what a mess!

Preparation for the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale. 

Murphy's Law.

puzzled.

After all the leftovers were jarred away, the dishes were in the washer and Thanksgiving was basically over, Ashley pulled out a puzzle that had been sitting around for a long time. This was the perfect family activity to end the day.

couple hours later... almost!

I think it was about 1:30 am when the last piece was put in.

done! How sweet is this circle bird puzzle?!

hosting

First time hosting Thanksgiving. The preparation for one day is intense! And cooking a turkey when you are a veggie is really weird. I left the cooking to Ashley and I handled the little bit of decorating–thanks Martha for the  fancy gourds!

pomegranate medallion

vegan turkey

I REALLY love this idea, not just for kids, but for me too! It's the perfect alternative to the real live thing—pays tribute to the Thanksgiving tradition AND saves a turkey!

So easy to whip up, get a good laugh from and than eat its insides—yummy popcorn or yucky guts? I vote for the popcorn.

For the full tutorial, visit one charming party.

animal collection

Since I work as a "crafter" (yes it says crafter on my business card) for a living, I don't get to work on art at home as much as I would like to. Knowing that there is one craft fair a year I should be participating in—the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Fair–it gives me a reason to work on some different stuff than I do at the office. This year I approached the sale a bit differently—a bit selfishly I guess! I thought about what I wanted for Christmas and there really wasn't any "thing", except that I want to help. How can I do something to help? If I had the money I would support  the organizations I believe in and promote, when I could, what they do. The only way I can help is to do what I do, make what I make, and make it for a cause—so that is what I did.

For the past six months I have been working on a three piece collection that supports three different animal institutes I feel passionate about. With each piece in the collection I sell, I will donate to the non-profit that inspired it.

I was lucky to have met the renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, when she visited the Martha Show a few years back—I have never been so "star struck" in my life. The first piece I worked on is dedicated to what Jane has worked so hard to protect, the chimpanzees. The Jane Goodall Institute contributes to the preservation of the great apes and their habitats, among many other humanitarian work. For each buyer of a Chimp Necklace, I will make a donation to enroll them as a member of the Jane Goodall Institute.

Elephants were my favorite animals as a child. Consequently, after seeing a youtube video about Shirley the elephant and her incredible life, I knew I had to make a piece to benefit the place that came to her rescue. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is a natural habitat refuge for elephants—a place where elephants can be with elephants and where there is room to roam. For each buyer of an Elephant Necklace, I will make a donation for them to become a "friend" of The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.

This piece comes in a different form. I call it a mourning vial. It is a vessel to keep near to your heart a lock of hair of a lost pet or a loved companion. Although this piece may seem a bit morbid, it pays tribute to all the dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, etc. that are homeless today or have been euthanized. For each buyer of a mourning vial, I will make a donation for them to become a member of the ASPCA®. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® works to end animal cruelty and aids in finding homes for so many needy animals.

I hope if you are in New York City on Saturday, December 4th, you will come by the Martha Stewart offices, 601 West 26th street, and support homemade, well made and original arts!

currently inspiring

1. trees wrapped in lace

2. Seagulls perched on balanced rocks

3. twisted serpents

4. models in the trash

5. Balmain DIY

6. walls covered with frames

7. teeny tiny bears

8. a letter to MTV from Kurt Cobain sold for $12,800 at auction. wow.

ISO50

 LOVE all these graphic prints by ISO50

 

bowling break

Today Hosanna came to the rescue and helped me solder my old broken bowling trophy. I am not sure why I adore this little gold lady so much, but I was very sad when I unpacked her after my recent move and discovered she broke her old brittle legs.

I transported her to work this morning and my first attempt at glueing her back together failed. So I pulled out the soldering iron and soon realized this wasn't an endeavor I could conquer alone. So I held her in place and Hosanna heated up the solder. She was back together before long–yay :)

I covered her silver bandage with some liquid leaf—couldn't quite match the color but it was better than nothing.

I was so happy to have my trophy back together again! I wrapped her in bubble wrap and biked her home. Then she did a flying leap out of my bag and landed in half on the floor!

Broken again!

A craft fail!

many things

Been keeping real busy working on multiple projects. Little parts and pieces accumulate on my desk while I work and I wind up with smallest amount of actual working space. I don't know why I have a habit of doing that!?! I just cleaned up a bit and I can actually see what I accomplished—will be sharing that soon...

Pico kept me company the entire weekend while I worked—insisting on the occasional head rub and taking breaks to munch. She was really into the seeds of a green zebra tomato that Ashley cut for her—flung them all over the place! Oh Pico!

art & a burnt burrito

I went to an interesting art show Sunday evening in the Lower East Side. One of my favorite pieces was the burnt burrito below that was displayed on a pedestal. Hilarious! I snapped a few pictures but forgot to write down the artists' names-oops! A nice little collection...