merry&bright

I lugged my very last bin of holiday orders to the post office on Thursday... then went on a lonnng run around Southie and the Seaport district, finished wrapping presents (with Geninne's beautiful DIY bird gift tags) and packed up the cats to go home to Mike's family for the weekend.

Chubby Boots was excited to see his sister, who was adopted by Mike's brother Matt. I was excited to wake up to snow (!!!) and my first attempt at making peppermint bark holiday treat bags. We were able to do most of our holiday shopping handmade or locally... it will be fun to watch people open their presents on Christmas :)

I hope you have a very merry, soulful and bright holiday season.

MIT glass lab

Tonight I drove to Cambridge to meet up with Mike after work, and we went to the MIT Glass Lab holiday sale... you wouldn't think MIT would have classes on glass blowing, but they do and the work produced by their students is pretty incredible. Some of the pieces were so elegant and detailed it was hard to believe they were made by hand, by students.

Excuse the mediocre photos... they were taken under school hallway-esque fluorescent lighting after drinking a very large coffee.

Crazy talented, right? And everything was surprisingly inexpensive for handmade art. If you live around Boston, this sale is going on until 5pm Tuesday evening and worth checking out. Lobby 10 is in "The Infinite Hallway" and only a five minute walk from the Kendall/MIT station on the Red Line. Or a 25 minute drive from East Boston if you happen to have an outdated GPS and get lost in rush-hour traffic like someone did. (Me.)

(I did buy a tiny pink votive candleholder for my studio... maybe I'll post a photo when I finally get back in there again.. someday.)

inspired by: sketchbooks

I've been living in a sea of prints and packing materials since the holiday rush began and also in a sort of inspiration lull for a couple days... if the feeling isn't there I don't like to force it, so I haven't been painting or creating as much as usual this week (although, I really enjoyed playing with my watercolors for When We Love.) Instead I'm working on my sketchbook, printing out old photos and playing with new materials and figuring out what I want from my next few paintings. Sketchbooks and art journals are such a good way to experiment and sometimes they end up being just as gorgeous as "real" paintings. Also a good way to collect little bits of life to save for later... occasionally I've ripped a page from a sketchbook and sewed or glued it right into a work in progress. 

Here are some of my favorite sketchbooks by other artists and links to check out more of their work if you like.

Sketchbooks by illustrator Oliver Jeffers

UK Journal #11 via Just A Plane Ride Away

Sketchbook Pages via Yelena Bryksenkova
(I was a little excited when I ran across both of these.
My bedroom growing up in Seattle had a view of the Space Needle and Mount Rainier.
The beach in Ocean City was where I had my first "night swimming" experience.)

Moleskine via David Fullarton

Personal Mini Album DIY via Amanda Johnson

Moleskine via Anna Ruskova

Travel journals via Mary Ann Moss of Dispatch From L.A.

Art Journal by Debra Cooper

This is my own sketchbook... one of my favorite pages.

Okay... now I'm going to stop writing about art and actually go make some art. Ready, go.

cyber monday: 10 etsy shops i love and support

Happy Cyber Monday! My holiday sale is still going strong over in my Etsy shop. In addition to selling my artwork on Etsy, I've also bought a lot of beautiful handmade things for our apartment, studio, and wardrobe and wanted to share some of my favorites with you. Each of these sellers provided a great buying experience, and I use or wear their products often and recommend them if you're looking for quality holiday gifts (or just to spoil yourself!) 

Obviously I'm biased, but there are so many reasons why buying handmade during the holidays is awesome - for you, your gift recipients, and the craftspeople whose creativity you are supporting. Think about all the beauty you appreciate in the world - you can encourage it by shopping direct from the artists! Many of the artists below are having Cyber Monday promotions and can ship in time for Christmas, so it's worth giving their shop a look today.

KARIN LORENC POTTERY

I love drinking coffee - it is more of a religious ritual than just a habit - and have a huge obsession with pretty ceramic coffee mugs. The blue one above from Karin Lorenc is my favorite ever and is probably responsible for about 68% of my business' morning productivity. Everything else in her shop is equally as gorgeous and functional, and Karin also makes "incorrect math" mugs that would make a great/funny gift for your favorite teacher.

KAROLIN SCHNOOR ILLUSTRATION

The first thing I bought from London illustrator Karolin Schnoor was this wolf to hang in my studio; I loved the folk-esque feel and tactile quirkiness of assembling them, but looked through her other work and fell in love with her botanical screen prints too, which are beautifully rendered in soft pastels on an organic-feeling grey cardstock. Karolin's handwritten letterpress cards are gorgeous as well and could easily be framed as artwork after (or instead of) being given with gifts.

