it's officially autumn...

...and the cooler weather has lured some new species into our backyard.

These little guys will be available for purchase at Handmade Parade.
Currently there are four, but I might make more if there's interest. They are approx. 8 in. tall.

As will this guy. He's half quail, half platypus.
He has a twin sister who is still in creation (approx. 12 in. tall)

halloween is around the corner


I had to spare some time to decorate for Halloween. I gave myself a budget of twenty dollars and headed to TJ Maxx to find some holiday decorations. I racked up! Of course, I went over budget by ten bucks, but managed to afford almost a whole mantel's worth of loot.


Do you guys decorate for Halloween, too?

two more weekends left!

I love to view artists' pictures of their studios and craftrooms, with the fabric organized by color and stacked neatly on the shelf. Unfortunately, I work in total chaos. My fabric still in the laundry bin from the prewashing and my newspaper patterns strewn all over the floor, somehow I manage to make sense of it all.


I have so many objects I want to make for the craft show (Nov. 10), but time is running out!

television debut

Norfolk Craft Mafia made the news. Check it out here. Great job, Amber and Amanda!

whah? no pictures?

I've been up to my eyeballs in eyeballs and wings. Making multiples is no easy task and I keep varying my "pattern" as I go along. I'll get there eventually.

Around dinner time, Bobby asked me what I was doing the other day, and I replied "I'm making wings." He got so excited. The bubble burst when he found out they were made of fleece and not to be consumed.

Anyhow, I thought I would just check in to share another book I'm reading - Learning to Love You More by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher. It's a compilation of some of their favorite projects from the website. It reminds me of the PostSecret books, which I really enjoy, but with more heart (I wonder about the authenticity of the postcards, being they're consistent in design style, etc.)

it was his grandmother!

I had the privilege of witnessing David Sedaris (author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim and frequent contributor to NPR's This American Life) read up close and personal, as we were seated front row center last Sunday night. So close, that I can report he stands on the outer sides of his rubber soled shoes while reading and bounces ever so slightly to keep his knees from buckling. A fifty-year-old man who simultaneously lives as the young boy he writes about - one who dresses dead bees in tin foil suits of armor and cares for the spiders who reside in his home in France (he moved to London and quit smoking - did you know that?)

As many of you know, I'm an obsessive This American Life fan. And being one, I'm used to hearing David Sedaris speak; however, it was still surreal to see him walk out on stage, open his mouth and have that same voice come out - the sweet voice that allows him to do a brilliant impersonation of Billy Holiday.

For those wondering, he read mostly new material - some soon to be published and one rejected. He also read one from Holidays on Ice about Santa's eight black men. He closed with a question/answer session.

Plus, he recommended two books - Foreskin's Lament by Shalom Auslander and The Easter Parade by Richard Yates. And of course I had to immediately purchase them because that's the kind of dork I am. My stack of unread books needed to be higher.

I've started reading Foreskin's Lament and already I'm captivated. It's a hilarious memoir about growing up in an Orthodox Jewish family and the author's relationship with God. The words hilarious and God aren't usually used in the same description, but I assure you it's worth a read. Terry Gross just interviewed Auslander about his book, so that should be all the incentive one needs.

Regarding the grandmother reference, remember when Sedaris (TAL episode #28 Detectives) had a stakeout in his parent's closet in order to solve the mystery of the person wiping one's rear on the bathroom towels? You know, the one where he considers himself a fugitive for being wrongly accused and covers his head in black shoe polish to dye his hair but ends up creating a rock hard hair helmet? Well, after all these years, he has finally figured out it was his elderly grandmother who would only visit on weekends. He, he.

it's official

I received my acceptance letter for the Handmade Parade yesterday, so the clock is officially ticking. Four more working weekends left and only two items made. I've got lots of ideas, but only my little two hands, tight schedule, and fleeting attention span to fabricate them. Eek.

First item down - quilted typography pillow. Letters are pieced and not appliqued.


Second item - twitter bird softie. I endowed him generously with a large beak (B says it looks like a drill). And for the record, linen is NOT fun to work with, so I need to make a few changes with this pattern.


I need at least 12 items to fill my half of the table, so I gotta get cranking.

st. francis is still a friend of mine


Hard to believe a year has flown by since the last celebration of St. Francis, or as I like to call it, Bring your Dog to Church Day.


People brought their dogs, cats, cockatiels, hamsters, stuffed animals, and photos of departed animal companions to receive blessing. I don't think I heard a single word today.



We were contemplating adopting a dog last year, as you probably remember, but still have not made the commitment. At this point, we'll wait until after we have a baby - whenever that'll be.


I tried to persuade Pico to go today. She resisted by kicking me in the face. Devil cat, but I love her anyway. I feel like Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby.

those crafty bastards!


Since the NY Times had to release their Asheville article and expose some of the tasty treats I had in mind to share, then you won't mind if I disrupt the Asheville posts with this one (at least mine comes with pictures). Accompanied by Charmaine, another Norfolk Craft mafioso, I woke up bright and early Sunday morning and drove to Washington, DC to check out the Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair.


I felt like a kid in a candy store, um...make that toy store. Over 100 very talented vendors displayed all types of handmade items - jewelry, plush, designer Ts and totes, etc. Snake charmers, B boys and people walking around on stilts - my kind of place.





Bobby and I had originally planned a whole weekend in DC, consisting of an overnight stay in quaint Old Towne Alexandria, Iron & Wine at the 9:30 club Sat. night, and the fair on Sunday, but unfortunately his workload kept him from being able to go (the life of a designer). So we canceled the hotel reservations and put the tickets up for auction on ebay. Who knew someone would want to pay triple the price for a sold out show? So needless to say, I had a pocketful of spending money.


There was so much to see and the place was packed! Amber and Amanda represented the Norfolk Craft Mafia and their tent was crowded every time I passed by. Guys, your stuff looked great!

Amber and Amanda

Norfolk Craft Mafia tent (My Aim is True & A. Bel Studio)

I also really enjoyed seeing in-person some of my favorite online crafters, such as Cotton Monster and Spooky Daddy. The craftsmanship behind Spooky Daddy's work is impeccable and I purchased one of his hobgoblins for what I thought was a very reasonable price, especially for something completely hand-crafted. I appreciate his philosophy, plus he seems like a kind and decent guy who just wants to support his family and have some fun to boot.

Such great details, like the fingernails, tongue and bulging eyeballs.

Mr. Crafty Bastard

Scion's inflatable lounge with DJ spinning in the back.

Take a break and have your portrait drawn in less than 10 minutes.

I thought this piece was hilarious. Remember the "Homies" figurines you could buy from the grocery store bubble gum machines a few years ago? Well, this guy stocked up and creates elaborate dioramas.

These helium balloons were the perfect attention getter, spelling out "Crafty Bastards" when the wind wasn't blowing them in different directions.

I forgot to mention this before, but Crafty Bastards was held in the Adams Morgan district in Washington, DC, which is lined with trendy restaurants and boutiques. After the fair, Charmaine and I ate lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant - one of at least two in the neighborhood.

No silverware provided. You just scoop it up with the spongy flat bread provided.

After eating and then picking up a chai for the road at Tryst, we headed home expecting to be back around 7:30. Seven and a half hours later (only 3.5 hours up) we finally arrived back in Norfolk. The worst drive of my life, but all in all, the day was worth it.