seasonal botanicals

I absolutely love the rotation or flowers at the end of May and beginning of June. I can tell what week it is simply by what's in bloom. The daisies have spread in front of the barn like a carpet white and yellow lace.

The scent of the mock orange blossoms is filling the air with delicious tropical memories.

My favorite poppies are almost peaking.

Blankets of purple phlox cover every forest meadow in sight.

It's a glorious time of year, perfect for gathering bouquets to fill the house. I plan on getting up at the crack of dawn come Wednesday morning and picking bunches for my botanical printing class at Squam. Somehow, they will have to stay fresh on a long drive and over a couple of days... any suggestions how to do that would be oh so welcome! Are there blooms to fall in love with where you live, too?

Made by Hand :: Mark Frauenfelder- a review and give-away

 A while back, I was contacted by Penguin to see if I was interested in receiving an advanced copy of a soon to be released book. I've been asked to review quite a few books this year, which is very exciting but I'm extremely selective. The title: Made by Hand- Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World hooked me in an instant. The author, Mark Frauenfelder, is none other than the founder of the mega blog: Boing Boing and Editor in Chief of Make. I figured he must have an interesting perspective on the DIY culture and handmade movement... and wasn't disappointed. I assumed that the book would be a how to of sorts by a leading maker/ creative. The reality is that Mark had little or no experience before writing about the various projects he tackles: from urban chicken farming, beekeeping, and growing food to making cigar box guitars and hacking his espresso maker (to name a few). He takes the reader along on his journey as he embraces a slower, more hands on approach to life... and shares his foibles and self doubts on the way. Mark's successes had me cheering him on as if he were my favorite next door neighbor. I don't know if it was his simple egoless honesty or the fluidity of his writing, but I felt as if I was hanging out on his back porch listening to him tell stories as he whittled a wooden spoon (another handmade project featured). One of the most interesting aspects of Made By Hand is the extensive research covering each topic, along with the fascinating "alpha makers" that are profiled, to give you real insight into each subject. Because of my own lifestyle and the DIY family I was born into,  I could relate to so much within the pages, but I think anyone would find this a can't put down kind of book. Rich, thought provoking and utterly readable!
Mark was kind enough to take some time to talk to me (via phone), and here's a little summary of some of the highlights of our conversation:
-The DIY movement was gaining in popularity well before the economic downturn, maybe as a reaction to materialism and consumerism. Do you think that the drive to make things is influenced more by necessity now?  
Yes, but not what usually comes to mind when we think of necessities. Doing/making things yourself is still often more expensive, but it's just so much more satisfying. The amount of gratification, plus hours spent pursuing a new passion make for a new kind of equation. In a time when costly leisure pursuits(travel, etc.) are falling by the wayside, spending free time creating, building, fixing things is the least expensive hobby you can have.

- Resourcefulness and invention were part and parcel of other eras. How does and/or will technology interact with the new culture of invention?  
It's tremendously beneficial as a source of info and even better for connecting to other people with similar interests and ideas. Within 15 seconds of going on-line you can find an evolution of plans, ideas, iterations on designs to make and/or perfect anything at all. People love to show off what they can do, it's simply human nature. The internet creates the perfect platform for this.

-One of my favorite parts of the book was hearing your process, both trial and error, as you tried something new. You discussed the importance of getting over the fear of making mistakes. How has that changed the way you approach a new project?
The defining characteristics I learned from experienced DIYers were:

• make lots of mistakes
• laugh about them
• learn from each attempt 

Items made by hand hold little expressions of yourself. "Once I discovered how much fun it was to become active in the process of making, maintaining, and  modifying the things I use and consume every day, the little flaws, quirks, and imperfections in my handiwork stopped becoming shameful and instead felt like badges of honor."  - page 30 from chapter 1 The Courage to Screw Things Up

Thank you Mark for a great chat and a fabulous new book that will  inspire and celebrate the creative urges in all of us!

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I'm happy to say that Penguin sent me an extra copy to give away to one of you. If you'd like a chance to own one of my new favorite books, Made By Hand, please leave a comment within this post by Monday 5 pm EST. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday morning. Good luck and happy weekend!

handmade wedding

Fourteen years ago, on hilltop meadow there was a wedding made by hand and heart. The young couple wanted to express their love in a ceremony and celebration that represented their values and passions, so they crafted it themselves. I've shared a bit about our wedding and the dress here, and thoughts on marriage and the groom's top here. Our love continues to deepen, and gratitude for my amazing partner grows each day. In honor of our anniversary, I'd love to share the blouse I wore up to the meadow, right before the ceremony. The top photo is the front, but it can be worn either way. My mother made it out of 5 different linen napkins/ handkerchief pieces. There is some asymmetry due to their slightly different sizes, but I love that.

