GIVEAWAY - The Great Camping Event - Day 6

It's Day 6 and time for a giveaway! Remember on Day 3 when I reviewed The Girls' Guide to Campfire Activities? Well I contacted Cider Mill Press and they agreed to offer a book for giveaway!

So I have one copy of the book to anyone in North America. You can enter by filling in the form below. You can NOT enter by commenting so comments have been turned off.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Fashion illustration

In my last post, I featured Tina Berning's illustrations of women.  Fashion plays an essential part in Berning's art, which is one of the reasons I'm drawn to her work.  When I was thirteen, I desperately wanted to be a fashion designer.  So I spent countless hours sketching new outfits and even sewing my own clothes.  (The first article of clothing I ever made was a hot pink jumpsuit!) 



My mother knew that I was really into fashion, and one day, she came home with this amazing Japanese book.  This book full of fashion illustrations became my prized possession.  I studied the drawings and would try to copy every little detail until it was perfect.  I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I drew this face:

Unfortunately, I can't read Japanese, so I don't even know the title of the book or the name of the illustrator.  Here's the biographical page of the author.  Maybe you can help me out?

Children's Camping Books - The Great Camping Event - Day 5

It's Day 5 already! I hope you've been enjoying it. Be sure to check out the guest post at Callista's Ramblings today from Melissa of Librarian's Book Reviews.

The Berenstain Bears Go To Camp by Stan & Jan Berenstain

Stars: ****

Summary: Brother and Sister are going to Grizzly Bob's day camp. They make crafts, play games, go swimming and do all sorts of fun stuff. But is Sister ready for an overnight?

I love all Berenstain bear books. I've also seen the TV episode of this story. I think I prefer the cartoon more as it focuses more on Sister's reluctance to camp overnight then the book does. They are both good though. It would be a good introductory book to kids 4-8 who are going to camp.

Links of Interest: The Berenstain Bears Website,

Other Reviews: NONE

Buy The Berenstain Bears Go To Camp at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

Subtracting with Sebastian Pig and Friends On a Camping Trip by Jill Anderson

Stars: ***

Summary: Learn substraction while reading about camping!

While the idea for the book is a good idea, I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been. There's nothing really wrong with it, but usually math picture book try to hide the math a bit more.

e.g.

Putting Up the Tent

It's time to put up the tent. Where are the pegs to hold it down? There should be four pegs. But there are only two. How many are missing?

4-2=2
(illustration of 4 pegs with 2 crossed out)

Fact Family: 2+2=4

In a little illustrated notebook  it shows the math problem and also shows any related math problems with those numbers. For example if 3-2=1 is shown, the little notebook shows 3-1=2, 1+2=3 and 2+1=3.

For kids who love math, this would be a good book. But if they are reluctant in math, they may snub there nose at it.

Links of Interest: NONE

Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy Subtracting with Sebastian Pig and Friends On a Camping Trip at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

The Sibley Guide to Trees - The Great Camping Event - Day 4

It's Day Four of The Great Camping Event! I promise there will be a giveaway soon!

Stars: *****

Summary: A guide to identifying North American Trees.

The Sibley Guide is the best tree guide I've ever seen. Topics include: getting started at identifying trees, what is a tree, taxonomy, tree size, maps, habitat, tree conservation, tree identification (by leaves, flowers, fruit, twigs, buds and bark,) and a guide to each tree group (Including but not limited to Pine, Cypress, Laurel, Walnut, Birch, Beech, Willow, Hemp, Cashew, Dogwood, and much, much more.)

Most guides don't include enough information on HOW to identify the trees but just on what each tree looks like. I used the book to identify some trees although I already know some of them. The illustrations of flowers and leaves and bark are very real with colour and detail. They almost look like real photographs.

I don't have permission to reprint any pages but if you search Google Images for the book, you can see some samples pages.

Highly Recommended for all tree lovers.

