Vintage by Crystal on Martha Stewart!!


What can I say... it was bound to happen and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person.  Friend and fellow Boston Handmade member, Crystal, will be on the Martha Stewart Show this Wednesday (tomorrow) at 10 am on Fox 25 in the Boston area (check your local listings).

I, for one, can't wait to take notes on her craft!  It seems like every time we have a group show I come home with another one or her beautiful creations.  I added a Christmas ornament to my tree this year and have purchased these lovelies for my children - instant heirloom!

Check it out!

Before and After


Usually "Before and Afters" show improvement but improvement can be different things to different people.
My studio was once a lovely sun room.  It was my refuge, a "room of my own", where I could surround myself with my favorite things and indulge my obsession with Tiki.  The Christmas that my husband gave me my encaustic setup, I was so excited and couldn't wait to set it up.  I carved out a small corner by the window so I would have good ventilation and started to play.  
Well, a couple years later, I am completely hooked and my room has been transformed into a full time studio.
Just last week, I finally got around to moving out the remaining furniture and setting up some real work stations using tables that I was hanging onto (our old kitchen table and one from our photo studio).  I have been using folding tables to lay things out and plastic storage bins - not the most attractive, but someday I'll invest in esthetically pleasing cabinets.  The most important thing is that it is now a functioning space.  I no longer have to walk around the house mumbling to myself about where I left my scissors or ruler or...
I loved my old sun room and it was a lovely place to spend time, but I spend even more time in my studio and it's value is immeasurable.

Wall Flower - Second in a Series



This piece is the second in my "Wall Flower" series.

As I have been working through each piece, it has helped me reflect on the power and impact that woman have had on society but more importantly on the people their lives touch every day - their friends, husbands and most importantly their children. Woman's lives and roles have changed enormously and I know I have benefitted from the sacrifices of others. With expanding opportunity, comes all the stresses and responsibilities that tug on me for attention but I don't want to forget that the most important tugs come from the little hands grabbing my sweater or jeans.

I'd like to be, under the sea...


I have a fascination with what lies out there. Living on the coast my whole life, I find the shore is where I get my inspiration and my rejuvenation.




We had two wonderful days walking the beach and jetties in nearby towns this past weekend. I found some wonderful beach "junk" - weathered wood and lobster netting thrown back on shore by winter storms.






My kids loved it too. My son is going to make a sculpture with the bits he found.

An Etsy Favorite



When I first started on Etsy, I was captivated by ATC's (artist trading cards). I loved the idea of a small original piece of art at an affordable price. I started a collection of cards that had meaning for me and created a mini inspiration wall inside a shadow box frame. I keep it where I can admire it every day and it continues to inspire.

Artists in this collection:

InsituDecorativeArts
catwalk
studiolyon
AzureGrackle

Tiny World

Tiny World_06 adj
Tiny World_03 adj

I never thought I would be happy to live in Boston in the grey month of February. Yesterday, however, I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else in the world. I am fortunate to live within driving distance of Mimi Kirchner and yesterday she held her Tiny World class.

There were seven of us, with varying levels of sewing experience, but with Mimi's generous guidance each world became a treasure of self expression. We had lots of laughs and I smiled the whole way home. A perfect way to spent a cold February day. Thank you, Mimi.

Jen Bowles and her mom created little orchards with birds.




and friend and fellow Boston Handmade member Brooke Pickering created an island of her own!