wood burning :: project idea

 
one of my dear friends is expecting a baby this spring, so for christmas, i bought them this off etsy.  isn't it adorable?

anyway, i started thinking about giving wood burning a try myself.  turns out, it's incredibly easy!  you should definitely give it a go sometime.  things i thought about burning include plaques / wall art, table centerpieces, ornaments and serving trays.  see the little nameplate i made below:

7 month bump :: baby photography

small glimpses :: photography

when i think about the childhood i want to create for my boys, i want it to be one without constant information.  this is difficult.  very difficult.  the average house in the united states has over 3 televisions and 66% of households watch tv during dinner.  there are even tv's in the family car.  then, add in the video gaming.  and the handheld video games in the car.  and facebook, twitter, blogs...  and all those apps on the iphone.  when does the information stop?  it's everywhere.. all the time.  you see why it's hard to shelter my children and teach them to take it slow.

the other difficult part of this equation is the guilt.  am i sheltering them to a fault?  will they not be "as smart" as other kids who are constantly learning from this information?  the answer is...  i don't care.

i don't care if my boys feel left out when someone is talking about a pop-culture sensation that they've never heard of...  because my boys will have empathy and know how to talk to people that are in the room.  i don't care if they can't beat the latest video game...  because my boys will win at the outdoor games.  i don't care if they don't know how to work all the cool apps on the iphone... because my boys will be able to sit thru a meal with their family without a text coming in and interrupting the meal.

i won't keep they boys entirely sheltered from this media age, but i will limit it.  i am not afraid to turn it off.  especially during a family meal, which should happen at least once a day.  the photos above are small glimpses of small items that i hope my children will remember as they grow.  i hope they remember the smell of coffee and pancakes on a saturday morning.  this is what is important to us.

i plan to start a new series of "small glimpses" on this blog that will hopefully motivate you to think about the way your children are growing up and what they will remember.  i hope you enjoy.  i hope you slow down and notice your own small glimpses...

leaving the city :: mixed media

i'm painting again...

i'm painting again. it's been since before the holidays. and even then, it was a sparse occurrence. i'm a bit rusty (and my biggest critic), but i do really like the colors in the one above.

these two and their relationship :: fuji instax

rachel + mark :: engagement photography

rachel & mark braved the cold (only 24 degrees!) on saturday morning. these fighting illini fans wanted their photos done on the beautiful land rachel grew up on. what a fun & relaxed couple!

winter morning :: photography

bookpage wreath :: project idea

so, i might be a little wreath obsessed.  i realized last night, as i hung the one pictured above, that i had 4 wreaths hanging in our great room.  i didn't even notice.  i just looked at each one individually with admiration instead of taking the entire room into consideration.  i started to wonder if guests have noticed this obsession and if they think i'm weird.  i took two down. 

i do love my new bookpage wreath though.  it was so simple to make.  old book, circle cut out of poster board and glue.  easy.  i will say that i used way more paper than i thought i would and the wreath turned out much bigger than i expected.  but this is definitely a great housewarming gift with a vintage feel.

***bonus***  if you can guess what book i tore the pages out of, please comment below.  anyone who guesses correctly will receive a special surprise package in the mail from cp :: photography!

c hearts c :: self-timer photography

a sign he loves me:  when i drag him out in bitter temperatures for a self-timer photo session and he doesn't complain.

i needed these photos for a print piece i'm working on.  they turned out a bit reminiscent of a gap commercial, but i like them a lot anyway.

a week of inspiration :: blogs

Hospital room with private bathroom
Brooklyn Navy Yard Hospital, Brooklyn, NY 2009

 

 

 

ok.  i realize the last thing you need right now is another blog to read.  me too.  but what can i say?  i'm addicted.  mostly because they inspire me in one way or another.  some are creative with words, while others are creative with materials.  some are just good at the art of blogging.  here's my list:

