timeless every pair of shoes on exhibit were! The exhibit chronicles his career, gives insight to his inspirations and influences and showcases some of his most spectacular designs.

The other FIT exhibit Exoticism also ongoing (hurry it ends May 7)at FIT is a fashion retrospective of the last 250 years with a focus on some of the most exotic clothing (and what makes it so) around the world. It was intreguing to see how the daily life and times of each culture was reflected in the garments that were worn. One of the most intresting aspects of this show to me is how increased global trade has influenced fashion and textiles and obviously early on only the more wealthy individuals could afford imported textiles and garments or replicas. Their were spectacular examples from France, Africa, India, Japan, India and other designers around the world.

Continuing in my Art Blitz (Eastside)I decided to cancel my intended trip to the Whitney Biannual which I knew would include some wonderful, controversial, up and coming art but I had my heart set on seeing a couple of smaller exhibits. Off next to the Cooper Hewitt to see a few exhibits with my main interest being "Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product". As a student in college I became enthralled with a large sample book of textiles from the 1940's that I stumbled upon at the Chelsea Flea Market and now as an industry designer I understand what a valuable tool samples are too clients. This exhibit had samples of everything from textiles to paint, leather and wallpaper. A small but comprehensive show with some stunning examples such as the books of 18Th Century French buttons. I found it fascinating also to see how the format of these sample books, envelopes, sheets etc. evolved and were totally changed due to the requirements of the product being sold.

While there I also walked through both of the other current exhibits. Rococo: The Continuing Curve explores the style of Rococo from 1730–2008. The show highlights the immersion of this style in traditional decoration worldwide, as well how Rococo has influenced design and and styles such as Art Nouveau and the Pop Art movement. The exhibit from the permanent collection was curated by the Brazilian design duo The Campana Brothers. They wisely chose from a variety of medium to highlight pieces that showcased something about design, process and the way that materials speak to individuals. Every piece in this exhibit speaks to the process of a well designed object weather it be furniture, a book or a piece of jewelry. I am never disappointed in an exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt, head over to their site for more on these shows.

From here I walked along Central Park East on the warmest day so far of the year. It was beautiful, people were out in droves to soak up the warmth, walk their dogs and enjoy the first day that really felt like Spring. The Gustav Klimt exhibit at Neue Gallery is one I had wanted to see for the past month since I saw it mentioned on the CBS Sunday moring show. I've heard that this exhibit didn't get the best of reviews but I loved it! I knew that it would not include many of his paintings but it did included study drawings for many of his paintings and a replica of his studio set up. I was not disappointed. I admire him so much as a talented and traditionally trained artist and even more now that I have seen some of his earlier works. Many of his paintings can appear flat in areas with their heavily patterned layers of clothing. I have always loved the way with wich he contrasts between this stylistic approach and the ethereal lifelike faces of his subject matters. I feel I now have a better understanding of how he arrived to combine the two styles so successfully. A little gem of a show in my humble opinion.

NYC Art Blitz II will continue with my visit to the Brooklyn Museum of Art and some of it's current exhibits.

Mosaic Mondays

2008-04-14T18:46:00.002-03:00

1. Le tour Eiffel, 2. Honey , 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. candle, 6. Earthshine, 7. Millennium clouds, 8. C365 / 215 - Pincushion tops, 9. four, 10. Untitled, 11. Spring Pond Lattice Nuno, 12. Untitled

Mosaic Monday

2008-04-07T18:52:00.002-03:00

1. Bridge, 2. Blossoms, 3. here comes the sun, 4. Crafting 365 - Day 40, 5. masako onodera5, 6. YIP ~ Day 89, 7. Untitled, 8. crafting 365: 139 Lu Summers, 9. collections } teacups, 10. vintage button boutonnieres, 11. Lavender, 12. unexpected, 13. sketchbook.swatch, 14. green baby hat, 15. P3160031.JPG, 16. feijoas

Scottish Independance and Freedom

2008-04-06T16:51:00.004-03:00

For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.
From The Declaration of Arbroath 1320.

