Friday Finds- Leaves

Oh, it's that gorgeous time of year when the trees are just full of color... so here's a little leaf-themed inspiration - get outside!

Remind a friend who lives in, say, Florida, just how beautiful the leaves are with these handmade note card with original photography by mercyming

Knit a leaf-inspired sweater or scarf, with this beautiful yarn by jewlbal3

It's getting dark earlier, so you might need this leaf luminary by paperplanet

When you want to wear leaves, these enamel studs by our own dandelionblu will be perfect

Or these felted hair clips by juliepersons would be gorgeous too

And to bring the season inside, I love this felted ornament by littleloveblue

Twenty Things - Miscelena

1. I’m a Maryland native, but I don’t eat crabs… or much other seafood.
2. I love heights, but hate the feeling of falling - I’ll sit on the edge of cliffs, but never ride roller coasters.
3. I’m on the Council of the Annapolis City Center of the International Interior Design Association as an Event Planner.
4. My three cats are named Links, Java, and Adobe… because of their colorings: one looks a bit like a lynx, one is a black-coffee colored tortie with latte speckles, and the last is an apricot tabby. The fact that their names are also computer-related just proves I’m a geek.
5. Within the last six months I’ve read no less than five nonfiction books about the fifteenth century exploration of the Americas. (More proof that I’m a geek.)
6. I just bought my third Honda Civic – and this one’s red!
7. My wallet, card case, compact mirror, moleskine and leather portfolio are also red. (One guess at my favorite color…!)
8. I can move my pinky toe independently of my other toes, and often pick dropped things up with my feet, causing my younger brother to teasingly identify me as The Missing Link.
9. I wear glasses only for reading, so I had my prescription put into my mother’s aluminum cat-eye frames from the late 50’s…. and they were perfect for HonFest, too (see photo!)
10. I’ve driven cross-country twice; once from DC to LA, the other time from Phoenix to Baltimore.
11. Being part-Scottish, I think a bottle of The Macallan 15 year expression is worth the splurge… but I’m unlikely to shell out for anything older.
12. I’m mostly tone-deaf.
13. The Greek side of my family has owned restaurants in Annapolis since the 1930’s – but my grandfather chose instead to deliver mail on the Naval Academy Yard… and that’s how he met my grandmother.
14. I once sold a gorgeous hand-carved-wood Louis XVI console table to a client who needed a place to put their keys when they came in their front door … and it cost them more than my yearly salary at the time. This convinced me that I no longer wanted to work in residential interior design.
15. Last year, a Maryland State Representative found one of my photos representing his District on my Flickr page, and requested a print of it to hang in his office. In return, he donated to my son’s school.
16. My specialty in the kitchen is waffles… cinnamon-spice or almond most often… and I make them in my heart-shaped waffle-maker.
17. Favorite vacation to date: Fifteen teenagers, thirteen days in Europe, ten cities, six chaperones, one of which was me.
18. Dream vacation: Alaska cruise.
19. When I was eight, my hair was so long that I could sit on it….and then Dorothy Hamill was in the Olympics and I got it all cut off to match her swingy-bob.
20. I feel so blessed and lucky to know so many creative people in so many different design communities, and I’m so impressed with the work produced by my fellow members of the Baltimore Etsy Street Team!

photo by bodhi47


Would you like to be featured? Email your twenty things (keep it clean, please!) to baltimoreetsy (at) gmail (dot) com. Be sure to include your photo, name and URL.

Must-See Sites - COLOURlovers

If you are a graphic designer, fashion designer, or anyone who works with color, COLOURlovers is a site you should know about. I personally haven't tapped all of the resources available on this huge site, but if I ever need a color wake-up, this is the first place I'll go.

COLOURlovers™ is a resource that monitors and influences color trends. COLOURlovers gives the people who use color - whether for ad campaigns, product design, or even in architectural specification - a place to check out a world of color, compare color palettes, submit news and comments, and read color related articles and interviews.

The COLOURlovers™ community is regularly updated with information and examples of the way colors are used in the real world -- along with news articles on color trends and interviews with top creative professionals. Here everyone who is interested in the practical applications of color can find an index of color trends as they are happening. Together, they create a color trend index for the entire world provided by users of color worldwide. It's a tool designers and artists of all kinds use to work with colors in new ways and quickly find out what's hot and what's not. This site allows anyone to find their inspiration for color by searching, sorting and filtering through keywords to a color scheme that interests them... or create and share your own!

