kelly loves whales.

your roots.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:46:00 +0000

{ a new print. }

{ printmaking is making me SO happy. }

post-701.whooooo!

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:50:00 +0000

dears, happy wednesday. i thought today would be fun to share a few of my favorite photos from my yoga photo shoot. sending you sunshine.
loves.

hello hello.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:37:00 +0000

darlings,
hello! what happened to me? well, i've been busy hosting a guest from American Samoa for over a week. we have been exploring all seattle together + enjoying the fall weather. i have also been making things. super exciting things. things i cannot wait to share with you.
and
i had a yoga photo-shoot on lake washington, so my podcasts will look even more polished. (a new episode drops on friday.)
my heart is bursting with things to share with you... insights i've had while meditating this week. in due time, though.
until then,
peace. & LOVE. always.
k

la la la monday

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:28:00 +0000

this weekend i...
watched a riduculous number of Greek episodes (we LOVE Cappie at our house),
tried in vain to thrift a trench coat,
spiffied up the yard and outside of the house,
made a vat of soup in my crock-pot, &
baked two loaves of whole-wheat, sunflower seed bread (yum).
***
how about you?

PLYWERK.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:19:00 +0000

darlings, remember when I first created this collage, You Are my Family, and said I wanted to see it on canvas? well, i've done something even better: i had the good people at Plywerk print and mount it on maple-birch-alder. it came with a keyhole slot on the back for easy hanging. so perfect!!

{this piece is 4 x 4 inch, and heading to my shop right now
{if you see any photos or collages here and would like them printed on Plywerk, shoot me an email at kelly {at} kellyloveswhales {dot} com for more information.
peace. & LOVE. always.
k

thoughts on projects: my first quilt.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:45:00 +0000

lovelies,

hope you are having a lovely week. i am back from a quick-trip to portland. when i returned, one of the first things on my to-do list was to complete my quilt.

if you've been following my progress, you might remember that i began by cutting 5 by 5 inch squares from various fabrics in my stash, along with a few scraps from dress shirts in our goodwill pile. after that, i carefully arranged all of these squares out onto the floor in a madcap fashion, piecing them together with my Janome sewing machine. after that, i found a queen-sized vintage sheet at goodwill for the backing and bought a queen-sized cotton batting from my fabric store. after laying the whole quilt sandwich (backing, batting, top) out onto the floor in my living room, i hand quilted the whole thing at 5 inch intervals (essentially, there is a stitch in the center of each square. finally, i bound the front to the back using my sewing machine.

with the technical specifics of the project in mind, here are my reflections on the process:

i absolutely adored using fabrics that had been languishing in my stash-- there were a few fabrics that had been sitting there for years! also, i will always hunt through my goodwill piles for interesting looking squares in the future. so fun.

i NEED a rotary cutter. my hand was aching by the end of cutting out all of the squares AND the squares are a bit lacking in the precision department.

Also, i love the look of hand-quilting. i had prepared myself for this project to turn out pretty wonky-looking, but it actually looks good! i cannot wait to make my next one.

xxoo

it's all happening.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:33:00 +0000

darlings,
the blog has been quiet lately, somewhat. and if you've been here for awhile, you know that means that i have a lot cooking (or baking, as the case may be) in my idea kitchen. here are a few stories from the road.

- reading Lebendige Literatur & Was ist Deutsch?-- getting back on top of my german language skills. feels quite natural.

- my yoga podcast is in full-swing. in the process of learning oodles and oodles about podcast technology, i realized i needed to switch hosts. there are lots of changes in the works, but if you visit http://sunroseyoga.com/, you'll be in the know.

Powered by Podbean.com

-i need a haircut. it will be waist-length by christmas. and i need some sort of change. the drastic crazy-woman in me wants a cute faux-hawk shag, but since it has been about a decade since i have had hair that short, i think i should ease into it. i'm thinking about this {photo via H&M}.