On this date in the year 1320 these words were addressed in Latin to Pope XXII from the people of Scotland. In essence it was Scotlands Declaration of Independence. Many of the words and thoughts of the rest of the declaration found their way into our own Declaration of Independence...

Several years ago, the Congress of the US declared April 6 National Tartan Day in honor of the Scots who declared their independence today.

The words above were shared with me and other family and friends by my grandfather today in his weekly email(his own "Blog"...if you will). Since my heritage is Scottish on both sides I will share this with any of you who may be Scot and all of us who honor our Freedom!

Spring Cleaning: Internal and External

2008-04-04T11:29:00.004-03:00

I always like to start Spring by airing out the house, cleaning out the flower beds, cutting back dead materials in the garden and doing a good deep cleaning which I usually do over a 2-3 week period. This year I am extending that tradition to include a personal internal cleanse as well. There seems something symbolic about doing these routine cleanings. I know I feel better when my home is fresh and clean so I am treating my body to the same as my house. I've been eating healthy, taking an herbal cleanse formula and have abstained from Alcohol and so far it feels great. I hope this will become at least a 2 or even better 4x per year tradition and doing so as the seasons change seems a great time to go through a physical and spiritual cleanse as well. I hope this cleanse will help me to follow the path in front of me more easily as all the obstacles have been cleared away.

Coming Clean about "Organic" Personal Care Products

2008-03-31T21:40:00.003-03:00

This is a bit off topic for a mainly "design" blog but yet very dear to my heart and the way I live my life. I believe more people need to educate themselves about what we are exposed to in our everyday life, via the foods we eat, the chemicals we use to clean, the products we put on our bodies, our home prodcts (textiles, wood plastics etc). As careful as we may be we will probably never totally eliminate these potential Carcinogens but we can learn more and make better choices as consumers and as people who really CARE. This video is a press release about the presense of 1,4-Dioxane in personal care products. For additional information please also visit the O.C.A. site.

PS Fire Mosaic

2008-03-24T18:15:00.005-03:00

As the first portion of Project Spectrum "Fire" comes to a close I have compiled some lovely images of fire inspired photos from my favorites at Flickr. I have realized I truly don't have much "Fire" in my life and am not drawn towards fire colors initially. But due to this project I have slowly tried to introduce more of this element into my home, into my life if only just as small accents. I have made a few purchases of items in Fire colors including a lovely Fuschia Pink silk blouse and some red/orange yarn for an undetermined future knitting project.

1. Psychedelic, 2. Blomkarse - Tropaeolum majus, 3. Bjarnims :), 4. Mighty Mississippi Detail, 5. UTEs picture church door Bad Wildungen, 6. Tulip, 7. By The Numbers, 8. fading autumn leaves, 9. keys, 10. Treasured Trash, 11. Cores de Outono, 12. DSC_0063, 13. pearls in a glass, 14. Love Shack "art", 15. Ethnic Wall Decor, 16. Dressed for Dance, 17. Carrots, 18. celebrating, 19. Untitled, 20. DSC_0091, 21. Untitled, 22. coenogonium implexum on taxodium distichum, spring lake, jackson county, florida 5, 23. Blowing Ghingkhos, 24. yum two, 25. Gazania

Monday's Mosaic Favorites

2008-03-24T17:20:00.003-03:00

Pinks, Yellows and Blues signal springs arrival at last!

1. boots, 2. Needle Roll Ups, inside, 3. embrace, 4. goldfish, 5. paint by numbers, 6. little blooms, 7. paper flower, 8. Hard Candy Easter, 9. old Moxie bottle

PurpleCrocus=Vernal Equinox

2008-03-20T19:39:00.002-03:00

Happy Spring, so glad it's finally here!

Slainte! Green Fav's~

2008-03-18T11:41:00.004-03:00

I'm sorry this is a day late and I hope you all had a cheerful & green St. Patty's Day. Unfortunately we were spending the day with family at my husband's Grandmothers funeral. It was such a different way to celebrate St. Patty's but since the family is Catholic it was a fitting tribute to her life.