Links of Interest: The Sibley Guides, Video on how the author wrote the book,

Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy The Sibley Guide to Trees at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

Artists I like: Tina Berning

I have 15 tabs open on my browser right now, nearly all of them having to do with art. One of the tabs currently open features the work of Berlin artist Tina Berning.  I find Berning's portraits of beautiful women to be alluring yet so haunting.

Much of Berning's work is done on vintage and found paper.  A few years ago, a collection of her sketches were made into a book called 100 Girls on Cheap Paper.  You can view the 100 drawings on Berning's website.  And while you're there, be sure to check out her diary of daily drawings.  I just finished looking at all 387- what a treat!   

Girl's Guide to Campfire Activities and FollowThe Trail - The Great Camping Event - Day 3

 It's Day Three! I hope you've been enjoying the festivities so far. Be sure to check out what's going on at Callista's Ramblings too.

The Girls' Guide to Campfire Activities by Elizabeth Encarnacion

Stars: ***

Summary: Activities and fun for girls either at a real campfire and at home during a sleepover.

For girls having a real campfire, the book contains tips on building the perfect campfire and food to eat over it, songs to sing by it and stories to tell by it.  Can't have a real campfire? Pop in the bonus DVD for an instant fire in your living room where you can still make smores (in the microwave) and tell ghost stories. There's even a list of good camp movies (NOT including scary ones such as Friday the 13th) but kid friendly ones.

The book is colourful, with great illustrations and easy to read text. Recommended for ages 9-14.

Links of Interest: Elizabeth Encarnacion, Look Inside the Book on Facebook,

Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy A Girls' Guide to Campfire Activities at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

Follow the Trail: A Young Person's Guide to the Great Outdoors by Jessica Loy

Stars: ****

Summary: A guide to outdoor fun for kids including camping, hiking, campfire and more.

First a list of topics covered: Camping (planning, packing, setting up, camp chores), safety, hiking, trees, wildflowers, animals, animal tracks, tracking, sounds, weather, rainy days, campfires, eating, games, night, stars and a Master Camper Certification Quiz.

The book is full of colour photographs of real kids, real leaves, real animals and real flowers. It's a nice touch. There is only a little bit of basic information on each subject but if the reader is really into the subject, they could find a book on the subject that goes into it furthur. This would be a good book for children just beginning.

At the back of the book is a quiz to take before you put your name on the Master Camper Certificate.

Links of Interest: Jessica Loy,

Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy Follow the Trail at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

The Great Camping Event - Day 2: Sleeping in a Sack by Linda White

It's Day 2 of The Great Camping Event. Be sure to check back all this week and next for reviews, giveaways, guest posts and camping info.

Stars: ****

Summary: A little book of camping activities and know-how for children. Covers basics of gear, choosing a tent, camp cooking, camp songs, stars and more.

Sleeping in a Sack is one of many similar books from Gibbs Smith. The others include: Cooking on a Stick, Trekking on a Trail, Fishing in a Brook, Wishing on a Star and more.

The contents are as follows: Living Outdoors, Types of Camping, Choosing Outdoor Gear, Planning Your Trip, Selecting a Campsite, Setting Up Camp, Camp Chow, Camp Skills and Pleasures, Green Camping and Packing List. The age group this book is made for is too young to camp themselves but a child interested in helping their parents plan and get ready for a camp would enjoy the information in the book. There are also activities to try both at camp and before camp. There are two symbols to show when an activity requires the use of a sharp instrument or is a burn hazard. Ricky the Raccoon also adorns the pages with helpful info and tidbits. The whole book is littered with cute little illustrations which really make the book pop.

My favourite activity is a Camper Clean-Up Kit. I didn't make it because at our Guide camp, the number of campers has been low so the girls leave their toiletries (bathroom items) in the bathroom. But the Camper Clean-Up Kit is great for those who still have to bring all their stuff with them. It's made out of a towel and has pockets for holding toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, brush etc.. and ties around the waist so it's hands free and one part of the towel is used as a towel. It's great!

I found the book to be a good introduction to camping for kids ages 8+.

