Saturday, December 22, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Super quick post...
Just wanted to let you all know that I still have to do the tree tutorial...it's mostly done but not quite. And there are no photos, either. :(
Today is THE day...my last day working at Chili's. THANK GOD.
After today, I will be self employed for a bit. Not sure how long...We'll see how it goes after the move.
I have big things in the works for Yellow Canoe right now.
Here is something I just finished:
Just wanted to let you all know that I still have to do the tree tutorial...it's mostly done but not quite. And there are no photos, either. :(
Today is THE day...my last day working at Chili's. THANK GOD.
After today, I will be self employed for a bit. Not sure how long...We'll see how it goes after the move.
I have big things in the works for Yellow Canoe right now.
Here is something I just finished:
It's a coat/scarf/bag/etc. rack.
Block printed in the Moroccan pattern.
It's a custom order, but I'd be happy to make another in whichever colors/patterns a person wants.
I'm hoping to have a few in the shop by the new year.
That lovely bag that you see is by the one and only bugheart.
Okay, that's all for now...I can't be late to my last day of work!
Block printed in the Moroccan pattern.
It's a custom order, but I'd be happy to make another in whichever colors/patterns a person wants.
I'm hoping to have a few in the shop by the new year.
That lovely bag that you see is by the one and only bugheart.
Okay, that's all for now...I can't be late to my last day of work!
Monday, December 03, 2007
Saturday, December 01, 2007
What colors would YOU choose?
Lots to tell you, but right now I'm trying to package a bunch of orders before I head out to work.
I have one quick favor to ask you, though!
Can you help me pick some colors real quick? I'm trying to choose 3-5 colors to order for the upcoming block printed pillows over at Yellow Canoe. Your help would be much appreciated! Try to think about what colors you'd like most for your own home, or even a friends home. Click one of the links below to vote!
vote on flickr
or
vote on the blog
Thank you!!!
I will be back on Monday or Tuesday with a blog post, answering all the questions I've had left in the comment box/emailed. :)
I have one quick favor to ask you, though!
Can you help me pick some colors real quick? I'm trying to choose 3-5 colors to order for the upcoming block printed pillows over at Yellow Canoe. Your help would be much appreciated! Try to think about what colors you'd like most for your own home, or even a friends home. Click one of the links below to vote!
vote on flickr
or
vote on the blog
Thank you!!!
I will be back on Monday or Tuesday with a blog post, answering all the questions I've had left in the comment box/emailed. :)
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
-=-=-=-=-=-
so, i keep talking about this holiday post that i'm going to be doing.
i was going to show you how to make a DIY christmas tree.
but then i found out that we are moving on the day after christmas!
so, in order to keep my life from being completely crazy hectic on that day, i've decided that we're not going to be making a new tree this year.
i'm bummed, in a way, because i wanted it to be a tradition, every two years, to make a handmade tree.
so instead of showing you how to make a big handmade tree, i might just do a small version that can be put away easily.
what do you think?
+++
this photo has nothing to do with today's post, but i felt that my post needed SOMETHING, you know?
i've been busy with yellow canoe and apartment hunting so this blog is being quite neglected.
{we were just accepted to an apartment that we love about an hour ago...madison, here we come!}
only 17 more days until i no longer work at a corporate job...maybe even less, depending on how i feel after working tonight. working for tips around the holidays is a joke.
i ordered the rest of my screen printing supplies today (emulsion remover and new emulsion...we're going to try this one more time...) so i have a lot in mind for new items. i mean A LOT.
linen is being ordered shortly as well for block printed pillows for yellow canoe.
as for operation paper cut...well, i think it's safe to say that there will be a huge shop update in early january, since i wont be working at a "real" job. lots of new journals to come.
self employment, here i come! i can't wait to meet you.
that's all for now...take care, friends.
i was going to show you how to make a DIY christmas tree.
but then i found out that we are moving on the day after christmas!
so, in order to keep my life from being completely crazy hectic on that day, i've decided that we're not going to be making a new tree this year.
i'm bummed, in a way, because i wanted it to be a tradition, every two years, to make a handmade tree.
so instead of showing you how to make a big handmade tree, i might just do a small version that can be put away easily.
what do you think?
+++
this photo has nothing to do with today's post, but i felt that my post needed SOMETHING, you know?
i've been busy with yellow canoe and apartment hunting so this blog is being quite neglected.
{we were just accepted to an apartment that we love about an hour ago...madison, here we come!}
only 17 more days until i no longer work at a corporate job...maybe even less, depending on how i feel after working tonight. working for tips around the holidays is a joke.
i ordered the rest of my screen printing supplies today (emulsion remover and new emulsion...we're going to try this one more time...) so i have a lot in mind for new items. i mean A LOT.
linen is being ordered shortly as well for block printed pillows for yellow canoe.
as for operation paper cut...well, i think it's safe to say that there will be a huge shop update in early january, since i wont be working at a "real" job. lots of new journals to come.
self employment, here i come! i can't wait to meet you.
that's all for now...take care, friends.
Monday, November 19, 2007
New stuff in shop
Well, I haven't forgotten about my "holiday" themed post...but I also haven't gotten around to it, either. I did find time to make some new notebooks for the Operation Paper Cut shop, though, which hasn't been updated in quite some time. I plan on creating more new things really soon.
For now, I leave you with the notebooks...
Vintage German wallpaper covers.
For now, I leave you with the notebooks...