She used a ribbon woven through the lace to connect the sleeves to the body. Clever isn't she?

We photographed it in front of the "wedding bush" that blooms for each of our anniversaries (someone remind me of its true name, please). It's displayed on another wall in our bedroom... across from The Dress. Sentimental... yeah, that's me.

southwestern quinoa salad

So glad you enjoyed the picnic bowl "scrunchie" as Stephanie called it. There were some requests for the salad.  This is not so much a recipe, as an idea of what to toss in a bowl to bring to your next picnic. We usually have it towards the end of the summer when tomatoes and corn are everywhere... but our recent heat wave brought on the craving for it NOW! Quinoa is such a wonderful little grain for salads. It absorbs dressings beautifully and adds a delicate texture to any dish. I like to use it in place of bulgur wheat for tabouleh, but that's another salad.

Southwestern Quinoa Salad:
Make quinoa and let cool in a large bowl to room temp. (2 cups grain to 4 cups of water)
Add the following in the amounts that suit your taste:

• cooked black beans
• fresh or frozen corn kernels
• finely chopped onions
• diced carrots
• red bell peppers
• olive oil
• brown rice vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have on hand)and/or lime juice
• dash of dried oregano
• salt
• chipotle powder or adobo sauce (that held chipotles)... if not available a dash of cayenne

Mix together...taste... season some more until your happy. Arrange in a bowl or on a platter topped with chopped cilantro, cherry tomatoes (and avocados!) Enjoy!

picnic bowl cover strap: how to

Picnic and potluck invitations are springing up like the daisies out back. As I slipped our family's contribution into a special bowl Saturday night, I knew that I didn't want to cover it with aluminum foil... but how could I protect it for transport? Pretty presentation always makes me happy. A draped dishcloth works in a pinch, but it often slips into the salad or off the bowl. I used an extra large rubber band to secure it and felt super clever. Doesn't it look pretty?

I was so inspired that the next day I made a stretchy band that could serve as the permanent strap for all of our picnic bowls. I was about to use something from my scrap basket, when I spotted this red checkered shirt I recently acquired from the Salvation Army. It had picnic written all over it!

The fun part was realizing that the strip that held the buttons is a perfect channel for housing elastic. I just sliced it off, stripped it of buttons, and inserted a little length of elastic.

I connected the two ends of elastic with a few stitches, but didn't bother to sew the fabric tube together.

This gives plenty of room for stretching over large sized bowls. Love it! Obviously, you can sew a little tube out of any fabric scrap, but if you happen to have a large button down shirt: super fast! What a great way to show off our favorite linens... Ready for picnic season!

summer rolls

It's the season for summer rolls. When the temperature rises and fresh vegetables become plentiful, I love making these hand held meals, almost as much as I love eating them! Who doesn't appreciate when food is fun and lends itself to individualization? Picky eaters can customize their roll. Cilantro lovers can rejoice in a house where cilantro is disdained... you get the idea. These rolls have the added benefit of being wheat free and vegan without trying. I've really embraced my new way of eating. Being vegan again feels quite natural, but staying away from wheat was an experiment that I wasn't sure could last very long. It's been three weeks and I'm enjoying the break. I think our systems appreciate a little vacation from the foods we consume most frequently.

 Summer Rolls

A great option when the kitchen is too hot to cook in and perfect for tucking into lunchboxes and picnic baskets... Ingredients can vary depending on what's in your refrigerator and garden. These rolls held watercress, carrots, scallions, tofu, noodles, black gamasio.
Need:

• rice paper discs
• vegetables: carrots, sprouts, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, cilantro, mint, watercress
• cellophane noodles (mung bean thread noodles) optional
• baked tofu or tempeh optional
• dishcloths

Make:

1. Soak noodles according to package instructions.
2. Thinly slice all vegetables and arrange on platter for easy assembly.
3. Place rice paper disc in a water bath  make sure all parts are covered. It's  ready as soon as it's completely soft... a couple of minutes. Slip it onto a dishcloth and blot dry. 
4. Add another disc while you prepare the first roll.
5. Place all ingredients on the lower center of the rice paper. Fold in the sides. Begin rolling shut. Keep it tight and secure. It will seal itself when you complete it.

Serve with chili sauce, Thai peanut sauce, or tamari and ginger. Delicious! These can vary endlessly and are fun with a crowd!

positivity

I have so many new ideas I would love to be sharing with you today, but I'll  have to file them away for another time. I'm up to my ears in sewing and making for two separate wonderful ventures. The first: I keep hinting at, but it's still in the hushed and very busy stage... Kathrin and I will be revealing our little joint project very soon, promise. The second is:  The Squam Art Fair on June 5th from 7:30-10 pm. Please come out if you are in the Boston/New Hampshire area! I had such a fun and successful experience last year, that I want to have a nice stock of wares to sell. Thus, I haven't been adding anything to the shop, as I prep and sew buckets, sachets, bags, and print on journals, note cards, etc.

