how to create a lantern...

1. gather branches. you need to make 2 squares about the same size. attach the branches together by using hot glue and twine (or natural string). use 4 more branches as bridges between the two squares you already made. you should have a "cube."

2.melt paraffin wax (at a low temp) in a crock pot, crappy thriftstore pot, or hotplate. I added a scented blue candle to mine to make it look frosty and smell nice.

3.using a cheap foam brush, spread the melted wax onto wax paper (the kind for the kitchen). the more you play with this, you will see what kind of effects you can make with layers and texture, etc.


4. tear the pieces of wax paper and put the newly waxed side out as you carefully hot glue (low temp) them to various part of the branches, making it look like sheets of ice! I also waxed some paper doilies and then cut out letters to make a little banner that said "happy holidays." The possibilities are endless!

If you didn't know this about me before, I used to be a display coordinator for Anthropologie in IL and UT. I took my undergrad love for wax (I had used it in a lot of my work) and waxed up just about every thing I could when I made displays for them. This lantern is a spin-off of a largescale piece I did once.

i love...

my new stuff! Eva Jorgensen approached me about doing a trade a couple weeks ago, for which I was ecstatic. I LOVE her letterpress prints (I was lucky enough to buy one while she was in still in college) and all her delicious letterpress paper goods. They are gorgeous. For a doodle headband and a feather band, she traded the 2009 calendar above. I love when form meets function. I get art and organization all in one! She is also one of the nicest people I have never really met. sound wierd?? She and I went to college together, in the same department, and never really ever knew each other! She has done so much to help me get the word out about my blueeyedfreckle shop, and I am forever grateful. you can also check out her shop for unique Christmas cards!

The other photo is something I purchased at the Indie Craft Experience last weekend. I had been looking at it for weeks before the fair and when I had made a good amount of money, I told Franc I was going to buy it. I am in love with it. I can't stop looking at it! Her stuff was/is beautiful. (blueberrybandit)

Yesterday

Here is my little booth at the Indie Craft Experience yesterday! I made the fixtures out of luan (thin plywood) and peg board hooks! No nails, screws, or glue. I just drew the design (my new logo) on the wood, cut it out with my jigsaw, and made a groove for the piece that went perpendicular to it (which also had a groove) to stick inside! I painted it up and drilled 2 holes side by side to fit the pegboard hooks (with my wonderful new drill). It was great because it all came apart so I could stick it in my car, transport it easily in my little sentra, and then put it all together in no time!

The craft fair was tons of fun. There were so many incredibly cool vendors (both the people and their products) and tons of people came. It was my first craft fair, so I didn't know what to expect ( Franc I were just hoping to break even on our costs) but I ended up doing incredibly well! I had people at my booth all day, and sold so much stuff that by the end of the day I barely had anything left. It was such a high... especially after weeks of thinking I should just give up and quit. I will post more pics soon of trades I made, things I bought and cool vendors I met:)

come see me this weekend!

It should be a blast at Indie Craft Experience this weekend! It costs $5 to get in (its indoors), and there are booths with awesome indie handicrafts (no mauve wreaths) and little "how-to" crafting stations, etc. I will be in booth 46 (and I just made the coolest fixtures for my goods). I have lots of new things that haven't been posted on the website, so come check it out! For more details on where it is go to:
http://www.ice-atlanta.com/

My friend Meredith...

I have been friends with Meredith Prevot (Maynes) since my freshman year of college. We lived on the same floor in the dorms, and even went on a trip to Tonga together (a study abroad with the BYU art department). She was always a very talented artist, but the work she did during her masters was so great it made me insanely jealous. I often feel this way when I see great art that I wish I had made myself. Dang it! She thought of it first! But I love Meredith, so I can't hate her for it. Instead I want you all to have a chance to enjoy the beautiful works she creates. If you like what you see above, then you should check out her website! She does amazing things with pattern and color (two of my favorite elements).

Thank you Willow!

If you have ever met Willow Withy/Batt, then you know how amazing of a person she is. She seems to know a little bit about everything (incredibly smart). She is also the most self-reflective, perceptive, and thoughtful individual I have ever been friends with. We became friends while I lived in Chicago. I had been in desperate need of a friend who understood me both artistically and spiritually, and though she was only 18 at the time, we became friends instantly. Her sophistication and depth of knowledge in things related to art and to life has always baffled me (in a good way).

I am writing this because she just featured me on her sight, and when I saw it I was stunned. How could someone so talented and amazing think I'M cool? If I could have one tenth of the depth of her concepts in my own art, I would be a much much greater artist. check her site out for beautiful insight and thoughts on art, color, and everyday design.

Some new work...

I created these from the dyed paper I blogged about a couple weeks ago. I enjoyed using the dyed paper to create little geometric configurations and then juxtaposing them with fluid, organic shapes.

accidentally perfection

I absolutely love when this happens, and it seems to happen to me often: I was cutting petals for this headband and I didn't count out how many I needed (of the pink or gray)... and I ended up having EXACTLY the right amount of both the gray and pink! Love when that happens:)