two kitties

Things I am sick of....

1) Letterpress stationery. It used to be special - now it seems like it is absolutely everywhere.

2) W Magazine's endless fascination with the Jolie-Pitt-Aniston fiasco.

3) Novels about writers writing novels. Like The Good Husband or A Family Daughter. Writing made up of too many fragmentary details, too many detailed details. Whenever I read a paragraph about an imaginary novelist meeting their imaginary publicist for lunch,or the struggle said imaginary author is having while coming up with a new book idea...

4) Holocaust movies. The best, and last, movie you should ever see about the Holocaust is a Dutch film called "Black Book."  The director captured the moral complexity and ambivalence of ordinary citizens. This is the movie Tom Cruise ripped off for Valkyrie. He tried to make up for it by giving the same actors parts in his film, but it doesn't make Valkyrie the better movie.

5) The environment of manufactured perfection on some craft blogs. It's all rough and tumble here at Two Kitties. Sweatpants and spray paint and we're cranky until noon.

What are you tired of?

A Winter Afternoon in Montana

We decided to take the weekend off and fly back to Montana for some R & R. The two kitties love to fly and always make the trip with us.

 

We took a new route, leaving Redmond, Oregon heading first to Dillon, Montana to avoid some clouds. Just a little bit of white in the high desert near Prineville, Oregon.

As we came closer to Montana,  the clouds parted and we decided to reroute up the Swan Valley toward Kalispell. It was a beautiful trip and saved us an hour.

We passed over beautiful pine forests made almost black and white by the thick snow cover. I loved flying over the Swan River.

It's always nice to come back here after time away but there was plenty of heavy, wet snow waiting for us.

I hitched a ride on Mike's tractor down to the house. Not strictly necessary - I could have walked - but its more exciting when you have to balance on one leg and squeeze someone's head to take a photo than if you don't.

Not our best photo, but a 10 out of 10 for the gymnastics it required. Lots of snow cupcakes on top of the posts down at the house.

I'm enjoying the winter views of the lake.

There is plenty to catch up here, and lots of work I need to do, but I've had the flu for almost two weeks. I think, just for one day, I'm just going to settle into my big chair with the kitties and read. I want to finish one of the books that has been on my nightstand.

 

What do you have planned today?

Decorating with Birds: Ideas from Martha Stewart Living.

I love birds. This idea, created by James Dunlinson, Fritz Karch and Quy Nguyen at Martha Stewart Living is something I think I can actually pull off at home. Or some version of it anyway.

A couple of years ago - for a separate, failed effort to duplicate a Martha - I purchased a set of vintage bird books on ebay. I do put them on display in my Montana kitchen but I don't feel like the images are really showing their best the way I have them arranged. I can imagine these on the entry table just inside my front door.

When I go back home in a few weeks, I will go out hunting in Montana antique stores for old jars. I see them often and those without lids are almost free. If I scan and print the bird plates on mulberry paper, this will protect the originals from fingers and from the curve of the jars. I have come across the glass moon glow eggs everywhere but never know what to do with them. Now I know!

Ugly Marc Jacobs Sandals

This blog is a little bit of everything - a little art, a little craft, a little fashion. I've been thinking about a SHOE category - but it wasn't until I saw these that I realized how truly needed the SHOE category might be. The  Marc Jacobs' sandals (above) are a NO. Do not wear these.  I cannot imagine an outfit - unless it was an outfit designed by Stevie Nicks - that would make this shoe an appropriate or attractive choice. It's like Grapes of Wrath on crack. Do NOT buy the Forever 21 knock offs:

Your calves and ankles will look like ham hocks all trussed up and ready for Sunday dinner. Are we clear?

Vintage Vogue - 1948 Adrian Coat.

1948 Vogue, originally uploaded by myvintagevogue.

The inner me wears an opera coat each and every day. I actually have a small collection of evening coats that I started immediately after 9/11. It seemed like a reasonable enough response at the time.

This is a 1948 Adrian coat made of Raymond-Holland satin. The photograph is by Horst.

It's Art, but Is It A Living?: Kellyisawesome on Etsy

My friend Kelly is selling these original chicken drawings in her etsy shop, Kellyisawesome. They are pretty awesome. 

Old Teenage Hopes

IMG_0739, originally uploaded by mistola27.

