Recycled Rings Fall 09 Handbag Line

I'm unveiling one new bag each day from my Fall 09 line of clutches! Here is the first one. I have had so much fun designing them. You can purchase them over at my shop for just $35!

The Great Lakes Clutch

White

I never wear white pants. Ever. On Sunday for some reason I did, and just after waking and putting them on I had the urge to clean the patio. In my white pants. (I didn't even get them dirty!)
I had big plans that day to plant mums on the patio so I'd feel better about all my dying flowers, and to keep some color out there before winter takes it all away. I saw a movie and sewed instead, but at least I cleaned.

Bright Star

Love, butterflies, poems, death, needle and thread, pleats, fields of flowers, snipping scissors, London, folded notes and letters, elaborate dresses, adorable little sister, lying on the top of a tree in full bloom, devastation.

On Sunday I saw the movie Bright Star, a fantastic film about the last two years of poet John Keat's short life (he died at 25), and his love for Fanny Brawne, an interesting artistic young woman with a deep love for fashion.
Visually the movie was stunning, the script was wonderful, the acting was superb, and the love story was so touching. If you are into fashion at all, and especially if you make clothing, the scenes of Fanny Brawne sewing (by hand) her beautiful frocks will inspire you and make you want to race home to create. (Lots of pleating. Complicated pleating. I LOVE and live for pleats!) The first images in the film were of her stitching and cutting. The sound of the snips of the scissors made me so happy. Watching the movie was an emotional ride, and I loved every minute of it.

Here are a few film stills of Fanny's incredible style. GO SEE IT!












photos courtesy of http://www.movieset.com


Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art--
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--
No--yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever--or else swoon to death.

John Keats

ps-Ben Whishaw, the actor who played Keats, is the same man who played one of the "Bob Dylan" characters in the movie I'm Not There. Keats and Dylan...yes please.

ps-Stacy I know we talked about going to see it together. I want to see it again so let's go!

New Rings!

I just posted five new rings to the shop. Well, some of them are actually old/new rings. A couple of boutiques I consigned at went out of business, so these rings are from back when I first started making these rings. My mom was helping me make rings back then, so a couple of these are hers which is very cool. She started making the hand-tufted rings, which are so special.
These rings are $35 each.

Weekend in the city

We were supposed to go to Michigan this weekend, but Saturday morning we were relaxing, reading the paper, drinking coffee, and decided to stay in the city. We went to our favorite photography gallery, Stephen Daiter Gallery and got a beautiful black and white vintage photo by Burt Hardy.



Then we went out to dinner at Crust in Wicker Park, which is a yummy organic pizza place.
We ended the night at Rainbow, which I had not been to in years. It was a great Saturday in the city.
Here is a shot of little Woody Guthrie and myself, along with a sneak peak of one of the clutches from my new line of handbags. I have been so lazy with my outfits lately, so I made a pact with myself that I'm going to go back to dressing how I used to and have more fun with my clothes and get out of this rut! The pink skirt is the first purchase I ever made from Jcrew, and I really love it. The shirt and blazer are old...and the necklace David got for me at a street fair a month ago.

Bday gifts

Ok, so I am trying to catch back up with life after spending so many weeks and weeks focused on only studying. I'm just about there. I had a nice relaxing weekend in Michigan with a few great friends and had so much fun. A much needed break.
As promised, here are a couple photos of my awesome birthday presents from David. That man has great taste!
Here is my new winter coat by Soia & Kyo. It is so cool I can almost say I can't wait to wear it, but that would mean winter is here, and winter=gross to me, so for now I am happy just wearing it inside. Once that nasty cold weather comes I'll be happy I have something so beautiful to keep my bones warm.



I got the navy coat:


Here is the lightweight Ferrel Childe coat he got me from Pivot boutique (an eco-friendly boutique here in Chicago that also sells my jewelry.) I'm obsessed with it. I actually wore when we went out the night of my birthday. Here are a few shots:


Mine has the coolest patterns screen printed on it.

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was the greatest day ever...well, the second half was. First off, it was my birthday. The first half of my birthday my stomach was in knots because I had to take my licensing exam at 1:30...the exam that I have been studying for constantly for several months, the studying that has been stealing my soul because I haven't been able to be creative or work on the things I want to be working on once I get home from work...that exam. Well, I PASSED IT!!! I feel so happy and I immediately got home and threw out the hundreds of note cards I've been staring at. I'm over it.
I has been so frustrating to have all these ideas in my head, like the new line of handbags I'm going to start working on, and not be able to be creative because I always needed to be studying. Now I'm FREEEE!


