Argyle Whale

!

2009-09-25T19:57:00.001-07:00

Time for my monthly check-in. This time I'll spare everyone the "who wants to blog when it's so nice outside?" excuse and get down to the thing in my life that is so exciting and monumental that it brought me back to the internet so I could report.

The thing is:

Justin and I just bought our first home!

My life has been focused on almost nothing else for the past month. Right after I got back from vacation, we decided it was time to get serious about finding a place and after seeing a handful of homes, we found one that was juuuuust right. We decided to stay in Salem but the condo is a little less downtown. It's the first floor unit in a renovated yellow Victorian with lots of windows and a room for a studio! We move in on October 16th. Ahhhhhhhh!

I've been fantasizing a lot about what colors to paint the rooms (I'm thinking pink in the kitchen!) and about new light fixtures and getting some big art since we will have a few big walls. I'm worried that all our furniture will look runty in the new place. It's a big change moving from a studio to a two bedroom.

Justin and I are laughing at ourselves because we will be owning a house before we even have a car.

Lots more pictures on Flickr.

I'm skipping town!

2009-08-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving tomorrow for my annual trip to my Uncle's cabin in Maine. I think a little break from my day job and a change of scenery is just what my brain has been needing. There is nothing I find more refreshing than quiet time by a lake with no responsibilities.

I'm bringing paper and pens so I can get going on the zine I've been promising for a long time. My friend wrote a short story and asked me to illustrate it. That counts as a zine since we're printing it ourselves right?

I'm also putting the finishing touches on a few new designs for cards. I have a pile 99% complete ideas that are begging for attention.

It appears I have no idea how to take a vacation! Even if I can't help but work, at least I'll be sitting on a big rock with my feet in the water.

PS: I put my Etsy shop on vacation mode so it looks empty but it'll be back on the 31st.

Making do

2009-07-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

A fresh coat of paint and cushion covers for the porch!

I've been taking an unscheduled break from the internet and my business for the past month in an attempt to take care of a few neglected elements of my life that are forever being pushed aside so I can do Argyle Whale stuff.

One of the projects I worked on in my absence is apartment beautification. Justin and I realized that we're most likely going to stay in our current place for a few more years and that made me feel restless. Instead of making an irrational move, I focused on freshening up our space and treating it more like a home than an in-between-places type of apartment.

The worst eyesore in our life is the porch that all our neighbors share with us. It's a depressing dumping ground for bedraggled old furniture and since it's everyone's, nobody takes responsibility to care for it. My upstairs neighbor and I tackled the gloomy chipped black iron patio furniture and enlivened it with a few coats of intense green paint. Then, I ripped off the deteriorating cushion covers and recovered them in dark blue denim. We spent a whole day scrubbing the deck and tables and planting herbs and the place looks much livelier. I still have more to do, but it's made a huge difference.

I'm trying to embrace the old saying, "make do or do without". I'm hoping to save up enough money to reupholster our stained couch too. I'm also emboldened to break the no painting rule in our bathroom. The walls are the color of masking tape!

I found a hamster.

2009-06-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

This is kind of old news but I wanted to share my found poster with you because I hung it up at my bakery workplace and people seemed to like it so much that I figured it could be worth a blog mention.

Here is the story of the hamster:

I have an elderly neighbor who knows about my fondness for little pets and he knocked on my door awhile ago and told me that he'd found a guinea pig hanging out in our apartment building's trash can shelter. I got pretty excited because I have always wanted a guinea pig and though I wouldn't go out and get one (since we're already fairly overrun with little creatures). If a guinea pig came to me, I figured I could keep it and love it forever.

I gathered my critter-catching accessories (carrier, gloves, a banana and some reading material for the stakeout) and waited for the guinea pig to appear. After a little while, I spotted a tiny face peering out at me and realized that the trash-shelter dweller was actually a hamster (an exceptionally cute hamster with calico spots). To my dismay, an hour or two of my most enticing cooing and banana brandishing left me hamsterless and I opted to put out a have-a-heart trap and wait until morning.

