Not like you wouldn’t have guessed, but I’m taking a little break from all things web-related. I’m also going to be putting my Etsy shop in vacation mode in the next day or two (meaning it’s closed to new orders, but you can still see things that have been sold, contact me, etc., and you can sign up to be notified when it re-opens), and I’m not sure if I’ll re-activate it before the baby bean is born or not. We’re in the middle of project basement right now, and my entire studio is going to be moving down there in the next week. Since I probably won’t know where anything is or have access to everything for a while, I figured it’d be best to put the shop on hold for a while.

So, if you have any shopping you’ve been meaning to do in the Laurie Coyle Designs Etsy shop, now’s the time to do it! If you order something in the next few days I’ll be sure to include a super special free gift, too! yippee!

As for this blog, I’m just going to let myself off the hook, ok? I miss you, but I also feel bad when I don’t post, and that’s just no good for either of us. So I’m here to officially say that until I get into a routine with the little one, I’ll probalby not be here much. There may be no noticeable difference from the current infrequency, but who knows. I totally love you, though, and appreciate all of your encouragement and kind words and your interest in my work (and life!). It really means a lot to me, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated on baby-progress, as well as any new work that comes out of the new studio. I’m also planning a big before-and-after reveal of the basement space, but the project is definitely not done. Not quite yet. So until then…

xoxox

It’s this weekend! It’s going to be AWESOME. I can’t wait to see/meet you there! yippee! (I’m table #84! Near the Theramin!)

How cute is he? This lovely man helped me sooo much this weekend at SoWa, I can’t thank him enough. (yes, my lovely hubby John)

We had a great day, rockin’ the crafty goodness with a big group of BerkshireMade‘ers, and some amazing weather.

Now, it seems it is time to get busy crafting holiday cards and such… mostly beacause I just found out I’ll be part of Bazaar Bizarre in Boston this December, which is so super exciting and so super nerve-wracking! It’s by far the largest show I’ve ever been part of, so it’s a little daunting just thinking of how much I should bring with me. Better get busy!

This is my booth from my most recent trip to the South End Open Market on August 9th.  This past Thursday I had the pleasure of sharing a booth with my friend Stephanie from Atoms At Work at the Pittsfield 3rd Thursday, and my display was quite different for the most recent event.  Partially because I only had half a booth, and partially because I have been focusing much of my energy lately on SIMPLIFYING. In ever aspect of my life and work. It’s so hard to do for a visual thinker and pack-rat like myself. {Embarrassing admission: I still have boxes of birthday cards from, er, the past 28 years. I don’t save EVERYTHING. Just stuff I like or think I or my children would be interested to look at again someday. Yes, the children I don’t have. Or the historians that are studying my life after I’m gone. heh. hehehe. You know you think that way, don’t deny it!}

So… simplifying…. At the fair where I shared the booth, I chose to leave home a bit of my product, and focused instead on cards, bookmarks and prints, plus the newest addition to my product line: “BerkshireMade” baby onesies! They are too darn cute. Just sayin’. I will post a nice photo soon; I need to print more as I sold most of what I brought (which wasn’t a lot but good to know that people like ‘em!).  I really liked the way things looked so simple, though. I love my bird sculptures and original paintings and photo blocks and needle-felted things and clay things, but I think in a smaller space it’s really confusing to see all of those things together. I’ve been trying to keep it all in the same color family and it all seems to work together somehow, but I also found it much easier to focus on my customers and my simplified product display; I certainly knew all the prices of everything anyone asked about!

My mom found this old shoe-storage cabinet thingy for me at a yard sale recently, and John souped it up with the moulding to hold the cards in. I really like it and love how it adds some height to the display. Those are all cards inside and original paintings on top. This shot is from the Aug. 9th South End Open Market. Last week I didn’t have anything on top and just had more cards in front of it in small boxes and on the table.

I’m also thinking lower, too — I would like to find (or make!) some funky fabric to drape over the center and front of the table or some kind of great posters or imagery to draw the viewer’s eyes up onto the table tops. Right now I just have light-colored mismatched tablecloths and sheets, which do the trick of concealing the boxes under the tables and making things look all professional-like, but I would like to jazz them up a bit, of course with the “simple” idea in mind!