Vintage German wallpaper covers.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Not much time...
I still haven't found the time to do my holiday post but I just wanted to mention...
I'm sure you've all heard of the lovely Sia over at Sia Grafica. Well, she contacted me a couple weeks ago about doing an interview and it's posted on her blog now! Check it out!
I'm sure you've all heard of the lovely Sia over at Sia Grafica. Well, she contacted me a couple weeks ago about doing an interview and it's posted on her blog now! Check it out!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Handmade for the Holidays
Lots to say today, but not much time to type...so I think I'll have to come back later on for a new post.
Have you taken the handmade pledge yet?
We had a theme this week for Self Portrait Thursday on Etsy...
Have you taken the handmade pledge yet?
We had a theme this week for Self Portrait Thursday on Etsy...
And this is what I came up with :)
I'm hoping that Joe buys me handmade this holiday season. Last year I set up an etsy account and a paypal account for him, that only he knew the passwords to, and I hearted about 70 items on etsy to make it easy for him. Well...I didn't get any of those gifts since he takes pride in being a "Christmas Eve shopper"...uuugh.
I've been trying to figure out something handmade that will suit each of my family members. My mother in law is super easy, she really appreciates handmade things.
My nephew, Landon, will be easy, too since he's only 9 months old. I was thinking about this really cute raven on a pull string for him. It's so classic and one of those toys that you keep for a long time.
My brother is easy, too..there are a lot of automobile lino-cuts on etsy, or maybe a nice knit winter hat.
I know what I want to get for my mom, but I can't say since she might read this :)
My dad is another story...so hard to shop for.
And the other 5 people I didn't mention are all tough ones, too. But I will find SOMETHING handmade for each one of them.
+++++
Tomorrow I have a show in Chicago for Yellow Canoe. Joe found out last minute that he can't come with to help. That's okay though...I'll be fine (other than the fact that I HATE chicago driving/parking. so nerve wracking for me.)
Like I said, I have a lot more to tell later on.
You may remember me posting about our handmade Christmas tree that I made 2 years ago. Well, I decided that I'm going to make it a tradition every other year to create a new one.
I'll show you this year's tree inspiration later on.
I'm hoping that Joe buys me handmade this holiday season. Last year I set up an etsy account and a paypal account for him, that only he knew the passwords to, and I hearted about 70 items on etsy to make it easy for him. Well...I didn't get any of those gifts since he takes pride in being a "Christmas Eve shopper"...uuugh.
I've been trying to figure out something handmade that will suit each of my family members. My mother in law is super easy, she really appreciates handmade things.
My nephew, Landon, will be easy, too since he's only 9 months old. I was thinking about this really cute raven on a pull string for him. It's so classic and one of those toys that you keep for a long time.
My brother is easy, too..there are a lot of automobile lino-cuts on etsy, or maybe a nice knit winter hat.
I know what I want to get for my mom, but I can't say since she might read this :)
My dad is another story...so hard to shop for.
And the other 5 people I didn't mention are all tough ones, too. But I will find SOMETHING handmade for each one of them.
+++++
Tomorrow I have a show in Chicago for Yellow Canoe. Joe found out last minute that he can't come with to help. That's okay though...I'll be fine (other than the fact that I HATE chicago driving/parking. so nerve wracking for me.)
Like I said, I have a lot more to tell later on.
You may remember me posting about our handmade Christmas tree that I made 2 years ago. Well, I decided that I'm going to make it a tradition every other year to create a new one.
I'll show you this year's tree inspiration later on.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Long post today, friends.
Hello! How have you all been? I've been doing great, things are really going well for me. I haven't been around much in the blog world lately. I keep thinking about it, though, so I'm going to get this post up and then go visit a bunch of you.
So, you may remember me mentioning a "surprise" anniversary trip a few times. Well, we went and Joe was VERY surprised and excited about it! He knew we were going somewhere, but didn't know where.
I found out about these cabins in the Smoky Mountains almost 2 years ago. I knew that we HAD to stay in them sometime. I kept them a secret from Joe even though I looked at them online all the time. I finally booked a reservation in March after doing a ton of research, etc.
Our 1 year anniversary was in September, but I booked this trip for October because I really wanted to be down there when the leaves were changing.
So, here is our cabin: It's called "Stardust" and it was rented out by Sugar Maple Cabins.
So, you may remember me mentioning a "surprise" anniversary trip a few times. Well, we went and Joe was VERY surprised and excited about it! He knew we were going somewhere, but didn't know where.
I found out about these cabins in the Smoky Mountains almost 2 years ago. I knew that we HAD to stay in them sometime. I kept them a secret from Joe even though I looked at them online all the time. I finally booked a reservation in March after doing a ton of research, etc.
Our 1 year anniversary was in September, but I booked this trip for October because I really wanted to be down there when the leaves were changing.
So, here is our cabin: It's called "Stardust" and it was rented out by Sugar Maple Cabins.
We were both in love with this chair- it's made of sticks and wood strips, look at the craftsmanship! We'd like to buy 2 the next time we are in the area.
This one was taken on our hike. We went to the Roaring Fork Motor Trail and hiked the Grottos Trail to the waterfall. It was an easy hike, we really enjoyed it. The leaves were just so beautiful everywhere we went. Some were still green, but a lot of them were yellow and red and orange.
