art and life

Zakka Sewing 25 JapaneseProjects for the Household by Therese Laskey and Chika Mori

2009-03-09T14:42:00.002-05:00

I just received Zakka Sewingfrom Therese Laskey in a giveaway this past week and I already have many projects dogeared to make as soon as possible. The room shoes/slippers will make the top of my list. After that, I believe I will make several things as gifts for loved ones.

The book begins with basic terminology and techniques, both about Japanese trends and sewing. It also explains some common fabrics and materials used in the book. The patterns can be enlarged and printed, tiled, on regular paper. You can use those as the pattern pieces or if you find that too stiff, trace them onto tissue paper from there.

I found that several of the projects were perfect for my 16 year old daughter who has only been sewing for about 6 months. And yet there were projects that were nicely challenging for me, someone who has been sewing for 20 years or so. Conveniently, each of the projects is rated one to three buttons based on difficulty so you don't find yourself in over your head.

The household goods and personal items included are both functional and beautiful. How lovely would the covered tape measure be in a gift basket of sewing supplies for a seamstress? Perhaps with a copy of this book. :)

Mar 2009

the others

2008-04-28T17:41:00.003-05:00

no, not the Others from the tv show Lost. (altho i can't wait for that some on again! yay!) these are the other paintings i got completed. and they're all in the shop now. and there are still a couple days to get your name in for the drawing on the first. see previous post or my etsy profile for details. :)

sneak peek

2008-04-27T12:33:00.002-05:00

here's a little peek at some of the new girls that will be available later this week. :)

lalala

2008-04-25T11:24:00.006-05:00

wow, a whole week has passed since my last post. i guess i fell off the challenge bandwagon. i have taken some photos i just need to resize and upload. we had our normal unplugged night. kids brought home wonderful grades. i got their applications (and of course the astronomical checks) sent off for their summer activities. oh did i mention a tornado touched down 3-4 blocks from our house?

just one of several trees that were uprooted and/or destroyed. of all the places in town it could touch down we were blessed. it chose the middle of the park. of course there is some small-scale structural damage around town from the winds but nothing like what it could have been. even here it at our house it tore a large limb off our tree and hit the neighbors' house but missed their car by 5-10 feet. we have a couple roof/eave repairs, nothing major.

so i have some paintings i'm excited about and some photos to upload. and a new running contest to announce. oh heck, i'll go ahead announce the contest thing now. from now until, well, forever-ish everyone who has added my etsy shop to their favorite list will be in the running for a free print on the first of every month. that right - every month i will draw a name from everyone who has added the shop to their favorites, and they will receive the print of their choosing, no strings attached. so get over there look aound and stick your name in the running. :)

eta: when i say "added the shop to their favorites" that means having an etsy account and clicking the button that says "add this shop to my favorites" (or something like that). because if you just added it to your favorite links - well, i wouldn't know, would i? hehe and what would be the point of being a link in somebody's browser anyway? ;)

"publisher" steals art and interviews from little chimp society

2008-04-18T22:59:00.002-05:00

then sells them in book form for $100 a pop. wow. highly disturbing story here. please read and pass it on in every illustration and other suitable forum you can think of.

mad gaming skillz

2008-04-18T19:13:00.005-05:00

so this what i do a few times a month. "Heroscape (sometimes HeroScape) is an expandable turn-based miniature wargaming system" according to wikipedia. the full article is here. cameron (my 11yo son) and i play by our house rules and a game takes about an hour and a half. i'm the only one that will play with him. nobody else has the patience. honestly, i think it's also because somewhere in me there's probably a bit of an 11 yo boy/tomboy lurking. it takes strategy, a little luck, and a bit of ye olde trashtalk. again with the prepubescent boy coming in handy. it usually takes him a little bit of sweet-talking to talk me into a game but once we get into it, it gets competitive. we're pretty evenly matched. (yeah, i'm not even gonna think about the implications that makes on my intelligence.) pictured are two of our favorite heroes, syvarris the archer, who belongs to cameron, and agent carr, my hero. and of course the 20-sided die, beloved of geeks everywhere. anyone that plays it seriously would laugh at us and our batardisation of the rules. then kick our butts.

portrait of a lady

2008-04-18T15:10:00.003-05:00

at etsy as usual.

i owe several emails and replies. getting right on that, bob. i'm also a day or two behind on my macro shots. i don't count wednesday since it's my unplugged day. convenient, eh?

sometimes life just bites you in the rear.

point of view

2008-04-14T16:57:00.002-05:00

when you look at him do you see abject sorrow or do you see meditative prayer?

it's saturday?!?

