also called portabella

Virtually free of fat and sodium.
Provide essential fiber and contain no cholesterol.
One medium cap: 40 calories.

{A favorite}

Kenya's recycled glass & brass

I went mad when I saw this piece at the place where I used to buy my beads in Nairobi. It is a huge necklace made from recycled glass and brass beads and motifs. Some of the beads are the size of a small plum and the others the size of a blueberry. I could not resist buying this and another one in peach tones.

where I get creative {an interview with Chantale Park}

Happy Monday! Today I welcome my friend Chantale Park. This is a very special interview for me. For almost a year I have been following her Blog and feel very close to her even though we have not met in person... yet. Hopefully, this summer we will be able to finally meet in NYC {keeping my fingers crossed}. 

Chantale is one of those souls that brightens ones life with her kindness and sense of humor.

Tell us a bit about your background

I have never veered away from my first love, art & design. I studied Illustration & Design and have always worked in the creative field as a product and graphic designer in the textile, stationery and entertainment field. As much as it gives me a thrill to see the products I've helped design in stores and see people buy them, I have a tendency to move on pretty quickly to the next project. lol. This is probably due to the fact that I've always worked in industries where product design is done about 2-4 seasons ahead of the current one. 

Describe your Creative Space

My creative space at home is side by side with our playroom. In fact, this one room sold me on the house we currently live in. It's one long big room with windows at both ends which makes it a very airy and bright space to be in. Windows and light is something I can't live without! My desk is situated right beside the window and affords me natural light, a view outdoors and a chance to work while my daughter plays in the space beside me. She also has her own table beside mine but when I'm at the computer, she loves to sit on my lap and play computer games online (Barbie, Hello Kitty etc).

Describe your typical Creative time

My creative time is any time I can get! That usually means after my daughter goes to sleep and way into the night if I have a project going on. Otherwise, any time I can snatch to update my blog or work on freelance projects. My uncle, who was a product designer himself, taught me a valuable lesson in quietly thinking design ideas through. It's why I occasionally look like I'm staring out into space. hehe. I like to think things out in my head first, visualize and then put it down on paper or use my computer. This is usually how I like to do my bento lunches as well. I'm not as good as the others out there so I really like to think about it first and then improvise as I go along..

Two things you can't live without
I can't live without my computer and my camera! I can live without my computer when we're on vacation but I definitely need my camera.

Do you have any routine or rituals in your work and creative habits?
I don't really have any routines. I am however, meticulous in the way I achieve a design and like to think ahead to it's eventual use in different mediums later on. I set up and build my files accordingly. When it comes to my sewing projects, I pretty much improvise as I go along. I'm crazy like that.

How do you keep focused?
I stay away from the web! Otherwise, I get sucked into the Pinterest, blogland vortex and then I'm a goner.

What is your primary source of inspiration?
One of my source of inspiration is traveling! I love the west coast, California. We've gone about 3 times now, from Sonoma Valley to SF and all the way in between to San Diego and I love it! I would go every year if we could. I love the California vibe and sun and of course, my family living there & all the new friends I've made. That said, I also love going on road trips to anywhere. It need not be anywhere fancy, just anywhere XYZ. We love bringing our daughter and experiencing new places with her. She is our #1 joy and inspiration! She is also a dream to travel with (though hearing 'are we there yet' on car trips occasionally does drive us bonkers).

What part of your creative process do you enjoy the most?
I love it when I've reached that Ah-ha! moment and then I get so excited to start. I end up losing track of time and when I see the end results, it gives me tremendous satisfaction. Especially when I see my designs in stores!

What are you working on now?
I'm currently working on a lookbook and some sewing projects.

Chantale's Blog

Happy Saturday!

Hope you are enjoying the first days of summer.

a good picture

happy weekend everyone!

I love this...

{photo taken at the Newseum in Washington, DC}

Guest posting today HERE! and I'm sharing a photo of one of my favorite places for a holiday. Check it out.

Inspired by Africa...

I'm so excited about my new work, here is a glimpse of what you can find in my shop now.

All necklaces made with African beads sourced in Kenya while I lived there and pewter beads especially made for me in Bolivia.

the Irene necklace featuring wood-bone large beads, pewter beads and a two tone raffia bauble

Find it here!

