Cate Anevski

Speaking of animals...

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

I found this lovely video on The Small Object's blog, and I just had to share it.

When I was in high school, I used to live in an eighth-floor apartment that had a wonderful view of this kind of bird activity. I would sit on the balcony with my best friend and watch for ages each day. Moreover, the apartment was always swarmed with seagulls who would eat bread out of the air if you threw it. You had to be careful not to hit the not-so-understanding little old lady who lived across the street as she tried to get into her car, though.

Nowadays, I get my amazing-bird-action fix from the masses of chimney-roosting swifts here in Portland. If you're in the area, I highly recommend getting out to see this. It's a great excuse for a lovely picnic dinner, and you get to be stunned and amazed by the awesome power of nature at the same time. Win-win!

Blithely Blythe

Yesterday I ordered a new batch of Blythe dress designs from Spoonflower, and to wile away the time as I impatiently await their arrival, I'd like to share some of the Blythe photos that have inspired me as I worked.

1. All About Ladybugs 2. We want some, too! 3. sleeping beauty... 4. Deneb sueña... 5. Stuff On My Blythe 6. ...go around the corner of the barn, 7. My Little Peanut <3 8. Doll shelf 9. Untitled

I've always found fashion to be a wonderful art form for self-expression, and I enjoy the freedom that comes with creating clothing for a small doll, since the materials are so much less expensive and the construction need not be so perfect. However, my recent foray into Blythe fashion definitely has piqued my interest in sewing human clothes, a task I hope to take up again sometime in the next few months.

How about you? What sorts of things inspire your own sense of fashion?

Moss Handmade

Oh, poor blog, you've been so neglected lately! I didn't even mention that I had a table at Crafty Wonderland last weekend. Well, I'll at least let you know the results: a great trade with Moss!

First up is a delightful embroidered bee necklace. Bees are one of my three or four favorite animals, so when I saw this, I knew I had to have it. Unfortunately, I was a few dollars shy of the asking price, so Kieran (my trusty sidekick) initiated a trade. (Trades, of course, being the most favorite of my favorite animals.)

The lovely proprietress of Moss, Lady Diana, seems to love trades as much as me, and we began the delicate "No, your stuff is underpriced!" "No, your stuff is underpriced!" "No, I insist, take two!" "No, no, you take three!" argument that is so amazingly free of ego (ah, the undervaluing of one's own goods...) and resulted in this lucky girl walking home with this beauty as well:

A tiny crocheted acorn! This piece is so beautiful and delicate. She crochets them out of embroidery floss, to give you an idea of the size.

Of course, now I'm coveting one of these, so I'll have to save up before the next Crafty Wonderland:

I just love a good craft fair.

Rachel Sudlow Jewelry

How could I not love a jewelry shop that sells Frog Eyes earrings?

As soon as I get off of my self-inflicted "no frills" lifestyle (a.k.a.: as soon as I find a decent job...), I can't wait to purchase a thing or two from Rachel Sudlow's jewelry shop. Everything is oh so quirky and yet still beautiful.

Magritte-inspired jewlery? Yes please!

My favorite thing about her shop is what a wonderful variety of work she creates while still maintaining a cohesive collection. Beautiful!

Some Etsy Favorites

All too often, I feel that my blog dries up. I'm constantly working on things, but sometimes those things just can't be shown. For instance, I've been reading up a storm these past weeks, doing research for a couple of new projects, but I can't very well show off the new synapses in my brain. (Or can I..?) Until further scientific photographic advances become affordable, I'd like to start some new features to ensure that I always have something to write about.

Another thing I've spent my time on these past few weeks is getting a head start on spring cleaning. We've cleared out the cupboards and filled boxes and boxes with all sorts of miscellany that never should have been moved from St. Louis. Now I'm in the mood to dress up my home with things that I actually want. First up, I can't wait to get started on planting some seeds for new houseplants. (None of my old plants survived the 2000 mile trip in the cab of a U-Haul.)

Of course, I couldn't very well just use plain terra cotta planters, so I have my eye out for unique and unusual planters. From a rather extensive search on Etsy, I discovered my favorites all came from one shop, Fruit Fly Pie. Wendy, the artist behind these brilliant ceramic pieces, creates work with such a great sense of humor that is filled to the brim with kitsch. How could I not love it? I can't wait until I can own a piece or two for a little herb garden, since they would look absolutely perfect in a kitchen. (Or is that kitschen? Yuk yuk!)