2008-04-12T21:22:00.005-05:00

it's bluebonnet season in texas.

this is the holly bush in our backyard.

and just one of the many pieces of milkglass i own.

i also did a little painting. i have prints of this one, above, available at etsy and i did some work on some new ones. the new girls will be a series entitled "mother, sister, lover" and will portray survivors of breast cancer. they will show women who have undergone partial mastectomies. they will be available at normal price or a special sale price with a donation to the breast cancer association of your choice, i think. i'm still working out the details on that part.

oh, wow. i just realized it was saturday evening and not sunday. :D i'm off to enjoy it.

playing catch up

2008-04-11T20:47:00.004-05:00

yeah, i pretty much suck this week at blogging. and i'm getting yesterday's picture up a day late. but i have a bonus picture. :)

the skeleton and eggshells are from a a little cabinet of drawers full of weird things like kids' teeth, a dead lizard, butterflies and feathers, quartz, and a dead locust. oh and a rabbit's foot keychain. but no ordinary one. this one the fur came off years ago and it's just the poor little skeletal paw. it might seem a little creepy but i see it more as an appreciation of things formerly lovely. my kids bring alot of these things to me. like the skeleton. they felt they had hit the jackpot that day. it was in a little hole between some bricks in a wall, poor thing.

the stamps are my most favorite ones in the whole wide world. :) they were a find in a junk/antique store a few years ago. i fell in love with them and my sis in law bought them for me for my birthday. a few letters are missing so many times i mix upper and lowercase together. the hand is what kills me. love it. the rubber is dried so you have to really press hard to get an impression but i wouldn't trade them for anything.

the things i would lose if there were ever a fire. what would you miss?

shells and say "cheese"

2008-04-09T20:44:00.002-05:00

the top one is my macro photo for the challenge but i think the second one is the better composition. i'm really enjoying this challenge. i think i'm learning quite alot, not only about my camera but about photoshop, both of which i've only had about a month and a half.

no time, no words

2008-04-08T17:45:00.000-05:00

just a photo for the challenge.

what i do for fun

2008-04-07T14:21:00.006-05:00

when i'm not sewing (which isn't much lately), painting or drawing, i like working in a visual journal. somtimes it's just a paste-up of inspiring images or stuff i want. sometimes it's more scrapbook-y. i started this one at the first of 2008 and it's rather large and in an existing book - 9" x 12". later i'll share some of my 5" x 8" ones. i have books and books filled. the heart sticker on the cover is from wolfie and the sneak.

carrying on AKA macro monday

2008-04-07T13:17:00.003-05:00

the above is a little case/pouch i made for my ipod nano last year. it has a a swirly embroidered pattern that extends around the side to the back. i drew it on paper first so i could tweak it then drew it directly on the muslin. the inside fabric came from purlsoho or reprodepot, i *think*. i made the case because i needed a place for earbuds to fit, too. that's one of my main complaints about ipod/mp3 cases on the market - no place for earbuds and their tangle of wires when you want to toss the whole thing in your purse or gym (yeah, whatever) bag. perhaps they expect people to never take the earbuds out, just like the plugged-in people in the commercials. hmmmm.

normally my ipod also has a skintight black bodyglove case on it as well so it fits the pouch a little more snug than it looks in the picture. however, the bodyglove case wasn't as photogenic as the pretty blue. ;)

i completely forgot about taking any photos yesterday. oops. it was just a lazy, take-it-as-it-comes sunday. guess i'll not beat myself up about it but i'll try to do better.

i'm very saddened about the olympic torch situation. on the one hand, i feel for for the people of tibet. but i'm also disappointed for the athletes who had a once in a lifetime opportunity to carry the OLYMPIC torch for crying out loud and the rest of the relay in paris had to be cancelled because of protesters. it's a no-win situation.

sketch

2008-04-05T20:30:00.003-05:00

just one of my favorite little sketches from the ones i've worked on the last couple days.

booklover at heart

2008-04-05T17:21:00.002-05:00

i absolutely love books. love reading them. love buying them. love the feel of them in my hands. love the look of them on my bookshelves, stacked on my endtable, on my desk, on my art table.

when i have spare money, i buy books. if i love it, it joins the shelves of my favorites. if i don't, i donate it to the library. in this small town sometimes our library doesn't have the budget for books that aren't on the bestseller lists.

i put my very favorite fiction books and my art/craft books in my libraything catalog (see right column). maybe one day i'll catalog the other books i have like the j.d. robb "in death" series, the science fiction ones by asimov and pohl, etc.

the books above are my favorite ones related to mental illness. except the jhumpa lahiri one. the title just seemed to fit so well. :D they are:

Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament Kay Redfield Jamison

Interpreter of Maladies Jhumpa Lahiri

An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness Kay Redfield Jamison

The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath

i especially recommend an unquiet mind.

spring is here

2008-04-04T17:20:00.002-05:00

i didn't post a challenge photo yesterday as it was an unplugged day for me.

thank you for the wonderful compliments. i'm still trying to figure out the best way to respond to comments. i didn't have to worry about that before. ;) when i got my first bloglines subscriber i was so geeked i told my husband i was going to make a button for the blog that said "serving 1 bloglines subscriber". hehe then if i ever got any more i could just put an X over it and make it a 2.

okay, enough babbling. off to enjoy the beautiful friday evening. hope you're doing the same wherever you are.

day 2 of photo challenge

2008-04-02T18:19:00.002-05:00

my palette is a rectangular lid to an enamelware box. it's a wonderful old thing i found thrifting. this is my favorite brush even tho it's just a cheapie and the tip is a bit bent from sitting in the water cup too much.

accidental flowers

2008-04-01T15:24:00.003-05:00

one of the irises my mom gave me several years ago that keep coming back every year no matter how hard i ignore them.

life is so... daily.

2008-04-01T11:31:00.002-05:00

just a quick sketch from my moleskine. if you look carefully at the top of the left hand page (after you click on it) you can barely read the words "I love you". this is where my 11 year old son snuck my sketchbook away sometime and wrote it in invisible ink for me to find at my leisure. never told me about it or anything. i just ran across it one day, the little sneak. :) lovable little sneak that is.

what was he thinking?

2008-03-29T21:45:00.001-05:00

honey, i'm going to get my computer fixed at best buy. and, yes, that is a euphemism.

little of this and that

2008-03-29T19:20:00.003-05:00

so maybe my birdgirl's a little "fond of the pasta" as my husband said. :D i'd like to imagine she's just snuggly. as if she were a pet, she would be the kind who would hop over to you and rub her head on you for a little love and maybe a treat or two and you wouldn't be able to refuse. no, i am not the former owner of that 26 pound cat on msn but not for lack of trying. hehe (ok, seriously, no emails, my cats are very healthy, no people food and only the occasional greenie for a treat for one. the other one doesn't care for treats.)

so last night i read i hate to see that evening sun go down by William Gay last night. it was very good. a bit on the darker side of life and some might even think it bleak. but those are probably the ones who like their books/movies to wrap up nice and neat in a happy little ending. it's definitely a keeper. i got it for a buck off the bargain table at the bookstore. oddly enough, i have found some of my absolute favorites on the bargain tables. i must be outside the mainstream fiction audience or something. if you're curious what other books i own click over on the link in the sidebar "books i have". it'll take you to librarything where i have most of my favorite books cataloged, fiction and non-fiction. there are some juicy art books listed there, too. have fun.

don't forget earth hour!

still unplugged?

2008-03-28T10:02:00.004-05:00

why, yes, thank you for asking. ;) we've had four successful unplugged nights so far. that's one whole month. 11 more months to go. and to be perfectly honest, i haven't missed a thing. i get more painting done. i get some house things done. i spend more time with the kids. cameron and i both get more reading done. (altho i need to step it up if i'm going to meet my goal of reading 50 fiction books this year. i've only managed 8 so far and it's almost april.) kaitlin got ungrounded and is now joining us on unplugged night. not necessarily voluntarily, tho. :D oh well, it's good for her.

i highly recommend it to everyone who feels like tv/internet/electronics are taking over their whole life sometimes.

new stuff

2008-03-28T09:14:00.004-05:00

Renee

Tanya (named after my sister who will email me anytime now to say those look nothing like her breasts and she hasn't worn a side ponytail since the eighties)

Sakura (because it's cherry blossom season in Japan)

The Furies

Earth Hour

2008-03-28T07:53:00.000-05:00

we're signed up. how about you?

100 great artists @ Etsy you might want to visit…

2008-03-18T12:33:00.003-05:00

i am extremely honored to be included on this wonderful list at a thing of beauty today -

http://www.thing-of-beauty.com/100-great-artists-etsy-you-might-want-to-visit

just a warning, tho... there are some gorgeous artists and illustrators included. hold tight to your wallet. or not. ;)

etsy update

2008-03-17T20:45:00.002-05:00

i've been sidetracked with cameron's bronchitis and lots of painting. the second day of being "unplugged' went well, tho. more later.

Blue Eloise

2008-03-09T15:46:00.002-05:00

a little slow on the art front here as at least one kid has bronchitis, if not both.

one more week til spring break, tho. can i get an amen?!