You can also see in that top photo that I have been playing with clothesline displays for my prints, which seems to work really well, better even than the bulletin boards in back that I think I’m done schlepping around. The clothesline is much more compact to transport and easier to change around if the mood strikes. And can be hung near the front of the booth, which is key in catching shopper’s eyes.

I’m also in the process of adding a curtain to the back of my display. We have had many opportunities to use the lovely rain curtains that came with the tent, but I’m thinking something lighter and more colorful! I tried out some nice bright blue fabric this Thursday, and now I’m going to add some rust orange and see how that looks. In that top photo you can see where I got the idea, from the curtain of the vendor behind me!  (who was lovely! thanks for the vicarious use of your curtain and the idea!).

Have you been through a process of simplifiying lately? Was it as darn hard as it seems to be? Why does it sometimes feel easier to just stay in old patterns of clutter and disorganization and complicated systems that don’t work? I mean… really, people. sheesh.

I couldn’t have said it better, so I’m here to point you to this post from Maya of Maya*Made about our journey “In the Fishbowl“; Marisa Haedike’s 6 week online course. I’m really missing it already and love love loved it so much. It’s been fun to see Marisa continuing with video posts on her blog, too. If you haven’t seen any yet, be sure to check them out. It’s part of a month-long project she’s been working on with the ever-inspiring Supercoach, Michael Neill. (Can’t I just have all these amazing souls over for dinner?)

I’ve been a-painting, but nothing’s done yet! This is odd for me, since I usually DO finish “a painting in a day” (that was the title of Marisa’s painting class at Squam — but I don’t paint a painting a day, I just finish them in a day if I start them), but since working with acrylics, or maybe it’s the wood surface, I have felt the need for multiple layers, and they just have to dry in between. So then I walk away and forget to come back! This is a huge plus to having an art studio in my house — I can go back to it whenever I feel the urge, and I can leave it out for days on end, untouched, until the painting calls me again! Well, that’s how it’s been going this week, anyway. {Have I mentioned how lucky and blessed I feel to have a studio in my house? I do indeed.}

So that photo above is just for your very own enjoyment. It was one of the first I took with my new 50mm fixed focal-length lens (re: no zoom). It’s a short, open lens so it lets in lots of light. The lens’ auto focus doesn’t work with my camera (Nikon D40 dslr) tho, which is actually pretty annoying. I didn’t remember how hard it was to focus manually! It’s also double hard on this one because the depth of field is sooo short, you have to be really precise. Good for non-moving objects, though! (or arty photos of moving things)

I realized today that I haven’t mentioned the e-courses I’m taking right now! Yes, why stop at one — I’m doing two! I think I was missing being in school or something (which I currently have no plans to go back to, btw).

&

These are both 6 week classes; one started on Monday and the other on (Creative) Thursday. They’re both super fantastic and run by amazing, inspiring women. The first one is “In The Fish Bowl:: LIFE AS AN ARTIST. ONline :: AN E-COURSE” with Marisa Haedike of Creative Thursday. Learning “how to make a living, market yourself, and maneuver as an artist online, while staying true to who you are.”

The other is “The Declutter Goddess; Making Space for your Goddess to Shine e-Course” run by Leonie Allen of GoddesGuidebook.com. “Making space for our goddess to shine isn’t a one-time binge-drinking session of throwing away, moving furniture and vacuuming. That can feel scary, boring and harsh. And pretty soon, things just get back to feeling the same instead. What we’ve instead created is a six-week journey where we’ll be guiding you through divine decluttering & magical space clearing to create an amazing, spirit, light, joyful space.”

Don’t those sound fantastic? Um, they are.

yippee!

I’ve been selling my crafty goodness on Etsy for just over two years and boy is it fantastic! If for some reason you live under a rock and have not yet gotten yourself a (free!) Etsy account, get on over there and sign up so you can start buying handmade, wouldjya? Happy Etsy Day! (currently an impromptu holiday, but hopefully by next year it will be a national day of recognition for all things handmade! represent!)

