tongue in beak

awol interrupted

2010-07-22T14:13:00.001-07:00

Since I started rock climbing a few months ago I've been too distracted to focus on much else, but I've been sidelined with a shoulder injury for (hopefully only) a couple weeks so now I can catch up on this blog. I recently completed a Citron shawl with the Jojoland Melody I bought at Stitches last year. I highly recommend this fun and quick project. But be forewarned, it is a lot of stockinette...I even added an extra section to make the shawl bigger, so there were 636 stitches by the time I got to the final ruffle!

In less happy knitting news, I had to frog the Eve shawl I had been working on. The beautiful and soft Malabrigo Lace was just the wrong choice of yarn for the pattern. As you can see from the photo, the stitch patterns are obscured, especially in the Indian Cross Stitch section at the top. I couldn't even frog past that point because the yarn had felted together completely. Another lesson learned!

happy friday

2010-06-04T13:50:00.001-07:00

photos courtesy of paula mcnamee

My friend, Paula, was kind enough to stop by the knit not war exhibit and send me photos. I just love seeing all the cranes displayed together - such lovely colors. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

knit not war

2010-05-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

200 cranes in spring

photo courtesy of Seann McKeel

Hey Portland-area friends and visitors, the cranes I knit almost three years ago are finally going on display in an art installation at the Ace Hotel, so check it out if you have the chance (and please send me pictures if you go!) Here are the details:

knitnotwar 1,0o0: a public art installation displaying a thousand knit cranes, celebrating the quiet logic of peace. More than a hundred artists contributed to knitting one thousand origami-style cranes which will be displayed through the weekend of June 3rd, 2010 in the lobby of the Ace Hotel at 1022 SW Stark in Portland, Oregon.

See the installation and join us for green tea and snacks in the lobby of the Ace Hotel on First Thursday, June 3rd from 7-9pm.

The origami crane is an international symbol of peace, due to the hopeful and heroic story of Sadako Sasaki. Sadako died of leukemia after exposure from US atom bombings of Hiroshima in 1945. Believing a Japanese legend that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes will be granted a wish, Sadako hoped to get well. She completed over 1,000 folded cranes before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of 12. Thousands of artists, children, religious groups, and other organizations commit to folding strands of a thousand cranes every year to express their commonality in belief of banning nuclear weapons-- their solidarity for peace.

happy tuesday

2010-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

a rose from our yard

One Perfect Rose

by Dorothy Parker

A single flow'r he sent me, since we met.

All tenderly his messenger he chose;

Deep-hearted, pure, with scented dew still wet -

One perfect rose.

I knew the language of the floweret;

'My fragile leaves,' it said, 'his heart enclose.'

Love long has taken for his amulet

One perfect rose.

Why is it no one ever sent me yet

One perfect limousine, do you suppose?

Ah no, it's always just my luck to get

One perfect rose.

draw your life

2010-04-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a cool free e-book to download by Michael Nobbs called "Start to Draw Your Life" which also includes "75 Ways to Draw More." It's inspirational to read that the author took up drawing as a way to cope with an illness. (via The Pen Addict)

up in the air

2010-04-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went rock climbing for the first time and had a blast. Unfortunately, I don't have any pics of my first two climbs, since everyone was occupied with a job at the time and had no free hands to play photographer. Here are some of my third up a chimney formation and then rappelling down the other side. I highly recommend this experience - really exhilarating!

my first laceweight project

2010-04-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

yarn: Malabrigo Lace - Stonechat colorway

needles: size 3 Knitpicks circular

# of stitches cast on: 363

Oh boy, this is going to take awhile. I've completed 8 rows but it's barely 1/2 inch long...why, you ask? Because it's double knit lace. I guess I should have read the pattern more closely before I purchased it. Luckily there are several stitch pattern changes throughout the wrap to keep me somewhat sane!

reduce, reuse, recycle

2010-02-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

more journal pages...

anthro catalog, misc paper scraps

old book pages, vintage label

old book page, ledger paper, misc scraps

vintage sheet music, painted old book page, misc scraps

scrapbook paper, wrapping paper

magazine page, vintage map

sagan all my love

2010-02-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

My inner nerd needs to come out for a second to tell you about these hilarious (to me anyway) scientist valentines you can use to share your love of Curie, Newton, Einstein, Sagan, or Darwin while you show how much you care. Have a wonderful weekend, Valentine's Day, and Chinese New Year!

