I'm out finding myself

It's always nice to know that people notice you. :)

• Paper Shop ink. and More! blog - The White Tree stationery (scroll down about 2/3 of the way)
• 27Things blog - She blogged that I blogged. and now I'm blogging that she blogged that...
  

Only if you were lucky...

Really lucky! With over $500 worth of stuff in July's Modish monthly giveaway, that's the only way you could win (because there were over 700 entries). July's giveaway featured an item from yours truly, a set of EUTECTIC "Hoop + Charm" earrings. Like em? Then buy them from my Smashing Darling store. Or just wait until my website goes live or visit me in a few weeks at the Midtown Farmer's Market.

I'm thinking of contributing for August too, so stay tuned. And I'm also considering contributing to The Sampler as well. Has anyone out there done the Sampler before? Just curious.

"Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!"

Rhett may have said it first, but just about anyone who plays by their own set of rules can say it now -- especially people who play by their own fashion rules. And baby, that makes you one Sophisticated Bitch.
The clothes made by designer Jeff Taplin of Sophisticated Bitch and King Dick are not for the timid...or the modest. They are for men and women who wear what the want and know they look good doing it, no questions asked. Sophisticated Bitch can be found in Houston and across the US in fashion boutiques that have their own attitude. Check out their TalentDatabase and MySpace profiles for more info and events.

There's no place like home...

And I'm away from mine, unfortunately. I had to leave unexpectedly to help a friend move into her apartment, so I won't be posting until Monday. :( Maybe by then I'll have found some cool new things to post about.

Cheers.

A little "Mintd" with your tea today?

Browsing around the www, I came across a community/shopping site called Mintd. It's a place that designers and crafters can put up a profile and sell their stuff. It's more specialized than Etsy, and you actually have to pay for more than 3 images (I'm cheap...I only have 3), but it's a place to go to get the word out. Signing up is free, and the commission they charge won't put you out entirely (especially if you price your stuff correctly!).

I did a search for Houston designers, and I came up with a few profiles for jewelry, stationery, accessories, and other cute stuff. Some of them didn't have stores, but if you click the previous link to the search, you'll see all the listings.






Now go shopping! Cheers.

Summer images may wane, but words will not

Houston author Mugoux (said like moo-goo for your non-Frenchies) just published her first book Travels with William, which promises to be a great summer read. And just to tease, here's part of the excerpt from Chapter 2 found on her website:

A parade of glass cases stuffed with geometric pastry poufs saturated in honey and cream crawled along dingy, Pepto-Bismol pink walls.

“Let’s go in.”

“I don’t see any food though,” I whined. “Just sweets.”

William was entranced. He was being sucked in.

There was no one under 65 in the whole room and it was packed. Elderly ladies and gentlemen sat sipping coffee and clear fluids obviously not water. No one drinks water from glasses that small. The ceiling swooped up at least fifty feet and there was a dark balcony with tables that made a circuit around the perimeter. I imagined a man of 71 dressed in a dark mourning suit. He was concealed up there with his mistress of 58. He’d just come from the funeral of his wife. He was hunched over his mistress. He was trampling on her white wool coat that had fallen to the floor as he lunged for her, licking the cream from the corner of her mouth. Her coral lipstick streaked his shirt collar.

Travels with William is avilable at indie bookstores across the nation and online through the AuthorHouse Bookstore. Here in Houston, go to Brazos Books or Blue Willow Bookshop to purchase your copy. Cheers.

Dark Heat

And here is yet another fabulous example that art is alive here in Houston, this time by artist Marilyn Cassidy.

Whether she actually meant to capture Houston in her art, I can see the waves of heat rising up from the concrete in "Burn Red" (left) and the blurred motion that is the Houston nightlife in "BluePhire" (right).

Using oil and canvas, the images and color combinations that Cassidy creates range from stark to soft. Her paintings are emotional and sensual, and in her newest works, she combines dark and light, teasing the viewer with dashes of color. “...because I work large, painting is a whole body experience; I dance with the canvas.”


For more information about Cassidy or to purchase her paintings, visit her website and fill out a contact form. You can also check out her profile on the Worldwide Talent Database. Cheers.

Back from Market

I just got finished with my first market event. Yea! Rara Avis was a craft vendor at last Saturday at the Midtown Farmer's Market (at Monica Pope's t'afia restaurant on W. Alabama and Travis). The Midtown Farmer's Market runs every Saturday from 8am - 12pm, rain or shine, and has on of the best selections of locally grown and organic produce and prepared foods around...including items prepared there at t'afia. I was a part of the "Second Saturday Shopping Spree" event featuring the normal rotation of food items plus a selection of artists and craftspeople with handmade goods. Fellow Houston Craft Mafia member Lisa from Fetosoap was there, as well as several other talented artists (if I can get the names, I'll post them all). All the items that I brought were handmade by me.

Jewelry tree for EUTECTIC handcrafted jewelry
All three Rara Avis stationery brands: "Signature," "The White Tree," & "Inked,"

I plan on attending the August 18th Spree event, so if you missed me this time (since I was bad and didn't post BEFORE the event), you can catch me then. Also, if any of you know of upcoming art or craft shows in the area, let me know and I'll post about them too. Cheers.

