michelle ward

deja vu

The boxes of socks are piling up and I feel like I've seen the scene before.  It hardly feels like it was two and half years ago that I had three large pink bins filled with 700 pairs of pink socks in our living room.  We are nearly at 200 already!  I think we're gonna need a bigger boat!  Look at all the love for Japan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you ladies!  Such great looking socks for everyone in the family - men, women, kids, and babies. 

Another deja vu moment:  I've been revisiting the House Book I began teaching in 2002.  I used to sell the kits but then I dropped it from my GPP site.  Thanks to the oh-so-talented Pam, who showed a wonderful video on her blog of her gorgeous completed book, there is a renewed interest in the kits.  Since I have lots of supplies left I will be assembling and uploading to my Etsy next week.  *waves to the visitors who came from Pam's site*

 

we ARE doing this!

 

Arrivals!  A huge box of socks from our new friend Barb in Massachusetts.  Two checks from friends and Crusaders, Jane and Chris.  I really appreciate all the support offered here and by email, and I thank those of you who have helped spread the word about SocksForJapan.com.  I encourage you to collect and send boxes directly, details at the site.  I've been following Jason's account of receiving hundreds of socks so far, and the tremendous and generous efforts to get them delivered.  What a very cool thing!

 

 

Gotta love Target!  Their socks are cute and cheap - even better when you can stretch your dollar by getting some on clearance.  I tend to buy two or three of the same kind of sock for myself.  Makes sorting laundry easy, and if I lose one I can still find a match.  I'm stuffing my bags in pairs of pairs.

 

There have been some questions about what to send and how to go about it.  They need socks of every size -for men, women, teens, children, and babies.   Jason says packaging in plastic helps them out.  (I'm using ziplock sandwich bags with sticker labels).  If they are properly labeled with the note tucked inside then they won't have to open them up.  Remove all tags and packaging to make more room. 

 
Thank you again for cheering us on, joining our collection, or taking up the cause in your community.  As you know, I have a soft spot in my heart for pink socks....so how cool is it that the first box contained a yummy, fuzzy, cozy pair of pink polka dot socks from Barb.  I'd love to have a tracking device on that pair to see what special lady gets them.  I'm sure the love will be felt.  *happy dance*

we can do this! socks + sentiments

Japan:  We all have wondered how we can help.  Donations of money to the Red Cross and the Japan Society are needed, welcome and worthy.  I had an idea to try something else...something we've done before and could do again....and as I was googling to find out how to write *socks* in Japanese I came upon a man who is located in Japan and has already been collecting and distributing socks from his office.  HCIT? 

Please visit his site as he articulates the need for both socks and shared sentiments of support.  Socks For Japan (link).

Let's join Jason and his helpers! 

 
 

 

 
 
 
 

On the SocksForJapan site you will see they will assist you in writing your thoughts in Japanese.  See HERE.  To make it easy I've taken some of the messages they prepared and made these printable graphics for you to use, with room at the bottom for your signature.  Each tag is a separate image.  (right click and save or print).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for agreeing to be with me, even when you didn't know what it was!  If you plan on joining in by contributing to my box just let me know and I will save you a spot.  If you would rather make a $ donation toward shipping you can send a check or use paypal.  Every little bit will help.  A large flat rate priority box to Japan is $55.  Any excess I receive will go to Jason to help him at his end. 

If you decide to begin your own collection let me know and I will start up a reference page announcing locations so we can spread the word.  This is Jason Kelly's initiative and I appreciate that he is able to make this happen at his end.  It is something I believe in and simply want to support the project, and obviously, the people in Japan.  Warm feet and warm hearts.  Love that, don't you?  Let's send the message that They Matter.  Thank you.

 

are you with me?

 
join me. 

details tomorrow.

happy st. patrick's day!

 
 

May the road rise to meet you and all that...AND may you indulge in one of these without getting brainfreeze ;)  *swoon*

 

How cute is this?  At first glance I thought it was a Shamrock kit, but my clever friend Anne sent this because she knows at our house 3/17 is Green Pepper's Day, coined by Peter many moons ago. 

 

Many of you may already know this - first, that I'm a Kelly, and second, the there's a secret in my company name.  Cutting open a green pepper, dipping it into paint, and pressing to paper, makes for a great St. Patrick's Day card when you are stamping for the first time with your young child (now 20 years old).  Here are the keepsakes saved from a project Peter and I did together when he was 3.  I love when there are secret meanings behind something.....so now you know the origin.  Green pepper's pressed to paper make four leaf clovers, provided you've scouted out the best shaped ones.  How cool is that?