journal pages

2010-02-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

I finished three signatures for my Paris travelogue as well as four more to bind into other journals. I made mine on the less embellished side so that I can add things as I go along. I also left out the fabric bits on the pages - might try that technique in the future, but I'm happy with just using paper for now.

instant photo gratification

2010-02-05T09:13:00.001-08:00

Taking this Remains of the Day class got me thinking about easier ways to journal photographs. Although digital cameras are very convenient and I no longer have to leave the house to get film developed, there are times when I just don't want to go through all the steps to get a photo printed (wait for computer to boot up, find the right cables to connect the camera, curse at crappy photo editing software, curse at printer for running out of ink halfway through the picture, curse at myself for not taking a better photo in the first place, etc). I recently found out about the Fuji Instax Mini Camera which looks like a fun and simple alternative and would be great for journaling on the go.

And because I would have to embrace the wabi-sabi nature of instant photos, my perfectionist self can just accept what comes out of the camera and not have to fuss with editing, etc. Now if I can just get someone to buy one for me...

Creature Comforts is hosting a giveaway of your choice between a Fuji Instax Mini or SLR Sloop camera bag - go to this post to make your entry.

shabby labby ding dong

2010-01-31T11:00:00.000-08:00

In Remains of the Day, Mary Ann demonstrates how to use miscellaneous scraps (paper, fabric, and other odds and ends) to give her journals that wonderful shabby look. This is what initially attracted me to the class. I have a LOT of that kind of stuff, and ever since we moved into a smaller house a few years ago, the boxes of ephemera were becoming an albatross. I was prepared to let it all go last fall but heard about this class before I had a chance. Now I can put all the “remains" I've collected to good use! Here are the journal pages I started yesterday.

remains of the day

2010-01-29T23:27:00.000-08:00

Several months ago, I found out about this online journaling class by Mary Ann Moss. Since then, more and more people whose blogs I read have been posting about it and I’ve loved how their journals turned out. Now that holidays and houseguests are well behind me, I decided to sign up and get in on the fun, too. My first foray into this journaling style is actually going to be a travelogue of our Paris trip from last year, so I’m looking forward to revisiting those memories as I work on my pages. Here are some photos of the fabric cover I just finished.

Notes & Materials:

-instead of 6“ x 9“ x .5", I decided to make mine 6“ x 11“ x 1.25"

-I did not have a large enough piece of 80 lb paper so I just recycled pieces of cereal box cardboard and sewed each piece in at a time so the cover would still be easy to fold. The thicker layer made it more difficult to free-motion stitch...I broke a machine needle but then replaced it with a denim needle and that seemed to help.

-I left the flap empty (no cardboard) to allow it to accommodate expansion in the signature pages

-tea-stained trim (on flap spine), decorator fabric samples from SCRAP, velvet ribbon from a Paris flea market, flowers from Studios Blackbird, buckle from La Droguerie

knitters without borders

2010-01-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

As most everyone has heard by now, a devastating earthquake has caused terrible damage and taken many lives in Haiti. You may also have heard of a medical relief organization called Doctors Without Borders. I came across some yarn that donates a portion of proceeds to DWB and noticed a Knitters Without Borders badge on the page. After clicking on it, I decided it made more sense for my money to go straight to DWB instead of more yarn. If you would like to learn more, follow the links in this blog post and consider making a donation if you can.

a great start to the new year

2010-01-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Sock designer and author Cookie A came to teach at our LYS Common Threads last week, and I volunteered to put her up for a few nights. She's as cool and fun as you might imagine and I learned a lot from her class - highly recommend it and her book, Sock Innovation: Knitting Techniques & Patterns for One-of-a-Kind Socks. It was really nice to be able to spend an extended period of time getting to know her. The first night, we had a fabulous dinner prepared with some knitting friends: Nancy and her mom Caryl (who both own and run Common Threads), Kelie, Rebecca, and Shelly. The next day was Cookie's top-down sock design class and then dinner at a restaurant - no photos of that because it was too dark. Before she left town to attend TNNA, Cookie was kind enough to invite me to lunch with knitwear designer Anne Hanson, Anne's husband, David, and their friend Kim. Anne took some pictures at lunch but I was too shy to ask her to send me one - luckily, she posted it on her blog!

hello again

2009-12-18T09:43:00.000-08:00

Really have no good excuses as to why I haven't posted since August. I won't bother giving any except to say that other things have preoccupied my mind and time. I'm actually only here now because I was just given a one-day reprieve until our holiday visitors start arriving, so I thought I'd squeeze in some long overdue blogging.

