playlist of the week #19

Favorite of the Week: Sodom, South Georgia by Iron & Wine

The Folk Festival was amazing. I discovered a lot of new favorite bands. I only disliked two of the seven we saw (sorry bands). Sam Beam played my favorite Iron & Wine song first of the whole set! He actually played all my favorite songs. Thanks Sam. Also, Hoots and Hellmouth were awesome. Definitely check them out.

1. Sodom, South Georgia - Iron & Wine
2. Legs - Jer Coons
3. goodbyetomichigan - Nervous But Excited
4. You and All of Us - Hoots and Hellmouth
5. These Roads Don't Move - Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar (from One Fast Move or I'm Gone)

saturday must have #11

This week sort of goes along with my obsession of topography....

Copper Earrings with Bold Vintage Beads by Deer Lola

$15

Amorphous Vase by Michael Flynn

$145

Fluid Earth Bowl by Fluid Forms

This piece actually sold in 2008 but I'm sure Fluid Forms wouldn't mind an inquiry about making more. So beautiful!

art of the week #18

Emily Fischer

Haptic Lab

I love quilts (thanks Mom!) and maps, therefore it was natural that I would love Emily's work. I guess I'm also continuing with my textile themed entries. Emily went to grad school for architecture at U of M and she even knows where little Albion is located! Definitely check out her site and maybe even order a quilt for yourself or a loved one.

From Emily's website:

"Haptic" refers to the sense of touch that includes the entire body, inside and out; it is also the mechanism we employ to situate our bodies in space, feeling the world around us. Haptic designs counter the rapid digitization of our lives by privileging the real, physical world our bodies occupy. Like a cane that safely guides someone down the sidewalk, haptic projects serve as tools for sensation.

love the earth: earth day book

I've (not very consistently) been participating in a friend's (Catherine Game) "Earth Day" Book. Every month those of us participating receive an email describing that month's behavior change. January is food extravaganza. You know how holidays = food + leftovers. Catherine challenges us to not let all that spoiled food go to waste in the first place. Here is an excerpt from this month's email:

Eliminate our food waste! Let's complete the entire month without having any food spoil before we have the chance to eat it (or keep track of all the food that we throw away).

1.There always seems to be something that goes bad. What are some tips to prevent this?

As my college roommates would tell you, if anyone needs tips on this subject it is certainly myself. Luckily, I recently found an article (Body & Soul, Feb 2010) on this very subject - here are their tips:

• Buy what you need - but not more. This is pretty self-explanatory but can be tricky. For example, last month I made a vegetarian lasagna but realized after cooking the noodles that I had more noodles than the recipe called for. I stowed the extra pasta away in the fridge and three weeks later...well, you can imagine. Thus when trying new recipes, it is especially helpful to make sure you are only buying what you need! Or, that you have a back-up plan for the surplus.
• Plan meals ahead of time! If you make a meal plan and create a grocery list based on the plan, ideally you shouldn't run into the problem of purchasing more than you can eat.
• Reorganize your fridge and store leftovers in clear containers so they are not pushed into the abyss. Keep them in the front!
• Set your fridge at 39 degrees - apparently many people have their fridge set too warm which encourages food spoilage.
• Freeze leftovers when there is too much to eat.
• Buy local foods! This may sound silly since I am writing this in January and in Michigan, but locally purchased food has a longer lifespan. Most produce in the supermarket has been shipped from at least across the country. While we may not have local strawberries at this time of year, there are apples, potatoes, and squashes that are still available (at least in Michigan)...and they are delicious!

2. What if my food does spoil - despite my best efforts?

We are all human. If a food item sneaks into the molding stage, please do not eat it! Instead, track it!

3. How does this help the planet?

As I hinted earlier, a large amount of food purchased and/or prepared by Americans ends up in the trash. Americans waste about 100 billion pounds of food per year (Department of Agriculture statistics)! In fact, the average household throws out about 14% of their food purchases (University of Arizona study). That is not only wasteful in terms of landfill space, energy to transfer garbage, and methane (a greenhouse gas) released from rooting food, but also in terms of money!