1. lovely_mojave, 2. 08.05.06, 3. overexposed, 4. Blue + Yellow = Green, 5. Road Trip Crafts, 6. chrysothrix chlorina arabia mountain davidson-arabia mountain nature preserve dekalb co ga 1, 7. green week, 4, 8. 5 green eggs, 9. wip- green man, 10. i know what color envy is, 11. rose, 12. grassy stairs, 13. New Moon, 14. All Green, 15. Bee, 16. oxalis violacea dawson forest wildlife management area dawson co ga 2

2008-03-13T12:58:00.006-03:00

Every Year I know that Spring is around the corner when the DC Environmental Film Festival rolls into town. I look forward to this event because it means an excuse to break free of the winter doldrums and get on the Metro to head downtown for various films that are played all around the city. The festival officially began on March 11Th and runs through the 22Nd this year. I have marked my calendar with at least 8 films I want to see and I usually group them together so I can make a day of it going to various venues. I've seen so many fascinating films at this festival over the past few years. Weather you can or can't make it at least look through the website at the increasing number of films debuting and see if you can't find one or two that spark your interest like this one below (which unfortunately I won't be able to make).

The Queen of Trees (UK, 2005)

Jewelry Artists I love~

2008-03-11T17:46:00.009-03:00

I've stumbled across a couple of amazing Jewelry artists recently. There are so many artists and designers working across mediums and I am always drawn to metal and fibers together, or fibers as jewelry/metals as clothing. I love the juxtaposition of these materials but it seems that neither of these designers uses the tradtional material of Metals in their jewelry.

Tanvi Kant creates jewelry 'Inspired by the hand-stitched hem of my mother’s silk sari I began by using yarns unpicked from reclaimed textiles to sew around strips torn from the same fabrics...'
I love that these pieces incorporate a sense of culture, history and hand and are ethical in their reuse of materials.

Yoko Izawa Envelopes ambiguous and unknow base shapes within etherial nets of fiber. These forms remind me of the traditional textile dyeing process of shibori in that the fabric has some object imbedded within it. But rather than using forms to create shapes within fabric Yoko uses the fibers to wrap the form so that it becomes it's own object of mystery.

WIP Knitting

2008-03-11T17:12:00.004-03:00

I've got several knitting projects going right now including some simple knit Moss stitch Cotton Face cloths (Washcloths) and my first pair of adult socks (Basic Ann Norling Pattern) in a medium brown yarn~Cascade Fixation.

March of the tools~Kitchen

2008-03-11T10:26:00.006-03:00

Any good foodie knows that great tools make a world of difference in preparation of great foods. Although I could show my knives, food processor or other "power tools" of the kitchen, some of my favorites though are my wooden spoons and spatulas. Here are a few.

Monday Mosaic Favorites~ Signs of Spring

2008-03-10T20:06:00.002-03:00

Some of this weeks Favorites from Flickr~These definately reflect Spring!
1. Measuring tape...absolutely random [34:366, 26.02.2008], 2. By The Numbers, 3. mix, 4. bouquet, 5. Sky on Fire, 6. plastic, 7. embrace, 8. Untitled, 9. Down to earth, 10. Bottle Cap Bag, 11. IMG_3890, 12. katuray at bagbagkong, 13. Winterberries II, 14. whisking, 15. pencil roll, 16. "Would you hold my hand?"

