Classic black & white patterns with bits of saturated color, neutrals & natural wood quite strike my fancy.
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| from here |
from here
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| from here |
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| from here |
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| from here |
November 30, 2010
November 29, 2010
these hills
These hills & the little valley south of us are teeming with talent, people living interesting lives & making equally interesting & beautiful things.
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| above photos from here |
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| above photos by me |
I had the good fortune of seeing ceramic artist Rachel K. Garceau's beautiful & haunting piece, I couldn't hear a word you said, at her studio space in Greenfield, Massachusetts in February of this year. Based on conversations she had with a woman who is experiencing Alzheimer's, Rachel created this work by stamping out pieces of remembered conversation onto a sheet of clay, then cutting it into pieces & stringing it about the room, effectively capturing the fleetingness of speech & memory in a most poetic way.
Her window shadow cups are another favorite of mine - brilliant.
And that's just the tip of the iceburg. Not only is Rachel one of the nicest & most stylish of people, she is also a dynamo who always seems to be creating & coming up with new ideas. Having just returned from a month-long stay in Denmark, where she now has a piece in the permanent collection of the vendsyssel kunstmuseum in hjørring, I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I feel so lucky to know her!
holiday goodness
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, the beginning of a long, festive & filling season. This pie was a big hit at our house, so I wanted to share it with you.
maple pumpkin pie with a whole wheat walnut crust
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 Tbsp sweet cream butter
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, ground fine
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin, or 1 15 oz. can or jar of pumpkin
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk
prepare the crust
cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the ground walnuts. Add the egg & mix until it becomes a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least one hour.
When dough has chilled, roll out on a lightly floured surface & use it to line a 9-inch glass pie plate. Prick the pastry & bake it for 10 minutes in a 400ºF oven. Remove & let cool. Turn the oven up to 425º.
prepare the custard
beat together the pumpkin, maple syrup, eggs, fresh ginger & spices until well combined. Mix in the milk.
assemble the pie
pour the pumpkin mixture into the pre-baked pie shell. Bake at 425º for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 350º & bake for 30 more minutes until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Wonderful alone, or serve with fresh whipped cream or a really nice vanilla ice cream. Walpole Creamery Sweet Cream ice cream is divine.
November 28, 2010
new color and designs
a few new scrimshaw pendant designs, these made with sepia ink & strung on copper chains
November 24, 2010
happy weekend
& happy thanksgiving to all of those in the U.S.!
I am thankful for all of you... cheers!
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| don't know who took this - let me know if you do - I would love to give proper credit! |
I hope you have at least a fraction as much fun as these people.
in the details
Birgit Püve's photographic series By The Lake depicts the lives of people who live on Peipsi, a body of water that now divides Estonia & Russia. The diptychs show portraits of people in their homes with a simple photo of wallpaper or an object, creating a moving artifact that speaks volumes.
via here
November 23, 2010
this is beautiful
November 21, 2010
present & future
a few new things...
& more designs to be added, including some in sepia ink with pretty copper chains
made some headway on my knitting project.
a productive weekend!
November 19, 2010
happy weekend
A dear friend of mine should be having her baby any day (minute!!!) now, so I am on the edge of my seat waiting for word that he has arrived... I must put my nose to the grindstone & finish knitting the sweet little gift that I have been working on for her new boy. I've also been working on restocking my shop with new scrimshaw pieces that presently exist only in my sketchbook, as well as exploring books & sites to find new, creative ways to use the oodles of delicious apples we have in cold storage. Any suggestions? Have a swell weekend - what are your plans?
borrowing from the boys
The tailoring & fabric of classic menswear works so well for women, creating an undeniably sexy yet refined, classic look. Smart, strong & gorgeous.
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| R. Mapplethorpe |
November 18, 2010
cut it out
I love these deep black cutouts, made from very different materials for equally different applications. The rich depth of detail & the shadows cast stand out so nicely against the high contrast of a white wall.
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