I made the little painting above in recognition of Etsy Day, it’s a love letter to Etsy, distilled to its basic essence surrounded by a collection of some of my hand-making-tools. yum.

It is 1AM. I went to bed around 10:30 to snuggle up and read with John. It’s no secret around here that neither of us read much anymore, so this was a nice treat. We both used to be voracious readers, but we have fallen into the routine of not reading much, being too tired from jobs and life on this tiny farm or work on this old house or just life in general and wanting more to veg out with a good movie or some of our favorite tv-on-the-internet each evening. But tonight I got around to finishing a book, while John started one he was excited about, that he got for a steal on e-bay.

Then I tossed and turned for the last hour or two after turning out the light; my mind is too full of ideas and thoughts to sleep! (or maybe it was the two sweet-potato fudge brownies I ate at 9pm? Recipe from Body+Soul magazine — delish!)

The book I finished was Jenna Woginrich’s “Made from Scratch“, published by the Berkshires’ own Storey Publishing, based in North Adams, MA. I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Jenna read from her book this winter at Northshire Books in Manchester, VT. It was fun hearing her stories of homesteading from scratch, alone in the wilds of Idaho, and she even played her fiddle for us. She is now farming and shepherding in Vermont. Her book is really great, chock full of insight, true stories of the not-so-fun aspects as well as true joys of raising plants, animals and bees. She also has a list of great resources in the back, to get anyone going on their homesteading adventure.

So, what does this have to do with my adventure/story/thoughts? Well… we have been raising these two old goats for almost a year, the four little chickens for about 8 months and our dog for almost 2 years (oh and our kitty for just over three years!). I feel like it’s been slow going around here, partly because we are not sure what we are doing, what our plan is for this farm (can we call it a homestead?) or even why we are doing it.

Jenna’s book reminds me that part of the reason we are doing it is self-reliance. That is much of the reason I also find myself forging a path of self-employment. It is really empowering to know that I can make a living creating artwork and craft from my imagination and people will buy it! John and I are both also very concerned with the state of the environment and the economy, and we are happy to do our part to lessen a little bit of the global warming trend, as well as cultivate a smaller, more sustainable economic future for our community and our family. I enjoy selling my work to people all over the world through Etsy, but I am also so very thrilled when I can provide for the needs of my friends, family and neighbors with my work!

Part of the reason our farm has been slow to grow is because our conditions are not optimal for any of the things we are trying to do. We live on the north slope of Beartown Mountain, in a dark, shady woodland area, with our very own gushing spring and eroding streams each spring. Our back yard is basically a cliff, if you ask me. It’s too steep even for sledding in the winter. It is not optimal for any kind of gardening and the dogs don’t even like to play in it because it wears them out too quickly. It’s s-t-e-e-p, and did I mention it’s pretty small, too?

So, I’m going to put my wish out into the universe, and see what comes back. It can’t hurt, can it? I don’t know what the solution is, but I do know that I wish that I had a place for goats and sheep to roam (even maybe one or two dairy cows?), a nice space for chickens to peck at veggie garden-pests (re: space for a veggie garden to be fenced-in and bountiful), and space for dogs (and someday children) to roam and play and explore and maybe even show-off agility-style with their own obstacle course (the dogs, not the children). I would also like a sun-filled studio space and a screened-in porch, but those might have to wait. I think the solution, rather than terracing our backyard and trying to will the sun to shine for a few more hours on our plot (possibly by also cutting down a few trees — perish the thought!) is to find a new place to live. John and I agreed that we would live in our house for 5 years and then look into moving; we have lived here for just over 3 years, so I think it’s ok if I start dreaming of, um, greener pastures, right? I’m not making any grand statements of intention just yet. Especially in, as they say, “these tough economic times” it’s really not smart to be looking to sell our house. The best solution I can imagine is finding a new place to buy and being able to keep this house as a rental property, which our economic situation does not allow for at this time — but maybe within the next two years?

