If you love hours of traffic and long lines, then you’ll love the New York Renaissance Fair! On Saturday 9/16 Jake and I set out on the long drive back to Tuxedo, NY to attend for the second-time ever, what is largely considered to be one of the North-east’s best… Read More »New York Renaissance Fair 2023 Review
Is it a bonnet? A great veil? Or a Hat? I needed a covering for my head at the renaissance fair to keep the sun off of me without creating too much warmth. My look is not completely historically accurate, but what I make is historically plausible. When researching medieval… Read More »Green Medieval Hat
Never underestimate the power of a 15-minute craft! After making a purse from this rope I had a little leftover, but not enough for anything big. We were also planning a camping trip, and I thought a nice thick pot-holder would come in handy for our metal-handled camping pot. Fifteen… Read More »Quick Crochet Pot-Holder
Do you ever get the feeling that everything’s already been made? That nothing is really new or original, and our culture has been saturated by nearly every conceivable image or utterance? Even more so with the surge in AI, computers are flooding the internet with rearrangements of stolen images so… Read More »2023 Summer Gardening Season Recap
A little late in posting, but late is better than never. A few weeks ago Jake and I took our first trip to the Vermont Renaissance Faire. The summer one! We’ve been to the winter faire several times as the only event happening in the dead, fair-less winter, but have… Read More »Vermont Renaissance Faire 2023
An improvement on the rope-crochet purse! I’ve crocheted an oversized rope shoulder bag. For this project I chose a 2mm rope for a medium-drape. The bag is heavy, but soft and pliable, and does not stand on it’s own. I learned a few things about crocheting a flat-bottom from my… Read More »Crochet Shoulder Bag
You need the right fabric for the job, and this one may not be it. I’ve been seeing a lot of 4-way stretch separates online retailing for hundreds of dollars. I thought the idea was cute for dance as a base-layer. I sewed the pants first, then wore them to… Read More »Dance Separates
My dogs get all the good stuff. I was gifted some baby-blanket fabric and decided to use it all in one go making two new sleepover blankets for the dogs. They will also make nice sturdy camp blankets for them. Our boarding facilities call it “sleepovers” now so us humans… Read More »Dog Camp Blankets
Happy Memorial Day! I hope you’re having a nice holiday weekend if you’re in the US. I’m sewing some clothes for dance, and while doing so I whipped together this twist-headband out of some scrap material. When life feels very full, quick crafts are satisfying. Good for keeping my hair… Read More »Simple Knit Jersey Headband & Gardening
With every painting I am digging to reveal what lies beneath sand Watercolor, colored-pencil, and for the first time a wee bit of yellow gouache on hot-press paper. 9×12″
Hello, art professional here, just learning about the existence of a tool for my particular need. Remember that vacation I talked about two posts ago? While there I did some plein-air sketching of Windsor Lake with some oil pastels. I like sketching with oil-pastels; they’re fast and loose. Never suited… Read More »Oil Pastel Plein-air of Windsor Lake
Happy Beltane! I should have made a garden post for today, but I didn’t plan ahead enough for that. Maybe next week. Continuing my experimenting with free-size pattern drafting, I’ve finished a pink robe with biblical vibes. Knit jersey that I received for free from an online buy-nothing group was… Read More »Pink Free-Size Robe
A vacation dedicated to recharging the creative-batteries. It is very difficult, if not impossible to continue to create things without occasionally “refilling the well,” as they say. Creative people more than most benefit from boredom, from unstructured time, from opportunities to wander. These opportunities for aimlessness become more rare with… Read More »Long Weekend in the Northern Berkshires
Don’t you hate it when you’re getting ready for the renaissance fair and you have a nice pouch that’s just a little too heavy for your belt? Wouldn’t it be nice if you had an extra miscellaneous strap to throw on that pouch? A quick and easy project I threw… Read More »Crochet Purse Strap
I’m branching out into new materials and ready to get truly original with this crocheting habit. Yarn can be just so…fragile, I want to see what I else I can crochet with and what kind of forms those new materials will sustain. Tying in my other skills from a long… Read More »Crochet Rope Purse With Leather Handles
I’m diving back into drafting my own patterns while further exploring the most efficient use of fabric. That’s right, sewing with rectangles. Last year I obtained a free bag of fabric from my local buy-nothing group, in which, were two one-yard, 60-in-wide lengths of knit polyester. One blue, one pink.… Read More »Blue Free-Size Caftan
A very minor project while I finish up a few larger items to share with you: a simple crochet headband to finish up the yarn that I used to make myself a two-color winter cowl. Nothing fancy, but I did use two different stitches for a little texture. My posting… Read More »Two-Tone Headband
