My Little Orange Kitchen

New Wallet Design

Last summer I designed a wallet with five inside pockets and one outside pocket that can function as a clutch.

I tested it and used mine for almost a full year before deciding that it was ready to be "presented". Well,  I made ten for the Flying Pig Gallery LLC in Algoma (If you haven't visited, you must!) and will be delivering them today.

They are roomier than the normal wallets even though the dimensions are about the same. The same rule applies as far as getting the most out of it and that is to allow it to stretch slowly before over-stuffing it with your cell-phone and lipstick----which it will allow in time. I carry my cell phone in mine, lipstick and I'll admit that I do push it by adding keys!

I love that now you have a total of six pockets and can keep your cards, receipts and paper money separate! Honestly...it's embarrassing how many times I've shrieked in delight over here!

The new clutches will be at the Flying Pig today and I will have a few at The Green Bay Wednesday Farmer's Market on Broadway on September 28th. My table will be in front of D.I. Y. and I plan to come loaded with goods! The price on the new clutches is $30.00.

I've been making tons of my mini collages (one inch circles)...too cute! I think they will make an appearance at the market as well...in the form of ornaments or pendants...your choice because they will come with a chain or a hook.

I hope you have a great day and here's a little inspiration!

Ilka's Attic

HOPE

'Hope' is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - And sings the tune without words And never stops - at all.

Emily Dickinson

A Little Less Conversation

Hello Kitchenettes! I am literally hopping and chirping over here with so much to share! I feel excited and like this may be one of my most important posts.

First: Heather's 30 Day Vegan class was fantastic. I just finished and lost 26 pounds eating wonderful food, connecting with women from all over, pouring over all of the delicious recipes, coloring (yes, coloring!) and all around being inspired. I cannot say enough about it. If you need a shift and some focus...this class is for you and is professionally and incredibly well done. Heather was so inspiring and I know the women in the course with me felt the same way.

I did better the first half of the course than the second...but I hung in there. I had some non-vegan meals mostly because of convenience. It's easy to be vegan, but usually you have to have some clean dishes with which to cook and last week our kitchen? Not so cool.

Second: Several months ago I began working with some inspirational cards I created about nine years ago. I had abandoned them a long time ago and what a mistake. I think I felt shame about creating such a health and body affirming card pack, but still being overweight. What I didn't realize then, that I totally get now, is that my issue is one of fear of vulnerability (more on this later) and that the cards were not meant to make me thin, but were meant to give me the clarity to make some decisions about what is best for me and the energy to take some action. I had been lost, but now I feel found. (How's that for drama!)

I signed up for Heather's class during a moment of clarity. I finally decided to tell my friend Sandi how in awe I am of her athleticism and state my need for some help in one of those guided moments we all have and often ignore.  Sandi lives in Seattle, but within one day of talking with her on facebook, I had a moment of clarity and  the next day I set up training with not one, but two personal trainers!

My neighbor Sule got me in touch with a local woman named Heather. Sandi and her pal Jake got me to look into the Crossfit box in Green Bay where I have connected with Grant.  I start in mid-April with Heather and in May with Grant. I'm so excited! 

This is a big investment for me. I am using money from my own wallet sales and couldn't be more proud. I am a little nervous, but happy.

Pop! Chirp! Hop!  Peep! That is happy and excited me!

I finally feel like I'm doing less contemplating and more taking action...and you all know me...I LOVE CONTEMPLATION!

Why two trainers? Well, one to help on the fitness side in a seriously intense way. I've got 100 pounds to lose and it's really affecting me physically now. I can't coast anymore.

The second one (Heather) is to help me develop some body confidence outside of the gym. We will be hiking and doing some boot-camp together outside. I love being outdoors, but realized that I don't trust my body on steep climbs the way I used to. Heather and I will start on the lake trail and then graduate to more rugged terrain.

OK. I'll share my cards later, but here is a mini-preview for those of you who have not seen it on Facebook.

OK...the next big step.

I have gone, for lack of a better term,"balls to the wall" on work lately. I am stressed, but finding a groove. I hired a temporary helper (wow!) and the ideas are not just pouring in...but I'm acting on them.  I made the hairpins above and they are part of a bigger project involving not only hairpins, but paper jewelry. They are water-resistant and I love them!

I also made some journals out of game pieces that will blow your mind (let me believe) because they are so little and cute (1.5 by 1 inch!).

I am starting a holiday recycling project (details later) and have some friends already on board to help me! Wait....did you read what I JUST WROTE? I wrote, "to help me". This is crazy insane because if you know me...help is something I rarely admit to needing or wanting. It's the vulnerability factor again.

I have someone helping me starting on May 2nd to get my studio painted and in order.  I also asked for and got an extension on a deadline and didn't feel like a failure. Instead I felt like I was being professionally responsible. Nice shift. Of course this puts me a little behind on some other important commitments, but I had to do it.

I will be attending a local art retreat in July and have put myself out there and offered to help if I can (usually I fear offering my help because I'm afraid I'll disappoint the person by not being helpful enough-crazy).  Here are the retreat details.  The classes are a la carte and very reasonable considering the caliber of the organizing hostess and teachers coming from all over. 

I also decided to apply for a show even though I had decided last year that shows are not for me since I get too nervous beforehand and overwhelmed. Wait...I take that back...I've applied for two shows! One is in Wisconsin and the other is in Manhattan!!!!! I said yes to an almost free trip and this show opportunity came out of nowhere. We shall see. It's a small one (about 2000 people expected), but really...this represents a huge shift for me.

Well, as is evident by this post, I can still carry on quite the conversation, but I am definitely taking some action and wow...I am loving my life now! It's not perfect...it's not easy...I'm not perfect, I'm not easy (hey!), but it's coming along. 

Before I leave you with a video, I encourage you to check out my studio facebook page and share it with your friends. I'll be doing a wallet give-away when I hit 100 likes! Like me, please, for the love of God, like me! Agahahahaha!

I dance like this at every party!

Casing The Joint

Hello Kitchenettes! I'm sorry to have been gone so long. Casing the joint is one of my favorite terms and I'm immature enough to get a kick out of the double meaning with my condom cases (I'm not proud of this, but I am giggly!). I do think it's appropriate to use it here considering that right now, around this joint, it's all about condom cases. I consider condom cases my least artsy, but most fun project. I don't collage much on the tops, so it's just a question of assembly and this means that I can whip them out fairly quickly.  Every artists/crafter needs at least one quick, easy and fun project.

This batch is headed to The Flying Pig Gallery in Algoma along with tons of collaged wallet gorgeousness on the 15th of April. I'm stocking them for the summer and truly excited about the work I'm doing.

I'm still doing the Heather's 30 Day Vegan plan. I've been doing well with a few "My body is screaming for animal protein" slips. Three to be exact. Fish once, cheese once and ground beef once. However, these slips are minor and overall I feel so much better. I plan to continue after the 30 days, but allow for some meat or cheese when I feel weak or out of balance.

I have some link love to share with you!

A new on-line magazine-foresty, fashion-ey and fairytale-ish: Motif Magazine

A blog that makes me happy: Jen Lee

A book that get me where my little inner girl lives:  Here

A song-love: Kiss of Life

My three favorite poets are ee cummings, Pablo Neruda and Hafiz:

Here is one of Pablo's, I love it because as I recently tried to explain to one of my dearest friends who has had her heart broken over and over and over, all it takes is just one person to see what others don't and it changes everything. You never think of heartbreak again and you don't curse him because he took so long to arrive on the scene and if it isn't a him (or a her), but instead a you...as in you become the one who you fills your own heart with bells and a hymn, well then all the better.  Hey J., this is for you:

La Reina (The Queen)

I have named you queen.
There are taller than you, taller.
There are purer than you, purer.
There are lovelier than you, lovelier.
But you are the queen.

When you go through the streets
No one recognizes you.
No one sees your crystal crown, no one looks
At the carpet of red gold
That you tread as you pass,
The nonexistent carpet.

And when you appear
All the rivers sound
In my body, bells
Shake the sky,
And a hymn fills the world.

Only you and I,
Only you and I, my love,
Listen to me.

Not At All Fashion-ey

 

When people learn that I upcycle magazines into wallets they often tell me they have tons of magazine they could give me, but assume I only want "fashion-ey" ones. 

They couldn't be more wrong.

While I love Italian Vogue, POP, Nylon and Muse, I have plenty of room in my heart for Mother Earth News and Ladybug. You never know where pretty patterns are going to emerge. 

I recently scored big on a stack of 1970's American Art magazines for twelve cents each (They were a quarter and it was 50% off day). Not only do I love them for the art, but I love the advertisements.

The photo above is an image from the cover of one. The colors are gorgeous and I'll probably use in it a large piece so I can keep it intact.

This page will be cut into smaller pieces to make the stripes and borders on  cardholders though that center piece may find a home:

I can promise you many of these little squares will look totally different when paired up with the right focal image.

For more of my work, you can take a look at the wallet gallery or check out the shop, though my inventory is a little low.

Today is a work day and it's going to be a long one...not making wallet, but on another project.  Good thing I made a pot of this yesterday. I've never been so enchanted with a vegetarian recipe in my whole life! It's food of the Gods. I let the onions carmelize until they were a deep dark golden and used brown rice. I cannot tell you how rich it is. I'll need it later. I'm counting on Mark to find some really good and crusty rolls.

