red bird crafts: favorites

Showing posts with label favorites. Show all posts

Book Review: Tinkerlab

This book! Oh my! It is informative, inspiring, interesting, and gorgeous -- a winner on so many fronts. When lovely Rachelle Doorley's new book, Tinkerlab: A Hands-On guide For Little Inventors, landed in my book bag, I found myself drawn (pun!) to the pages during the very few small pockets of time I have these days. It whispered to me, asking to be perused. It is that good.

Since my specialty is words and pictures, I was drawn to the Drawing Games chapter where Rachelle offers fun, creative tinkering opportunities for those who love to draw. The activities in that chapter (as well as in the book in its entirety) lend themselves beautifully to classroom and homeschool experimentation. My kids and I happily gave them all a whirl.

One of my daughter's favorites is the group activity called Exquisite Corpse For Kids, where each player adds a body section to a creature without knowing what the other parts of the creature look like. We found ourselves around the table with some special family members, and my oldest decided to teach everyone how to play. It was a wonderful multigenerational connection opportunity because everyone was laughing, and also because we found ourselves admiring our work. Like, seriously admiring! We were all so impressed with our joint creations. I'm quite fond of Mr. Blue Face Polka Dots with Webbed Feet (above) made by my husband, Aunt, and daughter.

Doesn't it look like this guy with pink wings laid an egg? Ha! Remember, my daughter did not look at the other panels when she drew the bottom panel.

Everyone signed their names to their panels.
This tinkering was fun, fun, fun!

We've decided that the Connect The Dots tinkering activity is perfect for office room waits, restaurant table time, and airplane travel. My daughter turned my dots (above) into The Lady in the Green Dress (below).

And, we loved all of the other drawing invitations too. They are so thoughtfully creative and engaging.

Thanks for writing a book that invites both children and adults to be creative explorers, Rachelle. We can't wait for our next Tinkerlab adventure.

Friday Favorites

1. I bought these self-stick speech bubble note pads the other day. I opened the package this morning, and encouraged the rocks on my desk to engage in a little chit chat. I can't wait to see what the children do with them later. These are a wonderful tool for creative writing!

2. My friend Ariana directed me to this article. It is the story of a photographer, Nicholas Nixon, who took photographs of the same four sisters for forty years. It is a beautiful take on the journey of sisterhood. Their faces change with time. Each one seems to hold more of something. And yet -- we know nothing because there isn't a verbal story to go along with the photos. The columnist writes: "This is what endurance looks like....With each passing year, the sisters seem to present more of a united front." The mother-of-three in me shed some tears.

3. Yoga Joes! The classic green army men doing yoga. My friend Melicia posted about these on her Facebook page. Brilliant! I'm going to back their Kickstarter campaign.

4. This gorgeous print of two fawns. via Design Sponge.

5. Abby Glassenberg posted her 3rd Quarter Income Report (she has posted the other quarters as well) on her blog this week. Her analysis helps her to do broader scale planning for her business, and by displaying it publicly, it helps other small business owners figure out the best way to nurture and grow their businesses. It is a brave and generous. Thank you, Abby!

Happy weekending!

mail

I'd like to kick off 2013 with Hannah Brencher's amazing TED talk on how handwritten love letters can change the world.

Listen and be inspired.

And, then visit The World Needs More Love Letters for more beautiful details.

I am all for infusing more love into this world.

xo e

some things.

In preparation for the launch of my new website (emilyneuburger.com), I've tidied up my blog and designed a fresh, new banner for the top. For those of you reading this on a reader, you might want to click through and have a peek. I'm feeling really happy about the change.

Today, Lori from the Camp Creek blog posted about this short video with Maira Kalman. Knowing that I am typically instantly inspired by her work, I clicked play. And, of course -- Maira Kalman never fails to fill me up. The video was just what I needed to listen to this morning. It was introspective and comforting in the big picture kind of way and she left me feeling a bit more settled on this Wednesday.

"I have enough. I have all that I need."

It is so nice to be reminded.

Happy day, friends.

xox
E

mail and other super things.

Hazel, my youngest at four years old, is becoming a writer. Her stationary is small little pieces of lined paper with white envelopes and she is mostly writing love letters and requests. Dear Iris. I really miss you. I hope I come back. [Iris is her dance teacher] and Dear Mama, Please take me to the track tomorrow. left on my pillow [I've been taking her with me to the track so I can squeeze in a morning run] and Dear Papa, You are a worker. I love you. Love, Hazel. and Dear Mr. Black, We are having a lemonade party. You should come. Love, Hazel [letting our wonderful 85 year old neighbor across the street know about her lemonade stand]. She stuffs her little bits of writing into envelopes and hand delivers them or insists that we mail them that day.