On top of  that, my garden needs attention desperately! Maybe my new work apron will help me get out there today!

Busy? Oh, yes. It's all fun, good stuff, and I'm very grateful for that. I never take for granted that my playing and working hard go hand in hand. The phrase for the day: Positivity begets positivity!

little collection

Today, I have the unexpected gift of spending a rainy day with my favorite little girl. She had a scary reaction to a black fly bite and we both need some quiet time together.  We're making the most of our spontaneous date by playing with her new collection from the weekend's flea market date... in her mind that flea market was heaven. Yes, I'm carefully cultivating the next generation of thrifters. She fell in love with a little box of Wade Whimsies.  We bought an elderly lady's entire collection of porcelain miniature figurines that used to come with boxes of the Canadian tea, Red Rose.

These little creatures are perfect play figures for a 5 year old, and I believe we will be keeping our eyes open for more in the future. Although I wasn't familiar with Wades, I had a little collection of porcelain animals as a child, too. Do you remember your childhood collections?

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In other news:
-Please check out my interview that made the front page of yesterday's HandMadeNews. I included some new tidbits you might not have known.


-Isn't Felt-o-rama fun! Congratulations to the winner of their felt bundle give-away:
 Kate- 
"What a lovely bundle of felt! Those colors are so vibrant. This is a wonderful giveaway."
Please get in touch with me with your mailing address so that I may pass it on to April.  

Off to play!

lemons, typewriters and yo-yos

So many simple pleasures this weekend... sunshine and lots of  unhurried time with my favorite people made for a very a happy weekend. Lots of lemons entered into the picture, too. Lemonade, lemon berry muffins... and I finally made the lemon dish towel that has been on my mind since you all suggested it for my next print. It's the perfect example (for my printing classes) of moving beyond silhouettes to slightly increased complexity with stenciling.  I couldn't let go of the ginkgo image suggested, as well. I've drawn another stencil to cut, but first I wanted to carve that perfect little fan leaf into a stamp or two.

Here it is with one of the highlights of the weekend: our family's first typewriter! I've been on the lookout for one for several years, but all of the vintage ones I came across needed too much work, or were more than I was willing to spend. This sweet little Smith-Corona Classic 12 is a little newer than I had hoped for (60's), but it runs likes a charm and came with a brand new ribbon that we'll be putting in soon. A $5 price tag made it irresistible, and was the success story of yesterday's mother/daughter date to the flea market.

While we were thrifting, my son and his buddy were working on their two favorite things: yo-yoing and movie-making. They combined the two to make an amazing video, "says the proud mama"!

art saves

All week long I have the honor of being a guest curator over at Crescendoh, Jenny Doh's new site. I will be sharing  links each day to inspire, in addition to my story: Art Saves. Each curator writes on how art has impacted, healed, transformed... or just plain SAVED them, and the archives are filled with deep and inspiring words from amazing women. I encourage you to read through them when you have some time.

The creating I do today, is so much about celebration... of the natural world, my family, and the simple moments in each day. It was not always this way. I invite you to read my short story right here.

sponsor give away: felt-o-rama!

 Good morning! I have such a happy give-away to offer you today! Lovely sponsor, Felt-o-rama is offering one lucky reader a recycled Eco-Felt bundle. 26 assorted colors of environmentally friendly and lead-free craft felt! Ecospun (also known as Eco-fi) felt is made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. On average, 10 plastic bottles will produce 1 pound of fiber. This bundle contains a 9" x 12" sheet of each color shown here:

To read more about Felt-o-rama and it's founder, April, please check here. There are so many wonderful things you could make with this colorful assortment in your stash. Felt is super inviting and friendly to work with for both children and adult crafters! Felt-o-rama's blog is filled with an amazing array of exciting tutorials. The sidebar is brimming over with thoughtfully organized craft projects.

Please enter to win in the comment section of this post before 5 pm EST on Monday night. The winner will be announced on Tuesday morning. Good luck and happy crafting!

annekata's fabric paper tape

No Fix-It Friday today, folks... but I have something else quite fun to share. I've mentioned my dear friend, Kathrin, before. Today I'm thrilled to announce that she has started her own blog, annekata. I love her perspective, aesthetic and passion for hand sewing. I was already planning on sending you over to give her a warm welcome, but then she came up with such a sensational idea that you must go see her right now and check out this tutorial for fabric tape. She dropped off a little roll of freshly made linen tape for me, and it's gorgeous! I immediately wanted to play with it, make some of my own... and wrap everything in sight. In fact, I stopped writing this post and got completely obsessed with it.  I really needed a small "do-able" project to get lost in.

