Make Friends

I made a new friend recently. More of a reacquaintance, really.

Not of human form, but of an art medium form. That is of gouache. It was in college when we were first introduced. I wasn't too interested then. Maybe it was because my college instructor only supplied our art bins with black and white.

Months ago I purchased a fine gouache colour set on a whim from a local art store.

It hasn't been 'til late that I decided to open them up. The newness of the year can sure motivate you to look back and think of the things you wanted to accomplish in the past year.

As a result,  I'm so delighted to have gained a new friend in gouache paint.

Gouache are traditional water based opaque colours which give flat, smooth washes.

I've been hauling them around with me... even bringing them to morning lattes, instead of drawing.

My friend Kim knitting some fingerless gloves at 3 Friends Coffee House.

Saw this lil' guy... one of my favorite plant eating dinosaurs.

Sunny & Swell

What a BEAU-TI-FUL morning we have here in Stumptown. I enjoyed the sunshine on my way over to Crema. I thought I would share some of the rays that are shining in the office.

I signed up for a DailyBooth account the other day. Do feel free to add me as a friend on there. In the past I've been kinda hesitant to sign-up but after moseying around a lil' bit and viewing other users silly faces I was persuaded. DailyBooth is basically like a visual journal. It's a place where you can upload and share portraits of yourself on a daily basis. Pretty fun concept, eh??

The last three days I have been blaring (at least twice a day) the new She And Him album, 'Volume Two'. My husband would say he can vouch for this. He doesn't have the nerdy obsession for Zooey as I do. And hey that's okay. The album is not released yet– won't be until March 23rd. Thanks to NPR's website you can stream it! Take a gander here.

Wait, wait! Don't leave yet. I know, you're about to think... tl, dr. BUT I have some very thrilling news.

I was accepted into Crafty Wonderland's Super Colossal Spring Show! It will be at the Oregon Convention Center on May 1st and 2nd. Be sure to mark your Google Calendar, iCal, Moleskine, etc. It's going to be glorious... 200 vendors with their handmade goodness. Keep posted on Crafty Wonderland's site.

Last but not least... I have drawn a new kitchen herb. May I present Nutmeg.

Nutmeg print :: 8” x 10” :: View in Etsy Shop

"Nutmeg is usually associated with sweet, spicy dishes — pies, puddings, custards, cookies and spice cakes. It combines well with many cheeses, and is included in soufflés and cheese sauces. In soups it works with tomatoes, split pea, chicken or black beans. It complements egg dishes and vegetables like cabbage, spinach, broccoli, beans, onions, and eggplant."

I found a photo of the actual fruit. I'm amazed of the dried "lacy" reddish covering of the seed... I see a resemblance to human capillaries.

It's a new year... Let's get excited & make things.

Poster created by Matt Jones of London.

Yes, that's right. 2010. Let's make things. Let's do things.

In fact, my '10 resolution is related to this inspiring poster. As I sit here sipping my chai latte, I'm getting excited for a brand new year. I want to share my art with the Portland community, be it in a coffee shop, a boutique, or a gallery. I have decided on another way that I will be giving back to Portland as well. For the year 2010 I will be donating 5% of my Etsy sales to the Portland Rescue Mission. Almost everyday I see homelessness around Portland. I really want to help give hope to those men, women, and children.

Year two in Portland has been life changing. I met lots of peachy creatives, either crafty, design, or technical. I submerged myself into the Portland creative community.  With these new friends of mine, we planned a few graphic design meet-ups. We did happy hours. We had crafting afternoons & evenings. We went to coffee shops and doodled in our sketchbooks. We geeked out over art supplies at art stores. We also did street fairs. We did craft shows. I did my very first Crafty Wonderland craft show... and a second one, the very last monthly Crafty Wonderland in November. And even the monstrous Crafty Wonderland Colossal Holiday Sale. 2009 was the year I started this blog, February 14th. In 2009 I also started making necklaces, earrings, Herb drawings, and lest we not forget the monthly documentary video shorts.

I hope everyone has found the Holiday Season enchanting. I hope you were able to create memorable moments with close friends and family even if you were snowed in and unable to be with them in person. I am personally thankful for Skype & webcams. I do hope this blog post finds you well.

I will leave you with this mosaic. The first mosaic I have ever made. It's filled with photos from 2009 of the things that inspired me.

Passing along some 2009 inspiration bliss, enjoy!

Click on mosaic to view more details.

Hello Monday!

Here's to a brand new week! *raises latte*

I'm excited for this week, though it's not much different than the others. I'm just looking forward to what I'll accomplish this week with my art and with my design work. I've been working on a few projects for some time... wedding invitations... baby announcements... wedding website, etc. This is the week that I'm wrapping these projects up. I'm also planning on finishing the backs of my latest wooden block creations. Did you think I forgot? Nope!

Did everyone have a good weekend? Mine was pretty spiffy. Yes, spiffy. Justin & I visited the Tinymeat™ warehouse sale & Sausagefest! We munched on lil' smokies and pickles and chit-chatted with Tinymeat's owner Michael. To fill ya in, Tinymeat collaborates with artists making wallets, passport cases, and business card cases. Do check out their Etsy shop here! It was such a challenge to narrow down my wallet purchases. After going back and forth, I decided to purchase this fun goat portrait done by Ryan Berkley.

I thought this would be a great birthday gift for one of my best friends. Since she doesn't read my blog, I don't think I'm ruining the surprise. Ha ha.

More ramblings about the weekend... I watched the movie Capote. A - m - a - z - i - n - g. Philip Seymour Hoffman is becoming one of my favorite actors.

One thing I enjoy while working on my art is to watch movies. To say the least, I didn't get much accomplish while Capote was on. It's that good.

Lastly, I would like to present to you... my new batch of pendant necklaces creations!

Nurture thy Mind No.3 Pendant Necklace - Weeping Willow - purchase

Nurture thy Mind No.4 Pendant Necklace - Box Elder - purchase

Nurture thy Mind No.5 Pendant Necklace - Cherry Blossom - purchase

They each include drawings of trees that I have come across in Portland. This batch I added a pearl to each chain... for lil' something extra. I'm pretty happy how these turned out. It's going to be a little tough to give them up. He he. Kinda a bitter sweet thing... I love knowing that they are headed to a new home and again I like to think they keep happy thoughts close to one’s heart.