Crafting a garden

Summer on Cape Cod can be busy, crowded at times and good for business.  It can also be a place of relaxed country settings in this sea side community.

 Yesterday as I drove to my local General store I saw signs out front of  Meetinghouse Farm in West Barnstable, selling tomatoes and fresh veggies.  It conjured up feelings of a slower time.  A more local community feel, than running to a big box supermarkets.  I pulled in to see Judy Desrochers manning the table of beautifully displayed vegetables in her wide brimmed hat enjoying the day,

It was so nice to catch up with her and talk about how the farm is doing and the bounty is fabulous.  Now I know my blog is about crafting, and in my humble opinion gardening is a craft, an art you might say. Pictures speak louder than words, follow my link to Pinterest for Meetinghouse Farm ,....these are the art of the garden crafters at the farm. 

Old Stuff??

Just because I did it a few years ago, doesn't mean its not valid..... right?  Not art?  Not worth the effort of grabbing my camera and down loading the image onto my computer?  But I tend to do this.  "Oh Ive' done that".  "I figured that out", and so I move on.  I wonder why I can't stick with a particular medium.

sea turtle bag

Painting, clay sculpting, felting, sewing... just some of the few forms I have worked with.  I have dabbled in many.  I see people who work on their craft, hone it for years, perfecting it, making it better, making them selves better, learning what makes them tick when they immerse themselves with it.

I'm so all over the place.

But maybe that's what I am supposed to be. Maybe to find me, I need to explore it all.  Each thing I make brings me satisfaction,  well most things,.... there was that time when I tried knitting.... people don't have more than 1 neck right?... needless to say, I need to learn to BE.....  Me with all my crazy distractions, my inventive spirit, and my childlike eagerness to learn it all, to do it all. Immerse myself in all of it.

Spot light: Andrea Garrity Wood

 I met Andrea through my son's school and I discovered her talent from an extraordinary program unique to his Charter school called Enrichment Clusters. Andrea creates Mosaics and she was teaching this to the kids in our elementary school. I'm not talking tissue paper and cut out photos from magazines (although I have seen exceptional work with this medium too) no I'm talking about glass and ceramic mosaics with real cutting tools sharp edges, and let me tell you, the results are excellent!  Matter of fact it is the boys in the class that love this art form, all the smashing and cracking of the plates, what kid wouldn't love that!

Andrea picked up her love of this art form while living in Puerto Rico, in the 90's.  Inspired by all the huge installation she saw everywhere, she sought out a shop owner Tom Ross of Coqui International, now named Coqui Stores, who made these colorful displays. Tom taught her in one afternoon the basics and with this knowledge she ran with it.

Now Andrea does not call herself an artist and insist her daughter Delaney is the artist of the family, but as artist don't we all struggle with what we call ourselves?  Especially when our lives are so busy and we do so many things.  Art or craft or what you may call it Andrea has this in her soul. She loves how it is so interpretive... there is no right or wrong...  It can be made WITH what ever you want or ON what ever you want your canvas to be, she even has a stool she covered, but warns, think before you mud... supposedly its a little dangerous to sit on. ;o

She peruses the thrift stores to collect her material, looking at each bit of inspiration in a plate, be it the color, shape or design, and says it feels good to reuse something someone else doesn't want anymore. She is inspired by peoples interest or request. A lot of her Mosaics are brought on by situations, by someone asking her to make something specific or for someone specific.

Andrea says it can take from concept to completion about 20-30 hours to create a piece. This is her art, her "it makes me feel good to do this" outlet, and does not do this for a living. Well I for one hope she continues to do what makes her feel good.... it's contagious!

You can reach Andrea via email:  anddwood@comcast.net

Pintrest OMG!!!

Can I just say this: Oh My! Since I found Pinterest I can't stay away from it! I find myself late at night thinking how can I get to the computer without waking anyone up to go look at my pins. It is an artist/crafters dream. What is this Pinterest thing and how do you pin?

 Some of you may know, but to those of you who don't.... well do you love Magazines? Do you like clipping great things and inspiration from those magazines then stack them all together in a folder or binder all Martha-esqu? I do, and Pinterest is now your on-line organized, magazine-clipping, inspirational folder to dream and dream big! Do you want to redo your bedroom, you can search colors or styles and categorize them whichever way you like. Planning a party or a wedding?.... clip away my friend.

 I like vintage bicycles and toy robots. I now have a "board for that"... you know a cork board but its on line. Yup, no glue or tacks needed, unless of course you want to print it out and hang it on a board then by all means do just that! What I love about this is the plethora of images and categories, unlike Magazines that focus on one or two topics. Now don't get me wrong, I still look forward to peering into my mail box to see if i got my little gift of dream sent to me, but now I don't feel so guilty about possibly adding to an environmental problems associated with printed mags.

 AND it is so easy! And it is so fun! And it is no pressure! yeah no pressure. No having to write back or friend anyone. Just you and your dreams and if you want to share you can by who you follow or who follows you. Or nobody at all....but that might leave you with little inspiration. What I am trying to convey here is the sense of sitting in your favorite chair with your favorite beverage looking through dreamy images that inspire you to decorate, bake, paint, craft.....whatever your desires,the list goes on forever. So check out Pinterest. Look me up. I will invite you too.  http://pinterest.com/crafterthot/pins/

Raw Valentine

A few years ago, at a winters farmers market, I was was given the gift of raw wool, straight from the farm of a local spinner. I wish I could remember who she was or how to get in touch with her. It was a bountiful amount and I never would have received it because I was not there that day. My friend Deana was there and she remembered the conversation I had with the woman two weeks earlier, who in kind brought me wool at no charge and gave it to Deana to give to me.

SO, I am putting it forward and creating things with it and gifting to others just as she had done for me.

It is amazing that the raw untamed product of this fibrous wool can become such beautiful little tokens of love.... it even had some of the grassy bits of hay that the sheep love to munch on making it all that more closer to the earth. Maybe I will be able to repay that woman some day with one of these tokens.

Happy Valentines Day!