-the quilt! i finished hand-quilting on thursday. i'll finish up the sides next week. then photos! dears, i am actually shocked at how decent it looks. most of the time, my sewing projects look completely jacked-up on the first try, though this is my first major project since i took apparel design and construction at the community college, so perhaps my sewing has actually improved! either way, i'm happy as a clam. {and p.s., hand quilting is hard work! i got a little callous from the hand-sewing!}

-essential oils! we harvested an incredible amount of herbs from our gardens last week: basil, sage, rosemary, oregano, mint and loads of lavender. one of my projects for the herbs is distilling my own essential oils. very satisfying.

-painting. finishing TONS. have a look.

happy weekend, loves.
k
p.s. LISTENING to lal meri, pomplamoose, matt & kim.

inspiration tuesday: equinox.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:02:00 +0000

autumn is already resonating deep in my bones. it looks like plaid and cold lakes and early mornings and smells like fried eggs on toast. it sounds like a loon at dusk.

Wild Geese --by Mary Oliver.

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.
© Mary Oliver.

{photo credits, from top to bottom: David Hiser, via U.S. National Archives; Patrick Schmidt; Super Bomba; Chain Drapes; Flawjin.pix.}

la la la granola.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:33:00 +0000

hi darlings,
i hope you had a delicious weekend.
i was blessed to have a husband home all weekend!
we enjoyed walks in the sunshine and the rainy rain and watched a pileated woodpecker search for food whilst pecking.
& i made a pie.
& began work on a few new fun projects, including peach pie.
also,
i'm obsessed with making granola. obsessed!

{mine is based loosely on the granola recipe in the Tassajara Bread Book}.

preheat oven to 250 degrees.
toss the following on a big, lipped baking sheet:
5 cups oatmeal;
1 cup sliced almonds;
1 cup flax seed;
1 cup sunflower seeds;
1/2 cup coconut shavings;
1/2 cup cashews.
mix with 1/3 cup olive oil + 1/3 cup honey + dash of water.
bake for at least an hour.
once it has cooled, add dried fruit if you like ( i don't love fruit in mine).

{ to modify, use the following guidelines: for every three parts oatmeal, one part nuts and seeds (i used sunflower, almonds, flax seeds & cashews). for roughly 10 cups of dry ingredients, 1/3 cup olive oil and 1/3 honey or agave nectar + a dash of water.}

xxoo

inspiration tuesday.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:17:00 +0000

dolls, you all must know by now that i'm smitten with quilting. this week's inspiration tuesday highlights my quilting dreams. {also, it gave me a chance to use flickr's new "gallery" function to create a repository for all of the beautiful work that is *inspiring* the heck out of me these days.} so, here are my quilting inspirations plus one beautiful whale. *)

{photo credits: 1. ready for slumber, 2. quilted but..., 3. sunlight, 4. shy, 5. stitching in the sunshine, 6. tides coming in!, 7. close up of the hexes!, 8. dresden 03, 9. finished quilt, 10. Untitled, 11. Cynthia Rowley Dress #1, 12. 090109-25, 13. Great Aunt Irma mini quilt, 14. Untitled, 15. Grandmothers Garden Quilt, 1930's, 16. Humpback breach (1 of 144)}

Burning through a bumper crop of basil.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Darlings,

My sweet house has one of the tiniest yards I have ever seen that still qualifies as a yard. Nonetheless, my Mister and I have always been big gardeners (and probably always will be) and maximize our small space for greenery. This year, some of our edibles include three varieties of basil. Basil start out slowly in the Northwest (they are too fragile to make it outdoors without a cold frame until well after Mothers' Day), but they went crazy this year. In honor of this bumper crop, I made a few (okay five!) batches of pesto yesterday. What fun times! I cannot wait to give a few jars away as gifts.

I used two different recipes: one savory and one sweet. The savory recipe I used (and modified) came from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, by Mollie Katzen. Basically, pesto involves whirring all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and then smearing it on whatever you like. The savory recipe I used is as follows:

3 packed cups fresh basil leaves

4 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup toasted walnuts (love those omega-3 fatty acids)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt + pepper to taste

For the sweet basil recipe, I turned to The Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Totally yum on a great crusty bread.

3 packed cups fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

1 cup toasted walnuts

1/3 + cup olive oil (a running over cup)

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

salt + pepper to taste

Our next basil project (I still have about 2-1/2 plants left to harvest) is a cocktail...one of my favorites in fact!