About a month before the trip, Shona from La La Dex Press had written about a studio tour that she was part of. I noticed that the dates of the tour were going to fall on the same day we were leaving TN to return home! So I emailed her and told her that we'd be in the area and that I'd love to stop by and meet her! She was super nice and outgoing! I would really like to go down there again sometime to hang out or something. It's about a 10 hour drive from home, though, so it could never be one of those spur of the moment things.
For those of you who don't know, Shona is a bookbinder and printmaker, so we share some common interests. She also seems to like the same music as I do, judging by her blog posts. This is us at Claudia Lee's studio, where she had the show. She (on the left) was wearing the cutest skirt (that she made from a dress) and just look at those boots!
It was a fun day!
Okay, onto the next topic...even though I could talk about TN and our visit with Shona all day...I have some REALLY exciting news. And no, I'm not pregnant. That's what everybody guesses...
We're moving! To Madison, Wisconsin! I am SO ecstatic about this. We have been hoping to move there for awhile now, but didn't think it would happen so soon. Joe got a promotion at work and we couldn't be happier. He decided to tell me in the parking lot of a gas station, what a random place, and it was so hard for me not to jump around and scream "yippee!"...if we had been at home, it would have been a different story. I'd be jumping over the couch and attempting cartwheels, I'm sure. But yes, we're moving. Right now we live in a small town called Salem that doesn't have much going for it. There's nothing to do here, no art exhibitions (well, not really anyway), most of the people aren't really my type (they all think i'm weird for MAKING things, and they don't really take me seriously), and I really just don't like it around here. Madison, on the other hand, is a different story. I can go to school for printmaking (yes!!!), hang out in coffee shops, WALK to my destinations (not possible here), the thrift stores are great, unlike the ones here, a fantastic farmer's market, concerts on the square, boutiques...there is just SO much to do. Joe goes up there on business every once in awhile and I visit him sometimes and I can never get over the sense of community up there. It's just a wonderful place, I can't even express what this means to me. I've been compiling a list of cool things to see and do for some time now, and I'm going to write everything in a moleskine soon. I am sad that we have to leave our families (Joe's family lives about 4 miles away, mine about 16) but we know we'll be down to visit a lot, it's only about a 2 hour trip, at the longest. But overall, I'm really REALLY happy about it. I'll stop blabbing now...Oh, we're probably moving in January :)
Okay, onto the NEXT topic. I made it into the Poppytalk Handmade for November, I'll be adding a button on the blog soon. I'm excited about it! You should all check it out, it starts on the 5th.
Have you heard that Ez from Creature Comforts is putting together a holiday gift guide? She is so kind for doing this! I've got my wares for Yellow Canoe in the guide- yay!
Okay, well I should get a few things done now. I have a couple things to package and ship and emails to catch up on. Blogs to read, too! Happy November, thanks for stopping by!
Okay, onto the next topic...even though I could talk about TN and our visit with Shona all day...I have some REALLY exciting news. And no, I'm not pregnant. That's what everybody guesses...
We're moving! To Madison, Wisconsin! I am SO ecstatic about this. We have been hoping to move there for awhile now, but didn't think it would happen so soon. Joe got a promotion at work and we couldn't be happier. He decided to tell me in the parking lot of a gas station, what a random place, and it was so hard for me not to jump around and scream "yippee!"...if we had been at home, it would have been a different story. I'd be jumping over the couch and attempting cartwheels, I'm sure. But yes, we're moving. Right now we live in a small town called Salem that doesn't have much going for it. There's nothing to do here, no art exhibitions (well, not really anyway), most of the people aren't really my type (they all think i'm weird for MAKING things, and they don't really take me seriously), and I really just don't like it around here. Madison, on the other hand, is a different story. I can go to school for printmaking (yes!!!), hang out in coffee shops, WALK to my destinations (not possible here), the thrift stores are great, unlike the ones here, a fantastic farmer's market, concerts on the square, boutiques...there is just SO much to do. Joe goes up there on business every once in awhile and I visit him sometimes and I can never get over the sense of community up there. It's just a wonderful place, I can't even express what this means to me. I've been compiling a list of cool things to see and do for some time now, and I'm going to write everything in a moleskine soon. I am sad that we have to leave our families (Joe's family lives about 4 miles away, mine about 16) but we know we'll be down to visit a lot, it's only about a 2 hour trip, at the longest. But overall, I'm really REALLY happy about it. I'll stop blabbing now...Oh, we're probably moving in January :)
Okay, onto the NEXT topic. I made it into the Poppytalk Handmade for November, I'll be adding a button on the blog soon. I'm excited about it! You should all check it out, it starts on the 5th.
Have you heard that Ez from Creature Comforts is putting together a holiday gift guide? She is so kind for doing this! I've got my wares for Yellow Canoe in the guide- yay!
Okay, well I should get a few things done now. I have a couple things to package and ship and emails to catch up on. Blogs to read, too! Happy November, thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
ew.
I never thought I'd say it, but West Elm has disappointed me. What's with the new stuff? Tons of animal print (snow leopard? python?) and lots of gold. Ick. I know it's not my style, what do you guys think?
That's all.
That's all.
Friday, September 21, 2007
tagged!
tag, i'm it.
7 random facts about me:
1. i shave my arms daily. people think it's crazy but i like having hairless arms! it feels nice in a summer breeze, heh.
2. i refuse to paint my finger nails because it just bugs me to have bits of color at the tips of them, waving around when i'm doing things. i do paint my toes, though.
3. i collect mittens.
