Eek! Halloween is this weekend! And if you've waited to the last minute (like me) to either make some plans and/or make your home Halloween-ready, you've come to the right place.
So I'm going to give you a little tutorial of pumpkin carving today using standard items found in your kitchen. Yes, there are fancy alternatives to pumpkin carving tools, but I always thought the ol' kitchen knife works best. Also, Buggles the cat will be joining us today -- she's not only my pumpkin muse, but my regular crafting sidekick.
1. Buy Your Pumpkin. Quickest solution -- your neighborhood supermarket. Choose one that is at least the size of a basketball (otherwise it gets kinda hard to carve).
2. Gather your materials and clear a space to work. I like to use my least expensive knife to work with -- sometimes the point will bend when cutting so try not to use your super duper ultra favorite knife in case something happens to it. Also, you may want to lay down some newspaper first (I did not do this and wish I had afterward).
You'll need the following:
knife**
pencil
paper
kitchen shears (not shown in the image below)
a medium-sized bowl
spoon (optional)
**Kiddies, please note, you should not attempt this project without adult supervision.
3. With your pencil, draw a circle around the top of your pumpkin and then cut all the way around.
4. Remove the "guts" of your pumpkin. I think using your hand is the easiest, but a spoon could be helpful, too. Place your guts aside in your bowl. (Your pumpkin seeds can be saved and used in many different ways -- from baking to crafting.)
5. Make your template. I made a quick sketch of my cat and then shaded in the areas that I plan to cut out of the pumpkin. For beginners, I would stick with a very simple design. Too may curves and lines will drive you crazy and take too long. But keep in mind that you can carve just about any design onto your pumpkin -- not just your traditional scary faces. :-}
6. Draw your design onto your pumpkin using your pencil. (Pencil works well because your excess lines will wipe right off with a damp towel.)
7. Begin to cut! I like to carve my shape and then push the piece into the pumpkin. After the piece has been removed, you can always go back to fine-tune the shape.
8. Polish off the edges. After your shapes are all cut out, you may notice that the holes still have strands of pumpkin.
What you will want to do is cut the from the inside of the pumpkin -- either with your knife or kitchen shears. Snip all the excess pumpkin away.
9. Voila! You're done. Well, almost. For the final touch, you will want to add a candle inside. I recommend either a tea light in a glass votive or one of those LED/battery operated tea lights so your pumpkin is fire safe.
I thought it would be fun to run a series showing you some workspaces of artists who live here in the New York City. You see, we don't have basements or attics or sheds or spare bedrooms to turn into craft rooms. Most of us live in less than 1000 square feet, so we need to get creative with how and where we make our Craft.
Today's feature is the art print making goddess, Deborah Julian. She shares a one bedroom apartment with her husband and THREE CATS. And all of them work at home. Tricky right? Not at all. She and her husband work at an L-shaped desk. If one of them gets up there is a cat waiting to jump into the empty chair and presumably take over the work shift. So it's a non-stop-workaholic-feline-frenzy in their apartment. Look at how cozy and organized it is:
Deborah creates her cards on the computer using images of her cats. They are always supervising to make sure she shows them at their best. Look how thrilled they are to be included in my blog post:
And the finished product looks awesome, this 8x8.5" portrait shows her cats in Paris. Personally, I think cats in Europe are brilliant:
Super cute and hilarious! It's available for $20 in her shop. And it was featured in a BOOK written by Deborah's husband and illustrated by her and her cats.
Here's Sammy 'helping' out with the printer. I know it looks like he's just standing there and getting in the way but I think he's checking to see if the cartridge needed changing. These are some really helpful cats:
And here he is earning his kibble in this cute 'Friendship' print:
Have you seen enough cute cats yet? NO? Well then, here's Billy helping Deborah take photos. I really appreciate how happy he looks to be at work:
You can see more playful and colorful works of art that Deborah and Co. create right here in New York City by heading over to her Etsy shop.
Well that wraps up today's feature! Many thanks to Deborah and her feline friends for opening up their home and sharing a little part of their city with us. Thank you for reading!
This Sunday, October 31, 2010, The {NewNew} will be trekking to Boston for the SoWa Open Market's last day of the season. It's a Halloween bash that includes pumpkin-carving, free treats, live music, and a handmade Halloween costume contest with $250 for the winner---in addition to its usual offering of fine handmade wares. This will be The NewNew's second Halloween showing and fourth trip to SoWa over all (the others have been in Spring and Summer).