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Collaborative Block Layers~Round 2

2008-03-10T17:48:00.003-03:00

Here are the 12 blocks I've sent out to my partners for Round 2 of the Collaborative Block Layers Project I'm hosting and participating in. Each block will have a total of 5 layers, each layer being completed by different artitst as we shuffle blocks and rotate each rounds. Each artits participating will end up with 12 4" blocks to keep. The project has been very fun so far, seeing the materials each person is using and how others react to the materials and colors. I am enjoying the process of collaboration and it has me looking at materials all around me differently.
1. RedLayer2, 2. RedBlueLayer2-B, 3. WhiteBlueLayer2, 4. BrownLayer2-B, 5. BlueLayer2-B, 6. PurlpeLayer2-B, 7. GoldOrangeLayer2, 8. WhiteLayer2, 9. BlueLayer2, 10. TealLayer2, 11. PurlpeLayer2, 12. RedLayer2-B

More ACC Roundup

2008-03-07T19:44:00.025-04:00

You probably thought I forgot... I've been sick and various other things have popped up but as promised I wanted to wrap up the highlights of what I found at the ACC show in Baltimore. This is by no means comprehensive and the ACC website has great photo's of exhibitors work by category (Wearable, Jewelry, Ceramics, Wood etc). A few things just had to come home with me, I'll start with those artists.

A pair of earrings similar to these from Rina Young . This shape (simple outline of a leaf) was EVERYWHERE!

This"Piccolo" clutch by Wendy Stevens ended up being my big splurge of the day. I needed an evening bag and if this isn't the modern woman's I don't know what would be!

Elyse Allen's fingerless gloves were being sported all over the show and they were our last stop of the day. I got a pair and so did my mom. I went for the studded version and my mom went for the swarovski crystal version, both very fashionable and fun to wear!

Her work has been featured in various magazines such as Selvedge (Issue #13), Fiberarts (Sept/Oct '04), Nylon, Vogue Knitting and others. She started as a weaver and has recently left her position of full time Textile professor at RISD to pursue her business, she is also a very nice person, very sweet!

And a pair of Bee earrings similar to these by Thomas Mann were an early (8 months!) birthday gift from my mom.

The rest didn't make it home with me this year but caught my eye!
This beautiful knotted vessel is by Joh Ricci~Earthwalk Studio
John Petrey's whimsical sculptures use all sorts of found objects.
Hats and scarves are a couple of the items by Elisabethan who makes almost all of their fashionable goods from recycled/reclaimed fabrics (old clothes etc). So cute and no guilt!
Mixed media artists Allyn Cantor

A few other things that I don't have photo's of are worth mentioning such as the felt and silver jewelry by Michele Friedman .
A beautiful gold rayon knit scarf by Younger Knits.
Silk jackets by Joyce Fogle

I'll try to post the same sort of round up for the upcoming Smithsonian Craft Show in Mid April.

March of the Tools~Behind the scenes @ Work

2008-03-07T14:27:00.003-04:00

In keeping with the March of the Tools entries this one is dedicated to the tools I use everyday for my job. This photo illustrates the key tools I use for my job. Included in the photo are:
1)KeyBoard
2)Wacom Tablet
3)Monitor
4)Speakers-For listening to Podcasts, music or books on tape while I work.
5)Measure Master Calculator-Essential and makes quick conversions from feet to Inches or to Metric.
6)Glasses-To see all the better with.
7)Architects Scale Ruler
8)Yarn Poms-To choose colors for the designs and to better illustrate the real color rather than on screen representation of.

Project Spectrum Fire ATC's

2008-03-06T10:47:00.004-04:00

Here are my two completed Project Spectrum ATC's that were sent out yesterday for a Swap Bot Swap. They were so much fun to create. As I have been trying to focus on the colors related to the first element "Fire" (Reds, Oranges and Pinks) I have discovered that I don't have nearly enough of this element in my everyday surroundings. It's strange that I have discovered the colors I gravitate towards are more water and earth bound, even air. As I pondered this I think that it's partially due to my own Fiery nature. I'm a Scorpio and have a "Fiery" disposition at times. I'm very passionate and perhaps I don't need to add a lot of fire in my surroundings because of this. But, I think I need touches of it here and there especially in winter, a bit more warmth can't hurt as long as it's balanced.

Island Canvas

2008-03-04T18:40:00.007-04:00

~Garden Tote in Forest Green and Rust~Spring's right around the corner!

A good friend owns a wonderful company called Island Canvas which has been in business now for over 25 years. The company is based in New England and all the bags are made in the US. These bags are totally customizable with your choice of sizes, pocket options, over 25 colors colors and many styles of Handbags and totes to choose from.