By the way, I love etsy's Quit Your Day Job posts. They're so inspiring and even though I did quit my day job a long time ago, I still use them as motivation to do better and find new ways to make it all work.  

Margot Elena Wells

 
Margot Elena is an artist/designer/perfumer who inspires me daily.  I'm over my bath and body shop days, but if I ever decided to do something on a small scale (think Little Orange Kitchen soaps as an unexpected favor on a gallery night!), I could only hope to come up with packaging one tenth as gorgeous as Margot Elena's work for her many bath lines and Tokyo Milk is my new favorite. 

Not only is she the developer behind the product, she does all of the illustration for the bottles and wraps. Sigh.

 

Couldn't you just die?

Speaking of which, every now and then I collage a panel for a wallet that I can only describe as soft, but which appeals to me on deep level. This panel makes me feel peaceful and reflective. I love the roses and their particular shade of pink is a favorite.  It's available in my etsy shop.

Happy Sunday!

To Keep A Slender Figure...

No one can deny...Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet. 

Oh, if only someone had clued me in years ago I'd be wearing Piper Ewan to Arti-Gras.

 

As it stands, I'm wearing hives, but you know what? I wear them well. :)

Booth 32 locals! Be there or miss out on wallets that will blow your mind be square! 

Big Long Shiny Pistol

The title has nothing to do with my post except that it's a line from a song on one of my favorite movie soundtracks-I can't remember much about the movie, but I got the soundtrack and drove everyone nuts by insisting that they listen to the whole thing with me and my commentary-(think of me as the liner notes). 

Anyway, with Arti-Gras two days away I've got the lyrics to one of my favorite Mardi-Gras songs in my head. I''ve been belting it out this morning and replacing the Mardi-Gras lines with Arti-Gras and making up a few new ones about wallets and big long shiny pistols. Just be glad you don't live here or within a two mile radius. The Neville Brothers got their feet wet singing harmony on that song in 1976 by the way. 

Another favorite is actor Dennis Quaid's Closer to You...oh my. When I first heard him sing this it was pretty much over for me...And to be paired up with the Neville's and Bonnie Raitt...even better...then to have Gregg Allman walk on? Too much.

Oh, the wallets are Arti-Gras previews ---I'm booth #32---stop on by. This year I focused only on the upcycled paper wallets--nothing else. It's a wallet extravaganza, but alas...I'm sorry for the guys...no billfolds for you. They just don't work the way I want them too, but you women will find plenty of cool ones!

OH... my friend Angela has started a blog. She's a self proclaimed Crafty Bitch (can you call an expectant mom that? she would, but I feel weird!) anyway, she's 4 months pregnant with twins and has been ordered to bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy! She's a crafty queen and a real doer, so we all know that this is driving her crazy...so much so that she will probably set a world record for the most blog posts in a week!  Check out her new blog, Handmade...in bed. 

Too Sweet!

I saved this for almost a year before deciding against framing it.  I love how it turned out...actually, too bad it did turn out because if it was a reject, I'd have no choice but to keep it. It's in the shop now. SOLD!!

I love conversation hearts with all my heart! I haven't had any this year, but when I do eat them I read every single one. OH MAN...I remember being new in an eighth grade class and on Valentine's day I brought everyone those little paper Valentine's. My friend Michele was in hysterics! I had not been in the classroom for a few years (home schooling aboard our boat) and I guess "big kids" didn't honor the mini paper Valentine and conversation heart tradition. I was mortified (as usual). Though, I have to laugh with kindness at myself. I like that even though I was drinking, smoking and overall acting bad by then, that the night before I was overly concerned about hurting someone's feelings and I kept recounting my Valentines to ensure that not one classmate was excluded. I was actually very sweet now that I look back. :)

 

Little Orange...Pantry?

Good afternoon Kitchenettes! It's time for me to share my secret. I've been misleading you for months! The Little Orange Kitchen in now yellow!

A very pretty soft yellow, but yellow isn't orange. However, as you can see, orange remains and there is that orange butler's pantry that I'll feature in another post.  The yellow is a little washed out in the picture, but in real life it's so soft.

I also wanted to show you that you can rethink all rooms in an apartment and just work with the space as you need it. This is the dining room-but it works better as a living room. I just put up a really pretty curtain over those blinds. 

Oh, and the living room? Well, the living room is a bedroom...are you confused? I'll share more later. :)

In the meantime...I'm slowly, but surely getting over/past/through the worst of this horrible urticaria! Thank God. 

Here is some recent work for Arti-Gras and I've added a few pieces to the the shop. Oh, and for you Flying Pig fans, I'll be doing a new stock drop-off after the show next weekend.  

 

Pinks

I find it odd that I worked on mostly pink panels this weekend considering I'm most decidedly pink myself. It's been almost a week of first time urticaria (ie: hives, welts, itching, and other very attractive symptoms) and I am beyond miserable. I'm puzzled because I have no idea what's causing this and I've eliminated every food from my diet and am sticking to broth, yet the horrible welts remain. Even resting my arm on my desk produces a welt. I'm starting to think that my doctor is wrong and it isn't related to diet, but maybe to environment or something else, but in the meantime I have lots of resources:

Wow. With arti-gras coming up and my entire body, face and hands swelling up and down worse than Hitch...

it's all I can do not to freak out and cancel my one and only scheduled public appearance of the year so far! I'm trying to remember to breathe and to:

 

It's OK if I only show up with a few dozen wallets. Quality not quantity...right?  :)

Ouch.

Blinding....

Headache.

Oh God, killer migraine today folks. Killer. Which makes it all the more amazing that I was able to work on some pieces for the Flying Pig restock today (I was there last weekend too, I'm on a roll).  

Here's what's doing:

• I'm treating myself to some candy corn and an apple. It's really fall.
• I cut my face with my thumb the other day. I lifted up my hand to push hair away from my face and scratched myself! Right on the cheek! I'd been handling raw meat, so you can imagine...I'm concerned!!!!! Too many exclamation points?
• I'm committed to starting my first project forJodi's on-going class. Everyone else began work almost two months ago! 
• Pics of hand-dyed slips to come!

OK...I have a wholesale order for cardholders to fill by tomorrow afternoon. Wish me luck.

p.s. This is Algoma.  I love the water. 

 

Art-Craftic! Today!

Today the Broadway District here in town will host it's first Indie art show! Right On! I'll be there somewhere between Red Awning and The Gift Itself.  I'm booth number 12...(correction-I'm on front of Beemster).  It's from 10-6 and lots of vendors will there selling everything from Upcycled Billboard purses and re-fabricated clothing to prints and jewelry. The restaurants in the area will be in action and that includes the Urban Frog. 

I hope everyone likes these  mini journal covers (shown above too). I like how they turned out. They come with a mini-journal in your choice of graph or lined paper for $10.00. They're a little blurry, but you get the gist!

 

Plus, I made more checkbook holders....

And more cardholders. 

Have a great weekend and if you're local, be sure to stop by!

 

 

Shameless?

Our Realtor doesn't mind my cluttered studio, but she thought putting up a sign indicating I have a working studio and not a craft-room would be a good idea. I set this up and I must say I was embarrassed when Mark looked at a few of the priced pieces and suggested I put out a little cash box too! Of course, I wouldn't do that, but there's no reason why I can't leave a few cards sprinkled around!

In The Bank

It's been a nutty few months over here and last week it all ended when we finally felt our place was ready and let our agent show it. We were ready a month ago, but didn't feel ready.  The small list of "to-do" seemed like too much, so we waited until after Art Street to get the show on the road. We've had two showings and expect to have many more next week when we drop into the MLS# system. Yay!

I was out at The Flying Pig the other day and dropped off 58 new pieces and pulled the old stock, so you can expect to see some listing action in my shop over the next couple of days, but if you are local, they've got some really nice pieces.  

All and all, Art Street was a decent show this year.  Sunday's nice weather salvaged the weekend and I am grateful. It wasn't the "blow-out sell-out oh my God!" show that it was for me last year, but it was OK. Our local paper ran an article saying that attendance was way down and that both the weather and the economy were a factor.

I have a few updates, but first, I want to thank my local North Shore Bank for making Little Orange Kitchen the Business of the Month! I love how they support Indie businesses and they are so friendly over there. I bank at the Allouez location and it truly has that small town neighborhood bank feel. I walk in and they know my name. I love it.

They invited me to set up a little table in the entrance and to provide information about what I make and some examples.  I like knowing that the wallets are in the bank, it's very symbolic. Thanks to Laurie, Maggie and Marnie for being so nice and supportive! I wish the pictures were better. 

Other news:

Inglourious Basterds: (that's how they spell it) Loved it.  Mark had wanted to see it for weeks, but I wanted to wait until we were finally done with the condo. We saw it Monday. It was excellent and Mark was surprised when I gave it 4 stars. If you like 40's women's clothing...you will fall apart over the shoes.

Dakota Skye: Loved it.

Number of books on bee-keeping recently read: 6 (I'm going to set-up a hive once we sell the condo!)

Book that may finally be a catalyst to help me change my life/body:  Spent

New blog finds: Superhero Journal and Oh She Glows 

Best news I've heard all week: My friend Angela of Crafty Bitches fame is starting to put together some classes for kids! Her kids classes are under the name Artypants!  She doesn't have an Artypants specific blog yet, but you can find her on facebook or over here if you are local and have questions. 

Biggest shock to the system: We're canceling cable --- Mark finally agreed...of course, now I'm the one who's wondering how I'm going to live without my mindless staples like Tool Academy.  

