images from around the world...

sunset over bamberg (via flickr)

my seven year old nephew and i were discussing, today, how a passport works. the conversation came about as a result of his stated ambition to become a leading world detective, which will of course require abundant and dangerous adventure around the globe (this talk occurred during a break in our 'Nancy Drew' mystery book reading).

"each passport stamp shows the places you've traveled," i told him... and, a feeling of sadness came over me that, although i've dreamed this dream of traveling the world for so long, i've yet to make it a reality. how strange it seems to live years and years in your one little place, in your one life, in this vast globe, without seeing all which the earth has to offer. i not only want to visit other lands, i want to live there... to really live and watch and listen and speak the language of the culture. and, yet, here i am sitting in this kitchen, talking about my unfulfilled dream once again.

so, i have decided, i will not be sad for what has never been, but be excited for what will be... for not only the lovely dreams of far away lands that fulfill with the promise of adventure, but for the reality of adventure i will make happen in my future (and hopefully sooner rather than later!)

in honor of these intended adventures, i wanted to share beautiful images from around the world... from places of my ancestry in germany, england, ireland... to lovely sweden... and, to a lovely home (see the last image) right here in the states, filled with antiques procured from europe.

enjoy your european trot... perhaps africa next week?

can we dance?, by camilla engman

chatsworth, derbyshire 'a guide to', by su blackwell

sarah churchill, duchess of marlborough, by irish painter charles jervas

home of 'red chair antiques' owner, jocie sinauer and david chicane (via designsponge)

*** p.s. i'm just starting a new facebook fanpage, and would love to see your lovely faces over there ;)

pretty things...

imagining the season's first warm touch of light...

opening your eyes to new air's promise...

life blossoming...

memories waiting to grab hold of you...

tasting the glow, the sounds, the gentle breeze...

feeling the touch of warmth on bare arms

1. Untitled, 2. sisters, 3. vintage sewing pattern tissue paper flowers, 4. Untitled, 5. ........................., 6. Untitled, 7. Spring in here!, 8. Untitled, 9. ^__^, 10. I took my lucky break and I broke it in two.

(you can click the links to see each photographer's image on flickr... they can also be found in my flickr favorites)

if only i could really capture the feeling of spring's beginning in a few words. is it biological, how i crave, so intensely, the beginning of each new season? does everyone feel this way? even when i fear the long coldness of winter, or the scalding wetness of summer, my body still feels a strong need for each change

it's as if every year is a miniature cycle, within the larger circle of our lives. i often envy small children, for the newness of their world, and, yet, each spring we become a part of the fresh beginning of earth. perhaps the warm light feels so new and wondrous on bare arms, because the skin is new? we have the memories of warmth, but the skin is discovering the feeling for the first time. it is the season i feel most connected to nature's cycle, as all around me life is discovering the same first touch of warmth... flower petals, newly hatched birds, trees' budding leaves

just some rambling thoughts from a person wanting so desperately to dive into spring! and, reflecting on the nearing close of my first year in georgia. growing up in southern california, the taste of each season was subtle... had to be searched for, listened to closely. but, in a place like georgia, the change is so intense, as breathing in a strong gust of air... crisp cool in fall, sharp cold in winter, soft warmth in spring, hot damp in summer. however different, each place i've lived has it's own beauty (although sometimes it takes time for me to discover it, to embrace it)

off to enjoy the clean sunshine, after a stormy day

happy monday!

that time of year in the hollow... when the bulbs burst forth, breathing spring into the air

'ampoule de fleur cottage' ~ just listed in the shop

originally designed wool and cotton fiber/textile soft sculpture, entirely hand stitched with needle and thread

breathe sweet loveliness...

oh, i'm in love with this decorative shelf from cox & cox (via loveology). yesterday's post brought some much needed personal fashion inspiration... so today i thought i would share a bit for the home

about a year ago, i purchased a lovely assortment of small pieces of vintage wallpaper, which have been sadly stashed away until they find the perfect piece in which to breathe sweet loveliness

perhaps you've seen me, carefully scouring the local thrift stores, imagining, dreaming of what these set aside, lonely pieces can become. i recently found some lovely vintage wooden wall sconces and small kitchen shelf, which, after being painted in lovely soft hues and sanded a bit, have given my rooms a breath of fresh air (all, including paint and vintage plates/teacups/trinkets for shelf decoration, for under $10!... can you tell i love a bargain too). but i'm still searching for a lovely large piece, such as this one from cox & cox, to really do my wallpaper (and assortment of vintage china) justice

here are some lovely vintage wallpapers i found on etsy:

1 ~ blue flock, from paintchipdiaries

2 ~ rolls of vintage wallpaper, from twoartdirectors

3 ~ scenic wallpaper, from lynn101

4 ~ shimmering leaves, from gingerscraps

5 ~ paisley, from nostalgictreasures

6 ~ blue roses, from craftvintage

happy decorating!

saturday shopping list - january 23rd

my closet is in desperate need of a an overhaul for the new year... thought i would compile a collection of a few of my etsy fashion favorites for this week's saturday shopping list... these sellers provide me with such inspiration. i may have to continue next week for a 'part 2', as it was difficult narrowing this list down!