4. unlike noelle from pink bathtub, i absolutely DESPISE football on every level.
5. i really don't like spiders at all. one time it took me 30 minutes to build up the courage to kill one on the ceiling when joe was out of town. ridiculous. what's even weirder is that i don't mind other bugs, even the "creepy crawly" sort. i know, it's strange and doesn't make sense.
6. my current favorite vegetable is asparagus.
7. i never read a single book in high school because i am a very slow reader and i lose interest quickly. i'm a day dreamer and reading just doesn't work for me. BUT since i love writing, i easily fooled my teachers that i did in fact read the entire book just from taking good notes during discussion time. i got all all a's and b's on my papers and my essays were even picked as examples during those 4 years. i think i saved countless hours by doing so. i really wish i did enjoy reading, but i just don't.
7 random facts about me:
1. i shave my arms daily. people think it's crazy but i like having hairless arms! it feels nice in a summer breeze, heh.
2. i refuse to paint my finger nails because it just bugs me to have bits of color at the tips of them, waving around when i'm doing things. i do paint my toes, though.
3. i collect mittens.
4. unlike noelle from pink bathtub, i absolutely DESPISE football on every level.
5. i really don't like spiders at all. one time it took me 30 minutes to build up the courage to kill one on the ceiling when joe was out of town. ridiculous. what's even weirder is that i don't mind other bugs, even the "creepy crawly" sort. i know, it's strange and doesn't make sense.
6. my current favorite vegetable is asparagus.
7. i never read a single book in high school because i am a very slow reader and i lose interest quickly. i'm a day dreamer and reading just doesn't work for me. BUT since i love writing, i easily fooled my teachers that i did in fact read the entire book just from taking good notes during discussion time. i got all all a's and b's on my papers and my essays were even picked as examples during those 4 years. i think i saved countless hours by doing so. i really wish i did enjoy reading, but i just don't.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The other blog is finally up
I just finished writing a post for the Yellow Canoe blog, so it's finally able to be viewed!
So from here on out, the Yellow Canoe blog will feature shop news and product photos and the Operation Paper Cut blog will be for whatever I feel like posting that day. I'm excited that I now have a "product" blog and a "fun" blog. The future of Operation Paper Cut as a business is still up in the air. It might just be a side project for me, we'll see.
As for this blog, I plan on featuring a lot of fresh things that I haven't blogged about before. Things such as DIY projects (yay! back to my READYMADE magazine days!), neat etsy shops, current obsessions, tons of design oriented posts, photos from my inspiration journal (I plan on making this a weekly feature), and much more. I'm really excited about it!
So, here I leave you with my current top 10 wish list finds:
So from here on out, the Yellow Canoe blog will feature shop news and product photos and the Operation Paper Cut blog will be for whatever I feel like posting that day. I'm excited that I now have a "product" blog and a "fun" blog. The future of Operation Paper Cut as a business is still up in the air. It might just be a side project for me, we'll see.
As for this blog, I plan on featuring a lot of fresh things that I haven't blogged about before. Things such as DIY projects (yay! back to my READYMADE magazine days!), neat etsy shops, current obsessions, tons of design oriented posts, photos from my inspiration journal (I plan on making this a weekly feature), and much more. I'm really excited about it!
So, here I leave you with my current top 10 wish list finds:
Total cost without shipping: $337. Not bad. The architectural panel is the priciest thing on the list at $99. So without that everything is only $237! Sounds good to me.
Okay, that is all for now, thanks for stopping by!
Okay, that is all for now, thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
new stuff
i'm having a lot of fun keeping busy with yellow canoe. the blog will be ready next week, so until then, here are a few new things.
"hello, morocco"
on bristol.
block printed in sea blue ink.
lantern illustration in india ink.
i'm thinking about getting this, or one similar to this, turned into a digital print. does anybody have any info on doing this? i don't know anything about digital printing. would a regular print shop do it? or should i look for somewhere online?
on bristol.
block printed in sea blue ink.
lantern illustration in india ink.
i'm thinking about getting this, or one similar to this, turned into a digital print. does anybody have any info on doing this? i don't know anything about digital printing. would a regular print shop do it? or should i look for somewhere online?
that's all for now, i have some orders to package and i have to get ready for our camping trip this weekend! we are going to michigan tomorrow morning, should be a good time!
have a great weekend, everyone.
have a great weekend, everyone.
Friday, September 07, 2007
it's time.
i'd like to announce that after months of saving my pennies to buy supplies, my new shop is finally open.
it's called "yellow canoe."
i have also started a yellow canoe blog, but i haven't posted anything on it yet. more on that later.
the shop features handmade items for the home. there will be lots of updates over the next month. be on the lookout for wooden pencil boxes, coat racks (i can't wait for these because i need one myself!), place mats, table runners, door rugs, jewelry holders, wall art, and more.
i have only been able to take photos of about half of my current inventory. thank you mom and dad for letting me use your house for photos! it was so much fun snapping shots in a house with color. even though the sun didn't come out until i was on my last set of photos. that's okay, i plan on retaking the ones that didn't come out so great. (their house looks awesome when it's sunny!)
so, since i finally got this show on the road, that means that i am going to be present in the blog community again. (YES! i missed you guys and i have so much catching up to do!) i feel like i took such a long break. most of my time i have been sanding, painting, carving and printing, along with hanging out with my husband on the weeknights and overnight visits with friends on the weekends.