- - - - - - - - - - - -

When I do participate in the monthly challenges, I not only feel more aware of how I'm impacting the environment but also how I'm impacting the quality of my own life (and other people's lives). The past changes I've participated in are

• using a cloth handkerchief instead of paper tissue/kleenex
• reducing my plastic consumption (especially in the plastic bag department. While I was in NYC, CT, and back at school I made sure to bring my cloth tote to the grocery store and if I forgot I limited myself to getting only what I could carry/fit in my purse).
• energy sabbath (i.e. not using an energy such as electricity and instead using your own energy to complete a fulfilling task - this worked out well for me because I was making a lot of journals at the time and also living in the country).

This month I will also be participating in the behavior change. In fact, I have become very conscious of food waste since living in NYC. Even if you do have money to throw around, I can't see the point in wasting money or food (two things that I like considerably). So, what I've found helpful are the tips Catherine listed in her email (which you hopefully read above) as well as freezing portions ahead of time before there are any leftovers. This also saves time in the long run for those of us with busy schedules and lends itself to flexibility in quality meal choices.

I almost forgot to mention the really great thing about Catherine's Earth Day Book - it's related to art! How could I almost forget that?! The book is a collaborative artists' book project for those who wish to use art as a means of positive environmental behavior change. Each month's behavior change is supposed to be documented via an artistic record (hence my poor participation in some months). The good news is, you can participate too!

If you're interested in learning more or receiving the monthly emails as a participant, contact Catherine at catherine.game [@] gmail.com

Visit the neat site she made for the project as well!

The Earth Day Book was also featured in the Compostable Times (fall 2009 issue).

playlist of the week #18

Everything Bob Dylan this week.

1. Pledging My Time
2. Visions of Johanna
3. One of Us Must Know
4. I Want You
5. Stuck Inside of Mobile with You
6. Just Like A Woman
7. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

rosemary and lamb

When I was in New York, I picked up the New Intercourses cookbook. I just found the concept of aphrodisiac food intriguing - who wouldn't? I hadn't made any of the recipes in it though until I convinced my mom to make the Rosemary and Lamb dish for Christmas dinner. It was very delicious and I didn't find anything to be too overpowering. In any case, I haven't had time to post the recipe until now - I hope you enjoy it.

rosemary-scented lamb over pasta

1/2 pound rigatoni, cooked

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, cut into strips

6 ounces lamb, cut into thin strips

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock

1 & 1/2 cuts crushed tomatoes

sprig of fresh rosemary

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions and while waiting for that to cook, set a large skillet over medium heat and add 1.5 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the garlic and bell pepper. Saute until softened. Remove to a plate.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the remaining olive oil. Place the strips of lamb evenly in the hot skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Turn over and season with salt and pepper then cook until thoroughly browned. Remove the garlic and bell pepper to another plate.

Increase the heat to high and pour the wine into the pan to deglaze. When the wine is almost entirely reduced, add the tomatoes and the sprig of rosemary. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cream and the lamb, bell peppers, and garlic. Add the warm rigatoni and the chopped rosemary, sage, and oregano. Toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

canary in a cathouse

According to Wikipedia: Canary in a Cathouse is a collection of twelve short stories by Kurt Vonnegut published in 1961. Eleven of the twelve appear in the later collection Welcome to the Monkey House. The one story that was not reprinted in the later book was "Hal Irwin's Magic Lamp." The book has been out of print for many years and is hard to find.

I knew I had already read all of these short stories (minus Hal Irwin's Magic Lamp). All of them are very good though so I'm glad I got a second chance to read them. I'm back on my reading-everything-by-Vonnegut kick so I had to read this anyway. You should read it too! (And if you can't find it ... so sad, read Welcome to the Monkey House and speculate about Hal's magic lamp.)