When I woke up, I was greeted by my neighbor at my door with the trapped hamster! Hooray! I made a little nest area in a rubbermaid bin and started making these posters to put up around town. I am very skeptical that the hamster was actually lost and not just abandoned but I figured I would give it a try.

After only a short while a nice new home was found for the hamster! Win!

If you particularly enjoy the art of the found poster. I highly recommend this book.

Oh no! Am I a jerk blogger?

2009-06-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

I'm really sorry.

So, I probably should have read some "how to be a good blogger" articles before I started writing and because I didn't (until Leah posted this article on her blog), I just found out that I have been a little rude to you fine readers for a long time. I've been especially neglectful of those of you who are nice enough to leave a comment.

See (now I know this is no excuse), I leave comments on a few blogs from time to time and I never return to the blogs to check and see if the authors have replied to my comments. Therefore, because everyone MUST think exactly like me, I thought that none of the people who commented on my blog looked for replies either.

I have since learned two things:

1. Not replying to comments may make you look like you think you are "too cool for school".
2. There is a simple way for people to get replies to their comments known as "subscribing to the comments". I feel silly that I did not know this and have never used the trick myself.

I am going digging through past posts now and leaving replies to ancient comments and pledge to be better about replies form now on. Your comments really are my favorite part of having a blog!

bunny photo by Megan Taylor Brooks

Ok, I'm ready to talk.

2009-06-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ohhh I have been a very bad blogger. Sometimes, I have so much that I need to talk about that I feel overwhelmed and put it off. But, silly girl, the passage of time leads to much more stuff that piles up needing to be talked about! So, instead of infinite procrastination, I'm opting to write tiny manageable tidbits so I can get back on track. I know most of these things are deserving of their own thorough post but I simply do not have the stamina at the moment. I am also going to go ahead and blame Twitter for making writing full paragraphs seem like hard work.

Renegade Craft Fair, Brooklyn, NY: Holy woah! This fair was fun city. Justin and I had a super time and met so many people we internet-adored who we now IRL-adore! I ate corn-on-a-stick for the first time and loved it a lot. I also celebrity-spotted Paul Dano. I made only a little bit of money but ended up pirate-rich in trades! I'm blaming Renegade for my current state of lethargy. I did months of work preparing and the event was so energy-sapping that I needed to recuperate for a week or two. I'm that delicate! Here are some photos: flickr

Mass Market, Boston, MA: This fair was my Renegade remedy. It was a small but well attended event that felt very friendly and relaxed. I finally got to hang out a little with Alice of Forest Bound and Francesca and met a nice new person who happens to also be named Elise.

Tattoo: I got my very first tattoo! It is, of course, bunny related. Here is a photo: flickr. Turns out, it's true what people say about tattoos being addictive; I'm already thinking about my next one.

The Internet: Soon I'll be spreading myself all over the internet (Goodness! That sounds racy!). I was invited to be a guest writer for both Hello Craft and North Shore Art Throb. I am feeling my usual combination of both excited and nervous. I'm excited to be sharing with a much wider audience but I'm nervous about writing for someone else's site and using PROPER PUNCTUATION!

Also, I have the honor of being this weeks "Artsy Wonderbug" on my friend Leah's website today. Please head over to read my little interview here.

Snorg Tees: My very exciting opportunity to have some of my designs turned into tshirts for Snorg is still slowly coming along. They will be made soon though and I can't wait!

What now?: Yes, this post has been catching up on the past but what I'm really excited about is what is coming up in the next few weeks. Nothingness! Yes, it's true, my fair season is over and my commitments are dwindling. I finally should be able to have time to make some new things! It has pained me to put fresh ideas on hold so that I could complete tasks like set up credit card processing accounts and make signs for my fair display. My next post will be all about what has been brewing in my mind for weeks and I'll be able to show off a couple projects in progress.

Now I'm wondering why I put off writing for so long. I enjoyed that.

Big happenings this weekend. RENEGADE!

