Silverbug Studio Creations

Unusual Knitting Material

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:28:00 +0000

I picked up an old project today. It's been sitting on my needles for quite some time. The last I had been working on it, I got quite a surprise!

I was up in spawn's room knitting right along as he was playing. The ball of yard was on the floor unraveling as needed, when I noticed the tension on the yarn was a little odd. I was using a multicolored Noro and had noticed a blue streak that seemed a little out of the colorway, but didn't think too much about it.

Imagine my surprise when I looked down and discovered where the blue color was coming from:

Yep. Unraveling underwear.

Only me. And guess what? I'm keeping it in.

iPhone Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 21:11:00 +0000

So I finally had to break down and get an iphone. My ancient dumbphone finally gave up the ghost and decided to say goodbye to this cruel world, shuffled off it's mortal coil and fizzled out. And man have I been having fun with all of the camera apps! My two favorites thus far are Instagram and Leme Cam.

I love Instagram for it's community and inspiration. Yes, I know - I'm years late to this party, but so be it. Are you an iger? I go by silverbug - so find me. I find it's filters fun and quick - though it does feel a bit like cheating on my Diana. I've added my feed in the right bar if you'd like to see some more.

Some examples:

For more filtering fun, I've been using Leme Cam - particularly the high contrast Black Velvet filter. Examples:

And one more awesome thing Leme gets ya, double exposure and 4 shots. Sorry for the nightmare fodder on that first one.

Vampire Bat Softie Tutorial :: Tutorial Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Skill Level: Beginner

Time: Less than 1 hour

Repost from 10/27/09 - Halloween is rapidly approaching and since we're not doing crazy costumes this year (past years have included a Fortune Telling Machine, Lego People complete with cylinder heads and Pan with furry goat pants) I really wanted to do some stuff to get into the spirit. Inspired by this fantastic knitting pattern (seriously, if you're a knitter, check out the adorable patterns) over at Mochimochi (which I vow to do one day when I don't have 3 other knitting projects on the needles - I am such a slow knitter) I decided to sew up a bat softie for my kiddo.

Here's what you'll need:
My pattern
Scissors
Scrap fabric
Thread
Needle (or sewing machine)
Buttons for eyes
Small strip of velcro (could use any fastener - snap, button, etc.)

Step 1: Cut out all of your pieces. If you're not using buttons you can cut out circles from a fabric that contrasts with your body fabric. You can use all one fabric or mix and match like I did, just make sure you have enough of each piece. A note on fabric - I used a medium weight tweed and a light weight quilting cotton. I'd recommend using all lightweight wovens if you're a beginner then you don't have to worry about fraying and over-locking your edges.

Step 2: Sew on your embellishments - eyes, fangs, etc. And don't get over excited and forget to sew your velcro to the inside wing at this time. If you don't you have to sew it on after the wing is but together, which is not easy to do, particularly on the machine. Save the other half of the velcro for after you stuff the bat.

Step 3: Put your fabric pieces for the wings, ears, feet right sides (side with the print) together and do a straight stitch around the outside edges - leave the side that will attach to the body open. If you use a fabric that frays easily, you'll want to finish the seam somehow. I over-locked it below. Trim the points as close to the seam as you can get them and cut a slit in the top of the curves along the bottom of the wings. If you don't do this you'll get bunching like you see at the top of the wave in the photo above. Also if you want crisp edges now's the time to iron your pieces.

Step 4: Turn pieces inside out and push out the corners.

Step 5: Put down the front of your main body piece and line up your wings and ears (leave your feet out as we're going to leave the bottom open) around the outside of the body. Then take each piece and fold it over on top of the front piece and pin into place. It helps to fold your wings in half so that they don't get in the way of the seam on the other side. Also, if you want your wings and ears to be a certain color in front and back like min, make sure you have your front sides facing the front of the body. Now place the body back on top with the right side down and pin all the way around.

Step 6: Sew around the outside of the body leaving the bottom open.

Step 7: Turn the bat inside out and stuff. I used leftover stuffing that came with a few pairs of baby shoes we had gotten for gifts. There are a lot of options for stuffing, so re-use when you can (though if you use fabric scrap, beware that the toy will be heavy and hard - learned that the hard way) and consider the recipient of your softie when choosing a filling.

