Archive for November, 2010

Year of Popcorn

Published
by
robayre
on November 30, 2010
in General Update and life
. 2 Comments

December is here already! I swear, the last three months have gone by in a blink of an eye. When it was time to turn the calendar to November, I kept catching myself thinking it was the beginning of October again. Well, you know what they say… time flies while having fun.

Last weekend was my 5th annual gingerbread house making contest. There were 18 people there (I think) and 14 houses built. Boy, were there some amazing structures this year! The winner was a crazy spiral tower. I’m not so brave when building my gingerbread houses. I really go for the standard “Hansel and Gretel” type cottage each year. Click on the picture above to view the houses individually. Special note, my 9 month old nephew “made” his very own entry, the one that my brother said looks like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man threw up on. There was a castle with draw bridge, made by Alyssa and Wes, that had my vote. And my brother made an Edward Scissorhands themed scene, complete with animal trimmed hedges (animal crackers covered in frosting and green sugar).

The weekend before last was the Celebrity Scoop Benefit for my friend Nikki, downtown Naperville. We had a great time, and I even got to meet long time online friend Katie. She is such a sweat-heart for coming out to the event and bringing her super adorable son. It wasn’t until after she left that it even occurred to me that I should have introduced her to my friends and the star of the evening, Nikki. Doh, sorry Katie. We ate lots of yummy goodies and bought plenty delicious gourmet popcorn to take home. I’m actually pretty excited to have found a nearby location with such great popcorn. Did I mention I’m going through a popcorn phase. 2010 will probably be remembered as the year of popcorn. We bought several LARGE bags, jalapeno, cheddar, and caramel. I’ve been mixing the caramel and cheddar, mmmmm. Matt ate his entire bag of jalapeno in 2 days. TWO DAYS. This bag was probably 8 inches wide, and knee high or taller! Oh, and it wasn’t until after I bought the cheddar and caramel to mix together later at home, that I found they also carry a caramel cheddar popcorn. It’s not just caramel and cheddar popcorns mixed together, it’s caramel popcorn that is covered in cheddar. drool. Had to buy a small bag of that and it was gone in a heartbeat. Here is the popcorn place if you’d like to check them out, did I mention that it’s also a Haagen Dazs as well?  It was amazingly kind of them to host the event and donate a portion of sales to Nikki’s mounting medical bills. And here is Nikki’s Caring Bridges page once again, where she posted about the event.

Happy Thanksgiving

Published
by
robayre
on November 25, 2010
in General Update and life
. 1 Comment

A trip down memory lane: Here I am, circa 1982, at my kindergarten Thanksgiving Day party. I was Newly 5 years old. I remember my mom was supposed to be the room mother but my grandma was visiting so she came instead. That was very special to me. I also remember this picture being taken. My teacher, Ms. Heimerdinger, was calling us up one at a time to get our pictures taken in our pilgrim or Indian costumes. She called me up and then last minute Tim Lewis stepped in the shot. What a camera hog. I was pretty mad right after the picture was taken, but now it’s kind of cute. I wonder what happened to Tim. I always had to walk past his house on my way home and he and his little brother always wanted to get me to play fight with them. Little boys are a different creature than little girls.

Anyway, things to be thankful for:
polar fleece, the changing seasons, sunlight for the precious few hours we have it everyday, archway pfeffernusse cookies, cats that finally agree to cuddle once it gets cold outside, a boyfriend who waits patiently to pick me up from work, even when I’m running 10 minutes late, meeting an online friend for the first time, beautiful bits of paper, a clean kitchen, Michaels coupons, The Antique’s Roadshow, my family, my baby nephew who always has a smile for me, cheese popcorn, IRL and online friends who provide lots of inspiration, loads of kindness and plenty of laughs, my own studio, getting to sleep in, 4 day weekends, the enjoyment I get from being able to create something, Etsy for offering me an outlet for some of those things I create, the humor I find in accidentally watching disc 2 of the Godfather II, before realizing it was the second disc, then finishing it by watching disc 1.