Most disgusted moment: Hearing Joe Wilson's shockingly rude outburst during the President's address last night.

Favorite new paper pattern:

 

I'm off to compulsively clean and touch-up the just painted windows!

Less Is More

Preparations for Art Street are underway and with the coaching of my guru friend Christine, I'm trying not to get too uptight. I've decided to take a "go with what I know approach".  I'm not bringing as many experimental or new things because well, this summer just hasn't been that kind of season.  So, it looks like some of my newer projects may have to be revealed at holiday shows. Christine has me chanting a new mantra..."Less is more...less is more." I'm not a less is more kind of person, but this summer I'm trying to go with it.  It's the new me. 

I love vintage maps and globes and when I found this desk globe a few months ago I planned to take it off the stand and suspend it with some others from the ceiling in the corner of a room. I was thinking they would look cool at different heights and was waiting to find a few smaller ones to include in the installation before starting. However, last night it occurred to me that it would make a great display if I split it. 

So I did.

I plan to line the inside with maps or paint it and the neat part is that I can either hang the halves in my booth with cord (macrame planter style) or use one to support the other to give it some height and it would look great on a table heaped with something (condom cases? packages of magnets? business card cases made from maps?).  I have to take care of the inside, but I'm liking this idea and may be splitting a few more globes around here in weeks to come. 

I'm really missing the woods and having taken only one camping trip this year, I feel the need to get out there. I've begun some planning and am hoping an October weekend in the woods is in my future.

In the meantime, it's just a mass of business card cases over here. Panels are done and I'm working on assembling them. 

Have a great weekend all.

Wall Flowers,Tall Grasses, Nests & May I Please Excused?

 

It's been a mad rush to get a few more things done before the condo is opened up to the public. We were dreading starting the downstairs bathroom because if the wallpaper was anything like the wallpaper the one upstairs, we knew it would be a job and a half.  Before I go on, let me give you a tip...I know it isn't natural, but I thank God for my friend Janet's donation of a spray bottle of DIF to the cause.  Of course, it was four years ago that she bestowed the bottle upon us, but better late than never...we're slow starters over here. DIF is a miracle product and when used correctly makes milk toast of old glue. I didn't use it correctly upstairs and peeled before the glue melted making hours of extra work for myself. Ugh.

Anyway, Mark finally decided to venture into the vine covered english garden awful floral downstairs and imagine my surprise when he called up to me (less than fifteen minutes later) with a "Good News!".  This is what I saw when I came down the stairs:

HOLY CRAP! It not only came off immediately, but it came off in whole sheets as you can see! YES! Mark's pretending to be bowled over from shock. We needed the easy win.

It's been one thing after another over here, including a can of "turned" paint that made our upstairs hallway an eerie shade of "Ghost" instead of white.   

Speaking of easy wins. I have an announcement to make.

It isn't so easy, but it sure feels like a win. With the house on the market, potential move and preparing for three large art shows (Art Street included) I decided to give up my permanent booth at the farmer's market on Wednesday nights. It's about balance and I had to find a way to keep my sanity. So, while I may still make appearances at the Wednesday and Saturday markets on occasion, I won't be a permanent fixture under the canopy of the Old Fort building. Hopefully I'll still get to know my new blogging friends Emily & Sam.  Sam is one of the guys lined up who will be sporting my men's billfold during the upcoming second round of consumer testing. :) I hope to unveil them at Art Street.

OK, so I want to honestly talk about something here. Blogger's envy. Do any of you have this? Where you open a favorite blog and read yet another perfect post of the perfect seven layer cupcakes adorned with fresh flowers, the perfect simple do it yourself project like putting in your own stone fireplace, the perfect day spent making 270 jars of jam with the kids, the perfect husband handcrafting a canoe for her out of a single fallen tree found on their land and of course the small bag of diamonds they discovered hidden by fairies deep within it's roots? OK, so I made some of this up, but do any of you know what I mean?

i think I flow through my life fairly appreciative for what I have, but sometimes and especially these days it feels kind of hard. I will confess that on one blog, the blogger was listing sweets she's made and  eaten recently and I couldn't help it, I searched through her posts and found a picture of her (she's lovely) and yelled, "OH MY GOD, OF COURSE SHE'S THIN!!!".  I know this is childish, but sometimes it seems unfair that baking bloggers who actually eat what they make get to be thin, whereas...I'm not. Of course, my blogging friend Michelle is quite the baker and thin, but she's also the queen of bike rides and treadmills and I just had to look up "treadmill" to make sure I didn't spell it incorrectly, so foreign a word it is to me. :)

I'm being light, but sometimes it really is discouraging and while I want everyone to be happy, I do hope that maybe, just maybe these bloggers only show their lives in the best light whereas I tend to share my ups and downs. Is that bad?

I want to share with you a quote from one of my favorite cookbooks...Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros.

The book is more than cookbook, it's a journal and open eyed meditation through color.  This isn't a highlighted quote in the book, but is instead a line from one of her "memory" sections and just before a recipe for cranberry syrup. It hits me hard each time I read this cookbook..and I know I'm not the only one who reads cookbooks like novels! 

"I would love a moment of that back-that excitement at being allowed to leave the table, just to fly through a field of long grass and find a nest." 

Tessa Kiros

Sigh. I remember those days and know that more are in my future, so I just have to hold on. Do kids even wait to be excused from the table these days? I remember when my little brother Adam could barely stand it and would suddenly belt out, "May we please be excused? Can Lor and I please be excused?" Why? We had pine cones to gather or it was low tide on the beach in Maine and starfish needed saving.  These small things were important.  I feel like that now. Oh, the woodwork needs another coat? The bathroom needs to be re-caulked? May I please be excused? There was a blue jay in the tree next to my studio window and want to see if it's still there.

Now, I have some exciting news for you...if you are of the "love handmade" persuasion.  Handmade Nation is coming out on DVD! No details yet, but hopefully we'll get more soon. And for you local crafty people...there will be another screening in Milwaukee! It's a field trip worth taking. I won't be able to see it, but hopefully it will be because my booth was busy at Art Street all day and I'm in handmade making bliss!

Here is a pre-view. Angela, it seems like a perfect CB outing.   

Stock Headed To The Flying Pig Gallery In Algoma

Here's a preview of wallets headed to the Flying Pig in Algoma...they were supposed to be delivered today, but Mark got hung up on errands with both cars...don't ask how that happened.



Hope everyone is having a happy and productive relaxing Sunday. Tonight, I'm headed to bed early and plan on doing nothing between now and then.

Little Pink Houses

You may remember from a post last year that I love using vintage puzzle boxes as gift boxes during the holidays. It gave me such a thrill to find this one for a mere fifty-nine cents (thirty cents more than marked so many years ago) and imagine it filled with handmade treasures and tied off with hot pink or teal bias tape. As I look at it, I realize it may be harder to give up than I thought.  I do hope you will click on the top picture and look at the detail in  the background....the pine trees, the orchard and of course...the hot pink chimney!

I've been making some puzzle pendants and magnets for Art Street using scraps of paper, vintage stamps and paint, but there were a few pieces in this one that I thought might be able to stand alone. Do not judge them as they are now...they are not glued together, varnished or sanded and the bails are not really attached...this is just a "look-see", but I think there's a possibility at least a few pieces will remain unadorned and will just be high-gloss varnished as is. Book pages look nice too.

Lately I've had some humbling experiences...Facebook can be a problem for me.

I don't understand why people who didn't like me in eighth grade "friend me" now. I've ignored some requests because I saw little point, but one of my more mature friends said that not everyone remembers the details like I do and that most of the time, it's simply a case of "Hey! We were in eighth grade together! Remember how cute Mario so and so was? Watchya been up to?".  Yet for me, it's not like that at all. I mean, I have no old "enemies" or people I've wanted to prove something to, but at the same time, I have no desire to shoot the Facebook breeze with someone who I know for a fact spread a false rumor about me. "Hey, remember when you told everyone that I took my top off at a party...only I didn't? Yeah? Cool! McPherson Elementary School Rocks!!!"  Right.

I recently decided to be more relaxed about these things and finally start responding to a few friend requests and even sending back some hearts, pots of strawberries, badges, vampire bites etc (you have to be on facebook to know what I mean), but then one of the people who I friended back even though we barely knew one another de-friended me a few days later! She sent me a note that she was having a hard time keeping track of all her friends on FB and needed to clear some out.  Yep. WTF? So of course, I feel like I'm thirteen all over again. Like somehow I got one-upped in a game I never wanted to play anyway. So, the moral is..."friend" your friends, but stay away from the "hugs and margaritas" (another FB reference) from people who made fun of your messy handwriting and blue glitter nail polish 27 years ago.

Now, if I could always feel as self-assured as this wallet woman looks, I'd be a happy camper. I think she's stunning. Her expression inspires me and I love the dress.

Frida

Remember the last Frida wallet I made from a book jacket? This one is from a Frida calendar.  Upcycling rules!

I'm happy with how it turned out and am hoping Carly likes it. I added a sleeve with seven pockets for credit cards and photos and three additional sleeves for identification or business cards. I feel lucky because I happened to find a Spanish magazine's profile on Diego Rivera and used some of his portraits of Frida in the lining.