2009-06-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Today is my last full day of work before heading off to New York City as a vendor at The Renegade Craft Fair! I have been crazy nervous for weeks while I tried to amass inventory, work on my display and get a credit card machine. It's all coming together just in time and I'm finally feeling genuine excitement. I am so very thankful that I am able to participate in Renegade this year! I have actually had this as a goal in my mind before I even had a business! There are so many makers that will be showing at Renegade who I hold in such high regard that I am proud to be beside them. This is by far the biggest event I've ever been a part of!

Are any of you fine blog followers going to be selling or shopping there? Please let me know so I can look forward to meeting you!

Yudu FAIL

2009-05-25T18:14:00.000-07:00

I have had a frustrating time in the last few days struggling with a machine.

I excitedly purchased a Yudu screenprinting system after reading some reviews that touted it as the savior for those of us who are running out of our no longer manufactured Gocco supplies. Like the Gocco, it is a self contained screenprinting device and it has the added bonuses of being bigger, geared towards printing on fabric, and it's screens are reusable.

I thought I'd have no problem transitioning from Gocco to Yudu but I was very disappointed.

Before I started printing, I watched a few tutorial videos, perused the Yudu user forums and read the manual. I completed every step slowly and thoughtfully but ended up with imperfections in my three separate attempts.

I spent two whole workdays trying to conquer the Yudu and ended up with unsatisfactory results. I printed 20 "foxy like a crafter" tote bags and most needed touching up by hand and in the end, probably only 6 of them are good enough to sell.

I'm planning on returning the machine later this week.

Here is a ranty rundown of all the annoying details for those of you wondering about the specifics:

The application of emulsion is probably the trickiest part of the process, the screen needs to be wet (but not too wet and not too dry) and then the emulsion is applied in a sheet like a giant green sticker that needs to be smoothed out. My emulsion didn't stick perfectly in all three of my attempts. It was drippy once and un-stuck to the screen once and generally irregular in my last try.

The waiting between steps was expected but annoying and always took longer than the manual suggested.

The machine is pretty clunky. It's very large and feels a bit cheap. For example, the little door flap that holds the screen in the drying rack never stays shut and the top frame part did not hold the screen in very securely. The screen fell out onto the floor once and I spent the next half hour plucking bunny fur out of the ink.... nice.

Once I finally got to start printing on my halfway decently burned screen, I ran into problems getting an even application of ink. I tried to apply an even pressure across the squeegee but I always ended up with un-inked spots which forced me to have to squeegee again thus losing line crispness.

All of the aforementioned grumbles were not insurmountable and I thought that I could get over them with some practice. Then, I realized that my screen needed to be washed between every 7-10 printings because the ink started to dry. Seriously, no. Washing the screen between printings is such a sad waste of ink and time (especially considering the screen needs to be dried after washing too). Yudu ink also only comes in tiny bottles that are prohibitively pricy.

The worst part for me was when I finally had started pulling acceptable prints, I noticed a pink haze had begun to show up around my images. The ink I was using was red and I speculated the screen was wearing down with use and letting a little ink through the blocked parts. I'm not really 100% sure what caused the haze though.

I stopped for the day feeling beaten and went to clean the ink off the screen hoping to pull a better batch tomorrow with the same screen. Sadly, while I cleaned the screen, one or two tiny details of the emulsion lifted off rendering it un-reusable. Reusability was one of the main draws to me for trying the YuDu.

I think the Yudu is a great concept but ended up being not such a great product. It has huge potential but didn't make the cut in my book. I wouldn't recommend it and especially not if you want it for making more than a handful of prints at a time.

Stampin' fiend!

2009-05-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

I wonder if I'll ever truly catch up on all the investments I've made for my business. I can't seem to employ the same rigorus budget restraint I have adopted for personal spending to my business. I just love buying new tools, fine paper and amassing every single tip size of Micron Pens and every color of Gocco ink under the sun.

My latest business splurge is three beautiful custom wood-mounted rubber stamps from fellow Etsy seller, Love To Create Stamps! I bought a scarf-bunny stamp first so I (well, Theresa made most of them) could make some stickers and I loved it so much that I promptly ordered my logo stamp and a thank-you snail. I am already planning my next stamp (a "do not bend" design for my outgoing packages featuring an inchworm).