I could go on and on, but it’s already 2 am and tomorrow is a big day. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Friday

Published
by
robayre
on November 19, 2010
in Artists, Cool Links and My Artwork
. 3 Comments

11.19.10 page 1

I am not going to lie. I LOVE having Fridays off. My hours were reduced 2 years ago, now. It was supposed to be a temporary thing (3 months) but the print industry is not doing well and it’s just remained permanent. The lost wages stink, but the emotional benefits have more than made up for it. Plus, because I feel like it’s borrowed time, I am always super productive. If only I could be as motivated the rest of the week.

This morning I made my Friday to-do list and I decided I would start the day out by making 3 page spreads in my little book. The first one above, I used only scraps of paper that were already on my work table.

11.19.10 page 2

11.19.10 page 3

This week I read three fabulous interviews with different artists. I keep coming back to things that were said, and so I figured I’d bookmark them here. I guess the thing that really stuck with me throughout all of these articles is the idea that you can support yourself doing what you love. Your passions and creativity can fill out life completely, in all areas. Anyway, please read and enjoy!

Summer Pierre has been running a weekly “Artist in the Nursery” series where she interviews Artists who balance parenthood and their creative work. This week she interviewed the Beerhorsts, a family from Michigan who live a very unique lifestyle. I’ve been following their various family flickr accounts since seeing their “Wonder Wagon” last fall. It was fascinating reading Summer’s article, and getting more of a glimpse into their history as well as day to day lives.

The next two interviews were from Design Sponge. The first is with Savannah artist Cedric Smith. I love his advice for other artists to think of themselves as a business. Please take a moment to read the rest of what he says and see his beautiful work.

And the final interview is with Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers. I am so inspired when I hear about other artists who have many areas of interest, as opposed to only focusing on painting, or only focusing on music. He does it all. Please check out this fantastic interview.

Okay, now back to the rest of Friday’s To-Do list! If I don’t post again before the end of the weekend, I just wanted to shout out one more time about the Celebrity Scoop Benefit for my dear friend Nikki on Sunday 4-8 at the Haagan Dazs downtown Naperville, IL. Here is the facebook page made for the event. Even if you can’t go, I’d be grateful if you could still spread the word to anyone in the area. Here is her Caring Bridges page. Oh, and she is a lovely photographer too, check out her flickr page here. Thank you again!

Grass & Stars Mini Zine No. 2

Published
by
robayre
on November 17, 2010
in etsy, General Update, Projects and shop update
. 1 Comment

I’m so excited to announce that I have finally finished my second issue of Grass & Stars. It’s still a mini zine, but not as small as the first teensie issue.

I’m thrilled with the final outcome. It has articles and artwork, as well as a comic and interview with a stranger. I’ll tell you, those last two parts are what kept me from getting this issue out much sooner. The comic is the third comic I’ve ever done and all of them have been part of a series called “How to…” The “interview a stranger” article is also supposed to be an on going article in Grass & Stars. I had the idea originally when I first wanted to make a zine, way back in high school. It’s something I know would definitely push me past my comfort zone because I’m not the type of person to talk to strangers, let alone ask them if I could interview them, take their picture AND publish it. It scared me so much, that I basically chickened out for the first issue and just interviewed myself, lol. When I finally did the interview for this new issue, the person was so sweet and kind. It was a great first interview and I’m sure they will get easier for me from now on out.

The zine is 16 pages long and has a limited edition run of 26 numbered books. The cover is a hand colored relief print. After 26 the originals are gone, further issues will be open-ended reproductions, so get one while they are available.

Oh, and I can cross this off my 2010 to-do list and this makes me very, very happy :D

The new zine is available in my Etsy shop now, and if you never picked up the first issue, that can be found there as well.

linky goodness

Published
by
robayre
on November 16, 2010
in Cool Links and Fun
. 1 Comment

I finally caught up on some big projects. I’m such a procrastinator and then I stress myself out because it always comes down to “crunch time”. My email inbox has been growing and growing and a good portion of those emails are ones I’ve sent to myself. I started a list a week or two ago, of all the things I wanted to do once I was all caught up. And so, in an attempt to catch up and finally enjoy some of my free time, I am going to go through a bunch of those emails and share links of some cool things I’ve come across recently.