1 ~ sleep set, by modaspia

2 ~ white day dress, by magnolijadress

3 ~ sunset headband, by littleocean

4 ~ tiger lily moccasin teal, by darlingtonia

5 ~ meadow georgette and silk camisole, by hopeless

6 ~ copper key belt, by ledthread

7 ~ blue swing, by bewakeful

8 ~ snow white shibori felted necklace, by elenamakesthings

9 ~ chloe, by alisondahl

10 ~ ivory tower romper playsuit jumper, by undertheroot

***as always, you can visit fancypicnic for a list of all the wonderful saturday shopping lists!

petal cottage

new soft house... 'petal cottage', originally designed and carefully hand stitched

created using a combination of hand-dyed wool and fine linen/cotton fabric (see post below!), meticulously sewn together with my own two hands, a needle, and thread. twisting vines and flowers creeping around the cottage door all hand embroidered... with a secret petal door handle

the four large flower petals, which make up the roof of the cottage, have been created using a very thick blue felted wool, intricately stitched onto this lovely embroidered linen/cotton fabric

the entire piece stands 10" tall, has been firmly filled with wool, and is initialed on the bottom

oh sweet joy!

ahh, the feeling of opening my mailbox, finding that package of fabrics i've been eagerly anticipating, and trying hard not to squeal (there were people in earshot... so i patiently saved the squealing for when i opened the package in the privacy of my home!). these delightful japanese linen/cotton fabrics, from stefaniexu, have already inspired many new ideas... creations i'm sure you will soon see in my shop

let the sewing commence!

rain, fog, quiet

so many plans this weekend... replaced by the quiet of the rain and fog. instead, i've been enjoying sewing in the coziness of my home... what a beautiful light the misty clouds cast

finished a new wool and cotton tree:

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i decided to pull out my scanner this weekend as well, and after a year and a half of not working... voila! so, as a result, boxes of photos were also pulled out. i found the image of me at age three, riding a horse... remembering in wonderment how small i was when i began to ride. i then came across this image of my grandpa walker, who i unfortunately never knew as he died before i was born. we walker's have been put on horses as soon as we can walk for quite some time now (and taught how to hold those reins!). also found this image, below, of my great-grandmother (on the left), riding in wyoming

now i realize how many years have gone by since i've been on a horse... makes me long for a ride. something to plan for this spring, perhaps!

hope everyone had a pleasant weekend

saturday shopping list - january 16th

1 ~ custom paper silhouette portrait, by papercutsbyjoe

with valentine's day approaching, what better way to show your affection than with a silhouette to forever capture that special moment with your love! (that bicycle piece pictured is super cute!)

2 ~ 2010 cloth calendar tea towel, from 1canoe2

these take me back to childhood, when we always had a cloth calender (usually with a picture of my sister and i on it!)... a vintage touch, but so fresh and new!

3 ~ federal glass mixing bowls in turquoise, from rollinghillsvintage

oh, how i've been in need of a set of vintage mixing bowls... and these are exactly in my favorite color palette!

4 ~ triple ruffle leggings dreamspun danties, by dreamspunkids

pairing these with any of your little one's jumpers or skirts? ... makes for one fancy outfit! now if only they came in my size

5 ~ gnome baby upcycled dolls/multicultural, by sewnnatural

made with vintage cottons and stuffed with wool, these gnomes have a wonderful timeless vibe... and they can even be custom made to match your child's features (i'll take one with freckles for myself!)

6 ~ blue whales paperbella mobile, by paperbella

even in a still photograph, these whales seem to move... how calming and relaxing for a child's (or adult's!) room

*visit fancypicnic for a list of all the saturday shopping lists!

happy weekend everyone!

pretty things...

1. grain, 2. marianne was difficult to please and found even paris rather drab for her taste, 3. Untitled, 4. jan-11-10 photographer's assistant, 5. Farfuglinn, 6. L'enfant, 7. DSC01437, 8. remembering back....., 9. golden mushroom, 10. collared dove, 11. Molly's Sketchbook: New Year's Garland, 12. Little Birdie, 13. Untitled

some inspirational pictures from my flickr favorites

nest on a sprig...

new mixed media fiber art in shop... 'nest on a sprig'

needle felted nest with eggs, attached with vintage cotton thread to a real branch, painted a soft blue and wrapped in a fine floral cotton

twisting floral vines created by intricately wrapping wire in a thick cotton thread

saturday shopping list - january 9th

1 ~ when i ride my bike, by illustrationbygosia

2 ~ antique mission arts sideboard, from groovygirl60

3 ~ vintage mama and baby bird, from urbanlotusvintage

4 ~ primitive wood duck decoy, from imsovintage

5 ~ the girl who knitted love sachet pillow, by fricdementol

6 ~ little white sheep wool animal, by littleloveblue

wow, i actually managed to post a saturday shopping list this week... and actually on saturday this time!