Happy Monday, I'm off to teach yoga.

Peace. & LOVE. always.

{photos by BK.}

how to have an incredibly beautiful morning

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:29:00 +0000

wake up to the sound of a sweet husband making tea in the kitchen.

catch a glimpse of an errant begonia on the porch.

bring the begonia inside.

enjoy the light at 6:42am.

take a drink of tea.

breathe.

smile.

*you are alive.*

Project update: my first quilt

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Dears, I have been obsessively piecing the top of my first quilt together. I just love it! Here are a few more specifics about the quilt:
I made it from 5 x 5 inch squares (my mama tells me this makes it a charm quilt) of random fabrics from my stash and from a few pieces of old shirts. I did not work from a patter, so I laid the squares out on top of a bedspread I spread out on the floor (much to Brian's chagrin, I must add). In these moments, I feel so fortunate to have a mom who is in the business (she owns a quilting and yarn shop), because I had a lot of questions about piecing. She gave me excellent instructions on seam allowance, structure and the importance of pressing. The first few rows were a bit scary, but then I caught my groove and found I could quilt for hours while watching "My So-Called Life" on Hulu. YES! As you can see, this top is nearly complete. My next step is picking out what materials I will use on the back (I think a vintage sheet) and in the middle (how thick?). You know I'll report back soon.
peace. & LOVE. always.
k

inspiration tuesday.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:51:00 +0000

lovelies,

hope you had a delicious weekend.

i flitted between lots of sweet projects {quilting, bread-baking, pastry-making, granola-making} while trying to keep from getting soaked during the crazy downpours we experienced.

today, i'm feeling inspired by these love notes from the universe. enjoy.

xxoo

{image credits: 1. Untitled, 2. Carlie, SE 3rd Ave, 3. below, 4. a different sort of mushroom cloud, 5. PalmerCash - Native American Tee zoom, 6. NOS line-up, 7. The king of the lake..., 8. Happy Forest Friends~(explored)}

my first quilt.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:27:00 +0000

i am piecing my first quilt today (and tomorrow and probably the next day, too).

and i am in love with it.
what turned me off from quilting for so long was the cutesy-ness, the matchiness, the order of it all. while i admired the work and even how those quilts look in other people's houses, they weren't me. my sister Kate recently began quilting and made a lovely, buttery quilt for me-- perfect to hang on the wall of our open staircase. it was this quilt that inspired me to finally give quilting a try.

i decided to make the opposite of the cute, the order and created my quilt with bits of random fabrics from my stash, from bk’s goodwill pile, and a favorite shirt i re-purposed. not too matchy, not too coordinated, just right.

i cannot say this quilt would win a blue-ribbon at the state fair, but it’s the kind of blankie i will let my hippie babies play on underneath a big oak tree, i will wrap my sweet someone up in while sitting around a campfire by the sea. and that is the kind of blanket i have always wanted to make.

peace. & LOVE. always.

presenting... original paintings for sale!

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:56:00 +0000

hi loves,
as i promised a few weeks ago, i have just released new original paintings for sale in my Sunrose Studio Shop. presently, there are 3 tiny originals for sale, and i plan to add more original paintings to that shop in the coming weeks. please do visit the shop and make sure to let me know what you think!

{ from left: i want that diamond, i need structure, magical minerals. }

peace.
& LOVE.
always.
kelly

celebrate where you have been.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:46:00 +0000

My dears, A hint of autumn came in through my bedroom window last night crisp and cool. The morning clouds and chill burned off to reveal an amazingly beautiful day. I simply adore this time of year: the nights are made for sleeping and the days are the perfect mix of nostalgia and promise.
One practice I have been keen on cultivating the last few years is mapping out my goals and then acknowledging my accomplishments. I hope you do the same, as it is a wonderful way to stay in touch with living your dreams *right* now. Before I share my goals for the next few months with you (and with myself, quite honestly), it seemed appropriate to celebrate all of the sweetness this summer brought:

Jumped off the end of the dock at dawn;

My painting Mulhadhara was featured in a group gallery show;

