Blab here to win a free scarf!

I like the contests that are popping up everywhere in blog land lately that instruct you to leave a comment for a chance to win something. Personally, I like free things, and I like winning things. Hey... I bet you do too.

PURPOSE: to find out if anyone reads this blog (sometimes I sort of wonder...)
PRIZE: one lucky reader will win a scarf of his/her choice. we'll even throw in free shipping!
REASON: everyone else is doing it, so why not us too? Also, after watching that sappy heart-jerking video of Barack Obama and his saint-like path to washington, DC that played at the DNC last night, we feel inspired to give back to OUR community. Hopefully next week, a John McCain TV montage will also inspire us to give out something free. (Like..... our TV)
I kid.
GUIDELINES: After digesting the Convention, we watched old episodes of Batman cartoons that phil rented from the UMBC library, which are kinda cool and art deco.Funny to re-watch things like this and hear all the extra jokes you missed as a kid and see how much went into each episode. Phil is teaching a few classes this semester at UMBC and Towson, and uses lots of animated clips (thanks Albert for the ones you sent) as part of his lessons.

For the prize: What was or is YOUR favorite cartoon?

GO! (contest ends next wednesday- check back here to see if you've won!!) :)

The Red Prairies of Ecuador

The Purple Marsh tee reportedly came in very handy in a recent Ecuadorian dart gun blowing excursion for Red Prairie Press pal Cara. While we don't pretentiously advertise that our tees give you special powers while in places like Quito, we also don't deny it.
Just saying... if you happen to be wearing one of our shirts, while walking along the equator, and you are approached about any sort of weaponry competition...... we're not not saying you won't not win...

Berkley Illustration

Something about animals in clothing.
Hate real life interactions with it. Love illustrations of it.
Love these illustrations of it, by Berkley Illustration.

Working Wonders

Okay okay, enough with the snarky posts. I was checking out the Go For Change blog (if you don't know about it - time to find out! A b-more blog about people doing things to better the world. Many of them local. How's THAT for positivity?) this morning, and found their recent post about Mt. Washington based eco-furniture shop Working Wonders. Not only do they have nifty green furniture and home goods, but they have a "green guide" to all their products, which helps you find the ones that have the specific standards most important to you (ie. recycled materials, improves air quality, renewable resources...) pretty cool, and if nothing else, fun to look at and pretend you can afford any of it. Shopping local reduces environmental impact just by ensuring things don't have to be trucked across the country! Not to mention, it keeps money in your local economy... but chances are if you're the sort of person that reads a blog about a one-woman-in-home-screen-printing press, you already know that, huh? Happy Tuesday, friend.

If I still had a ponytail

Phil purchased me a fiddle recently (about a month ago, to be exact) and I've been practicing. I wonder at what point it's okay to start wearing shirts like this while playing it? I think never. But I saw this had sold on Etsy (I'm officially addicted to pouncing now. it's made me chuckle a few different times this week) and it reminded me that I don't think I told you about the fiddle. Here's what there is to know: I'm terrible albeit getting really close to making it beyond the page of Mary Had a Little Lamb in my "learning to play fiddle" book (i'm pretty sure it's for third graders, but certainly GIFTED third graders, because man.... it's really hard!) Also of note: the guy on the front cover IS WEARING THIS SHIRT. I swear. He got it on Etsy! The thing is, he's so amazing at fiddle, that I refuse to deny him the right to wear it. He can totally get away with it, in my opinion. I can't even play an open string without killing flies or pissing Mr. Sammy off. He can play Mary Had a Little Lamb with his eyes closed. He is SO entitled to wear the shirt, and I am not.
This all said, it's the first instrument I've ever attempted to play, and I really like it. I make no promises, but I think if I were to ever move beyond my high school rap career days and pursue other music, it would be fiddle.

Also, If I ever turn half-goat, I think i'll go ahead and make the shirt purchase. Then, I'll buy a pan flute, and skip around Baltimore serenading the sewer rats (who already have my sympathy. all joking aside).

Happy Monday Rush Hour!!!!!!