Today is a bit nuts...I have quite the wallet making schedule ahead of me and plan to drop at least fifteen or twenty off at The Flying Pig tomorrow. I may take a break and a nap before I get started. I have a real craving for spring rolls, so I may need to make a few before I do the wallets...oh, and then there is another special order that must must be done tonight too...and I must must must must must make some magnets. Will it be a one French press of coffee evening or two? We shall see what we shall see.  Maybe I need to ease up on the musts.

By the way...another blog made its way into my consciousness recently...and she regularly has stellar give-aways (including right now). Be sure to stop by. I find her so damn inspiring that I almost can't even write about her...she's proof that you can go after what your heart wants and life will change on a dime...teaching art in Italy, a book deal, licensing and blessings beyond belief....all after 30. Right on.

Christmas In July

Things have been hectic over here and taking care of two households has finally taken its toll...on our spirits, our wallets and our patience. If our place isn't ready to go on the market in one month I may have to retire from wallets until it is. Since I love making wallets, the name of the game has been scraping away the hideous wall-paper that was in every bathroom when we moved in, painting, re-caulking tubs and sinks and basically feeling pressed hard against a time crunch wall.

After missing Kelly's birthday and not having significant time to spend with Nancy and her rarely visiting niece, I wonder how everyone else manages to do it all. Three years ago I was in a book group, a play-writing group, taking yoga, landscaping, walking on the trail daily and in my Artist's Way group. Now, I do not have time to weed our front walk and believe me, the neighbors are not happy. 

I may not be loving my days right now, but I am finding minutes here and there to cherish. Today, fifteen minutes wading in the choppy water on the sandy beach in Algoma while holding my shoes, keys and cell-phone was a block of time I'm happy I took. I'm a water spirit and sometimes I forget that I need the combination of warm sand, cold water and deafeningly loud waves splashing soaking my skirt! 

Synchronicities.  I was out of the sewing patterns I use to line wallets and knew some thrifting would be in order. I went to the thrift store and sadly...there were none to be found. I almost left empty handed until this caught my eye.

The prettiest Christmas tablecloth I've seen in a long time. It's large, unstained, heavy cotton and was $1.99.  Even at that price, I debated, but I've bought very little in recent months and this felt like a gift.

Then, I did a wallet drop at the Flying Pig in Algoma and to my surprise, delight and shock the staff had been saving more paper for me, including.....a whole bag of sewing patterns!!!!! 

Then, something that only happens once in a paper lover's blue moon.

An entire box of 1961 McCalls Magazine with images that almost made me cry on the spot. I felt feel blessed...wallet material for Art Street.
 

   
And, for those of you who are aware of my not-so-secret project, you can see why this one made me cry...I'm not kidding...I needed a message from the Universe today (or rather, one that didn't make me feel picked on by the stars at large).  This was it.

I will share more as I discover them. The magazines are 48 years old and need some airing and my special cork treatment before they start turning up in the purses and totes of women all over the world (I can dream!), but the inspiration I've already drawn from them is priceless.

Have a nice night and see you at the Farmer's Market tomorrow...Oh, and be sure to stop by and check out Delphian's new location. Katherine is ready for you!

Rejected

The quality control team over Little Orange Kitchen Studio rejected the extra large wallet pictured above. It was deemed un-saleable since it closed a little crooked and there was a tiny fleck of something in the vinyl.  It was put in the reject box and now the proprietress gets to tote it around.

Thank God for small favors. She loves it.

In other wallet news...I just have to show two.

This one sold right out of the gate tonight at farmer's market, but I had to get a shot of it...excuse the glare. I love how the four strips on the left are all from different sources and you'd think they would clash horribly, but somehow they all collided to make a match. I also love the black and white on the end. It's from a 1965 book on needlepoint. I may be overdoing the tearing of various papers, but I love the look. 

I'm in mad swoon with F.P. Journe wristwatches. I'd love to have the extra $35,000 (plus) for one. In the meantime...

I've been striking out a bit on the "spend not one dime" challenge this week...it's been one of those nutty weeks, but spending has been kept to a minimum and I did manage to choose a natural foods grocer to fill in where Farmer's Market can't and decided that Mark's soda purchases will happen at the Webster Avenue market, which just happens to be locally owned by a woman I know.

Aren't strawberries great? I love June for this reason...strawberries and Greek yogurt...who says you can't fall in love after 40?

P.S. Greg? If you're reading...this is the pic from last's years festival--she really is a cutie! For some reason you'll have to click on it to see her:
      

Can I Get A Witness?

Some people spend their summer Friday nights out carousing at nightclubs or at barbeque's with friends or at the very least...seeing a movie and having some dinner. Well, not me.

I'll be here (and Saturday night too) trying to make some sort of sense out of all the books and magazines I have yet to sort through. Don't misunderstand...I love having all this material, but if I don't stay on top of all the donations from friends, family and customers (some garage sale and thrifting too) it takes me longer to actually match pieces together for spectacular wallets.  I dragged it all downstairs and am ready.  The white box is filled with pages...pages...not full magazines, but pages I tore out of the first round of magazines a few weeks ago.  

This represents a very short time period of collecting. I've decided to go through and pull out all the images to be filed later and to freecycle the rest in a big batch at the end of the weekend. 

Thank God I love this or the task would seem daunting.  I'm not even about to show you the newspapers!

Sophisticated Lady

I'm off to bed. It was a long day making wallets that I WON'T be selling because I have deemed them "no good". I got a little carried away and my "artsy" inner compass went off track and into never-never land--as in they will never-never be seen by anyone.

However, I am happy with Sophisticated Lady. Yes, she's very worn (must be all those late nights at the Cotton Club) and a little creased, but that's part of her vintage charm and she's lined with sheet music that's over 60 years old. 

So, at least there's one that can go in the shop! 

OK Gang, sweet dreams.

On My Way Out

I know I just posted less than twelve hours ago, but I'm headed to the Broadway Farmer's Market to set-up and thought I'd show you some of the little friends tagging along:

 

I am hoping for more rhubarb and perhaps some fare from mega delicious Vita Raw (our new raw foods restaurant which is right on Broadway).

When I get home, I'm going to relax in the "big chair" and watch Revolutionary Road.  I know it's a downer, but I've been wanting to see it for ages.

The Ocean of Fertility

Well, I had a big surprise today. I was sitting down working on a wallet with pictures of the dark side of the moon and discovered that there are large dark plains on the moon caused by volcanic eruptions called lunar mares (pronounced mar-ay).  They're referred to as seas and oceans and have the coolest names.

Who knew?  I like learning little tidbits while I work.

I was upset that I blocked off part of the Ocean of Fertility, not for any personal reason, but because it seems more pleasant than the Sea of Crises peeping out at the top. 

It only seems appropriate with with all of this ocean talk that I show you a couple of mermaid cardholders. I was very productive today and made 19 pieces which was 5 short of my goal, but still pretty fantastic considering they were from start to finish (sitting down with no idea what images to use or collage).

  
Isn't she a dear? You can use the brad for scale and see how little she is.

An example of how I amuse myself when I work is to point out that the little pieces of map have the words; river, rapids, harbor, bay and lake...I did that so she and her seahorse friend don't feel too far from the water.  


OK...it's been a long day and if I don't go to bed now, I may end up making waffles...which I really don't need to do right now. Really.  Sweet Dreams.

Strive To Excel

When I got home after helping my mother this afternoon it would have been so easy to just relax and hang out. However, I buckled down and put in some solid hours of cutting, pasting and folding. It feels good to be productive.

This one was a pleasure to make. I love the image. It was from a book highlighting great inventions...including the sewing machine (and the nail) and shows women working in a skirt factory.  

I shouldn't romanticize because let's face it, working conditions for women then weren't so sweet...but, I still love the image. I urge you to click on the one on top to see their lovely little faces and the details of the windows in the back of the shop.

I attached it to a sewing pattern and to a little section from a vintage lingerie sewing manual. I get a kick out of this line, "But soft, shimmery material in heavenly colors is a combination that appeals to everyone, not just women."  I gather the "everyone" means men.  Oooh-la-la!

Speaking of sewing and skirt factories, I went through a period several years ago of being unable to resist reading anything about the role of women in the U.S. labor movement and think many of you would like reading about the Lowell Mill Girls.  Many novels have been written about the young women who worked in the mills and I find all them (as well as the non-fiction pieces) fascinating.

When I was a eleven, I was obsessed with this novel . I sooooooooooooo wanted to be transported in time so that I could be a mill girl, save my pennies, be taken advantage of by an older handsome Irish rogue, get pregnant (and subsequently fired), forced to give up my baby, shunned by my family, finally find love only to find out it's a shameful sort of love that leaves me thrown out of my town and then die alone in a harsh winter.  Instead I ended up making wallets in Green Bay Wisconsin and about to go watch a recorded episode of I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.

Oh well, maybe in the next life. :)  

Friends Don't Let Friends Throw Away........Anything

I'm always on the lookout for old magazines, newspaper and cardboard for the wallets, so when Angela offered to save all her recycling for me, I was thrilled. Not only does she save primo magazines for me (Nancy too!), but this is the second batch of her household paper recycling to come my way. I use it to line the wallets (totally hidden because the inside and outside are covered with paper and vinyl) and every little bit helps.

It's funny because the other night I asked her if she reads ReadyMade...it was an innocent question because I was curious...it's such a cool eco-friendly urban how-to magazine that I wanted her to know about it. Her response?

"Yes,...but, I don't subscribe...yet."  Later, I wondered if she thought I was hinting around...you know, hint-hint..."Please get on the ball, subscribe and then give me your copies".  I wasn't! But, if I did hint, it would be for someone I know to subscribe to and then be willing to part with Italian Vogue!