You can shop these necklaces here!

brooch swap

This is the brooch I made for the Flower Press Brooch Swap.

Baby Alpaca hand knit bows in Grass Green and Raspberry

where I get creative {an interview with Libby Wilkie}

Happy Monday everyone!!! Hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day weekend.

Today I welcome Libby Wilkie. I have been following her blog for more than a year now and just love her style!!! I have also been very lucky to meet her in person. First time, last year in New York when she came to see me at the Playtime show where I was exhibiting my Spring-Summer 2011 collections; and then last month, when she came to Washington to visit her daughter who works at the National Building Museum {a must see if you're in DC}.

Tell us a bit about your background 

My very first job was as a colorist and textile designer for a high end home furnishings fabric house in New York City. Next, I  worked in Fashion on Seventh Avenue, designing fabrics, and then segued into licensing my designs for many different products…ceramics, rugs, paper plates, gift wrap etc. Through it all, I always follow trends in color and design. At the moment I don’t do much designing but instead represent other artists for licensing opportunities. Amazingly, I don’t miss the design/art; I’m still surrounded by it but am really enjoying working with others.

Describe your Creative Space

Right now my Creative Space is small. For many years I had a huge loft space in a downtown building (with four flights to walk up every day!). But now I work out of my house. I hadn’t done that for many years and wasn’t sure how it would be: I had liked the routine of getting up and out of the house every day, seeing new people etc. But, surprisingly, I am loving it!

Describe your typical Creative time

I’m a morning person. When my daughter was small I would get up at 5:30 to have a few hours to work alone. That time has moved up a bit now…but I like to get going with work right away. I try to go out for errands and whatever around lunch so I don’t miss phone calls or emails in a major way. But even then, I will check my iPhone when I’m out. And, I almost always work after dinner for a few hours.

Two things you can't live without

I can’t live without my iMac. I converted over to Mac about three years ago, and now couldn’t possibly go back to a PC! The other totally invaluable thing I use is a head piece for my phone: that way I can multi-task and also don’t mind being put on hold for who knows how long!

Do you have any routine or rituals in your work and creative habits?
Well, I drink a lot of tea. Assam. Black, strong, with sugar and cream. Several cups a day! And, I try to exercise every day: either the gym or a power walk. Where we live now, in North Carolina, is so beautiful and my walks pass by the Beltie cattle, and goats and fields: it’s hard to pass that up for more than a day or so..Again, early in the morning is the best time.

How do you keep focused?

This is my greatest challenge. I am easily distracted. It’s a constant struggle for me to stay on track;  and of course, seeing new blog posts come in doesn’t help!

What is your primary source of inspiration?

That is a hard one to quantify. It comes from everyday living; from travel (as many of you know, I am a devoted Francophile); market shopping; trade shows; gardening; magazines both paper and on line; my many blogging friends.

What part of your creative process do you enjoy the most?

I love the fact that every day is different. I never know what to expect, and that’s how I like it! I like relating to other people...the artists I represent through my licensing business, LW Associates, my customers, and other bloggers.

What are you working on now?

I’ve just begun a total revision of my blog. Total! We’re changing the name (I think…), the blogging platform, the entire look and will be adding some regular feature columns. I’m also working on a brand new business! Can’t tell you the details right now, but yes, it involves France…

Libby's Blog

SALE, SALE!!!

SHOP OUR SALE NOW HERE!!

what's new

New summer necklaces made with European linen filled with faux pearls to create baubles tying them with Pima cotton {all by hand}, Bolivian pewter beads, African bone beads {love these}, and crochet rings and strings.

You can find it Here!

salad days

Fresh & easy summer salads is what I have been cooking this week. A good combination of the season's freshest vegetables with a little twist.

model houses {Buenos Aires, Argentina}

Not long ago I saw this exhibition of model houses in Buenos Aires. Each house had the same shape but was decorated with paint different items according to the inspiration of the artist.

on this one the artist was inspired by people on the streets of Buenos Aires

the roof of this house was decorated with fragments of a letter

this is one of my favorites with the thread on the roof and window, buttons, pom-pom flowers and lace

on this roof the artist recycled flower cake candle cups 

peackocs & Vanity Fair

lovely Navajo blanket design

those are hands coming out of the windows