I've been listening to Feist lately. I like the lyrics to the song, 1,2,3,4.

When I was a teenager, I thought a lot about running away. I didn't imagine a more exciting life, I imagined a life that was calm, quiet, and stable.

The scenario depended on the miracle arrival of a tiny lakeside cottage and an old VW Beetle convertible. Nothing much happened once I got there. It was just a place I imagined as peaceful and happy, where I could be myself.

Then I imagined that when I fell in love, me and he would just sit by the fire with our various animals, cook wonderful dinners and read books together.

What did you hope for when you were a teenager?

The Underminer by Mike Albo

Do you have any of these people in your life? Sadly, I do.

Contemporary Fiber Art - Aude Franjou

French fiber artist Aude Franjou's organic forms are made of hemp fiber wrapped with linen threads. Franjou studied tapestry and for her, it is the constant movement of the hands during the creation of this work that animates these "vegetable" forms. The photos on her website are amazing.

Ignite Bend: How to Prepare for the Karmic Paybacks of Social Media by Heidi Rettig

We had a great time tonight at Ignite Bend. Thanks to Pinnacle Media, we have video of every presentation at this wonderful event. My presentation, How to Prepare for the Karmic Paybacks of Social Media, comes in at about 38:15 - you can fast forward by dragging the bar on the lower left hand side of the menu.

Live streaming video by Ustream

Michael Traister's Sock Monkey Dream

Photographer Michael Traister created this homage to Henri Rousseau's painting, The Dream:

The Nelson Knitting Mills in Rockford, Illinois began producing the red socks in the 1880s. The first [known] sock monkeys debuted in the 1940s and remain a cultural phenomenon. A dizzying array of sock monkey information and patterns can be found at SuperSockMonkey.com 

If you have time, check out Rebecca Yaker's sock monkey gown (to order). Also worth noting on that page, is Yaker's western shirt made entirely of fruit roll-ups. But that's another post.

Easy Digital Photo Craft Project.

For Valentine's Day, I made a photo wall in Mike's office that capture some of his favorite memories of Montana. I came across the idea in the book, PhotoCraft.

It was simple and easy to do. I went to a discount store and bought a packet of slim, empty CD jewel case and a yard of sticky back velcro tape. I printed 5 x7's on the photo printing machine then trimmed them up and assembled the look in one evening. Total cost? About $15.

The jewel cases and velcro make it quick and easy to change the photos or re-arrange them. A perfect gift for anyone in your life - just choose some meaningful photos and go for it!

Recycled Felt Sweater Pigs

I just put a litter of recycled sweater pigs in my etsy shop. Go check them out!

Valentine (and ANTI-Valentine) projects for the last minute crafter.

Oddly enough, today's Valentine inspiration was cobbled together from various posts on Twitter this week.

I follow @Jesus_ on Twitter. Now, obviously, he's not the *real* Jesus, but his "tweets" are kind of interesting. Today, he wrote: Prov 14:13 “Even in laughter the heart may be in pain…” It's Valentine's Day. Take some time to offer a loving expression to others."  That inspired me.

Twitter buddy Rebecca Shapiro was on TV the other day making these fabulous valentine hearts from felted sweaters. They are so quick and easy to make I bet you can whip up a few of them before your big date tonight. The "how-to" video and patterns for the hearts can be found here.

Suffered a recent breakup? Feeling kinda Anti-V-Day? Shred those old love letters and turn them into seed paper to plant in your garden this spring. OR, you could make THIS.

And, how about this quote from Richard Scarry? "If I write a letter to someone I love, someone I love may write a letter to me." Think back to the last time you received a hand-written personal letter - pretty rare these days. Why not send one to someone you care for? All it takes is a pen and a piece of paper. It doesn't matter if its late, it really, really doesn't. Really, really.

Flame Point Siamese in the Sunshine

When things get stressful, I like to watch my White Kitty sleep. He leads a simple, grateful life.

How to Knit a House for Your Hamster

Crack two kitties reader Jamie spotted this beauty yesterday in the New York Times. You must be as stunned as I was when I first saw the photo.

You can find this hamster house pattern, along with dozens of other fabulous, simple projects in the new book, Pet Projects, The Animal Knits Bible. 