Links of Interest: NONE

Other Reviews: NONE YET

Buy Sleeping in a Sack at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

My creative process this week

Here's my latest mixed media piece called summer at the lake.  This work evolved from a lot of editing and problem-solving.  Originally, there were more details around the lake, but I didn't like the direction I was going.   So, I decided to cut out only the elements of the art work that I liked and glue the pieces to a birch panel.  When using a rotary paper trimmer, I miscalculated one of the cuts and sliced through a part of the drawing I wanted to keep intact.  Funny enough, I actually liked the horizontal line effect and made a few more horizontal cuts (as seen in the top portion of the work).  



I debated on tinting the birch panel.  Ultimately, I decided to keep it natural, which complements the warm tones of the sky and the water highlights.  To enhance the wood a bit, I used Gamblin Gamvar varnish.  Gamvar is normally used to varnish oil and acrylic paintings, but I apply it on mixed media works as well.  The varnish seems to give colors a little more pop. 



Although I do love drawing at my desk, most of my creative time this week has been spent on this embroidery piece:

I'm almost done with the embroidery part.  I'm wondering if I should add a city monogram to the design like I did in this piece.  Your thoughts?

The Great Camping Event - Day 1

Well it's officially begun! The Great Camping Event is running starting today for 2 weeks on this blog and Callista's Ramblings. Each blog will have reviews, giveaways, guest posts and general camping posts from me. If you put the blog button on your sidebar before Aug 2 and comment here you'll get 5 extra entries for every giveaway you enter.

So why do I like camping?

• Getting close to nature
• Eating fire cooked food
• Sitting around the campfire
• Smores!
• Seeing the stars (unobstructed by the city buildings and trees)
• The peace and quiet (generally, unless you're beside a group of young drinkers.)

I prefer car camping although some day I'd like to try backpacking. I live in South Western Ontario (the southernmost city actually) so there are no bears where I camp. I don't camp anywhere near as often as I'd like to because of funds (or lack thereof.)

So enjoy the next two weeks on both blogs! They won't have the same content (except for the intro post.)

If any PR or companies still want to have me review their product or book and can get it to me before Aug 2 I'll include it. I'm also still accepting guest posts from bloggers about camping. Just shoot me an email (callista83 AT cogeco DOT ca)

Show and Tell: new stuff

Here are a few items I got this week that I'm excited about. 



1.  Manimal Fringe Booties.  I have been drooling over these for a long time now.  These shoes are handmade by Kristen Lombardi in her Brooklyn studio.  As luck would have it, I found a brand new pair on eBay in my size! Check out all of Manimal's fantastic styles here, which includes the most adorable baby moccasins.



2.  Embroidered apron. My mother recently took a trip to Korea. She loved the embroidered aprons that the flight attendants were wearing and brought one home for me.  There are straps that cross in the back, and it's a button closure versus a tie.  I like the full coverage, but it'll be sad when the apron gets its first stain.  It just seems too pretty to be used as a grease guard.



3.  Canon A35F.  My vintage camera collection keeps growing.  This is my latest addition.  It cost me $12.50 at a thrift store.  It just needed a little cleaning and new batteries, but it looks to be in great shape.  Currently I have film loaded in four different cameras.  I'm anxious to see how the roll in the Canon A35F turns out.

Got Books? Giveaway

Got Books? is a special event for book bloggers. Let me quote:

"This is a celebration about books, but more so for the bloggers that help tell the world about them. This event is to celebrate book bloggers round the world by shining a light on their efforts, spreading the word about their sites for future follows on your reading rounds, and having a little contest fun along the way." - Got Books?


So in honour of the event, I have a few giveaways for anyone to enter! But first a little bit about me.

SMS Book Reviews reviews mostly nonfiction and children's books (from picture books to YA.) I find it easier to review nonfiction and so those reviews are more in depth. Types of nonfiction I especially like: parenting, world religions, other cultures/sociology, psychology, mathematics, general knowledge, science and others. Nice to meet you!