okay, that's all for now. i have to add a few more listings to my etsy shop now. i have had some people email me and ask if i will still be making journals- after a long hiatus from binding, i made a journal for the first time 2 weeks ago and realized how much i loved the craft. that being said, i will continue to make journals but i am going to take a slightly new direction with them. you'll see what i mean within the next couple of weeks.
it's called "yellow canoe."
i have also started a yellow canoe blog, but i haven't posted anything on it yet. more on that later.
the shop features handmade items for the home. there will be lots of updates over the next month. be on the lookout for wooden pencil boxes, coat racks (i can't wait for these because i need one myself!), place mats, table runners, door rugs, jewelry holders, wall art, and more.
i have only been able to take photos of about half of my current inventory. thank you mom and dad for letting me use your house for photos! it was so much fun snapping shots in a house with color. even though the sun didn't come out until i was on my last set of photos. that's okay, i plan on retaking the ones that didn't come out so great. (their house looks awesome when it's sunny!)
so, since i finally got this show on the road, that means that i am going to be present in the blog community again. (YES! i missed you guys and i have so much catching up to do!) i feel like i took such a long break. most of my time i have been sanding, painting, carving and printing, along with hanging out with my husband on the weeknights and overnight visits with friends on the weekends.
okay, that's all for now. i have to add a few more listings to my etsy shop now. i have had some people email me and ask if i will still be making journals- after a long hiatus from binding, i made a journal for the first time 2 weeks ago and realized how much i loved the craft. that being said, i will continue to make journals but i am going to take a slightly new direction with them. you'll see what i mean within the next couple of weeks.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
hi
just poking my head in. i have been busy creating things for my new shop! check back next week for more info, right now i'm trying to build up inventory and create banners, profiles, item descriptions, etc.
i plan on taking all of my stuff over to my parent's house to photograph- my mom has painted almost the entire house over the past 2 or 3 years and it looks awesome! so, i decided that i want to take item photos there since she has nice colorful walls and natural light.
till next time...
i plan on taking all of my stuff over to my parent's house to photograph- my mom has painted almost the entire house over the past 2 or 3 years and it looks awesome! so, i decided that i want to take item photos there since she has nice colorful walls and natural light.
till next time...
Monday, August 06, 2007
break time
time for a blog break...i should actually take a full blown internet break, but i don't see that happening. so i am banning myself from all blogs over the next week so i can attempt to get a few things done.
here is a sneak peak at a test print i did. the screen was a tad bit under exposed, but i just couldn't wait to try. this was my first pull ever so that's why the ink is kinda shotty. and i did it on a piece of scrap paper, so that's what the yellow is from. but once i re-burn this image for the correct amount of time, things will be good to go.
okay, time to go work on that. talk to you all later :)
here is a sneak peak at a test print i did. the screen was a tad bit under exposed, but i just couldn't wait to try. this was my first pull ever so that's why the ink is kinda shotty. and i did it on a piece of scrap paper, so that's what the yellow is from. but once i re-burn this image for the correct amount of time, things will be good to go.
okay, time to go work on that. talk to you all later :)
Sunday, July 29, 2007
it's been a month already???
i can't believe that it's been a month since my last post! i wish i could say it's because i have been super busy making things for my shop. but actually, i think the month flew by because we had a couple weddings and 2 camping trips.
every year we go to devil's lake state park in baraboo, wisconsin. it is our favorite thing to do, we look forward to it all year long.
this year, joe's birthday was during the trip. so i decided to decorate. i told joe that he had to leave for 40 minutes. during that time i strung the "party flags" that i cut last minute before we left. i also set up his gifts and 24 jello shots on the picnic table. i decided to make jello shots because they would be tasty and easier to transport than cupcakes.
after the "party" we went to a brewery. i had some honey beer and he had something else. i don't remember. i remember the food being better last time, but that could be because i am getting pickier with what i eat. i like my food to be fresh and REAL, not artificial. when i first met joe, i ate about 2 or 3 cosmic brownies a day. you know, the little debbie kind. but now? ew, no thanks. they taste disgusting. anyway, back on topic...
the next night we had sweet potatoes and burgers for dinner. i love sweet potatoes. they are one of my new favorite foods, along with asparagus and jalepenos. and tomatoes. i love cooking when we go camping, it's always a good time.
on wednesday we went hiking. about 2 weeks before the trip, i heard about this really neat thing called letterboxing. so i told joe that i wanted to do it. these are our stamps. i used one of my older ones (the lantern- you might remember it from last summer) and i got joe to carve his own. i am so happy with the way his turned out! it's his first block print. next weekend we might go out and hide our own letterbox, we'll see.
we did a lot of other things during our trip, but these were some of the highlights. we didn't get to go canoeing or kayaking as we had hoped, but next year we will for sure. or maybe we will during our surprise anniversary trip.
anyway, in other news- printing hasn't happened yet. i'm not pushing for any dates at the moment. there are a few changes that i have made to the whole idea, and any time i have a new idea i always hem and haw over things. i hate being so indecisive and timid about new things. oh well, at least i have a few designs ready for whenever it DOES happen. i decided that i want this whole thing to be more organized than what operation paper cut has been. so, i am working on releasing a bunch of new things at one time rather than one thing after another. you know- kind of like when your favorite store releases a new catalogue with a ton of new things at once. lately i've been painting freshly sawed pieces of wood for some of the pieces i'm working on. i will let you know when it's ready, of course. i start work in 2 hours so i am going to go paint some more until then. i might be going out of town one more time in august so we'll see what happens- i don't want to open the new shop (did i say new shop? yeah, i did) until i know that i am going to be here and able to answer emails and see what's going on...so going out of town again kind of cuts in to that plan.
