i love the few days before a show. well. . . sometimes. i either get SUPER FOCUSED or SUPER UNFOCUSED. this time around- i’m in the work zone and really loving it. i think that walking dogs part time (1-3 days out of the week) not only gives me the opportunity to clear my head, but it is enough time to miss working at the bench, that when i return i’m ready to GO!
i’ll be unveiling some new earring designs at the handmade market on sunday. also, there will be styles presently in the collection that will be available unoxidized. i’m so disappointed that my new PONOKO project will not be available at the show like i hoped. . a warning to those who are thinking of trying PONOKO out- it takes FOREVER to produce your design!!!
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have you all heard the wonderful crafty news? our friend, andrew wagner, editor of american craft will now be editor-in-chief of ReadyMade! congratulations to andrew and ReadyMade!
in case you haven’t heard from me already ( HA! ), i’ll be at the handmade market this weekend in raleigh. (anyone have vegan restaurant recommendations? i’d love to hear them!).
while i can’t wait for my trip to raleigh, i’m so sad that i’ll be missing out on the first ever summit of awesome: a THREE-day crafty affair for artists and crafters including the screening of handmade nation, and a lecture from one of my favorite duos on one of my favorite topics: something’s hiding in here on the Craft Fair Booth Setup and Display panel.
psssttt. . . you can still enter to win tickets to the screening here
if you are in or around northampton, ma- lucky you!! i wish i could visit the twist fair with you, because i’ve heard that it is a SPECTACULAR show. (say hi! to our buds red prairie press and twigs & heather!)
“Witness the rebirth of vaudeville with host and giant-sock extraordinaire Maestro Sensational and his loyal ragtag gang of Sockophants! Your charming host will present a veritable uprising of comic bits and slapstick revival. See him unveil the talents of Baltimore’s paradigms of puppetry! Enliven your heart with the toe-tapping tunes of host-band Walker and Jay!”
metalsmith extraordinaire April Wood will be guest performing too!
(no one under 17, please)
if you’re not a resident of one of these crafty cities, check out this indie craft show guide- maybe there is a show near you this weekend!
what has everyone been up to all week?! between getting myself together for the handmade market, shipping orders, correspondence, dog walking and keeping house, i just haven’t had time to pop in here or take proper photos to share with you (please excuse the above camera phone photos).
i’ve missed it here! (i’ve still been twittering away, though). so what’s been going on around here?
this week in the studio, i started the second ring (pictured above) in the ring series that i will be working on throughout the year (see the first ring here).
also, i sent my very first file to ponoko! i thought i would join in on all the ponoko fun that everyone is having. i can hardly wait to receive the package in the mail AND show you what i’m up to! soon. very, very soon. . .
when i wasn’t in the studio, you could find me in the kitchen:
my gastronomical accomplishments included baking coconut cupcakes for eliza’s birthday and making gnocchi from stratch (not so pretty, but very tasty).
or outside:
one of the (many) advantages of dog walking is the discovery of all kinds of hidden baltimore gems. while walking the two pups pictured above, i stumbled across a short and shady nature trail alongside a stream- right in the middle of the city. and just last week i stumbled across this scene in the middle of the woods:
steve and i also made it out to sherwood gardens yesterday for what, i believe, is the peak tulip viewing weekend. (the tulip pictured in the weekend recap is one from our own garden )
thank you, as always, for taking the time to visit me here. i hope you all had a great week(end) too!
i have a full day ahead of me: i will be walking dogs as well as heading to the studio to get lots and lots of work done! i can usually only function well at one of these tasks a day, but i’m confident that i can enjoyably squeeze both in today. i just wanted to drop by briefly before i hit the road to show you what i made in the kitchen last night!
potato and asparagus soup (leftovers all packed up for lunch) and orange glazed scones.
