studious reflection. a step into the [colorful] darkside.

Just look at all of the possibilities here! I know; I'm sick & twisted. And I've always reacted like this with fabrics, paint, beads, jewelry, art, architecture, books...

Yup, another proud geek moment.

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But, right, rambling. So the point was to show where I swerved onto a path of what I consider the darkside [albeit a colorful one]. I had originally intended for these groupings of fabrics to be become more of the 3-flower Rosalind necklaces...

ta-da! 

I play around with each fabric to see what folding technique works better each time. The fabric in the necklace above is a looser weave & made a nice, fluffier [technical term] flower vs. the fabric above which folds flatter & frankly looked boring. So I made a tighter fold & pinned the flowers on one of my portable idea boards [a couple of 6x6 cork tiles].

Peachy flower--okay, but didn't thrill me. The blues & greens with a tighter fold similar to ribbon flowers. I hadn't intentionally grouped the flowers together on the board like that at first, but when I saw what I had done...well, I tossed out the original idea to the wind.

I have a number of smaller sheer fabric books sitting around with nothing to use them for because of the paper backing on them.

The paper-free part of the fabric is too small really to work into flowers, but could work as the base to sew the flowers/adornments for a small bib.

 et voilà!

[okay, so this picture shows a piece of fabric from one of the larger sheer books I had. but you get the point I think!]

Then I back them with coordinating faux leather or faux suede [again, from recycled books from the office]. 

I have many colors to choose from above and beyond the pic above of my backings. Fun & creepy all at the same time, huh? 

That made the mini-bib another nice choice because I got to use up all of the grouped fabrics in one swoop [vs. 2 had I stuck with the original idea]. After working up these 2 though, I've decided to put these aside for now [like the bracelet]. There are too many bib-type necklaces on the web right now &, frankly, most of them are under priced. 

Okay, let's put it this way: 

•I break apart all of the old fabric books 
•separate & group out the fabrics

•cut out the fabric

•fold the fabric

•select the beads &/or buttons for the adornments [usually vintage]

•select/cut out the fabric for the backing

•place & hand-sew flowers into place

•place & hand-sew beads/adornments into place

•go back through to hand-secure flower edges into place

•hand-hem/tack down backing fabric

•prep the backing

•hand-sew the backing into place

•attach chain [which isn't store bought/ready-made]

•make necessary adjustments to length based on final weight, etc

•take photos/edit

•create listing/+whatever slight "marketing" I may do

Right, so the point of the little rant is this: there are a lot of super-inexpensive pieces on Etsy that tell me either 1) the designer spent no time on it & it's super-shoddy [& if there is hardly any description/ details, that's going to be my automatic assumption] or 2) is selling themselves short &/or competing with Wal-Mart when they're not selling Wal-Mart products.

Hmm, that turned into a rant too...

I guess what I'm trying to justify is that I've set this batch of fabrics aside momentarily until I crunch some numbers. I'm keeping the lilac/lavender one for me. I've listed the green & blue [which reminds me of the lush green foliage against the bright Spring sky] at a moderate price for now.When I bring the rest out, I plan on really figuring out accurately the amount of time I spend on one of these puppies from start to finish. At that point, the pricing will reflect that time because my goal is to one day do only this. 

I'm very lucky that I still work full-time with a good paying job, fabulous benefits & great people. Frankly, I'm very lucky because there have been a lot of designers let go in the Atlanta area this past year & a half. But I'd still love to be my own boss doing something that is so enjoyable to me & that comes so naturally. I don't sell myself short of the office & I refuse to sell myself short here either [especially if this is to be my only means of income & I'd be paying health insurance, etc].

Sorry, this is one of those topics that I'm VERY passionate about. My grandmother sold her wares for dirt cheap & barely supported herself once my grandfather passed. My mother would also sell her crafts that way & barely covered supplies. I also come from a VERY conservative family that typically undersells the women in general. I'm the first female in the main family core to graduate from college so it pains me to see women underestimate themselves.

I'll stop now because I may type on for hours about this otherwise. Not sure when I'll break the fabric back out [or the bracelet] because they don't work up as fast as I'd like & I have an overgrowth of books that I want to quickly [haha] work up. At least, as quick as a little thing called life will allow!

Seriously, I'm quitting for now! No further ranting on this post!

♥ -Kat.

new stuff @cardinalhouse.

