bits and bobbins

there is some truth in this quote, i think:

“If someone wants to be an artist and communicate, they have to know right away that being a true artist by design is a marginal thing, and it’s going to be a struggle. In the end, part of the joy of being successful is that you rose from a struggle.”

-seminal rock musician patti smith, bust magazine, june/july 2007

i have been having some particularly gray personal days and dark feelings lately, but when i see color like this, all in one place, from the likes of you…the color/pattern/utter loveliness helps to cheer me, even if just a little.

other things i quite like at the moment/what’s inspiring me now:

-summer fruit, like apricots and watermelon. i am not much for hot weather (and we don’t have any in SF!) but i love the botanical bounty that warm weather brings to the table.
-the cute animal site of the moment, i can has cheeseburger. those lolcats make me do just that. and i need a laugh right now!
-the sweet, girlish art of san francisco artist, annie, aka wexford girl
-nyc snapshot: a blog bursting with photos and drawings depicting NYC in the past. i still miss NYC dearly.
-the fact that my talented pal linda now has a blog outside of livejournal…lindamade. best of luck linda with your impending move! you are an inspiration.
-these books focusing on modern quilting intrigue me: make your own contemporary quilts, the modern quilt workshop, and glorious patchwork and passionate patchwork (the latter two by the consummate colorist and artist kaffe fassett, who hails from britain). too bad i don’t have a gift certificate to spend…i’d buy them all in one fell swoop.
-if i could afford it, i’d love to have a digital SLR, either this one by canon, or this one by nikon. i’d love to go further with my photography. alas…

if money was no object…

i’d take any of these:

these interestingly beaded earrings by meeshka, which have a lovely colorway that is reminiscent of the seashore and summertime:

here be the ‘fennel’ earrings by one of my favorite jewelry designers the world over, kyo hashimoto. her latest jewelry collection is called ‘the anatomy of f’. all the pieces in this latest group of designs have a name beginning with ‘f’.

these subtly remind me of the interesting tribal ear stretchers some folks wear.

i love all the hand-wrought crochet/felt jewelry by kjoo! these earrings of hers are rather lovely, with their found-object feel:

not much gets me going over at UO these days (it mostly looks and feels cheap, and a lot of it is not my personal style) but i am very enamored with this graphic tote. i have always been a sucker for geometric prints and bright colors.

though i don’t use it much anymore (because of great changes with the site that i don’t like), i still collect/organize some links to things i love over at stylehive. feel free to peruse, if you’re so inclined.