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I can’t resist. While processing pics for my upcoming stuffed birdie listings (up soon in my Etsy shop!) I came across a few more shots from around the farm lately that I need to share.
Our pretty HappyDog likes to help me garden. At least she wasn’t lying directly on top of anything I was growing on purpose. I don’t mind if she lies on the weeds, though. (check out the sweet railroad-spike sugar snap pea trellis my darling Johnnie made for me!)
And JaneCat just looks on, pretending not to know there’s work to be done. She’s really slacking on her mouse-terrifying duties lately. 
And this is a for real scene, nothing staged here. Turns out the goats actually like us (when we bring them food, that is)! This is from before we moved the chickens in with the goats. Apparently they have now taken to laying their eggs all over the place and in the goat barn. Oops. We’re going to have to work on the chicken-training, I guess. 
Things are growing! Tomato blossoms and even a few tiny green tomatoes, these plants were grown from seed by my green-thumb Mom!
Last week John moved the chicken coop in with the goats, so they can graze together safely within the fence. The only real predator we’ve seen around here lately (knock on wood!) happens to be our HappyDog. She looks innocent enough, but after a little, erm, “incident” we are keeping her a safe distance from the Chickens. Well, at least on this side of the fence. She loves watching them, though. And the goats are trying their best to get to the chicken food, which we seem to have managed to barricade from them, at least for the time being.
And look at this photo below! Seem familiar? Quite uncannily like my radish painting, I GREW this one from seed, along with a whole slew of others. And they are delicious! Amazing how those tiny tiny seeds can grow something that can nourish our bodies so well, eh?
I’m not broken, not torn, just pulled a muscle/tendon — a bad sprain and I’m actually up on my feet now and walking without a cane or crutches like I was for over a week. Amazing how a body can heal, eh? Thank you, body, you’re fantastic. I’m still gimping around like a peg-leg with an ace bandage and a bulky air cast on my ankle, but I’m doing ok. Phew.
I’m really hoping I’m about a jillion times better by this time next week, though, because that will be the first night of SQUAM Art Workshops!! Yippee! I’m so excited for this opportunity to check in with myself and my art, as well as connect with all those lovely like-minded individuals who have chosen to take this opportunity to live the arty dream for a few short days of art and trees and lake and fun. Living in the woods is fantastic, and visiting someone else’s woods and lake is sometimes even better. I’ll also be sharing my cabin and taking one workshop with my dear friend Sarah G., who will be meeting me there from Burlington, VT. How perfect?
No news on the DC trip. I am contemplating changing our trip to a later date, since I’m not so sure how well I’ll be able to walk around the city all day. My ankle tends to get all kinds of swollen and painful when I stand on it too long. But the good news is that I CAN stand on it, without excruciating pain.
The last weeks have also been jam-packed with crafty goodness, wherein I did my first outdoor craft fair at Sowa Open Market, (with amazing help from my friends and my wonderful husband!!) and my second at Pittsfield Third Thursday (with amazing help from the other BerkshireMade members!), and then a fun one in North Adams at the NoAMA Mill, where I was really able to get to know the members of BerkshireMade much better. What a great group of folks, who make amazing work. Have you seen the new website that I redesigned for BerkshireMade? You can click around and see all of their super shops. Buy local, buy handmade! See pics of these events on my flickr, here.
OH! Also, I just got myself a new lens for my camera! A 50mm portrait lens for my Nikon D40, great for low-light, but with a finicky manual focus that is super fun to take macro shots with. Most of those BerkshireMade pics were taken with it — some nice up close shots of the jewelry and art and bags and people. Here are a few of the pups, because, well, they are cute.
Top: Mickey, my mom’s Australian Shepherd, enjoys a chewy treat. Bottom: Our sweet (and somewhat alarmed?) HappyDog.
Sometimes your body tells you what to do, eh? So, yesterday I’m running around like a crazy person, getting ready for the Sowa Open Market this weekend, and I go on over to Kari’s for a little visit and to collect some things from their house that they don’t need anymore (they’re moving to Northampton, boo for me, yay for them!), and I managed to twist my ankle in some bad bad way. Sprained? Torn muscle? Ripped tendon? Bruised or fractured bone? Ok, body, fine — I’ll lay low today and tomorrow and hopefully will be mobile by Saturday, but what a bummer, eh?