Rosette necklace. 

coral orange recycled fabric flower & dyed mother-of-pearl shell beads.

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Rosa necklace.

tropical punch red recycled fabric flower with painted [not by me] wooden beads.

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Rosa necklace.

 red recycled fabric flower rose with painted [not by me] wooden beads.

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Rosa mini bib.

fresh spring green & blue rosettes with vintage bead & button adornments.

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These are all OOAK [one of a kind]. When they're gone, they're gone. Also, each of these include free US shipping. I'm tossing around some ideas to make that the norm, but I haven't been able to sit down to really crunch numbers. 

Expect to see a post in the next day or two regarding that mini-bib necklace. I have pic's from the early stages of it & plan on rambling some about how it evolved. I have a bunch of fabric groupings set aside to work on more of these, but they are time-consuming &, again, another thing to sit down & crunch numbers on. 

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'til next time

♥-Kat.

travel. ringling museum of art in sarasota, fl.

proud geek moment. 

Ringling [yes, as in circus-known Ringling] Museum of Art

Can you believe that this building almost didn't make it? And I'm not referring to hurricane-type destruction. The Ringling property underwent years of neglect under the hands of Florida government's care. A theater on the property was actually condemned in the 90's.  But after the estate's governance was handed over to the Florida State University in 2000, the estate is making a comeback. Funding for restoration was secured in 2007 & is open to the public daily now. Read more about the estate here.

So, I'm spotlighting the Ringling Museum because I came across an article on artdaily.org [article here] regarding the latest exhibition: 

Splendid Treasures of the Turkomen Tribes from Central Asia

The exhibit highlights how the nomadic tribes created these amazing pieces of jewelry essentially as portable wealth. I'm all gaga over the intricacy of the pieces; I think that they are absolutely splendid. I would love to be down there to check it out. 

As a believer in supporting the arts, I shouldn't advise this...but I noticed on the admissions/hours page that the museum claims free admission to the public on Mondays. I'd most definitely call beforehand to confirm if that's still true &/or if there are any specific stipulations.

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As a side note: 

I know that the High Museum of Art here in Atlanta also does a free admission day for Fulton county residents [1st Sat./every month...info here]....so I recommend that you check with your local museums about any such deals. 

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Enjoy!

♥ -Kat.

[images from respective website(s)]

studious reflection. how not to drown.

Hmm, so I've slacked here on the blog but I at least did not give you fence collection after fence collection...

Behind the scenes, it's been a mess. I have been slammed at the office [which is a good thing to be again]. Personal affairs have been a bit hectic. And I'm working up some new ideas.

I plan on posting more about the evolution of a couple of the designs because the end result was nothing like what I had originally intended. It's interesting how pieces can morph into something through the creative process. One of those results does make me feel as though I've turned to the dark side.

Bibs. Well, mini-ish bib necklaces. I didn't plan on doing them because I'm over them; they're everywhere. but the colors were soo pretty together. Even now I'm thinking I might try out the rest of the fabric groupings & experiment with the other style I came out with just to not do them [the bibs]. I'll save the rest of this rant for the actual post & would love to hear what you think...

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That's all for now. I'm heading back to the studio to work on some more flowers & watch some Sopranos.

♥-Kat.

{giveaway} want to win a necklace?

Happy Friday! 

I'm teamed up with Sarah-Paige at The Candid Reviewer for a giveaway of one of my Rosa Statement necklaces [you get to pick out which one--woohoo]! Check out her post about it here for all of the details. Closes April 20th at midnight.

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Bonne chance!!

[good luck]

♥ -Kat.

studious reflection. bubble deflated.

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I'm a bundle of mixed feelings at the moment. I just sent off an email confirming that I will NOT be participating in a Spring handmade market [hosted by The Paisley Farmhouse] on May 1st. I was sent a personal invite a couple weeks ago [big ego boost, yea & thank you] & have been going back & forth. 

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I've recently decided that I'm ready to try out some shows again, but don't have ANY of the basic show needs. No tent, no tables, no shelves/props...no displays, capito [=s understood]? Niente. Now I have researched some of the basics & could order /ship to arrive before the show...but the perfectionist in me has been in constant temper tantrum mode. 

And I'm beyond stressed with so many things at the moment that I had to put myself in check. I know that they also do a show in the fall, so perhaps that will be a better time for me if I'm not prepared to do other shows before then.