anyway, i'm rambling. last night i visited a few blogs- oooh they all look so good. i found about 7 more that i've never seen before. that's one of my biggest set backs- finding new blogs to read. now i have over 100 that i read at least once every 2 weeks and i don't have bloglines or anything like that. i think i should set something like that up, hey?
until next time...
every year we go to devil's lake state park in baraboo, wisconsin. it is our favorite thing to do, we look forward to it all year long.
this year, joe's birthday was during the trip. so i decided to decorate. i told joe that he had to leave for 40 minutes. during that time i strung the "party flags" that i cut last minute before we left. i also set up his gifts and 24 jello shots on the picnic table. i decided to make jello shots because they would be tasty and easier to transport than cupcakes.
after the "party" we went to a brewery. i had some honey beer and he had something else. i don't remember. i remember the food being better last time, but that could be because i am getting pickier with what i eat. i like my food to be fresh and REAL, not artificial. when i first met joe, i ate about 2 or 3 cosmic brownies a day. you know, the little debbie kind. but now? ew, no thanks. they taste disgusting. anyway, back on topic...
the next night we had sweet potatoes and burgers for dinner. i love sweet potatoes. they are one of my new favorite foods, along with asparagus and jalepenos. and tomatoes. i love cooking when we go camping, it's always a good time.
on wednesday we went hiking. about 2 weeks before the trip, i heard about this really neat thing called letterboxing. so i told joe that i wanted to do it. these are our stamps. i used one of my older ones (the lantern- you might remember it from last summer) and i got joe to carve his own. i am so happy with the way his turned out! it's his first block print. next weekend we might go out and hide our own letterbox, we'll see.
we did a lot of other things during our trip, but these were some of the highlights. we didn't get to go canoeing or kayaking as we had hoped, but next year we will for sure. or maybe we will during our surprise anniversary trip.
anyway, in other news- printing hasn't happened yet. i'm not pushing for any dates at the moment. there are a few changes that i have made to the whole idea, and any time i have a new idea i always hem and haw over things. i hate being so indecisive and timid about new things. oh well, at least i have a few designs ready for whenever it DOES happen. i decided that i want this whole thing to be more organized than what operation paper cut has been. so, i am working on releasing a bunch of new things at one time rather than one thing after another. you know- kind of like when your favorite store releases a new catalogue with a ton of new things at once. lately i've been painting freshly sawed pieces of wood for some of the pieces i'm working on. i will let you know when it's ready, of course. i start work in 2 hours so i am going to go paint some more until then. i might be going out of town one more time in august so we'll see what happens- i don't want to open the new shop (did i say new shop? yeah, i did) until i know that i am going to be here and able to answer emails and see what's going on...so going out of town again kind of cuts in to that plan.
anyway, i'm rambling. last night i visited a few blogs- oooh they all look so good. i found about 7 more that i've never seen before. that's one of my biggest set backs- finding new blogs to read. now i have over 100 that i read at least once every 2 weeks and i don't have bloglines or anything like that. i think i should set something like that up, hey?
until next time...
Thursday, June 28, 2007
it's thursday. again.
the weeks are flying by, aren't they?
it has been too humid to coat the screens with emulsion. today would have been a good day to do it, and i started to but then i realized that my makeshift darkroom isn't dark enough. it's pretty dark, but not completely. so i'm waiting till it's dark out tonight.
it has been too humid to coat the screens with emulsion. today would have been a good day to do it, and i started to but then i realized that my makeshift darkroom isn't dark enough. it's pretty dark, but not completely. so i'm waiting till it's dark out tonight.
a corner...
we went to my aunt's birthday party last weekend. i felt like wearing my garden blouse.
hey, check out etsy seller majicjelly's latest print-
i really love it.
what a great price, too- only $12!!!
visit her shop over here!
okay, off to finish laundry!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
rummage sales and rearranging
proof that i really have been working on screen printing stuff...
although, i didn't do what i wanted to do with it today. it's too humid and i don't have a dehumidifier, so i have to wait till tonight to coat the screens with emulsion.
i went rummaging with my mom and bought a couple of little things:
2 of these red patterned linens. i'm going to put them in the bedroom, i think.
a roll of old german wallpaper. i'm going to make envelopes and perhaps a journal cover with it.
i also got the yellow duvet that's under the roll of paper. it's a little faded, but it will do.
when i got home, i felt like rearranging my housewares. i don't have very many things, so it's not that easy to just switch them around. i decided that the coffee table needed some reading material, so i put some readymade magazines and a craft book in a serving tray.
i've been working on designs for my prints, as you know. photoshop would really help right about now. but i don't have it, so i have to make do without.
i wish i could tell you guys what my first print is going to be! well, i suppose i could tell you, but then it wouldn't be as fun to show you when it's done. i can say that it will be partially moroccan inspired and there might be some yellow in it...but that's about it!
well, time to go clean the house.
take care, friends!
although, i didn't do what i wanted to do with it today. it's too humid and i don't have a dehumidifier, so i have to wait till tonight to coat the screens with emulsion.
i went rummaging with my mom and bought a couple of little things:
2 of these red patterned linens. i'm going to put them in the bedroom, i think.