I have been stamping anything that has a spare inch of blank space.

It gets really good at the end...

2009-05-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

A little over a month ago, I was crumpled over two rejections. The first was just a little disappointing (not getting in to the Twist Fair in Northampton) and the second made me really start feeling sorry for myself (not being awarded a studio space in Artist's Row).

These bummers were followed by Jenn completing her internship requirements with me and making her graceful exit. Jenn was so helpful and efficient (and damn good company!) that her absence left me a bit disheveled. She only worked with me once a week but added much needed structure and organization as well as ambitious new ideas.

As a result, I had a couple weeks of putting Argyle Whale on autopilot while I floundered around trying to make new plans and make the best of my home workspace.

Well anyway, I thought it was time for a happy update because I am beginning to feel back on track. The opportunities I'd counted on didn't come through but (just like all of you wise ones said) new ones popped up when I needed them.

I rearranged our apartment to better suit my workspace needs (Living rooms are frivolous right?).

I bulked up my Craft Fair circuit since I wouldn't be having a storefront to maintain. I am thrilled that I was accepted to be a vendor at Renegade in Brooklyn this summer as well as Mass Market 4.

I took a little break and came out of my house to socialize a bit and made a new friend. Proof that my luck has changed; she volunteered to be my helper on printing days so that I don't lose my mind preparing for upcoming shows! Seriously, I'm always amazed (and thankful!) when people help me out so generously.

Ok... here is the grand finale! This is the big thing that I was trying to keep a secret surprise but I can't hold it in any longer because it is just that wonderful.....

I have my very first liscensing arrangement with a big fun tshirt store called SNORG TEES!
Snorgsnorgsnorgsnorgsnooooorg! I am excited because they are "kind of a big deal". I can't wait to share more details when they are carved in stone.

I'm frolicking.

I didn't think i'd be frolick-full so soon after being downtrodden.

Things work out sometimes. I'll try to remember this.

PS: That happy picture of me is part of my new initiative to not dress like a total frump. I joined the Wardrobe Remix Flickr group to get me out of a fashion rut and I'll be posting outfits with effort there regularly.

I'm turning 25 tomorrow!

2009-04-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

I really love celebrating my birthday. I start it a little early and stretch it out as long as I can. I think it is the only time of year when it's possible to tell I was an only child. I relish the attention, special treatment, extra hugs, cake and PRESENTS! I love presents and I am not above buying one or two for myself (like the dish set above). I especially love pestering Justin to find out what present he got me. He is a tough egg to crack though!

I've already enjoyed a nice visit with my parents and I'm having a special date with Justin tomorrow. We're going into Boston to visit the Institute of Contemporary Art. Classy!

I am probably not going to be able to sleep tonight.

I did domething!

2009-04-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Now I can blog! Whew!

I went to a birthday party. Outside. With people! This is noteworthy because I have hermit-like tendencies and it takes a little bravery for me to go out and meet new people. This party was exceptional in that most of the guests had never met and were primarily internet friends meeting up in all our fleshy goodness for the first time. I was equal parts nervous and excited about the premise of this party since I always want to meet my internet friends but I also have flare-ups of insecurity that make me wonder if I'll live up to the way I present myself online.

Theresa (aka Simple Moth) was the hostess/ birthday girl and the party was held in her extraordinarily pretty sun-filled apartment with the help of her beardly beau Sam. Theresa invited her friend Aimee (who impressed me with her thrifting prowess), my old friend Ashley (aka Fern Animals), Lauren (aka Vegan Yum Yum) and a boy named David (who I don't think has any extra identities).

We all took a field trip to Todd Farms for some good flea market-ing and returned to Theresa's place for a midwestern-themed picnic vegan lunch. Lauren made the most delicious "fried chicken" from seitan and the side dishes were .... pastel. There was even a cherry pie! You know who had two pieces.

I really enjoyed everyone's company and the whole experience was much less awkward than I thought it could be. Since everyone knew each other primarily through Flickr, I think this was the most heavily photo-documented party I've ever been to! The cherry pie photo was taken by Theresa.