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Last week was Spring Break for my boy, then this Monday he was sent home from school with "pink eye". For those of you not here in Atlanta...every parking lot & car in the area is currently chartreuse. Pollen EVERYWHERE. But it's only affecting one eye & that's indicative of pink eye. May the young[er]-at-heart brat in me scream "Whatever!". We did the regimen of antibiotic eye drops & the laundry & the washing & the laundry. Sure, the eyes were a bit clearer, but slow go. 

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Tuesday morning. Both eyes bloodshot. School was very strict that he couldn't come back in until he was bright-eyed & bushy tailed [you get the point]. So after a conversation with one of the partners [my boss], it was brought up that perhaps just some good ol' Visine might just do the trick. Later that morning, Alex & I trekked out to pick up some Visine focused on allergies [obviously okay for his age too--do not use this rant as an excuse]. I planned on substituting one of the eyedrop rounds with the basic stuff merely to humor me & my cynicism. 

Okay, so we found some, bought it, came back home.

Have I mentioned that I live right by water? Well, now that everything is in bloom, I can barely see the water. So instead of a view of water past the walkway to the door, we have a thick coating of pollen absolutey everywhere. And do you know what my lovely son did as we approached the front door on his 2nd day off of school for pink eye [remember, a whole week before that for Spring Break]? My sweet little darling takes his index & middle finger of his right hand a wipes off a nice, thick coating of pollen from the rail & says, "Look, Mom!"

Count to ten. [or shoot me]...ugh. We had a mother & son discussion promptly after he cleaned up. Oh, & the non-prescription eye drops for allergies cleared his eyes right up. Count to ten [do not scream at the school nurse, doctor...as long as he can go back to school & me, work...all is well]. 

So he made it in this morning just in time for the first of three days of CRCT testing. His first standardized test. Imagine a room of nearly 20 six & seven year-old's required to sit down quietly to take a test for 2 hours straight [for 3 days in a row]. Teaching should be one of the highest paying careers out there, period. Alex would've had to re-take the test with a possible unknown teacher if he had missed today. phew...

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I'm off to finish up a couple more things!

Enjoy.

♥ -Kat.

studious reflection. i stand corrected.

After all of the ranting about not doing these flowers as single pendants because it just wouldn't work, well, as you can see above I was apparently wrong. [inserts foot into mouth] I stand corrected. I can make these as single pendants so let me rephrase it: I just don't like them.

~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~

I'm simply odd. Me, personally, I wouldn't wear this version. However, I'm fairly certain that it would appeal to others. It takes all kinds to make the world go 'round, what can I say type.

~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

I haven't finalized the details about it. Literally, I just finished sewing this puppy up, made up the chain & took pictures [they're awful, must retake with non-setting sun]. However, I know this would be another lower price point necklace for shows [yes, Etsy too].

~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~

Would love to hear your thoughts!

♥ -Kat.

studious reflection. Rosa ribbon chokers.

