Getting Together with Other Artists

I went out last evening with what is tentatively being called Etsy Women of Wellesley (EWW – I think we may need a new name!).  We had a wonderful evening at Alta Strada in Wellesley Square, chatting and laughing together about how we run home after dropping our kids off at school and furiously pursue our other lives, making things with our hands, until the very last minute when we have to run out to pick up the kids again.

It can sometimes feel like creative, entrepreneurial makers are a rare breed in this town and I give huge credit to my friend, Elizabeth, for rounding us up for a great night out.  Elizabeth is a potter who makes incredible work in white porcelain.

I visited her home studio a few months ago and was just in awe of what she makes, and the space she makes it in.  And Elizabeth volunteers once a week at the take-it-or-leave-it at the Wellesley dump!  Lucky her. You should see her collection of bowling balls.

She and Laura have a vintage shop called Betty and June on Etsy together. This amazing piece of fabric caught my eye.

It would make a great summer tablecloth, with these mod dishes. They're plastic, too, and perfect for snacks out on the patio.

My friend, Carolyn, who is a photographer and who helped me design that free felt goldfish pattern you see over there on my sidebar, came, too. 

Celeste makes amazing modern wooden jewelry.

This bracelet is so gorgeous.  Maybe Celeste will invite us to visit her studio sometime to see how she makes these.  She wasn't able to make it last night, but hopefully she'll join us at our next get together.

It was great to connect with these creative women in town. If you live in Wellesley and you make things, we'd love for you to join us!

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My studio desk is a wreck, full of pieces of toys in various states of assembly, waiting to be photographed or, in most cases, rephotographed.  I'm taking all the step-by-step photos for chapter two of my soft toy design book right now which means I cut and sew and prep everything, then turn out the overhead lights, close the blinds, turn on the umbrella lights and set up the tripod and shoot a bunch of photos.

Then I run downstairs to the Mac and upload the photos and maybe 1/4 of them are good so I make a list of all the shots that need to be redone and run back upstairs to do it all again. And again. I'm learning with every shot, but it is all-consuming.

And then I'm writing pattern instructions and lessons and  I'm working on describing the toymakers' tools and materials. And soon I'll be designing the third project. I would describe the whole thing as intense in the best possible way, and immensely satisfying.