My latest knitting projects include a pair of mittens for a Facebook Pay It Forward project, a Shalom cardi-vest shown below still wet on the blocking mat, and Silver Streak, a cardi-wrap still in progress.

Last month, some knitting buddies and I went up to the Torrance Fiber Fest and I cheated on my yarn diet to acquire some gorgeous Malabrigo Silky Merino. Kelie has more photos of our road trip here.

And just a few days ago, our weekly knitting group held our annual White Elephant and I ended up with some lovely Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock.

And then Wendy gave me this beautiful Araucania Ruca that she picked up during her NYC trip. It's made of 100% sugar cane - so cool and so perfect for my inner pastry chef - love it!

Well, I should really stop procrastinating and get back to getting the house ready for our houseguests. Happy Holidays everyone!

various states of incompletion

2009-08-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

After my last post and promises to start blogging anew, I came down with a terrible cold which, along with the heat and humidity, put me out of commission again. But I'm back now with photos to share! I finished my Swirl Shawl and started blocking it. The one set of mats I bought from Knitpicks isn't enough to accommodate the whole piece so I'm having to do it in stages.

Swirl Shawl in mid-block

In preparation for Stitch and Pitch last month, I started a cotton camisole so I would have a small item to work on instead of the above unwieldy shawl. Kelie has some photos of our group at the game in her post here.

Victoria Tank from Interweave Knits Summer 2004

In a fit of A.D.D. and to give my wrists a break from knitting cotton, I also started a small shawl/scarf (sharf? scawl?) yesterday. I highly recommend Malabrigo Sock yarn - it's so soft and squishy and a joy to knit. The pattern is Springtime Bandit but I'm changing it so it's mostly stockinette, inspired by two other modified projects I saw on Ravelry, also here and here.

my bandito sharf in progress

resurfacing

2009-07-23T22:08:00.001-07:00

It's been a bummer of a couple weeks, culminating in my grandfather's passing. I have been in too much of a funk to post anything for awhile but finally am starting to snap out of it. More photos of Paris and my creative endeavors to come - for now, here are some bits and pieces that have helped reinvigorate my spirits lately...

ingenious cardboard spinning wheel

free printable affirmations by kind over matter (isn't that the BEST name?); check out their other great freebies, too (esp. love the garden and quotation cards)

free pattern by spud & chloe for a knitted cupcake pincushion

antique keys made of quilling paper

a great reason to add to your yarn stash

amazing embroidery sampler by amy of inspire company - look closely for the fabulous marie antoinette!

french musician named claire denamur - I heard one of her songs on a commercial recently and then came across this music video (she's not on US iTunes yet but I put in a request to add her):

les puces

2009-06-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

We visited two flea markets (marchés aux puces) in Paris; one at Porte de Vanves and the other at Porte de Clignancourt (the latter is also known as Saint Ouen flea market). I had been to the one at Vanves on a previous trip but didn't have time to go to St. Ouen so I was really looking forward to checking it out this time around.

Vanves was still great - I like the ambience and friendly vendors and the fact that it's small enough to cover in a few hours. This is the one I recommend going to if you are short on time or don't want to be overwhelmed. Within walking distance is a small used and antique book market, too.

Le Marché aux Puces de la Porte de Vanves

my purchases

near closing time, I picked these up from boxes of free stuff on the sidewalk!

Le Marché du Livre Ancien et d’Occasion @ Parc George Bressens

St. Ouen is HUGE and made up of several different markets with a multitude of vendors in each one (here's a great site with useful tips for visitors). We got there early and walked through it pretty quickly since a lot of sellers weren't open yet or perhaps closed since the following two days were holidays. I liken the atmosphere at St. Ouen to an antique mall - the vendors I tried to negotiate with outright refused. Even though I spoke French to them, there's no question that I'm a tourist which made me wonder if they only or are more likely to haggle with locals. I'm glad I went and experienced it but don't think it will be my first choice on our next visit to Paris.

many vendors were closed

gorgeous chandelier

vintage designer handbags and luggage

beads being sold by the (small) cup for 16 Euros - about $22

vintage paper house

can't imagine where this would go in your house or yard
but it made me think of the statue from the show Lost :)

If you can't make it out to les puces or don't crave the thrill of the hunt, allow me to direct you to this fabulous little store full of vintage finds...Au Petit Bonheur la Chance (13, Rue Saint-Paul, 4th arr.; open everyday except Tuesday & Wednesday). It's packed full of goodies like kitchenware, old signs, paper ephemera, and more.

my purchases from au petit bonheur la chance

hidden kitchen

2009-06-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hidden Kitchen is an underground supper club run by Braden and Laura, a young American couple. I had read several positive reviews on the internet, so once we finalized our travel details earlier this year, I immediately emailed to make a reservation. I thought it would be a nice break for hubby, who doesn't speak any French, to be able to converse with someone other than myself.