The dressing-up aspect of this event is huge. Even participating artists/craftspeople are supposed to appear in costume. It's called the "Market of the Living Dead," and the theme is "Zombies," so there would seem to be a strong preference for ghoulish get-ups. I was planning to go as a bee. Maybe I should make that a dead bee.
In any case, come see us! The market is located at 460 Harrison Ave. in Boston's artsy South End, and is open from 10 am - 4 pm.
Here's a little taste of what you'll find from The NewNew:
Veena Burry has been knitting and crocheting since the age of four, when her mother taught her how to make magic from two sticks and some yarn. Since she couldn't yet read, she made up all of her own designs. Not content to stop there, Veena went on to learn how to weave, embroider, quilt, sew, braid, and bead. A virtual craft whirlwind, Venna is constantly working on all kinds of projects to tickle her creative fancy. Not a day goes by where she isn't knitting or crocheting at least one project, if not more.
But where does she find the time? When asked, Venna laughs and says "Time? Who has time? There's never enough! However, it's important to make time for what matters to you. I'd much rather knit than vacuum!" Her trade secret? Doubling up on activities, like knitting and crochet while watching movies, or riding in cars or trains.
One of Veena's passions is using natural fibers. Not only because they feel and look good, but they are earth friendly. She takes seriously educating her peers and customers alike about the dangers of using acrylics and other synthetics that are petroleum based and not biodegradable. From her point of view, with so many wonderful natural fibers, why use yarns that harm the planet?
It all fits with her philosophy of creating beautiful and flattering garments in wonderful, rich colors. Her greatest pleasure is knowing people wear and use her knitwear with enjoyment. Every design is one of a kind -- she rarely ever repeats a project -- which means the buyer has the only one. To Veena, it's akin to the difference between buying a print copy of a painting, and buying the original. Why not get the real thing?
What is your idea of perfect happiness? My idea of perfect happiness is having a loving family and doing the work I love, so my perfect happiness is right now.
What is your greatest fear? I've had a lot of physical therapy on my hands over the years. I've had to go for long stretches without knitting, crochet or even writing. I worry about that happening again since I use my hands repetitively every day. However, I do know what exercises and stretches to do when I have any pain and I work ergonomically too. The articles on my KnittingGuru website on exercises and ergonomics for knitters have been popular pages for years so this seems to be a common fear among fiber artists.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? I've always identified with Odysseus' wife, Penelope. While he was on his 20-year-long odyssey she was harassed by suitors. She promised to marry when the tapestry she was making was finished. Every day she wove and every night she unwove to put them off until her true love returned. And they say he was wily!
Which living person do you most admire? It's just impossible for me to single out one person, but I will say that I admire the musicians of the New York Philharmonic for their talent, hard work, and for keeping Classical music alive and well in NYC. They're the greatest.
Do you have a theme song, and what is it? I don't have a theme song, but I do love vocal music. My favorites include: Puccini's La Boheme, Wagner's Ring Cycle, Schumann and Schubert lieder, Bach's B Minor Mass and Mozart's Requiem. There is a sadness in each of these works, but they are also uplifting, inspiring and incredibly beautiful music.
What is the trait you most like in yourself? I like that I'm creative, intelligent and empathetic.
What is the trait you most like in others? People who are creative, intelligent and empathetic.
What is your greatest extravagance? Endless yarn purchases! I have enough yarn for three lifetimes, but I always find reasons to buy more.
When and where were you happiest? I'm a generally happy person so it's hard to pick just one time and place. I was extremely happy when each of my three children were born. I'm supremely happy now working from my studio in New York City -- my hometown and a place I've always dearly loved. I'm also always deeply happy when I'm in Paris -- the most beautiful city of all.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I wish I had left the NYC Board of Education much sooner to do the work I truly love full time.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Only one thing again? I'm proud of having my own business where my work is my pleasure, of having raised three wonderful children and of having some of my work published.
If you were to be reincarnated as a person, animal, or thing, what do you think you would be? A fiber artist! I'm at Nirvana right now!
What is your most treasured possession? I think we all need to treasure our health. Without that all possibilities are diminished. I also really treasure my large personal library and my enormous yarn collection.
Which talent or skill would you most like to have? I'd love to be able to tap dance like Fred Astaire!
Who are your heroes in real life? I admire people who have broken ethnic, gender, religious and racial barriers to become successful. I'm excited that Elena Kagan, who graduated from my alma mater Hunter College High School, is now a Supreme Court Justice. In fact, I'm thrilled that there are three New York women on the Supreme Court now!