I decided since I do have insurance (super wonderful Commenwealth Cares from the great state of MA!) I should go ahead and have it looked at by my Dr. — but the silly receptionist made my appointment for after the x-ray tech left, so I have to go back tomorrow morning and I have no idea what I really did but I’m hoping something simple and not a break or tear or who knows. I d know that it hurts to walk. Wah.
Despite this setback, the next few weeks are jam-packed for me and my crafty business! Come visit me at one of these fairs, would ya?
SOWA Open Market – Boston, MA (www.sowaopenmarket.com); Opening Weekend Sat. and Sun., May 16 and 17; Sundays June 28, July 12 and 26, August 9; Open Studios Sat & Sun, Sept. 19 & 20; Baked Fresh Sun. Oct. 4.
BerkshireMade Artisan Market at Cultural Pittsfield 3rd Thursdays on North Street in Pittsfield, MA (www.pittsfield-ma.org); May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15.
BerkshireMade Artisan Market at The NoAMA Mill at 234 Union St., North Adams, MA: May 23 & 24, June 20 & 21; July 11 & 12; August 22 & 23; September 5 & 6; October 17 & 18.
Squam Art Fair: Saturday June 6 – Squam Art Workshops, Sandwich, NH (www.squamartworkshops.com)
Oh did I mention how excited I am for Squam!? watch this video to get excited yourself, then join us!
In June, John and I are planning to take our first EvEr trip together where we have no other agenda but to go somewhere and be together. All of our previous trips have involved either a friend or family member’s wedding or a trip to visit family or moving me across the country. These were all fantastic trips, but this time is really very different for us. We have no agenda, no where to be on a certain day, no one to bother with our vacationy-needs, just us, self-reliant.
Oh, ok, we did go to Montreal, but that was for our honeymoon. It was great, but also carried with it a lot of expectations of grand romance and starry-eyed hand-holding. And it delivered, but this time… this time we’ve been through a few years of marriage and we are really just going for the heck of Going. Somewhere. Together.
We chose Washington, D.C. — mostly because I could use my saved up train miles (from long-ago trips across the country using Amtrak Guest Rewards!) to get us there without paying too much, plus there is the perk of all kinds of nifty museums that are FREE. Additionally, there’s this thing where we’ve not wanted any part of that city for the last 8 years, and really haven’t considered it any kind of destination ifyouknowwhatImean. I have been there a few times but haven’t really seen the patriotic-kind-of-sights, so maybe this time, with a renewed sense of hope in all this democracy-shmocracy (I for one, am a big fan of Socialism) we’ll get all flag-wavey and visit our pals the Obamas in their fancy house. I’d love to see the White House garden, though, for reals.
My mom reminded me recently that it might be horridly hot by then down there, but I think the flowers and free (air-conditioned) museums will make up for it!
So… I still haven’t booked us a place to stay yet. Any reccomendations are greatly appreciated. I have a few friends working on some leads. And I’ve been searching the interwebs for hostels and such. I would really like to stay in a funky or at least fun (and safe!) neighborhood, and we’d ideally like our own room. No dorm rooms for us, thankyouverymuch. And of course availability is limited just a month in advance. Here are my two front runners:
The American Guest House in Dupont Circle. Looks gorgeous and old and full of character. More a bed and breakfast, including the price, which is more than we were planning to spend. It looks to be in a great neighborhood, though, and close to all the attractions downtown, which is really what we’re there for. (Still cheaper than hotels I’ve found, too)
The Allen Lee Hotel near Georgetown in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Also close to downtown, but without as much character, and seems like a less funky neighborhood. More businessy and less personal. Less pricey, though.
What’s your checklist for choosing a place to stay? Sacrifice some $$ for character and personality, or save the money and use it toward some good eats and maybe transportation to the more exciting neighborhoods?