Bowbutt

Heh. I just learned about "Pounce" on Etsy. You can push a button and "pounce" to see random things that have just been purchased.
This here, if you can believe your eyes, has just been purchased.
I wish this style would catch on with the tween girls and college freshman that walk around with writing on the bums of their sweatpants. If the masses of Long Island's finest Syracuse University-Bound high school graduates traded in their sorority uniform sweats for big-girl onesies with bows on the butt ... how effing CUTE would that be!!!!??!!!
100% way more adorable, in my opinion. AND, we could all still focus on their butts! They could even do color coordination! See, everyone wins.
Fall 2009 - Bow Butt Onesies are the new black. You heard it here first.

I think i'll go paint this scenario.


PS, if you really do want one, in baby size, the seller is called WarmandFuzzyBaby.

Art Opening Tomorrow - Good stuff.

Forgot to mention, but there's a great art opening happening at School 33 tomorrow night. I'm loving Seth Adelsberger's new papercuts... seen a few around town this year. This is sure to be a good one. Plus, how long has it been since you made it down to Federal Hill? "Baltimore: Get in on it" dude.

VISION QUEST
AUGUST 21-OCTOBER 4, 2008 at School 33
Opening: Saturday, August 23, 2008 6-9pm
CURATED BY JASON HUGHES
Featured artists include: Seth Adelsberger, Sarah Gamble, James Johnson, Christine Buckton Tillman, and Pat O’Malley

Salute your favorite baby quail

Birds have been on my mind a lot lately. Phil recently "made" a birdfeeder (ie, bought one at Joann Fabrics and stained it a nice color brown and hung it above our kayaks in the back yard) which has turned our yard into a scene from the movie Birds; went to Kathy's art show, which had some birds (hawks?) floating around, and we were housesitting this week for two hens, a duck and a baby quail... who became our bff as soon as we realized we were allowed to take her/him out of the cage. Name=Pippin. Occupation=being awesome.
Happy Friday. Work hard, finish early, and love a quail today.

Thursday and a New Scarf!

Loving the way these scarves photograph... kinda antique looking, don't you think?
New Queen Anne's Lace on Creme colored 100% fine jersey cotton scarves.
Finished just in time for fall, and for my upcoming epic trip northeast (Northampton), out to the mid-west (Chicago), and back northeast (Northampton). By the time I get back in late September, perhaps I'll need it here! (I kid myself into believing I'm allowed to own one of these. I really don't own white things, as I drool, drop food, and smear paint and grease all over anything this pretty within the first hour of wearing it...)

A quiet day in the shop today, as I'm reprinting stock (for said upcoming trip) and packing up this morning's orders and trying to become organized before a busy week next week.

Garden report: The sunflowers in our yard have grown over the fence of doggie daycare (and unfairly face that direction. what traitors!), We are almost SICK of tomatoes, though I made sauce last night, and made some tasty squash/eggplant parmesan goolash, the hot peppers are begging to be picked and made into salsa, and the beans will not die.
the birds have eaten all of phil's birdfeeder food again, and the kayaks are itching to be taken out. Maybe there's time this weekend........

APPLICATIONS ARE UP!!!!

Apply now for Holiday Heap! November 15th, 2008 from 10-5pm at St. John's Church in Baltimore!

APPLY HERE

Be sure to have nice photos, clear descriptions, correct contact info, a real paypal account, and quality handmade work.
Good luck!

Snoozing Yams, Dueling lobsters, Puppet shows and Long Legs

Please enjoy these tuesday afternoon sneaky peeks of a fresh batch of new paintings made this week....
I know what you're thinking: "what the FRACK is that first one?"
Answer: that, my friends, is what happens to a yam, when it's left unattended in a hanging basket. True story. Except for the lady sticking out. That only happens at our house.
In case you can't tell, I'm working hard to make my own deadline for getting the 2009 Calendar to the printer's! Look for it in late september/early October!! An enormous Thank you to all the stores who have already pre-ordered, and forced me to get my butt in gear and finish these (in a higher quantity than last year)! Your support is unprecidented and outlandish, and allows me to rot tubers in a basket for a living. Seriously....bless you.

Heap of Weekend Bliss

The news from RPP:

-Holiday Heap date announced: November 15! applications up soon!
-Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals in one olympics
-I found 8 four leaf clovers in one weekend.
-We are housesitting for a baby quail, 2 dogs, 3 reptiles, 3 rodents, a cat, 2 hens, a duck and a lucky lucky house (in that i found my 8 four leaf clovers all in the yard)
-4 new paintings made this week. Up online soon!
-Calendars are coming, craft shows are coming, we're busy and happy and, apparently, super lucky.

off to win the lottery print tshirts.

