works in progress

 Look at all those paintings!! I like to work on a lot of pieces at once. When I paint, I sit on the floor in the studio- in my painty clothes - surrounded in all directions by boards, canvases, paint, brushes, cats.  I paint for hours at a time and stop only when I have to. I need to have a couple of those intensive days to finish up this series!
I will post as I finish them.

the ironing was not lost on me

i have been organizing my fabric stash lately.

I realized that most of my quilting fabric had never been washed, so I washed a ton of it at once, and ironed it all. It took me so long to iron it! Hours, literally! Next time I have to do that, i will save it for when I am watching season 4 of 24 on DVD!  It looked like so much fabric when it came out of the dryer- in total three huge laundry baskets full. But when it was all ironed, folded, and stacked- it looked like nothing! Note to self: next time i buy fabric, wash and iron it immediately.

In the stack on the left, you can see some of  my collection of bee fabrics.  I usually buy some whenever I see it- i like bee things. The name Melissa  comes from a greek nymph who taught man the use of honey- so my name is associated with the honeybee.

Sweet, non?

40 steps

"Forty Steps" is  a  painting in a series called 'Cranberry Road.' This new batch of work is inspired by my childhood- places, memories, patterns, possessions.  The 40 steps, as it is known, is  kind of a gazebo on a hill which overlooks Craigville Beach on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  There are forty steps (but you probably guessed that already) leading down the hill to a tight little dirt path that opens to Craigville Beach Road.  When I was a young girl,  I used to love to walk there from my house. I carved my name into the wood. I sat and looked at the ocean. It was probably my favorite place to go.

The perspective of the painting is from the path looking up. I tried to find a photo to show you, but the only one I could find was from the opposite direction.   I'll have to head over there ( I still live  in the same town) and take a picture. I'll see if I can find my name in the wood.

how can you not like muffins?

ok, this post really has nothing to do with muffins. But look at how gorgeous my gem beads look in these  rusty muffin tins!  Mmmm.... gem muffins. 

(For muffin- related fun, visit Muffinfilms. And by the same artist,  Making Fiends. Hilarious!)

I have been experimenting in my jewelry-making lately. I have been using scrap chain that I have collected over the years- incorporating it with  the gems, making asymetrical loops and tassels on necklaces. I love how they are coming out!

Here is an example :

 I will be listing some on etsy in the next few weeks. 

I don't know what I should do when I am in a rambly mood- just post a whole bunch of different pics and amble from topic to topic? Or should I make a bunch of mini posts? I am leaning toward the latter. 

Ok, bye then! 

hey, that lingerie model is wearing my pajamas!

Here is  another one  of my prints for Victoria's Secret !
the original:

social butterfly, but not really

 

I have spent all day updating my portfolio of digital surface design. I had forgotten how many designs I had sold in 2006! Good job, me! The social butterfly design above is one of my favorites. This sold to a fabric company in the fall  -  hopefully we'll see it in stores by winter2007!

cardamon, mom

I say cardamon, you say cardamom.  We're both right.

 

 I love me some oatmeal.

Lately, instead of putting in cinnamon, i use  cardamon and it is *so* yummy. Every morning I make my oatmeal , add just the right amount of  brown sugar and douse it with soy milk. Then I  throw some cardamon seeds in my mortar and pestle, grind 'em up, and  sprinkle it top of the milk.
Of course, i could grind up a bunch of cardamon all at once and not have to do it every day. But that would mean i wouldn't get to use my mortar and pestle every day. I do love to use my mortar and pestle.

 

I have had this  every day for 8 days straight.  When my sweetie saw it the first time, he said, "Honey, why did you put pepper in your cereal?" I love that guy.

And isn't that the cutest tea towel? I love teatowels. I wanna make some.

Help Wanted (plus Mercury)

First, the cuteness:
That little cat nose belongs to Mercury- one of my cats. Also known as  Murky Murk.  He enjoys sleeping on sunny windowsills and appearing in product photography.

