Mama needs a new bag!

When the wooded handle on my favorite bag from De*Nada Design broke last month under the pressure of all my stuff, I was equal parts depressed and excited at the prospect of a new bag. Now I am overwhelmed by the options on Etsy and need some help. Suggestions? Votes? Tips? Show me your fav bag on Etsy! Your Ultimate Reversible Bag - Japanese and French Fabrics from Iragrant.
KULIUS TOTE - Green House from BungleBearDesigns.
Charm Forest - Reversible Bag from Charmdesign.
Emerald and Chocolate Brown Shweshwe Big Town Bag from TheWren.

Mimi Mini Messenger Bag from EllaOsix.

Sneak Peek

Here is a little teaser of something new I have been working on. Hopefully they will be finished on Thursday.

Squidfire re-cap

My first show of the season is over. My new displays seemed to work out really well, and the new rings were extremely popular. It started off rainy and cold but once the weather cleared up in the afternoon, folks came out to shop.

I managed to leave with only one purchase, soap from my favorite sisters of Biggs and Featherbelle. Jason picked up this really cool ring for me for Mother's day from Stephney Wallace (with only a little guidance from my sister) Thanks my sister! Always a HUGE help!
Next Stop - Pile of Craft! See you there on June 21!

We Have a Winner!

I assigned each of the 11 poems entered (without mine, of course) a number and asked Random.org to pick one for me. The lucky winner is Odie's Momma!! Congrats! Looks like slacking off at work has paid off! Here is the winning poem.

You pay me $15 an hour,meager, yes.
And although you think I'm hard at work,
I'm really killing time on Myspace, FaceBook and Blogger.
What you don't know you're paying for won't hurt you, right?

Thanks everyone for entering, it was SO much fun! We will have to do it again.

Last Chance!

You have until midnight tomorrow to enter the contest! Go do it!

Todays progress

I did not get as much done as I would like today, but I'll get over it. I did make some rings and finished this custom order of necklaces made from pieces of my customers great-grandmothers bread bowl. They will be gifts for her family. I love hearing the stories behind folks broken plates, I think I must compile and write a book (in my spare time...)

Spirits of the Abandoned

Anyone who has ever passed by an old abandoned building and wondered what was inside will love this site dedicated to exploring these places. Spirits of the Abandoned is a website (and eventually a series of books) dedicated to "visually documenting, not only the existence of these often derelict places, but their essence— through the wonderful photographic opportunities they offer."

The Maryland gallery is already full of amazing images from abandoned hospitals, schools, industrial sites and more. Readers are invited to discuss these places in forums as well as submit their own photos. Go Explore!

Made in England

The Made in England Project was conceived by the artist and mosaicist Emma Biggs. It is both a historical record and a demonstration of how signs and symbols influence our understanding of familiar objects and inform how we think today. Part of this project is a mosaic wall, to be installed in the entrance to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, made from backstamps donated by the public. They have created a great website (well, great to me!) that is an encyclopeaedic record of all the backstamps are donated to the artist, together with an illustrated narrative of the people involved and a story of the times in which the tableware was made.

From the website:
"Ceramic tableware, the cups, plates and saucers we use every day, is unusual in one respect -- each piece bears an identifying mark which tells a story. Although people may have noticed the marks on plates, they are not generally given a second thought, unless it relates to the rarity of the piece and its financial value. Marks are designed to be overlooked, they are on the bottom of plates because the important aspect is on the top -- the decoration – but there is a fascinating story to be told from looking at the overlooked, the things we simply take for granted. This project aims to do both aspects of what art should do – namely make us re-examine a familiar aspect of our lives and see it in a new way. It should also be visually compelling."

I think I need to revisit my brief stint with backstamps!

Porcelain Pistols

"The Porcelain Pistols by Yvonne Lee Schultz (YLS), are replicas of the famous James Bond Walther PPK and it’s sister P99, with friendly permission of Carl Walther Inc. They are hand-painted in the style of classic china motifs. Whether happy strewn flowers, a classic golden rim or the even more traditional blue onion pattern, they will blend harmonically into the perfect table setting, the pride of every house wife."

(Annie must pay for introducing me to FFFFOUND! I can't stop looking!)

Another Busy Day!

And Squidfire Too!

Bring your mom - Squidfire is the day before Mother's Day!

I'm In!

I will be a Crafty Bastard on June 28th in Silver Spring, MD!

I will also be sweating it out for 3 whole days at Artscape. You must come visit and bring water!

Style is out!

My issue of Style is out now! I am so honored to be in this magazine, and in this article about "cutting-edge design in Baltimore." I never would have thought that I could be in an article with Christian Siriano of Project Runway!

I must make a small correction to my article though. I am quoted as saying “The night before Jewish weddings, the mother of the bride and groom will often break a plate together...” That is not an accurate quote. I was referring to a (not often practiced) tradition that I have discussed in my blog called Tenaim. The Tenaim ceremony announces that two families have come to an agreement on the marriage of their two children. At the ceremony, the Tenaim document, a pre-wedding contract that sets out this agreement, was read out loud, signed and witnessed, and a plate is smashed to seal the deal. The mothers of the couple break the plate, symbolizing the impending breaks in their relationships with their children, who will soon take responsibility for feeding each other. Others give the broken pieces to eligible "singles" as if to say, "May a plate be broken for you soon."