1st night unplugged 1/52

2008-03-06T09:01:00.005-06:00

so the first night went by so quickly i didn't even have time for anything art or craft related. and while i didn't do anything earth-shattering, i didn't spend my evening surfing news and blogs, either. what i did do:

1. fixed a faulty drain that has been plaguing us for weeks (oh the joys of home ownership!)
2. went grocery shopping with the kids
3. helped a little with supper. yay for husbands who cook!
4. started the first of a continuing wed night game of Monopoly with my 11 year old. (1.5 hours)
5. read a couple magazine articles and discussed them with my husband. he hates when i share the ones that make me teary because i have to pause so often. :D
6. snuggled and goofed off with the kids just before bed

all in all, it was most satisfying. in fact, it made it feel like a weekend or holiday.

i sat down at my computer and reached for the mouse once out of habit but that's all. and my son had no problem with it at all, either. no tv, no computer, no video games... he rode his bike, he shopped with me, monopoly, just hung out. i was pleasantly surprised.

i know i mention kids plural when i write so a person might wonder about my other child or children. i have a 15 year old daughter. she is currently on "unplugged" status involuntarily until her report card comes back with satisfactory grades. that's just a rule of the house. she doesn't get a's and b's, then she gets grounded. that includes electronics except when the computer is needed for homework. that's what works for us.

anyway, so i'm looking forward to next week. maybe i'll have to plan a craft activity or something. it's amazing how those hours seemed to fill themselves up. :)

the books on my endtable

2008-03-04T20:09:00.004-06:00

so here's the stack on my endtable. they can be interpreted in sort of an archaeological dig way - oldest on bottom, most recent on top. i edited out the various "fluff" magazines. they cover the period beginning from january 1st to now.

The Perry Bible Fellowship: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories by Nicholas Gurewitch - NSFW heck, even the "search more" on amazon isn't safe. but it is hilarious as hell.

The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian - unread, next on my list

The Last Song of Dusk: A Novel by Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi - absolutely wonderful

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn - 2/3 read, thought-provoking but the way it has become sandwiched between two already-read books indicates to me it was dry enough that it won't get finished this go-around.

The Language of Light by Meg Waite Clayton - decent

oh, somewhere in there i read the first volume of an absolutely horrible but somehow compelling manga called apocalypse zero and a couple volumes of bizenghast. but we all know manga isn't real literature, right? ;)

yeah, so i won't ever be one of amazon's top reviewers. :)

2008-03-03T07:53:00.001-06:00

it's snowing today. stupid freakin' weather.

yay! I did get some work done

2008-03-01T22:34:00.002-06:00

spring in march?

2008-03-01T20:28:00.001-06:00

it's 8:30 p.m. and 68 degrees outside. amazing for march 1st even in texas.

earlier my son, cameron, went down to the park with a friend of his for an hour. two hours go by and i head down there to check on him. imagine 15 or so 10-11 year old boys playing sand volleyball (with a little dodgeball thrown in every few minutes), the sun setting in 70 degree weather. no wonder he lost track of the time. who could blame him? naturally i let him stay til dark. we'll talk later about courtesy and letting me know where he is so i don't worry. :)

i wish i hadn't wasted most of the day sleeping with a migraine. hopefully, i'll get a little painting done this evening. i've been working in a simplistic style lately but i really love to do some grungy stuff with depth, too, so that's what i'm working on right now.

"Martha Weekend" Sale

2008-02-29T20:17:00.000-06:00

In honor of Etsy being featured on Martha's show Friday, February 29th, I'd like to offer $2 off each and every print purchase made until midnight CST Sunday, March 2nd. Please see my Etsy site for more details.

http://francie.etsy.com

wow!

2008-02-29T09:37:00.000-06:00

from a comment on a previous post:

"I feel compeled to say that this is one of the very best blogs I've ever visited!

Congrats!"

hmmm... here we run into a dilemma. we can choose from 3 options:

1. this guy doesn't get out much.
2. he was stunned and amazed by my artwork.
3. he'd like to promote his blog by whatever means necessary.

yeah, number 1 is my choice, too.

52 Nights Unplugged

2008-02-27T18:58:00.000-06:00

"How soon not now becomes never." Martin Luther

From hereon out every Wednesday will be my unplugged night. Anything with a screen basically. Starting at 3:30 pm when my youngest gets home from school. This will encourage more one on one time hopefully. And maybe I"ll enjoy more of my "lo-tech" hobbies.

Here's my profile page and where you can read more about the concept.

new blog

2008-02-27T14:55:00.000-06:00

I don't have much to put here yet but I may as well start with some new watercolors I just put up on etsy as prints. :)

New art on etsy

2008-02-27T14:53:00.000-06:00

New art on etsy

2008-02-27T14:51:00.000-06:00