Launched my new Etsy shop (yay!);

BK and I had many weekends away together: weddings in the gorge and on mt. hood, backpacking & hiking, swimming & picnicking;

We schnuggled our nieces & nephew in St. Louis;

Learned enough CSS & html to be dangerous (i.e., the re-designed site launch is imminent),

My yoga practice continued to grow in its sweetness, strength & surrender,

My yoga teaching practice blossomed as I started podcasting and taking on new classes,

My art+friend community is thriving,

Painting continues to be a source of pure joy,

I CONNECTED people in ways that were so important to me,

I started posting tutorials,

Small, but significant victory at my job-job,

SPANISH! (I love it!),

I honestly believe I was of service to others this summer, through yoga, art, fashion, being.

Also, my hair is the longest it has ever been. It has been my goal for the past year to grow my hair really long. Now, I'm thinking of cutting it short again!

That was this summer.

What are you celebrating as the seasons change?

peace. & LOVE. always.

inspiration tuesday.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:36:00 +0000

ah, september.
you are pine needles, buffalo plaid, pickup trucks and friday nights.

{photo credits, from top to bottoms: svimmel, sleepy sparrow, pat pat, nina zivkovic, cosmic dust, claude debussy + lily debussy, bat for lashes.}

la la la paintings.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:30:00 +0000

dear-ones,

a good monday to you! it's been a bit since i have shared progress on paintings on the blog, hasn't it? i've been very pleased with the way these are shaping up, if i may say so myself. to be honest with you, going back over blog posts where i share works-in-progress is somewhat difficult-- seeing myself work out all of these aesthetic problems in public (more or less) is a little uncomfortable. however, it is in those moments of difficulty that we grow, so i think i shall keep it up in spite of that voice of my ego telling me not to!

what difficulties have you pushed through lately?

xxoo

Evoking the muse, naming her and letting her fly!

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:58:00 +0000

The muse.

Recently, the concept of creating for one’s muse or with one’s muse has come up in several intriguing interviews I have heard and loved. Also, a few musical acts I have discovered recently have adopted an alter-ego for the purpose of creating music (Bat for Lashes, St. Vincent... you get the idea). The synchronicity of it all made me think it was high time for me to get in touch with my own muse and work with her to make beautiful things.

What is a muse?

The concept of a muse originated in ancient Greece and evolved through the telling of myths over time. Essentially, the muses are goddesses or spirits of sorts who inspire creation. The number of classical muses grew from three to nine, one for each of their respective disciplines: epic poetry, history, lyrical poetry, music, tragedy, choral poetry, dance, comedy, and astronomy.

This classical concept of the muse has changed over time to embody an artist’s source of inspiration or the ideal for whom an artist creates his or her masterpiece. I recall when Sofia Coppola was the muse for the brilliant fashion designer Marc Jacobs. I LOVED it.

Who is my muse?

Her name is Ruby Leona Oceanblue. Her hair is electric blond, brown, strawberry gold. She piles on jewelry and wears caftans over cut-offs. She works as a medium. A reader of the cards, the palms, the energy. She inhabits her senses. She lives out in the woods by the ocean in a geodesic dome where she meditates and makes music. Her clients visit her in a tipi on the edge of her property. She has a big, red dog and a husband who cooks. {Okay, that might be a bit of truth and wish from my own life!}

How to find the muse?

This is the fun part! There are all kinds of methods to getting in touch with the muse. I found mine by first taking a meditative seat, getting very quiet, and then visualizing this energy I wanted to create for. After meditating, I collaged and collaged, pulling colors and textures that drew me in. Honestly, there is no “wrong” way to find your muse and your muse will evolve just as you do. Next week or month I could be creating for a completely different character than Ruby Leona!

What to do with the muse?

Create for your muse.
Draw or paint the likeness of your muse in a style she would appreciate.
Dress for your muse.
Play music your muse would dig.
Do something that your muse would do.
The sky is truly the limit.