Out of all the short stories in this collection, I would say All the King's Horses is my favorite.

saturday must have #10

Small Round Flask by Sage Studios
$24

Perfectly round, Sage Studios hand worked and blew borosilicate glass into a globe shape, then hot sealed a stopper neck onto it. Overall it stands 4.25 inches tall, and holds 5 ounces of liquid.



Serotonin Necklace for Happiness by Molecular Muse
$85

Serotonin is the neurotransmitter molecule that induces feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and relaxation. SSRI medications, such as Prozac, work by increasing levels of serotonin.

Based on the molecular shape of serotonin, the necklace has a elegant, modern shape and symbolizes the contented feeling of happiness so lacking in our modern, fractured, frenzied lives. It is both a meaningful personal symbol for happiness and a thoughtful gift for someone you wish happiness.

The pendant is made of quality, recycled/reclaimed sterling silver, is 1.5 inches wide, and is attached to an 18 inch sterling silver link chain that can be adjusted to shorter lengths. It closes with a lobster clasp.

Each is loving made, packaged in a recycled gift box perfect for gift-giving, and includes an informational tag about serotonin.




Vintage Microscope Print Canvas Tote by Happy Family
$10

A microscope (from the Greek: μικρός, mikrós, "small" and σκοπεῖν, skopeîn, "to look" or "see") is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy. The term 'microscopic' means minute or very small, not visible with the eye unless aided by a microscope.

Happy Family's hand-printed canvas tote bags are constructed of 100% cotton heavy canvas.
This design is available on a canvas tote bag in Natural Tan Canvas.

Measurements: 15" long, 14.5" wide, 2"deep (or more).

100% cotton. Soft feel, non-toxic, lead free inks were used in the printing of this garment. All of our items can be washed and dried and worn over and over to give them the extra softness and style you deserve!

art of the week #17

Sampler, 2007
embroidery on found cloth
Rebecca Ringquist

I've been trying to find more fiber artists lately to feature because I'm interested in doing that sort of thing myself. So during my almost daily visits to Craftzine I happened to stumble upon Rebecca Ringquist's work. Check out her website because it has a lot of great pictures of the stuff she's done. At times it might be a bit kitchy but I dig it.

Featured Seller: Aglaea Designs

Name: Kelly
Etsy Name: AglaeaDesigns
[etsy] www.aglaeadesigns.etsy.com
[blog] www.AglaeaDesigns.blogspot.com
[flickr] www.flickr.com/photos/kguinan

Location: Garrison, NY


Apart from creating, what do you do:
My full time job is as a graphic designer, so I guess I'm always creating!! But I am also about 8 months pregnant with my first child so my husband and I spend a good amount of time preparing for the baby's arrival!! Very excited!

What made you want to be an artist and/or crafter:
I'm not quite sure what started my interest, I remember always enjoying art class when I was younger and through high school and college I always made sure to take at least one art class a semester. But I know my interest in photography was started when my uncle, who was a amateur photographer himself, gave me my first SLR camera when I was 15. And at the time that just opened me up to a whole new media I had never dealt with before. It was pretty cool.

Describe your process:
I don't know that I really have a process, I kind of just go with what hits me at the moment. I always have so many ideas in my head of projects I would like to do, I just try to keep myself organized.


Favorite book?:
Thief of Always by Clive Barker. I've always loved this book, plus he's an amazing artist.

Favorite movie?:
Don't know if I have a favorite but any of those 'classics' from the '80s - Goonies, Say Anything, Breakfast Club, etc.

Favorite website?:
Flickr.com - I could spend hours just looking at all the wonderful photos!

Any advice?:
Do what you are passionate about - if you aren't into it, others won't be either.

What inspires you?:
Everything! At my job I'm surrounded by design elements and fonts (I LOVE fonts!!). The area I love in, it is just filled with the most beautiful scenery. Other artists, I love it when someone is passionate about their work.

Do you have a favorite item?:
I still have and use (though not as much as I'd like) that SLR my uncle gave me, that's got to be my favorite item it gave me a new eye to see with.

What do you love about your business?:
It gives me a reason to do all those projects that have been in my head!



