pen pal club....

Turkey postage stamp: letter writing week, originally uploaded by karen horton.

lets make some good mail!

hand written letters are the best! i love receiving good mail, i mean real mail, snail mail, a letter with postage stamps and a hand written note.  i've teamed up with a local community space, launchpad, here in crown heights, brooklyn to host a pen pal club. you're officially invited! if you are in the NY area please come by and make some good mail with me. here is the facebook invite too.

not in the area but want to make a new friend and receive some mail? send me your address and i'll try to hook you up with a pen pal. let me know some of your interests and a bit about you. miniaturerhino [at] gmail [dot] com

what: pen pal club
when: Tuesday, September 28 · 6:30pm - 8:00pm
where:
LaunchPad
721 Franklin Avenue
Brooklyn, NY
who: YOU!

today i will...

focus hard on one thing (or try too). i have lots of work to do, but thought i'd share some of today's inspiration. the work and home of kim krans & jonny ollsin, a husband and wife team who, under the name the wild unknown, make music and art in a little cabin....

 how amazing is it that they've built this cabin themselves with the help of family and friends?

 i love their great lakes prisms. that top image really got me thinking about how i work. i'm all over the place. it sounds amazing to work with your partner on a line of handmade goods, make music and build your own cabin, but how do you focus your energies to get there? i dunno. back to work for me...

all images from design*sponge and found via catbird

sepember stitches....

ragtime

i can't think of a nicer way to learn to stitch and sew than to be part of an international secret club.  instruction from paris, a lesson in bear creek, north carolina and all coming to you, where ever you may be, like a crafty séance via the interweb.  ragtime is a new e-course lead by mathyld and drucilla where  you'll make a flapper-inspired sleep set, like the one above, that you'll embellish with hand embroidery.  i love inventive people and even more so when they work collaboratively. mathyld and drucilla admired each other's work, so they found a way to work together and share their talents with you, join them....

sharing, caring...

+ added some new work to my little shop late last night. embroideries inspired by this elvis costello song and some texture for your fingers and eyes.
 

+ jeremy shared a really lovely visual document about his grandmother, betty, who recently passed. we'll be traveling to AZ next month for her services. i wish i had gotten to meet her, but am glad to at the least to be able to pay my respects and honor her memory.

Issues....

Issues, originally uploaded by The Bottomless Paddling Pool.

a little zine and inspiration by this fellow, whose flickr set is great browsing....

 i love the date stamp in library books, the record of dates and personal history of the book itself.  it's even better in children libraries when the child has written their name when they checkout a book.  when i'm looking through old books i always look for the library card, a dedication, or personal note in the front pages... it's a small thing that makes me happy.

counting days in circles and stiches...

last weeks work. in the mail and on their way to homes in new york, california, australia, and singapore. i wish i had a map with little flags everywhere i've sent something....

a cake...

...for you, wishing you a good weekend.

a cake..., originally uploaded by miniature.rhino.

a note on 9/11....
while everything seems so frivolous on September 11, we can remember. i saw the tribute in light test run from brooklyn the other night, and am proud to be living in this city at this time. i <3 you NYC...

lace making

a craft from idrija, slovenia. so interesting to see a craft that is utterly new to me; the tools, technique, the way the hands move so deftly. not sure about the score though...

IDRIJA LACE - A HISTORY WRITTEN IN THREAD - ... cross, twist, twist, cross ... from Matjaz Mrak on Vimeo.
found via irrena

bee...

Bumble + John, originally uploaded by miniature.rhino.

this is the kind of package i'd love to receive....

, originally uploaded by somethings hiding in here.

, originally uploaded by somethings hiding in here.

, originally uploaded by somethings hiding in here.

 another wonder via the awesome duo somethings hiding in here.  not sure the context or contents, but perhaps they'll reveal on their blog and you can see more pic in their flickr stream.  good mail is so rare, and this whole package is thoroughly thoughtful. details, details, details in the mail....

labor day love for you....

little hearts to share...

AND since i like you, how about a little labor day sale on these little tokens of affection. Miniature Custom Hearts will be 15% off! woo hoo! how about a good code word, like... Labor of Love. Ha! get it?!

hope you're having a great weekend!
jessica

heres to a lovely long weekend....

i know i'm starting a bit early, but Happy Weekend!

i'm off on a last minute weekend trip up to rochester. i'm looking forward to a bit of mellow versus the chaos that is my neighborhood over labor day. supposedly it's the biggest parade in ny- over 3 million participants (don't quote me). its like mardi gras with lots of nips, booty cheeks, music so loud it's just bass, and then the aftermath.... trash! glad to miss it this year. poor jeremy has to stay behind.... sucker!

what are you up to?

wink...

...at you...

does't this color test..., originally uploaded by miniature.rhino.