We started with champagne cocktails while waiting for everyone to arrive and then were seated for ten courses with seven wine pairings. It turned out to be a wonderful evening with a room full of amiable strangers, mostly American tourists (and talk about small world...one of the couples seated beside us lives in Solana Beach which is adjacent to us here in Del Mar!) I highly recommend Hidden Kitchen for a unique dining experience in Paris.

lovely atmosphere

amuse-bouche: squid ink cracker w/onions (pickled, I think)

fava bean raviolo w/sweet pea & herb sauce

poached egg w/chilled white asparagus & parmigiano mornay sauce

seared salmon w/rhubarb bay leaf sauce & kohlrabi lime slaw

pan fried mackerel w/apricot barley & poppy seed cucmbers

deconstructed mint julep palate cleanser: bourbon gelatin topped w/sorbet
(much more sophisticated than the jello shots we had in college!)

herbed stuffed pork roulade w/white bean salad & fried artichoke

beet salad (w/a fun trompe l'œil beet made from a cherry & lettuce leaves)

rhubarb mint sorbet w/shortbread cake & strawberries

petits fours (yes, that is a rice krispie treat!)

post-dinner conversation

Braden & Laura's dog, Tati

fauchon

2009-06-18T11:40:00.000-07:00

l'église de la Madeleine

If you've been shopping around Place de la Madeleine and need a place to recharge, descend to The Counter at Fauchon where you can have a light meal at the bar in an air-conditioned room. Prices are medium-high but the food quality is good. While you wait for your order, check out their collection of pricey wine and spirits. Afterward, head back upstairs to purchase gourmet gifts to bring home.

pink and black Fauchon décor

salade niçoise - 10 euros

salade de fruits w/refreshing passionfruit granita - 6 euros

Rémy Martin Louis XIII - 2300 euros

Champagne Roederer Cristal - 3500 euros

various Cognac A.E. Dor; the 1889 vintage is 7000 euros!

DIY paris style

2009-06-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Finally some posts for my fellow crafters! We visited (well, I visited and hubby kindly joined me and helped take pictures!) lots of stores and here are a few of my favorite spots to find craft supplies in Paris.

First is Mokuba - you may have seen this Japanese brand of ribbons here in the US, too. It was so nice to be in a store full of only beautiful ribbon - just heavenly.

La Droguerie (which means "hardware store") sells yarns, beads, and other craft notions. Hubby managed to get a few photos of the yarn section before being reprimanded for taking pictures inside the store. Not sure what was up with the no photography rule...perhaps they have problems with piracy?

my purchases

Entrée Des Fournisseurs is another charming store located in a nice courtyard. Check out their lovely website, too.

There are two department stores in Paris that are known for their craft sections. BHV and Bon Marché which houses a branch of La Droguerie. After being yelled at one too many times in various stores, hubby tried to be less conspicuous with the camera which resulted in some fuzzier shots, but you get the idea!

yarn and buttons at Bon Marché

fun plywood shapes at BHV ready to decorate

It took two trips to make it to Ultramod (3 & 4, Rue de Choiseul, 2nd arr.) but it was worth it - for some reason the store was closed the first time we went so we made a second trek out there. There are two parts to it on opposite sides of the street and both are packed with vintage goodies like fabric, trim, and millinery supplies.

The area at the foot of the Sacré Cœur is chock full of fabric and trim shops. It was overwhelming and I think requires the guide of a local to navigate and find what you need. If you only have time to visit one store there, don't miss Le Marché St Pierre, the ultimate fabric retail establishment with 6 floors!

the six-storied Le Marché St Pierre

trim stores in the neighborhood

a store for all your Solid Gold dancer needs! should we
be worried that the name of the store is American 2?

