the bean turns five

this has been a big few weeks for us. the bean not only started kindergarten (gulp), but she also marked the fifth anniversary of her arrival into our world. we had a few things planned to end our very busy summer, and one of them was our first trip to dutch wonderland. the bean decided she wanted to try the roller coaster... and she did! she was so brave, and loved it so much that she just had to go on again immediately. then we had to try everything, and all the time she was giggling and screaming "this is fabulous!" (i have no idea where she picked up that expression.)

as the last ride of the day she opted to get on one of those circles that spins so fast that you're glued to the wall... not my favorite. she wanted to go alone, so i told her what the ride would be like, kissed her goodbye, and waited breathlessly for the ride to stop so i could see her face. i knew either she'd come out crying or triumphant, and all i could do was hope for the best and be there when it was over.

i think that's what being her mom will be like all the time from now on. but for the record, she loved it. so proud of my big girl.

happy birthday, bean.

artscape is tomorrow!

artscape is tomorrow, and i'm so excited, and also hoping the weather decided to be very un-baltimore-in-july-like and be cool and beautiful. even if it doesn't, it's looking like the weekend will be amazing! so many great exhibits, performances, and, of course, artists! i'll be in the diy section, booths 31-34, with quite a few members of BEST, so please stop by and say hello! i've got some brand new work to share, including these kanzashi-inspired bobby pins that were lucky enough to get just a hint of sparkle after this picture was taken. (you'll have to visit in person to see!)

you might want to print your map in advance just to make sure you see everything! see you there!

indie art by the sea - this weekend

this saturday, july 3rd, i'll be at indie art by the sea in newport, ri. the show is from 11-5 and takes place along the water in ft. adams state park. the weather is supposed to be just beautiful, and i'll have tigerlilly shop and sweet pepita nearby for company.

i am soooooo excited to do this show. some days, i feel really lucky to be doing what i do. i mean, have you ever had a view like this from your office?

pile of craft, tomorrow!

it's my favorite-est local show to do, and not only will i have lots of new work never-before-seen in baltimore, but i'll have a bunch of stuff on super major sale, since i'm streamlining my line a bit and already thinking about work for the fall (yikes!)

it's happening tomorrow, june 26th, from 10-5 at 2640 St Paul Street, Baltimore MD 21218, inside St John's Church. for a complete(ly awesome) vendor list, visit cccm's website.

hope to see you there!!!

our ocean should be blue

since i saw this photo a few days ago, my need to do something to help out in the gulf has increased greatly. i'm always one of those people who runs in the direction of trouble to try and help out (often to my husband's chagrin), and it's really hard for me when i just don't know what to do.

i've always felt a special attachment to the ocean, often finding myself making the 3 hour drive there as a younger person needing to clear my head. i hope one day to be brave enough to try snorkeling or scuba, because i need to see the brilliant colors that lie beneath the surface of the water.

i can't ignore what the water in the gulf looks like now, but i can try to hope that it will once again be the brilliant blue it always is in my mind. i'm still not really sure what to do myself, but i'm going to try and help out the people who do know what to do.

the audubon society is working to help rescue and protect the wildlife and habitats of the area. to help them, i'll donate $5 from the sale of each of these ocean blue flowers. they're made from eco-felt, which is made entirely of recycled plastic bottles, so they're environmentally friendly as well. you can choose your flower to have a 2" silver plated barrette attached, or a bar pin, so that it can be worn on your shirt, hat, or bag.

if you'd prefer, donate directly. every little bit helps.

rainbows!

this year was the bean's first year of school, and it was a year she developed her artistic skills unbelievably fast. she went from drawing scribbles to drawing our entire family. and for the last few months, everything's been rainbows. when she graduated from preschool, i wanted to commemorate the occasion with something special, and i knew she'd love this rainbow necklace from my talented friend tamara over at block party press.

she did love it! and she's been wearing it nonstop. i have to admit, i was a unicorns-and-rainbows kind of girl myself, (was? maybe still is!) and her love of rainbows has sort of rekindled my love affair with them. and so my new rainbow headband was born.

i knew it was just right, because she snatched up the first one i made and put it on, claiming it for herself.

i'm going to post the headbands, made to order, in the shop now, and it's also available in a brooch version.

wow. rainbows still make me happy. nice.

more to come

two posts in one week, can you believe it? well, i've been kind of overwhelmed with the amount of ideas i've had, so i've kind of been just playing and making all kinds of new things. i'm trying to photograph them a few at a time, since my computer time's a bit precious these days.

these little hand-sewn felt earrings are reversible, so you can wear them with a few shades of green. just switch sides and a different color is visible.

here they are in a pink and wine combination. they are hung from really comfortable oxidized sterling ear wires.

i'm loving these so much. they actually are pretty difficult to make, and they require a bit of precision, but they are so beautiful on. i'm still fine-tuning the process, though i should have several pairs for Pile of Craft.

i have more to come, maybe if i'm feeling extremely ambitious i'll post more this week!

a quick preview

just a few images of some of the new work i'm making. (there's a bunch, i'm really excited!) the little guy started walking and he's keeping me pretty busy, but i was able to get these two necklaces photographed this morning.

this one and a few others, which i'm calling "peek-a-boo" necklaces, will be making their debut at Pile of Craft in a few weeks.

and this little one, made from embroidery thread and a secret new ingredient i've been experimenting with, will be posted in my etsy shop later this week.

hope you're enjoying your spring, which feels an awful lot like summer here in baltimore!