See Prints, Hear Music, Drink Coffee, Feel Good

Baltimore is suddenly realizing it has stupendous artists. Or are the artists just finally realizing they ought to show off their mightiness? Or have I just personally had my head in a can of ink, and really, Kathy Fahey has been kicking printmaking's butt for as long as it was there to kick? In any case, we here at RPP headquarters just caught wind of this must-see opening TONIGHT! To make matters MORE irresistible, our musical idol (and one of baltimore's only hopes of hearing quality bluegrass, country or folk music) Caleb Stine is slotted to be there. Forget everything you were about to do/drink tonight. El Rancho Grande has coffee, tea and a fricking cool lightup sign (made by Fahey and Stine themselves, in fact).
Before (or after) celebrating a certain water-ballerina's birthday tonight, I'll be right down the street- and sure to head over as well!

Friday, August 15th 8 PM

Artwork by Katherine Fahey and Scott Dennison

LIVE MUSIC by Caleb Stine, Andy Abelow of Small Sur, and Neil Cotterill

El Rancho Grande 3608 Falls Road, where Falls Road meets The Avenue in Hampden

Quart Bag Show at Civilian

QUART BAG: A Community Art Show at Civilian
August 8 - August 16, 2008
OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, 8/08/08

Inspired by the many things you can do with a quart bag, Civilian Art Projects has invited 100 DC area artists to participate in a community art exhibition called Quart Bag. The exhibition provides an imaginative opportunity for artists to use thirty-two ounces of space within a plastic quart size bag. All works of art will be sold for $100 or less, providing an opportunity for all people to walk home with a piece of art that is FAA approved.

The exhibition will run from August 8 - 16, 2008.

Comet: 5037 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC

Partial List of Artists participating in QB:
Seth Adelsberger / Brigitte Anders-Kraus / Jon Bobby Benjamin / Matthew Best / Kristina Bilonick / John Bohl / Marissa Botelho / Martin Brief / Emily C-D / Colby Caldwell / Nick Carr / Page Carr / Erin Cluely / Cynthia Connolly / Patricia Correa / Dane Austin Criner / Caitlin Cunningham / Dmetrious / Mary Early / Alex Ebstein / Steven Eson / Briony Evans / Annie Ewaskio / Edward Fendley / Rachel Fick / Steve Frost / Scott Gursky / Paul Jeanes / Rebecca Juliette / Brook Halvorson / Elizabeth Huey / James Huckenpahler / Anamario Hernandez / Bridget Sue Lambert / Alberto Gaitan / Victoria Gaitan / Carlos Gomez / Jason Gubbiotti / Annie Gray / Adam Griffiths / Erick Jackson / Amanda Kleinman / JW Mahoney / Katherine Mann / Nathan Manuel / John Marra / Cara Ober / Ayo Okuseinde / Betsy Packard / Nikki Painter / Annie Peters / Dana Reifler-Amato / Ding Ren / Bonner Sale / Sara Seidman / Emily Slaughter / Matt Spahr / Noelle Tan / Denise Tassin / Lisa Marie Thalhammer / Robert Tifford / Rene Trevino / Justin Tsucalas / Andrej Ujhazy / The Scott Twins

The new issue of Venus Zine has THIS mighty helpful article by Jenny Hart on "crafting a business." Having just spent the weekend with a friend who's just quit her job to build a craftable business (more info to come on this) - and seeing the email blurb from Venus in my inbox this afternoon- also reminded me that I should mention a good book I've been reading. It's called Craft INC.Put out by Chronical Books and written/edited/compiled by artist/designer Meg Mateo Ilasco (who's been getting a bit of press recently for her stationary line), it's chock full of interviews, advice, and planning ideas from reputable and familiar sources. Lotta Anderson, Rena Tom and Sharilyn Wright to name a few...

I'm home from a lazy weekend, and working hard today. The studio is a mess, there are backorders to fill, shirts to print, quotes to quote, and orders to pack and ship. I'm sweaty and dirty, and the little girls next door teased me about having paint all over my pants when I took out the trash just now and when I told them I was painting in my basement, they told me they'd clean out our stairwell (it's full of rocks they won't admit they threw down there) if I let them see Mr. Sammy (I choose not to make fun, but to everyone else, his bulk is as novel as the mother in What's Eating Gilbert Grape).
What a good deal I've worked out here.