I managed to make it to only one true yarn store called Chatmaille. It was tiny (which is why my personal photographer didn't follow me inside!) but nicely organized with commercial European yarns like Katia, Gedifra, and Bouton D'Or. One thing that is very different from what we knitters here are used to...no yarn-petting allowed! As a matter of fact, full-service was pretty much standard in most stores, craft and otherwise. If you think about it, it's actually nice because the merchandise remains in pristine condition before you purchase it, an especially nice thing when it comes to food items.

cute yarn skein door handle

located in the Montmartre neighborhood

palais royal

2009-06-12T09:14:00.001-07:00

If you were walking down this street:

you might not notice this hallway:

through which you can walk into a fabulous courtyard:

also there that day, an exhibition of art created on pieces of the Berlin Wall:

the neighborhood

2009-06-09T15:48:00.000-07:00

Being able to live like a local is one of the benefits to staying in an apartment while traveling. As wonderful as restaurant food is, it was also nice to have some simple meals "at home." We stayed in the sixth arrondisement where there's no shortage of vendors, but no matter where you are in Paris, you are close to many wonderful food purveyors and markets.

our apartment building's courtyard

the neighborhood

benefits of city living

bon appétit!

musée d'orsay - part two

2009-06-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here are more of my favorite images from and of the Musée D'Orsay...

Manet's The Luncheon on the Grass

architectural motif in the museum

Monet's Woman with a Parasol, Facing Right

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux's Prince Imperial with his Dog Néro

Monet's Rue Montorgueil in Paris, Celebration of June 30, 1878 (end of World Fair)

Jean-François Millet's The Gleaners

close-up of the beautiful clock

Van Gogh's Self-Portrait 1887

Van Gogh's Self-Portrait 1889

the gorgeous museum dining room

Degas' Little Dancer of Fourteen Years

musée d'orsay - part one

2009-06-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

The lovely Musée D'Orsay is housed in a former train station and has a large collection of Impressionist works. Here are some highlights from our visit.

view of the front end of the museum

Seurat's The Circus

Degas' The Ballet Rehearsal

Van Gogh's Mademoiselle Gachet in her Garden

Charles Cordier's Sudanese Man

Eugène Carriere's Louis-Henri Devillez In His Studio

Renoir's Dance in the City

Monet's The Tuileries

Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles (3rd version)

Degas' The Pedicure

museum's rooftop terrace

view from museum rooftop

les macarons

2009-06-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

Let me start by warning you that I will be blogging many, many posts about the food we enjoyed in Paris! I'm beginning with one of my all-time favorites, the macaron. No, not those Mounds-candy-bar-type coconut macaROONS but macaRONS which are buttercream (sometimes other fillings) sandwiched between two delicate cookies made of ground nuts (usually almonds), sugar, and egg whites. Pâtisseries have really gotten creative with their flavor offerings of these confections and some even make savory versions. If you don't want to make your own, here is a resource to help you find macarons around the world (or try Googling your city).

Japanese pâtissier, Sadaharu Aoki

unusual flavors included sesame, wasabi, and different green teas

other beautiful pastries

we sampled genmaicha (green tea w/roasted brown rice) and yuzu (a citrus fruit)

Pierre Hermé

decisions, decisions...

pink grapefruit and salted butter caramel

Ladurée patisserie and tea salon

they always have beautiful window displays

hubby snuck an interior shot before they told us no photos allowed!

Gérard Mulot has it all

sweet...

...and savory (also makes great breads!)

macaron tower

we tried (clockwise from top left) ginger pineapple, nougat, mint, walnut coconut

another macaron tower spotted at Dalloyau

Angelina is famous for hot chocolate, but these uniquely-shaped "macalons" caught my eye

bienvenue mes amis

2009-06-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the beginning of many posts about our trip to Paris. We took what seemed like a million photos so I'll just try to hit the highlights and not bore you to pieces. I'm still getting over jet lag so I'll be easing in with only a few today.

Hubby and I took it very easy the first day in Paris after a long journey and tried to get some rest before heading out to a book launch at WHSmith for David Lebovitz's wonderful new book, The Sweet Life in Paris. It was just happenstance that the event was the evening we arrived and I wanted to take advantage of such a unique opportunity. I read the book on the plane ride over and highly recommend it. David gives you a taste of what it's like to live in Paris and shares some great recipes, too.

doorway into the apartment building in which we stayed

david lebovitz reading from his book and sharing other funny stories

the back of my head as david signs my book

swirl shawl

2009-05-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

I dipped into some of the yarn I bought at Stitches West and have completed half of the Swirl Shawl I started a few months ago. It's been an easy knit, though not completely mindless because there's a lot of counting to keep track of. It's not obvious in the above photos but I wasn't loving some of the sudden color transitions (due to poor yarn manufacturing) so tried to piece together different skeins of yarn to get better blending. I think I'm just going to have to accept the wabi-sabi aspect of this project so I don't drive myself crazy. :)

