birds and leaves

I'm having spring fever! Two days in a row of weather in the 50's has left me with a constant smile and a desire for color and all things green! Two of the buckets featured today reflect both of those wishes and are a striking contrast to my usual aesthetic... I couldn't resist! I'm ready for leaves... I hear the birds returning. I had so much fun cutting into two very different kinds of coffee sacks. The top one is from Papua New Guinea and has a tropical bird grasping a coffee branch. Truly art! The long tail feathers stream down and around the bottom of the bucket. Stylized typography frame it on both sides.

The second spring bucket is from Guatemala.

I cut it so that the green coffee vines wrapped around from the front to the back.

I grounded it with the organic " labels" from the same sack on each side.

For various reasons, I won't get a chance to list the round buckets today, but I have 10 large ones waiting for your spring organizational needs! We're almost to March!

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Edit: These two have just sold... happy almost spring to the recipients of these special buckets!

come on by!

If you're interested in checking out some new buckets and bulb sacks, I'll have them in the shop at 1pm EST. Thanks for another wonderful month. I'll see you in March!

p.s. Can you tell I was excited to take a photo outside and in the sun?!! The return of my lovely red shed!

stamp::stencil

What is it about printing on fabric that makes me so wildly happy? I think it must have to do with the *poof* it's magic quality of transformation that happens to a humble piece of plain material. And it doesn't get much more humble than my favorite repurposed burlap. I'm very excited about my experiment with hand carved stamps for my root sacks. As much as I loved the saturated look of my stencils, I'm totally enjoying the softer, rustic look of the stamps. The slight translucence seems to lend itself perfectly to the organic shapes of onions and garlic and the texture of jute/burlap.


I do prefer stencils for bold letter graphics, though. I'll be selling one bag that says AJO.

El ajo is garlic in Spanish. I chose just to use the three letters for simplicity and balance. I'm learning so much by practicing and will share more of my process soon. In the mean time, visit Geninne for all of the basics on stamp carving. She's the stamping queen and one of my heroes!

I'd like to figure out a few more things... more effective stamp pads for paper vs. cloth/linen.

Less crumbly blocks for cutting. Not so pleased with the ones I just received from Blicks, so I just sent away for some different supplies from them. After I work out the kinks, I will be better versed in sharing this new skill. I also had a fabulous time working with my children on making some personal stamps. So look forward to some tips on creating stamps with children.

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These root sacks and more will be available in my shop in Friday's 1pm EST update.

the latest!

Oh my, I'm getting quite back-blogged these days. I have so much to share and not enough hours in each day. This little post will be devoted to the latest news. So here we go!

I was so thrilled to discover that today's guest curator on The Storque (Etsy) had chosen my buckets for part of her montage. When I discovered that the curator was none other than Marichelle of heart handmade, I jumped up and down. It was a double gift, since I love her blog and all that she does so much. Thank you Marichelle!

As spring approaches, I'm getting so excited to teach at Squam! The lively buzz that the returning and new participants are sending out is contagious. This retreat sounds like a life changing experience for both the student and the teacher. I'm beyond thrilled to be involved, and am so excited to spend time with some of you in such an inspiring and nourishing setting. Holly, at decor8, just did a wonderful interview with Elizabeth ,the founder and creator of Squam. It really brought to life what this magical art retreat is all about. So worth reading. What a wonderful opportunity to give to yourself!

Next up, I'm happy to announce that I'll be holding a series of local Saturday workshops this spring, as well. Two of them will be at The Barn! None of these gorgeous poppies in spring, but still quite magical. I'll be posting all of the details March 2.

Be back soon with some of the fun I've been having with printing!

burlap :: moss

Hi Friends! It's a busy day for me, but I wanted to peek in and share a couple of things. First off are a couple of business related items: I just listed the sachets in my shop and scheduled my buckets for 1pm on Friday the 27th.