Step 8: Turn the extra fabric at the bottom inward, fold your feet in half and pin the raw edges inside the fabric. Hand stitch along the bottom to seal up the hole.

Step 9: Fold your wings over with the velcro wing on top to line up where you want to put your bottom velcro piece. Hand sew this into place. If you're careful you can sew it to the outer layer without the stitches showing inside the wings.

Step 10: Give your little bat a name. Mine's Alistair and he's a little shy.

I hope you have fun creating your little bat friends. I'd love to see what you come up with and as always let me know if you have questions or anything seems unclear. Feel free to share this, just please include a link back to my blog. Thanks!

Summer Swimming

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:10:00 +0000

We've had a few really toasty days here and as I lay in bed recovering from yet another round of whatever's going around (or possibly food poisoning) I've been dreaming about the beach. Then the other day I saw these awesome photos from Noa Noa's latest catalog and now I can't get the vintage swim cap idea out of my head. Blame it on the amazing styling.
When I was a little kid I took swimming lessons for years at the high school pool. I think my other body must be that of a mermaid because I was like a fish - a kid who was in the water as much as possible. When I had really long hair I had to wear a swim cap. Yeah, it was nothing like the pretty ones above it was more like this one...
The kind that cut off circulation to your brain it was so skintight. And not at all flattering. You see my interest in swim caps is purely aesthetic and has absolutely nothing to do with the practical uses.

So as usual - my brain has decided that I need to make one. Now I'll be honest, with everything on my plate, it's entirely probable that this will not get made this year. But hey, a girl can dream, right? I'm thinking something like this... viaA little research has turned up that by the 20's swim caps were made of latex. Searching for latex fabric brings up a lot of diy dominatrix sites and the information that latex should not be exposed to the sun or heat - so great fabric for the beach, right? So maybe we should check out some more modern materials for this project. Not sure where to find waterproof Lycra or silicone - a quick web search didn't really turn up much. Maybe we're back to latex. If you have any ideas, let's hear them!

Johnstock :: Photo Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:56:00 +0000

It was so great to see so many people out at Johnstock last weekend! My absolute favorite part of doing this is when someone is so excited at their purchase they just have to put it on right there and then! Plus it was fantastic to meet so many great people. Everyone was enjoying the fabulous weather and the variety of talented artists and musicians and the community really came out to support and meet each other.

I'm mostly recovered from my frantic making and prepping and will be back full force next week. I'll have an exciting announcement to make (though if you follow me on Twitter you may already know) with photos! Plus I'll have photos of the new stuff after a shoot this weekend and I'll be sharing what I learned from my first booth/craft fair experience. With everything going on, I've felt like the only way I could post something is if I sit down and write some big long thing, but there are so many things I'd like to share so you'll start seeing more frequent posts that are less about me.

Johnstock Works in Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:05:00 +0000

I've been super busy in the studio as of late working on my upcoming show. If you're in the Twin Cities area, you should stop into Johnstock (part of Art-a-Whirl in NE Minneapolis) this weekend. Here's a peek at some of the new flower stuff that will be at my booth. Rings, bracelets and hair pins, oh my! There will also be lots of stuff from vintage bits including real working miniature harmonicas! So cool! Plus there will be a bunch of other great wares to peruse and live music.

I'll also be debuting my new line of accessories including up-cycled tee-shirt belts and fine art Lomographic photos taken with my Diana camera. Stay tuned over the next couple of days I'll try to post a few more previews.

5 Creative and Life Lessons from Dumbo

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:13:00 +0000

Right now, my kiddo's going through extra long treatments for his CF because we're participating in a drug trial, which means we've been watching a lot of videos, many of which were our videos as kids that have been commandeered from my parent's house. Lately, the favorite has been Dumbo. Like a lot of kids movies, this cartoon is served up with a heaping portion of lessons and morals. It occurred to me, though, there are lessons to be learned for us creative people as well. Give me a break, I'll take the inspiration where I can find it!