a roll of old german wallpaper. i'm going to make envelopes and perhaps a journal cover with it.
i also got the yellow duvet that's under the roll of paper. it's a little faded, but it will do.
when i got home, i felt like rearranging my housewares. i don't have very many things, so it's not that easy to just switch them around. i decided that the coffee table needed some reading material, so i put some readymade magazines and a craft book in a serving tray.
i've been working on designs for my prints, as you know. photoshop would really help right about now. but i don't have it, so i have to make do without.
i wish i could tell you guys what my first print is going to be! well, i suppose i could tell you, but then it wouldn't be as fun to show you when it's done. i can say that it will be partially moroccan inspired and there might be some yellow in it...but that's about it!
well, time to go clean the house.
take care, friends!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
father's day + small to do list
i refuse to shop at hallmark or buy any type of card unless it's handmade. (although when it's somebody's wedding, i sometimes forget about the card till last minute, so i'm forced to shop hallmark. i need to get a nice collection of occasion cards going.
anyway, this is what i came up with for father's day. it's a beer bottle shape. the label comes off by sliding it down and it opens like a regular card. for my father-in-law. i haven't made my dad's, yet.
i only made it because i didn't have any other crafty things to do, since i'm waiting for my screen printing stuff (should be here on tuesday!) AND because i've been dying to use this lovely green card stock for a long time now!
the week ahead:
+monday- going to my parent's to celebrate father's day.
+tuesday- off to the strawberry field since we never went last weekend.
+wednesday- hopefully burning some screens for printing by friday.
+thursday- setting up my printing space.
+friday- printing. (fingers crossed!)
stay tuned, lots of photos in the days to come!
anyway, this is what i came up with for father's day. it's a beer bottle shape. the label comes off by sliding it down and it opens like a regular card. for my father-in-law. i haven't made my dad's, yet.
i only made it because i didn't have any other crafty things to do, since i'm waiting for my screen printing stuff (should be here on tuesday!) AND because i've been dying to use this lovely green card stock for a long time now!
the week ahead:
+monday- going to my parent's to celebrate father's day.
+tuesday- off to the strawberry field since we never went last weekend.
+wednesday- hopefully burning some screens for printing by friday.
+thursday- setting up my printing space.
+friday- printing. (fingers crossed!)
stay tuned, lots of photos in the days to come!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
casting shadows
i had to take a photo of this because the sun was shining into our home for about an hour the other day...which is something that only happens for a couple months out of the year, in the evening after about 7:15 or so. the sun only covers about 2 feet of the wall, so it's nothing spectacular, but it made me really happy to see it since it doesn't happen too often.
i'm really tired right now- i slept from about 1 a.m. till 4:15 a.m. and then went for a jog at 5:40. now it's 6:45 and i'm going to go back to sleep for a bit.
i have today off. lots of errands to do and then i'm going to work on a couple designs for the whole screen printing thing. ugh, will the day EVER come when i get to start printing? i feel like it just keeps getting pushed back by little things in life. i am ordering my emulsion TODAY though, for sure this time, and nothing is going to get in my way this time, as it has the past 4 or 5 times that i've said this. i'm feeling more inspired than ever and i am ready to see the day that i quit chili's- i've had more than enough of that place and it's drama. i really, really despise drama. ugh.
anyway, i might post again later today depending on errands, etc. if not, maybe sometime early next week!
have a good one.
i'm really tired right now- i slept from about 1 a.m. till 4:15 a.m. and then went for a jog at 5:40. now it's 6:45 and i'm going to go back to sleep for a bit.
i have today off. lots of errands to do and then i'm going to work on a couple designs for the whole screen printing thing. ugh, will the day EVER come when i get to start printing? i feel like it just keeps getting pushed back by little things in life. i am ordering my emulsion TODAY though, for sure this time, and nothing is going to get in my way this time, as it has the past 4 or 5 times that i've said this. i'm feeling more inspired than ever and i am ready to see the day that i quit chili's- i've had more than enough of that place and it's drama. i really, really despise drama. ugh.
anyway, i might post again later today depending on errands, etc. if not, maybe sometime early next week!
have a good one.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
peach tea and a wedding today.
Monday, June 04, 2007
shop update, etc
the shop has been updated with new moleskines.
this weekend we went to our friends wedding in michigan. it was nice visit another state. wisconsin starts to get really boring after awhile! the farmer's market starts soon, though...can't wait for that!
so i'm always on the lookout for the perfect dining room table and chairs. i've seen a few in design catalogues, but they are always really expensive and there's no way i could ever convince joe that we should spend that much on a table. anyway, i stumbled across this set last night and i really love it:
i like the solid wood (mahogany) and steel construction. and i HATE rounded tables, so the square design is exactly what i'm looking for.
do you see the indent in the middle of the table? i like it, but the strange thing is that the "room view" of the table and chairs doesn't show that. so i don't really know what's up with that. anyway, the set is supposed to be over $2200 but i found it for less than $1000.
we'll see if i end up getting it. depends. i'm leaning towards no, because i have to save money for the surprise anniversary trip that i'm taking joe on and i also need to save money to fix my car. i hate cars. mine needs a lot of work...ew.
today it's raining so i'm going to clean out my closet, work on etsy stuff and visit some blogs.
i should get on that right now! thanks for stopping by!
this weekend we went to our friends wedding in michigan. it was nice visit another state. wisconsin starts to get really boring after awhile! the farmer's market starts soon, though...can't wait for that!