Next, I wanted to respond to several readers who asked about coffee sack care. I am extremely selective with each sack I choose. I only pick ones in beautiful condition... they might have holes here and there, but are clean and not dusty. I air them on the line before I store them in a container. Wet burlap is not my favorite smell, I therefore recommend spot cleaning on all of my products. My buckets are lined with a freshly laundered cotton using a hypo-allergenic and biodegradable detergent. If you have a piece of burlap that must be washed: soak in warm water with a gentle detergent, rinse, and let drip dry. Drying them in the sun or in front of the wood stove has been very effective. The graphics will fade quite a bit... they're not usually stamped with permanent inks. This is one of the main reasons for spot cleaning. Hope this helps, I'm thrilled to hear you've been inspired to work with burlap. It's a challenging material at first, but I love it's versatility and all the rugged character it holds.

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Next up, I'm excited to show you a give-away I won from Jackie at SMOOTHPEBBLE!
I've never had a terrarium, but it seems so perfect in my home.

We are loving watching our moss grow. Look at the sweet little toadstools she hand painted for tucking inside.

My daughter claimed the heart one, of course. These pictures were taken directly after it had traveled many miles to our front porch... what a spring gift! Go here for her tutorial on making your own moss terrarium... and some lovely photos. She also included one of my favorites of her beautiful paper cuts... isn't this amazing!?

You may already know Jackie, but if she's new to you please stop by and say" hi". She's an amazing crafter, gifted writer, wonderful photographer and inspiring mother of three boys. She's also been a blogging friend since my early days and I'm so grateful for her friendship. Just another reason I'm so happy to be a part of this community.

bit of sunshine

Is it really the last week of February? I know it's a short month, but it usually drags on with dreary, gray days. This year, this month has flown by and brought some sunny skies and an almost complete thaw. All of the gorgeous yellows appearing in everyone's photographs, for Erin's color week, really inspired my making over the break. I did sew up some more sachets! I dug through my scrap bag for yellows and yellow/greens to bring to mind warmth and the green growth that will surely follow. Each one is filled with organic lavender and guaranteed to lift your spirits and bring a spot of happiness to your drawers or closet. Doesn't this look like a big bowl of sunshine?


I've been keeping mine in my purse to infuse it with that heady scent. It came in very handy while standing in a long line the other day. I passed it back and forth with my four year old, and we were the most mellow grocery shoppers ever! I highly recommend making some for yourself... I'll put these ones in my shop for those of you non-sewing lavender lovers.

I've also been working on more coffee sack buckets for another update on Friday. I'll have the round medium and large ones that I haven't had in a while... especially nice for keeping handwork stashed in.
Very kind requests for more garlic and onion sacks have been coming in... a bunch are on the way! I'm working out a more efficient way to print them. Hand cut one-of-a-kind stencils are an act of love I wish I could keep giving, but I know there is an easier way. So... I carved my very first stamp yesterday: my garlic bulb. I'm so excited by the potential carving holds!

I'll share my process and how the fabric printing turns out later this week. I love trying new techniques... makes me feel like a little girl with a new toy: giddy! If you've recently tried something new that got you excited, I'd love to hear about it...

Have a wonderful start to your week !

biscuits for our tea

To go with our nice cup of tea or coffee, I'd love to share these currant biscuits with you. We've made three batches in the last week and each time they disappear faster than you'd believe. I made up the first batch last week for my daughter's nursery school. Twenty discriminating little palates all agreed: delicious! Older children and adults can't leave them alone either. They are amazingly simple, that's why I'm so surprised by their popularity. Of course I had to write down the recipe for you. I believe it's quite forgiving, since I've changed it slightly each time and haven't been disappointed once. A food processor makes these an easy "whip up".

Currant Biscuits
tea time...snack time... any time!

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup of currants
1 cup of vanilla yogurt


Make
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Mix all the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add currants and mix for 5 seconds. Add yogurt and mix just until it's all incorporated. Lightly flour your counter and turn the dough out onto it. Pat into a circle ... sprinkle a little flour on top of dough to prevent sticking and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut in shapes and place on an un-greased sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Here are some way to vary this recipe:
-add other kinds of dried fruit
-add zest of orange or lemon
-add more sugar for a sweeter version
-use plain yogurt, but add a teaspoon of vanilla
-try other kinds of flours
Here's what not to change (just my opinion):
-amount of soda and baking powder
-ratio of flour to yogurt and butter

I'll be back next week with a more regular posting schedule and a shop update for Friday the 27th. Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

A new addition to this post: recipe translated into Spanish thanks to lovely Julie Alvarez! Please check here.

have a cup with me...

