Simply Amazing: Some Goodies Donated to Tomorrow's Benefit Auction.

I am in awe. And here is why ...

As you can see, there is something for everybody at the Studio 36 Silent Auction to Benefit Haiti ... and some absolutely breath-taking art. I am in such awe of the generosity of my friends, colleagues and neighbors. Several times tonight, while putting everything together for the big sale, I felt tears come to my eyes as I thought of the capacity we all have to love one another ... and how we humans always manage to come together to assist one another in our greatest hours of need. Haiti is in GREAT need right now ... and there is certainly no shortage of loving hearts and able hands to assist in all ways possible.

An enormous thanks to all of you. Every one of you has helped this effort in some way ... by telling your friends, donating an item, gathering coins for Isaac's fundraiser, sending prayers and positive thoughts, etc.

Tomorrow (or today, as this is being typed at 3am) is going to be great! I have faith that lots of money and goodwill is going to be generated for the people in Haiti ... and especially for the organizations that we love and trust to do amazing work within Haiti. I look forward to telling you all how successful this fundraiser has been --- and to seeing so many of you tomorrow.

xoxo,
Jodi

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Designing Fabrics With Spoonflower.

Prior to my recent adventure in photography studio proprietorship, I took some time to make some of my own fabric designs with the help of Spoonflower. It was a bit addictive ... and I chewed many fingernails while waiting for my fabric package to arrive.

It finally arrived this week, and I couldn't be happier!

Truth be told, the actual fabrics came out better than I expected. I simply bought a fat eighth of each --- to check for design flaws, coloring, etc. --- and I loved them all.

The above fabric is titled "The Stache is Back". I didn't know I was going to fall victim to this new mustache craze ... but I fell for it ... and am so in love with my retro ladies wearing staches! I have already used this fabric to sew up some make-up bags (which will appear on Etsy soon).

And here is my "Make Love, Not Evil" design. I have also already cut into this one for some sweet little projects ... and I am in love with it. I am a Vader lover ... so this fabric is just totally cool in my opinion (though Isaac hates it).

Then, there is this super cool "Vespa Love" fabric ... which has already sold on Spoonflower! In fact, I should mention that you can purchase any of my designs right here on my Spoonflower profile page. I receive $1.10 for every yard sold (thank you!).

And lastly, the above fabric, titled "Snowbirds in Love" is my absolute favorite. It was designed using one of my photographs as a backdrop for the birds. I so love it --- which is why I have yet to cut into it --- I just keep staring at it.

So - have you tried Spoonflower yet? It is SO much fun! Not only can you create your own fabrics, but you can also shop for some amazing, one-of-a-kind designs created by other artists. Check it out.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be showing you some of the goodies I made with the above fabrics. I tend to hang in the studio whenever possible --- but am trying to find time to craft (and share) for the holidays.

Chat with you soon!

Love,

Jodi

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Fabric Shopping. So Not Necessary.

So, I am getting rid of almost every stitch of fabric that I have been hoarding for years, maybe even decades, in order to get ready for some serious home reconstruction (more about that to come later). I just have such a "thing" for both fabric and books. I am allowing myself to keep ONE bookshelf of fabric and ONE bookshelf of books. Period. And if you don't believe me, just check my Ebay items for sale and my Bookmooch account. (If you read this too late, then you may find all my goodies gone - but that doesn't mean I am lying - check the stats!).

With all this fabric purging going on, you would think that I would steer clear of any fabric shops. But alas, no. I am a sucker for surplus high-end fabrics at Mardens. I do an excellent job of not buying fabric anywhere else ... but when I can find some Michael Miller goodness for just $2.99 a yard ... I go weak in the knees. And Mardens does that to me without fail.

To be fair, I only bought a tiny bit of fabric this visit (and it has been nearly a year since my last visit to their local shop). I purchased just 1/4 yard of each of 6 fabrics that I thought would be cute to add to current projects.

Isaac is the one who picked out the Scooby Doo - just so you know. The alphabet fabric is just so sweet for adding to a pillow I have in mind. The half-eaten, screaming gingerbread men are just sick and crazy enough to be way cool in our house. Elvis - well - he is dreamy - and I have an idea in mind for him too. The mushrooms go great with some woodland fabric I have been meaning to turn into some bags. And the knitting skeleton ... well, that is just another one of those really sick - but tres cool - fabrics that speak to me. I think it will make its appearance on some bags I will soon be making for my Etsy shop.

Anyway, I certainly did not need to fabric shop this weekend. (I didn't need to eat that monster-sized whoopie pie either - but it sure felt good). Sometimes you just have to give in to your addictions just a little bit once in a while instead of giving in to them a lot a bit during a massive shopping (or eating) binge. If a person goes without entirely, they might go crazy, right? I don't want crazy. I just want a wee bit more fabric to love and transform.

Hope you all had a great weekend. I'll chat with you some more tomorrow :)

Love,

Jodi

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Making Fabric Banners for the Shop Again.

Check them out here. Want a custom made bunting? I can do that!

Love,

Jodi

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This Handmade Supply.