~Large Zippered Tote in Black and Burgundy

~Medium Copley Handbag~Olive Green

Monograming is also available and she has a cute line of decorative fabric bags too under "Island Canvas Too".

March of the Tools

2008-03-04T11:37:00.006-04:00

Yesterday while parusing through my Flickr contact's new photo's I came across the lovely banner (to the right) and had to follow through to see what it was all about. Heather Bailey came up with the clever idea of featuring all those wonderful tools we use on a daily basis to make our lives more fun and hopefully in many cases easier. She is a very talented lady so check her out if you are not already familiar with her. There is also a new corresponding March of the Tools Flickr Group. So for the remainder of March I'll be featuring some of the fun tools I use for crafting, cooking and other areas of my life. The first two here are my new/old additions to my tool collection. The Underwood Typewriter was a recent steal for $1 that I found at the local Senior center. I have used it but the cap's lock doesn't work and the ribbon is not the right size so it takes a lot of fumbling about. I will literally bang out a few more pages for posterity before I disassemble it for the keys and other interesting parts.

The Antique Singer came to me via my Mother in Law recently and I have not got it up and running yet but once I get the replacement belt I fully plan to do so. I believe it will be a joy to use such a simple and well designed tool.

Many Moons Mosaic Monday

2008-03-03T10:42:00.001-04:00

1. Crest, 2. PICT3528, 3. Bow, 4. misconception of time, 5. Washington Monument, 6. Green-Power, 7. round valley ridgetop, 8. PICT3503, 9. Impact

Yes We Can-Barack Obama Music Video

2008-03-02T20:16:00.002-04:00

I seem to have a theme of HOPE in the Video's I've now posted.

SCAD Alumni Talent Part 2

2008-02-28T16:15:00.007-04:00

To continue in my promise of highlighting some exceptional SCAD alumni work, below are some images of the beautiful mixed media sculptures of good friend and SCAD Alumnus Kara D'Angelo . After receiving her BFA in Fibers at SCAD she went on to receive her MFA in Textile Arts and Costume Design from University of California , Davis. Please look at her site for a full bio and more of her stunning work.

SCAD Alumni Talent

2008-02-27T17:13:00.008-04:00

I am very proud to be an Alumnus of SCAD and along the way have met many other talented artists and designers who I would like to begin featuring here from time to time. I had the peasure of meeting Claire Sancheza few years ago in Savannah at Working Class Studio, durring an alumni presentation that we both participated in. Her bags are so charming and MADE in the USA!

Chandler Handbag

Lorin Carpet Bag

Kennedy Tote Bag

Madeline Shoulder Bag

Letter to Cast On's Brenda Dayne

2008-02-27T16:49:00.003-04:00

Below is the letter I left for Brenda on the Cast On website after listening to her latest podcast. It brought up some serious issues for me and I thought it was a great episode. Check it out if you haven't already, knitter or not!

Brenda,

I admire you for shedding light on the behind the scene sometimes "Dirt" of the textile industry. I am a designer of textiles working in the carpet industry at the moment and I fully agree whith what both you and Anne M. said. Too often the majority of creative people ARE taken advantage of because they love what they do and are passionate about it. I have found it to be mainly a man's industry but the creative driving force is usually women. I believe these issues must be brought to the forefront with the up and coming generation of crafters to be aware of. I also found your reference to "Norma Rae" brilliant, the textile industry in the US may be historically known for not paying a living wage but what does it say about us that we have gone from that to shutting down our own mills just to outsource textile goods (and others) from other countries who pay even less!

So, I support your decision to follow your morals and not go with the sponsors that you just don't feel right about! Of course we can all make up our minds what to buy or not buy from advertisers but that's really not your point is it? And one last thank you for bringing up the issue of marketing "Green and Sustainable" as "Luxury" just to charge more and just because it's the buzz word of the moment. It's so much more than a buzz word and I'm glad you shed some light on it. Best to you in your future endavors towards making, hopefully, more than a living wage! I'll be listening to whatever you post, whenever...