Here are some of the cards...I made sure they were in the dark portion of the photo and in back is the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank goodness I got there!
The second half of my bday was incredible...I have to go to work now, so I'll write more in a bit.

Renegade Success

So Renegade was this past weekend and I had a great show! It was the best one so far. The weather was amazing, and we all deserved it because last year we had torrential downpours and strong winds pretty much the entire weekend. I got to see many supportive friends, and even got to meet Meredith from Eyes in the Life of Meredith, which was so cool (she was so cool!)
I also got to meet Paul from Tugboat Print Shop. He and his partner create the incredible woodcuts that I bought for David last week for his bday. He was really nice and the coolest part was when he made a reference to Into the Wild...a book/movie I'm a little obsessed with.

I had a sign made this year, which I thought looked really good. It almost drove me mad last week when it took me hours and hours of work on Photoshop because I kept messing it up and running out of memory, but it was worth the tears (yes, tears, I'm a cry baby) that it caused.

I could not have done it without my husband's help. He was amazing and made trips back and forth to our apartment because I forgot so many things, like all my merchandise the first day. (I left the box sitting in the parking garage of our building) Luckily we live only 15 minutes away. The treat was when he brought Woody Guthrie over and left him there with me, so we womaned/dogged the booth together.

The downside was the man who gave me a stolen credit card and ended up stealing FIVE of my necklaces. I'm sure he did it to many other vendors as well, and I hope he gets what SHOULD be coming to him. I won't say what that is, but use your imagination. Stealing is horrible, and it especially stings when you have a tiny business and sell things you make from your heart with your own two hands, and this disgusting person steals from you and has no heart and blankets you with their negative energy (and makes you cry, again, I'm a cry baby.)
I know I have to try to let that go and not let it ruin the weekend.
I'm already looking forward to the next fair. I love being surrounded by so many creative people.

It was dark in my booth by the time I remembered to take photos, but here are a few shots of my set up, along with a very handsome man named David.



Here I am with Woody Guthrie and my sign. (Blurry, sorry)

Making some sales.

Now, I'm back to the dread of studying....

Back to work

Today was my first day back at work after a month off for summer break. It was exciting because I had given my boss a list of a ton of new art supplies that we needed for the art therapy program, and she got EVERYTHING on my list. I'm really lucky to work at such a fine school. We have a music therapy program as well, which is so great.

So it was like Christmas today as I was unpacking everything and coming up with ideas for great projects. The students I work with are severely disabled, so I'm focusing on incorporating many sensory elements into each session.
We now have scented tempura paints!
strawberry, blueberry, orange, grape, watermelon, and lemon

Great giant brushes that are easier to grip and don't require fine motor skills like typical painting with smaller brushes does. I'm further adapting them with Velcro for students who cannot grasp things.

Of course I have the Mr. Sketch markers I LOVED to use as a kid. (Still do)

photo courtesy of onceuponawin.com


Unfortunately they no longer carry the scented play dough I ordered.

I plan on bringing the new aromatherapy diffuser I bought into the sessions to help the kids feel more calm with some lavender, or liven them up with eucalyptus. It will be a good year!

(Images are from www.enasco.com)

Renegade Craft Fair CHICAGO

This weekend is the 7th Annual Renegade Craft Fair! I can't believe it's been going on for that long. Renegade originally started in good ole Chicago, and has spread to Brooklyn, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. They also have two holiday shows, one in Chicago, and for the first time this year they will have the San Francisco holiday show.

I will have a booth at Renegade (#173) so come by and say hi and check out my new items! They will be handing out maps that have a listing of the artists and their booth number so you can find me that way. There will be live music, (a concert by Black Bear Combo) food and drink, and an interactive booth by Spins and Needles, where you can listen to music and make things! Should be lots of fun!

Happy Birthday!

*****Happy Birthday wishes to my man!!! I love you so much.******
^^^^^
Cabbage

Everything I got him (except for one thing) came from Etsy...even the card.
We both have a deep love and spiritual connection to the Great Lakes. So for his bday I got him a Great Lakes card from crackeddesigns

Two beautiful woodcuts from tugboatprintshop


An then this tee from Campfire Goods (I got this not because he is a Harry Caray/Cubs Fan, but because he recently got a new pair of glasses and they look just like these, so I thought it would be funny for him to wear this shirt with the glasses)

(He already has this tee from Campfire Goods of the Great Lakes...I have one too. No we don't wear them at the same time.

Moncler Gamme Rouge

Oh my goodness, I want them all.

Moncler Gamme Rouge