This makes me think about mailboxes and mail and how I miss giving and receiving in the slow, papery, tear-it-open way. Paper and ink connection is so different than the ding of a text -- more cozy and important feeling, I think. I was remembering the notes and letters I wrote when I was fifteen-ish, and how they were filled with jokes and little drawings and quizzes. They took so long to create -- a five pager was a sure sign of devotion. And, how my grandmother sent handwritten notes with stacks of weekly comics to my college dorm room and apartments for years and years -- because she wanted to be sure that I had something that would make me laugh. And, how my uncle, the veterinarian who gave me our precious Sophie cat (a rescue that was left on his doorstep), has been sending me the Cornell Veterinary Cat Watch biweekly for the past thirteen years. Go ahead -- ask me about ear mites! I'm well read on the subject. Actually, I don't read the newsletter anymore; I just scan the top left corner where he always writes a short, hand-written message. And, I feel close to him. He doesn't have email and the Cat Watch is his stationary.

I am going to follow Hazel's lead this summer. (And, my uncle's. And, my grandmother's. And, my fifteen year old self's.) I'm going to write more letters and draw more pictures and send them to people I love.

****

Unrelated, here are some really, really super things that made me smile this week:

* My friend Shoham has a tumbler dedicated to the lessons she is learning from her Aunt Gerry. This is one of the best reads I've read this year. Seriously. There is some major awesomeness going on.

* My super talented cousin, Nick of Port St. Willow, has a wonderful new album that he just released titled "Holiday." It has a ambient, heartbreakingly beautiful vibe and it is really, truly lovely.

* Cindy at Skip To My Lou has a 30 day Craft Camp going on, and these Leaf Print Tees caught my eye. I love printing with leaves, and the idea of using fabric paint and printing onto tees is so clever.

****

Happy weekend, friends.

xox e

Five things I like.

1. Check out Ariana's driftwood mobile. It is a beautiful way to bring simple color and texture into a winter home.

2. Christine Mason Miller is giving away the most beautiful treasures on her blog for the entire month of January. I think her blog posts are little daily gifts in and of themselves.

3. Catherine Newman writes about fondue in her perfectly witty way and it gave me a hankering. Plus, after reading the post, I feel like it is less of an event and more of a humble family meal sort of thing. As much as I love cheese fondue, it always makes me pine away for a pot of warm chocolate. I can't decide between savory and sweet, and doing both makes it feel a tiny bit less easy. Thoughts? I'm easily convinced.

4. This crocheted stool cozy is such a clever, happy project. I feel like it makes the stool so much more seat worthy and throne like (in the humblest of ways).

5. Jennifer Rosner, friend and local author, wrote this honest, beautiful memoir which chronicles her family's journey with deafness (both past and present). This is a short video with clips from one her book readings. Just listen to the first passage - I well up (with joy) every time I hear it.

xo e

resurfacing and a nut grinder

Oh my. Well, it isn't Monday and I told you guys I'd be back on Monday. I blame it on Weeds (we found the series on Netflix play now) and the holidays and an exciting new project I have been working on (which I will tell you more about in the next week or so).

The bustle of the holidays completely swept me away. Throw some car troubles, a few deadlines, a trip to Boston, and a huge pile of new/old furniture (generously given to us by my Auntie Lynn and Uncle Michael) into the mix and it was packed to the brim with activity.

Oh, and good news! I overcame my irrational fear of being a passenger in humongous vehicles! Tom drove (and I sat in) a 14 foot truck to Willow NY where we picked up our furniture and my new nut grinder.

Which do I love more - nut grinder or furniture? I'm not telling.

The adventure was pure loveliness. I spent the afternoon caressing (and packing) many of my Aunt's sweet treasures, and we got three hours with one of my most favorite people - my cousin Chris. (Missed you so much Nick. This year is our year.) On our drive home, we ate amazing brick oven pizza at an authentic NY pizza joint. My crispy, warm slice had broccoli sauteed in garlic, slices of tomato, blobs of ricotta, and a thin layer of mozzarella. So good! Once we returned home, there were three days full of rearranging, rotating, and switcheroos.

And, here I am. Taking photos of our snowy surroundings, and preparing for a our next snowfall. By preparing, I mean making sure that the kids brought their snow pants home from school, bringing our snow shovels in from the backyard, and buying buttermilk, so we can bake muffins and maybe pancakes during the snow day tomorrow.

A shrinking, frozen sugar pumpkin.

Doesn't it look like this bush made its own beaded garland string in celebration of winter?

The little patch of woods beside our house.

Happy winter day to you - wherever you are.

xo e

[[ oh, s q u a m ]]

This place with its never ending lake of still, dark water, with its warm breakfasts and musky, old pine smell

with its sweet little cottages and porches meant for contemplation

with morning ice delivery , soft wooded paths, thick moss patches, and draping ferns.

This place is beautiful and magical, and was filled with moments of pure peace.

I began the week with Maya's workshop and was instantly inspired by her kind and gentle ways. She carefully and thoughtfully transformed our beautiful classroom into a softly lit, flower filled space. It was just so easy to be there. There was a moment right before lunch when I realized that I was going to walk through the woods, eat a hearty salad, and then get to continue my artwork afterward, and it became abundantly clear that I was exactly where I needed to be.

