Octopus softie
Introducing...Nellie the ice-dyed octopus. Hand dyed, self-drafted. She's very playful!
Inspiration weekend
We took a lovely minihike on Sunday to Talapus lake. Washington is filled with gemlike lakes and many, many lake hikes. You really can't go wrong. This one was pretty easy as far as hikes go: walk up the mountain on some nicely groomed switchback trails, and then bam, there's the beautiful lake. Washington state is truly my greatest inspiration. I ...
Around Seattle: Bloedel Reserve
This weekend we took a day trip to Bainbridge Island and visited Bloedel Reserve, an estate with beautiful grounds. In the autumn light, the trees glowed. Eye see you! There was a gourd scavenger hunt. They popped up everywhere. There's a house on grounds too that you can tour. There's even a lovely reflecting pool. Of course we checked out a nearby beach with plenty of ...
How to ice dye
Ice dyeing is one of those crafts that is easy, colorful, and creates an impressive and interesting effect. Here's what you need to DIY: A bag of ice White fabric--jersey or loose woven cotten, linen, or hemp work well A window screen or sieve Procion Mx Dye in preferred colors Soda ash Dawn dishwashing soap A few buckets, one to mix ...
Leaf tessellation coasters!
After a hot and smoky summer it's finally fall, and the leaves are beginning to turn colors. The shapes and colors are inspiring. https://www.instagram.com/p/BZSh8kZgtwu/ When I found this one walking home from work, I knew I finally had a great idea for laser cut tessellations! This was in my "I want to DIY, but don't know how" todo list for a long ...
Infinity Mirrors–Yayoi Kusama
I'm a huge fan of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and was stoked when I found out she was having a show at the Seattle art museum. Her work is complex-- both cheerful and disturbing. There's a a playful intensity to ALL THOSE DOTS. Her mirror rooms are like walking into a giant kaleidoscope. And what a fascinating life ...
Georgia O’Keefe Museum
I had the absolute pleasure of visiting the Georgia O'Keefe museum today in Santa Fe. She's one of those artists who is so famous that some of her work has become cliche. But her life's work was much more than just the evocative flowers we most associate with her. The collection has a diverse sample of her work. Here are some ...
Exploring Canyon Road– Santa Fe
I've been in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for a work conference. This afternoon I decided to do a little touristing. I visited the charming, art-filled and hot Canyon road. You can imagine quitting your real life and opening up a little pottery studio up there. I was strictly window shopping, although I did buy a little print at La Boheme ...
Matisse cutout inspired pillows
I love love love the cutouts of Henri Matisse. The paper shapes and compositions he made during the last decade of his life were at once colorful, abstract, organic and playful, and novel. He called it "drawing with scissors. " (This MoMA site describes his process--I love the picture of him in his studio surrounded by all the colorful paper detritus.) Last year ...
Summer bedroom reveal
So the table, quilt, and linen sheet set have arrived. See the plan for details and sources. We had to chop about 7 inches off the table legs and redo the top since it was a bit rough, but now it's looking pretty great. Turns out the table top is made out of Saeple (an exotic wood that is used ...