A different kind of beauty...

Today I'm picking up my 16 year old niece Marion

and my 13 year old nephew Hugo

who are coming to visit for two weeks. First time on their own (without their parents) and for Hugo, actually first time in the United States...  I feel I can say this because they aren't mine (i.e. I didn't make them - so that's no gloating..)  but:  aren't they gorgeous?!

I have no clue what it is like to take care of two teenagers but I'm sooooooo excited..  Trying to plan as many "American  things" to do as possible - and realizing that we actually don't do many of those things usually.. despite having been here for around 20 years (am I dating myself here?)..  Any suggestions (beside baseball...)?

Tried to fill up the fridge with American food too - I hear they eat!

Have a great week end everyone.

From Denim to Hyperventilation...

Ok, indigo lovers.. get ready to gasp... This Denim exhibition seems to die for:

All above work by Julie Floersch

Renilde De Peuter from At Swim Two Birds

Nigerian Adgaba (robe)

Cyanometer via Denim 

Need I say more? Visit the exhibition website here, it looks like they keep updating it with the artists in the show and that have great information about these Nigerian cloths.. It's at Mr Kitly in Brunswick, Australia - anyone has a private jet? I'm in.

Found through the delightful At Swim Two Birds blog (Renilde De Peuter's, who has a piece in that show).

Have I shown you my patio yet?

via CarrieCan

Ok, fine, that's not mine, but that's what I would have if I had the view.. and the space... Still, I'm thankful for our tiny one, which is more like this (I don't think their sofa would fit):

A lot of plants suffered from the last heat wave but they'll be back.. we hope :)

And I added some clutches in the Stitch and Tickle store - let me know what you think:

Just because... Weaving by Brooke from Newov.com

I don't know much about the artist but the work speaks for itself..  From the website: "I like using silks of two different weights for the warp to create depth and movement. Or use a sticky, slubby silk for the warp and contrast it with soft, uneven handspun alpaca for the weft. Every part of weaving, from preparing the loom to finally sitting down and throwing the shuttle, is a meditative act. Threads interact, weaving their own story as the fabric is created. I anticipate taking the work off the loom and gathering it in my hands, watching how the materials play, fold and move."

Visit Newov for more images.

Doing our share...

What a week.. It seems that the stars are in major need of realignment, between Lucian Freud's passing(which, after consideration, seems the least disturbing of all events considering his age), Amy Winehouse's death,

the state of famine finally declared/recognized in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, the shooting in Norway, all that while here we can't seem to be able to reach any consensus on the debt crisis...

It seems like we all need to put something good out there to counterbalance the mess and make next week a better one.. So let's do our share:  make art, give something, do something nice for someone, and be thankful..

With a Little Help from Our Friends - Atlantic Works Gallery in East Boston

I'm excited to have been invited by the fantastic East Boston artist Martha McCollough to participate in their yearly "Friends" show which opens tomorrow and will be up until August 20. If you are in the area, please stop by for the opening (6-9pm this Thursday) or the closing reception (August 18, 6-9pm), we'd love to see you!

Also, if you haven't seen it already, please visit the Danforth Museum "Community of Artists" exhibition where I have a large teabag panel. It ends on August 7th, 2011.

Hoping you guys are staying cool...we are supposed to hit 100 degrees in Boston by tomorrow - which should mean a nasty "feels like" 200 degrees with the humidity.. O joy!

Louise Bourgeois - The Fabric Works - and the need to share the wealth..

This post has no pretense to be original as there is plenty on Louise Bourgeois' work all over the blogosphere, but I recently got the book "Louise Bourgeois - The Fabric Works" and it is SO good I have to share some of it... It is the catalog of the exhibition that started in Venice, then went to London and finally New York where it just closed a couple of weeks ago. Sadly I didn't get to see it but luckily the book is amazing...  It includes mostly her later work and some we hardly saw before the exhibition / catalog.  It was hard to pick from the images in the book and I tried to pick some that are maybe less shown:

Through the numerous reproductions you see how much she kept pushing her work further and further, especially with the swirly/spiral shapes and the fabric book compositions.  You can see how it evolved into these 3-dimensional doodles too:

If you like her work, I highly recommend the book. See more of her fabric book work too in on my older post here, or on Kathryn Clark's blog there, and on MyLoveforYou blog there (among tons of others...)  Sorry if it's a bit redundant but her work never ceases to inspire me.

