Hello, my friend! I hope your week is going well!

I’m totally geeking out over this video! As someone who’s always wondering about the thing that made the thing that I make with (do you follow?) this video is right up my alley. I’ve been using Speedball products for my lino block cutting and printing, so I was thrilled to learn most of it’s products are made right here in America, a family-run company no less.

Need more reasons to give 3 minutes of your life?

  • Big, juicy vats of paint!
  • The background bluegrass music is by one of the employees!
  • Shots of vintage art products!
  • This video actually shows some (not all) of the facesof the people making and assembling the products at the factory.

This is really important to me – that we keep emphasizing that Someone Somewhere had a hand in every product and that every pair of hands is attached to an intrinsically valuable person.

As this video shows, even “machine made” items are processed by people.

As much as we complain about the companies that get it wrong, we need to support the ones that get it right. Really knowing where more of my stuff comes from makes me no end of happy!

So, pass this video around to all your friends!

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Greenhouse 032

Hello!

Last week when I was carving my lino blocks for the tea towels, I also decided to take the opportunity to play a bit and try out a variety of stamps at once with a simple design. I cut up a potato, used the Styrofoam from a meat tray, and cut both types of linoleum blocks that I have – the softer white and the harder gray.

Greenhouse 029Stamping, Block Printing

Stamping, Block Printing

They’re on my practice linen, which makes me quite happy. Perhaps because it’s becoming my own personal sampler.

Have you experimented with anything lately?

 

p.s. And yes, that’s my ink on a broken mirror. I don’t believe in luck, and misplaced my glass block. ;)

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Sketching: Wildflower Leaves

Art & Art Journaling

Hello, my friend! How’s May treating you? Still lots of leaves and greenery around here. This is another shot of the 25 Wildflower Leaves I did.  It was a different exercise – one normally draws the flowers, but good for noticing more.  I’ve have this slim volume of Peterson’s First Guides since my mom gave [...]

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Bright Things: Hawaiian Quilt Inspired Kitchen Tea Towels

Bright Things

Hello, friends! I’m so excited to show you my first line of kitchen tea towels!!  (This is what all those sneak peek photos I showed you Monday were about.) Ages and ages ago I posted about my new-found love for Hawaiian quilts and how amazing I thought they were.  I still do. The common story [...]

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Lino Block Cutting

Drawing & Design

Hello, friends! Happy Monday! I’ve been cutting into linoleum blocks all weekend. I can’t WAIT to show you the results!! Also, the latest episodes on Craftypod are great. Especially loved this one with Bridget Benton. Off to the races!

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Into the Woods: Wetlands

Into the Woods

///Hello! If you’re new, Into the Woods is a weekly post on Fridays reminding us to get off the screens for the weekend and get out into nature. Enjoy!/// Happy Weekending, my friend!

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Green Leaf Love: Paper Cutting, Sketching, Drawing, Watercoloring, Block Printing…

Crocheting & Knitting

I love greenery. I love leaves. So… Looking at Hawaiian Quilting books for inspiration… Playing with tissue paper cuttings… Designing on graph paper… Remembering the leaves from the conservatory… Noticing similarities with local wildflowers… Drawing more tropical leaves in the sketchbook… Doing a “Draw 25 of Something” exercise with wildflower leaves… Experimenting with different types [...]

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Bright Things: Ruined Polaroids by William Morris

Bright Things

Photographer William Miller chose to use his broken Polaroid anyway and ended up with some sweet abstract photos. More great Ruined Polaroids here.   via Fast Company

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Vintage: Needlecraft for Today Magazine

Fabric, Textiles, & Sewing

I’m sort of blown away by how many sweet projects are in one magazine! So many of these projects from the 1970s are seeing the light of day again…appliqued skirts, needlepoint cases, folk purses….even a magical unicorn in the mix! $5 at the Things Bright: Vintage shop.

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Anti-Trafficking Tuesday: ABC’s Made In America

Human Trafficking & Social Justice

///Hello! If you’re new, Anti-Trafficking Tuesday is a weekly post discussing modern slavery, associated social justice issues, and how these interact with modern handmade culture./// ABC’s Made in America show and resource page are a great place to find items…made in America.  Whether buying from fair trade co-ops and companies abroad, or in the US, [...]

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