I've been at work making some wallets that I'm so terribly pleased with, one might accuse me of being smug...I can't help it. Seeing the pieces come together to make little stories thrills me to no end.

Lately I've been having fun tearing the images instead of cutting them or, as in the picture above, cutting out the image along it's borders (the woman/doll was cut out carefully and then glued onto the blue postage marking background) and placing it against any background I like.  

Happy Monday...off to help my mother...she's getting started on facebook.    

The Flying Pig Gallery & Greenspace

Many of you regular readers know I have some issues when it comes to photos and I can't tell you how sad it makes me that I do not have better photos to go along with this post. 

When I was invited by The Flying Pig Gallery & Greenspace to bring in my collaged wallets, I felt as if I'd received confirmation from the Universe that many of the decisions I've recently made (less retail, more wholesale, more focus on fairs and most importantly, developing relationships with galleries) are on target. 

The Flying Pig is the heart endeavor of Susan Connor and Robyn Mulhaney and I promise you, you've never seen anything like it. 

Not only do the have two winding floors of fantastic gallery space, they have gorgeous outdoor gardens (plenty of benches and outdoor art too), a pond, a small cafe (coffee, wine, micro brewed beer) and a commitment to green living and retailing. They support artists of all levels and create a wonderfully eco-friendly and eclectic space for their work. They say it best on their website...

"Carvings, stoneware and metalwork share a well-controlled chaotic presentation along with hand-painted furniture, fine jewelry, pottery, recycled art, paintings and concrete sculpture: The creative works of creative people."

The first floor hosts the cafe and and a retail section filled with handmade jackets made of silk, lots of jewelry (Including my blogging friend Amanda Davie's beautiful pieces), pottery, cards, handmade soaps, smaller paintings and sculpture, a room for children (No adults allowed!) and an entrance to the greenspace. It's busy, full and colorful...you could spend hours looking at everything.

The second floor is more open and more what we expect (I use that word loosely because you never know what to expect when you visit--it's always changing) when we think of a gallery....wall space, airy and with beautifully placed pieces of work by local, national and international artists.  The wallets are in the downstairs right now and keeping very good company, but someday, maybe...I'll finish some of my non-wallety projects and submit them in hopes of taking the leap to the second floor! I wish I had pictures...BUT, at about 5:00 in the video above, you can see what the space looks like. 

It's important to mention how committed Susan and Robyn are to sustainable practices in both the cafe and galleries. They use reclaimed and recycled building materials, wind powered aeration in the pond, compostable containers in the cafe, natural cleaners and heat and cool the building using geothermal practices (which could be it's own blog post).  Speaking of blog posts...they also have a gallery blog.

I am so happy to say that I've landed in my first gallery and it feels good to know that even extra large  pieces like these have already found new homes!

At the end of the month they're hosting a party for their friend and employee Pat...with cake, music and artists. I'll be joining the artists in the garden and working on wallets...I'll post more details about the event later. 

I'll close with promises to post more often...and some pictures of my newly made displays that were a huge hit at the Broadway Farmer's market last night... 

The Place To Be

I'm interrupting my unplanned blogging hiatus to make sure all of you locals are aware that Delphian is hosting an Open House & Holistic Fair on Saturday.  The public is welcome and attendance is free. There will be speakers on a variety of topics, readings, chair massages, Reiki and even an animal communicator! This is such a nice way to connect with other people or simply listen and browse.   

Katherine has been preparing for weeks and has new items in stock including orbicular jasper, a new jewelry line and more candles!

You can check out the schedule to get more specifics and directions to the shop in De Pere, but here is the line-up:

10:30 Krissy Zegers Benefits of Yoga Learn the benefits of yoga and how to
easily integrate it into your life.

11:00 Rosella Hill The Body Talk System It's a safe, simple and fast healing modality delivering extraordinary results in balancing the Mind, Body, and Spirit.

11:30 Debora Poynter Animal Communication and Healing Deepen your relationship with your animal friends and help them to live a happy healthy life.

12:00 Pam Fischer Intuitive Art Learn how meditative, free flowing art can open your mind and heart to the inner-knowing wisdom of your “intuitive self”.

12:30 Kathy Vandeleest Meditation a simple, free tool that requires no equipment, can be done anywhere, and protects us from the effects of stress.

1:00 Bobbie Jo Horkman Kapa Kai® Therapy The Original SeaShell Therapy™ Integrates the healing qualities of the ocean's life energy into unique forms of bodywork.

1:30 Rosella Hill Chi Machine & Hot House Created in Japan the Hot House utilizes infrared technology. Don't miss these demonstrations!

2:00 Erica M. Zernzach  Traditional Chinese Medicine Finding balance in the body through Acupuncture, Acupressure and Herbal Medicine. Experience this demo.

2:30 Michelle Zjala Winter Living in Grace Learn about the Gratitude Wall project and making the choice to live in Grace, Gratitude and Abundance.

3:00 Donna Marie Past Lives Discover the purpose of reincarnation. Names put into a bowl could experience a past life reading! (by donation) 

I am happy to report that I had a great trip to Bloomington, have been super busy and plan to blog about everything soon...including the cardholders pictured above that found their way to The Flying Pig Gallery & Greenspace in Algoma.

The Paper Chase

Forgive this photo-heavy post, but I wanted to share with you a little of how I spend my days. I'm liking the 2009 Little Orange Kitchen Goes Green resolution and am having fun sorting through newspaper, maps, magazines, cereal boxes and vintage books. I'll be participating in Jana Holland's Gallery night tomorrow (details at bottom of post) and used the opportunity to create some pieces that make me swoon! 

First, there's the sorting of pages randomly torn out of magazines during the last month...Are you embarrassed for me?

Then, there's the labeling of the source and year of publication as I tear pages out of new-found hauls. Sometimes I have to draw an arrow to remind me of what image I liked.  I've been known to pull out pages and have no clue what I found so compelling the week before.

Occasionally, I just stare at talented Cancerian men, though even in fantasy they're a terrible match for the married Aquarius.
 
Once I break my gaze, I'm rewarded by free cds tucked in the magazine! Score!

It isn't all fashiony around here AND no, I did not pay $1.09 for the 2000 issue featuring hotel art!

I wonder if anyone would love this little guy on a wallet:

Sometimes I fall on the floor knocked unconscious from anticipation when I see images like these:

Which get combined with other images and a slip of a pink vintage map of Wyoming (and an upcycled dress pattern) and turned into this: 

Sometimes I sort by theme:

Assembling panels is my favorite part. I cut and cluster images and then piece them together...I loved the Matisse flower pot, but his woman just didn't cut it for me...

But, this one showed great potential:

This razor ad showed a little slip of pink I had to save:

You know I love vintage perfume bottles, so I found one and put it all together...

Voila!

Of course, I love Rapunzel, but she was too large on her own:

I wasn't sure about these:

But, at the last minute...I went with it:

And so on...

And so on...

And so on...A favorite...look at how the images from 5 sources met up...like they were meant to be friends all along...karmic connections:

So that's all in a day's work folks!

These are some of the pieces I'll be bringing to Jana's on Saturday night...she and her husband open up their house to local artists (13 this year), hold a wine and cheese reception and open house. This is your chance to meet local painters, jewelry makers, photographers and hear local musicians...it costs $5.00 and they do not take a percentage of any of the artists sales. I hope you friendly local readers can stop by-it goes from 7pm-11pm...

Email me for address details: [email protected]

Double Happiness

I have multiple reasons to be happy this morning...One, my camera kicked back in and I got a few pictures of my checkbook covers to show you! Two, I received a blog award!

I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day...ours was very laid back...in fact, it was so laid back that Mark spent much of the day at my in-laws and I worked and made a wallet delivery to Suite 116 in DePere--and my camera held out, so stay tuned for a profile of this fun shop.

I love the checkbook covers and I was determined to go to Arti-Gras well stocked. I did and for once I didn't have to say, "I'm sorry, I only brought five and they're gone". I had a whole slew.

It's odd, I never carry a checkbook anymore. I use my debit card, but it seems that many people don't. A few women said they don't carry their checkbooks either, but they want to keep it in something pretty for when they pay bills.  Either way, I'm super thrilled at how popular they are.

Mark thinks the cord looks unfinished and likes these better, but I like them plain...though maybe I'll add beads and buttons to some. 

More and more, I'm seeing "Sorry No Checks" signs around. Are you? I understand. For a retailer taking a check is always a risk, but at the same time, accepting credit cards and debit cards can be expensive...the processing fees are fairly high.

I like Karen's idea of using only cash for local shopping during the holidays. Her money stayed in the community and by using cash, she saved our local shops from paying the transactions fees for each of her purchases. 

Did you know that small retailers pay an average of 2.5 percent of your purchase in fees and an additional average .20 cent transaction fee when you use a credit or debit card? Some pay as much as thirty-five cents just on the set fee!

So, if you buy a book for $12.00 from your local Indie bookseller here's how it breaks down.

$12.00 book (books usually have a modest mark-up of 40%)
Profit: $4.80
Minus 2.5% percentage fee of .12 cents: $4.68
Minus .20 cent transaction fee: $4.48

Total profit on sale is $4.48 and this does not take into consideration the staffing, overhead, shipping (small retailers can't order enough to get free shipping like the big guys) and incidentals like the bag and bookmark etc. If you pay cash on a $12.00 book, you save the retailer thirty two cents minimum...which doesn't sound like a lot, but if they sell one hundred $12.00 books a week, that's $32.00 and pays a staffer for a couple of hours.  And we all know that most books are more than $12.00. 