1. Perspective.

One of the things that always gets me about this move is the perspective in scene at the beginning where the animals and workers are putting up the circus tents. The "camera" shows a variety of unusual perspectives of the action, rather than an straight overview of the scene. The result is a refreshing change from the majority of kids animated features. It gives the scene a totally different feel than the rest of the movie that is very powerful. As creative people, we need to remember to look at things differently. It kind of goes back to my "reframe" motto, it will allow us to see things we haven't before. For example, have you ever taken a few minutes and really looked at your ceiling? It's amazing how much we miss because that's not at eye level. Take it literally or metaphorically, change your perspective and suddenly a whole sphere of ideas is available to you!

An added bonus to changing our perspective as artists is that it changes the perspective of those we interact with. This weekend my family went to the Wishes for the Sky event on Harriet Island. When you enter the pavilion, there are poems written in what look at first glance to be Chinese characters. Instead, the characters are artistically constructed English words that take a while to interpret. One of my friends commented, that by having to translate each poem, a person gains the advantage of really paying attention to what the poem says. Had the poems been presented in a traditional format, people most likely would have read the poem quickly and moved on without really absorbing or thinking about it's meaning. We have the tendency to take things for granted when they're easy and everyday. But switch up your view point, and people are forced to think about what they're seeing because it's not what they're used to.

2. Work hard and be persistent.

Because the view of setting up the tent was presented to me in a new way, I've thought a lot about that scene. Another thing I really take away from it, is the value of working hard. Changing your perspective is not easy. How many snap shots have you taken in your life? Probably thousands. How many photos have you deliberately made? I'd guess a much smaller amount.

Now, I'm not saying that snap shots are bad, they're certainly important in documenting our lives. But think of those photos you really LOVE. They're the ones of your kid in the middle of a project shot from the side not looking at the camera, tousled hair over one eye, tongue sticking half out in concentration, the light carrying specks of dust. Or the one of your favorite tree, shot while lying underneath with the sun peeking through the brilliant gold leaves. You could have taken either of those photos head on from a distance, but instead you crawled around on the floor until you found the perfect vantage point or you came out to your favorite tree several times to get just the right kind of lighting. And you took LOTS of pictures. You worked at creating the kind of image you wanted. And when one shot didn't look right, you changed your perspective and tried again. You kept working hard and when you failed, you tried again.

3. Find your unique ability.

Okay, now that I've babbled on about the look of the movie, let's get down to the plot. In case you have never seen the movie - or haven't in a very LONG time - Dumbo's about an elephant with extraordinarily large ears. What seems to be a handicap for him turns into an asset when he learns that the very ears that have brought him much ridicule and rejection are what allow him to fly.

His journey to this discovery was not easy, but eventually he found something he was really good at. As an adult, this rose colored view requires a bit of naivete to buy into. But I think the main message is important. We're not all going to be good at everything. Sometimes we have to travel a long way to find those things that we're good at (and I believe that everyone has lots of things that they're good at). We'll trip over our ears along the way and cause our share of calamities, but eventually we'll discover something that we can excel at and that's where we'll be successful.

4. Have confidence.

When Dumbo is learning to fly, he's coaxed into trying by the conviction of his support system, the crows and his best friend the mouse. They convince him that if he holds a magic feather, he'll have the ability to fly. This works really well until he looses the feather mid-flight the first time he's called on to show the world his new ability. Fortunately his best friend is able to boost his confidence enough that Dumbo realizes that he can fly on his own, just before disaster hits.

We all have people in our communities that are there to encourage us - we need to listen to those voices and block out the ones that are a negative influence (or as DudeCraft calls them Energy Vampires). That support system will get us a long way, but when it comes down to the wire, we need to have the confidence in ourselves. We need to love what we're doing and be excited to share it with the world. We need to know that even though we don't know everything, our unique abilities set us apart from others. We also need to be confident enough to ask for help and learn from others.

5. When all else fails - have what they are having!

Upcoming Show: Johnstock!