10 day blog backlog!

2009-04-12T17:42:00.000-07:00

I've been awfully quiet lately.

Sometimes I want to blog my fingers off and other times I put it on my to-do list and then avoid writing for a whole week. I'm sorry to be so inconsistent but I'm a bit of a hedonist with little self-discipline. I just can't seem to force myself to do anything I'm not in the mood to do.

Well, I truly appreciate your patience. Lets catch up!

I had another round of vending at Design Hive. The crowds were better and I had the pleasure of chatting all afternoon with fellow Etsy addict Erin of Walker Silverworks and meeting Laurie May Coyle. I also made the most wonderful trade with Jisun who makes the most perfect ceramics with tiny zebras and giraffes perched on the edge. She got one of my swamp lovers prints and I got this magnificent happy giraffe! Most notably, I am very proud of myself for getting from Salem to Boston by train, foot and subway while carrying my entire craft fair display! I have decided that this feat earns me craft fair warrior status even though many kind strangers helped me with my precarious bundles.

I got sick and had to visit the doctor due to a crazy bump/bite I got on my arm that made me feverish for a couple of days. I'm better now though.

I took 250 photos of Hodge and Yoshimi because they are adorable. I had the decency to only post a few on Flickr.

I made a new friend! Theresa of Simple Moth is a photographer whos work I'd admired before I realized she was my neighbor in Salem. For real!

I totally destroyed the peaceful order in my home. Justin and I (in an effort to become even more cliche) decided to forsake creature comforts for art. We have a very tiny apartment and I'm needing a studio so badly that we have crammed some living room furniture into our kitchen/dining area and now the only sizeable room in our home has been swallowed by a massive argyle whale. I'm kind of excited about the opportunities that this space holds but a little sad that there is no room for any guests at all. Looks like we will start taking long walks with our friends instead of inviting them over for tea.

Also, Happy Easter for those who celebrate it! Personally, I celebrate bunnies. Today is also our 4yr anniversary of having Yoshimi. She was dropped off at our apartment by someone who no longer wanted her and had to have her out before they left for Easter. Imagine! Who gets rid of a bunny on Easter? Well, It's certainly been our luck that they did.

Wait! Theres more! Molly of Blackberry Crafts has given this blog a Lemonade Award for positive attitude. That makes me feel nice. Thanks Molly! If I may toot my horn a bit, I also got a little Etsy front page action, a bunnyy-ful feature on M on the side and a mention on Design is Mine. Holy woah what a week!

Thanks for your long attention spans!

Oh wait! One more thing... I saw a fox!

Work Makes Work

2009-04-03T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've been in a slump waiting for my next bit of inspiration to strike and (I should know by now) that never works. Sloth begets sloth and work begets work. I am so thankful that Jenn came over today and worked with me because I was forced to actually make something. We ended up completing even more than I'd hoped for! We printed, signed, stamped and packaged over 150 prints in three brand new designs! A burst like this practically makes up for having spent the past two weeks "thinking".

I'm eager to share all three new prints but I'll try to restrain myself and space things out a bit.

I'll show my favorite one first. "Sweet Surprise" depicts a familiar scene in my home. I seem to be a big fan of buying a sweet potato and then forgetting about it until it grows eyes. Well, out of curiosity, I have let a few potatoes continue in their natural progression to sprout forests. Justin thinks they are disgusting, but I really think they have some lovely qualities. The stems that shoot up are often a pale violet transitioning into burgundy color with tiny dark green leaves at the top. I never would have expected such dramatic and colorful growth to come out of an old potato.

These prints are on a beautifully textured pale pink paper and printed in a rich rust ink. Available in my shop for $12. I'm excited about them.

My happiness-inducing three-step plan of attack:

2009-03-27T20:15:00.001-07:00

I have given myself a few days to be miserable about not getting a spot at Artist's Row and I'm now actively trying to cheer myself up and move on. It takes effort but I'm feeling better.