I'd love to have you over for a cup of tea. I often feel like I do when I'm posting. Different hot beverages are always at my side, depending on what time of day it is.

I just wanted to share with you Bev's response to yesterday's post. She doesn't have a computer so my aunt (Bev's baby girl... who is my grandparents main support and next door neighbor) brought over a printed version of the post. She saved your comments for dessert and read them at her daughter's house during her little party. Bev was so overwhelmed and delighted by your wishes. She thanks each of you deeply. It meant so much to her. So much. Isn't the world amazing? Isn't life incredible?

My grandmother traveled around the world 75 years ago. Here is the first page (that's right there is another one, too!) of the places she visited.

Yesterday she did it again! The significance of the many countries her birthday wishes came from, did not go unnoticed. She feels like she got a second chance at a round the world trip! What a gift that was! Bev said, "I always thought the world was rather small... but it just got tiny." I think she really understands the magnitude of what is happening via the internet today. Countless friendships are being forged, support is being given, laughter is being shared... all over the world. Right this moment. You could be sitting in your office in LA, or drinking coffee in a cafe in Paris, or typing in pajamas in a farmhouse in New York (that would be me), or out in your courtyard in Argentina, or even coming in from a walk in a Canadian forest... we are all connected,whoever and wherever we are. Doesn't that make you take a deep breath. Somehow it feels different... bigger thinking of it within the context of someone who has the perspective my grandmother does. After all, it took many months and three ships to travel the distances we do at the click of a button.

I will not take this magic for granted. I am so grateful to be part of this movement towards a global community. I'm so happy you're here with me!

celebrating my hero!

Today I celebrate the birthday of the most influential person in my life, my grandmother. I haven't been able to share her with you before, because I find it so challenging to capture her in a simple blog post... but today is her 88th birthday. I love knowing you're reading this, Bev! I've always called my grandmother by her first name. She never looked, nor acted like my friend's grandmas. She always says that because she didn't have a grandmother to learn from, she has had to make up her own version of what a grandmother should be. Well, there has never been a wiser and more amazing role model. I hope to be just like her when my children have children. I plan to write a book someday about the three generations of women in my family... beginning with Bev. She has led a legendary life, but I won't start it here, at least not yet. What I want to show you today is one of my most treasured possessions. My great grandfather immigrated from Romania at the age of five. He made his way in this new country by selling gloves. When the Great Depression hit, warm gloves for children were still a necessity. He prospered. He gave his own children everything that he had never had. As a salesman, he traveled all over the world. He sent home the finest clothes and gifts for his darling daughter. She could have easily been spoiled, but my grandmother was taught to value and appreciate everything and everyone. At thirteen, her father decided she needed to see the world... witness how other people lived. She set off on an around the world voyage that changed her life.

my thirteen year old grandmother aboard the S.S Coolidge attending a costume party 5/28/34

Along the way, she bought a trunk and brought it home. Here it lives with me, one of my most beloved possessions... for the sake of history and my love for her.
Let's open it...

Here lies the heart of a 13 year old in 1934.

In perfect penmanship, she chronicled her adventure in a trip log and journal... including the day she purchased this very trunk in Hong Kong 35 years and one day before I was born. She tells the story of going with her mother on a hunt for a "chest that's just the right size." Here are a few glimpses...

The world looked very different, but she was the same then as she is to this day... loving, optimistic, and open to connections with people wherever she goes. These are only three of the millions of qualities she has always modeled for me. I strive everyday to be as much like her as I can. By living with Bev off and on throughout my life, her presence has been a constant source of inspiration. She has always guided me to find my own truth and see the goodness in everyone. Her given middle name is Hope, after all! But how do you write about a woman who has led a magnificent life for 88 years... the stories are countless. How do you write about a woman who insisted on getting her master's degree (women did not do that in those days), before she agreed to get a marriage license? How do you write about a woman who had everything money could buy, but chose to follow her heart and live her life along side a brilliant, but poor boy who would give her the opportunity to be his partner, not just his wife? They worked side by side: building their home, raising their three children, running their legendary cooperative nursery school , and they are still in love almost seventy years later. How can I write all of it? Someday, there will be a book. The stories are too great and too many to let them disappear. So... Happy Birthday Bevy! This life you've been leading is remarkable! I promise to write your story... our story. I love you more than words can ever say!