This is one of my new series of bracelets. I will be posting this one to my etsy shop in the next day or two. I have been making them with strong elastic beading cord.  I love that cord because I just can't be bothered to wear bracelets with clasps! Lazy? Perhaps.  I do need to order some sterling bracelet clasps because I imagine that non-lazy-bracelet wearers  would  prefer that.  I will be offering both in my shop soon enough. 

This is the Help Wanted part:
Please let me know if you buy stretchy bracelets, or if you only would buy clasped bracelets. I think there is probably a bias against the stretchy because people may think it will break- (I have never had that happen!)
Also, if you do prefer a clasp, are you more inclined to buy if it is  sterling? or will silvery-colored be just fine? If you are reading this - then I am talking to YOU. Please help!

Thanks! 

my design in Victoria's Secret catalog!

Yay! Polka dot preppy froggies!! Victoria's Secret bought this design about a year ago- I am so thrilled to see it in the catalog!

Thank you so much to Luisa from Hazelnut Studio  for forwarding this to me.  I just found out that Luisa also has a killer street fashion blog .

Update on Wednesday, March 21, 2007 at 03:37PM by melissa

Hey - my sweetie just told me he tried to order me some - but they are sold out! Maybe I can find them in my local store- I'll keep you posted.

Update on Sunday, April 1, 2007 at 04:32PM by melissa

boo hiss! we went to the mall to see if they had these at  Victoria's Secret  and they didn't! drat.

Update on Monday, April 2, 2007 at 09:05AM by melissa

i just found that there is a two-piece set with these frogs!

yummy goods on etsy!

 

I have finally gotten myself to sign up for etsy and list some items!! It has been really fun. I can't wait to get a bunch of stuff made so I can represent all of my different interests. For  this week I am focusing on paintings.The photos are from the  "Bell Flowers" series that I have been feverishly working on!

 

I think next week I'll get some paper goods finished: cards and  prints .  I have a bunch of jewelry supplies ready, but I need to purchase some sterling silver wire and findings, so I'll have to hold off on that for a few weeks.

I love etsy!

bead love

I love beads.  I have  a bunch of semi-precious gem beads that i got over a year ago that are just sitting in the closet waiting to be turned into something magical. It's about time to pull those babies out and  put them to good use. When I figure out how to revive my digital camera,  I'll post pics of my stash. 

I have been so focused on the business aspect of art and design lately, that I have forgotten to make stuff just for fun! This makes me a very crabby girl!  I am going to make a luscious gem necklace for myself this week.  Man, I gotta figure out the camera situation if I want to really get into this blog thing!

glitter worship

oh glitter, i love you.

The  picture above is from an altar for creativity I  used to have on my worktable a few years ago. I would put little objects on it that reminded me of my own impulses to create - hence the pink glitter and pink feathers! It's kind of like the typical 'inspiration board' that most artists and designers will have, but an altar (for me anyways) tends to have more 3-D objects than a bulletin board will allow.

It has been a long time since I have actively kept up an altar.   I have been feeling the urge to have one  again.

I think most people have an altar of some sort, even if they would never use that word to describe it.  An altar might be something as simple as a corner of a windowsill with a favorite  rock or shell from the beach,  a photo of a loved one or even a small  plastic toy of some kind.  Or an altar can be as elaborate as a full tabletop of candles, crystals, photos, deity statues and other items of personal significance.

I suppose I do have my little 'collections' everywhere. But I do feel drawn to have a dedicated place to represent what I am focusing on right now.

milagro barcelet

one foot in front of the other

welcome to yummy

I have been trying to get myself to blog for many months now!

I am finally  just going to start. ( no really, I mean it this time)

Part of my hesitation is that I want to ‘have it all figured out’ before I begin. Um, yeah… that’s just not gonna happen.
So, I am just going to let it evolve and see where it takes me.

Presently, I am thinking it will be a mix of many different topics like these:

~Art/ design/ illustration
~Jewelry/crafty things
~Home décor: projects, ideas, inspiration
~Gardening
~Yoga/dance/fitness

Pretty please, don’t be shy about commenting. I tend to be a blog-lurker rather than a blog-commenter myself, but I think that is about to change!