I generally don't need this kind of inspiration for my own work, as I enjoy the experimenting a bit too much. But to think of the time it would save me when deciding what color to paint my living room? Now that, I love.

When 2-D Just Won't Do

Pop-up artist Robert Sabuda's books belong within everyone's reach. OK, so maybe I don't leave my 2 year old alone with our copy of Winter in White, but we most certainly explore it's pages at her pace and whim.


Peter Pan Pop-Up Book by Robert Sabuda


Ark Pop-up Book by Matthew Reinhart

I cannot even tell you how am thrilled I am to have discovered instructions for making simple pop-ups through RobertSabuda.com. And I cannot wait to share these creations with my Pepita. She is going to LOVE them!

Atomic Knit Night

At the super-cool smoke-free Golden West Cafe Long Bar in Hampden!


Image courtesy of sugarfreak

It's easy to fall into isolation from working by yourself in a studio day in and day out, but you learn so much more when you can brainstorm with your peers. Get off the couch and out of the house to join a crafty bunch in a chill setting on Tuesday Nights from 6- 9pm.

Favorite Seller: Silvia66

As the days become cooler, especially in the mornings and evenings, I crave nice warm accessories. One of my favorite Etsy shops is Italian designer Silvia66. She creates wonderfully original scarves, capelets, neckwarmers and more. Luxurious materials are used such as Merino and Wool and Mohair, with interesting embellishments like buttons and hand knit flowers. Best of all, it's all made in Italy, which makes it even more special for me. Don't be surprised to see me wrapped up in one of her creations this fall.

Monday Inspirations - Street Mosaics

Viva La Pothole! If you live in Baltimore, chances are, you've experienced a pothole or two. or ten. My street is chock full of them. But, for those who are crafty and for those who dare...the pothole should be looked at as an opportunity, right? Why not beautify the pothole, snaz it up, give it some bling? Maybe our own Juliet of the Broken Plate Pendant Company could be hired to solve our city's pothole crisis!

Ah, the possibilities....

post written by yummyandcompany

Random Baltimore Photo

Photo courtesy of BlockPartyPress

I Sew Knits

And so can you. Of course you can!



I resisted buying Sew U: Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin and Eviana Hartman for a long time because I already know how to sew knits. Actually, I've never bought an instructional book on sewing before, ever. Until yesterday. I convinced myself that I could stand to use the included patterns to make myself something cool for a change.

Was it worth it? Sure. If you don't sew regularly, this would be a good place to start. Wendy assures you that sewing knits really isn't that tricky, and so will I. But it does take practice. Get this book and experiment, and don't even worry about completing a project until you've played scientist with your fabric and your machine. Make charts with fabric samples and thread tensions. Be stubborn and you will figure it out.

She recommends a serger, and I have to say, I really, really want a serger (Hello, Santa? Are you listening?) But I have sewed hundreds of tees and dresses and more with my conventional sewing machine with no problem. It takes a little more time and a lot more finesse to sew knits this way, but it's totally possible.

If you already know how to sew knits, you might appreciate the variation of patterns and ideas for garment reconstruction. Regardless of your level of experience, it's always helpful to explore other artists' styles and methods to help develop your own distinct style.

Taste of Waverly - tomorrow!

Come on out and show your support for Main Street at the Taste of Waverly Village on Saturday, Oct.11 from 4-9 pm at 32nd and Barclay St. (the site of the Waverly Farmer's Market). Sample a variety of food from local restaurants, enjoy local bands and get started on your holiday shopping. There will even be a free kid zone.

Best of all, an entire section of the event is dedicated to local crafters. You'll find stained glass windows and ornaments by Fabulous Glass; all natural essential oils from Natural Aromatics; handmade journals, pots and wreaths from Waverly Wanderers; soaps by You and Me Soap; note cards by Sugar Paperie; children's clothing by Sweet Pepita; fine art paintings and screenprinted tees by Yummy & Company; handmade jewelry by Tigerlilly Shop, The Littlest Bean, CEK Custom Designs and For Queen Victoria.

via Baltimore by Hand