One of Aglaea Designs' photographs is currently appearing in the online magazine nthWORD. Check out their end of year issue at nthWORD.com. And she is currently being featured on the blog Steel Grey Art.

playlist of the week #17

I'm going to the Ann Arbor Folk Festival!!! And I thought I had already missed out on my chance to get tickets ... too bad I didn't get them sooner though. Iron & Wine is headlining so basically it's going to be amazing.


Here are some of my favorite Iron & Wine songs:

1. Dearest Forsaken
2. Jezebel
3. The Trapeze Swinger
4. Boy With A Coin
5. Lovesong of the Buzzard
6. Naked As We Came
7. Love And Some Verses
8. Each Coming Night
9. Teeth In The Grass
10. The Sea And The Rhythm
11. Sodom, South Georgia
12. Upward Over The Mountain
13. Innocent Bones
14. Resurrection Fern
15. Flightless Bird, American Mouth

(photo by Matthew Avignone)

colossal squid

As you may or may not have noticed, I am a fan of owls. What you probably don't know is that I'm also a huge fan of squids (and octopi). In fact, I thought I'd share a little info on the colossal squid with you.

I think that bioluminescence should be today's topic. Bioluminescence is light produced by a living organism. If you've seen Finding Nemo, think of that scary, monster-like fish (called the angler fish). Actually, bioluminescence is a pretty common occurrence in the ocean at all depths. On a squid, photophores or light organs, can be found almost anywhere on the body. The tentacles, mantle, eyes, internal organs, funnel, head and arms are the most common places where photophores are found. A symbiotic bacteria is produced inside the photophores when luciferin is oxidized. The light emitted from the photophores is usually blue, which penetrates furthest in water - not surprising! In fact, Isabella Rossellini's show Green Porno talks about the bioluminescent qualities of squids.

Watch the whole episode, Bon Appetit: Squid by Isabella Rossellini from season 3 of her digital shorts Green Porno to learn even more!

I really like The Colossal Squid Exhibition site for learning about this fascinating creature. You can even make your own colossal squid and then play with it and check up on its adventures on their site!

Go to this link to make a cute colossal squid for yourself!

saturday must have #9

Vintage Human Anatomy - The Brain - Lamp by Craftie Robot

$25

This lamp, or nightlight, is made out of a glass brick with the brain image on both sides of the "brick." It is filled with a string of white lights and measures 7.5 x 7.5 x 3 inches.

Entomology Mustard by Sugar and Fig

$25

This June Beetle pillow is an original, hand pulled linocut print in a mustard yellow water-based ink. It was pre-stuffed with new polyfiber and measures 14 x 14 inches. The fabric is 100% cotton and the image has been steam set.

Modern Hemp Light by HoBo Boutique

$40

A large, hanging light made of polished hemp twine. It measures 46 inches in diameter. The light includes a 15 foot cord.

art of the week #16

Jason Manley

alternative venues: sell your stuff online

Kate Lightfoot a.k.a. scarlettcat on Etsy always seems to post helpful stuff in the Etsy forums. (Visit her blog here.) The topic of selling online, of course, is always of huge interest to entrepreneurs - at least in the sense of those of us on Etsy, etc. Kate put together a long list of venues online where such an entrepreneur could sell their stuff. I've gone through the list, visited each site, and hand picked the sites that I feel would be worthy to look into as an alternative to Etsy. (Don't worry Etsy, I'm still yours.) Just a little heads up, my picks are either for those of us in the United States or for everyone and I didn't even consider a site if I didn't find it aesthetically pleasing ... so many standards!

First of all 1000 Markets. It's free to open shop, just like Etsy. Unlike Etsy, 1000 Markets only caters to those of us in the United States at this time. There are no fees for listing, hosting or setup, although when you make a sale a small, all-inclusive fee is deducted from your profit. 1000 Markets calls it MarketSimple pricing wherein you are charged 5.5% + 50 cents on every sale. Etsy charges 20 cents to list an item, or relist an item. Etsy might be the better way to go if we're going to compare it to 1000 Markets. Depends on how many times you like to relist items.