Spring is almost here! What a roller-coaster of a winter. Mostly absent of snow, we’re finally getting a few big storms towards the official solar end to the season. After several days in the 60s in February I thought maybe I was too late in making this gift of a… Read More »Purple Cowl
I don’t know what to do with all of the hot-pink yarn that I have leftover from my bridal shower, other than to make baby-stuff with it. Good thing a few friends have a few babies. Starting with this cute headband that only took an hour to make. The best… Read More »Pink Baby Headband Crochet
Getting back into crochet with my best rectangle yet! I made a color-blocked winter cowl. In an attempt to get a better handle on the basics, I made this entire cowl using single-crochet stitch, with an emphasis on consistent tension and as straight an edge as I could manage. I’m… Read More »Winter Crochet Cowl
What’s an ear-saver? It’s a strap that goes around the back of your next when you’re wearing a mask. You hook the ear-loops of the mask onto the buttons, which sit behind your ears, instead of on your ears. This makes the mask fit better, tighter, and it takes all… Read More »Crochet Ear-savers
This may be the last wedding post that I subject you to on this platform. Mostly because the bulk of wedding photos have more to do with the people than design, and I do try to keep this blog somewhat in line with the theme of creation. If you want… Read More »Wedding Decor Sweetheart Table
This post is not for the faint of heart. I do not recommend washing your wedding dress at home if it is made of silk, or if you would suffer great emotional distress if your dress becomes damaged by your own hand. If, however, the $200 to $400 price tag… Read More »How to Wash a Wedding Dress at Home
Happy New Year! May 2023 bring you exactly what you need. I’m still digesting 2022, and the big wedding reception that consumed most of the year, but looking forward to the changes brought about by the new year. Today I’m posting a few photos of wedding décor details, like the… Read More »Wedding Décor: Details
Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season! Back now with another wedding highlight; this time, tablescapes that are just screaming to be added to Pinterest, but I’m busy. We chose this venue with its refinished rustic barn because the whole scene looks complete with minimal décor. Wedding décor is… Read More »Wedding Decor: Tablescapes
We got professional photos back!! Courtesy of Red Letter Photography, I shall tease you first with what I imagine was the most difficult part of the day to photograph, our big entertainment surprise of a live dancer! Jake and I knew pretty much from day-one of planning that we didn’t… Read More »Surprise Wedding Belly-Dancer
The garden is expanding!! After two summers and two winters supporting our local farms by buying farm-shares, trying tons of new vegetables, learning the growing seasons and what thrives in our area, we have decided that next year, we will try to grow a much larger percentage of our own food. Farm… Read More »Vegetables in the Front Yard
Another year of plague, another Family Plague Faire. Our annual backyard Renaissance Faire turned three this year and continues to expand in attendance becoming a staple pre-holiday potluck. This year we moved to the third week in November, ever searching for that weather sweet-spot. This year we came pretty close… Read More »Family Plague Faire 2022
Last week I detailed the long process of finding and purchasing the bulk of my rustic, medieval-inspired fall wedding reception. This week, I have a few preview photos of how the décor all came together. These pictures were taken during rehearsal set-up where I directed a small army to put… Read More »Wedding Décor, an Overview
This is a post about shopping for wedding decorations, because I can’t make everything. Especially not the organic items; I need farmers and tanners for that bit. Starting in the spring of 2021 I started my long and particular hunt for the more elaborate wedding decoration elements. The ones that… Read More »Sourcing Wedding Décor
Here it is! The big reveal: complete wedding looks and a preview of professional wedding photography by Red Letter Photography. My fall jewel-toned color scheme came together just as I envisioned (and carefully planned) it. It can be a challenge to plan a collection of looks when the focal point,… Read More »What We Wore: Professional Wedding Photography Sneak Peak
Now that the date has passed, I can show you, strangers on the internet, the wedding invitation suite that I designed for my vow-renewal and wedding reception. Forgive the weird color-variation that occurs between different browsers. Themed weddings can be a bit tricky to do well. A theme can easily… Read More »Wedding Invitations Design
We did it! The vows are renewed, the wedding is celebrated with friends and family. The day has past. I have not even begun to process the day and all its details. Events moved so fast it seems that every moment deserves dissection, but we’ve barely slowed down enough to… Read More »We Had a Party!