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:22:00 +0000

If you're wondering why it's been quiet around here, it's because I'm prepping for another show - Johnstock! The show is part of the Art-a-Whirl events in NE Minneapolis May 15th and 16th. Since this is only my second show, I'm busy building up inventory and building displays for the show. I hope you can come by and see me. I have a lot of new stuff in store - some wonderful new jewelry designs made from vintage and antique bits and baubles, photography and accessories. Here's a peek into what's in progress in my studio. I'll keep you posted as we get closer.

And, have you heard about Summer of Dresses? Some local Twin Cities ladies started a movement to wear more dresses and thus a website was born - and a guys version (Summer of Dapper) soon followed. I've been posting some photos over at Summer of Dresses. Go ahead and post some of your photos. You know you want to!

Happy Earth Day! New Eco-friendly Spring Collection available at Etsy!

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:38:00 +0000

Let's face it, as crafters and metalsmiths, we're not always the greenest consumers. So everyday, I struggle to be a more eco-friendly creator. I re-purpose all of my scrap fabric, I use less destructive chemical alternatives in my metalsmithing, and I buy vintage and used supplies whenever I can. And, I'm thrilled to introduce my new line of graphic Bamboo necklaces and earrings. I design each piece and have it cut by frickin' laser beams! Then I hand-finish each one. I just love how they've turned out. And they're now available in the shop.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
silverbugstudio.etsy.com

For more green ideas, be sure to check out my Top 10 tips for crafting green!

Monday Color Love :: Cage Match! (Doctor Who Spoilers)

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:48:00 +0000

So just in case my geekyness was not already as blindingly obvious as my skin is blindingly white, this week's color love is inspired by the most recent episode of Doctor Who. Now I came to Doctor Who rather reluctantly (see my post - How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Sci-Fi) but I am hooked and can't seem to stop watching. A girl's gotta get her inspiration somewhere.

And to liven things up a little - I'm going to start something new - Colorlove Cage Match! Starting next month - every week I'm going to pit that week's color palete against the previous week's and whichever one is left standing at the end of the moth, will by incorporated into a new craft.
Since we're mid-month, let's do a practice round. Are you ready? And before the true geeks get all bent out of shape - I know that there's a long history of Daleks of different designs - I'm just choosing to talk about the last two, because that's what I know. If you want to call me nouveau-geek - then so be it, you don't need to read this blog - go poke start a thread on Gallifrey Base about the Cybermen's flared pants.

RTD Daleks
In this corner we have the previous incarnation of the Daleks - weighing in at an unknown amount (Google doesn't turn out the uber-nerd who's calculated this - dependent on the gravity of where they are, perhaps?) - distressed and deco - metaltastic Russel T Davies Daleks!
Image from :www.themindrobber.co.uk/black-dalek.html

Steven Moffat Daleks
And in this corner - candy coated - child merchandise friendly - oversized machines with a brand new iMac/New Beetle makeover - plasticriffic Steven Moffat Daleks.
Image from:http://blogtorwho.blogspot.com/

Whether you just like the new colors or have some nerd voice whispering about the composition of Dalekanium- Vote Now!

I Like You Trunk Show :: Photo Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Things have been a little quiet around here while I've been pumping up my inventory for my Trunk Show this Saturday at I Like You in NE Minneapolis. You should really come down and say hi! They'll have live music and 6 other great artists celebrating their 1 year NE anniversary and MN Fashion Week. It's going to be so much fun!
Plus, I'll be launching my new laser cut line of eco friendly bamboo pendants and earrings and graphic acrylic necklaces and earrings. I'm so excited about this line! Here's a sneak peek into a few pieces in the new collection. I will be there from noon to five on Saturday, but if you can make it on Sunday, too, there will be a lot of other fantastic local artists there, too!

I'm not going to show you my favorite piece, you'll have to come down and see it for yourself. If you don't live in town or can't make it this weekend, not to worry, the new collection will be up in my Etsy shop soon!

If I don't see you on Saturday, have a fantastic weekend!

Monday Color Love :: Mint Turquoise, Charcoal, Tomato and Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:06:00 +0000

Welcome to a new week, my beautiful readers! The sun has been out and we've been having a fabulous early spring. I'm wearing my favorite mint turquoise cardi today and was inspired to make this color palette. I know color inspirations are not exactly an original blog idea, but I do these for two reasons: 1. It helps me get out of a color rut and forces me to think about other combinations than I usually use in my work 2. It gives me an excuse to look a lot of photography and be inspired by how other people see the world. Hopefully these help me improve my end creations and I hope you get something out of it, too.

