exploring we will go

A while back we made the promise to each other to always make time to seek adventure as a family (you can read about it here). Exploring new places and going outside is a big part of our daily lives and once in a while I like to share a little peek into our adventures.

Cape Disappointment State Park is outside of the town of Ilwaco, Washington where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. There are all kinds of fun hikes, trails, two lights houses and beaches to explore. It is one of our favorite places to go play!

happy mothers day

This motherhood thing just keeps getting better and better! Sure time seems to slip through my fingers and Lucy's legs are growing by the minute but I am just so very grateful for the light, joy and hope this kid has brought to my life. Not one day goes by without gratitude for the change that has happened in my soul- this kid saved me- she saved me from selfishness, she saved me from fear, she saved me from myself and I am forever transformed. Being a mom to this kid pretty much rocks my world! 

For all the mothers out there I want to wish you the happiest of weekends. Hug and kiss your kiddos and celebrate!

a fresh batch of pottery in the shop!

Ok you guys I have a fresh batch of pottery in the shop HERE. I've have a bunch of ring bowls that once again I am crazy in love with (I'm emotionally attached to each and every one of them). Instead of being thrown on the wheel they are slab bowls made by my mom and then glazed with pattern (with a tiny brush) by me and fired in our kiln. This time around I've got lots of bowls with navy blue glaze and black line work. These little bowls are perfect for jewelry, loose change, little snacks or anything small. I've also got a few really large serving bowls.

Read more about my history with pottery and my recent pottery collaborations HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

sun print gift boxes

One of my favorite projects once the sun comes out is to create sun prints with nature paper. Last year I created sun printed fabric with acrylic paint (a great shortcut) but using nature paper- sun sensitive paper- is so easy and a wonderful project for all ages! 

I purchased my nature paper HERE. It comes with 30 sheets of paper.

To make a sun print place a piece of the paper on top of cardboard (I like to pin mine down to keep things from blowing away).

Next, place objects from nature on the paper. I use a piece of glass over the top to keep my objects in place. 

Place in the sun for 2 minutes.

Remove objects and soak in water for 1 minute and then let dry.

As the paper dries it will darken and leave a beautiful imprint of the objects.

The process is so easy and addicting. The best part is that you can use the prints in a variety of collage and paper projects. One of my favorite ways to use them is making pretty little gift boxes.

I use paper mache boxes and covered them with the sun prints. You can use any kind of glue but I really prefer to use gel medium.

Last, I used paint on the edges and inside of the boxes.

The result is a unique little gift box perfect for a special occasion!

oven bake clay pinch pots

There are so many different ways to use polymer clay and recently I decided to make some cute stamped pinch pots.

Using Sculpey I kneaded and then rolled out the clay.

Using my own rubber stamps, I stamped into the clay. Lucy helped me with this step and LOVES this process- It is simple yet exciting enough for a toddler to join in!

Next, I rolled the clay into the shape of a little pot and lightly pinched the seam together.

I added a round piece of clay for the bottom and again, lightly pinched the seams together.

I used a knife to add a little bit of texture around the top and bottom.

I baked the little pots in the oven according the directions.

After baking the pots, I got busy adding color. You could leave them white but I wanted to add a little extra color to really bring out the pattern and texture on the surface.

Using acrylic paint, I cover the surface.

While the paint it still wet, I used a damp cloth to wipe the paint away. You are left with a light wash of color and darker pigment in the impression of the design.

At this point you can leave it as is or you can seal it. I like using the same product I use to seal many of my painting projects- Golden Acrylic Polymer Varnish

I think these little pots so cute are perfect for tiny succulents!

coiled rope tote bag

I've been making coiled rope baskets for a while now, I even shared a tutorial last year about my process. 

Since then I have done a lot of playing and experimenting with sewing rope, I even used my scraps from failed attempts to make coiled rope pouches. 

Finally, after all kinds of trial and error, I was able to figure out how to make coiled rope tote bags. Since my art and crafting process is all about figuring it out on my own (no patterns for me) and coming up with a way that works best for my brain- it took a while to sort out the process. I tried over and over again to create a large tote bag and finally had success and today share the process with you!

I start with cotton clothesline rope. You can use just about any kind of rope but I really like the clothesline rope because it is easy to work with and doesn't fray. While you could wrap your rope in fabric, I actually like painting or dying it.

To begin, coil the rope into an oblong shape. When you are making a basket you simply coil the rope into a circle but making a tote or purse requires an oblong shape for the base.  

Using a sewing machine, zig zag stitch the coil together and keep coiling and stitching. 

My oblong coil base roughly measures 4 x 10 inches. This step is actually the most important because the size will determine how big your purse or tote will be. 

When I began figuring out my tote bag design, I made the mistake of making the bottom portion too long and ended up with a GIANT bag. After a lot of experimentation, I finally figured out that base needed to be smaller- a base around 4 x 10 inches will get you a pretty standard sized tote.

FYI- I spend lots of time sewing heavy duty and non-traditional materials on my machine- I typically use a denim needle for these kinds of projects.

Once you have the base of the basket, create the sides of the tote by tilting the coiled rope as up as you sew. The minute you begin tilting is when the sides will begin to form!

Continue sewing until the sides are the desired size. My tote bag measures 13 inches tall, my purse is 10 inches tall.

The last step is to add handles. I found some fun handles at my local craft store and hand sewed them on.

The result is a really simple and unique bag...just in time for the Farmers Market!

mothers day sale!

Mothers Day is coming soon and to celebrate I've got a big sale starting today through May 10th.  Online classes are marked way down! Head on over to the SHOP for a complete list of all my class offerings.