Another short-term goal of mine is getting back into arts/crafts shows. I haven't done these since my grandmother was alive & am negotiating terms with my personal helper, Mr. J.D.[um, & Alex too]. Eh, that doesn't matter. There are a number of things that need to be done & I'm staring at a deadline by the end of this week for a show on May 1st that I was asked to do [yikes].

~~~~~~~~~

One of my obstacles was a lower price-point necklace for starters. Starting off, I will not be able to take credit cards [I've been researching that, but won't go for it until I know I will be doing shows regularly-ish]. And spenders of cash are not so plentiful as they used to be & items over $25 don't sell quite so well in those circumstances. So, I've worked some ribbon choker necklaces up this weekend that I'm selling for $15. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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At first, I was just going to let it tie in a bow & sell for perhaps $10...but strange thing is that the easier you try to make it, the more difficult it becomes. To me, I like just tying it because I'd play around & experiment...but not everyone is like that & it could come off as unfinished to the general public. 

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So ultimately, I did decide on finishing the necklace at 14" [choker length] with a 2" extension [because we're not all the same!]. I figure that this is the no brainer approach & no need to show pictures of the different ways you could wear it...

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However, I did allow for the flower to be able to slide along the ribbon so you can wear it slightly to the side [which is my preference], or right down the middle.

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These guys are not meant to be worn loose. I maintain that I just don't think these guys look right as a single pendant look. And maybe that's something that I need to get over & make for my symmetrically inclined friends, but I'm at a wall with that subject. Update: I got over it & made a prototype of the single pendant: see it here.

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A single pendant variation most definitely doesn't work for the ribbons or suede lacing due to weight. They looked better when worn closer to the neck [ahem, a la choker style].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd love to know your thoughts about these guys. This style is something I could make up a number in the next couple of weeks for the show. Lend me your comments, please...are these a waste of time or are they a decent bet for shows & more Etsy business?

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Thanks!!!

♥ -Kat.

sunday treats. blackened salmon & caramelized pineapple dessert

[image found here by Hallie Burton on Real Simple]

Yum. I wish I had taken a picture before we all devoured dinner tonight. Part of my Spring cleaning resolution involves my collection of recipe clippings. I've made a Springtime resolution that I will really work on testing out those specific recipes & skim out the duds. Lucky me has 3 males that are willing guinea pigs for all of this testing. Alex [kiddie age group], Mr J.D. [30's] & Jer [20 mark] all thought that tonight's dinner was a keeper.

Well, tonight's recipes from the April issue of Real Simple magazine were not duds. Blackened Salmon With Broccoli Rabe and Raisins. I type Yum again. This recipe helps with my pact of eating less carbs [which is sooo hard for a full-on starch--pasta, bread, potato--girl such as me]. While I'm not any where near a big girl--I still fit in some clothes from high school [it's more a matter of style difference from that time]--I'm not getting any younger either. Plus, if any of you have had surgery like me [you know, the kind that ends up splitting most of your stomach muscles...ugh], then you perhaps understand how hard it is to get back to that lovely flat[ter] stomach you once had.

Right, rambling. So, I'm trying to eat less carbs & thought that this recipe for blackened salmon & broccoli rabe sounded great. When I first try out a recipe, I tend to go along with as written. Generally I make my "to adjust" notes afterward & plan to try again later. Not needed for this recipe. Salmon came out great. Okay, I added a few cranks of pepper to the salmon along with the Cajun seasonings...but otherwise, I followed along as is. Well, I was out early this morning & didn't go out to Trader Joe's or Harry's [Whole Foods Market]...so Wally World & Kroger's both didn't carry broccoli rabe, so I just used with brocolli crowns because el kiddo loves his broccoli.

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For dessert we had [from the same issue], Caramelized Pineapple With Coconut Sorbet. 

[image found here by Jonny Valiant on Real Simple]

Again, I followed the recipe spot on & it was yummy. I recommend keeping the serving size small as shown because a little does go a long way. Well, at least I didn't include bread/rolls with dinner...I indulged, so sue me! FYI: I bought the pineapple coconut sorbetto from Kroger's Private Selection.

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Enjoy!

♥- Kat.

studious reflection. oh, there's my desk.

I'll keep this short & sweet because I have a date to watch Sherlock Holmes again. Well, I fell asleep about 20 minutes into it the other night [simply because I was beyond exhausted & felt not so great]. We'll see how tonight pans out.

~~~~~~~~~

Today was a good day. I managed to get relatively caught back up at work.After listening to the wild tales of laser tag during the car ride home [Spring break travel camp], I managed to get loads of work done at the house. Dishes, multiple loads of laundry, vacuumed all over, general clean up, polished the dining table, finally hung up my map boards/art project [will show + tell another day], dropped off books at the library...well, you get my point. Mucho accomplished.

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So for now I'm shutting down the computer, turning off the lights, having a drink, relaxing & will attempt the movie again.

♥-Kat.

this is a round-up. slacker catch-up time.

I know that I actually accomplished quite a bit over the weekend. It's just that I don't remember exactly what that was. I do know that my personal email is out of control again...

