The feminine hand in craft

I've been a fan of Tanya Aguiniga for the longest time.  I love her resourcefulness, and that she uses her background growing up in Tijuana to influence her design philosophy and craft.  I also love that she creates things that reflect the feminine hand--that she embraces texture and warmth.  Yet, at the same time her work reflects strength, resourcefulness, and industriousness (all feminine characteristics as well).  I want to learn how to use power tools!

In her studio.

Wearing her rope jewelry.

New project

New weaving that I started this week . . . it'll be an awesome Thanksgiving weekend project.

Have a safe and joy-filled Thanksgiving!

Small projects

I sewed together the little pillow last night using an old scrap of linen.  I embroidered the details, and filled it with old scraps of fabric.  I love it--it's so sweet and small. 
I've also been playing around with polka dots.

Weaving

Weaving is the new DIY craft of the moment so I hopped on the bandwagon, and it's been fun!  I bought this vintage potholder kit on Ebay for a few bucks and have been experimenting with twine and yarn.  I'm hoping to create a little base for my plant so that the base doesn't scratch my desk at work.  I like the neon green and twine combo (neon, also a trend at the moment :)

I'm such a homebody.  I'd rather stay at home and weave than go out (especially at night).  I think "home" is my favorite place in the world. 

 *Update: I finished my first weaving.  Now it's off to bed.

Sewing Project

 

This is a picture of a pin cushion I created a few months ago.  Not the cleanest sewing job but I think it looks nice.  It kind of reminds me of those strawberry hard candy wrappers :)

From the weekend

A big platter of rice balls and inari bean curd for a friend's bridal shower; hot pink yarn purchased at a local sewing shop in LA + Cody.  Happy three day weekend to those who get President's Day off!

Collaboration: Monsters and MISfitted

I had the pleasure of meeting the Monsters and MISfitted through the art show I participated in recently.  The Monsters collaborated with MISfitted to create some sweet bows.  I like that the Monsters are versatile . . . one day you may see them on bows, the next day you may see them on buildings in your city.  They're a bit elusive so they don't keep a website but check out MISfitted's Etsy store for fun and quirky handmade gifts this holiday season.  You can also catch her at Unique LA this weekend.   
      

The Monsters wait . . .

Monster mail!

Mini Monster canvas added to my mini gallery.

Monster bows . . . perhaps they will go to some cool little girls named A and C when the girls get older.  They'll be the coolest kids around.

Bottle cap bows: unique, quirky, with that handmade touch!

Recap

The art show I took part in this past weekend was a success!  It was a grassroots effort to bring people together through art and it worked.  Thank you again to all my friends and family for supporting me and offering your encouragement.  Many thanks to Ivan and Francisco for having the vision and the resources to provide a space for developing artists!  Keep art alive!

It was also a big step for me to actually take part in a show.  Starting this blog was a big step in beginning to share my work with others, and actually participating in a show was another step in putting myself out there as an artist.  It's always a risk to share what you make with others because your work is so connected to who you are . . . but I'm glad I did it.

I had a lot of work displayed (some created in my '20s, and some created recently) and the variety was helpful in helping me figure out what type of medium and style works for me.  My strongest pieces were my cards and the work that received the most feedback.  The more and more I think about it, I think I want to learn about the art of printmaking.  It just seems to work for me.  And I have always made cards for people as a way to connect with others--and I have consistently heard people tell me that they keep my cards, even after 15 years!

Another exciting piece to the night was receiving feedback from an actual person from the indie L.A. DIY/craft scene.  She saw my printed vintage time cards and told me they would sell well at events like the Downtown LA Art Walk and Unique LA.  I'm not quite sure at this point if I should pursue a career in card making/stationary but it was such affirming feedback--that people enjoy the things that I feel represent me the best and that I take the most joy in making.

And speaking of Unique LA, I definitely want to check it out.  Let me know if you want to go with me.

Washi Tape

I picked up a cute roll of Japanese washi tape this weekend at Kinokuniya for $2!  I call this pattern "Bunny Parade."

The Japanese brand MT also sells really cute washi tape.  I love the polka dots and stripes.  A two pack at Kinokuniya was $6.75 but it seems to go for as high as $9 online.

Image from http://www.suggesteduksites.co.uk/products/Christmas-Gifts.html

Washi tape is great for adding some embellishment to notes or plain cards, or adding a bit of quirk to your gifts.

Creative use for frames

I saw something like this at an antique store for $35 and thought it was the coolest thing but a bit pricey.  I decided to make my own with an old frame, some twine (you could also use wire), and clothes pins to display my random bits of paper and old cards.

Before:

After:

Arrgh! I'm a perfectionist!

I'm trying to redesign this blog . . . it's kind of frustrating. To the five people who read this: apologies if the color hurts your eyes or if fonts and layouts change on a regular basis. Any feedback would be much appreciated! I'll need to figure out what I want to do with comments also.

On a side note, here's a video from Meg Mateo Ilasco on her new book (love this):

Crafting a Meaningful Home from Meg Mateo Ilasco on Vimeo.