Cheers~

Mosaic Monday

2008-02-25T20:01:00.002-04:00

This weeks favs with a theme of golden light

1. Sky - Beauté Sombre, 2. Electric starburst, Wills Memorial Building, Bristol, 3. subtly altered curtains., 4. Fairy Frost 2, 5. Bees, 6. P2180050.JPG, 7. in/out, 8. P2200076.JPG, 9. mastic

ACC Baltimore Show Roundup 1 of 2

2008-02-25T15:55:00.024-04:00

I've been attending the ACC show in Baltimore since moving back to DC metro and have always regarded it as THE show for the best in CRAFT. As a college student I began attending the shows when I could for inspiration and continued to attend the ACC show in ATL when living in GA. I even one a Student NICHE award while attending SCAD. I admire the creative exhibitors at this show and know that some of the most origional ideas and best quality work can be found because of the high standards of the jury procees. Below are photo's and links to some of my favorites from this years show. I find that the trends at this show are cyclical like all trends but this year there was some spectacular new work. Mixed media seems to be the latest trend, fibers with metal, glass with furniture, plastic jewlry, found objects incorporated or translated into pieces etc. There was also new signage indicating "Green Craft" which is a new category featuring artists using recycled, found, and/or other eco-friendly materials and tecniques. I hope you find their work as inspirational as I did.

"Searchlight Artists"

Jungyeon Choi, MFA, Fibers, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Andy Shaw Pottery, Philadelphia, PA

Someware Glass by Elizabeth Ware Perkins

These are CAST Glass Doilies, spectacular!

Chase Deforest Hosewares, Denver, CO ~GREENCRAFT~

Metalwork by Haley Reneé Bates MFA, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Sugar Jewlery by Ana Claudia Crisan Calabria of the UK

YES~Spun SUGAR!

Part 2 still to come, sculpture, jewelry and the hilights of what came home with me~

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova win best Song for their movie, Once

2008-02-25T15:17:00.008-04:00

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova's Oscar acceptance speeches were in my opinion the best part of the Oscars last PM (& their their performance of "Falling Slowly"). I was pretty disappointed with Jon Stewart and the whole show, perhaps the writers were scrambling to get it together and they sure did fill in with a lot of nonsense and musical numbers so we eventually switched it over to the season finale of Nip/Tuck...

Coming Soon ACC Baltimore & Moderating Comments

2008-02-24T21:35:00.005-04:00

I had a wonderful day on Saturday in Baltimore at the ACC show. I will be posting photo's of some wonderful designers, artists, crafters, jewlry makers and much more. I love to attend this show every year, it really is the cream of the crop when it comes to craft. Check back this weekf or more!

Just a quick note to say I have had to enable comment moderation because of some "spam" scam comments...hope it's not too annoying.

Amy Lin's Art

2008-02-24T21:35:00.001-04:00

One of my new favorite artists, Amy Lin, in the DC Metro area. Below is a sampling of a few of her pieces but go check out her site for more of her colorful, playful work~

Etsy~Friends Love

2008-02-22T17:18:00.007-04:00

I wanted to share some of the great items a couple of friend of mine (who are also participating in the Block Layer swap!)have over at Etsy~
Long time friend Marley of Cobalt Sky Studios
creates prints and one of a kind handpainted windows from salvaged windows in rural Maine. Check out her Etsy shop
here
Birch Handpainted on Salvage Window

2 Tone print of her photography: "Butcher Hooks"

The other work I'd like to show is from Magnolia Moonlight . She has great graphic cards, calendars, magnets, buttons and such. Very FRESH!

Jardin Black White Gift Set - ON SALE!

Red Fill in the Blank Cards - She sent me one of these, what a SPENDID idea, available in two colorways.

Winter Tendency~Daily OM

2008-02-21T19:07:00.001-04:00

I just loved the following exerpt from a recent Daily OM. If you don't know about them, check out their site, or sign up for their daily emails or horoscopes.