*TGFPL

2009-04-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

*Thank Goodness For Public Libraries

Next month, hubby and I are going to be spending almost two weeks Paris. We are very excited for this vacation and it has been a long time coming because we had to cancel a trip there celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary a few years ago. To prepare for our upcoming visit, I've taken full advantage of our city and county library systems as you can see from the above photo. I also checked out a bunch of language CDs to brush up on my French. We've been to Paris before, both separately and together, but never for longer than a few days so we're really looking forward to an extended period of time exploring the city and making discoveries that are not on the standard tourist to-do lists. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!

crafts interrupted

2009-04-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Paulo Nutini and band

with a gorgeous view of the ocean in the background

I'm still recovering from doing our taxes and a friend and her son visiting us last week. Hubby and I went to a free Paulo Nutini concert yesterday sponsored by a local radio station and today he (hubby, not Paulo) is recovering from a stomach bug. We're having a mild heatwave here which is also making it hard to feel motivated to do anything except the essential tasks. Knitting and crafting will have to wait...

bread art project

2009-04-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

If you have some spare time, check out this website and create a piece of "bread art." For every piece of toast submitted, Grain Foods Foundation will donate one dollar to the hunger-relief charity, Feeding America. You can upload images onto the bread as well as use some cool digital tools to really get creative with your toast. My two pieces aren't very interesting but I'm a little short on time getting our income taxes filed and preparing for some houseguests!

my weekend - part 4

2009-03-28T09:36:00.001-07:00

Are you still with me? :) I know it's a little crazy that it's taken me almost 2 weeks to post about this event! Also, I forgot something on my milagro, so here's an updated photo with the addition of a rusted tin strip with "mending" stamped on it.

The third and final project, heirloom house vignettes, was taught by Amy Hanna. We live not far from the beach so I chose a seaside theme and added shells and beach glass. I used mica to protect the photos and there's also writing on the four sides. Here are the sayings I chose:

-May our home always be too small to hold all of our friends
-Home, the spot of earth supremely blest; a dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest
-A house is made of walls and beams; a home is built with love and dreams
-Every house where love abides and friendship is a guest; is surely home, and home sweet home, for there the heart can rest

And now, onto my purchases! I got some handcut MDF pieces from Kim Hesson. Here's a sampling:

A baker's dozen of faux birds from Amy:

And here are all the vintage lovelies from Pam - a nature bag of goodies, beautiful blue wallpaper, glass jewelry box, pink floral curtain hooks (I think that's what they are!), and a cool hinged rack:

my weekend - part 3

2009-03-25T10:36:00.001-07:00

The three talented and generous teachers got us started on some great projects (well, I didn't finish that day anyway!) Pam Garrison demonstrated how to make these fun Anthropologie-inspired garlands. I switched out the string she gave us and used seam binding I had at home and also added some fun polka-dotted tissue paper that French General used to wrap my purchases last month.

Teresa McFayden showed us how to make tin milagros. I didn't want to cut up the cute tin she put the supply kit in, so I used an empty soda can but in the end decided it was too thin. When I returned home, I cut up a galvanized step plate instead and aged it with Staz-On inkpads - I got that idea from people who were having trouble aging their pieces with liver of sulfur during the event. The Staz-On doesn't cut down on the shine of the metal as well but it was good enough for this project.

One final post with the remaining class project and my purchases coming soon!

my weekend - part 2

2009-03-23T10:34:00.001-07:00

I had signed up to participate in some swaps (you can see what I made here, here, and here) and here's the rundown on what I received. In the mini house canvas swap, I got this cute piece complete with gorgeous easel from Catherine:

Lesley made me this fun Parisian shadowbox à la Punch & Judy. The top opens up and has a Josephine Baker quote which translates as "I have two loves - my country and Paris."

Also, the swap hostess, Jenny, generously gave us these thank you gifts with yummy cookies, chocolate, and a cute Eiffel Tower charm:

And then Gina gave me this wonderful crown:

The swap hostess, Bryanna, gave us these cute faux cupcakes with a soldered charm:

Aren't all these fabulous? I'm so glad I decided to participate. I've had several bummer swap experiences in the past, but these have made me feel positive about them again!

my weekend...

2009-03-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

...started with a reception Friday night at Paris to the Moon, complete with yummy snacks, punch (which unfortunately I could not have since I was driving, but it looked great!), and shopping of course. The sweet and patient Candace Carpenter braved the cold outside for hours while hosting a make-and-take where we made these lovely cards:

On Saturday, I had a fabulous time at the main event hosted by Kim Caldwell. She did a phenomenal job putting together a wonderful day for us. I was in such a hurry when I left our house that I completely forgot to bring a camera. The cell phone pics in my previous posts really don't do the place justice - you'll just have to believe me when I say the affair was lovely and lovingly decorated. If you look closely, you can even see cream-colored M & M's on the table. There were many other extras throughout the day including afternoon tea served in real china teacups. Needless to say, I felt very pampered and definitely plan to attend more of Kim's events in the future!

