Skin Impressions

Right now I'm sitting in my favorite bakery, Spring Garden Bakery, near my house and working on Etsy listings, my curriculum for the industrial sewing class I'm about to start teaching, and the comforter sew-in day I'm hosting along with Spoonflower in Durham, NC. It's so funny, just typing out what I'm doing today makes me feel grateful. I forget sometimes how awesome my job situation is. Maybe it's because I get stressed out quickly and forget that I am actually doing some things I've dreamt of doing a long time.

It's pouring down rain outside, and the smell of the rain hitting the pavement reminds me of every day in Dublin, when I'd walk the streets on my way to the store or work or the bed and breakfast where I lived. Isn't it strange how when we are traveling or doing something we've anticipated for a long time our senses open up and stamp impressions on our memory of everything we experience? I have wondered why I remember journeys so much more than my every day life. Those memories become an irrevocable part of me and I think a big part of it is that I actually try to remember the unusual and the out-of-the-norm. But today, this memory, this pouring down of rain that whips the awnings and blows soaked leaves, while runners, grounded moped-ers, and umbrella folk rush by outside should be precious too. It's a big sweater day, a hot coffee day, a cozy sewing day when I don't resent being stuck inside. Oh, that my skin would take this in: smell of fresh baked goods, taste of smoky burnt coffee, sounds of tapping rain, Vanessa Carlton, and swish of cars, and everything...oh everything.

Wake me up!

It's Fall and I love it! I made these fall flags for my friend's birthday and may take some to my next art show! I already have some for my house but I can't find them :-( I'll hunt around this afternoon.

Back to Play!

Well fellow blog-lovers, since January I have been hired by a non-profit that works with refugees, a Deli, and a Community College. Somehow, oddly enough, with all of that my shop has taken a backseat. However, I kicked butt at Artsplosure in Raleigh and Centerfest in Durham (SO FUN!) and am determined to make time to focus a wee bit more on my little critters this fall/winter. I have been playing around with a lot of new ideas, starting with new furry critters like these:

These were made per the instructions of my three year old niece, who is a bit of a bossy-pants in addition to be stinking adorable and having total control over me. I wanted them to be incredibly durable, soft, and substanstial. I was lucky enough to be donated this lovely recycled faux fur, but am not sure what to do when I run out. I guess I'll have to start hunting for a recycled faux fur supplier, which seems a bit unlikely.

I have also been playing with making pillows! My sister-in-law, the lovely Anna Guthmann, has a monogram machine and is getting pretty awesome at it, so I had her monogram the name of the city where Centerfest was onto some pillow covers I made. That, plus the appliqued NC cut-outs were a big hit! I'm not positive if I'll keep making pillows, but for now I want to see what I can do with this new product. 

I'll be posting back soon with upcoming Fall show locations and maybe some diy tutelage!

I Love Being Unimportant

The title to this post is weird, but it has become one of the biggest themes of my life and I talk about it all the time. So, for those who have heard me say this before, you can just skip this post!

I have been really stressed this week with starting my new job and realizing how much that eats into the time I had devoted to my shop. I genuinely love my little guys and I love being creative and sewing, but I'm not a work-a-holic by nature and doing so much that I don't have time to just be really eats at my peace of mind.  I've been playing loosely with the idea of cutting back on how much I sew but when I do I feel like panicking. Am I panicking because I love my shop so much that I don't want to quit or because I'm afraid of giving up and failing? It's crazy seeing how far my stuff has come... from Moses the Crochet Moose to Benedick the Squirrel, I'm genuinely proud of what I have learned and accomplished.

I know though, that deep in my heart behind the cobwebs that I never usually brush aside lies an ugly fear of failing. My whole life I've done all that I could to avoid it. I've pretended I don't want the thing I'm striving toward, or I quit before I have a chance to be a disappointment. I fear failing others, yes, I really do, but mostly I fear failing myself. Of having to admit that I can't do something...that I'm human...that I'm incapable of satisfying my own standards.

That's why I'm glad that I believe with all my heart that I am a part of something bigger, a grand universal plan that incorporates every person on the planet and is molding us with strong and capable fingers into something more beautiful than we can imagine. Mighty oceans are thimblefuls, mountains are anthills, and human achievement merely our attempts at imitating and being one with this great plan.