I truly don't mean to be preachy, because I'm guilty of whipping out the debit card, but I do think cash is the best way to go when you have it. 

OK...Now for the award!

The Kreativ Blogger Award from Emiko. I urge you to check out this post where she shows a sample of her knitting...I never knew that hand-knit items could be so detailed...which shows you that I don't knit, but I was so impressed by the detail of her first two-strand project.

The rules state that I must pass this along to seven bloggers, but I'm going to go with three because I  also received a tag from Ambika that I will be doing soon--so here it goes to three great women:

To Dyan-she just moved from Jamaica to Canada and hasn't been posting much. Maybe this will encourage her to share more about her new place and life.

To Amanda-she's also goes on and off the radar for a long long time...maybe this will keep her out for another post. Plus, she gave me my first award...The Rockin' Girl Blogger Award!

To Susan-because like Michelle and Emiko, she was one of the very first Kitchenettes and is always so supportive.     

So, congrats to you ladies and here are the rules--which you only have to follow if you truly want to.
NO pressure.

1. Copy the award to your site
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award
3. Nominate 7 other bloggers
4. Link to those on your blog
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

OK...I'm signing off for the day, but will return because I soooooo want to share Suite 116 with you! A short (who am I kidding?) new post will be appearing on Sweets For The Sweets in a moment.   

Three Little Words...Oh, Thank you!

Arti-Gras was a lot of fun and it is fair to say the wallets went over very well. People responded to the different designs and I said "Oh, thank you, oh, thank you" over and over in response to people complimenting the work. It felt great. 

I also had to laugh at how many of you blog readers truly are lurkers because so many of you mentioned you read the blog, but have never commented. Don't you know comments are blogger's gold? HA! Just kidding, please keep coming back. I'll try to do better making sure there's something for you to read when you get here.

Also, a nice welcome to any Arts Unlimited members who have decided to stop by after my talk last night.

My camera is on the fritz again, so I do not have photos of the show! I did take a few pictures of some pieces at home just before the camera bombed out on me. The one at the top of the post is one of my postcard series. I've always loved her.

This postcard was a real find. It was postmarked 1904 on the back and the sender did the little pen and ink drawing of the man on the bottom...I love that he drew himself walking along the street-click the pic to enlarge if you want to see how he used a brick from the building to draw the face around--his face is white and it's the brick! I wish I knew what he was holding, but whatever it was was smeared long ago--on the back it just had the postmark and a signature...it had a Wisconsin address on it and I WISH I'd written it down before affixing it to a couch ad (doesn't the background match it well?).

It sold and I almost wish I had kept it! I love that little guy!

If you're local be sure to swing by Petal Pusher to see all of the new things they have and the items they brought in for Valentine's day ... wow! The condom cases fit right in.  They also have locally made soy candles with cotton wicks and as always, more great locally made jewelry. 

I'm stocking One By One in Kaukauna this afternoon. She'll have checkbook covers for the first time!

Suite 116 in DePere (located just next to/within The Puddle Duck) will be stocked to the brim on Saturday.

I am so looking forward to next week when I can take a couple of days off to clean out the studio...it is a massive mess of paper scraps everywhere.

I found a blog some of you may want to check out. I found it awhile ago--quite accidentally. She happens to have the same canisters that I do, likes ee cummings and Modigliani (all of which I've mentioned or shown here over the past two years) , so it's a kindred spirit thing. She's honest about finances, creates a lovely life for her new baby and knits up a storm.  They are a young couple with a new baby and I love the way her posts and pictures remind me of when I was a little kid in rural 70's Maine.  Love the bookshelf behind the tree and what her husband (then boyfriend) did for her the year before .

If you're space nut like me, you might want to check out this blog---it's decidedly non-crafty, but he's got a good sense of humor and....Ball canning jars & aerospace???? Who knew????

OK-more soon. I've been craving agave blueberry muffins again...so maybe some will be baked around here soon. Has anyone ever made cinnamon rolls with agave????

It's the Simplicity Circle at the Urban Frog tonight--5:00 pm. Be there! 

Traditions

Here are a few pictures representing some traditions around here....

A birthday dinner made by Mark...which may seem odd to those of you whose husbands/partners like to cook...it's Mark's least favorite activity. It was fantastic...He won't approve public photos, so I had to plead for this back shot...You will note that our kitchen is small and that Mark is tall judging from where his head is in relation to the top of the cabinets and ceiling!

The sauce looks dry, but it wasn't...it's a sweet sauce and has been in Mark's family since their good friend Rosalie gave it to them...it calls for baking soda and vinegar which I find odd, but it does the job!

     

I made strawberry meringues for dessert...just egg white, cream of tartar and agave whipped until stiff, folded on to parchment and baked at 200 for 3 hours...they got a little brown, but life goes on....they would be even better baked for another hour or two at 180 or 190.  My good friend and chef extraordinaire Sherry Fuller was the inspiration for these and hers are never brown.  

I write myself a birthday letter every year, I started in 1995 and have skipped a few years by choice, but not many. I plan on doing this year's letter in a week or two.

And of course, speaking of traditions...what would an upcoming show be without me trying to cram two months of work into eight days?  When will I ever learn?
 
Last night Mark came in the studio and looked at the cardholders...(most of them are made from magazine ads pieced together) and he told me I have a good eye.  I appreciated his observation because I have to say that I agree! :) And I love making them, so why I stall and end up cramming is beyond me...but, with each fair, I'll get a little better.

OK...a baby shower awaits and then it's back to work.

Have a nice Saturday everyone!

A Keeper

Every now and then, in the middle of making a wallet, I make a horrible mistake.

When this happens and the wallet is completely ruined, I have no choice but to keep it. I can't sell total disasters can I?

That vintage button idea? Just awful...who'd want her anyway? What a mess.

And the back? it's a picture of a couch from that book of fabric samples I found in the dumpster a few months ago. Ugh..who'd want to look at it? What was I thinking?

I feel just terrible that she had a crease on the inside pocket about 1/153rd of an inch long and can't be salvaged. Oh well, I guess I'll be stuck carting her around town. It's a hard knock life.

Waiting In Vain...

I'm sorry to have taken an unannounced mini blog break. I truly didn't even realize it had been more than a couple of days since I last posted. I've been clearing and cleaning to ensure that I can finally get this place on the market in March.

I did work some today and am dropping off some new wallets at the Urban Frog tomorrow. Part of the "postcard series". 

I'll be back this weekend because I have to share that I've been tagged and received an award!

Happy Friday Night.

Handmade Holidays Part 5

The wallet above is my last handmade gift of the season...whew. It's made from a postcard I bought at the Louvre in Paris several years ago. My mother and I love it and she used to have a print hanging in our kitchen when I was a teenager. The woman reminds me so much of my mother, it's not even funny. Plus, I love the colors. If not my kitchen, I want that one!  My mom will appreciate it so much. 

This is a picture  of her taken when I was just born...Can you see what I mean about the image in the painting? Look at her ballerina hair and skin. 

I think she'll like it. Every gift I'm giving to her is handmade as are most of the gifts...Mark, my brother and my mother-in-law have a few exceptions, but...I'm pleased with how little money we spent this year.

The postcard wallet is the first of many postcard wallets I'll be making this year...I love them!

I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday...Try not to do what lots of us do today...worry and stress about making everyone happy. Let's just keep our own peace and hope for family warmth.

I leave you with good wishes and some pictures of the wrappings around here...Thanks so much for visiting.

    

I'm excited and content today. We're snowed in and cozy in our condo watching gorgeous snow swirl off of our roof and onto our windows in startling amounts.  Yesterday I went to town making cardholders from magazines and a whole slew of wallets for the Paper Museum and One by One...but, with today's snow and my aversion to being in my little Suzuki dealing with kickback from other drivers onto my front windshield (window?) I'm staying in.  That little fairy above gets to keep me company for a day or two longer. It's going to be a day of setting aside my holiday and financial stress and a day to relax and enjoy.

It feels great because the work is sitting here done, boxed and ready, so it's not as if I'm grateful for the snow because it gives me more time (been there/done that).  Nope, I get to enjoy staying off the roads guilt free. I'll see how it is tomorrow...because I have one very important stop. A certain person was born a Solstice baby and since I can't see her on the Solstice, the day before is good enough. Hmm...I wonder who she is?

I'm having a positively amazing renaissance over here...something has shifted and the work is flowing easily as well as the new ideas. I can't wait to share my "pinwheel" story, but that's for January..and I recently learned that in spite of stress and drama over a wayward application, that the wallets will be making their second appearance at Arti-Gras!

Condom cases are my latest love and joy...I'm still doing mock-ups, but hope to have some in the shop next month.  They look like mini passport cases and are so adorable...I showed one to my friend Nancy and didn't tell her what it was...I asked her just to hold it in her hand and feel it...she's a great psychometrist. Her words? "This feels like you can relax and you know everything is going to be OK." Aghaha! Then we both laughed when she opened it and saw what was inside.  I plan to make them out of mostly newspaper and magazines to keep the cost down so that can be impulse items at $6.99.

Being married and not particularly worried about birth control, condoms don't play a big part in my life, but for many people they do and women (and men) should have a nice little case to carry them in.