NOTE:  There is a US/Can giveaway, an international giveaway and a Canada Only giveaway. You can only enter for ONE.

1.  The Book About Tony Chestnut by The Learning Station. The link takes you to my review.

Summary: Most North Americans know the song "Tony Chestnut." Well this is a book version. It comes with a CD with the song and different versions of the story being read aloud. In this story, Tony Chestnut is trying to help his sister Eileen with her friendship troubles. For ages 3-7

This giveaway is open to US/Canada and I have one copy.


2. Your Choice of a Book Under $20.00 US from Amazon.com

I will order whatever book you want from amazon.com and have it shipped directly to you. Amazon ships worldwide. The only books Amazon doesn't ship outside the US are ones that would be so extremely heavy you couldn't get it for under $20 so no worries.The $20 doesn't include shipping. As long as the book itself is $20 or under.

This giveaway is open Worldwide.

 3.  What The Dead Know by Laura Lippman 

Summary: Thirty years ago, the Bethany girls, ages eleven and fifteen, disappeared from a Baltimore shopping mall. They never returned, their bodies were never recovered, and only painful questions remain. Now, in the aftermath of a rush-hour hit-and-run accident, a clearly disoriented woman is claiming to be Heather, the younger Bethany sister. Not a shred of evidence supports her story, and every lead she reluctantly offers takes the police to another dead end—a dying, incoherent man; a razed house; a missing grave. But she definitely knows something about that terrible day—and about the shocking fissures that the tragedy exposed in the foundation of a seemingly solid family. - from GoodReads

Thanks to HarperCollins Canada I have four copies of What the Dead Know. This giveaway is open to Canadians only!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY CLOSED

The art of pojagi

[image sources: Jung Yul Park, London Korean Links, Sri Threads]



A pojagi is a Korean wrapping cloth, normally hand-pieced together from fabric scraps.  For many centuries, pojagi wrapping cloths have been used in common and royal homes.  In this post, I mentioned digging out from the cedar chest the pojagi my grandmother gave me (top right photo).  My grandmother was a teenager when she made it, so I'm guessing it dates back to the 1920s.



When she first showed me the pojagi, she pointed to the center and said the flower was one of her first embroidery works.  I was amazed by the precise and even stitching.  Embroidery has a long history in Korea, and it's not uncommon to see it adorning household items and clothing.  I recently read here about a debt that a Korean ruler owed the emperor of China during the medieval times.  The emperor requested that the most skilled Korean embroiderers be sent to his court, and this settled the debt.



Whenever I see a tied pojagi, it brings back a lot of childhood memories of my grandmother wrapping containers of food and articles of clothing.  I didn't realize there was such an international following of the art of pojagi until just a month ago!  I was browsing art blogs one morning when I came across two separate posts on pojagi. The Brooklyn-based textile gallery, Sri,  posted these beautiful images on their blog:

And here's a video on pojagi that the Rhode Island School of Design put together.  If only they offered  a class like this when I was in school!

Etsy treasury: street smart

OK, this treasury thing on Etsy can be addicting!  I've got to limit myself to one treasury a month . . . well, maybe every two weeks is fine.  Here's the new collection I just put together.

The Versatile Blogger!

* I am currently away from home. This post is going up automatically. If any of the award winners happen to see this on their own, great! If not, I'll leave them a comment when I get back.

I've been awarded The Versatile Blogger award from The Brummets! Dave and Lillian Brummet are authors and radio hosts and I reviewed two of their books: Towards Understanding and Trash Talk in 2009. They have a blog called Brummet's Conscious Blog.

According to the rules, I'm required to:
1. Thank the person who loved me enough to bestow this gift.
2. Share seven things about myself.
3. Bestow this honor onto 10 newly discovered or followed bloggers–in no particular order–who are fantastic in some way.
4. Drop by and let my ten new friends know I admire them.

So thank you!