Learn about other plate breaking traditions here.
To see a wedding plate project click before and after .

random rings

These are a few new rings from todays batch. I also cranked out 6 pairs of earrings. Phew, no matter how much I make, I feel like it is never enough.

Everyday People.

I hate selling, so glad I can do it on the internet. For more Everyday People cartoons, click here.

So Cool!

Craft:blog shared my Earth Day ideas with their readers! Happy Earth Day! Thanks to VerreEncore for the use of her great photo!

Random Poetry Break and Giveaway!

If you happened to catch This American Life this weekend, you probably heard many different variation of the poem, This is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams . I don't know why, but I found it endlessly amusing. I never studied this poem in school, but apparently everyone else has and had to write their own version of it. I guess, what is so appealing, is just how unapologetic the poet is in this supposed note that he left on the fridge. This is the original version.

I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox
and which you were probably saving for breakfast
Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold

Here are two variations that I particularly like:
1. by Kenneth Koch:
I chopped down the house that you had been saving to live in next summer.I am sorry, but it was morning,
and I had nothing to do and its wooden beams were so inviting.

2.by David Rakoff:
At our wedding I disappeared briefly to have sex with your sister up against the back of the port-o-sans.
What could I say the chardonnay was so fresh and cold and I, so full of love and dis-sense of family.
And I said I’m sure one day we will laugh about this well, by one day I meant that day and by we, I meant me and by laugh... I meant laugh.

Here is my take
I have broken your grandmother's plate that was securely displayed in the oak china cabinet
and which you were probably saving for when your young children marry
Forgive me, I was bored, it was beautiful and I had nothing to wear.

I want your non-apologies. Write your version of the poem and you will be entered to win this Diana Fayt pendant! Don't be shy, just do it! It's fun! I will give you until May 10th. For inspiration, you can download the episode of This American Life here.

Happy Earthday Eve!

What are you doing to celebrate? Check out my new post on Crafting in a Green World for some ideas!

Holy Moly!

I'm doin' the front page dance for a second time in one day! Wow!

Doin' the front page dance!

Love it when I am on the Etsy front page on Saturday! This is one of my favorite lists!

BEST Earthday Giveaway!

You are running out of time to enter the BEST Earthday Giveaway! Check the blog for info.

Busy day!

I had a nice busy day yesterday! Can you pick out the new Diana Fayt Pendants?? All pendants made from Diana Fayt plates will now earn $5 for Art with a Heart, a Baltimore charity who provides interactive, hands-on art activities to disadvantaged families and children, and to people with developmental and physical challenges (as if you needed another reason to buy one!)

New on CAGW.

You'll never guess what this bag is made of! Check out my new post on Crafting in a Green World!

Craft:

Wow! Thanks Craft:Blog for the mention of our accidental collaboration! We have had such a great responce to this, we have decided to do it again! Stay tuned for some yummy yellow Diana Fayt jewelry coming soon.

I found this tiny scrap today and made a ring.

I "Heart" Diana Fayt

I have been such a huge fan of Diana Fayt's work since I stumbled across her site about a year ago. Diana's process is very labor intensive and includes approximately thirteen steps from beginning to end. The result is undeniably beautiful with intricate texture, luscious color, and detailed organic shapes. When I came across this photo of a broken plate on Cory Alckelmire's blog, and read how it had been abused by the postal service, I was equally devastated for her loss, and giddy at the thought of getting to work with one of Diana Fayt's plates. With permission from the artist, and the generosity of Corey, I was able to get my paws on it. Thank you ladies! It was even more beautiful in person.
For larger photos, please see me flickr site.

There are a few available on my Etsy site now with $5 from each sale going to Art with a Heart, a Baltimore charity who provides interactive, hands-on art activities to disadvantaged families and children, and to people with developmental and physical challenges.

New Bumper Sticker

Available at MuthaCrafter! I am still working on the maternity shirts and onesies...

Today's news

This is from a great custom job that I did this week from pottery shards that were blessed by monks in South Korea. Hopefully I will get some of the good vibes.
I am love with these litle bees, starting to feel a bit like Whitney.

I just got notification that I will be a vendor at Tigerfest. Not sure what I have gotten myself into, but it should be fun. If things aren't selling well, I can always ride a mechanical bull!

Presidential rings

Because somewhere, out there, there is a person who would love to have a JFK or Nixon ring...

Can't wait for spring!!

Cards by Diana

I am so happy to announce the opening of my neighbor's new shop CardsByDiana! She makes all kinds of assemblage cards for any occasion. Please stop by and take a gander! Also, if you purchase a Broken Plate Pendant and need a card to go with your gift, please let me know and you will save on shipping!

Design A Gown

This is a really fun game on gURL.com. Design your own dress from hundreds of style options. This is my future wedding dress (you could not make white...)

I Love Lamp!

I have noticed a serious lack of cool lamp shades (especially on Etsy) so I was so excited to discover YoursTrulyxoxo! Not only does this crafty lady sell pre-made lamps, but now offers custom shades as well! Just think about all those great thirft store lamps just begging for a cool shade! For a mere $18 you can have a one-of-a-kind shade. I am patiently waiting for my first purchase to arrive.

Call for Submissions:

To learn how you might get your recycled plastic art published, ready my post on Crafting in a Green World!

Happy Easter!

Don't forget to enter your crafty eggs into the Easter Egg Coloring Contest!