Here are photos of all the other treasures from Kim:

embellishment box

goody bag

goody bag contents

another gift!

cute little felt house

but wait...there's more!

favorite songs of instructors past & present

Stay tuned...there's more to come about swaps, classes, and loot!

la petite maison blanc

2009-03-22T20:22:00.001-07:00

Below are some phone pics from the fab event. More to come this week!

Sent from my iPhone

giveaway

2009-03-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Paris Hotel Boutique

Head over to Paris Boutique Hotel and enter to win these beautiful giveaway items!

one down

2009-03-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Here's one completed Bacchus sock in all its unblocked glory. As you can see, it's a little big...I probably should have gone down to a #1 needle but I'm OK with it as is (i.e. there's no way I'm going to reknit all those bobbles!)

swap #3

2009-03-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

And here's the final piece, Spring Maiden Crown. All three of these swaps were lots of fun to make. I hope the recipients enjoy them, too!

swap #2

2009-03-17T12:28:00.001-07:00

Here's my Vintage Parisian Shadowbox. The swap recipient requested wedgewood blue, brown, sandstone, and terra cotta colors, so I tried to incorporate those as best I could.

swap #1

2009-03-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

I've been busy finishing some swaps for a fun event I'm attending next weekend. Here's a photo of my house-themed mini canvas. Stay tuned for more photos this week...

fun freebies

2009-03-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

image credit: whip up

Check out all these great sewing patterns!

grab bag
mousepad
tote bag by Jay McCarroll, Project Runway winner
flower bowl
buttercup bag
wristlet
fat quarter clutch purse
flip flops

stitches west

2009-03-02T16:39:00.001-08:00

We attended a wedding in the Bay Area on Saturday but I flew in a day earlier to hang out with some knitting friends at the Stitches West Market. I'm so glad I did because it was phenomenal! I went off my yarn diet for a few hours and here's the damage...

yarn: Jojoland Melody Superwash

intended project: Swirl Shawl

yarn: Jojoland Melody
intended project: TBD

yarn: Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca Lace

intended project: Eve Stole

yarn: Brooks Farm Four Play
intended project: second attempt at Clapotis (read about the first here)

I did my research with the vendor map that Kelie kindly provided me a few weeks ago, so I already had a shopping list before I arrived. The only impulse buy was the Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca Lace. Not bad considering all the yarn I could have purchased, right?

functional

2009-03-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

SWTC gave out free 1/2 skein samples of this yarn at a knit night they held at TNNA 2009. The colorway is not my favorite but they work fine for pedicure socks - I won't have to worry if I accidentally spill nail polish on them because it will blend right in. Note to self: for self-striping yarns, use a short row heel. A heel flap breaks up the stripes too much.

bacchanalia

2009-02-25T09:23:00.000-08:00

We went up to LA for a short getaway last week and I finally went to French General which I've been wanting to visit for years. It was so fabulous and I wish I had photos of the cute little store to share with you, but I just did not have time. I had to move quickly so we could get on the road and beat traffic. Just trust me and go if you have the chance. The owner, Kaari, is so nice and her shop is the best...check out her blog and website to get a feel for her impeccable style. The store is currently only open Fridays from 11-4 and I suggest calling ahead.

Just started these Bacchus socks from the Fall '08 issue of Interweave Knits and it's fun so far. At first I wasn't sure when I saw all the charts in the pattern, but they are actually easy to follow. I need to work on making those little bobbles more consistent though. The yarn is Nature's Palette fingering and the colorway is Zinfandel - perfect!

dieting sucks

2009-01-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

So I've been eating No Pudge Fudge as my occasional treat, and they aren't too bad for nonfat brownies but I'd much rather have this or this or this!

fat quarter purse

2009-01-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

photo credit: whip up

Here's a fabulous tutorial for making a bag out of a fat quarter. I've always wondered about what to do with this cut of fabric, and this project makes wonderful use of the whole piece. She uses a beautiful custom-designed fabric from Spoonflower but of course any fat quarter would work.