Seven Things About Me:
(If you read my other blog you may see some of the same things in the following list)

1.  I LOVE Star Trek. In order: Voyager, TNG, Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, Original. I watch the first two every weekday.
2. I have 5 nieces and NO nephews. They range in age from 4 - 12. The two oldest spend a lot of weekends here.
3. I am open about talking about ANYTHING. And I mean anything. I don't get embarrassed about bodily functions, procreation or anything else. You can be as graphic as you want and as private as you need and I'll answer your question or discuss it with you.
4. I was an A student in school. I love to learn just about anything. My best subjects were Math, Geography and Spanish. I'm Canadian so I learned French in school but in high school I also took Spanish which I love.
5. I love all types of music except death metal (you know where they just scream.) I like Heavy Metal sometimes when I'm in the mood but I never like death metal. I love country, classical, world, rock, pop, alternative, R&B, Rap and everything in between.
6. I love cooking and cookbooks. I have so many for review and a few store bought that I'm doing a Cookbook Week in August and another one in fall sometime. I'm not a big baker though.
7. I want to have another baby soon. It would be my third child. I have two daughters currently ages three and four 1/2. 

Okay now onto who I award this too
Since I've been actively seeking out blogs to add to the Delicious Book Blog Directory, I bring you my last 10 additions:

1. Ravenweb Blog
2. Different Time, Different Place
3. The Friande
4. Geeb's Book Club
5. Lale on Lit
6. Start Narrative Here
7. Helen's Book Blog
8. Book Lust
9. Jenny's Books
10. The Broke and the Bookish

New work, "Dreaming of Oregon"

Dreaming of Oregon is a new mixed media piece just added to my Etsy shop.  I was sitting by a lake while working on it.  You should be able to see some elements in the drawing that were inspired by my surroundings.

I'll be posting an update on my second embroidery drawing later this week.  I've been spending more time stitching than drawing.  Sometimes the two mediums seem to blur together.  Here's a drawing I did yesterday. 

I'm Off Camping!

I am officially gone for the week starting today. I'm a leader at Girl Guide Camp which was the inspiration for The Great Camping Event coming up as soon as I get back. Be sure to come back for reviews, guest posts and giveaways (one both of my blogs) See the link above for more info.

In the meantime, a few posts are set to go up during the week including a bunch of giveaways during the Got Books? Event. So lots of giveaways going on here!

You can also check out the past posts from Camping Week which was held a few years ago.

Easy to make family silhouettes

Silhouette portraits are timeless and treasured additions to any home.  You can find an abundance of options for custom silhouettes on Etsy.  I have been wanting to make silhouettes of my daughters for awhile now and finally got motivated yesterday to tackle the project.  Making the silhouettes was so easy, I made one for each family member, including the family cat!  Here's how I did it:

Some of the materials and tools needed for the silhouette project.



First, I gathered the materials I needed. 



digital camera

computer with photo editing application

fabric in natural (9" square for each portrait) and black (4" square for each portrait)

embroidery hoops (7" diameter)

sharp fabric scissors

fine tip felt pen

tracing paper

pins

fabric adhesive (or a sticker machine)

hot glue gun

Using a digital camera, I took pictures of each family member's profile.  (I recommend that long hair is in a ponytail.) We have a large bright window with a translucent shade that was perfect for a white backdrop.  A white wall can work, too.  Import the images into a photo editing program and increase the contrast of the photo. 



Before tracing an image, make sure it is about 3.5" - 4" in diameter.  Placing a sheet of tracing paper over the computer screen, carefully trace the outline of each profile with a felt tip pen.  (You can print the images in lieu of tracing.)

(My ten-year-old stepped in as photographer as I worked on the project.)



Iron your fabric, and then pin the traced image to a piece of the black fabric.  Cut out the image with sharp fabric scissors.  Next, adhere the centered silhouette onto a 9" fabric background using iron-on adhesive. (I used my handy sticker machine that was a recent craigslist find.)

Loosen an embroidery hoop and center the image in the hoop.  Pull gently along the edge to create some tautness.  Tighten the hoop to secure the fabric, and then trim the extra fabric to 1/2" (or at least shorter than the width of the hoop).