[yikes] 

~~~~~~~~~

So fewer pictures & brief descriptions of très cool finds. Again, no fences I promise!

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• Woven vinyl iPhone case [tweed-y look...love it!] from the Apple store found here
• Eddie Izzard's voice for your Tom Tom app found here [one of my absolute favorites for -oh,dear- over a decade now]
• Villy Custom bike [as in bicycle] online shop / gallery found here [want pink, green, blue, etc tires? they have them!]
• 31 kid's themed cake ideas found here [personal fav's are the pirate ship cake & purse cake]
• Very sweet felt lamb pillow tutorial found here [on the purl bee blog]
• "Teahead Scraps" solo art exhibition from Ric Ocasek [you know, The Cars...Shake It Up, Tonight She Comes, Drive...I love 80's music--no apologies] on display at Cinders Gallery 'til April 25th (Brooklyn)

[pic from Cinders Gallery blog - here]

 Yes! [why yes, I have them loaded to playlists & just cranked them on] 

• Free vintage stamps download here from Stampington & Company.
• For those that might be interested: Roman ceiling partially collapses -article here [Nero's Golden Palace...approx. 2000 yrd-old].
• Haha, check out these foot long sub cupcakes here from Desserts magazine!
• Recent post here from decor8 blog regarding Samantha Robinson ceramics studio tour...check out the bowls that look like abstract watermelons!
• huh...I didn't realize the Mayan pyramid site Chichen Itza was privately owned [well, that is until Mexican government purchased it 3/29/10]. That would've made for an interesting debate when I was foused on Latin American Studies at Flagler...oh, well. Article here.
• This cracked me up! Firemen with...dolls. What great sports to pose for Mimi. Blog post here.
• Arcade cabinet for your iPad here
• Fun photo here of cowboy riding bunny atop uncommon goods store in Austin, TX by Jesse Kalisher
• Got salt? All kinds of très chic salts from across the globe. Somehow, I don't think a salt sampling party has the same effect of wine/cheese/honey/olive oil samplings...
• Horses on the brains as Atlanta Steeplechase is only a couple weeks away...polo player blanket [from blanket & quite chère @ $795, phew..wool/cashmere blend, but still...]
• Yes! While on the 80's trip...I read about this, but this article at Habitually Chic blog ties it in great with the movie. The replica Ferrari 250GT Spyder California from Ferris Bueller's Day Off [Bueller...Bueller...] will be auctioned off on April 19th in London.
• Author Neil Gaiman [love] is the 2010 Honorary Chair of National Library Week [April 11-17]. Article here.
• Colorful sparrow bird bag clips from MoMA.

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Well, that's better. For those of you not cursing my name & still with me, bless you! I really did try not to ramble too much this post.

Enough for now!

♥-Kat.

studious reflection. excuse me, when is nap time?

No more fences for a while, I promise! I've been slammed in all facets lately [work, family, ch biz] & not sure which image I relate to more:

OR

Even my music I'm listening to is a bit helter-skelter: Interpol & Julie London is on my playlist. Not exactly in the same genre, but it works for me right now.

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 I actually have many pictures to upload: oddball houses, recent bazaar at Kennesaw State University [hey, I even have a short video of the fabulous music too].....

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Ohh, one of my necklaces will be given away next week on The Candid Reviewer. I'll give out more details soon.

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Hope you had a great Easter!

♥-Kat.

this is a round-up. fence series. autumn.

T

Top row: Autumn Path by tomasino. $39.99; Church Fence by orbphoto. $35; personalized Autumn Fence by nameyourwishimages. $28.

Middle row: Hobble Creek notecard by caiobentley. $3.50; Ohio Urban Fall by mollysteinwald. $15; The Fence Line by JustSimpleArt. $25.

Bottom row: After the Rain by JMcGuinness. $15; Fall Tree with White Fence by lnztull03. $85; Fall Trees by bluebarnprinting. $65.

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[all images from respective links]

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Enjoy!

♥ -Kat.

this is a round-up. fence series. mist.

Top row: Shrouded by LFBPhotography. $15; Edge of the Crater by PoSHGallery. $30.

Bottom row: Cloud Forest Trail by BlondeBandit. $55; Further down the line by HOOFPRINTSPHOTOS. $10.

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[all images from respective links]

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Enjoy!

♥ -Kat.

this is a round-up. fence series. lush country.

T

Top row: All roads lead to by AngelArtPhotography. $40; Wildwood Rustic Gate by DryadsRest. $100; Around the Bend by JamesSimkins. $2.

Bottom row: Bartram's Garden Fence by allisonostertag $15; What Was Once Seen by TimeCaptured. $30; Fence Line by lynnieboodles. $25.

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[all images from respective links]

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Enjoy!

♥ -Kat.

this is a round-up. fence series. barbed.

Top row: Don't Fence Me In candle holders by AuracaunaDesigns. $45; The Olde West by ReddishGallery. $30; Captive by judemcconkey. $30.

Bottom row: big sur california by cherryblossomsgarden. $15; Keep Out by thechicagophoto. $95; Rusted Barbed Wire by juliebrzez. $20.

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[all images from respective links]

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Enjoy!

♥ -Kat.