per juliet’s recommendation, i am reading “creatively self-employed: how writers and artists deal with career ups and downs” by kristen fischer. thank you so much, juliet! while i’m only a third of the way through the easy-to-read, inspirational book, i would also highly recommend it to any new or seasoned full-time artist. fischer talks about dealing with rejection, isolation, but most importantly, she emphasizes the pure JOY of doing what you love and being your own boss. you will realize that you are not alone in your endeavors.

i also picked up “patterns” by drusilla cole. this book is GORGEOUS- all eye candy. patterns are divided into the following categories: conversation, abstract, retro, geometric, and organic. - a must see.

i’m always a fan of cut outs in any material- metal, paper, etc. here are some felt placemats by gabrielle lewin: flowers, bugs, fish

(flowers enlarged)

yesterday steve and i went to an estate sale in order to appease our restless sunday feelings. steve found a vintage contaflex camera and i found these russian nesting dolls. i’ve always wanted a set! the second smallest doll is cracked, but you can see that someone tried to lovingly glue her back together. that makes it an even better set in my book.

and if you’re feeling the desire for some of your own nesting dolls, i found these:

1. pillow
2. necklace
3. pouch
4. for more information on the dolls via wiki

shop update! introducing queen bee creations wonder wallets: perfect wallets for your checkbook, cash, credit cards, business cards and more- all made from leather free products!

please visit me today at 2modern.
happy sunday everyone!

i feel SERIOUSLY out of the loop. why didn’t anyone tell me there are japanese craft books available on etsy?! why!
two years ago (when i followed steve along on a business trip to san francisco) i forced steve to walk with me to japantown in search of these beautiful books. of course we got lost and never arrived at our destination (it’s ok though- we did have delicious indian food instead). i won’t even get into how i tried to order these from amazon japan. no sir.
well- here they are- all over etsy!

oh, and no- i don’t know how to crochet or felt, but who can resist these images?

yesterday i spent a full day back at the jeweler’s bench. it’s been about a year since i’ve sat there! i handpierced these little trees for a new line that i’m working on. this started out as doodles, then refined via photoshop with steve’s help, and finally pierced out of sterling silver sheet. i am also going to burn a gocco screen with this print tonight! the possibilities are endless. . .

rachel bone of red prairie press is a fellow charm city craft mafia member. last night i had the pleasure of chatting with her about what it is like to be a full time artist. we agreed that there are moments of panic here and there, but in the end it is all worthwhile and we wouldn’t change it for anything! rachel is a painter, screenprinter, printmaker, lovely lady, and more! visit red prairie press at the renegade craft fair, pile of craft, and the official site.

the charm city craft mafia got together last night to discuss addtional “pile of craft” details. while at the meeting, i thought it would be fun to take some blog time to highlight the work of our wonderful members. first up- cotton monster by jennifer strunge

there is no way to not SMILE when browsing the ADORABLE site. don’t forget to check out the photo album and portfolio where you can see jennifer’s range of work. i love these guys!! makes me hope there is one under my bed. . .

new stationary from good on paper:

and some more good news: restock of bird sticky notes and dandelion card set

also- don’t forget to check out our ALL clothing sale!

as imogene settles into our second year of business, we have decided to phase out clothing and home goods and concentrate on jewelry, accessories, and paper products. now we can focus on bringing you the best in these three categories. growth=learning how to edit- huzzah!

macrame, rafia and crochet all remind me of hot sunny summer days

fortaleza bag (comes in many colors!)
ile saint marie bag
japanese craft book - macrame projects
macrame doormat
Clinkscales Arts crochet earrings

the shop will be closed this weekend while we are in philly. if you are in the area, don’t forget to stop by and see us at the art star craft bazaar. see you monday!

oh! and a friendly reminder- you can still find me at 2modern this sunday for some jewelry talk.