Since I've already on what some might consider a taboo subject anyway, I'll go ahead and show you two of my latest additions to the shop. They're a little racy, but I am confident they'll find homes.

Recycled Wes Lang interview with sketches...

All Legs from a feature on the latest in designer fashionable leg wear...

I am going to spend the day making gifts...actually, between now and Christmas Eve, I have a whole slew of presents to make...but, I am so looking forward to it. Things would be even better with a cup of hot chocolate at my side, but since I'm doing the plan, it will be chocolate hazelnut tea courtesy of my friend Nancy. I did have a few plan slips involving unsweetened lattes...but no harm done. 

I hope to post pictures of my progress. By the way, no tree this year, which is OK considering last year's debacle.

My mermaid longs for the Caribbean.

Stay warm and safe all you Midwesterners and Northerners.  I'll see you tomorrow!

Ingle Ells...Ingle Ells

Good morning Kitchenettes! I'm off to Madison to participate in the Wisconsin Street Team Trunk Show (WIST)! If you are local, please swing by. The first 30 people get bags of swag (free stuff!)...there are 23 vendors and we all donated 30 pieces of handmade swag so that these bags would be loaded with fun stuff.

I'm so looking forward to meeting some of my team members for the first time. I've made some cute things, including these Scrabble Tile Magnet sets:

Into the woods anyone?

Or decidedly Italian paper...Italian presses are famous for their color saturation...gorgeousness.

How about maps?

Mushrooms anyone?

When Mark and I first got together he was such a straight laced conservative guy in comparison to me, but one day in the car, he made up a funny story about a psychedelic mushroom named Cletus and I learned that still waters not only run deep, but they're choppy and kind of weird under the surface...my kind of guy.

I'm loving this teal paper....

Before I give you the specifics on the show...I got most of my drinking and partying out of the way by the time I was 17 (or so)...My mother can vouch for the fact that my alcohol consumption was out of hand and worse when I combined it with sugar. Once, when I was screaming at her the way charming hungover binge drinking and eating sixteen year olds are known to do, she screamed back, "Have you been mixing sugar and alcohol again? It's having a toxic effect on your mood!!"  True, the combination left me wound tight and high strung for at least a few days afterward...every time. I was lucky...I outgrew the drinking stage (sugar is another story).

I rarely drink alcohol and I mean rarely, but if I did drink, I'd certainly have to have a holiday toast to one of the most clever alcohol advertising billboards I've ever seen...It's for J&B Scotch whiskey. I saw it about 10 years ago (maybe longer) and it has stayed in my mind.

It was a big white sign with these words:

Ingel ells...Ingle ells.

The holidays aren't the same without J & B.

And guess what Kitchenettes? A little research allowed me to find out that the campaign was developed by a woman...a woman with 38 years in the business . Rock on Diane Rothschild!!!! I'm not sure how I feel about alcohol advertising in general, but being a woman in a business at one time dominated by men couldn't have been easy.  She died last year, but her clever ads live on.

So, that's the tidbit of news for the day...now on with the show!

WIST Wisconsin Street Team Trunk Show
When: Saturday, December 13, 2008
Time: 5pm to 9pm
Where: 1358 Williamson st., Madison, Wisconsin (home of Lazy Jane’s Cafe)

This year there are over 20 vendors who will be selling their handcrafted wares - everything from holiday gifts and custom gingerbread cookies to funky clothing, unique housewares and beautiful artwork and jewelry.

We'll also be serving complimentary treats and champagne (I'll abstain) and just want to make this a mellow, fun environment for shoppers to be able to relax, get away from the chaos of the big box holiday shopping, and have a chance to meet the artists.

Plus...my mother is working the show with me! Thanks mom!!!!!  I promise...no sugar, no alcohol and no teenage sarcasm. 

Watership Down

I saw this paper and thought a Watership Down Wallet could be in order...I know many women feel the book is misogynistic and they're are one hundred percent right, but sometimes...just sometimes, I want to enjoy a story for what else it is. Don't lose respect for me feminist sisters!

Josephine

Lorelei, the woman who does my hair gave me the gift of all gifts a couple of weeks ago. Her grandmother died and while she and her mother were going through the house, they found tons of vintage sheet music.  I walked into the salon one day and Lorelei pointed to an ENORMOUS box and told me it was all mine!

Can you believe it? How generous. At Art Street this year I unveiled a new creation...my "Origami Songbirds".  Cranes with crystal drops and baubles made from vintage sheet music (hence...Songbirds). They were a hit and now I have enough sheet music to last me a lifetime!

As a gesture of appreciation I wanted to make Lorelei a wallet (I made her mother a Songbird).  I was looking through the sheet music and books and found this image on one of the covers titled Josephine. Oh my. I love her. I knew Lorelei would too.

I brought in the cover (tattered and torn, but so charming) and asked her what she thought.  I offered to do a wallet with the image, but also brought along a pretty green drop to show her in case she wanted a Songbird instead.  She couldn't decide, so we combined them.

In all honesty, I wasn't so thrilled with the green drop tassel/wallet combo because the green didn't seem to match, but Lorelei thought it would make the perfect holiday clutch and she convinced me. And, of course, the recipient is always right! The woman who does ones hair gets whatever she wants!

Here is Josephine in all her glory:

 
I am off to Chicago for the week. My grandmother is having surgery and can use my help. I hope to be home by Saturday

This is my 300th post. Can you believe it? When I come back I'm going to do a give-away! I'll post several new paper patterns...the winner can select one and I'll make her (or him) a wallet! Stay tuned! 

I also have some exciting news to share about Little Orange Kitchen arriving on the scene in two new shops!  First, though, Petal Pusher, One By One and the Urban Frog are due for restocks.

Have a wonderful week and I'm sorry to disappear for a week after just getting back!

Tip-Toeing Through The Tulips

No doubt...this towel wouldn't be for everyone. Actually, it isn't really a towel...it's a huge piece of vintage terrycloth. I found it while thrifting and like the last huge terrycloth thrifting find, it will be used as a camping towel.

I like worn threadbare towels when I camp...they dry quickly and aren't heavy if they get wet. I could always use chamois, but that's and investment of more than a few dollars and the piece pictured above was a quarter. Yep, a quarter.

I did make that navy bean soup yesterday and instead of corn muffins I baked some fruit (apples and raspberries).  Tonight it's spaghetti over here.

I am excited because this weekend...maybe Sunday, you'll get to see (at the same time as me) if the new photographer and I are going to be an amazing duo.

Busy weekend ahead and then...Urban Frog & Petal Pusher will fully stocked on Monday and Tuesday.

Here is a video of the spot on Amy Hanten's Living. I was a little reluctant to post it because I feel like my weight gain is shocking, but I'm trying to be kind to myself. Plus, it wasn't planned and I had literally 5 minutes notice, so thank God it was a relatively good hair day...I had blown it out in the morning hence the lack of curls.  I am just so happy people love the wallets and pleased with any attention they garner! the video plays fine for me, but my friend found that it was slow loading...hope it works.

Little Orange Kitchen At Farmer's Market Take One

YES, I said "yep" in the video...just call me "folksy"...yikes! ;)

A Near Sell Out!

Art Street was like living in a dreamland for a whole weekend. I couldn't believe how well the wallets did. I was overwhelmed with it all (in a good way).  I still have some leftover stock to put in the shop, but I came home boxes and boxes lighter!  The weather was great, my mom and Mark (lemonade getter and chief bagger) were a huge help and the other artists were so nice.

The booth was so packed that at one point there was a line to get near it! A woman came over before we opened on Sunday and said, "I hear this is the booth that no one can get into, so I'm here early."  Wow.

I introduced some new items including the Scrabble tile magnets and Origami Songbirds (more on these in another post) and the response was great. 

Of course I fretted a bit over things and was kicking myself for not making more business card holders when they sold out on Saturday, but I comforted myself with the fact that I had made plenty of passport holders which sold well too...And thank god my in-laws helped me get things together on Friday night or I never would have been ready.

I've learned that I need to streamline my packing process a bit and plan to use roll-on suitcases to pack wallets instead of bulky boxes, which will help immensely. Do you guys remember how much I like roll-on suitcases? :) 

It's funny, I made a lot of the larger newspaper wallets and the ones I was sure were going to fly stuck around longer (I still have some), but the ones I wasn't sure of disappeared right away...the first to sell was a Neil Young collage and this was great, but I didn't even get a picture of it!

Speaking of which, we didn't get many pictures and the ones we got are not exactly quality, but I'll still share a few.

This was the passport holder shelf, and you can see, it needed some straightening:

The wallets...we did a double sided display on one section of the booth and because of wind, you can see it was a bungee cord kind of set-up!:

Magnets and Origami Songbirds:

Newspaper Collage Wallets:

 
These sold, but I got pictures first!

  
I am so sorry that I didn't get a photo of one made from a Burda dress pattern and vintage Vogue fashion sketch...it flew away on Saturday.

The newspaper collages are near and dear to my heart because they take more time and can only be made once...The Bob Marley wallet was made up of three images from a book on world religion...

Today, I want to list items in my shop, unpack and clean up. We're practically shooing goats out of the little orange kitchen...it's a mess.

I am also going to take some real time to get caught up on blog reading. I miss reading yours and told my mother that this is the first day where I feel like I am ready to have a good schedule and start balancing issues of life and work and not neglecting either...though, the Wednesday night and Saturday morning markets are just a few days away! Yikes.