I’m really not sure what it is, but this last week or so I have been having this urgent feeling like I’m forgetting something and there are not enough hours in the day. Or minutes. And then I slow down, remember that this moment is all I have (yeah, a little existential for this mind/crafty lady/blog — but it IS true, right?) and then I relax and enjoy what I’m doing and remember that it will all get done and whatever is happening, is what is happening. Whatever I’m able to accomplish in a day is what I am able to accomplish.
I know I’ve mentioned him here here before, but I think Michael Neill’s books and radio show and overall personality and work have helped me with this — I’m striving toward the idea of “being done for the day” and remembering that no matter how cranky I am and how bad anything seems to any one of us, that usually it is actually all ok. We are not about to be run over by a bus or attacked by a rabid wildebeest. So… like I said, I’m not sure why I’m still having this feeling of not getting it all done, except maybe I’m just realizing that I WANT TO DO IT ALL. This has been a big problem for me my whole life — I’m what some might call a “maximizer” — I want to do it the BEST way, anything must be totally worth it and done just right or I don’t see the point. I’m trying to overcome it, but it’s not easy.
This is all to say I’ve been meaning to come here and tell you all about Twist and how wonderful it was last weekend and how many fantastic artists I met and what wonderful goodies there were for sale and all the yummy beers and tasty tidbits we were fed by the organizers and all the general goodness of Northampton (and on Pride weekend and a gorgous sunny day, at that!) BUT I just haven’t seemed to have the time to tell you about it! So here’s a quick rundown on a handful of my favorite artists there, which is by no means an exclusive list, because I pretty much loved EVERYONE! (click the images to go to their websites)
Alison Tauber, who makes wonderful screen-printed clothing and accesories and who was kind enough to mention my work on her blog this week — I have been drooling over her work since I first saw it at Twist in November. Gorgeous organic shapes and patterns.
Miaow. I am so lucky to have come home with one of thier little stuffed birdies. I couldn’t resist! Mine is orange on orange, which looks fantastic on the top shelf in our green bedroom, where no dog or cat can get hold of it!
I’ve mentioned Maeg of Ranunculae before; a fellow gocco’er who also makes smashing pillows and art prints and pincushions and more!
I also came home with this gorgeous necklace from Donnabelle Designs. Enameled glass, Gorgeous!
Also enamel, but on copper, is Angela Gerhard’s gorgeous jewelry. She was one of my neighbors at Twist (on my other side was Storey Publishing!) My little green mascot birdie happily went home with her and a few pairs of her fabulous earrings are happily hanging from me and my helper Sarah’s ears!
Directly behind us were the lovely ladies of the Spun Monkey Fiber Shoppe; drapey and colorful felt scarves and yummy yarns. Too bad my knitting hobby is sitting very very still lately, or else I might have allowed myself to take home some of her wonderful yarns!
Erica of Vonica Designs makes funky handbags, wallets and pouches from uniquely textured and often vintage fabrics. Vonica was across from me at the last Design Hive market I attended, a lovely neighbor to have!
RecycleMoe; undefineable (kinda like me!), Moe makes lots of things from lots of things. She recycles plastic bags, fabric, books, board games, sweaters and more into funky fashionable items. Sarah and I both scored coffee cup cozies, and my water bottle is currently sporting it right now, looking very swank.
Just looking at the Twist Vendor list is reminding me of all of the other super splendiferous vendors there; take a look and be prepared to be awed! Thanks also to everyone who came out and bought some of my work. Lots of my cards, tiny needle-felted birds and artwork found great new homes!
this is a real quick update, because I need to get to bed and rest up for tomorrow… because it’s TWIST!!! I’ll be in NoHo for the day tomorrow, setting up in the early afternoon, getting ready for the crafty goodness. I’m so thankful my pal Sarah G. will be joining me, as she’s supremely familiar with the area, since she went to Smith for college, and her fantastic brother Lyon and his girlfriend Alice will be letting us crash at their pad after all the fun tomorrow night; Lyon is part of some amazing bands, so check him out!
I hope you will come visit Northampton tomorrow, Friday May 1 from 5-9 for the opening event and market party — it will be a great time and there will be lots of crafty goodness to enjoy (over 60 vendors!), as well as tasty local beer, and tunes from a live DJ. Or come visit Twist on Saturday May 2 from 10-6 . Pride is also taking over the town, so there will be all kinds of fun shenanigans, I’m sure!