visit fancypicnic for a list of all the saturday shopping lists

and just listed two new pieces in the shop... wee blue roses on a sprig:

blue rose on a sprig

blue rose on a sprig, number 2

hand stitched blue roses, from thick felted wool, sewn onto painted branches, ready for hanging

blue roses and snow?

new blue rose wreath... available in the shop

the wreath was created using found twisting branches, and is wrapped in a fine floral print cotton. a blue rose has been hand stitched from a thick felted wool, along with hand stitched wool and cotton print leaves...

as you can see, my mind has moved into spring, however uncooperative the weather is choosing to be ;) just as i'm ready for warm weather, and budding flowers, mother nature sprinkled the white stuff over atlanta... and, while i really do love snow, i prefer it before the new year

and how surprised i was to find that half an inch of snow could virtually shut down a city? that was until i witnessed the unfortunate combination of lack of salting/plowing and people unfamiliar with snowy weather. while in new york people went on about their business with 24" of snow (school/work/play), in atlanta cars are colliding, schools shutting down, neighbors slipping on the ice (and looking around to see if anyone had witnessed the embarrassing moment... yes, yes i did)... and my sister reported that one of her neighbors could be seen scraping off the ice on the car with a set of keys... oh, atlanta ;)

happy snow day (and be careful out there)!

nothing like a good book...

this is a beautiful book ('the abby aldrich rockefeller folk art collection') i found a few years ago in the montague bookmill, a used bookstore housed in an old gristmill on the banks of the sawmill river in massachusetts... this was while on a road trip to massachusetts with my wonderful brooklyn crafting friends

i would definitely recommend stopping by for a browse and a bite to eat, overlooking the river, if you are ever in the northampton area... we went during the snowy season... so lovely

vintage folk art definitely has an influence on my work, from colors to images... and this book provides an abundance of inspiration. the cover alone is a wonderful display piece!

such fun days were had, during the weekly craft get togethers i shared with these beautiful women! another great inspiration for my work

'springtide' is now available in the shop

hand embroidered and hand stitched fiber/textile piece on canvas, mounted on a vintage metal embroidery hoop (see the post below if you'd like to read of the inspiration for this piece)

some sore fingers... but well worth it ;)

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**and, please take a moment to read this blog post over on littleloveblue... about companies copying designs from indie crafters, in order to produce cheap wholesale knockoffs... urgh!

in progress... 'tree'

'in progress' is an apt title for all of my creations right now... everything is in various stages of development, from the idea phase, to sketches, to half finished works in progress... i see a spring burst of finished works coming soon!

busily working on a new 'tree' fiber art piece... as you can see, i am still in the process of hand embroidering the trunk and branches with vintage thread (a process which my fingers feel by the end of the day!)

i've embroidered this piece free hand based on my sketches, as opposed to first inking my design on the canvas

the leaves will be three dimensional wool and cotton hand stitched, in shades of soft blues and greens

once completed, this fiber and textile piece will be backed with wool and mounted on the vintage metal embroidery hoop, ready for hanging or propped in a cozy corner

i was inspired to create a new tree on canvas, after coming across this old sketch of a tree i did for one of my theatre design classes back in college... the structure of a tree is a recurring theme in my work, whether in my soft sculptures or in my wall art. every spring i'm sure to feel the surprising wonder of a bare winter tree with the first soft hints of color

i really could arrange and photograph fabrics in harmonious colors and prints all day long!

oh, and shopping for new (or often vintage actually, but new to me!) fabrics, or happily finding a package of fabrics awaiting me in the mail... there are no words! i have several new fabrics making their way to me right now, which have already inspired many new ideas. can't wait to hold them in my hands so that i may begin stitching them into new forms!

you can see more images of this work in progress on my flickr page

looking ahead

happy new year (and new decade), everyone! i'm excited to begin work on new ideas and creations for this year... as you can see from my flickr page, i've been goofing off and relaxing for the holidays... a tula photo shoot today! i think i've created a monster. while seemingly annoyed with the picture taking to begin with, she now keeps jumping on the arm of the chair and 'posing' so that i'll take her picture again ;)

now that the important business of getting new kitty shots has been taken care of, i'm ready to return to creating and getting new work out into the world of 2010

hope everyone has been enjoying a relaxing holiday!

'tis the season

mmm, the holidays are my favorite time of the year, and pulling out the christmas wares gets me all giddy every year! i was fortunate enough to score some of these lovely cypress evergreen boughs off freecycle that someone had just clipped during their tree pruning ... adds that perfect christmas aroma to the room (haven't purchased my tree yet). and it looked so lovely, i went back today and gathered some more for my deck!

these little gnome ornaments from ikea are just so sweet (especially with the sweet treats tucked inside!) i had intended these for the tree, but they made the perfect little garland... i always loved pulling holiday treats right out of the decorations when i was a child... candy canes off the tree, little chocolates hidden inside ornaments. looking forward to my niece and nephew emptying these for me ;)

the lovely beeswax candles are from buzzhandmade, while the stockings were a gift - handmade by my mom

what a joy to have a fire under a freshly decorated mantle!