Today feels like a blueberry muffin day and I may make a batch with agave nectar instead of sugar...wish me luck!

Ready Or Not....

 
Art Street 2008, here I come! Whew...weeks of folding and long hours have led up to this night! Art Street Eve!

I plan to have fun even if it rains...I just feel good knowing that I love the things I made.  I wanted to bring journals and photo albums, but they will have to wait...it was all I could do to get the passport holders at a good level.  

I want to tell you guys a few things:

• I miss my thrifting and cupcake posts...I'm glad fall is coming, I might be able to focus on home matters!
• I am (as you know), well beyond plus-sized model proportions and the sad part is that I am barely a B cup...a scant B cup but with a need for a 42-44 bra band (hard to find in the pretty bras I like) ...so, instead of suffering with pretty bras that have a 38 inch strap, I've recently made three new friends. Meet whitey, blackie and nudie.

Life is grand and so what it if they don't match my polka dotted, pink, purple and and teal bras!  I'm hoping the company gets to getting on other friends like pinkie, reddie, blueie and brownie! Sorry, but I'm truly excited about these things.    

• The Urban Frog (this is for you locals) is hosting a fantastic event on August 28th...This man will be there.  He was a cattle rancher who is now vegan and who works tirelessly to "shake up" the pesticide industry and to end factory farming.

Isn't this quote of his great?

"When you can't take it with you, all that really matters is what you leave behind."

Right on.

Call and let the Urban Frog know you're coming...

I'm due to get up in a few hours and get ready for the show...I wish you all a great weekend and if you stop by I am booth number 129 on Jefferson Street near the Y.

Sweet Dreams Kitchenettes!

I love the Prada fairy...any ad with her in it gets made into a cardholder asap!


 
 
           

Mid Day

It's lunchtime..and I have my work cut out for me...literally. I have been cutting and folding since the wee hours and have a long day ahead...but, I wouldn't trade this job for anything in the whole world! It's fun, but because I was a slacker in the previous months, I have to play catch up now in order to have a well stocked booth at Art Street.

This image is from a vintage book on dragons mounted onto the stock pages from a German newspaper. I love how it kind of has a three dimensional look, though in person it is a little less so because you see more of the paper detail...

OK...My inner taskmaster is yelling chop-chop...so more later.

I hope you're enjoying your day at least half as much as I am!

A Few Now...

More tomorrow! The newspaper and magazine wallets are my favorite to make...They take more time (and cost more), but I enjoy seeing what happens to the images when they are mounted on different backgrounds...the green behind the nurse is a Starbuck's ad...I think the green makes the image pop more than it would have if I had left it alone...

Where Am I?

Neck high in paper! 

More later and maybe some pictures of new work.

Wares...

Just a few of the offerings I'm taking to the market today.  I am seriously in mad crush with the vintage typewriter pattern.

I hope to get more berries tonight. I canned more jam last weekend...low sugar strawberry and extra-limey strawberry lime. Now I'm done (until the sour cherries are ready).  I'm also picking up beans and blueberries to freeze for next winter. I'm really going all "pioneer" over here.

Liz over at Primo Originals is doing a give-away...she's a local artist and I just love her work.

Take care all! 

Expect The Unexpected

I announced a few weeks ago that the wallets had found another home, but I haven't had a chance to give any details until now.

I opened my email one morning and was thrilled to see an unexpected message from Angela over at Petal Pusher on Webster Avenue inviting me to bring in some wallets to see if they'd be a match for the shop. 

I like Petal Pusher because while it's without a doubt the most eclectic floral shop in town it also hosts a wide range of both eco-friendly and locally made gifts.   

Petal Pusher is so much more than a flower shop, but I have to start somewhere, so it might as well be with the incredible blooms.  They offer fresh flowers for every occasion and the designers over there come up with the most gorgeous plump with color arrangements you can imagine...mango colored calla lilies, lavender hydrangeas combined with dainty white tulips and you already know that nothing can stop my heart faster than a rose in the deepest of apricot shades.

Except perhaps this:

Black Baccara roses...the darkest rose available. It starts off as a compact deep blackberry bloom and then opens to reveal its velvety garnet petals and center.  Baccara roses are said to have mystical properties and to enchant the receiver.  Not only does Petal Pusher offer these roses, but you can get them dotted with tiny rhinestones that twinkle and sparkle like dew drops...trust me, I'm not usually sold on embellished flowers, but the effect is beautiful and would be perfect for anyone who likes pretty things that sparkle.  The store motto is "Expect the Unexpected" and they don't disappoint.  

However, aside from the flowers and great service, Petal Pusher has achieved local fame and appreciation because they'll gift wrap any item no matter how small. My friend Ann purchased a bunch of gifts in the $5.00-$10.00 range one year and each one went into its own colorful bag lined with pretty tissue, tied off with bright ribbons and ready for giving. This kind of service is rare these days and women here in town appreciate it. Plus, everyone reuses their "Petal Pusher Bags".  We give them back and forth to one another all the time. 

They have great workspace for gift wrapping (the wallets were on the counter...waiting to be "set-out"). Angela wanted to clear it off a bit when she saw me with my ever present camera, but this is a workstation and I liked seeing it that way. Notice the Language Art above the counter    :
 
Here we have eco-friendly purses made from candy wrappers...I know, I wish I'd thought of the idea first too:

Locally made newspaper totes (by one of the staff)...so clever!

Look at these purses made from recycled paper fibers and organic cotton:

 

 

They also offer locally made jewelry...I love pink and brown:

My pictures don't do the jewelry selection justice. Much of it is made from natural gemstones and vintage beads. The selection always changes and is made by local artists, including Angela! 

An interesting tidbit for those of you interested in beads and glass drops is that prior to World War II, the Czechs were known for their innovative bead design, but since many of the beadmakers were Jewish, there was a period in the forties where bead production basically came to a halt as they began to lose their businesses one by one.  This makes Czech glass made prior to the war especially valuable because sadly, many of the most skilled bead makers were killed and it took awhile for a new generation to learn or for ones that escaped to reestablish their workshops.   

I love this vintage drop with its aurora borealis sheen. Swarovski and Christian Dior collaborated in the 50's to make the finish that most of us love to see on vintage pendants and chandelier drops.  Plus, I've always loved square facets.       

Here we have the cutest handmade baby hats in the world!  Mark is relieved this one doesn't fit me or else I'd wear it all the time:

Pretty cards:

 

This picture doesn't do her justice. She's kept in a small lighted alcove:

In addition to the glassware, garden art, stationary, gourmet dip mixes and condiments they also have little glass globes dangling in various places...

and ready to be turned into one of these:

I've purchased two as gifts so far and the recipients have been thrilled...now I want one for myself.  Angela does a great job preparing them or you can just purchase a globe and make one at home. They come with little holes on the back or glass loops on the top for hanging. I can't wait to get one for Mark to hang in his new place...when (ahem) he decides to bring more over there than work files, a case of Coke, two sheets and a single lonely garment bag. 

There's no way to list all of the pretty items in the shop and as usual, I have to apologize for my pictures...I really wish the jewelry photos had turned out better...but, look at the pretty ribbons in the floral section...

I think the wallets will do well in the shop. It's so nice how easy its been to get local stores stocked...the paper wallet stars must all be in alignment because so far, I haven't had to approach anyone...they've found me through fairs or word of mouth. This is great...who doesn't love being found? 

So, much thanks to Petal Pusher and the super friendly staff...especially Angela who is so generous with her compliments about my work and who also happens to make beautiful jewelry (and terrariums!) herself. 

I hope you locals stop in and for those of you who are not local, isn't it time for a roadtrip? :) 

Petal Pusher
1303 South Webster
Green Bay, WI 54301 

P.S. My latest entry over at Creative Collectives is up!

Pure Genius

Those of you who read regularly know that I usually have no problem giving myself applause...but, even for me...I have to say that I'm finding myself insufferable when it comes to the first (of many) paper magnets I made a few weeks ago.  Ignore the creases and assume that each one after this will be crafted a little more carefully and just bask in the brilliance. :)

I used an upholstery button and Japanese paper...and then a coat of  sealer.  It was hard getting it smooth and as you can see, it needs work, but I'm so pleased I can't even tell you! Oops...maybe I just did tell you!

Here is the salad I made from local food leftovers...another hybrid meal. I love using the term "hybrid" for meals that are part local, part not, but which show a good faith effort to the cause. 

 

And...the new extra large bingo wallet...which is bound to sell to someone's aunt!  I'm going to title it "Bingo Is The New Bowling" when I list it in the shop because in case anyone isn't aware...bingo replaced bowling as the twenty-something "hipster" thing to do on Wednesday nights.  Though, apparently roller rinks are back and it will just be a few minutes before roller skating becomes the new bingo. ?  When I was a twenty-something, believe me...it was more like Boonesfarm Strawberry HiIl over bowling or bingo 99.999 percent of the time. I missed so much. :)  Oh well, there's still time. Actually, I just realized that when I was twenty-something, my Strawberry Hill days were over too...I was married and meditating....besides...is hipster even a word anymore? Sienna Miler says she's like to kill the person who coined the term 'Boho Chic"...but, I'm embarrassed to admit that I kind of like it.

Oh you guys, I apologize for not getting over to your blogs in a bit...tomorrow night I scheduled in a few hours for blog reading.  As for tonight...Saturday night...it's a W.W.E (Working on Wallets Extravaganza).