Have you a muse? Tell us!
All good things,
k

{photo credit: self-portrait by Courtney Brooke.}

More muse resources:
Craftcast interview with Susan Tuttle.
Susan Tuttle's blog: Ilka's Attic.
Tranquility du Jour interview with Jennifer Lee.
Jennifer Lee's website.

news updates: site makeover

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:27:00 +0000

darlings,
i have been working on a complete site redesign {and must say i'm pleasantly surprised with the html and css skills i've picked up over the past two years of blogging} and plan to launch the first week of september.

the new site will feature more tutorials, more lifestyle & fashion posts, more yoga {i'd like to integrate my two blogs, but i'll leave that open to change}, interviews, more emerging artists, more of everything, basically!
also...
the new site will include the opportunity for sponsorship and i would like to give my current readers this information now in case you or someone you know might be interested in sponsoring the new site. there are a whole range of options, from $35 up, and the first month will be at a discounted rate.
if you are interested in learning more, do email me at kelly {at} kellyloveswhales {dot} com.
xxoo

inspiration tuesday.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:52:00 +0000

right now, i'm ridiculously inspired by...

{the shapes of these jumpsuits by prancing leopard.}

{screen stars like delores costello + smoky eyes. }

{this damsel fish. the colors!}

{georgia o'keefe. photographed by her husband, alfred stieglitz.}

{this cat's eye nebula redux.}

{north africa. the shapes. the drapes. i want to go.}

how about you? xxoo

la la la monday.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:03:00 +0000

darlings,
i hope you had a most delicious weekend.
we did.
it all started when i woke up with the urge to make beignets on friday morning.
then there was the lavender + lemon wedding cake i inhaled on saturday afternoon.
& the sweet weekend was punctuated with a big batch of brownies on sunday night!
{life is for savoring, my dears.}

{you know i balance all of the sweet-treats out with fresh veggies + fruits, lots and lots of water, lots and lots of exercise and full nights of sleep.}
happy happy monday.

Printmaking Tutorial.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:27:00 +0000

Well, darlings, I've done it: I've managed to create some other crazy embarassing self-portrait of myself for all of the world to see. My only consolation is that it is all for you... my dears! In these two videos, I demonstrate basic relief printmaking techniques using simple rubber and linoleum plates.

Supplies:
* Plate : rubber, linoleum, or wood in which to carve your design;
* Carving tools : to carve out the design;
* Ink : water-based, oil-based, or paint;
* Brayer : SOFT rubber {trust me};
* Glass or Plexiglass : to mix and spread ink;
* Cardboard : to create registration;
* Rolling pin or barren : can be make-shift;
* Paper & scrap paper : to print on, of course!
{See photos of supplies below.}

Printmaking Tutorial, part 1 from Kelly Connor-Sunrose on Vimeo.

Printmaking Tutorial, Part 2 from Kelly Connor-Sunrose on Vimeo.

Photos & links for supplies.

{glass.}

{barren & rolling pin.}

{rubber plates.}

{"e-z cut" linoleum.}

{linoleum plate.}

{brayer. soft rubber.}

{registration.}

{cutting tools.}

{paints & inks.}

{the finished product.}

enjoy!

inspiration tuesday.

kellyloveswhales@gmail.com (Kelly C.) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:58:00 +0000

lovelies,
i have been super duper busy today updating my shops {new product photos, new listings, all that jazz}. you should definitely check out both of them {kelly loves whales & sunrose studio}, especially if it has been awhile since you've stopped by.
also,
i'm working on a printmaking tutorial {it's a video!!} for you.
and
i have something free & fun to share with you {free + fun = magic, right?}

.... and now, for the inspiration

{ credits: top to bottom, left to right: 1. The Rhyme of the Ancient Marinel, 2. Triangle horse somewhere in Tuscany, 3. Untitled, 4. Ziegfeld Girls, 5. me and a cat, 6. jLo + elsie, 7. field of flowers..., 8. Untitled, 9. studio view 2009!, 10. "The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.", 11. a sweet summer picture, 12. Untitled, 13. Anniversary gala hairdo, 14. Untitled, 15. fridayfeel45, 16. you didn't try to call me }

{i would call this mish-mash, but i do think there is a trend: lovely colors, faces, slices of life, weirdness, love.}

peace. & LOVE. always.