Art Fire. It's free free free. For a basic seller account. If you upgrade to a verified seller's account you'll have to pay $12/month (no contract), but you'll get access to Art Fire's Facebook Kiosk, coupon codes and gift certificates, the Global Product Editor, craft guilds, artifact recognition awards, increased search exposure, etc. When you sell an item, you're not charged a dime. There are no fees. As a basic seller you're allowed to list unlimited items (for a limited time), with up to 4 images on each item. You may also participate in the forums and enjoy a few of the perks on the site, such as automatic Google Base submission of your products and Google Analytics stats on your listings. Cool!

Big Cartel. You'll need a PayPal account to sell. Other than PayPal fees, you won't be charged for anything...if you're on the Gold Plan (which is free). Otherwise, you can pay $9.99/month or $19.99/month to upgrade your plan and sell up to 100 items. With the Gold Plan you can only sell 5 items at a time, and unfortunately you can only have one image per item. Although with that said, I don't have many items listed on my Etsy shop so a free account would be perfect for a seller with small inventory. With any of the plans, you basically get your own website - so you have more control over how you present your "brand" to the world - awesome!

PapernStitch. You won't actually be selling through PapernStitch. The site acts as an exhibition space for your shop (whether your shop is on Etsy, 1000 Markets, etc.) The site is free to join. Why not sign up?

playlist of the week #16

Favorite of the Week: Send Me On My Way (Live) by Rusted Roots

I always bookmark songs on Pandora that I want to download and then pretty much never look at them again. Here is me looking:

1. Society - Eddie Vedder
2. Bird Never Flies - Ari Hest
3. Meadowlarks - Fleet Foxes
4. Today - Joshua Radin
5. Moonshiner - Redbird
6. Medication - Son Volt
7. I Felt Your Shape - The Microphones
8. Danny The Dog - Massive Attack
9. Never the Same - Supreme Beings of Leisure
10. Cold Wind - The Arcade Fire
11. Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
12. Lovestain - Jose Gonzalez
13. The Mating Game - Bitter:Sweet
14. Fluorescent Adolescence - The Arctic Monkeys
15. Send Me On My Way (Live) - Rusted Root
16. Sofa Rockers - Sofa Surfers
17. In the Morning - The Coral
18. Absentminded Melody - Joel Plaskett
19. Ghost of New York - As Tall As Lions
20. When U Love Somebody - Fruit Bats
    

saturday must have #8

This week's Must Haves was inspired by maps. I just found all of the atlas books and maps my dad got for me when I was cleaning out my closet and ta-da, today's must haves were thus searched for and found.


Paris Hand Cut Map by Studio K

$360

You might think this is a little pricey, but think about the time it took to cut such an intricate, delicate piece. The map measures 27 x 39 inches, unframed. Studio K can also do custom orders for a city you love!


Topography in Red No. 1 by Crafterall

$25

This piece is ready to be framed and hung in your house! I think it would also look neat to put it under a glass, shadowbox-like side table. The piece is one of a kind, hand cut from five layers of high quality, acid-free card stock. It measures 8 x 10 inches and is about 1/8" thick.


Circuit Board and Topography Map Stoneware Salad Plate by Truda Laking Glazt

$30

Not a bad price for such a beautiful piece. The plate is wheel thrown and hand carved by Truda from a series called Pattern Recognition. The plate measures 7.25" in diameter with matte and satin glazes in gold, brown, and cream with an inlaid pattern in dark blue and black. All of the glazes used are safe for food, the dishwasher, and the microwave.

art of the week #15

Porcelain Skins: Cosmetic Skin, 2006
cotton cosmetic round pads dipped in porcelain slip then fired

Jessica Drenk


Jessica's work is really cool. I just discovered her work a few weeks ago and am definitely inspired by what she does. One of my New Year's resolutions is to document and post more of my process/work on this blog and elsewhere, so except images of my own work (inspired by Jessica's) soon!