The other thing: I’m holding a special little Sale in my Etsy shop for Mother’s Day: buy one note card, get one free! I’m allowing you to choose any other card listed in my shop (while supplies last!) or if you don’t specify in the “notes to seller” upon checkout, I’ll just send you a second of the same card. What a super deal! This special will be on through Sunday May 10 (but you knew that was Mother’s Day, right?).
yippee! hope to see you at Twist this weekend!
Tina Seamonster tweeted one day recently that she was looking for a Hello Craft podcast submission for an episode sponsored by Readymade Magazine, and since my latest upcycled bird sculpture projects have included scraps that I’ve gathered up from my friends’ craft projects, I thought when better a time to begin my foray into the world of podcasting? You can hear my episode here. {FYI, I recorded it on the (free!) Speakeasy app for my iPhone, then sync’d it to my mac with Speakeasy Connect (also free!), then edited it in GarageBand, hence the less-than-ideal sound quality, perhaps, but hey, a good start, eh? (and I’ll try not to rock the lispy s’s next time… not sure where that came from!?)}
The friends I mention in the podcast are:
Bella Bags by Marcia: Marcia’s bags are beautiful, well constructed and sturdy, as well as being made from the most fantastic selection of colorful and boldly patterned fabrics; I’m using her fabric scraps to construct the birds’ bodies, wings and tail feathers. She sells wristlets, totes, cosmetic bags, sunglass bags, messenger bags, and re-useable lunch bags, as well as accessories such as headbands.
&
Crispina ffrench: Crispina is a master recycler in her own right, and I’m constantly learning from her amazingly sustainable business practices and strong eco-warrior convictions. She makes gorgeous rugs, pillows and blankets as well as clothing and soft sculptures from repurposed knitwear. She collects sweaters, washes them until felted and cuts and sews them into all sorts of shapes. The scraps from the work she produces are available at her studio for $5/lb, and you can choose your own colors! Using these scraps is kind of like a twice-baked potato, only, er, twice-recyled? I’m using these scraps for the little leaves on the metal trees.
I so love everything about Hello Craft (who’s tagline is “the future of making is in your hands” and who’s podcast is entirely listener generated!) and I sooo wish I could make it this weekend to the Summit of Awesome and Show of Awesome (um, crafts, music and cake?! count me in!), but alas, I will be bringing my crafty goodness to another wonderful crafty opportunity, TWIST!
Twist is a “fresh kind of fair” in Northampton, MA at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 17 New South Street on Friday May 1 from 5-9 for a spcial opening party, and on Saturday May 2 from 10-5. There will be over 60 amazing vendors; see the vendor list with links here. Come visit and get yourself (or your moms? it’s Mother’s Day NEXT WEEKEND May 10!) some crafty goodness!
ok, well, the warm weather has officially begun today (80s here in South Lee today, possibly warmer around the greater Berkshires), but I had to share this blog feature; fellow BerkshireMade‘er Stephanie Gravalese has featured me and my work on her blog, Atomsatwork.blogspot.com in a post titled “Crafty Goodness to prepare for warm weather”! (Thanks for the wonderful feature, Steph!)
Stephanie is a fantastic artisan in her own right, putting together wonderful creations from vintage buttons, such as earrings, necklaces, barrettes and more that she sells at fairs and on Etsy at atomsatwork.etsy.com. She’s recently started making wall-art collages which I just love, being a wall-art junkie myself. She also made some wonderful glass ornaments for the holidays with buttons floating inside. Fantastico! (oh, and check out her avatar glamour shot by Deb, complete with laser background. Oh the 80s glory!)
I’ve been selling my crafty goodness on Etsy for just over two years and boy is it fantastic! If for some reason you live under a rock and have not yet gotten yourself a (free!) Etsy account, get on over there and sign up so you can start buying handmade, wouldjya? Happy Etsy Day! (currently an impromptu holiday, but hopefully by next year it will be a national day of recognition for all things handmade! represent!)
I made the little painting above in recognition of Etsy Day, it’s a love letter to Etsy, distilled to its basic essence surrounded by a collection of some of my hand-making-tools. yum.