Happy Halloween, everyone! Somehow after a vow-renewal and a mini-moon to Florida we still managed to have a spooky costumed Halloween-weekend. This holiday is a priority. So what did we wear? Saturday we sponsored a hole at a spooky Disc-golf tournament where we won the costume contest in our raiders-from-the-north… Read More »Halloween 2022
I have not taken very many commissions in this very busy year, but here is one that I have recently finished and can share with you now that it has been delivered to the client. A watercolor portrait of a family home, framed by snow in the owner’s favorite way.… Read More »Portrait of a Home Commission
I have finished all seven doilies which are to be the base of a certain type of centerpiece for my upcoming wedding reception. I enjoy crocheting, but not stitches or patterns that require me to count very high, because I like to crochet while I’m doing other things, like watching… Read More »Seven Textured Doilies
Last week I learned of the passing of everyone’s favorite professor and mentor at the University of Hartford Art School, Dennis Nolan. Before he went, his daughter secretly organized one last assignment to his former students and colleagues, which was to draw and submit a small ear. Dennis was very… Read More »Legacy Ear
Oh my, have I ever written a negative faire review before? I don’t think so, but here we go, Lords and Ladies. The Massachusetts Renaissance Faire was not what we were looking for this year. I don’t know if it was the heat causing last minute cancellations or if the… Read More »The Massachusetts Renaissance Faire 2022
Well I just took all of July off from posting, didn’t I? I did come back August 1st with a finished garment; A bridal jacket, no less. Even though it’s summer, I’ve been very busy with wedding design, gardening, commissions, work, and volunteering. This drought has my lawn looking awful,… Read More »Summer Colors
The bridal jacket is finished! For now… I started this project well over a year ago when I decided that having a jacket option for an October wedding would be a safe plan. I wanted to have the jacket finished over New Years, but supply-chain issues made getting fabric and… Read More »Bridal Jacket
The latest addition to the doggie obstacle course growing in the side yard is a giant A-frame that Jake built. The dogs LOVE it. He found instructions online and built the whole thing by hand out of the garage. Jake spent a whole day sanding to make sure we don’t… Read More »K-9 Obstacle Course A-Frame
At the beginning of June Jake, myself, and several friends had a beautiful day at the Robinhood’s Medieval Faire in Harwinton, CT. We made a whole day of it, stopping for breakfast before the faire while the dogs were at their doggie resort. Starting the day well nourished, we had… Read More »Robin Hood’s Medieval Faire 2022
On May Day, my mother, and dear friends and bride’s matrons threw me the most beautiful Beltane Bridal Shower. I have been walking on air for days reading over everyone’s heartfelt cards, and unpacking a generous mountain of gifts. We had a perfect day of sunny warm weather after a… Read More »Beltane Bridal Shower
Now that the event has passed, presumably without a hitch, I don’t know, I wrote this blog post ahead of time, I can show you, the internet, my Bridal shower invitation design. The theme was Beltane, as the party fell on Beltane, and I love a good feast about gardening… Read More »Bridal Shower Stationary Design
Jake has been very slowly working on an obstacle course for the dogs. While progress has stalled on the ramp, two weeks ago during a dedicated home-improvement weekend, he finished the hurdles. Made from PVC with adjustable cradles, the bars come off very easily if a dog were to bump them… Read More »K-9 Obstacles
Our neighbors are moving and sold us two solid-pine bookshelves for the dining room. This room has always echoed, and the addition of some new many-sided furniture has helped tremendously. The plan was to paint the shelves white to match the baseboards, so last weekend as temperatures warmed up I… Read More »Painting Bookshelves
I did not make these bird houses, but I like to think that I facilitated their construction by fostering a creative environment. When we bought our house four years ago, there were some old and heavily-used bird houses mounted to the side of the old shed. Over the years I… Read More »Guest Project: Bird Houses
I want to share some more photos with you from our shoot at Purgatory Chasm because I am so in love with them all. Today I have a small presentation of the black and white images from the collection. Black and white photos change the way I experience time. Personally,… Read More »Quiet Photographs
Doilies. I’m very happy crocheting my less-than-perfect doilies. Like coloring in a mandala, round and round in meditative fashion.
My next design campaign for Artworks Westfield is for a Queer Pride show this June. Fairly self-explanatory, this show is meant to highlight LGBTQIA+ artists and LGBTQIA+ causes. I got to use our new logo, fonts, and color pallet but applied in a completely different style from the last show… Read More »Art With Pride