"We humans have a tendency to yearn for the light, for the coming of spring, and for the more visible phase of growth that all things express in coming to be. In our love for what we can see with our eyes we sometimes lose patience for, and interest in, the world of darkness that nurtures and protects the seeds, bulbs, and babies of the world for such an important part of their life cycles. It is a perilous and mysterious phase of growth, and one that we have little control over, and perhaps that is why we don’t celebrate it with quite the same passion as we do the lighter and brighter phases of life."

Lunar Eclipse

2008-02-21T18:46:00.003-04:00

I hope you caught a glimpse of the lunar eclipse last PM. Here is my attempt at photographing it at around 10PM EST. It was beautiful but the photo doesn't do it justice, the moon is always beautiful to gaze upon in my opinion though.

Morsbags Made

2008-02-21T16:00:00.005-04:00

8 Morsbags made so far for the Morsbag swap @ Swap Bot. If you missed this round there will be another or you can just make them on your own! The pattern is so simple and quick and could be used to make any size bag you want with leftover or scrap fabrics (old sheets, clothing, curtins, towels etc). The idea behind these is to gift them to random people to encourage them to stop using plastic and paper shopping bags! So make some bags to save some bags~

Mosaic Monday

2008-02-18T22:05:00.001-04:00

Mosaic Monday
Originally uploaded by WeBees

I was feeling very neutral today. Here are a group of my latest FAV's on Flickr.

Library Books

2008-02-18T12:59:00.001-04:00

Library Books
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Home from the library right now from the top down:
Humble Masterpieces: Everyday Marvels of Design by Paola Antonelli
Effortless Style by June Ambrose, Richard Buskin, and Aimee Levy
Hip to Stitch: 20 Contemporary Projects Embellished with Thread by Melinda A. Barta
Handmade Style: Japan by Dorothy Wood
The Look: A Guide to Dressing from the Inside Out by Randolph Duke
The Salvage Sisters' Guide to Finding Style in the Street and Inspiration in the Attic by Kathleen Hackett and Mary Ann Young
Knits from a Painter's Palette: Modular Masterpieces in Handpainted Yarns by Maie Landra
Artful Cards: 60 Fresh & Fabulous Designs by Katherine Duncan Aimone
Passionate Patchwork: Over 20 Original Quilt Designs by Kaffe Fassett
Knitting with Ribbon Yarn by Tracy Chapman
The Crafter's Pattern Sourcebook by Mary MacCarthy

I've browsed if not read through all of them and they are all good books. I LOVE the LIBRARY!

ABC Home Bedding

2008-02-15T18:59:00.007-04:00

I just loved all the layered bedding creations at ABC Carpet & Home. Here are a few of my Favorites from my recent visit.

Cracked...

2008-02-12T19:14:00.001-04:00

Cracked...3
Originally uploaded by WeBees

I think I may have finally cracked! I took a series of photo's of egg shells that I had been colecting for a friend's art installation in PA.
Sorry for so few posts but I've been super busy as of late. I'm heading up to NYC for a big Chinese New Year party tomorrow but will return just in time for Valentines Din with my love.

Happy Hearts: Valentine LOVE Mosaic

2008-02-11T12:46:00.001-04:00

Happy Hearts: Valentine love Mosaic
Originally uploaded by WeBees

Love is in the air, some images that reflect the sentiment for this weeks Mosaic Monday.

Mosaic Monday-Happy Chinese New Year

2008-02-04T18:23:00.001-04:00

Mosaic Monday-Happy Chinese New Year
Originally uploaded by WeBees

This week's mosaic celebrates the New Year, year of the Rat.
Lantern Day or the official beginning of the Spring Festival begins this year on February 7th (Feb 4th Chinese Time Zone) and goes through to February 15th. The Rat (Yang Energy) is the 1st of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals and is said to bring properity (perhaps not immeadiate though), aggression, wealth, charm, and order (organization).
~Kung Hei Fat Choi (Congratulations and be Prosperous)