things for soothing -or- a cup of art tea

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:49:19 -0700

originally posted at gloamingdesigns.typepad.com

it's been stressful since being back. there's a lot going on, which i'll talk about later (maybe tomorrow). but yesterday, amidst my stress, i took several little breaks and my clicking around through links and blogs brought me to artists whose work made things better for me. if you will, they were a cup of art tea to make me stop, look, enjoy, and feel better. here, have a cup:

fences by Anna Emilia Laitinen

she's a finnish artist and everything on her website makes you feel like she's one of those people who understands. she just gets it. life and looking. and her photographs are so thoughtful too - check out her flickr. (and congratulations on your graduation anna!)

i don't have a picture to show you, but please click over to Yuko Yamamoto's work. the paperplants are so, so lovely.

and, i found it at the end of last week - but i'm excited about the photo trade that nectar&light has got going on. the theme is 'eat well - live well'. poor R. more pictures of our food!

so, it is quite possible that i am the last one to find out about all these things that made me smile yesterday. if so, aren't you glad to rediscover them! but tomorrow, i think it will be something completely new to you.

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a quick hop

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:47:30 -0700

originally posted july 21 at gloamingdesigns.typepad.com

well. that was interesting.

we are back from New Jersey where we visited my grandmother. this is not a trip that's new to us but it has been a few years so we took the (mostly) trusted rand's directions. i swear mapquest likes to throw in one false direction just for fun and the game is to find it before you get completely lost! the directions we took were fine except for one thing - they went directly through new york city...at about 5 pm. oh god. i can't expect a computer to know that that is a bad idea but i wish someone had suggested the tappen zee bridge to it. as we passed the signs for the tappen zee, we questioned the directions, but ultimately stayed faithful and were rewarded with 2 hours of bumper to bumper in the bronx. needless to say, we took a different, more familiar way home. happily, on the trip down, we discovered a rest stop in massachusetts that has a farmers market friday, saturday, and sunday! we snatched up some garden flowers, honey, and blueberries before beating a hasty retreat to the car.

the part of new jersey we were visiting really wears me out. there's a whole lot of this:

and the part that doesn't look like that is either suburban housing or malls. lots of shopping. i'm no good at it. it makes me cranky and gives me a headache. now, i realize that there are beautiful parts of new jersey that i just haven't seen yet, but, for me, two days of this part is largely sufficient. i'm sure that the 95 degree weather plus blistering humidity wasn't helping either. that humidity seemed to have checked into our hotel before us and although the room was not hot, we could not escape the impression that we were sleeping in a soggy room and, worse, a soggy bed. everything felt damp.

we were, however, able to spend a nice day and half with my grandmother. we took her around for some much needed errands (she only has limited public transport) and talked talked talked. the heat kept our doings pretty low key and the highlight was the grocery store where we put together a real buffet for dinner (with some new flavors for Nana!).

the drive home was much less eventful until we reached new hampshire were the rain and lightening of the weekend welcomed us back. i've never seen so much lightening, from every side, one every 15 seconds. when we were almost home, lightening struck the center of the traffic circle we were about to merge onto. what a display! my poor mother was working so hard to think about everything, anything, but the storm.

so, it was wonderful to see my grandmother. i'm a very happy girl to be back home. and never take the cross bronx expressway unless you really, really have too.

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a typical day (?)

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:44:52 -0700

originally posted july 17 at gloamingdesigns.typepad.com

roughly 312 years ago,sarah tagged me for a typical day explanation. ok, so it was only 2 months ago but, lord, how does this happen? well, trying to right this wrong, i present a very loose interpretation of my typical day. i say loose because, quite frankly, 'typical' changes 3 times a week. i have several different free-lance style jobs so, it's strange.

- morning -
mornings are most reliable. since the boy works at home too, i have to fight to get us out of bed before 9. we're both sleepers - it's very frustrating. but i manage sometimes to poke him enough that we're up by 8. sometimes, i just get up alone and straighten, and put away, and check e-mails until he's up.

when he's up, he gets breakfast rolling (yea!). boil tea water (we are so not coffee drinkers), get out dishes, pour O.J., cut bread. 95% of the time, we have some form of toast for breakfast. since it's summer, we eat every meal possible out on the deck. it's sad really, poor kitchen table.

we read at breakfast and then disperse for the goings on of the day. until anywhere from 12:30 to 2:00 i'm usually on the computer doing design work or Etsy work (or both). sometimes i'm out working with a painter but that's more the exception than the rule.