Time to part with much of the crafting supplies that I have horded through the years ... as well as some vintage goodies that I can let go of in the name of making room for more vintage goodies :)

So ... introducing ... This Handmade Supply!




Please check back often for all sorts of crafting supplies and vintage materials. This is going to be fun!

Love,
Jodi

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Still Creating ...

In the midst of all our recent struggles within the family ... I am still creating. I am still crafting, photographing, book making, etc. I need to. I have to. I would go bonkers otherwise. And frankly, with my husband's recent job loss, I am trying to pick up the slack as much as possible by selling some of my work.

Hopefully soon I will begin advertising to shoot Senior & Family Portraits. I am trying to get that in motion right now - in between helping Dad and parenting Isaac.

I am also picking up some crafting expos here and there. For those interested (and local), I will be peddling my wares at the 2009 Hope Festival in Orono, Maine on April 25th. This is my first time selling at this fair, and I will be bringing all of my upcycled books, as well as my pin/magnet sets and stationary. I will also have some photography available - but not my full collection. So - hope to see some friends there!

And for those of you who are not local - I have been posting MANY new items in my Etsy shop. Please take a look.

xoxo,

Jodi

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Work-in-Progress.

It seems that everything I touch these days only gets half-done. Including this pillow cover. Perhaps I have too many projects going at once. How very Libra of me. Each day I am torn between playing with my son, running errands, working on craft projects, building my photography portfolio, hunting thrift stores, reading, exploring the outdoors ... and lately .... helping out family (not including the daily chores of being a household manager). And each day, I try to fit them all in. Seriously. It is ridiculous. I have so many passions, and I want to touch on all of them ... each and every day. So - everything takes forever to get completed (you should see the knitted item I am making Isaac. Halis laughs at how little progress I have made).

But I thank the heavens that I am able to do any of this - no matter how little progress I make. It is a good life. Especially being able to raise my son at home. I just wish that I were a little more focused. My brain just doesn't work that way though. It insists on multi-tasking at ALL times. Yet, I am never frazzled. I guess my brain knows what its doing after all. I just wonder when it is going to decide to finish this pillow (and the photography portfolio, the redecorating of the playroom, Isaac's quilt, the album for our trip to Disney, the paintings that I bought all supplies for, etc. etc.).

Love,

Jodi

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Easter Goody Exchange, Anyone?

Wow, this economy is getting tough. I may not understand all the ins and outs of the economics of this recession ... but I do know that it is finally hitting home. My husband has had to take a significant cut in salary (and I do mean significant). So, much is going to have to change around here. Also, he will be taking a leave of absence from work in order to take over my father's business while Dad is recovering from surgery. So, we are looking at several weeks without pay. BUT, I am the eternal optimist and I love a good challenge! I am just going to have to be very creative with our money ... and I actually find some joy in that. I will certainly share with you all that I learn on this journey. Though I have always been frugal, I am going to have to step it up a bit ... and what I learn along the way, I will certainly share ... because I know that we are all in this recession thing together!

For starters, I was recently thinking about Easter. We have always been frugal about holidays ... trying to give Isaac mostly handmade goodies ... while perpetuating the significance of a holiday rather than the "receiving of gifts." And Isaac is really not the kind of kid who wants for anything (which I attribute to his lack of commercial television). Even so, I want him to wake up on Easter Sunday to a sweet little basket of goodies to celebrate the arrival of spring. One year, I joined a handmade Easter goody exchange ... and it was wonderful. I think there were about 14 kids involved. Each Mom made 14 of the same goody, then we shipped them all to one person, who then distributed all goodies to each participant. It was lovely. So - I am wondering if any of my fellow crafty bloggers & friends would like to do the same?

Please let me know in the comment section of this blog post asap and I will begin to organize the exchange. The number of items that each of us will make will be based on the number of children involved. For the sake of time, I would like to keep it to under 15 kids ... so if you are interested, please "sign-up" right away with the number of children that you have and their ages ... as well as the items that you wish to contribute.

This should be so fun! And please note that the items you make do not have to be anything grand ... just special.

As for my contribution, I will be making a pin set for each child over 3 (as seen in my shop) as well as a packet of lupine seeds for each child. I may add more depending on whether time allows for it.

Love to all,

Jodi

P.S. Details of the exchange will be posted once we have enough interested parties. Thank you!

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Knitting With a Friend. Good Times.

My girlfriend, Missy, recently taught me how to knit. And I like it ... but don't love it yet. She, on the other hand LOVES it ... and I can see why. It is a luxurious feeling to have soft cotton/wool yarn pass through your finger tips ... to create something useful out of natural woven fibers ... to focus your attention on a craft as though it were a meditation ... to simply flick your wrist and wind together knotted stitches that when formed together create a gorgeous, wearable work-of-art. She does that. Often.

Me? Well, I have stitched about 4 inches of a project ... and am in no hurry to stitch more. When Missy comes around, I pick it up so that we can knit together. It feels good to work on the same craft while chatting together. Sadly, I never last long. I need more instant gratification than knitting has yet to provide me. I would like that to change though. I would sincerely love to knit as well as she does - and recognize that one can only do so if one practices often. Perhaps someday.