Glue the fabric edge to the frame using a hot glue gun.  If you want to create a more finished look, you can glue a ribbon over the fabric edge.



In about an hour, I was able to create five custom silhouettes.  And since I had most of the materials for the project, it cost me very little.  I thought about embroidering names below each silhouette but decided to keep it simple.

BISP Month: The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

Stars: ****1/2

Egmont USA (April 2010)
YA Fiction

Summary: Jess Parker never really fit in. Until she receives an invitation to join The Cinderella Society (TCS). She gets swept up in their world and life but there's a bigger picture. The purpose of TCS is to help combat The Wickeds. Jess starts to wonder if she's the wrong person for the job. Full description here.

I was a little apprehensive about this book as I figured it would be about a bunch of good looking girls who are cliquish. That was before I read the description of course. It turns out this is the perfect book for showing girls can accomplish anything and shows a full understanding of the way high school works. Although I doubt any such Cinderella Society really exists, there are Wickeds (the mean, bullies) and Reggies (regular people) and though there might not be Cindys (the Cinderella Society, trying to stop the Wickeds from bullying the Reggies), there are those who help others. As a bully target, I identified with Jess and Heather in the book.

I'll admit I"m not great in reviewing fiction, mostly because I review nonfiction more. I want to make sure not to give away too much of the book but it would be really cool if The Cinderella Society and it's mother organization really existed. As part of turning into a Cindy, Jess gets a makeover, but it's not your average makeover. Jess has to study and figure out what her style is. Then she is helped to look more like she feels inside. This is not a making you up so much that you aren't who you really are kind of makeover. Also, although Jess's low self-esteem makes her think she's not attractive till she's all made up, a boy tells her that he noticed her way before her makeover, showing that she underestimates how beautiful she really is. Unfortunately this is common for teenage girls. Well actually, girls and women of all ages.

If you'd like to read an excerpt, you can find out here. If you are looking for a more in depth review with talk about plot, characters and more, check out some of the other reviews below from fellow bloggers.

BISP Month stands for Body Image and Self Perception Month and is an event run by Once Upon a Bookcase. Participating blogs have reviews, interviews and more.

From Once Upon a Bookcase:
"For the whole of July, I and several other bloggers will be reading YA novels that cover body image and self-perception issues, from eating disoders and obesity to physical disabilities, disfigurment, and general self-esteem issues. [...] BI&SP Month is about looking at how authors deal with this sensitive subject, and to try and make people realise there is no perfect body image, that you're perfectly beautiful as you are."

Links of Interest: Kay Cassidy, The Cinderella Society, BISP Month, Kay Cassidy on Twitter,

Other Reviews: Juiciliciousss Reviews, Cindy's Love of Books, Shooting Stars Mag, Book Crumbs, The Page Flipper, Reading Keeps You Sane,

Buy The Cinderella Society at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

* I won this book at a blog giveaway and was not compensated in any way for my review.

Feeling the love

Thanks to Kate Singleton of Art Hound for my first official interview on the internet!  It's been a joy getting to know Kate the past year.  I follow her art blog daily and appreciate her insight on classic to contemporary art.



This past week, I've also had my art featured in three different treasuries on Etsy.  I was so inspired by  everyone's collections, I decided to create my own treasury.  It was a lot of fun; it reminded me of my retail buying days! To see the entire collection, go here. 

When I Was Young - I'm featured at There's a Book + giveaway

You can find out more about me today at There's a Book. I'm being featured in the When I Was Young feature. Go there and read all about it and them come here and enter my giveaway!

I am giving away a copy of The Giver by Lois Lowry. It's my favourite book and was my favourite book as a child, when I first read it.

I will be ordering it from amazon.com which will ship it anywhere so it's open Worldwide.

To enter, please fill in the form below. Comments will NOT count as entries.