Today's Message: WORK FOR YOURSELF!!!!!!!!

Olympics

Did you know that this year is the last year they'll have Baseball and Softball as Olympic sports?
This weekend, a memorial game of softball was held in Chadds Ford to celebrate the life of fired Olympic ballsports.
Maybe if all the ballplayers wore bikinis (like in Ladies Beach Volleyball) then the ratings would improve and more countries would join in?

Thursday Reminisce

Vegan Food guru "Vegan Yumyum" has convinced me to keep trying at tofu with THIS scrumptious looking recipe that I saw posted on the My Paper Crane blog.... I have been a vegetarian for about 11 years now, and you'd think I'd be good at something like tofu. That's kinda the deal, right? WRONG. If it's healthy, and I like it, phil is bound to hate it, if it's fried, Phil likes it and I usually dislike it... if I make it, pretty much neither of us like it. I've ended up eating a lot of tofu raw, and soaked in things (soyaki sauce has been a recent favorite in our house). However, these Smokey Miso Sangies make me want to try harder, and try I will.
ALSO, after looking at that recipe, I started further procrastinating and saw her more recent recipe- which is for Blueberry Grunt. Phil's Grammy Davis once told me her secret recipe for Blueberry Grunt from memory, as we were picking blueberries on a goat farm in NH. She had learned such things in Nova Scotia where she grew up, and had moved to Massachusetts to open a bakery before settling in Northern Maine (where blueberries happen to abound). While she closed the bakery before moving, she hardly cut back on the quantities of food she made. The few times I met her, there were always enormous amounts of buttery cheese rolls, pies and caramel candies being stuffed in my belly. (actually, that tradition lives on. The wonderful aunt and uncle that now live in the house have managed to keep making most of her best recipes, and it's a highlight of any Davis Family event). Grammy Davis had this old potbelly wood-fire stove that she cooked on, and a farmhouse and garden full of rescued wild animals... My ideal lady, to say the least... I could go on and on about this woman I barely knew...
Anyway... The vegan recipe looks delicious and made me reminisce....pretty much sealing the deal that the rest of today is a dreamy and wasted one.... in which i might just happen upon Superfresh after my 11:30 meeting, and round up the ingredients for blueberry grunt. We leave for Chadd's Ford, PA this afternoon for a weekend of recording music in an old farmhouse, swimming and a barn party.
See... you just THINK we're city people because our address says Baltimore.....
until monday
-rachel

You're the B.E.S.T.

A belated congratulations to new CCCM member Sweet Pepita for her Best Of Baltimore Magazine nod, to Alice for having remarkably big hair (she deserves a B.O.B. for this) and to all of Baltimore Etsy Street Team for their great local craftywork nod! CCCM hearts Shannon and all of BEST.

Ceramics Roundup

I was talking to a friend today about how neither of us are loyal readers of any particular daily blog. I have 10 or so I try to look at every once in a while, but because I'm not on the bloglines (blogroll? what's it called? what?) I often forget about the really good ones. Bloesem has this great section called "Weekend Reads" and here is a ceramics edition. Having just spent Saturday scouring baltimore country thrift stores for things like this... it's nice to see so much eye candy all in one place, and know where some of my subconscious inspirations are coming from. Love the folky illustrations on these Norwegian pieces (above) and these Finnish pieces (below) in particular.
My flea market china hocking parents would be proud.

Queen Anne's Lace

One more new shirt up in the Etsy Shop AND Red Prairie Press.
To make this design, we simply weeded our garden. Really. We pulled some queen anne's lace out of the tomatoes, and i stuck the plant itself right to my emulsed screen, and burned it on there! You might say this particular one is homegrown!

Regardless, we think Queen Anne's Lace, or, "wild carrot flowers" are just too pretty to be dubbed weeds, and we think they should get a little more credit as flowers. Consider this shirt (and a new, forthcoming scarf) our campaign to enhance the rep. of this backyard treasure. As much as we do not approve of feudalism we approve of Queen Anne's lace.

$25 in both shops now!

