Friday Favorites: Maker Carola van Dyke

Thank you all for your kind words on my New Day Northwest appearance!

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I am inspired by so many things, I decided that every Friday, I will highlight a favorite person, thing, or idea. Maybe you will be inspired too! See all past Friday Favorites here.

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I was looking online at Anthropologie recently and came across the beautiful work of Carola van Dyke. She has a selection of pillows for sale through them, and when I looked further into what she does, I fell deep into the rabbit hole of uniquely beautiful textile taxidermy, ceramics, and cushions.

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The Paloma

I sit here writing this post, nursing a rather icky summer cold, and thinking about this lovely cocktail. Boy how things change in just a couple of days. From delicious summer meals, bike rides and frosty cocktails… straight to tissues, the wikileaks documentary, and a Nyquil nightcap (the only good thing about having a cold).READ MORE

8 Months into Daily Sketching

 
I am still doing daily sketching and posting over at The Sketchbook Blog. I’m actually sticking with it people! This is not that painful!
The whole idea of taking the time to sketch daily has been full of starts and fits for me, but despite that it has slowly turned into a new, daily discipline. Reminder to you all- I DIDN’T KNOW I COULD SKETCH BEFORE I STARTED THIS! I find myself heading over to the family room table I sketch at instinctively every day, usually in the morning, to get my sketch done when I feel fresh and the light is good.
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Granny Circle Squares

As many of these granny circle (or squares) as I have crocheted and I’ve never stuck to such a strict color palette. Fun change!

Friday Favorites: DD and Leslie Tillett

I am inspired by so many things, I decided that every Friday, I will highlight a favorite person, thing, or idea. Maybe you will be inspired too! See all past Friday Favorites here.

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Photo by Irving Penn

D.D. and Leslie Tillett…I have had a crush on their painterly fabrics since discovering them in a shelter magazine many years ago (pre-internet). I ripped those pages out and have held onto them all this time, it was all I knew of the Tilletts prior to our current internet days. I love the colors of their fabrics, their fresh, preppy feel. It was their floral prints that got me.
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Doodle Sketching

 
For the past week (maybe longer), I have practiced doing some simple doodling. Staying with it, and adding more and more just to see where it goes. This is a fun challenge for me, this intentional daily sketching/doodling. Its not something I’m very good at, but its fun to try something new!
 
I have challenged myself to only using black pens on white paper this week, not worrying about adding any color. Keeping it simple, eliminating choices. I got some fun new watercolors recently and, although I’m excited to use them, right now they overwhelm me. So, no color. And no stress over what to draw
And just doodle (which isn’t as easy as it sounds some days).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

My Tools for The Sketchbook Project

(Above sketchbook page from a photo I took at the Ballard Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago).

I got a few questions on my sketching post last week about tools I’m using when I sketch, so I thought I would write a bit about them. Let me say that I am no expert, not by a long shot. I began The Sketchbook Project to put the time in to learn the basics. For me, that’s the best part! I approach this whole process like I do any new craft, with eyes wide open, finding out all I can about tools and techniques from those that know a lot more then me.READ MORE

sketching every day

Two months ago, before challenging myself to sketch every day for a year for The Sketchbook Project,

– I fully believed I could not draw.

– I would have never started any drawing I managed to force from my brain with a permanent marker (only a pencil I could erase).

– I did not believe that doodling amounted to anything other than doodling.

– I would stop drawing as soon as I felt I had fully developed my idea in my head and would never look back at what I drew with any reflection.

– If something looked terrible, I immediately stopped.

– Sketching was not relaxing to me. It felt forced and akward, even when the occasional inspiration to draw actually came over me.

– I felt I did not have time to develop the skill of drawing or sketching.

I have already learned so much about myself since I started this personal challenge.

Sketchbook Doodling from Blair Stocker on Vimeo.

Music is Mike Mills by Air.

Tiny Stones

 
 
 
 

 

 

 

Whenever we go to the beach (lucky us, its minutes away in several directions), I always look out for smooth stones, pebbles, and beach glass. For fun I thought I would try crocheting a few small stones. They turned out kind of cute, what do you think? Thinking of trying a few more, with a smaller crochet hook, if my eyes can stand it.

Hitting Restart

(me, a couple of months ago)

Hi.

I hesitate to write a post like this. Putting things like this out there creates a whole new sense of awareness that I’m never sure I want. I’m living it regardless, but now everyone else knows I’m living it. I have committed to it in a whole new way. But this morning I woke up and decided to write about it instead of drinking coffee.
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