Monday, November 26, 2007

Kitchens and Christmas



So, here it is...The Kitchen finished. Well, just about finished, I still have to finish painting the walls. But here it is all cleaned up. Note the Pot Filler faucet over the stove, the Hot water dispenser at the farm house sink, the open shelving for plates and glasses. The cabinets are KraftMaid, semi custom cabinets from Home Depot. It takes a lot of work to make that kind of cabinet look like this! The cabinets are a good quality but to tell the truth, the staff at home depot aren't that used to creating custom kitchens like this, especially in this area where they are usually trying to fit small kitchens into houses turned condo or basements turned apartment. My Home Depot kitchen designer, Aimee Zaslaw is quite a different story. I sketched up this design (generally) and she really made it work with what KraftMaid had to offer. She actually took this picture too when I had her out for lunch to see her work first hand. This is by far my biggest art project--the all consuming task of working on this gut renovation has been outrageously tiresome, worrisome and FABULOUS! If I had the time and the money I would so flip houses. What a rush. I love the house--every inch of it. My mum asked me for some ideas of what I want for Christmas and I couldn't think of anything! I feel so incredibly blessed/lucky this year to have such a wonderful place to live and raise my girls that I couldn't ask for much more! Ok, to be honest I'd like to be able to afford a cleaning lady but its hard to ask your mum for that!

I was listening to the radio a couple weeks ago--must have been npr and I heard a lady talking about a Christmas when her whole family (like 6 kids) decided they would only spend a total of $100 that year. She said it was the best Christmas ever and that they really got creative with their gift giving. Personally I think the whole idea is fun but being the oldest of 6 kids myself, I don't know how they all managed to agree on anything!

I'm knee deep working on my next article for Parts and Parcels on making attachments in mixed media art. If you have any questions on how to attach two things together feel free to email me and I'll try to cover your question in my article.

The other big news is my art show opening at Coldwell Banker Brookline Offices this Thursday night. I hung the show on Saturday and I have to say that my collages look wonder next to Rania's black and white photographs. If you're in the area please stop by and say hi!

Friday, November 16, 2007

Absolutely Unexcusable but I suppose Understandable







Ok, so it's been a little while since I last posted. BUT I've really been busy! I finished up The Cardmaker's Workbook that I've been writing for Quarry. If you like making cards, you're going to love this book! (If I do say so myself). It's not just another book filled with pretty cards, it is a designers workbook and covers all aspects of design from, composition to color, construction to supply inspiration.




My other big project is the carriage house. All 2400 feet of it. And we're finally done. Ok, mostly done. I suppose there will always be somthing left to do. This is a shot of Bec and I in the studio. I was having Matt shoot some pics for the Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine special studio issue and Bec interrupted us. (oh, did I mention that I'm writing a column now for CPS??? Check them out--coming soon is an article on gelatin printing. WHat's that? Guess you'll have to run out and get a copy to see. )
Other big news is a new show opening that I'm in starting this weekend at a branch of the Boston Public Library. See the flyer above.
I've also been busy working on the samples for the packaging of my new product that comes out in February at CHA. Talk about burning the candles at both ends!
I wouldn't say I'm the kind of person who can keep up with a blog. But I endeavor to be that person any way. I think that is probably the reason I have been putting it off (that and being so busy!) But I'm newly committed. Especially since I have so many cool new things coming on the horizon and I don't want you to miss anything!
Now, back to the studio table....