According to the article, the hamster lived in the house for a day. And then he ate it.

Recycled Felt Sweater Pig

Some time ago I figured out that whenever I'm really stressed about something - I sew. Stuffed animals, specifically. There was my sheep period.  And my rabbit period. And a scattering of other species that you can check out in the "Needles" category.

M. went back to Montana last weekend but I stayed here, at least in theory, to catch up on things on my desk. But how could I help myself? All my felted sweaters are here.

I'd been wanting to try a new bamboo fiber stuffing I saw at Joann Fabrics. I loved the bamboo - 12 ounces for $12.99 - it was like putting your hand into a cloud.

Welding/Metal Art Class

Mike and I enrolled in a welding and metal art class at the local community college this semester. This is something we can do together that challenges us both in new ways. The space looks totally different than the painting or fiber studios where I have spent most of my creative time.

 

During the first half hour, all I thought about was how badly I wanted to be holding a needle. Everyone else seems to have clear ideas about what they want to accomplish, and a good idea about how to go about it. I'm completely clueless. Mike is a natural - not a surprise if you know him personally. He set to work right away on his project.

Other folk were well on their way. These ladies are working on the cover for an outdoor light. They cut shapes of fish into it with a torch and are now welding on legs so that it can stand in a garden.

I brought a bag full of old house numbers and some steel rods that I've been collecting. My plan was to weld the number to the top of the rod and "plant" these numbers in the woods along the path to my art studio.

In the first five minutes, I learned that 1) welding might annihilate the thin metal numbers and 2) there were no brazing rods in this poorly supplied high school classroom. Since I had spent the weekend sewing stuffed pigs instead of going to the junkyard, I had three hours ahead with no other project supplies to work on.

Mike quickly swooped in and gave me assignments. I beveled the edge of his steel bars on this sander thing-y.

And, besides the photos for this blog post, smoothing out the edges of these bars is pretty much the sum and total of what I managed to accomplish in my first three hours in metal studio. A junk yard trip is on the top of our list this weekend.

How to Make Costumes for the Stage

Everyone at The PlayGround Theatre is working hard getting the new play ready for the spring premiere. I came across this short video from Threadbanger that explains how costumes are made for the Broadway stage. You can see some of the sketches by set designers at The PlayGround Theatre here. 

What a difference the day makes....

I re-made this needle book, the buttons just didn't do it for me. Now he's a simple sheep, with a pin cushion head.

This time I took the photos in daylight. They aren't perfect, but I'm a lot happier.

The next time I feel flush with cash, I think I'll invest in a photography setup for products.

Ray Materson Prison Sock Embroidery

This weekend I've been reading God of the Rodeo: The Quest for Redemption in Louisiana's Angola Prison. It is a kind of ethnography. Journalist Daniel Bergner was granted unusual access to inmates by Warden Cain and delivers a candid anthropology of this prison community rich with thick description:

"..his short, wiry body was covered with tattoos. The spiderweb was among the smallest. An animal half lion and half monster, with a mane of fire, occupied most of his back. A viking dominated his chest, a helmeted woman his shoulder. From hip to hip across the bottom of his back, in fancy calligraphy, a tattoo read: LOUISIANA CRACKER.

For each of these he had paid a convict artist to burn a plastic canister, usually of Speed Stick, with a paper bag held over the plastic to catch the rising soot. Scraped from the paper, the soot was mixed with toothpaste and water to make the ink. A steel guitar string was threaded through an empty pen shaft. The artist rigged a tiny motor, taken from a cassette player, to jab the steel string thousands and thousands of times into Cook's skin.."

How to make something from nothing. The tenacity of the Angola tattoo artist reminded me of this piece, installed in a show I saw at the American Visionary Art Museum a few years ago.

The artist, Ray Materson, learned to embroider while he was serving time for a felony drug conviction. He rigged an embroidery hoop from the top of an old plastic tub and stitched with hypodermic needles scored from the prison drug trade. Materson unraveled socks to make thread and swapped with other prisoners for needed colors.

Using this steam punk assembly of tools, Materson spent his 15 years in jail embroidering tiny illustrations of his life story. The photograph doesn't capture the mastery of the work. Each piece is tiny - 2" x 2", 1200 stitches per square inch. Flawless; precise.