PS - Thanks to Lisa from Fetosoap for the pics. If you'd like to see a few more, go to my Flickr page.

"I don't want a pickle...

...I just want to ride my motor-sickle." Motorcycle, that is, for those of you haven't heard that song. I don't own a motorcycle (though I really Really REALLY want one), but I may soon. I won't be able to ride it, but that's okay.

Barefoot Drums of Houston creates super cool motorcycles, jeeps, tanks, and helicopters from scrap metal and leather (yes, real leather for the seats). These items not only make great gift for the military man or gearhead in your life, but the proceeds support a great cause.
"I'm a Child Advocate 'Lifer'!" says Ken, the artist and spokesperson behind Barefoot Drums of Houston. "I created this company to generate funds to support my non profit organization that helps abused women and children. When you purchase items from the website, all proceeds goes towards the process of financing a much needed project." Ken and Barefoot Drums of Houston is working toward building the "Barefoot'in" Safe House for abused women and children.

Speak to Ken and you can tell how enthusiastic he is about the project. His emails include many smiles and exclamation points...this guys really does care about what he's doing. He's even got his cause tattooed across his back...
To support his cause or to purchase a handmade motorcycle or other "scrappy" art piece, visit the Barefoot Drums of Houston website. You can also check out this video on YouTube. Also on the site are links to information about other charitable organizations and resources for abused, neglected, or missing women and children.

Cheers.

One Day in Houston

Here's a great little video about Houston that I found on the Houstonist blog. Here's this info from their site:

Organic short documentary showing the cool, hidden life of Houston, America's 4th Largest city. Features interviews with George Foreman, Chloe Dao, Lauren Anderson and others. Musical performances by Beetle and Michael Ward. Great cinematography and editorial. Produced by Merideth Melville. Directed by W. Ross Wells.

Enjoy!

Worth 1000 words...

Or so they say... I think pictures are worth more than that -- they are a look into someone else's head, they form a connection between people. And if you're lucky, sometimes you find just the right one.
Houston fine-art photographer Marilyn Davenport has been bringing us beautiful pictures since 1970's. She has worked with film, digital, and black & white mediums on subjects ranging from Fashion to Architecture. She also hosts a blog in which she posts advice, inspiration, and "How-To's" for aspiring photographers.
Davenport has received numerous awards, and her "Vintage Vegas" series has been accepted into Houston's FOTOFEST 2008.

All of the photography on her website is available for purchase. Consider this as your insider's sneak peek: purchase her work before FOTOFEST...you may not get to after she becomes an international superstar! :) Cheers.

"Tangerine, tangerine..."

That's probably my favorite Led Zepplin song, maybe because orange is one of my favorite colors.
What better way to liven up a loveley white summer dress than with a lovely orange and more orange necklace? Dusty, a Houston-based graphic designer and artist retails her lively and colorful jewelry under the name 27 Things at on Etsy.com. Besides having a keen sense of color and texture, she's also obsessed with the number 27...and that's where it just gets weird.

Dusty is a jewelry designer, I'm a jewelry designer. Dusty's a graphic designer, I'm a graphic designer. Dusty like the number 27, I like the number 27...it is in fact my FAVORITE number (it's even on my soccer jersey). Coincedence???

Go Google the number 27, see what you come up with. I didn't know there were so many "27 things to do before you..." lists out there. I guess it's not such a random number after all...

In stitches

If you were an artist and somone came and took away all your pencils and paintbrushes, how would you keep creating? How about quilting?

Houston artist Kay Cox did just that. Practiced in several different art mediums (pottery, watercolor, charcoal, sketching), Cox is now bringing her sketches to fabric. "I am really having fun enlarging these drawings [sketches] and putting them to fabric. Must be something about giving them texture. All those years of working in clay seems to still be an influence...always seeking texture." Did I mention that she used to be a potter?

So far, Cox has created two other quilts like this one (here and here). She is a member of WIVLA and an Artist Way group that has met twice a week for the last 8 years. For more information or two see her work "in the fabric," check out her blog and send her a note.

Cheers.

Updates for "a rare thing"

I've added a couple of new things to the sites...just thought I'd let everyone know:

• Stumble It! - If you like a post or an artist that you see, "Stumble It!" Let's get this PR monster going!
• RSS Feed - You can now subscribe to my RSS feed by clicking the button on the top left corner of the blog. Now you can have your news delivered. I use Bloglines to read my Feeds.

More to come, I'm sure, but I thought I'd point these out for now. I promise to post about a Houston artist soon (scout's honor). I've been working my own PR monster lately and am all blogged out. :P

Happy 4th of July! Cheers.

Absolutely smashing, dah-ling!

EUTECTIC handcrafted jewelry is now available at Smashing Darling, a marketplace for clothing, accessories, vintage wares, and jewelry made by up and coming indie designers. Yea, me!

Now go shopping! :)