- afternoon -
when we remember, or when we can't stand it anymore we organize lunch. if we can't find anything quick enough or there aren't any leftovers, we head over to Beach Pea for salad or sandwich.

the after-lunch work is much the same as the morning. often times this is when i'll run to the post office or to my parents house to use the sewing machine for any orders that need to be put together.

we usually reconnect around 5:30 or 6.

- evening -
we are late diners. dinner for us is around 8, earlier is very unusual, later not so unusual. again, since it's summer, cooking is often on the grill and eating is always outside. tuesday nights is british comedy on PBS and the one of the only nights we eat inside (unless it's raining another night). thursday is dinner with the family.

all the other nights are fair game for whatever is playing at the music hall (which means we have to eat before 7). after dinner, if we have the energy, we will watch a movie from netflix or play a game on the computer (we play what he calls enigma games - a story where you have to solve certain puzzles and do certain actions to move the story to its solution/conclusion. dorky? yeah, but light-hearted and fun). then we dream.

so there you have it. i know, there will be people passed out from the glamour of it all, but what can i do?

tomorrow morn i'm headed to New Jersey for a grandmother visit, the first in something like 5 years - well overdue! and the first time she'll meet the boy. so i'll wish you happy weekend here: happy weekend!

p.s. vox is refusing to un-italicize the above text. grrr. sorry.

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Tutorial - Vintage Style Napkin Rings

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:30:11 -0700

you made it back! yea!

as a reward (ha!), today i'm posting a project done a few weeks ago but just edited now. i'm sure you'll be very nice and bare with me on my first (simple!) tutorial. i've read what Bella has to say, so i hope this idea sparks your creative juices!

These napkin rings are made from jute chair webbing, a very inexpensive and possibly even (if you find an old chair) up-cycled material. but cool - it is very cool! one of those functional but fascinating materials. this particular webbing is from the popular upholstery company Waverly via Joann's Fabrics, but i'd venture to say that any fabric store that carries home decor fabrics will have a roll.

Supplies

-3 3/4" wide Jute Chair Webbing: enough yardage for the number of rings you want, each ring needing approx. 6 1/2 inches of length.

-20 lb. Hemp Cord: approx. 6 inches per ring

-1 large sewing needle: very thick with a large eye for the hemp cord to pass through

-optional: decorative elements (see end of tutorial and above photo for suggestions)

Step 1: Cut lengths of 6 1/2" from the webbing, one length for each finished ring you want. (Alternately, wrap the webbing around the folded napkins you intend to use, add about 1 1/2" for ease and sewing, and cut there.) This does not have to be an exact science. I usually measure the first and use it to hold against the webbing to cut more. Once they are cut, use your needle to pick out the first three or so rows of the weave. This is to make a fringe edge for the ring. Once you've pulled out enough of the rows that the fringe is a length you like, trim the hanging jute near the webbing's edge. I suggest not pulling out too much jute, though, as this will ultimately reduce the size of the finished ring.

Step 2: Once you have your fringe edge, make a tube out of the webbing by overlapping the two cut edges with your fringed edge on top. Overlap about 1 1/4" (including fringe) and pin to hold in place. Using the hemp cord, thread the needle. Begin to sew a few rows of jute in from the fringe (so the stitched won't fray out of place) with long running stitches beginning with your needle pushing through from the inside of the tube to the outside and ending with the needle pushing from the outside to the inside. Both ends of the cord will be hanging from the inside of the tube. *Do not cut a piece of cord from the hemp roll, thread the needle directly from it. This way, you are sure to have enough cord for sewing and not much is wasted. Do not make a knot in the cord, simply pull the stitches through leaving long tails of cord on both ends.*

Step 3: Once you've stitched the two sides together, hold both ends of the cord and gently tug to remove any slack from the stitches. Form a knot in the cord, snugging it up to the inside of the napkin ring (both ends of the cord should be hanging from the inside of the tube, to hide your knots). Trim any excess cord.

Step 4: Using your thumbs, fluff the fringe to separate the fibers a bit giving the edge a softer look. You can do this as much or as little as you like.

Step 5: Inspect your work to make sure the stitches are secure and the fringe is fluffy enough! At this point you can add embellishments. I like to use this with the fringe edge up but you can also attach decoration to the other side of the ring. Consider making your decoration removable - maybe specific to your event. With a small piece of cord you can tie on one or more buttons with a simple knot or a bow. I love the idea of collecting inexpensive letter pins and 'monogramming' the rings for your guests (the pins can be removed for your next gathering). Tissue paper flowers can get the kids involved and can be attached with a bit of floral wire pushed through the webbing and twist tied. What are your ideas?