EDIT: I forgot to add that it's open until July 28/10 

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Artist Interview: Kathrin Achenbach of Annekata

When I first came across Kathrin's blog last month, it was one of those new-favorite-blog freakout moments.  I was engrossed in every post, quickly falling into the "how many hours just passed before me" state.  You might remember me first mentioning her blog, Annekata, as the catalyst to my recent fabric tape frenzy.  And the fabric tape idea is just one of many clever projects that Kathrin demonstrates on her blog.  Having lived in cities all over the world and with a background in theater, Kathrin's craft and artistry is unique and refreshing, yet classic.  Her method is slow design, and her material of choice is salvaged. . . music to my ears!

How would you describe your work?



It is timeless, with the time trapped within,

humble,

low to no footprint,

recycled, and in some way, unfinished.

  

What inspires you to create?



I'm fascinated by the relationship people have with their "things" and the role that "time" plays. Two of my preferred mediums to explore those relationships are hand-sewing and embroidery. They're slow and let me explore the details of what's decorative and functional, and create a visual/tactile representation of it.



Some of the questions I ask are:

What is our time worth?

Why do we value our time more than other people's time?



And inspiring me are all the people who spend time making "something from nothing".







What artist tool/material do you love using at this moment?



Fiber. Always loved textiles. My grandparents had a small convenience/notions store when I was a little girl and I fondly remember the inventory. The old cash registers, the yarn spools, embroidery threads and the stacks of fabric. I still have some beautiful starched linen from this now long-gone store.



The store also sold paper goods: ledger forms, envelopes of all shapes and sizes and spiral bound notebooks.  I love paper for many reasons and am curious of its uncertain future as it seems to quietly fade away. Paper also lends itself to a myriad of different and exciting applications: decoupage, fashion, decoration etc.



As for tools, I love the simple ones. The ones I can manipulate with my own hands and repair or replace easily. I have a difficult relationship with my camera. It seems indispensable in our virtual world, but I'm not a fan of digital photography (even though there are some amazing artists out there). And my relationship with the sewing machine is simply neurotic.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?



I feel very much in charge of my life. I live where I want, with the people I love and do (for the most part) what I please.



My intention is to spend as much time as I can with my daughter, husband and my work. What I remember of my childhood is that my parents always had time for me. And how important that was.



Who are a few of your favorite artists?



Oh my, there are so many. As for writers I love Emily Bronte, Juan Ramon Jimenez and Garcia Lorca. Some of my favorite photographers are: August Sander, Dorothea Lange. And I like Ramon Masats a documentary photographer from Spain. Painters: Nicolas de Stael, Andrew Wyeth.  Gunta Stölzl produced fantastic work as did Hannelore Baron. And I love Joseph Cornell's boxes.  Andrew Goldsworthy makes me think and in the world of fashion I admire Rei Kawakubo and Alexander McQueen who sadly left this world too early.

What inspired you to start your blog, and what is the origin of the name Annekata?



I am not a very organized person, so many ideas and projects were either discarded or forgotten or given away, and I felt that it was time to create a visual file cabinet of my work. A blog seemed a great format to accomplish this. It forces me to be more disciplined in my creative process. Every morning I sit down and write. It seemed that the blog took on its own character and became another child (begging constantly for attention). We are figuring out together where to go with this. The feedback of readers has been most helpful and insightful, and I want to integrate that spirit into my work.



The name Annekata is an abbreviation of my full name: Anne Kat(hrin) A(chenbach). I wanted a name without defining my blog too much so it could go in any direction. The other domain names I came up with, unfortunately, led in some way or another to "inappropriate" content.

Apart from your creative work, what else do you love to do?



Traveling. On top of my list. And food. And the combination of both. I've been recently interested in the raw food movement. Primarily, because of its very artistic approach. The bigger the constraint, the more creative possibilities people come up with. And the presentation of raw food (done with care) is often incredible. (You won't believe how artfully one can arrange salad greens!)



If you had a spare hour in the day, how would you spend it?



Procrastinating!



Thanks, Kathrin, for such lovely photographs and a wonderful interview! I feel so inspired to embroider now- and eat a few raw broccoli while doing it.