That makes me believe that I can do anything, but that if I don't, if I try and fail, I'll ultimately be okay. Because ultimately, it's not up to me and my will power to shake the universe and make the world spin one more time.

If this makes little to no sense to you please let me know and I would love to expand more to you.

Back to Reality

Does anyone beside me remember the Dasani commercial that went: "Back to life, back to reality, back from the fantasy, yeaaaaah"??? I don't know why but it popped into my head just now. I, like most people, found the holidays to put me very far outside my normal routine and am just now finding my groove again. I'm starting a new (3rd) job tomorrow and am also working on a new line of animals for my shop called Stuffies! My stuffs will be little, slightly more realistic looking animals that are a little more detailed and solid.

I had a diy I was going to post for today, but it is a belated Christmas present and I figured I actually need to give it to the person before I post about it!!!

So keep checking back people, because there will be a lot more post-age coming soon. Ha, that's kinda funny. Get it??? No, okay, I need to go to bed.

What I Wore Wednesday

 Yellow hat that I made, my trusty green scarf handmade by Jess, floral short sleeve dress (hand-me-down), black cardigan (Goodwill), leggings (Target), and brown boots (Plato's Closet)

 Couldn't get a full shot of my outfit, but I really like it! I'm realizing how I can keep using Spring or Summer clothes through the colder seasons with some creative layering. And I crazy love my new leggings!

I loooove these boots. Charlie said I look like a Nashville princess, which I think was his way of saying I look like a cowgirl. Oh well, there are definitely worse things!

Baking Soda Ornaments

Oh man oh man!
I have been so very sick the past couple days. Just a bad cough but that combined with having a too long to-do list equaled pure exhaustion. I had a show in Athens, Georgia on Saturday and it was a good show but I think I learned my lesson about pushing past not feeling well. I was outside in the cold all day and didn't get a chance to eat until a fellow vendor took pity on me and gave me some pretzels! It ended up being worth it though, because I got to see my cousin that I haven't seen in years and her new husband!

My cousin had made these lovely Christmas ornaments (she gave me one) out of baking soda and cornstarch and I was so impressed I had to make my own! So here is how to make really inexpensive, totally custom ornaments!

Baking Soda Ornaments

You Need:

2 Cups Baking Soda

1 Cup Cornstarch

1 1/2 Cups Water

Watercolors or Sharpies

Step One: Stir together the baking soda and cornstarch in a saucepan and then add the water.

Step Two: Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly.

Step Three: The mixture will start to bubble and then thicken. When the mixture is thick enough to form a ball and leave the sides of the pan, it is ready.

Step Four: Put the mixture onto some wax paper and wrap it up. Leave it to cool and thicken a bit more for a few minutes.

Step Five: Roll the dough out between two pieces of wax paper so it doesn't stick. Use cookie cutters or can lids to cut out shapes you like. This is a great time to get the kiddos involved! It's even more fun than playing with play dough because it's softer and they get to make it into something permanent!

Step Six: Using a toothpick, make a hole in the top of each ornament (to hang them) and if you want, scratch out a design or words on the ornament.

Step Seven: Bake in the oven on 300 for 30 minutes or until the bottoms of the ornaments are hard. Be careful not to crack them when you are checking!

Step Eight: Paint! Use watercolors or if you are feeling low maintenance, sharpies!

What I Wore Wednesday- Lacey Jeans

I missed Make it Monday this week because I was hang in out with my lovely sisters and just couldn't squeeze it in, but last night I got my crafting on and did these pants! Scroll past the pictures to see how I did them!

 Teal shirt from Forever 21 (Thanks Abbsters), Checked Scarf from Ihavenoclue, Peacock Earrings (they actually belong to Abbsters), Toms, brown belt, and diy jeans (originally New York and Company)

Alright, so these pants were really simple. I made some regular jeans into skinny jeans in the same way that I did my cords (look at my previous posts) and hot glued some lace into the pockets. SheZAM! That's seriously it and they are seriously cute, no?