{Fabric Friday} Rainy with Sun breaks...

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am going to report on the weather again. Do I even need to? Most likely not. However, it does have a little to do with my Fabric Friday selection. Did you guess yet? Ah yes, it is raining with a chance of sun breaks throughout the day. 

My peeps and I are stuck inside today- all three of us. So this post was a group effort. A "rainy day activity" is what I called it, to muster some interest .... but I knew that it was just truly multitasking.  I have to say, they rose to the occasion. Sayer wanted to wear his gray shirt, and helped me pick out the fabrics. He was particularly fond of the yellow on the top of the stack. And Kiki, well she just always inspires me to use this palette (as she was my original muse). I love to play with gray, black and yellow fabrics. I also just finished a new mobile last night that has glimmers of this palette so it was on my mind. In this stack you will find some: vintage barkcloth, Marimekko, Ink & Spindle, Helen Rawlinson, Moda Fabrics, polartec fleece, and some Alexander Henry.

So there you have it, the official fabric selection committee. It was a fun project that tuckered us all out. -Getting ready for nap time. Hopefully when it is time to wake up, it will be yellow fabric time.... 

Happy Fabric Friday!

{Store Feature} Hutch Studio...

Through klt:works, I have met some wonderful people and learned about some pretty fantastic stores. I thought it would be fun to start writing features to introduce you to some of my discoveries. My first feature is particularly close to my heart. It is a place called, "hutch studio" that is located in a sweet little town by the water in La Conner, WA. This magical place was once the home of the Bunnies By the Bay store, a small company that my husband has worked for, for around 18 years. Krys Kirkpatrick, one of the founders of Bunnies By the Bay, had an idea to create a space that is a working studio that acts as a gallery and shop- where everything is made by hand (under the umbrella of Bunnies by the Bay). This space was dreamed up by Krys and presented to my husband, Chris, to make into a reality. This place is now called, hutch studio, and the space is truly magical and definitely worth a visit. Chris makes signature hutch studio items that never cease to amaze me. The first creations to catch your attention are the very cool whirly gigs in the front of the house/studio. Chris has been busy restoring old ones, and making new designs. He even held a whirly gig workshop. Recently, he used his stellar ceramics background to make a "mini spinny" out of clay. How amazing is that? It really spins!

I received one of the next hutch treasures for Mother's Day and boy was I tickled! They are called "Sweet Tweets" - and they are charming & sweet indeed! 

Chris makes the birdcages with wire, old lids, and newspaper or sheet music. He makes each bird with clay and individually glazes them. He also makes little clay bunnies called, "Rainy Day Bunnies" that hold little wire umbrellas. (These little ceramic & wire wonders are quickly snatched up and hard to keep in stock!)

My second blog post ever, was about the paper cutting technique called scherenschnitte that Chris has been experimenting with at hutch studio. He has been making beautiful window covering that he has packaged as a kit. Part of the hutch philosophy is to nurture creativity, so  kits and classes are natural things for them to offer. There is also an emphasis on making things with recycled materials and found objects/treasures. The newest item Chris made for hutch is, "My Vacation Home", night light using old family vacation slides and paint sample cards. This little vacation home is so unique - I can't wait to get one at our house. Chris plans on offering a "vacation home" workshop soon as well. 

All of these creations are just the tip of the iceberg of what you will find at hutch studio. Krys also makes things to fill the spaces, along with a rotating collection of artists. I have been lucky enough to be included as a participating artist at hutch. They carry my thread drawing items, including original thread drawings. I did a thread drawing demo once in their studio and so much fun, that I plan on doing more.  

So, if you are in the area, I highly recommend that you stop by for a visit. Chris (a guy that looks like that scratchboard self-portrait above) will show you around the lovingly decorated spaces. I guarantee you will leave with a renewed creative spirit! This is not that last you will hear from me about hutch studio. Stay tuned for a studio tour sometime this summer....

{Mid-week reminder} Thinking is fun...

Thinking Is Fun from Davis Silis on Vimeo.

Ah Wednesday, how did you get here so fast? This, "Thinking Is Fun" video gave me a chuckle and seemed fitting for a Wednesday after a Monday holiday, don't you think? {via UPPERCASE}

{New Book} Coffee Break Companion...

It has been cold and rainy here in the Northwest lately. Kind of the perfect weather to grab a cup of coffee and kick back with a good book during studio breaks. I recently purchased, "The Selby is in your place", which was released in May.  I have been slowly thumbing through the many pages of eclectic interiors and enjoying the major eye candy! 

I became familiar with, The Selby, a few months back and became enamored with the concept. Todd Selby started the project, The Selby, by taking photos of the interiors of his friend's houses and then posting them. His website gained popularity quickly, along with attracting tons of interior submissions. The Selby then became an opportunity to, "offer an insider's view of creative individuals in their personal spaces with an artist's eye for detail," the website explains. 

All I know, is that I am a voyeur at heart. I love being able to take a peek into peoples' living spaces. So, a book like, The Selby is in your house, is right up my alley. It is the kind of book that you notice something different every time you browse through it.  What is your favorite rainy day book?

{Music Monday} The Name Game...

"Did you name your son Sayer, after Leo Sayer?", inquiring minds frequently ask me. Let me go on the record (so to speak) by saying no, no we did not. However, that is not to say that we didn't put some Leo S. songs on Sayer's playlists when he was a baby. The more I have become familiar with Leo Sayer, the more I realize that it isn't such a far fetched question. There is one song in particular that I remembered from my childhood and it still makes me smile. It also makes me think of the early baby Sayer days when we played it often and boogied around the house to entertain him. 

While the energy and charisma that Leo Sayer projects is infectious, the man that we named Sayer after is even cooler. Richard Sayer would be that guy. Chris and Dick became friends in a high school art class back in 1983 and they are still really great friends today. 

It is pretty awesome that both of them are practicing artists and can still bounce creative ideas off of each other. They have done their art teacher proud. She actually sent Chris & Dick those two top pictures about a year ago (the other picture is a self-portrait of Dick). Oddly, I have never met Dick in person. We live on different sides of the US and all of us seem to work everyday, every minute. But I feel like I know him and consider him a friend as well. I can't think of a better person to name Sayer after. 

So there you have it. Sayer was not named after a famous musician, but an artist and music lover nonetheless. However, we still enjoy some Leo Sayer tunes now and then. For those it applies to, hope you are enjoying your long weekend! Happy Music Monday!