so i'm always on the lookout for the perfect dining room table and chairs. i've seen a few in design catalogues, but they are always really expensive and there's no way i could ever convince joe that we should spend that much on a table. anyway, i stumbled across this set last night and i really love it:
i like the solid wood (mahogany) and steel construction. and i HATE rounded tables, so the square design is exactly what i'm looking for.
do you see the indent in the middle of the table? i like it, but the strange thing is that the "room view" of the table and chairs doesn't show that. so i don't really know what's up with that. anyway, the set is supposed to be over $2200 but i found it for less than $1000.
we'll see if i end up getting it. depends. i'm leaning towards no, because i have to save money for the surprise anniversary trip that i'm taking joe on and i also need to save money to fix my car. i hate cars. mine needs a lot of work...ew.
today it's raining so i'm going to clean out my closet, work on etsy stuff and visit some blogs.
i should get on that right now! thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
new stuff
today i started a new series of moleskines:
i've had all this great paper laying around forever now, and i finally brought myself to cut some of it. i still need to glue everything down, but i figured i'd share them now anyway. the shop will be updated tonight (about dame time...i've been taking a really long break from it.) so all of these will be available.
ha, joe says i want everything. that's almost true...
oh! west elm just sent me an email saying that their bedding has free shipping right now :) mmm. it's a good thing i'm not floored by this seasons designs. whew, otherwise i'd want that too. i better go check it out just in case.
i've had all this great paper laying around forever now, and i finally brought myself to cut some of it. i still need to glue everything down, but i figured i'd share them now anyway. the shop will be updated tonight (about dame time...i've been taking a really long break from it.) so all of these will be available.
+++
today is pretty hot outside, but that's okay because i love summer more than winter.......at least for now. heh.
it appears to be nice and breezy so i might go lay outside with my ipod and enjoy the weather. not an easy thing to do when you live in an apartment, as i'm sure some of you may know. i can't wait to move into a house! i just want a garden with tons of vegetables and another garden with flowers and plants...and a place to have bonfires. aaaaand a clothes line like this one. oh! and our own washer and dryer because it really blows having to share one washer and one dryer with 11 other tenants, especially when it's 4 floors down and broken quite often. can you tell that i'm sick of apartment living? the first year was okay, i didn't really mind it. it was just nice to be on my own (with joe). the next year was alright because we were busy planning the wedding so it wasn't something i really noticed. but now, year 3, is really getting on my nerves. oooh well. one day.
+++
okay, well like i mentioned before, it looks beautiful outside so i'm off to see if the horses are out. they haven't been out for awhile :(
i want a horse.
ha, joe says i want everything. that's almost true...
oh! west elm just sent me an email saying that their bedding has free shipping right now :) mmm. it's a good thing i'm not floored by this seasons designs. whew, otherwise i'd want that too. i better go check it out just in case.
Monday, May 21, 2007
+++++
this weekend we went camping with a friend of ours.
it was really nice, but the ticks were terrible! i've never seen a tick before, which is odd because i've been camping quite a few times. and then when i learned that ticks are actually arachnids, i disliked them even more. ugh.
so what's new with you guys? nothing much here...at all. things are a lot different when i'm not making new items for my shop. i kind of like it, actually. i'm really not sure when i will ever get around to screen printing, right now i'm trying to focus on other things. i'm saving my money for our anniversary trip- joe has no idea where we're going, but i've been looking into this place for almost a year now. i can't wait!
i finally started a few drawings to be turned into prints, so that's a start. i also decided what the first print will be of...it's a secret, though! you'll find out eventually. hopefully soon. okay, hopefully soon-ish. we'll go with soon-ish because that gives me until mid summer.
there's never much to talk about when i'm not making new things, so that's all for now.
have a good one!
it was really nice, but the ticks were terrible! i've never seen a tick before, which is odd because i've been camping quite a few times. and then when i learned that ticks are actually arachnids, i disliked them even more. ugh.
so what's new with you guys? nothing much here...at all. things are a lot different when i'm not making new items for my shop. i kind of like it, actually. i'm really not sure when i will ever get around to screen printing, right now i'm trying to focus on other things. i'm saving my money for our anniversary trip- joe has no idea where we're going, but i've been looking into this place for almost a year now. i can't wait!
i finally started a few drawings to be turned into prints, so that's a start. i also decided what the first print will be of...it's a secret, though! you'll find out eventually. hopefully soon. okay, hopefully soon-ish. we'll go with soon-ish because that gives me until mid summer.
there's never much to talk about when i'm not making new things, so that's all for now.
have a good one!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
it's been awhile, hasn't it?
hello.
i haven't blogged a whole lot lately. i just finished transferring my typepad posts over to blogger. i had to do that before i made any new posts, so now that it's done i can blog again.
last week i went up north to visit my grandpa. i had intentions on taking photos, but i didn't. i only took a couple at the rest stop.
not much to talk about. funny how that works when you haven't been making anything. i still haven't been able to order my emulsion, so no prints yet.
i haven't blogged a whole lot lately. i just finished transferring my typepad posts over to blogger. i had to do that before i made any new posts, so now that it's done i can blog again.
last week i went up north to visit my grandpa. i had intentions on taking photos, but i didn't. i only took a couple at the rest stop.
not much to talk about. funny how that works when you haven't been making anything. i still haven't been able to order my emulsion, so no prints yet.
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