I think I found this link through Apartment Therapy. It’s a tea towel calendar round up at thekitchn.  It prompted me to question the history of tea towel calendars. It’s a kitchen towel, it’s a calendar, it’s a towel calendar! I’m pretty sure my grandma used to have them, if not my own mother, but who had this idea first? and why? At any rate, I love the one above. It’s beautiful and I would love to have it hanging in my kitchen in 2011.

I always enjoy reading Modishblog and she has this fabulous series “Blogstars” where she interviews bloggers that she admires. I’m really digging it, especially the final question where she asks each blogger to name 3 blogstars of their own. I’ve been finding out about some really amazing blogs this way, including Miss Moss.

Miss Moss has a great assortment of art, fashion, decor, and vintage inspiration. I clicked on the link and immediately got sucked in. Next thing I new I had gone through 7 pages of archives. I highly recommend checking out this blog as well as all the other sites you will find through the Blogstars series.

CreatureComforts has put out this absolutely beautiful online magazine, Gifted, check it out. It will make you warm and fuzzy with its beautiful design and creative contents. I wish I had the ambition to create a polished magazine like that.

Check out this Paper Frames Tutorial via Design Sponge. Ahem, chalkboard paint, cough. ’nuff said.

and last but not least

I love the idea of this project “Dead Drops” that was shared by Swiss Miss. It’s a file sharing project by artist Aram Bartholl. He has installed USB drives in public places and invites people to plug in and download or share files of their own. I love the idea and makes me think of it as. It’s like a digital geocache, all the while commenting on file sharing. While file sharing sites are continually shut down, sites like this could remain up and in use forever. The big question is, what keeps someone from sharing their viruses? I will keep an eye on this project.

Robyn’s PSA

Published
by
robayre
on November 10, 2010
in Fun, General Update and life
. 2 Comments

I’ve mentioned my dear friend Nikki here before. She’s been fighting a rare form of cancer since 2007 and doing it with awesomosity. She’s such a strong, and beautiful person and I love her heaps. Along with all the treatments over these years, she’s been left with mounting medical bills. I’m so excited to share that another friend of ours, Kim, has arranged for a benefit to help raise some financial relief for Nikki.

nikki and I
Here is a picture of Nikki and I from this summer, at Millennium Park in Chicago.

If you live in the Chicagoland area, please visit the Haagen-Dazs/Popcorn Palace in Naperville, Sunday, November 21st between 4 and 8 p.m. Nikki will be helping scoop out ice cream and 15% of all the sales on ice cream, popcorn and coffee will go towards Nikki’s medical bills. This is a HUGE relief to her and I’d personally be grateful for your support. Even if you can’t attend, it would mean a lot to me if you could spread the word about this event to any and all that would listen.

Read more about Nikki, here, at her Caring Bridges page.

Confetti and Fireworks

Published
by
robayre
on November 9, 2010
in Fun and General Update
. 3 Comments

Gina Osterloh, Untitled (Turqoise Room #5)

When we were kids my brother used to talk about all the awesome rooms he’d have one day in his future mansion. He’d have a laser tag room, ball pit room, and a room with walls covered in velcro (you know, for the days you happen to be sporting your velcro suit). Of course, he was also kind enough to give all of us our own rooms in his mansion as well. When I recently saw the picture above, I was immediately reminded of my brother’s mansion. If I had my own mansion, it would definitely have a confetti room. Please, step into a room where confetti is continually falling and whirling around. Big chunky, brightly colored pieces of paper. Of course there would also be a continual loop of some happy party music.

The image above is part of an online art exhibition, and you can read more about it here.