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, mostly because it’s on my mind. It’s late and I’m not completely thinking straight. I am really interested in hearing your thoughts on self-reliance and cultivating community; how far should we go to reach these goals? How much time and energy are we willing to spend on our own land (or at our own sewing machines) as a trade-off for the convenient throw-away culture we are so used to? (and will you help us find our dream homestead, too?)

I like the feeling of excitement I have right now about all of these ideas. I know when the sun is shining and beating down 80 or 90 degrees on my face and the mosquitoes are swarming around my head I will beg for some shade and the comfort of a cozy bed on a cold winter night, but right now of course all I can do is dream about digging in and growing my own food. I guess the sewing machine will have to suffice for now.

If you’re interested in what I’m talking about here, these are some of the books that have led me to this thought process (many available for download as audio books and of course at your local library, though most have great recipes and resources that are great to have on hand for reference — not that you need more STUFF around, I sure know I don’t!):

Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything (also check out I’m a Stranger Here Myself, and, well, anything else he’s written)

Bill McKibben, Deep Economy (haven’t finished it yet — yes, I am reading about 10 books at once)

Jenna Woginrinch, Made From Scratch

Michael Bittman, Food Matters

Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food (haven’t finished it yet, but it’s great so far), The Ominvore’s Dilemma, The Botany of Desire

Mireille Guiliano, French Women Don’t Get Fat

Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, Skinny Bitch

I’m part of the newest Poppytalk Handmade marketplace, “Affordable Art”! Looking for some artwork but you can’t even fathom paying gallery prices? There is some Ah-mazing work over there, just right for your ol’ walls. Some of my favorite artists this month include The Cellophanes, Matte Stephens, Walking to Jericho and Sharon Montrose (her work below).

Did I mention  that I think Art makes a wonderful gift? Well, yeah, I do.

(re-blogged from The Poppytalk Handmade Artists Blog, here)I had the wonderful pleasure of attending the New York premiere of the new documentary film by Faythe Levine and Micaela O’Herlihy “Handmade Nation” last night at the Museum of Art and Design.

What a wonderful museum, and a fantastic film! I had been completely excited to watch this film in a room full of super talented artist and crafters, and the energy didn’t disappoint. Many of the artists featured in the film were in attendance, as well as other great makers that I spied in the audience from Etsy and blogland. The space was actually quite small, probably holding only 130 people in the sold-out crowd, so it had the feeling of an intimate event. We were all able to look around at the other makers, just as excited as we were to be there. It would have been so great if there were a little reception afterward, because I would have loved the chance to meet more of the talented makers in the room. I did manage to meet Kate Bingaman-Burt, the illustrator of the book Handmade Nation, which was very exciting for this illustration nerd and hand-lettered-type geek. She was giving out copies of her Obsessive Consumption zine, which we were lucky enough to snag. Thanks, Kate!

I don’t want to spoil the movie for you, because you’ll have to see it for yourself when it’s released near you; there’s a list of screening dates on their blog. There was a great panel discussion after the screening with Faythe, Kate, Mandy Greer and Callie Janoff, which was streamed live in the Etsy virtual labs. They shared some insight into their processes and thoughts about the film, as well as a short but interesting discussion about where the D.I.Y. movement is going. A few audience members voiced concern about the cost of crafting, and Mandy and Kate reminded us that we can all create with the objects often cast off by our modern culture, for instance by spinning thrift-store clothing into new, usable fiber. There was a huge exhibit in the museum entitled Second Lives, which really brought this point home; all of the beautiful work in this exhibit was comprised of ordinary and everyday manufactured articles, most originally made for another functional purpose. The questions regarding the fate of crafting and D.I.Y. (people are afraid it’s over or going bad places after being co-opted by mass marketers and retailers) was met with enthusiastic comments reminding us that humans have always and will always create, and the movement is really just gaining steam in the mainstream.

What do you think the fate of D.I.Y. and crafting might be? It’s hard for some people to imagine the future and not think we’ve come as far as we will, but I think there are infinite possibilities for expansion and evolution of the movement, of technology and for trends and techniques. I’d like to see everyone buying their holiday and birthday gifts from crafters in their hometowns, if not making them themselves.