origami crazy

All over our house right now: origami summer camps. Tents, boats, airplanes, trailers, and lots and lots of swans (Audrey's specialty).

Our favorite 'gami gear right now: a falling-apart origami page-a-day calendar that I bought at Target, 90% off after-Christmas clearance a couple of years ago, and a box of scrapbook paper I cut into dozens of 3, 4, 5, & 6 inch squares. It was one of those super-stacks, and a good use of paper-I-don't-quite-adore that is still fun and colorful.

tiny shop

My first gallery showing! Some of my wee wares were included in tinyshop at the double punch gallery in San Francisco.

The curator's description, which I adore:

double punch gallery presents tinyshop, a pop-up shop curated by Antoinette Celes, showcasing original art and handmade goods by artists, designers and creatives working in the medium of small.

As the world moves bigger, faster and stronger, we occasionally seek comfort in little things. tinyshop celebrates the preciousness of "mini" --- the shortest distance between 2 points, the space of minutiae, and creative endeavors on a small scale.

The curator is tracking the show on her tinyshop blog. My bio isn't up yet, since I sent it to her so late :(... but if you watch the video on this post closely, you can see some of my work. Pause the video on the shelves--fox, hedgies, bunnies, birds!

Hamster enjoying some pie on Thanksgiving

Every once in a while, a customer will send me a photo of one of my little bits in their life. I love it.

This (actually one of Marian's creations that she put in my shop) made my day today.
(I was listening to "Ordinary Miracle" at the time. It was all too much goodness)

acorn babies

My daughter's 1st grade class meets every Friday afternoon with "the big kids" (2nd graders) for Creative Activities. I'm using up the craft supplies left from the Fall Festival to treat them. Last week, it was the darling acorn babies.

crafting in public

I just added whipup.net to my Google Reader subscription, and was so charmed today by this little essay by Alice of futuregirl, on the subversiveness of crafting in public. Read it (it's short).

I have portable little suitcase tins that fit a wee project or two, and I always cart handsewing or needle-felting along with me. Unlike Alice, I usually do get a lot of questions, especially with the needle-felting ("I'm sorry, but I have to ask: what are you doing?"), but never quite thought about it as craft proselyting. So I loved this little essay! And am happy to report that I am getting converts: after a not-shy 10 year old felted a bird with me last week, I'm bringing supplies for everyone to my daughters' dance class tomorrow: all the waiting moms and grandmas have agreed to try it, too.

two quotes: a follow up

Sometime

they'll give a war

and

nobody will come.

CARL SANDBURG

A baby is

God's opinion

that life should go on.

CARL SANDBURG

loving etsy

I just received this package, and could tell just from the outside that I'd need to blog it.

Plus Japanese candy and trinket.

And the wallet is as great as I'd hoped--which is saying something. I had to have this fabric: trees & acorns and squirrels.












As much as I like to make handmade, I have to "buy handmade" sometimes, too. I lovelovelove the "personal touch" culture of etsy, and shop there more than anywhere else.

good mail!!

little girls

I have a weird war dynamic. I hate war and war games and happily label myself a pacifist. But I also have a long-running adoration of soldiers, men & women who are ready to sacrifice everything, who want to help...idealized, but, still, I cry whenever I see one at the airport...

I also have a daughter who logs in time at the hospital regularly.

So I can't get this e-mail forward story out of my mind, whether or not it "matches" my blog. You, my readership of 5, will have to bear with me.

John Gebhardt's wife, Mindy, said that this little girl's entire family was executed. The insurgents intended to execute the little girl also, and shot her in the head, but they failed to kill her. She was cared for in John's hospital and is healing up, but continues to cry and moan. The nurses said John is the only one who seems to calm her down, so John has spent the last four nights holding her while they both slept in that chair. The girl is coming along with her healing.

fairy snack set

I sold this little set to an acquaintance, so it doesn't get to be listed for all to see on my etsy site, but I thought I'd post it here. Because it's so very sweet :).

The description it had:

Not quite a tea set, but more practical for the fairies I know, this snack set includes a leaf-pitcher, a flower snack canister, 2 flower bowls and 2 wee tea cups, all in delicate flower fairy colors.

Pitcher measures 3" across & flower canister is 3 1/2" high. Each piece was wheel-thrown, then distorted and carved and handles added when they're leather-hard. Two firings and a detailed glazing process later, they're glossy and gorgeous and feel wonderful in small hands. Including mine. :)

Marian's bitty buddy hamsters

I have been making tiny animals for my daughters and etsy shop. Despite my love for our family's hamster, I have had a hard time stripping the shape down to a simple form I was happy with. While we were working together one day, my 6-yr-old responded to my complaints with, "Easy, Mom. Just do this..." and proceeded to make this little batch. Marian is quite the artist herself (check out her self-named imacraftartist.blogspot.com for other projects). She was quite ill between ages 1 and 2, and would spend hours stacking those little round stickers into piles in the hospital. Since she was too weary to be doing the large motor and language development typical for that age group, she focused all of her efforts into her small motor skills, and they still are really exceptional. She is my very best crafting friend, and agreed to offer her hamsters to you at an exceptional price, just $2 each (free shipping with any other purchase, of course).

**later edit: one is already sold! hurry to get yours!

Sculpted from a porcelain mix white clay, and glazed a glossy white, each hamster is very close to 1 cm, and stamped with an "M" (for Marian Grace) on its unglazed base.