This week I even added a crack in honor of this Doctor Who season's Bad Wolf -- the jagged crack/line that keeps showing up. I think I might have a girl crush on Amelia (Amy) Pond. You know I'm a sucker for a Scottish accent! And - she's a crafter!

Anyway - have a great week!

Left to right, top to bottom: Dragonfly wing 4 - photoshop blue, 20080528_Photos 035_0047, Untitled, NN 07, Crack, kinme, door 212, Two o'clock

Try Handmade, i like you Trunk Show, Craft & Cocktails

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:36:00 +0000

I'm sure you've noticed it's been quiet here for a while. I'm working on inventory for a trunk show next week at i like you and I'll be back to tell you all about it soon. In the meantime, check out my undiscovered artist post in my Freshly Made column over on Try Handmade!

Oh - and check it out - there's now a sign up to be notified for the next Craft and Cocktails - so move your mouse over to the right column and sign up!

Swim Until You Can't See Land :: Photo Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 02:06:00 +0000

Taken with a Nikon CoolPix at Agate Beach on the shore of Lake Superior
Have you ever had a song that just sticks with you and rolls around in your mind like slowly melting chocolate? Just me? This is one of those songs for me and I've been thinking a lot about the concept of swimming until you can't see land - taking a leap of faith and trusting yourself to get away from everything familiar -whether it's in trying a new craft, starting a new job or career or moving to a new place. Though it's scary to be in uncharted territory, it puts us in a place where we can move freely, a place where there are no edges to where we can explore and grow. Imagine what we can do if we let go of all of the constraints - everything that prevents us from following an idea - no matter how ridiculous (and wonderful) it may be. We could make disco ball bike helmets like Dude Craft. Or improv songs to Chatroulette like Merton. Or giant inflatable rubber ducks like Florentijn Hofman. Just because we can.

Maybe we should.

Swim Until You Can't See Land ...

Quick Baby Bib :: Tutorial Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:36:00 +0000

It's spring again and that means our minds are turning toward babies. Much of nature is spawning young-uns. And this time of year always seems to bring up a need for baby gifts. So here's a quick bib you can whip up with smaller pieces of fabric you have lying around and scrap bias tape. I used a light vintage canvas and backed it with terrycloth. I've also done this with quilting weight fabrics and I find it lays a little nicer with a bit stiffer fabric. Alternatively, you could sandwich a light interfacing between your layers to stiffen it up.

Skill Level: Beginner

Time: 15 minutes

Here's what you'll need:

2 pieces of fabric a little larger than the size bib you want
Approximately 10" bias tape (you may need to adjust this to the size of your bib and the baby's neck size)
Scissors
Thread
Needle (sewing machine)

Step 1: Cut your two pieces of fabric into a rectangular shape with rounded bottom corners and a scooped neck area. I eyeball this, but it helps to use another bib you have laying around as a pattern.

Step 2: Put your bib pieces right sides together and sew around the outside edge, leaving the neckline open.

Step 3: Flip your bib inside out and if you're not a lazy bum like me, iron it.

Step 4: Top stitch around the outside of the bib. You can leave the neck open.

Step 5: Center the bias tape in the center of the neckline and pin.

Step 6: Fold the ends of the bias tape under and starting at one end, sew the tape on one side closed, sew along the neck and sew the tape on the other side of the bib closed, folding the end under.

Step 7: Sew the ends of the tape closed.

Step 8: Wrap and gift - or hurry and get it on your child before another shirt becomes a victim of your unsteady yogurt eating toddler.

Ada Lovelace Week :: Intellegent Knitting Bag Tracks Your Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:02:00 +0000

Kalani Craig's brilliant Know it all Bag keeps track of your knitting pattern and serves up the appropriate stitches by indicating the next row with a set of LED's. While this new field of computational textiles is just getting started, Kalani takes it to a new level by making something that's not just pretty, but useful.

