One Very Crafty Weekend with Brownies, Trashionistas, and Craftland

After a long winter, I was eager to emerge from my crafty hibernation and get out into the world again. This past weekend provided several wonderful opportunities to celebrate upcycling with some local kids and get back into the swing of things.

upcycling with the Brownies

digging through treasures

On Friday after school, I got to present an upcycled jewelry workshop to one of our 3rd grade Girl Scout troops. The best part of it was working with students who were in my class last year.  Each third grader made a ring, pin, and necklace out of game pieces, paper scraps, and other doodads. It made me giddy to see the girls wearing their pieces in school after the workshop.

rook ring

Glue is a Girl Scout's best friend.

pawn and pom pom rings

Two GO pieces make the perfect Oreo for one hungry dino.

a burst of spring

bulls eye brooch

triomino ring

Saturday was filled with trashion and travel. It started with the annual Trashy Fashion Show at Fairfield's Earth Day Celebration. My Roots & Shoots students, ranging in age 7 to 12 were paired up with Warde High School Fashion students for our seventh show together. From the Queen of Hearts and a savvy business man to a fan tailed coffee filter dress and woven newspaper attire, there was an impressive array of eco-friendly costumes. I'm so proud of the kids! 

trashionista extraordinaire

trashbot

eco-chic

the earth-friendliest

Burr Roots & Shoots Member and Warde Fashion Students

a magical day at Farifield's Earth Day Celebration

Click here to see a fun slideshow of the event.

Right after the fashion show on Saturday, I hit the road for Providence. First stop was the always-exciting Craftland. I was in their holiday show this past winter and they continued to carry my Twitch and Whiskers pieces in their shop after the show. I went to drop off a fresh batch of Thimblism necklaces and several protractor necklaces. I was greeted by the very friendly Catherine and heard a pretty dang funny story about a poetry open mic. If you're lucky, maybe she'll share it with ya the next time you're at Craftland!

Craftland - Providence, RI

gifts galore

Twitch and Whiskers at Craftland

the lovely Catherine

I was excited to see the Joseph Aaron Segal exhibit. I fell in love with his hypnotizing cat shirts a few year ago when I visited the Bust Craftacular and I became an even bigger fan when I watched him on the recent season of Project Runway. His stacked pillows with dozens of dimensional kitty eyes really struck just the right chord with my inner Little Edie.

Joseph Aaron Segal at Craftland

purrrrr...

As always, I enjoyed perusing the handmade wares from many of my favorite local artists. Before I left, I treated myself to a stunning turquoise ring from Nervous System. Their 3D printed rings and bracelets were such eye-catchers and I cannot wait to don mine for the spring. 

Nervous System rings and bracelets at Craftland

Up next was a visit with a great artist/friend Carrie Wagner of SepiaLepus. Carrie, her husband Jim, and Corgie Frannie let me crash for the night at their comfy pad. Carrie and I were going to be participating in the spring Craftopia show the next day. After catching up and filling our bellies with comfort food, I got to see some of her new pieces including a mind-blowing North American Cryptid map and three hand painted wooden bears. Cute!

SepiaLepus

Jumping back into spring with both feet was just what the doctor ordered. Check back soon for a post about Craftopia!

Here are my upcoming shows for spring/summer 2013:

June 1 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA
June 15 - Arts Fest Beverly - Beverly, MA
June 23 - TBA
June 29 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
July 13 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
July 20 - TBA
July 27 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
August 3 - Greenway Open Market - Boston, MA 
Other dates in the works!


Visit Twitch and Whiskers on FB and Etsy!

On the Road - Craftland Opening

On a crisp night back in late November, Thom and I took a trek over to Providence for the 11th Annual Craftland Holiday Show Super Celebration Bash. This was my first year participating in the holiday show and I was beyond thrilled to be a part of it!