RED ONION WOODWORKS

I can't share what I purchased from Camille at Red Onion Woodworks just yet, but when it arrived I was floored by how gorgeous and solid her work is. All of ROW's rough-edged serving trays and cutting boards are made from lumber salvaged after storms or industrial logging operations and crafted with a ton of attention to the wood's unique texture and shape - there are burls, marbled patterns and knots galore. Camille also writes this great blog about her life and work in a self-sustaining, off-the-grid cabin in Oregon.

PAULINA CARCACH

To celebrate getting my first job out of college, I splurged on the Victoria (2nd photo) from Paulina Carcach to bring to work. I'm not into high-end handbags or shoes at all (they'd probably end up covered in paint) but I fell in love with Paulina's structured, layered designs and still feel a little glamorous every time I walk out with my bag. Her work is very high quality and definitely stands out.

THIEF & BANDIT

Thief & Bandit is unique among Etsy clothing designers because T&B actually screen-prints their own original geometric designs with non-toxic ink onto organic fabric prior to turning it into shirts, scarves and jewelry. They also created the leather feather headband (which then made it onto billboards in Berlin!) which is unique, well-made and one of my favorite accessories that I own. T&B also have a kids line and some of the best customer service I've had the pleasure of dealing with on Etsy.

UNTAMED MENAGERIE JEWELRY

Untamed Menagerie's fleur de lis earrings (middle) arrived very fast for made-to-order jewelry. Everything in Nikki and Penny's shop is not only unique but affordable as well. Their handmade, vintage-inspired silhouettes range from simple to dramatic and are a perfect balance between whimsical and modern.

THE SUCCULENT GARDEN

Did you know that you can buy plants and food on Etsy? Almost all of the succulents in my apartment and studio came from The Succulent Garden, a great little shop that specializes in plant cuttings and terrariums, which are perfect for anyone with a less-than-green thumb because they grow fast and don't need a lot of attention. Daniel can even tells you which plants are safe around dangerously curious kittens and other pets.

SIXTH AND MAIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Sixth and Main has an eye for capturing beautiful details and angles of everything - from vintage subjects to dramatic landscapes - and a talent for tweaking her photographs to create dreamy and ethereal worlds. I have two lustre prints - Mangia Bene and Al Mio Amore - in my studio and they add a sweet pop of color to my walls. 

ANDERSON SOAP COMPANY

Dennis Anderson's Etsy shop had to close for a few days after Black Friday - that's how popular his line of natural/vegan bath and beauty products are! I've bought a few flavors of his whipped soap to treat myself and loved the lip balm that came as a gift... I had Pomegranate balm, but definitely wouldn't mind  trying the "sipping rum" flavor. He also has stuff for dudes as well - Mike loved PBR in college so this soap made a fun stocking stuffer. Luckily you can still shop in his Big Cartel shop.

PAULA ART

Texas artist Paula of PaulaArt uses her design and metal-smithing skills to create these gorgeous industrial-rustic vases and candleholders, and more recently recycled wall decor and clocks. I've shared her art a lot recently but that's just because I am so intrigued by her process. The vase I bought from Paula was a thick metal pipe in a striking ocean blue with a little bit of oxidization, and it gives a gorgeous splash of color to the windowsill in front of my work desk.

I hope these recommendations help you find the perfect gift for someone on your list! If you've found the perfect gift or had a great shopping experience on Etsy please do share it in the comments below :)

giving thanks

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

The last couple weeks have been so, so busy preparing for and beginning the holiday rush... It was really nice to leave Boston for a few days and spend the holiday in Mike's hometown with his family. The only time I've flown back to Seattle for Thanksgiving was my freshman year of college because it's such a long, expensive flight... every other year I've gone to various friends' family gatherings and one year I even went camping in Maine alone... thinking back on those years, I am so thankful to now have another place that feels like "home." Mike's mom put together an incredible family meal and today we found the perfect Christmas tree for their beautiful house, followed by an impromptu pizza picnic at the water reservoir near the tree farm. I guess I'm thankful for picnic-quality weather at the end of November as well.

I'm also so thankful for all of you, and a bit overwhelmed by the last year... sometimes I look around my full studio late at night, or notice a big stack of packages waiting to be mailed, or read someone's response to receiving their new art, and I really do get a little choked up that this is my life now. I am literally living my dream, spending every day doing what I know I am on Earth to do, and experiencing my best life because of all of you and your willingness to share and invite my artwork into your homes.

I am beyond grateful for your support and I hope I can keep creating things that inspire you in return. I hope you enjoy your weekend, and all we have to be thankful for :)