Next up . . .

The always awesome Art Star Craft Bazaar.  This event is a big-time fun-fest.  Right next to the river, it's filled with great music, great food, friendly people, fountains, kids, dogs, chatting, strollers, and about a million awesome little treats for your life.

Plus, it's Mother's Day weekend, which means you will find JUST THE THING for Mom. And you. And a friend, or two.

xoxo
KP

Showtime

Ah! Spring is here, and I'm busy admiring all the blooming plants. AMAZING these flowers and trees.  Right?!

But I need to tell you all about the fabulous craft fairs that are coming up. These events, and the folks who attend, are a bunch of wonderful people. We all like to make stuff, get together, chat exchange good ideas and buy new magical things which make our days brighter. Come visit.

Last fair - Crafty Balboa - is a top notch fun festival -

Always a blast. More to come.

xoxo
KP

GO WEST!

Next awesome event - Go West! Craft Fest - in West Philly at The Woodlands.
Saturday, April 20th  (rain date Sunday, April 21st)
11 am - 5 pm . . . with jugglers! Live music! And treeeees!

xoxo
KP

Pop Up shopping

If you are in the Philly area - come by this sweet Pop Up Shop event. Included are a great group of Philadelphia artists and artisans who make really fabulous work. Plus, it will be a nice challenge, we'll all be using West Elm merchandise for displaying our pieces.

 

For more about this event, visit the west elm blog.

Design Milk-curated Etsy Pop-Up at west elm
March 9, 2013 from 1 PM – 6 PM
West Elm, 1330 Chestnut Street (Btwn. Juniper & Broad Street), Philadelphia, PA 19107

Interested?
RSVP here

xoxo
KP

Time Travel Mart

Wherever you are, we're already then.

Visit them online or in person

xoxo
KP

The Future

It's important to dream. Of the universe. Of the Future.

It's important to dream big. Sometimes in small ways.

In an attempt to work on 1) Dreaming and 2) The Future, all of my current roomboxes (constructed and designed circa 2002-2006) will become visions of the future. They will be transforming from the world of today into the world of tomorrow.

Here is the first box, the Yellow Roombox, complete with it's glorious artwork and intricate details. Take a last look - it's future awaits.

xoxo
KP

Rockquarium

For the holidays my smart husband presented me with the best gift ever - a hand held, short wave, ultraviolet light. This activates my collection of glow in the dark minerals from the Franklin Mine in Franklin, NJ.

Observe some wonderful transitions from daylight rocks to fluorescent rocks courtesy of the uv light . . .

The bright green is Willemite and the red-orange is Calcite.

Here the green is fluorite (from NM!) and there's a little Willemite on the left.

. . . and behold! The Rockquarium - where they all live.

Awesome.

xoxo
KP

Showstoppers

This past month I've been working on new pieces, and they are really starting to take shape and have my voice. They are comfortable, vibrant, multi-strand necklaces of gemstones and wood. Some of them are showstoppers! Yeah.

Some sneak peeks are below and then visit the new pieces in my shop.

xoxo
KP

Book of COLOR

I've been reading a great book about the sources and history of colors. One of the first 'gems' is about red ochre, or red iron oxide - a paint used in frescos.

" . . . scientists in Italy have found a new technique for dating frescos almost to the year they were painted, simply by examining the red paint. 'Red ochre contains iron, and the iron molecules act like compass needles,' explained Professor Giacomo Chiari of the Dept. of Minerological and Petrological Sciences at the University of Turin. He said that in the few minutes between daubing red ochre onto the wet clay, and the time it dries, the molecules realign themselves in the direction of magnetic north. 'And if you don't move the walls then that is how they stay.' Professor Chiari said. Magnetic north changes every year - it can fluctuate over a range of 18 degrees, so you can learn when the fresco was painted from the direction in which the red ochre is pointing."

- from Color; A Natural History of the Palette, by Victoria Finlay

More info about color to come.
xoxo
KP

Rooms + Rocks - 30/30

In honor of the final day of this Rooms + Rocks countdown, I present - The Omega Bath. Elvis' jungle was our Alpha, this Barbarella-esque bath is our Omega.  Let's take a look around for a moment.  Such incredible lighting, in every section of the curved room. The reflective back wall, mezmerizing, drawing us into that . . . work-out space? Yup. Stretch, do some reps. Head across the sheepskin carpeting and take a languid hot shower in the jacuzzi. Step over to the hair-drying area, read a magazine. Feel free to use either of the toilets. Get dressed on that glowing stool. So plush and posh. Perfect. Now we head into the future . . . future . . . future . . .

OmegaRoom  + Big O necklace

xoxo

KP

Rooms + Rocks - 29/30

This magnificent room has a richer meaning for some, but it is radiant to everyone. The architect of this glorious space gives some details about its design, including how it emulates gathering under a large tree.

The immense, freeform, dazzling glass and resin windows fill the room with rich blues, purples and reds.  However, blue might not have been in the Bible.  It's possible that humans didn't see the color blue until we had a name for it.  Think of all the colors we may see now, but just don't have names for - yet.   Ah, unknown colors.  Divine.

Sophie and Nathan Gumenick Chapel + Shanah Tovah New Blue earrings

xoxo

KP

Rooms + Rocks - 28/30

A bohemian guestroom, in a delightful shade of turquoise. So refreshing - like a lovely, sunlit pool. Take a handful of the Red Room, some woods scattered about, and have that handsome chair couple watch over it all.

Patterns and Pool guestroom + Water and Woods necklace

xoxo
KP