I have followed many knitting patterns and this would make it so much easier to knit on the go - particularly on a trip where you wouldn't have to worry about loosing your pattern. This project used the Lilypad Audrino (which is washable by the way) and you can get the project instructions on Knitty.

Ada Lovelace Week :: Fairytale Fashion

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:15:00 +0000

This week we'll be talking about the marriage of technology and creativity in honor of tomorrow's Ada Lovelace Day. Known as one of the very first programmers, Ada learned mathematics at a very early age. In her work with Charles Babbage she describes in her notes an algorithm for the analytical engine to compute Bernoulli numbers. But her vision didn't stop with crunching numbers, she could see the potential of the analytic engine in that "the engine might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent."

We're kicking off this week talking about technology and fashion. Have you been following Diana Eng's column on her Fairytale Fashion Show on Craft magazine's blog? Diana joins fashion and technology on her site Fairy Tale Fashion. But she doesn't just do it and let everyone watch, she invites participation and inspiration from her readers. Leading up to her fashion show, she demonstrates a technology in a video episode and then asks for reader feedback. The results were then created and demonstrated in her fashion show in New York.

Check out episode 6. Diana visits MIT media lab and they give you an overview of the Lilypad Audrino which can be sewn onto clothing and connected with conductive thread.

I'm so inspired to make a wall like that in my basement home theater - wouldn't be great to just touch the wall to turn the DVD player on or dim the lights? And how cool is the concept of lifelong kindergarten? This opens the door to all sorts of crafty tech projects and that conductive thread can be sewn into your clothing and accessories projects. Come back tomorrow when I'll show you a particularly clever project.

Sunset Paddle :: Photo Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:20:00 +0000

Is it premature after one week of nice weather to start dreaming about lakes and summer? Bah! I'll dream anyway. It will get me through until I can lay out in the hammock without a parka.

Chelsey's Chats :: Finding Community

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:45:00 +0000

This week I'm feeling reflective, so you'll have to put up with my ponderings. When I started this blog I had been reading and studying blogs for years. I had this idealistic idea that blogging would help me find a community of other crafters and makers and we'd become instant best friends. That's how it looked on all the other blogs - Blogger A comments on Blogger B's blog and they're suddenly flying across country to hang out and drink tea in incredibly sunny kitchens. Of course, that's not real. Friendship requires work - it's more than a comment, it's building a relationship and it takes effort.

When I started using Twitter, I found myself constantly checking in to the extent that it was taking time away from everything else. I felt that in order to be of value to the community, I had to be constantly involved, not the the annoying amount that some people are, but at least interacting several times a day. In my head I'd say - okay that blogger has interesting things to say, I want to be like her - so I should tweet at least once every couple of hours. Who was I kidding? Big blogger probably doesn't have a full time job outside of her blog as well as a family and a secondary business, plus social networking is probably a big part of her blogging business. We're given so many ways to connect with modern technology that it can seem overwhelming and it often is. I can be involved in my community at my pace, my followers will get to know my rhythm and if they don't like it, they'll go away, which is not necessarily a bad thing, they just weren't right for my community at that time.

Finding your community is more organic and it's not just about finding people who share your interests, it's finding the right people. The kind that will don ridiculous mustaches and mug at the camera with you. There are tons of people who craft and write crafting blogs, and while I'm always inspired and will continue to listen to what they have to say and participate in interesting discussions, I'm no longer stressing about being included in their community. I'm building up my own. If we continue to connect and a friendship flourishes, great! But if we don't, that's okay too.

I'm also going local. With so much opportunity afforded to us with technology, it can be easy to miss the opportunity in your own backyard. That's way I've started the Craft & Cocktails group in the Twin Cities - as a way to connect with all of the great people in my hometown. If you missed it last time, stay tuned, I'm working on a new location for the next and will posting the date soon. I'm constantly amazed how many cool people live here -- maybe because I'm not quite sure why I live here - at least in the winter. That's not to say that I don't value my online community as well, I'm constantly learning and inspired by the people in it. But I want something more than a one-way dialog - I want to say that I know these people. So I'm putting myself out there in any way I can. I'll also be making some changes to the blog here, to facilitate some community building - such as a blog roll - and I'm trying to come up with some ways to get to know you - the readers better (any ideas? I'm open). So get out there and connect with your community in whatever way works for you. How do you build your community? I'd love to hear from you!