Step 6: Insert an napkin and enjoy!

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july

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:54:27 -0700

originally posted at gloamingdesigns.typepad.com

well, hello!
let's not even think about how much time has passed since my last post, shall we?

it's summer, and as others have so eloquently pointed out, time speeds up. we've been here, there, and next weekend, everywhere. so many goings on that i know that none of us can possibly post every minute of it. so, in a nut shell, there have been friends, food, bikes, swimming, rain, sun, traveling, staying, movies (oh so many movies), and planning. because in just a few weeks, a new phase starts to, well, begin for us. more on that later and hopefully a scattering of short 'summer life' stories. oh, and i must tell you about all the wonderful movies we've seen...one thing at a time.

the most overdue report is on the newest set of gloaming designs tea towels. the Vacances Series epitomizes summer memories with three gorgeous black and white images printed on natural linen - which i guess makes them black and natural, not black and white! Woodland, Snapshot, and Bounty are all available in the shop. head on over!

i feel better already. i promise to do my best to keep this ball rolling. so, see you tomorrow? great.

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Quick quick

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:33:50 -0700

originally posted at gloamingdesigns.typepad.com

hello!

there is quite a bit i'd like to post about but time is short lately.

so i promise that some real posts are coming but i just wanted to remind everyone:

today is the last day of free shipping in the shop!
so head on over when you can!

love,
a.

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Hey, guess what

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:12:37 -0700

originally posted at: gloamingdesigns.typepad.com

free shipping in the shop
for the month of june!

offer is for First Class shipping with Delivery Confirmation.

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Havana

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:18:52 -0700

originally posted at: gloamingdesigns.typepad.com

i finally (finally!) managed to make an apron in time for Amy's Tie One On. the theme was Havana Nights and my idea of Havana is vague at best. i flickr searched for images and looked a bit on wikipedia just trying to get a little better feel for the city. but my initial idea of vibrant colors and warm, lit nights prevailed. i had had the idea of using a belt in the apron for the last theme (polka dots) but never got around to it. perfect, because the belt was just what this theme needed. this is an apron for a party (under strings of lights with a huge dance floor outside next to the ocean......). the belt is thrifted and actually cut in the back for the ties

and sew onto the waist band. so i knew i wanted to use the belt and the marigold fabric but the edging came from some linen scraps that got thrown on top of the pile. but i love how usual it is. the shape was the final question mark and the answer (or inspiration) came from, where else? Marie Claire Idees.

it's fun and i predict a myriad of aprons in this shape.

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it's june

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:48:07 -0700

wow. i'm not going to even ask when that happened. because i'm pretty sure it was somewhere between finishing projects before R. came back from his visit home and a memorial day cookout and having a list a mile long of the things i'd like to make. well, here we are. and i have to say - it's not too bad yet. i look around the internet world and everyone is rejoicing the return of summer - but me, i'm scared. heat and i are not friends. so while i'd like to say 'yay, june!' i'm afraid...i'm too afraid.

there is a tidy little list of things i need to post about! anne tagged me for a knitting post andsarahtagged me for a typical day post (that's going to be tricky!) but to start with, something that is completely not on the list: The Game.

Posted by the aforementioned lovely Sarah, each of these Flickr photos (visit my flickr page for credits) popped up on the first search page when i plugged in the answer to the following questions:

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? abigail
2. What is your favorite food? i said potatoes. let's get something straight right here: i do not have one favorite anything, really. so i usually have a short list when asked these questions. But here, i thought about what R. would say and the picture is perfect because i love so many foods.
3. What high school did you go to? Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
4. What is your favorite color? ok, again, not one favorite. but i do love Seafoam Green.
5. Who is your celebrity crush? i don't think it's a crush but i find Alan Rickman very attractive (and Johnny Depp, and Colin Firth, and ....)
6. Favorite drink? just a fave at the moment: mango lassi (R. would answer this question for me: milk!)
7. Dream vacation? Oslo
8. Favorite dessert? Ile Flotante (tied with ice cream which pulled up boring pictures)
9. What you want to be when you grow up? art conservator (but maybe not paper, like the lab in this photo)
10. What do you love most in life? living (really. i. love. living.)
11. One Word to describe you. glowing - this is stolen directly from some very sweet comments from friends and family who are most likely far too nice to me! since i couldn't figure out how to describe me.
12. Your flickr name. Gloaming Designs

and i'm fresh out of typing time. more later!

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May 6th

nobody@vox.com(abigail) — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:02:19 -0700

a little of my day

just put one foot in front of the other.

how was your day?

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