Craftland in Providence, RI

opening party

bright night

The gorgeous window displays and colorful lights lit up the night and the shop was abuzz with people. A live dj, refreshments, and photo booth added to the festive feel of the evening. Every corner of Craftland was jam packed with handmade goods from near and far. From plush creations and a stunning wall o' art to ceramics and jewelry, at Craftland, you could find the perfect gift for nearly anyone.

wall o' art

warm and fuzzy

it's in the bag

It's beginning to look a lot like breakfast.

Thom and I went to the event with friends Carrie of SepiaLepus and her hubby Jim. Thanks to their warm hospitality, we got to hang out in Providence for the weekend. It was great to see many familiar creative faces at Craftland, including Kristin Crane (love her Etsy shop with travel journals), Kath Connolly (read her Craftland interview here) and Devienna Anggraini (jewelry designer extrordinaire of DA Metals). 

Carrie Wagner and Jim Ciancaglini

 Kristin Crane and Kath Connolly

Devienna Anggraini of DA Metals

There was so much to love at Craftland but I was definitely kitten smitten. I instantly gravitated toward Meredith Stern's original collages and prints. Meredith uses a variety of techniques (woodblock, linoleum, spray paint, collage) to create her mysterious masterpieces. Her bold colors, fantastical felines, and textured works were a feast for the eyes. Thanks to a trade with Meredith and a generous Christmas gift from my friend Grace, I am the proud owner of two of her pieces including Mutual Aid. Learn more about Meredith's creations and her many talents by visiting her website and Justseeds.

Meredith Stern's Paradise Lain collage

Another favorite of mine at the shop was a cat bowl from ceramicist Maddy Macedo. Can you say adorable? One part whimsical drawing plus one part brightly glazed stoneware equals the perfect combo. Maddy's shop Lucky Monkey also offers monkey pots (of course), fascinating heart sculptures, and ornaments. Lucky for you, you can find her work at Craftland and on Etsy! 

cat bowls by Lucky Monkey

While mixin' and minglin', my eyes instantly gravitted toward Jenine Bressner because of her stunning lampwork bead necklace. She was kind enough to let me hold the colorful piece and admire it up close. The mixed patterns, textures, and shapes were other-worldly and the construction was beautiful. In addition to glasswork, Jenine works in textiles and is starting to delve into chandelier making. Visit Janine's blog, Fireworks page, and Flickr page to see what she's up to next. Click here to see a cool clip of her showing Martha Stewart a thing or two about bead makin'.

Jenine Bressner 

You just cannot ignore a bear head walking around the room, especially if it's a crocheted head with handmade polymer teeth. Last summer, Thom and I were mesmerized by Huckleberry Desingore's handmade heads when we saw them at the MassMOCA gift shop. Once we spotted her at Craftland, we just knew she had to be the mastermind behind those beasts. Huckleberry makes wearable art that has been seen in print, on stage, and on happy customers. Her most exciting one yet? She got to present a crocheted Stan Lee head to Stan Lee himself! It doesn't get much cooler than that. Enter Huckleberry's world by visiting her Huck and Stuff website.

Huckleberry Designore

I was so excited to see my pieces set up at Craftland. Everything was beautifully displayed. At the show, I offered a variety of Thimblism necklaces and one of a kind pieces made from protractors, vintage toys, pinback buttons, buckles, and other found objects. I just found out that my jewelry will be offered at Craftland year round, so definitely swing by the next time you're in Providence. Check out their website and Facebook page for upcoming events, showings, and classes. It's really a magical place!

Twitch and Whiskers display at Craftland

pinback button necklaces

thimblism necklaces

What's new for Twitch and Whiskers in 2013? 

Saturday, February 9th - 4:00 - 7:00 pm - CT ArtList Pop-Up Exhibition - I'm excited to announce that my husband and I will be doing a show together for the first time! The opening will feature 14 local Connecticut artists, Thom's band Burnkit2600, and jewelry from Twitch and Whiskers. We hope to see you there!

I am in the process of applying to spring and summer shows and will post dates as soon as I have them. 

In the meantime, please contact me if you would like a custom order and visit my Etsy shop for new pieces each month.