prismatic scarf finished

2009-01-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

In the second photo, you can see where I started a new skein of yarn...this is what happens when one is too lazy to alternate knitting from two skeins. It's not as obvious in person and I will be wearing the scarf doubled over, so no big deal. I really loved the Malabrigo and think it would be great knitted into a cozy sweater or blanket. It's not even very itchy against my sensitive skin - I highly recommend the yarn!

looking forward

2009-01-20T08:14:00.000-08:00

make your own obama icon here

operation nice

2009-01-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

I've become a fan of Operation Nice, a cool blog I just discovered. It's a great concept with wonderful ideas and stories about common decency and consideration that is often lacking in our society. Check it out!

extreme knitting

2009-01-07T07:06:00.000-08:00

Talk about serious potential for a giant tangled mess of yarn (I can barely keep two skeins straight!)...

another cool freebie

2009-01-05T13:09:00.001-08:00

As you may already know, Polaroid is discontinuing production of their instant film. Sad news for those of you who use the real thing in your artwork...but if you're just wanting to mimic the look, Poladroid is a wonderful free software download you can use to make your digital photos resemble those icons of yesteryear. Above is an example of what a converted photo looks like (if you click on it, you might even be able to see the texture of the frame, just like a real Polaroid). That's one of our Goldens, Ruby, hanging out in our snow-filled yard when we were still living in the Northwest.

happy new year!

2009-01-01T18:37:00.000-08:00

photo credit: serious eats

In an effort to simplify my life, I've decided to consolidate and keep just this one blog, so welcome to my new digs! Please bear with me as I tinker with the template and learn some new-to-me Blogger features. My main goals for this blog are to post my projects (crafts, cooking, etc) and share cool stuff I come across on the internet. Speaking of the latter, here's a fun free screensaver featured in the photo above. I love that it even has crackling fire sounds!

reprint of my artella daily muse interview 03/08/07

2008-12-21T01:56:00.001-08:00

Thursday's Artist Profile: Edina Tien

Daily Muse: How would you describe your art?

Edina: My art is very eclectic.

DM: Tell us more...

Edina: I am always trying new techniques and materials and am inspired by diverse subject matter, from the small details of everyday life to larger universal themes. Words are often a starting point for my artwork...literature, quotations, song lyrics, random phrases I read or hear.

DM: What is your favorite piece of your own art and why?

Edina: My par la mer (by the sea) assemblage. It was one of the first times I had to completely scrap my original idea at the last minute and start fresh, and the end result transcended my expectations.

Par La Mer

DM: What art supply can you not live without?

Edina: Besides the usual art supplies, paper towels! They are so handy for a variety of uses besides cleaning, such as applying and wiping away paint and mediums, masking, creating texture, and holding onto hot objects while soldering. However, do as I say and not as I do, and don’t try the last one because it’s a serious fire and
burn hazard and I don’t want to be responsible for anyone burning their hands or house down!

Le Coeur

DM: Can you recommend your favorite book(s)?

Edina: I have many favorite art-related books; here are just a few: Evidence: The Art of Candy Jernigan, The Creative License by Danny Gregory, Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art by Jennifer New, Vintage Paper Crafts by Anna Corba, Artists' Journals and Sketchbooks by Lynne Perrella, Smith's Sewing Single Sheets by Keith A. Smith, and Collage Discovery Workshop by Claudine Hellmuth.

The Artist

DM: Which artist(s) do you love?

Edina: Again so many, but right now I’m thinking of Picasso. Last year I went to museums dedicated to his work in both Paris and Barcelona and was very impressed when I saw how many styles and art forms he worked in, including drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture. Not that I would even think to compare myself to him, but seeing his range of work made me worry a lot less about my own diverse interests because I used to think that I should focus on just one medium.

Chimera

DM: Whom do you most admire and why?

Edina: To get through the winter here in the Pacific Northwest, we watch a lot of DVDs, so lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I admire filmmakers, particularly ones who have a hand in creating a movie from start to finish (writing, directing, producing, scoring, and sometimes acting). I am impressed by the amount of work involved in their attempts to create a unified presentation from such disparate elements; it’s a symphony of sorts to “compose” with a storyline, dialogue, physical sets, costumes, music, etc. A huge undertaking with so many obstacles - so different from other relatively accessible art forms like painting where you can get by with just a canvas, paint, and a brush to express yourself. I am amazed by the tenacity required to try and stay true to your vision for such a prolonged length of time and with so many other people involved in the process.

This interview appeared in The Artella Daily Muse, a daily online newspaper published by Artella (www.ArtellaWordsAndArt.com). Sign up for a FREE two-day subscription of The Artella Daily Muse at http://www.artellawordsandart.com/members.html