Last but not least, a huge thanks to my friend Lari Washburn for a nice post on my work today: I'm really thankful for the continuous support.

 

The Stitch and Tickle Store Now Open on Etsy!

Yes! If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might have seen a few comments here and there about me toying with the idea of opening an online store.. During the last couple of months, I decided to embrace the fact that I am indeed a maker, and that I would much prefer to make beautiful things and sell them rather than go back to a corporate job (who wouldn't actually??). I realize it could be a long way before it is successful  but decided to give it a try and stick to it. So far, the journey has been pure bliss - I love going in to the studio every day and just make things. I am of course inspired by materials and enjoy working with beautiful linens, soft leather, unusual yarns, etc.. I found this amazing leather hides a couple of months ago in NYC and I started making bags.

Sitting at the computer to get everything set up has surely felt more like work, but today, I finally started posting the first few wares on Etsy, all made by me :)

While this may look like a handbag store right now (it is!), it is my intention to add other items such as jewelry, home accessories, and whatever else I'll come up with. So stay tuned, visit often (I plan to post a couple of times a week) and please please please,  let me know what you think!

Oh, and if you are a follower of this blog, you get a 15% discount on any order placed between now and Sunday, midnight, Eastern Time (discount doesn't apply on shipping or tax).  So please visit the shop and see if you like anything (enter coupon code: OPENINGFRIENDS)!

Thank you for your continued support! It is always SO appreciated.

The Global Burrows Project by Elis Vermeulen

Dutch artist and feltmaker Elis Vermeulen has been working on the Global Burrows project where she creates these  burrows in various places around the world:

Photo courtesy of Elis Vermeulen. Copyright: Studio 59

Photo courtesy of Elis Vermeulen. Copyright: Studio 59

Photo courtesy of Elis Vermeulen. Copyright: Studio 59

Photo courtesy of Elis Vermeulen. Copyright: Studio 59

In Handeye Magazine, Elis describes her project as follows:

"My most recent work is what I call the Global Burrows Project and that addresses much of what my work symbolizes: care, safety, protection and comfort. It’s about safe havens. In today’s world there’s so much going on that many people find it frightening, fast and confusing. We live in an age that everyday life can get very scary and where distrust is rampant among our neighbors and colleagues.
To stay afloat and to move forward, many of us search for a source to achieve an inner peace that will help us cope with the daily pressures and to revitalize our energy. There are individuals who have found that special sanctum whether it’s in deep meditative silence, music, food, or reading the morning newspaper before the start of their busy day, sleeping, churches or other houses of worship, sanctuaries, or even while they shop. Wherever that activity or special place might the Global Burrows project makes that safe haven visible. These burrows are images of resting places where one can feel safe, nourished, and reenergized.

I sure could use one for my naps... they look so inviting, cozy and warm.. and that felted wool I want to touch!

See more pictures on her Global Burrows blog and on her website here. And make sure to visit her "regular" blog which among many other things shows some of her very cool felted bags:

It looks like she might be teaching a Creative Felt workshops in Michigan and Arizona in the fall, I'm so looking those up!

Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful weekend.

Cy Twombly (April 25, 1928 – July 5, 2011)

So sad.. One of my all time heroes.. look for more images here or read about him  in the NY Times. He will so be  missed..

Catherine Willis Sculptures

I can't recall how I found out about the works of Catherine Willis but I love the lightness and spontaneity of her sculptures:

 

Maybe it's also because of the yellow and the swaddling which remind me of my work - remember those ?:

See more of Catherine's sculptures on her website.

I feel I've neglected this blog lately but I'm hoping to show why in the next couple of weeks - have been so busy making things...  Stay tuned!

In the meantime, happy happy 4th of July week end!