randomness
>> May 29, 2010
[ random picture - weeds & bumble bees ]
random fact number (1)
Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night to find that one of your arms is totally and inexplicably numb? This happened to me night before last and I sat straight up in bed, flinging my arm around, trying to get the feeling back. It was a freaky thing. Using my good arm, I flung my bad arm so violently that I hit myself in the head. Hate that feeling. Has this ever happened to you? No? Um, well, me neither.
random fact number (2)
The next time that you see this hideous tee shirt (and you will see this hideous tee shirt) it will take the form of a comfy camisole thanks to the inspiration from this lady and her post about this. This lady can turn an ugly tee shirt into a thing of beauty. If she can do it, I can too.
By the way, the hideous tee shirt was purchased from this fabulous place that sells fair trade coffee and other wonderful things - like tee shirts. I love this shirt, but let's face it, I have no idea what possessed me to purchase such a thing. I just felt compelled.
That's my randomness for this week. Promise.
Sure hope your Sunday is splendid.
from the studio saturday
first, from the camera
from the studio
the waterstone tote shown above is made
from artist's canvas, repurposed suede, and leather.
waterstone studio plans:
i'm planning to bring a little "art" into the summer bags
by creating a few painted handbags and combining the canvas with reclaimed leather and other eco friendly materials. more on that later.
until then,
have a glorious and safe holiday weekend.
captured
>> May 27, 2010
this week
studio
new things, new ideas, new materials
her third phone in two weeks. ouch.
tgif
here's to the weekend.
tip of the day...
>> May 26, 2010
Waterstone Tip of the Day:
Before you completely take apart that sad little purse to repurpose into a Waterstone handbag...
...be sure to google the mysterious italian designer to make sure that this particular brand doesn't sell at Neiman Marcus for $2,500.00.
Just for future reference.
{ oh no you didn't. oh yes i did. }
websites & blogs - share yours
Evolution is not a strange concept for artists. Why? Because we are in a constant state of change. My website, blog, and Etsy banner are forever being altered and reexamined. Change and evolution are a good things and if I've learned one thing along the way, it's to simplify. simplify. simplify.
So here's my question for you. What's the one thing about blogging, website design, etc. you've learned along the way? I would love to have your input and comments. Along with that, I'm including a link option to link your website or blog for everyone to see.
I recently had the opportunity to have this blog critiqued and loved the experience. Don't be shy. Comment and let me see what you've got. I'd love to visit.
Read more...
can you get too much of a good thing?
>> May 24, 2010
We have a small gardenia just outside the front door and the aroma, like honeysuckle, is wonderfully intoxicating. I love it and wish I had five more just like it. But maybe that would be too much of a good thing. Can you get too much of a good thing?
...like the smell of fresh roasted coffee
...or a fun stack of reading material
...or (for me) a huge pile of leather, just waiting to be turned into something new
What can you NOT get too much of?
Is too much a bad thing?
lampworking, blogs, and faux paws
So happy that it's Monday. Sorry. I know that goes against the grain of some 9 - 5 working folks out there. For me it means that I can get back to the Waterstone studio. But before I do...
I have living proof that the karma does sometimes flow in abundance. Kelley of Kelley's Beads recently purchased one of my wristlets as a birthday gift for her beautiful friend, Lorelei. Imagine my shock when I noticed that Kelley lives no more than five minutes from my own home! What a serendipitous moment! Fast forward one week to the end of my wristlet giveaway. Imagine (again) my surprise when her name was pulled from the hat. I hand delivered HER gift and in return received a wonderful tutorial on how to create a glass bead. She even filmed the entire experience. Do I ever have a new appreciation for the art of lampworking! Thanks so much, Kelley. :)
Next, I was first in line when Dionne of Studio Chic: Boutique Graphic Design offered to provide an in depth blog critique. I'm not talking the five minute sort. Dionne critiqued my blog so thoroughly and offered wonderful tips for improvement. I have been studying her suggestions for the better part of the weekend. Thank you, Dionne!
Totally unrelated:
You may remember Sophie from my prior story. Returning from church yesterday, we walked into the house and Sophie, who had been asleep, lazily strolled across the room to give a proper greeting with a stream of toilet paper attached to her paw!
Talk about a serious female faux pas! She, by the way, had no idea that she'd done anything improper. Must teach doggie etiquette. Now, how does one who lacks opposable thumbs learn to flush a toilet?
Have a great Monday!
the handbag nuisance
>> May 22, 2010
this is the way it happens. if i wait until approximately 4:00 - 4:30 to
photograph new handbags, Sophie will gradually nuzzle in on my session.
{ the culprit }
{ new waterstone handbag. nice. }
{ another waterstone handbag. even more nice. model's not too bad. }
{ she smells like - um - like kibbles n' bits, maybe? }
{ hello. has anyone noticed the time? }
{ helloooo! oooh, nice bag. must sniff. hmm.... essence of... leather }
{ well, if you insist. I am kind of irresistible. food please. now. }
{ yes we look pretty. pretty is highly overrated. }
*Note* The dark brown handbag has not been listed yet.
