Audrey Kawasaki

Audrey Kawasaki's new intaglio print is UNBELIEVABLE. I had to share it with you.



Find it here: Pressure printing

A Weekend in Pictures

I had a wonderful time on Friday: an intimate dinner with good friends. It was just lovely. (Having a friend who knew the bartender was wow.) To all who sent me sweet birthday wishes: thank you!!



Earlier that day, I spent a few hours photographing arrangements for a flower shop. So much fun.




Minimal text, am trying to get too many things done before my trip. Hoping I will not have to bring work with me. To do list a mile long. Ee!

I am 26 today.

2007

Just me and my scissors.

Considered doing the super short and cropped bangs but lacked the cojones.



Maybe later.

New watercolor girls.

Playing with color is so much fun!

A Weekend in Pictures

I totally dropped the ball on this blog last week-- finally burnt out I guess!

This weekend was pretty eventful for little me. One of my oldest friends became a dad several weeks ago and on Saturday, I held his baby girl; amazing. How did time go by so fast.


The coffee was amazing here. I've already forgotten the name of the cafe though..

There was a some sharing of Burmese food with a wonderful friend; here we are reminiscing about some dance moves I had in high school.





I love these two.

Pretty much the coolest thing ever..

Is when someone names a dress after you.
+ + +

If you haven't seen 'The F Word' yet, give it a try. It is so good.

No time for photos today! Am adding 2 new shops to the jewelry co.. one in Park Slope and one in Australia. Thrilled to pieces these days.

This Weekend: Renegade Craft Fair

photo credit: gina

Renegade went well despite my being not fully prepared. So much has been happening that were huge distractions in my life for the couple of months previous to the show so there is no huge surprise there. I was absolutely not prepared for the rain that happened on Saturday.. the weather was miserable and if we weren't soaked, we were beaten by the heat. Rain destroyed a portion of inventory and the sign I worked so hard on just fell apart in the water. I carried everything there in paper boxes and bags. What was I thinking!!?!

But there were plenty of bright sides.

• There was my reliable Gina who is always there to show support and I am infinitely grateful for it. She is definitely my mom #2 and takes care of my basic needs at shows, like food/water/coffee. On day 2, Davit came and lent me some muscle power with the heavy lifting and was so great in general (but a show booth is not a place to pick up women! get outta here!).
  
• I met many lovely people, including Tiffany, who was so very sweet and I was totally thrilled to see her.
  
• I met customers who had purchased my work elsewhere or had seen me in previous shows and was hoping I would be here. Which is just about one of the best things of being in my line of work.
  
• Sunday's weather was great and I saw many friends that I hadn't seen in a very long time. It was almost a reunion for me that day and was so much fun to catch up with people.

Now it is time to rest up, catch up on emails, and move on to the next big plan! There is a possible PR person for the business, and now 2 new collections in the works. Custom watercolor portraits to finish and send off.

For now, sleep.

A Gift from Tiffany

Yesterday was a rough day but a couple of things brightened it up-- first: a kind and eloquent stranger stopped me from dragging tables on an enormous piece of cardboard across an ikea parking lot and said "allow me to be chivalrous." I scuttled over to the car as fast as I could, holding his 2 for $1 cinnamon buns and in my anxious state, handed them back to him slightly flattened.

And second: a package arrived at my doorstep and totally made my day. Thank you so much, Tiffany!! The craftsmanship is wonderful-- the pleat just thrills me to death. You are an incredible seamstress!!! I feel so lucky to have been gifted this.. it is officially my summer dress of '08.

More photos of the dress on my flickr.

Tomorrow is Renegade NY-- 11am to 7pm. I am 70% ready. Eek. I hope to see you there!!

Waiting.

Taken for s t i l l.

More pieces on the workspace.

Black oxide and 14k gold fill with moonstone.


With cubic zirconia drop.

I just get to work.

New black oxide and gold pieces for Renegade.

When I started this blog about three years ago, I added this quote on the right side bar:

"Professionalism is way overrated. It is the spirit of the amateur that people in creative occupations--
in almost any occupation-- need to cultivate more than anything else. A couple of hundred years ago,
"amateur" was an entirely positive, noble description of someone. The word comes from the Latin
amator, which means "lover." An amateur undertaking was something you did out of love, for the
pleasure of doing it-- something you did out of passion. And when you think about it this whole
country was a nation created by passionate amateurs.

The American spirit is the amateur spirit."

-- Kurt Andersen, in "Ode to Amateurism"

But in January, I came across this post on Drawn that referenced a quote by Chuck Close and used the word "amateur" in a completely different way yet it spoke to me just as much as the first one did.

“Inspiration is for amateurs. I just get to work.”

This career that I've created for myself began with a great deal of passion; I fell in love with it. It was just so thrilling to be carving a place in the world. It is worth all the initial struggle. (Also, tons of fun telling people about what I do; they were so enamored by the prospect of self proprietorship, being your own boss, making it on one's own.)

Pressed flower one inch buttons.

I do still love my job.

That being said, there are some days where you are simply tired. Having had enough of your own designs, sick of looking for outlets for your work and the expenses just seem to pile up higher and higher. Bookkeeping, accounting, looking for places to realize the designs you have on paper. It all becomes so tedious and frustrating. Small business owners, high five?

On those days, I just get to work.

Tomatoes in the Morning

Still loving that yellow/black combo.

My mother's peonies

When you wake up one morning, download Radio Lab's podcast: Wordless Music. Take a moment to listen, it's beautiful.

Only a week and a half before Renegade! Eep.

More work in progress-- the first layer of printing on the box covers. Yeah, it's all spotty. I'm hoping it will have a more handmade appeal in the end after all the hand painted parts are done. Cross your fingers!

Visiting Family

Sisters. Aunt on the left, Mommy on the right.

My mom's older sister and cousin are in town for a while; I have been enjoying spending a bit of time with them. I get my temperament from my mother but I have so much in common with my aunt. (And despite the fact that we haven't seen each other in years, the 3 of us have the same mannerisms. ) I have always been envious of people with close families-- you find out that aside from blood ties, you actually have stuff in common!

She made clothes-- not just the simple stuff, but full blown blouses and suits. I have always wanted her to teach me but we've never had the opportunity. She loves jewelry; I will take photos of the hilariously gaudy stuff she brought me this time. They belonged to her in the seventies and are enormous and wonderful.

I have great photos of her dolled up at the zoo with me when I was a tiny one. I'll dig them up for you all one day.