And, don't even get me started on lovely, lovely Maya. Simply put, my heart understands hers.

Oh, and I am now kind of obsessed with making wonky, uneven borders.

A table filled with freezer paper stenciling with bright colors on simple cloth.

My second class was with the uber talented Lizzy House who so passionately and clearly taught the linoleum block printing class. Since I am self taught, and I hadn't used linoleum to carve, I thought it would be nice to witness the teaching process. It was the perfect blend of instruction and free time to carve to my heart's delight. I carved two little mice and the hunk of cheese. Later this week, I'm planning on carving them again only playing with the negative and positive spaces a bit more.

And, I learned to knit (again)! Megan whispered the sweetest words of encouragement as I plugged away on my pebbly gray scarf. I'll post a picture when I'm finished.

A huge hello to my Nirvana cabin friends who shared stories, laughs, wine, and lots of porch lounging with me. I was so inspired by the creative energy found in our nook in the woods. Check out Susan's CSA fiber farm. Just look at those little lambs! Eeeep! And, oh! her wool is just beautiful. And, a shout-out to the hysterical, engaging Maggie whose husband is an artist who makes bowls and jewelry out of vinyl. The necklaces are out of this world nifty!

So, here I am, reunited with my dear hearts at home, and feeling lucky. Rejuvenated. Excited. And eager to be knee deep in my art.

Thank you, dear mom, for gifting this experience to me. It was exactly where I wanted to be and you were the exact person I wanted to share it with.

xo
e

m a r k e t

I'm honored and thrilled to be a vendor at the Brooklyn Lyceum Food and Craft Market on May 1 & 2. I've been perusing the shops and blogs of all of the vendors who will be there, and it makes me giddy. Oh! My! The next month will be filled with cutting old barn boards, printing, and making lots and lots of story stones. I'll be a busy bee.

:: little bits ::

Ariana introduced me to this lovely little shop that sells basic cotton wear for babies and kids. I'm quite fond of the sage and avocado colors, and I'm dreaming about one of the tunic dresses in sage for myself. In the meantime, I think I'll get one for Chick. Does anyone have suggestions for nice cotton basics for big people?

Emily from Tea & Laundry is one of my favorite new blogs to keep up with. Her peppy posts make me smile, and our uncanny similarities make the big blog world feel a little more intimate. Isn't her little umbrella notebook nifty?

I recently discovered Feed Your Soul : The Free Art Project on Indie Fixx, and I'm hooked. Check out this print from Asja Boroš. I love how she balances muted gray with a few bold, bright colors, and her shapes are just perfectly quirky.

xo e

art boards

Recently, I spent some time making art out of that bag of scrap wood I picked up a few months ago. Can you tell I have blue skies on my mind? I find myself drawn to working with that bag of scrap wood because of how each board is imperfect with scrapes and color variations.

Fabric covered bird on board painted with sky blue acrylic paint.

Wood bird with acrylic paint. I let the old board shine through as a bird, and painted the negative space in sky blue.

:: Isn't this counting bean bag tutorial from Chez Beeper Bebe super nifty? Her tutorial is clear and simple with bright, cheery photos.

:: Thinking about how lovely the Squam art workshop June session sounds . Dreamy!

:: Loved Maira Kalman's final installment of And the Pursuit of Happiness. It's nice to know there will be a book in October.

xo e

I read The Story of the Root-Children, by Sibylle Von Olfers, to Chick on the first day of autumn as a way to welcome the change in seasons. It is so sweet and enchanted in that elfin kind of way. It tells a short tale of the root children who live under the earth waiting for spring to arrive so that they can decorate the earth with their colors and spirits. We both decided that these shy, spritely little children are probably more than ready for a good long rest after all of their dancing and prancing and swimming (not to mention all of those curmudgeonly beetles that hog the swimming hole).

I find the pictures and earthy color pallet inspiring. It added to the sense of peace and tranquility that autumn often brings to our home.

xo e

eat & look book

This pumpkin, oatmeal, applesauce muffin is my new favorite muffin. You can sprinkle sugar in the raw on the top before baking or an oatmeal, butter, brown sugar topping.

Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins
based loosely on Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious recipe for "applesauce muffins"

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of white flour
3/4 cup of wheat flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 T of ground flax seed (optional)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚. Line or coat a 12 cup muffin tin.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and flax in a bowl. In a second bowl, mix the applesauce with the milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil, and egg with a wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened. Careful not to over mix.
3. Divide batter evenly into each muffin cup and sprinkle sugar in the raw or a butter, oat, brown sugar blend on the top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Lately, by the time I crawl into bed I am too exhausted to do any serious reading, but I like to have a book open during the few minutes before I turn off the light. It dawned on me the other day that I need a grown-up picture book. You know - Goodnight Gorilla for the adult set. So, this is my new favorite 'I'm too tired to really read' book that I peruse just before I drop off. It is a little too modern for my taste, and it seems to be mostly for the 20-something who just got a new apartment, but it has some clever small space solution ideas.