These three things have helped the gray cloud pass:

1. Tasty treats: I bought a jar of candied ginger pieces and I don't feel the need to force myself to stop eating them.

2. Think about some other goal: It's a bit too depressing for me to think about the next phase in my business since it's such a pale shadow of what I hoped would be happening. So, I'm focusing on self-betterment instead of the usual business-betterment for now. Today was the first day of my new exercise regimen with my friend. I am giving myself a haircut tomorrow too.

3. Bunny power: I took a little time to lay on my couch with Hodge and Yoshimi at my side and draw the most deliriously happy thing I could think of. The result was the above Aladdin-like sketch featuring H&Y enjoying a magic carpet ride.

super-epic mega disappointment

2009-03-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey, remember that really huge and much needed opportunity that I was all kinds of excited about? Well, my dream of having a studio/retail space at Artist's Row in downtown Salem is 98% smushed. I applied and was not awarded a unit.

I can't say I'm not bitter. I'm totally upset that I did not get the spot. I was told that the reason I didn't get it was because I was applying by myself and the panel deemed the responsibility of having the space too much for one person. There were four units up for grabs and all four units went to the same four groups that had them last year. That is hard to swallow. I know I could have done an excellent job running the space and I'm frustrated that I was even given hope to apply if they disfavored solo operations and gave preference to returning artists.

I've been moping around for a couple of days since I got the news. I'm trying hard to figure out a new plan but I just keep mourning the loss of this perfect opportunity. The way I'm feeling is akin to being rejected from your first choice college and not having a second choice.

Spring cleaning for the ol' shop!

2009-03-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

The weather today was sunny and almost warm. I am so glad that spring will be here soon. I kept the windows open for hours and my home now feels like it's just breathed a deep sigh of relief. I enjoyed the afternoon on my porch taking new photos of prints to make my Etsy shop look better. I am planning on having a big sale this coming week (stay tuned) to help clean out some items that I just don't want to look at anymore.

I have a few prints that have been in my shop for a long time collecting virtual dust. My "Fiesta Snakes" print is the most acute example of this unfortunate condition. I'm not all that surprised really, I think the majority of people would greatly prefer to have a print of a bunny or a whale over a trio of snakes and it really was not my cleverest design. So, I decided to make those thirty plus unsold prints useful. I cut out the snakes with my pinking shears, added a bit of ribbon and turned them into bookmarks. I'm really pleased with the way they turned out. I am confident that they are much better than their original incarnation. These special new snake bookmarks will be included with every order while they last!

Double Disapproval!

2009-03-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law sent me a jubilant message the other day letting me know that she'd seen my "Danger For Breakfast" print on DisapprovingRabbits.com and that I was now probably famous. I was, of course, ecstatic to see my illustration on one of my all time favorite blogs. My excitement doubled when my video of Hodge and Yoshimi sleeping was posted to the Disapproving Rabbit's blog shortly after! Double feature! Wowee!

My head is spinning a little (in the best possible way) from the sudden influx of orders that come with such a stupendous feature. It has made me reassess my shipping and packing procedures for maximum efficiency in rush times.

It has also made me realize the true power of a blog mention! Disapproving Rabbits found out about my prints because someone sent them a link to my shop (Thank you mystery friend!) and I started thinking that I should take it upon myself to incorporate introducing my work to blog authors as a regular part of my rather spare promotion attempts. The process makes me feel a little awkward and self-concious but I think it will be worth it!

My favorite color is turquoise.

2009-03-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

I am unable to deny my favoritism for this fine hue any longer. Justin took a photo of me today while we were waiting for a taxi and it made me notice that I was covered in no less than five blue green accessories!

When we arrived home, I was greeted by a very pretty and unexpected package. I tore through the mailer and then delicately unwrapped the sparkling silver tissue to reveal a thrilling present! Tristan from Le Blahg made me a really perfect personalized notepad (embellished with a turquoise bunny!) as thanks for participating in The Bright Side Project. She is so sweet and that surprise greatly elevated my spirits after I'd spent the better part of the day missing trains, standing in the rain and visiting the doctor!

I am relieved that I have finished my unpleasant errands. Now I can enjoy the evening with a hot cup of my favorite Golden Yunnan tea (incidentally, I'll be boiling water for this tea in my beloved turquoise kettle) in my toasty home watching movies with Justin.