Original Reproductions

This is an "original painting", in the sense of it not being a print, poster or canvas transfer. This particular one sold, but don't worry- this artist will repaint you the same painting and guarantee it to be 95% + the same as the previous one.
I can't even make fun of that, because I kind of love the painting...although wait... it looks familiar... I suppose I can't guarantee he crafted the original image...oh wait...because it's the magnificent seven...actually, it's the COVER of Magnificent Seven. Mostly, I'm intrigued with wonder as to how one determines the percent of similarity from one painting to the next.
If I ever make anything worth making more than once (besides tshirts, that is. Which really are 95%+ the same) I'm gonna get help from this dude.

To certain western lovers whose birthday might be today:
I typed "cowboy" into the Etsy Search in honor of you.

Paper Kingdom is Finally Here!

I'm honored & thrilled to be part of Elena Johnston's new book Paper Kingdom - documenting Baltimore music poster and print culture from the 1990's until now.

Book Release Party is at Creative Alliance in Patterson Park, Sunday August 10th.
A limited edition run of the book with be available for purchase, but you can also go HERE to pre-order a copy.
Gallery show is free, Elena will be there signing copies, and for $12 (if it's not already sold out) you can see Musical performances by Beach House, Viking Moses, and Cass McCombs!

Artists Include:
Alex Fine, Ana Benaroya, Beth Varden, Exit 10, Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals of PostTypography, Caleb Stine, Dan Deacon, Jimmy Joe Roche, Dina Kelberman, James Sarsgaard, Jordan Bernier, Justin Lucas, Justin Levy, Kali Ciesemier, Kathy Fahey, Elena Johnston, Katie Rose, Kevin Sherry, Jennifer Bagheri, Jeff McGrath, Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez, Lexie Mountain, Logan Hicks, Mike Apichella, Noel Friebert, Roby Newton, Peter Quinn, Red Prairie Press, Scott Denisson, Shaun Flynn, Wildfire Wildfire, Tommy Rouse, Amy Waller, and Scott Opirhory.
Interviews included with:
Dan Deacon, Victoria LeGrand, Nolen Strals, Human Host, Scott Dennison, Justin Lucas, Kathy Fahey and Shaun Flynn.

Can't make it to the opening? You can pick up a copy HERE.

Weekend Recap

What a weekend we had!
Friday night we perused first fridays, and played late night boggle with late night friends.
Saturday, we yard-saled and thrifted with Scott & Angie (who are Boggle champions and said late night friends).
I scored a cool vintage seat/stool for our kitchen (needs some new fabric for the seat. Stay tuned to see before and afters), some glass storage bottles, and a paper shredder. My ever-eclectic husband picked up a pink whiffle ball bat, some snappy new shorts, and a video called "fart; the movie."

Sunday we managed to get 2nd row seats at the 7th annual Fluid Movement Water Ballet. If you haven't been before, it's well worth the $9 to see your friends (you're bound to know someone in it) stuffed into brightly colored body suits attempting to dance & synchronized swim to loud music. My friends Bonnie and Maureen performed heroically as toxic green strip teasing sheep, and Anne looked uber-professional as a distinguished part of the pumpkin parade... though we don't agree with her party of choice character designation.

Last night we also watched a good movie (no, not Fart; The Movie) American Astronaut- directed by and starring Cory McAbee.
the first space-western musical I've come across, and some original thoughts, which are rare & refreshing. Gold.

Happy Monday

Ode to WCW.

This is just to say,
I have posted the new tanktops on etsy
and think probably you were waiting for me to do so...
forgive me...the summer got ahead of me
just been so busy.... so good at procrastinating.

Happy August

Tomatoes are ripe in our little backyard garden. Must be summer is well underway.
Join us tonight at First Fridays in Hampden as we cheer on our favorite neighborhood businesses!
- Sale & Shopper's Social at Double Dutch
- Book signing(s) at Atomic Pop/Books (what's it called now that it's all one location?)
- Celebration for Best of Baltimore (Baltimore Magazine) at Earth Alley
- Eat some pie at Dangerously Delicious Pies
- Drink a drink at Golden West or Holy Frijoles
- Give a high five to a stranger!
- Get caffeinated too late to ever sleep tonight at El Rancho Grande
- Eat Pizza(s) at Bella Roma

Enjoy Baltimore. We dare you.