For now - I am simply admiring her work ... and am in love with the beauty that she creates with some needles and fingers.

Thanks for sharing your work Missy. It truly is a joy to watch.

Love,

Jodi

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A New Skill. Hopefully.

I am learning a new skill. Hooray. Thanks to my good friend Missy, I am finally learning to knit, something I have always wanted to try. Very exciting stuff.

She tells me there are loads of tutorial knitting videos on YouTube. I haven't explored that yet, but let me know if you find anything wonderful worth sharing. Meanwhile, I think I am going to try to tackle a hat for Isaac. Then ... who knows ...

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Jodi

P.S. The above photo is also part of my 28 Days of Appreciation ... a Shutter Sisters One Word Project.

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More Mister Rogers Love.

I took a short hiatus from my photography obsession this weekend to work on a bit of my sewing. As always, I enjoy incorporating a little Fred Rogers into my crafting ... as I just love the man to bits ... and looking at his smiling face makes the sewing that much more enjoyable.

So, here is a quilted pillow Fred Rogers pillow that I have placed in my shop ... not because I don't love it ... but because I have plenty :)

I hope you have a wonderful day ... and remember, there is no one in the whole wide world who is just like you. You are unique. And I love you just the way you are :)

Love,

Jodi

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New Toy.

Daddy made me a new toy for me this weekend, and I cannot get enough of it. Addiction would be an appropriate word here. Daddy rocks and he knows it.

After some scouting around on Google for the perfect plans to make a light box for photographing small items, he came up with this:


So simple. Yet the results are just so awesome (for my taste anyway):

The ideas for these pics have been floating around in my head for quite some time, and now they are a reality. Feels good. I have some more "irons in the fire", but these were my starting point.

They are all now available in my shop - as 5x7s - for just $10 each. (Pssst... please tell your friends!). I can mat them and frame them as well - all details are in my shop listings.

So, Halis wants kuddos for always being the hero that creates whatever it is I want at the moment. You should have seen him hustle to install fencing around our old one acre farm a few years back. He accomplished one acre of fencing in a weekend - and it came out perfect. All because a fox got one of my chickens and I cried. Daddy came to the rescue and the chickens were safe from then on. Anyway, thanks Halis - you are the best. Truly.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Love,

Jodi

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The Shop Has Been Updated.

New goodies galore in my etsy shop. And more to come. Just so you know ;)

Love,

Jodi

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Silhouettes : Disney Part 5.

Silhouette crafting is everywhere. Apparently it is quite "in vogue" right now, and I must admit that I have caught the bug too. I bought this one for Dad for Christmas. And I am coveting all these ... as well as these. It is certainly a classic art form, but has gained a recent upsurge in popularity.

There are plenty of books written on the subject too. And I am likely going to purchase a few within the next year. I hope to inspire some of my own creativity by adding some silhouettes to my sewing / quilting. (You may remember when my girlfriend created this gorgeous silhouette of her daughter --- on a sweatshirt!).

Apparently, it is a tradition of sorts to have your silhouettes crafted on paper at the Magic Kingdom. Halis has several from his youth ... and I have seen many DisneyWorld framed silhouettes grace the walls of various homes throughout the years. So, during our recent Disney vacation, I was excited to have our family silhouette created by a Magic Kingdom cast member.

Here is Halis's pose for the artist ...

And here is the outcome ...

It took alot of candy to have Isaac sit still long enough.

I am really enjoying the beauty of this timeless portrait --- and am feeling as though I have just taken part in a classic American tradition that I somehow missed as a child. Looking at the new family portrait makes me smile ... and also makes me wonder if and when we will be adding more little babes to our family. I am hoping soon.

Enjoy the weekend!

Love,

Jodi

P.S. Meaghan also had hers done as well. It is very sweet & I hope she will treasure it always :)

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Imitating Snow.

One recent night, Halis and I were treated to some time alone. We chose to use that time to "play" with one another ... something I always beg for ... time alone to create, laugh, and share with one another ... like children do. So, I grabbed paper, scissors, and my favorite snowflake making book: Grandma's Magic Scissors. We sat at the kitchen table ... chatting and laughing ... creating snowflake after snowflake ... totally enjoying ourselves and eachother. These are my favorite times together ... when we play.

We did our best to imitate the beauty of natural snowflakes. Okay - not really. Well, maybe some of mine could pass for authentic, naturally made snowflake designs. But Halis - well, he made the frog snowflake shown above (if that were a real snowflake, I could freeze it and sell it on Ebay for thousands).

We even got so good at cutting Grandma's Magic designs that we ventured into cutting some of our own designs ... freehand...

Halis made this tree snowflake without a pattern. It is a favorite around here.

So - moral of this post: get out the scissors and papers, grab a loved one, and start cutting. Laughter, inspiration, awe, and loving compliments will follow. Good times on the cheap. And fabulously rewarding. Play is good.

Enjoy your day.

Love,

Jodi

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