I've been admiring all of the (expensive) Japanese tapes out there these days, and  now I can make my own version with stuff I already have on hand! And you can too! Go check out how right here.

This busy week has finally come to an end, and I'm very ready to slip into something more comfortable... a sunny, relaxing weekend. Hope you have a good one too!

reflection

Hello! It's dark and wet outside, and I'm finally letting go of the notion that I will photograph some new items I've been working on. It took me awhile to stop arguing with the weather and start enjoying it. I slipped on my boots and grabbed the camera so that I could go out and appreciate the beauty of the rain.

The farmers across the road are happy. The flowers are drenched, but so content. The birds are finding plenty of worms. Gardens everywhere are singing.. So easy to forget how important and wonderful the rain is, when I allow my little agenda for the day to take over. Don't you love when you remember to stop fighting something that is out of your control, embrace it... and then move on?!

Odds and ends to share:

• I will be speaking at the Ulysses Philomathic Library in Trumansburg tomorrow night at 7pm. Come down if you're in the area.  
• One of my children's art projects is featured right here at Family Fun. Thanks to all of you that pointed me in that direction. I was contacted by Family Fun a few months ago, but I didn't know when it would appear.
• My daughter's unicorn party was included in a great round up of children's party favor bags on The Stir. If you're planning a child's party soon, you might find just the inspiration your looking for.  Ahhh... makes me want to throw another party!
• And lastly, I did another little interview right here.

sprouts and arugula pesto

 I really appreciated how encouraging and interested you all were in my latest project: the spring cleanse. Returning to a macrobiotic diet has been exciting. The limitations have rejuvenated my creativity in the kitchen. I'm trying all kinds of new things and remembering old favorites. For instance, I haven't sprouted garbanzo beans since the good ol' days when I managed the (now gone) vegan Garden of Eatin' Cafe (Marin, Ca.). We had a constant tub of red lentils and garbanzo beans soaking/sprouting for a signature salad we offered. There are so many resources online that I didn't have access to in those days. Here's a bunch of sprouting ideas I'd like to try out: Quick and Easy sprouted bean recipes. If you'd like to do some of your own sprouting, check out this post. I still really love all of  the info at Sprout People, and they give great instructions for sprouting everything, including assorted beans. Sprout bonus: kitchen science with children!


 Increasing the amount of raw foods I consume, feels like an obvious next step. Local farmer's markets are getting in gear and foraging in the backyard yields plenty of raw edibles. I also had to do something with those gorgeous greens/arugula my neighbors gave us. Pesto!

 Arugula Pesto

Toss into the food processor:

• a bunch of greens
• a few glugs of  cold-pressed olive oil (maybe 1/4 cup)
• small clove of garlic
• little handful of raw walnuts
• squeeze of lemon juice
• umeboshi plum paste or sea salt to taste.

Blend until it's smooth and creamy.
I served it on carrot "planks". My kids are pesto lovers, and I wasn't sure if they'd feel this stacked up to their favorite original version. They ate them all with gusto!  I'm happy to have an alternative until our basil crop grows. Exposing children to new and varied foods keeps their taste buds open to eating adventures and minimizes the "picky" ruts that so many fall into. I always find finger foods to be more enticing when introducing something new... no matter what the age group.

the family bookshelf

Every person, big and small, in my family loves to read. Books are very important to us. We have books in every room, but (until recently) the living room was void of reading material. Well, there were buckets of library books, but no shelves. My studio has a built in book wall, and the room was originally the family library. For the last few years our shared collection has gathered (burlap) dust and the children didn't have easy access to some really special great resources.  I was getting ready to build a simple unit for the living room, when I came across an old (somewhat sad) shelf with the perfect dimensions.

A few coats of paint later, and our library is open for business.

We filled it last month and everyone has been overjoyed with the new access to good reads.

 Details:
-Cool Green Stuff
-read sign found here
-framed art: grandfather's block print, my first silkscreen (swallow), son's bird etching
-blackboard with constantly changing messages

A brand new book for the shelf arrived in my mailbox a few days ago.   Much to my surprise and delight, I was sent a complimentary copy of the soon to be released Apartment Therapy book: Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces.

Thanks so much AT!  Author (and cofounder of AT), Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan didn't want this to be another book about impersonal and staged rooms. He says, "I wanted to dig up small homes with uniqueness and character, homes that are truly lived-in, ones you don't often see."
I've spent the last few nights pouring over the pages and enjoying the creativity that small spaces seem to necessitate.
Until my present home, I had only lived in tiny places or rooms. In fact, my favorite childhood bedroom was a walk in closet! My mother built a loft up top with a desk, clothes rod, and shelf tucked under the bed. I still miss that room! 
Having a book filled with fresh inspiration, directly from one of my favorite interior/design blogs, is making me look at the corners of my home with new eyes. I love mixing things up and moving furniture around, how about you?