If interested, click on the contact button at the top of the page.
works of art - be or wear?
"One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art."
~ Oscar Wilde ~
{ TQB Designs }
Be or wear? ...or both?
brain fog and granola
>> May 21, 2010
ever felt as though you are swimming around in a dense fog? i'm generally a very organized person and travel quite well. but for some reason my brain seems to have remained in another state even after my body returned to georgia this week. eesh.
just taking a few moments before i attempt to tackle that "to do" list this morning. yesterday i had the chance to HAND deliver the leather wristlet, this months giveaway. as it turns out, kelley lives about five minutes from my own home! i'm hoping to post a link to the video we shot. she taught me how to make a bead. thankfully, i did not catch my hair on fire. so that's later today. can't wait for you to see it in all it's glory. :)
my new favorite breakfast obsession is pictured above. yogurt, fresh blueberries, and homemade toasted almond and oatmeal granola. oh my but it IS delicious. it's supposed to be brain food, but as i stated earlier, my brain is still on vacation. it wrote to me and said that it may be back tonight. i think it wandered off around dollywood.
oh, and my free model/daughter/gluten-free secretive chef created the granola from a combination of recipes. the most i got from her was that she combined whole almonds, gluten-free oats (bob's red mill), brown sugar, honey, vanilla, a little butter, and toasted the whole thing until it got a little brown and crisp. i'm pretty sure she added other things but she's quite sneaky and unwilling to share. her sharing issues are the very reason she failed kindergarten three times. :)
schmoozing and hobnobbing
>> May 19, 2010
this is about that post referencing that hotel.
here's the skinny. mr. waterstone just happened to be in virginia on business at the very same time as his loverly family! is that great or what? so i tagged along (which thrilled him to no end) and found myself hobnobbing with the fancy folks for a few days in this fun, historic hotel. felt terribly out of place and special. it was bewildering, yet strangely invigorating.
we spent time with old friends, went to great outdoor restaurants, enjoyed hummus, sweet pears, and delicious wine. we got to hang around with with our sweet "little" boy (he's the one in the middle)...
...and our free model/daughter enjoyed her second prom of the year. i'm done with proms and ready for the next highly stressful teenage adventure - because there's always one just around the corner. promise.
{ hard to believe that sweet face could incite drama, isn't it? }
so that's it. now i'm back in my humble home working on a custom order today. got lots of beautiful fabric for lining handbags made from reclaimed leather and other materials and i'm finally getting those bags listed.
totally unrelated: check out this great website.
the winner of the waterstone wristlet
Folks, I'm so sorry that it took an extra day. I have issues with coordinating things in my mind and things on the calendar. BUT, without further ado, the winner of the reclaimed leather Waterstone wristlet is:
Kelley creates gorgeous beads and jewelry. Be sure to follow the link to her blog and offer up a big congrats.
I'm sure that I'll be dreaming up another giveaway from Waterstone very shortly so stay tuned for more action. Until then, help me out by answering this question: What would you rather see in the next Waterstone giveaway? Bags or jewelry? Leave a comment and let me know.
Have a great day and don't fight it if you find yourself at some point feeling creatively inspired.
oh my
>> May 18, 2010
{ the Sbarro cup really helps the picture, don't you think? }
Oops. I'm a lover of art, creating and fun things like giveaways, but not very organized! As I type this I am in the beautiful hotel lobby in Virginia waiting for my model (um, daughter) to finish her primping so that we can make the 7-8 hour drive back to Georgia. Fun.
The giveaway ended last night but we will have to wait until tomorrow morning to announce the winner of the wristlet.
So, until then wish us safe travels puleeze and I'll be back tomorrow!
from the studio... and virginia
>> May 15, 2010
This past week has flown by. I did not have the time to photograph or list all of the pretty new bags that were the product of my extra hard labor to cover my upcoming absence. Something sounds strangely counter productive about that. :) However, if you read my last post, you know why I had to postpone photographing and listing. At any rate, I'm safely in Virginia now and had to take a few minutes to give you a sneaky peek.
I LOVE this. It's super reinforced, soft reclaimed suede with leather ruffles.
My soirée into denim and recycled suede.
Possibly the softest leather ever. It's from a super weathered leather jacket.
I added the whimsical flowers for fun.
From a black leather skirt! The snap is from a leather jacket cuff.
Thought about keeping it for me. :(
{ The black one above is sold }
Isn't this sweet?
These new bags won't be listed until Monday at the earliest. If you're interested in one of them and would like more information just give me a shout by clicking on the contact button across the top.
Now, I'm off to do some kind of fantastically swirly up-do for my model's (ahem - daughter's) prom. Then dinner with friends here. I love being in hippie heaven, I mean Virginia. P.S. Got my new Birkenstocks so I'll fit right in.
P.S.S. Do not, I repeat, do NOT miss out on this great reclaimed leather wristlet giveaway. It ends next week. It's one of those things that when you find yourself at the end of your life, looking back, reminiscing and thinking, "gee, I wish I would have...", THIS wristlet giveaway will be one of those things you'll be sorry your didn't enter. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
