String + Glue

Who knew that you could make these simple, beautiful bowls out of string and glue? I've started making these in all shapes and sizes, but my favorite so far is the vase that creates a perfect nest for my tranquil little air plant. There's something about the organic shape of these string bowls that fills me with a sense of peace. I'm sure that my friend Heather Melcer, a Feng Shui artist, could shed some light on that for me. 

Next steps are to try some subtle variations. I have some natural white string that I'd like to try out, as well as some different coiling techniques. I think it would be lovely to incorporate thread or maybe even paint for embellishment, while maintaining the natural aesthetic of the string. 

(Note to self: Wear gloves! My hands were super itchy from the fabric stiffener for days after making my first batch.)  

You gotta start somewhere

I have wanted to start a design/arts & crafts blog for 5 years. Yes, that's 5 YEARS, people! Well, today is the day. You gotta start somewhere. And this is my humble beginning.  

My creative passion entwines my two greatest loves – graphic design with tactile, hand-stitching and embroidery. Over the years I have struggled, mostly due to lack of time, to evolve and discover my own voice. But I feel that I'm on the cusp of something good. Something really, really good. I have butterflies in my stomach and it keeps me up at night, so that's how I know I'm on the right track.

For years I have dabbled in stitching as a hobby better known as "time spent relaxing from my day job." A year ago, I quit that day job and recently discovered the works of Evelin Kasikov, Jillian Tamaki, and  Emily Barletta. Holy smokes! I found my stitching soul mates. Finally, my connection between desire and creating the tangible has collided into the perfect storm.

I quickly went out and acquired watercolor paper and added to my already bulging thread collection. My very first series was a test of sorts . . . a shout out to Barletta's work and an experiment to see if it felt right. Well, the shoe fit. And now that I have that little test out of the way, I can't fall asleep at night because of the patterns, colors, materials, and techniques flying through my brain.

I look forward to using this blog as a way of recording my journey. Here are some images I captured during my test phase. My furry companion is named Lily, aka the Thread Thief. (Note to self: Never attempt punching hundreds of holes in watercolor paper without a thimble.)