What is it the one thing you dislike the most? People who are biased, hate-filled and narrow-minded. I'm not too fond of philistines either.
What is your motto? Good knitters are good rippers! Also, a mistake is an opportunity to learn and design something new.
Who are your favorite artists? It's hard to narrow down to a manageable list, but I adore Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, Rembrandt, El Greco, Klimt, Mary Cassatt, Vermeer, Gaudi, Munch, Renoir, Gauguin, Cezanne, Ancient Greek art, and pre-historic art (in no particular order).
Is there any invention you wish you had thought of? It would have been great to have been the first person to take two sticks and some fiber and knit something.
What's the first thing you remember making? A Little Bo Peep costume for a small doll that I designed and crocheted with fine cotton thread -- including lacy pantaloons. At around the same time I used one of those potholder looms to weave so many potholders that everyone who knew me started to get a glazed look when they saw me coming.
I love bats. I love their shapes. I love how millions of them can live in a cave and I love when they all come rushing out at night. But I hatespiders. Well, not hate exactly. I have arachnophobia, which means I have an unreasonable fear of spiders. Terror, actually. I have no idea why. I know they are amazing creatures. Fun fact: since I know it's an unreasonable fear, that makes it a phobia. If I really believed that spiders are dangerous, that would make it a delusion. So now you know something about me and learned psychology, too! So here are some wonderful renditions of spiders and bats courtesy of the talented artists and crafters of the {NewNew}.
Last weekend the New York Sheep and Wool Festival returned to Rhinebeck, NY. Since I did not have a show booked on Sunday, I left the EZup tent at home, rounded up a couple of friends and headed to the country to hang out with the sheep.
Looks like someone could use a bang trim
It did not that us too long to get our directions wrong. It turns out that route 9 and route 9D are not the same. Rae and I were in one car on route 9D looking for a Dunkin Donuts that our friend Dee was at. But, she was at a Dunkin Donuts on route 9 (in the same town). We decided to meet at the festival instead. Turns out there are a lot of route 9's.
The Beekman Arms Inn, Rhinebeck NY
As we approached the festival we passed the Beekman Arms Inn, Americas oldest operating inn. Opened in 1766, the inn has hosted George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Benedict Arnold. Some say the quarrel that led to the duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr began in the rooms of the Beekman Inn. Franklin Roosevelt was also a frequent guest of the hotel. And most recently the hotel hosted the wedding of Chelsea Clinton.
We're here!
But fancy hotels and history lessons were not what I was after - I was looking for wool! And it was now in sight! The festival is held the second weekend in October every year (mark your calendars) and is the largest event of it's kind in New York. The Festival includes education seminars, livestock and fleece sales, children's events, book signings and of course shopping and plenty of food.
And this is just the beginning of the shopping.
Did I mention shopping? I restrained myself compared to other years that I have attended but it was hard. The Sheep and Wool Festival is nirvana for knitters, spinners and weavers alike. My haul included several hanks of hand dyed and about half a trunk full of merino.
So do you come here often? How's about a little sugar, sugar?
One of the great things about the Festival is that it is a fantastic chance to learn about different fiber and the animals they come from. I may have started to learn a little to much about this fella. I'm not entirely sure, but I think he has a date with my hat this weekend.
The Sheep and Wool Festival is not just sheep
Llama, alpaca, goats, bunnies and herding dogs come too
While I was off shopping, knitting and making friends with the animals, Rae and Dee were enjoying the other part of the festival - the specialty foods and wine tasting. Cheese, wine, bread and pastry were all available for tasting and buying.
Yum.
After several hours, Rae and Dee finally managed to lure me away from the sheep, alpaca, and bunnies with a bag of maple flavored cotton candy. We loaded up the car with my bags of yarn and slowly made our way towards the exit. Once we were back on the road we made a stop at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park. It was too late to catch a tour to go inside, but even just walking the grounds is well worth the stop.
Say MERINO
Me and a few of my purchases hamming it up for the
camera at the Vanderbilt Mansion
As the sun was setting we grabbed dinner and gumball machine tattoos in Hyde Park at Pete's Famous. Four days later I am still bearing the mark of our adventure - a chipper looking raccoon tattoo, I'll spare you all the photo. If anyone knows how to get not-so-temporary tattoos off please let me know.
As the weather turns cooler and the holidays get closer remember that The (NewNew) includes many talented designers who knit and/or crochet amazing items.