Monday Color Love :: Apple Grass, Lemon, Peach and Sky

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:53:00 +0000

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. ~Maori Proverb

It is finally warming up in my little corner of the tundra. The snow is mostly gone, we played at the park, and my husband fired up the moped - all sure signs of spring. Though the grass is not yet greening (actually it's full of little webs - check out TC Naturalist if you're curious), it was warm enough to open up the windows and let the warmth in - and it felt SO good! I'm starting to think about picnics and bike rides and roller coasters and I can't wait for the days to start pushing into the the space reserved for night. It's been a rough winter and I'm ready to turn toward the sun and leave it all behind (look even my color pallet is taking flight!).

Left to right, top to bottom: san francisco, ca., polaroid8, Blown, Sand, Out the side window, 1995081001

Prototyping

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:45:00 +0000

I'm sure you've all noticed that things have been quiet in the shop. When I first decided to take the plunge into selling, I jumped in without much planning. I gathered up things I made (I'm a maker because I'm compelled to be, not due to any business plan or idea of what might sell) and chose the ones that seemed to have the most cohesive style, filled out the collections and started listing. So as it turns out, not the best approach.

Next I sat down and made an entire line at once and from that was born my Nothing But Flowers line - complete with tagline - Spring Cheer on Your Ear. Great! This was a much more successful run and even got me into a local store.

So I'm working on more purposeful design. I have so many ideas and so little time, so it's a slow process. Here's a sneek peek into a few things I've been working on in the studio.

Mixed metal

Enamels

Laser cut designs - these are still being made, but I'm super excited to see how they come out. Once cut, there will be a fair amount of hand finishing and fabrication. I'll post progress as I go.

I think prototyping is so important. It allows me to make mistakes and to learn from what I'm doing. I can explore those mistakes and often something new and great comes from it. Yes, there are the occasional duds - but I've learned something from them and I will do it better the next time. And it makes me a better teacher; I can use my experiences to help other people learn from their mistakes, how cool is that! Do you prototype? Do you draw everything out in meticulous detail before you create? What's your process, I'd love to hear.

Craft in Video :: Electric Car

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:52:00 +0000

Do you have a band that serves as a sort of Litmus test for friendship? One of those bands that you can pretty much tell when you meet someone, if they're also a fan, you'll probably get along pretty well? For me, it's They Might Be Giants. I can recognize anyone who spent their formative years geeking out to TMBG in their Chucks as a kindred spirit. And now that I have a toddler, TMBG's kids CD's like Here Come the Science are on heavy rotation at our house. So I particularly love this glimpse inside the They Might Be Giants Electric Car video. The animation style is the perfect mix of handmade and tech. It's so fun to see an inside view of how everything is made. Enjoy!

Monday Color Love :: Tomato, Grass and Birch

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:56:00 +0000

I am feeling better, my inspiration and energy are returning and I'm optimistic and thinking about summer. Have you guys heard of Bench Monday? It's a Flickr thing where people stand on a bench (or improvise) and take a take a picture of themselves. Just because. Isn't that beautiful? So Happy Bench Monday (HBM) and Happy Color Love! And hey, look, little color chips. What do you think?

Right to left, top to bottom: when life hands you tomatoes..., che bello coniglio, pulley, table & chairs, Semi no Torii, Seeds of Same Plant

Shore :: Photo Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:10:00 +0000

I'm still on the mend, but I hope to be back up full force next week.
I hope you all have a restful and fulfilling weekend.

Freshly Made at Try Handmade

noreply@blogger.com (Chelsey) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:46:00 +0000

Hello all! Sorry I've been out of touch for a bit, I've been battling another cold - seems this is typical when you have a toddler. Who knew? Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I've started a weekly column over at the shopping blog Try Handmade! Every week I'll be featuring new and undiscovered artists. My first post went up today so get on over and check it out. And if you have a shop you think I should feature, please share it in the comments there.