Beverly Hope with her two oldest children outside of the worksite that was their home... and soon to be the first solar heated house on Long Island. That barefoot girl... my sweet mother.

spring whispers

We're getting there! February has reached it's midpoint. Our long Northeastern winter is losing it's grip. I know there are many more inches of snow left to fall and lots more days of bundling up, but I feel spring whispering. During a thaw last week, I even smelled the first hints of spring. The rich aroma of wet earth and damp grass enveloped me as I pushed my daughter on the swings for the first time in so long. The scent of my lavender love-letter pillows also reminded me of warmer days, and I decided I needed a little sachet filled with summer. Sometimes little things can make me so unbelievably happy. I'm going to make more in the next couple of days. Many more!

This week will be filled with playing and making... not much blogging. It's winter break and I will be focusing on my family during the day. In the evenings I will be readying buckets and more for my next shop update... coming very soon. Although I might have to peek in once or twice (because I'll miss you all!), I won't be here in full swing until February 23rd. Hope you have a beautiful week!

finding love everywhere

finding love everywhere
Originally uploaded by mayalu

Wishing you love each and every day.

just a couple more

I've had so many posts to share for Valentine's Day... I mean ones that I never got to! I've jotted them down and will save them for all us for next year. Here are a couple of hearts I haven't shown you yet. I took the leftover brown paper that we had painted our banner on and cut out hearts. I left a basket of different heart cards and assorted supplies out for making any time someone felt inspired:



...and cut some into frames:


...made lots of cards with pages from an old dictionary for shop customers/friends...

and baked the heart biscuits with currants for nursery school this morning (in the top phot0).

But these next ones are my favorites... and I don't want to stop making them just because Valentine's Day will be over tomorrow night.

LOVE LETTER PILLOWS

They are made out of linen with a felted heart pocket on one side. It's just the right size for slipping in a little love note, a treat... I was even thinking a little tooth! They're each stuffed with eco-fill for soft cuddling and several huge scoops of dried lavender for sweet dreams. The reverse side has the owner's initial stenciled on: a love letter!

We made these for friends, but everyone in my family seems to want one for themself, now!

i heart ice cream cake!

I've been planning on sharing this post for almost two months! I'm a strange mix of spontaneous whipper upper and careful planner. I made my first ice cream heart cake for my daughter's 4th birthday... 15 minutes before we lit the candles. It was not a plan... it was a rescue mission. Her birthday falls in the middle of the holiday rush, and making a complicated cake is not part of my mental health plan. When she asked for an ice cream cake weeks in advance, I told her the truth...I had never made one before and didn't think I knew how. At any other time of year, I would master an ice cream cake for my daughter in a heart beat. But it's not like she hadn't had a big party with cupcakes, already. For the actual day, she resigned herself to a basic chocolate cake. We decided to make it special by putting it in a heart shaped cake pan. To my dismay, that cake would not come out of it's pan. I had greased it, floured it, etc. It came out in pieces. She watched horrified... "what will we do Mama?" the tears were forming... I was panicking... Dad said, with total confidence, "Mommy has a perfect plan!" I didn't. I froze. Then I remembered the pint of vanilla ice cream waiting in the freezer. " You're having your ice cream cake, after all!" I proclaimed and got to work.
It was a success, and we all decided that another was necessary for Valentine's Day. No one in my family complained about making it a week early so that I could share it with you. We've had heart cake for dessert for the last three nights in a row! The extra batter went into cupcakes.

So here's what I did. I'm sure there are many wonderful recipes for ice cream cake. This is just my can't fail/ anyone can make this version. A heart pan isn't necessary, but does make it special.

1. Bake your favorite layer cake in your pan and let cool.
   
2. Invert onto a plate and wash out cake pan. I traced and cut out a heart-shaped piece of parchment paper to bake the cake on this time... no sticking!
3. Spread slightly softened ice cream in pan. Use strawberry for the pink effect.
   
4. Layer cake onto ice cream and freeze... we have yet to wait for this step!
5. Place pan in dish of warm water for a few seconds.
6. Invert onto serving plate and eat immediately. Get those leftovers back into the freezer, quick!
   

Both times we've served it with homemade hot fudge sauce... this pushes it over the edge into sublime. Here's the recipe for fudge.