Mom arrives today!  Tonight we go see some Finn's perform.  Saturday we head to the city to meet some friends.  I will report on the roses if we get a chance to see them.  Have a good one.....and behave!

poppy talk

Yesterday was RubyTuesday and I did work on some pages - Little Red Riding Hood has become it's own artist book.  I am not ready to show you yet - too many incomplete pages but lots and lots of ideas pouring in.  LOVE when that happens. 

I was asked to explain how I made my poppies from a previous RT page - super easy.  LOVE tyvek!  LOVE paper!  LOVE poppies!  I meant to post yesterday but didn't get it done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

coming up roses....

Just saw this post at Another Normal, (one of my go-to blogs for New York window display reports).  It's the first I read that Will Ryman, sculpture artist, created 38 epic roses from fiberglass and steel, and has installed them along Park Avenue (until May).  Watch the CBS video report.  I'm in NY next weekend.  *adds to list of things to do*

 
 
Details:  presented by Paul Kasmin Gallery, in conjunction with New York City's Department of Parks & Recreation, and the Fund for the Park Avenue Sculpture Committee.  Installation:  January 25 - May 31, 2011 on Park Avenue between 57th and 67th.  What to see:  38 red and pink roses, some towering 25 feet high.  Artist:  Will Ryman.

More photos at Kasmin Gallery HERE.  NY Times article HERE.

 

and now for my close-up

A few times a week I open up photoshop just to exercise my skills.  As with anything we do it's important to keep at it, practice and play.  I love zooming in on details from digital photos of my work.  This morning I messed around with type.  Isolating portions.  Fun.  Satisfying.  New narrative from old art.

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

forensic experts

At least once a year I like to read my own meter and document it on a journal page.  I make lots of lists.  What is my current color palette - in art and/or apparel.  My current playlist.  My interests  Books I have read, movies seen.  Did I tend to the garden, walk everyday, make a new friend?  It may seem silly to record the trivial things but time slips by fast and we forget stuff.  I love looking back at old journal pages where I see my colors used to be sage and copper and my daily routine was much different than it is now.  The kids are older, the studio more cluttered, my focus has shifted.  I love having a barometer to gauge my evolution.  I love having a resource of myself for myself when my recollection gets blurry.  

On the Street Team blog we began the new year with a new journaling series:  Evidence.  Come play with us.

 

 

 

REMINDER:  Registration for workshops at Valley Ridge start on Saturday. 

Hope you'll join me at Raise the Bar in September!

 

 

 

ruby tuesday: girls in the hood

 
 

First there was the familiar fairy tale, told by the Brothers Grimm and illustrated by many over the years.  Then there was a lovely and haunting depiction by one of my best friends, Judi Riesch.  I'm sure you all swooned over her art, especially these pages made for Sarah's Red Journal, published in True Colors. 

 
I found it fascinating to read Judi's text explaining that Lewis Carroll, aka Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, famous for writing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was also a photographer.  Judi's Red Riding Hood started with a Carroll photograph.  HCIT?  I wonder if his model for Alice was friends with Red? 

Last week my sweet friend Nancy sent me the recently published Little Red Riding Hood.  See HERE.  Oooh, that girl *gets* me.  Loved the illustrations by Daniel Egneus.  I was familiar with his work but was clueless about the book so I love that my friends look out for me.  (Thanks Nancy!)  Equally cool is the typography....*faints*.  Further down you'll see I was inspired and had to whip up some of my own to use on some Ruby Tuesday pages.

 

 

I learned that the illustrations from this book are currently on display in New York.  Since the the show closes Friday, and they are only open until 5pm, I may not make it.  My friend Andrew was going today and will give us the report.  Even if I don't make the show at least the discovery of the site led to the link to this, a video of The Making Of.  Gah!!  HERE.

 

 

 

 

These are unfinished or maybe they are done.  I'll decide later, but I am liking the simplicity of them.  No doubt there are more pages to come as I play with my box of gathered materials.  I'll see where it goes.  I know I will be in Riding Hood mode for a few more Tuesdays because THE MOVIE comes out next Friday!

 

EDIT:  Synchronicity....another of my BFFs posted about the RRH book.  Go see Lisa Hoffman's post HERE.  I was planning on buying the new book for all my favorite women....dang, looks like Lisa already got herself one.