both recipes are from vegan with a vengeance and both are OH SO TASTY. i’ve long avoided recipes that involve the food processor as i hate to lug out our 30 ton machine and then clean it afterwards, however, i’ve discovered that every single time i use it, i am very pleased with the end result. this soup’s texture (thanks to the food processor) truly won me over. i also love the light green color and of course, the flavors
as for the scones, i never thought it could be so easy! scones just sounds fancy and difficult to make, right? not so. i have to work on the glaze, as it did not ever set properly, but other than that, they are fantastic! i had these for dessert last night and breakfast this morning. maybe i’ll grab one on the way out too. . .
i spent saturday evening with lolo and some other magnificently crafty ladies for a serious craft-in. we all gathered together to help make decorations for lolo’s soon-to-come wedding! we are working on pom-poms and garlands a la pam garrison’s blog. please click through for her lovely pictures (my night time photography did not turn out so well!)
on sunday, steve and i took a little trip out of baltmore city to ladew gardens - only about a half hour drive north. what a spectacular little getaway so close to the city!
i have spent most of the morning and afternoon staring out of the window. it is just so GREEN and sunny out there! i did manage to get started on a little batch of clasps for the new necklaces that will be in the color pops and links series. i think i’ll make a few dozen more before heading home.
waiting to be soldered and forged
now that i’m thinking about it, i realize that i have a lot of tasks to complete before the handmade market (in only two weeks!). namely, making work for the show and preparing an order for a new store (announcement soon!).
Also on my list of to-dos:
put together a newsletter for our wonderful newsletter subscribers (you can subscribe by scrolling down to the end of the page!)
the sun is finally making an appearance after QUITE A LONG ABSENCE!! it sure does feel like friday, and even though it isn’t yet, let’s talk about the weekend, shall we?
Spring Bada-bing, organized by the richmond craft mafia takes place this sunday, april 19.
if you are going, will you say hello to some of my buds?
i hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! the highlight of my mine was partaking in a beautiful yoga practice on saturday afternoon. this special gathering was held at an awe-inspiring space called “the library” in federal hill, baltimore. definitely check out “the library”’s website for information on the happenings in this wonderful building. in this beautiful place, we squeezed in together to practice bhakti yoga to live kirtan! i had a wonderful time and left the building with an overwhelming sense of renewal, gratitude and love.
it’s been too long since i’ve worked at the bench. i hear that 7 days away from the studio makes one weak. . .
that will never get old for me
so what’s brewing around these parts? well, i’m working on expanding the collection! i’ve got a ton of ideas swimming around: like i mentioned earlier, i’ll be adding multiple chains to the Color Pop and Links necklaces and bracelets (multicolored pieces!), adding the option of unoxidized links (by popular demand), and i’ll be playing with layers. lots and lots of layers. also, i’ve got some earring tricks up my sleeve. . . watch out!
AND. . . i’m happy to say that i have a book project. . . of sorts. . in. . the. . . works. and that’s all i can say. tee hee!
and lastly, anyone out there in seattle? you will be able to find imogene at velouria by the end of the month! yippieeee!
here i am at grind on, a sweet little cafe in lauraville, baltimore (maryland) catching up on some e-mail. if you’re in the area, i highly recommend a visit- the sunny yellow walls are so cheerful, the big storefront windows let in healing natural light, the wi-fi is free and the coffee is super tasty. i’ll have to bring my camera next time i’m here. . .
it’s been a long day of running errands including food shopping at two of my favorite faraway places (suburbs): the health concern and trader joe’s.
that’s all folks! have a great weekend! and check out the charm city craft mafia blog for a list of crafty events to partake in this weekend.
i have found two new chain colors! ooohhh, i just love the two together. i’m working on a brand new necklace style that will incorporate the both chains. . . yes, indeed!
i was feeling the blues the other day, so i made a little trip the thrift store- treasure hunting often takes my mind off of bluesy thoughts. above are two sweet treasures that came home with me. i can’t wait for the next dinner party where i can serve cream out of the creamer instead of the carton!
in other news, i now have over 200 twitter friends! to celebrate, i’m having a yay! for twitter friends SALE. use code 200tweets in the webshop for 20% off of your order. (good till 4/4/09) are you on twitter? find me @imogeneANDannie
. a warning to those who are thinking of trying PONOKO out- it takes FOREVER to produce your design!!!
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