I'm preparing for New Freedom Fest coming up on September 19. (gosh - thats just a month away!) I am so thankful to have this great little crafts market/celebration of small town America right in my own home town! Its a full day of art, crafts, food, kids games and music. The day ends with an outdoor movie on the town green beginning around 8:30 pm.


Last year I ran the kids craft tent and wow - do kids like to make beaded bracelets! This year I'll participate as a vendor. (I'll have lots of new jewelry, beads, buttons and maybe some other surprises for sale.)

We're located an hour south of Harrisburg, PA and an hour north of Baltimore, MD. Right off of Rt. 83. Easy to find! Check the link to get the event schedule and a map if you're interested in attending.

All photos in this post courtesy of New Freedom Heritage.

Home Sweet Home (ah but Maine sweet Maine!)

A long day of driving brought us home yesterday after two amazing weeks in Maine.


We sailed, we swam, we watched bald eagles fish. We visited the Farnsworth in Rockland, paying tribute to Andrew Wyeth. We played UNO and laughed hysterically and ate really fresh seafood.


But for the most part, we dedicated ourselves to taking it slow and keeping it simple, our only "splurge" was...time. I have found that for me, a constant stream of information and everything available 24 hours/day does not produce happiness, better children or creativity. In a way, its as though MORE (of everything and anything) stifles what is good and LESS allows it to surface. Ok...I think I'm onto something here.



My etsy shop will stay closed until August 12.

All photos in the post courtesy of my daughter Ema.

Perfect Timing?

Amidst a day of laundry, packing, maps and the lashing down of boats it seemed like a perfect time to stop and do a t-shirt transfer project! (Ok, you want the truth? The truth is I've been telling my daughter I would help her with this for two weeks and wanted to complete it for her before we left for vacation.)


My son is developing such an interesting style to his drawing. He did these little houses about a month ago. My daughter decided they would work just great along the bottom hem of a t-shirt. We scanned the images and printed them out on Avery Inkjet Transfer paper. We came up with a fantastic finished project!

We are headed to Maine tomorrow for a two week holiday. I will struggle being away from the studio but I think the distance will make me concentrate on things I have been neglecting like drawing and reading...and dreaming. I expected to come home refreshed and energized!

Fresh Air

We made an impromptu decision to go camping at a nearby state park and because we have pre-packed camping supplies all we really needed to do was pack a change of clothing and some food and we were off. (My husband would have me note here that it took him 1 HOUR to get the sailboat and kayak on top of the car. Credit where credit is due.)

Water.
Blue Heron .
No phone.
Just what I wanted (needed).



All photos courtesy of my daughter, Ema. I'll soon be featuring her work in a series of photo transfer jewelry.

Here and Gone

The necklace below hit my shop today and was sold in under 3 minutes.


A great customer of mine was waiting for what she has titled "doubles" necklaces (two pendants on one chain) for WEEKS now as I got myself back up to speed after getting the new oven. She was very encouraging, checked in once a week or so and literally snatched this one up when I posted it! (Thank you Shari!)

Collaboration

I have had photo transfers to polymer on my list of "things to try" for a while. I decided it would be a great project to collaborate on with the photographers in the household - my husband and my daughter.


Its actually very easy and I am thrilled with the results thus far! This first piece with the hydrangea on white polymer came out of the oven and my head started spinning with the possibilities of application of this process. Isn't it a nice surprise when things just work out?


All the photos below are were all taken by my daughter, Ema. It appears as though taking a risk and buying a 15 year old that Nikon was a good decision after all!

Button Down

Upon the request of Sarah from Old Glory Woolen Co, I am working on some polymer buttons. (I was already working a large focal button for a great sweater I have that sports a bland, single, black button at the chest so the timing was fortuitous!) Its exciting to work on a functional item and think that this coming winter, someone may ward off a chill by buttoning a lovely handmade sweater with one of these!


It wasn't a huge leap from some of my earrings and pendants really since the techniques are essentially the same. I'll be offering them in the etsy shop after I finish Sarah's order.