Blog infidelity

2009-03-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

I have to confess that I wrote for another blog this week. Marceline of Asking For Trouble tempted me to stray by offering a guest-picker feature on Super Cute Kawaii. I thoroughly enjoyed selecting a handful of the finest in bunny and hedgehog designs as a tribute to my crew (Hodge, Yoshimi and Acorn).

I hope you head over to Super Cute Kawaii and let me know what you think of my cute curation.

Bunnies falling asleep

2009-03-10T17:54:00.000-07:00

I have been pretty stressed lately and though the source of my stress is a really exciting opportunity, I am still worrying about money and risk and time and all that loathsome stuff. Well, I was siting on my couch, using my list-making skills to try and break down my burdens into manageable chunks when I noticed that Hodge and Yoshimi had fallen deeply asleep under the coffee table. Their faces twitched simultaneously with bunny dreams and Hodge woke himself a couple of times by letting his neck loosen and consequently faceplanting into the floor. This scene made me very content and I felt my blood pressure lowering and the jumble of tasks untangling in my mind as I enjoyed their bunny magic.

I even managed to catch a short video of the end of their nap so I could share the therapeutic effects. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and press play. If you need a higher dosage of sleepy animal sweetness, allow me to direct you to my new favorite blog, "Cute Things Falling Asleep".

I have butterflies and big big plans!

2009-03-05T16:13:00.000-08:00

I can hardly contain myself. The good solid advice of "Don't get your hopes up too much" has been ignored and my whole heart is excited about the possibility that I will have a studio and retail space in downtown Salem! Like, in a couple months! Maybe!

I went on a site visit today to check out prospective spaces in the cluster of little buildings known as "Artist's Row" and I have to admit that setting foot in the studios had an intoxicating effect on my already weak rational side. I know that there are other artists applying for this program and that there are only four spots available but I WANT THIS SO MUCH that I am ignoring reasonable doubt in favor of twirly dancing.

The photos above are of my favorite unit out of the available four. It's currently storing all kinds of stuff and needs a major facelift but if it becomes mine, I'll make it a real stunner!

Elise + HCB 4L!

2009-03-03T18:07:00.000-08:00

I used all the willpower I possess to put on boots and trudge through the snow (leaving my toasty home and mountain of Argyle Whale projects behind) to go to my part time bakery job. I nearly made myself late watching Hodge fuss with his new fort (our coffee table that I covered with a long tablecloth). Propelling myself to work would have been much easier if I'd remembered that hot cross buns would be making their annual debut today. Oh the sweet reunion!

PequitoBun and Ranunculae are nice!

2009-03-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

I made it safely to Design Hive thanks to the heroic helpfulness of my upstairs neighbor. Whew!

The event was tidily organized and all the vendors were real pros. I also had the lucky surprise of sharing an extra-long table with Sherry of PequitoBun. I met Sherry a couple of years ago at the ReCraft fair and we bonded because we both have beloved pet bunnies (her little black lop is named Pequito). I had a happy laughter-filled time catching up with her and geeking out about our pets.

I also met fellow gocco-printer and blogger Maeg of Ranunculae. She was very friendly and I hope to see her again soon at the Twist Fair in Northampton (I'm crossing my fingers that we both will be accepted as vendors!).

These two new friends made the event worthwhile even though business was slow. I am hoping that it was just the foul weather that kept the customers away. I still have high hopes for my future dates at Design Hive.

Design Hive is tomorrow!

2009-02-28T18:26:00.000-08:00

I am currently experiencing the familiar nervous excitement that comes with trying something new. Tomorrow will be my debut at Design Hive which is a local designer's market in Cambridge, MA. I don't really know what to expect but I have a good feeling about this show. My nervousness comes from the fact that this is the first show I've ever done without a helper. When I applied, I was uncharacteristically confident that I could navigate a new route on the train and subway by myself while carrying MY ENTIRE DISPLAY. I was trying to be independent but I am beginning to think I was foolish. Wish me luck!