• http://www.supermommoments.com/
• http://theviewfromthisend.blogspot.com/
• http://kingstonlounge.blogspot.com/
• http://mayamade.blogspot.com/
• http://www.dinneralovestory.com/
• http://greenweddingshoes.com/

a week of inspiration :: painting :: mixed media

© kathy panton

i mentioned before that one of my goals for this year is to open up my paintings shop on etsy.  i'm so excited!  i have lots of work to do still.  here are a few etsy shops that i have been looking to for inspiration:

• http://www.etsy.com/shop/KathyPanton
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/brianelston
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/mattsart
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/jesskoehn
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/cathynichols

a week of inspiration :: books

ernest hemingway

five books that have changed my life:

• moveable feast, ernest hemingway.  my very favorite hemingway book. it's a casual memoir of paris in the 20's that includes corner cafes and bars filled with wonderful people with enchanting stories.
• eating animals, jonathan safran foer.  an honest and different approach to the topic of vegetarianism
• mere christianity, c.s. lewis.  this book was/is the most simple, yet envoking book i've ever read.  it's a logical case for christianity that is written kindly.
• easy to love, difficult to discipline, becky bailey, ph.d.  this is a powerful book that helps parents learn how to stop policing and pleading with their children and use love instead.  it explains values of integrity, respect, responsibility, passion and more.
• the giving tree, shel silverstein. i had my parents read this to me over and over as a child, and i don't think i really knew why i loved it.  then, as i grew older, i forgot about it.  after my first son was born, i ran across it in the bookstore and as i read it to him, i realized the lessons i must have taken away as a little girl.  this book teaches to love and give freely, which is the best lesson anyone can pass onto their child really.

a week of inspiration :: photography

© Irene Suchocki

hello friends!  i hope this monday finds you well rested from the weekend.  this week is a special week - i plan to share with you a few people & things dear to my heart that i habitually look to for inspiration.  i hope you enjoy these next few days and please feel free to share with me!  i would love to see what inspires you.

first up... photography of course!  i would not be the photographer i am today without looking to the following artists' talents for ideas, education and stimulation. 

• http://www.irenesuchocki.com/
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/sixthandmain
• http://www.onewillow.net/
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/ShadedMemories
• http://www.etsy.com/shop/NatureMandalas
• http://www.lovelightphotography.com/

pinehole camera :: photography

my new pinhole camera

check out my pinhole camera i made last weekend.  isn't it fun?  i'm so excited to set up my tripod and use it!  see, because i didn't develop an interest in photography until digital cameras were the rage, i have to learn backwards.  i truly feel that by learning styles of photography from previous generations, i will become a better photographer with my handy digi canon.

it seems everyone i talk to has made one of these before.  i guess i've been living under a rock.  but, if you were under the rock with me, here are some tutorials to make your own pinhole camera.

• http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/pringles_pinhole.html
• http://www.ehow.com/how_15814_make-pinhole-camera.html
• http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/education/lessonPlans/pinholeCamera/pinholeCanBox.shtml

refrigerator art :: personal story

i remember a couple years ago when we first moved into our newly remodeled home and the kitchen was clutter-free and peaceful feeling.  my new "frige" was shiny white and the door was bare of magnets.  i promised myself i would keep it this way.  o... silly self.

monster and me

my favorite magnet.  anyone who works with me surely agrees this is true of me.

does your "frige" look like this?

handmade gifts :: project ideas

i want to show you some of the handmade gifts i received this year for christmas.  as an artist, i try center all of my gifts to friends and loved ones around something handmade, and i truly enjoy when i am gifted with such items as well.  here are three of my favorites that ended up under my tree:

my sister-in-law made this lovely wreath.  it is wrapped in yarn and the felt flowers are pinned on.

that same creative sister-in-law also sewed this clutch.  i feel super girly when i carry it!

"cousin b" is what i call a paper artist.  her work always has a vintage feel that i love.  above, you can see the new recipe box i received as a gift from her.   i can't wait to start adding my favorites to the cards and i hope to pass this on to a daughter-in-law or a granddaughter someday.

january calendar :: free desktop background

to download, click on image above.  then right click & save.