Edit: I have to add this as a last minute edition to this post.

Mim just posted this music video to her blog and I feel like it just goes so perfectly with my idea of constant confetti falling. This music video is beautiful and I have to admit that this image of fireworks coming out of me will stay with me forever. I know I feel like that sometimes.

On My Desk

Published
by
robayre
on November 6, 2010
in General Update, life, My Artwork and Projects
. 2 Comments

Inspired by Rosa’s most recent post “On My Desk”, I’m posting some recent camera phone pics from my own work table in my studio.

Here’s a little sneak peek at Grass & Stars No. 2

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And some paper spiral stratum pendants.
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And I’ve been cutting out bajillions of envelopes in the last few days, for my repurposed envelope and stationery sets.
IMG_5068

I had an order for one of these button sets earlier this week, so I decided to make a whole bunch more. I got through them a lot because I personally wear them on everything, give them to friends and occasionally give one as an extra here or there in Etsy orders.

Circus!

Published
by
robayre
on November 3, 2010
in Cool Links, General Update and life
. 2 Comments

There are lots of stereotypical dreams that children have. As a child I never wanted a pony or pretended to be a bride, but what I did have was the idea that I could always run away and join the circus. Side note: the life of a hobo was also appealing. Interesting, especially coming from someone who has always lived within 20 minutes of the house she grew up in.

This month, every Wednesday for three weeks, PBS will be airing the documentary miniseries Circus. I have been SO-SO excited to watch this, ever since I caught the preview a month ago. I think you can download that free from itunes.  Tonight the first two episodes premiered and it did not let down. I watched both parts wholly captivated, sometimes with a big dumb grin, other times wiping away tears of fear and sadness.

The documentary focuses in on the cast and crew of Big Apple Circus, as they go from meeting and greeting to performing live shows on tour. From the premiere I was really drawn into two people’s stories Sarah, the tightrope walker and Glen the first season clown.  During this six part series, the cameras follow everyone from the founders to the labor workers and the all the talent in between.

After watching tonight’s episodes I have to ask, if you ran away to the circus what job would you take? Clown? Horse riding acrobat? Ring Leader? After tonight’s episode I think I might like a crack at trapeze. Once again I think it comes back to my childhood, and all the crazy acrobatics my brother and I used to perform on the bar, ring and swings on our swing set. That, and flying through the air just seems like fun, even if you don’t make your connection you get to land on a huge net.

Although the first two episodes premiered tonight, I’m sure that they will be replayed often this week, so please check it out.

Documenting the fall

Published
by
robayre
on November 2, 2010
in etsy, General Update, lists and My Artwork
. 1 Comment

In the last week Matt and I have been doing some rearranging. We moved our “living room” which was previously in the finished basement, up to the actual living room area. The office, which was previously in the “living room” is now in the finished basement. Matt’s brother and sister-in-law were so kind to give us their 61″ HDTV and there was no way we were carrying that down the stairs, so instead we just did a switch-a-roo. The reason they gave us their amazing HDTV was because they decided to upgrade to a 3D-HDTV! and it is amazing! I’ve never been too keen for 3D movies, but they had us watch a 3D Imax movie about the bottom of the ocean and it was the first time ever where I felt like things were actually coming out of the screen at me.

Then this weekend we carved pumpkins with our friends Tom and Nikki. It’s something we do every year.  I only have Matt and my pumpkins pictured here because the full group shot is on my other camera and I left that in my best friend’s car. My pumpkin is on the left. Usually I always carve the same pumpkin ever year, but this year I was inspired by this link from Martha Stewart via  The Dainty Squid.

Last week this painting arrived in the mail. It was actually a painting I made and sent out for a top secret project. I loved the finished product so much, and I was so afraid that it would end up getting lost or tossed and just unappreciated, so I was thrilled to have it back in my possession. It’s based on a collage that I shared earlier this year.

And lastly, today I made this Etsy treasury.

Please click on over and view it. I love all the pieces I featured and think they deserve some attention :)