The Melting Pot

The latest of the "neighborhood prints" just happens to contain all of the neighborhoods in Boston. Available in a 16"x20" unframed matte ($45) or matted in a handsome 16"x 20" black metal gallery frame ($80). These frames have an acrylic face which is lighter than glass and so much easier to ship - I learned that lesson the hard way. It's also available in an 11"x 14" version. Unframed matte ($30) Framed ($55). And if you really want to get crazy, for an additional $10 customize your print by highlighting your favorite spot in the color of your choice. Prices do not reflect taxes and shipping. You can contact me for ordering info at lisa@homegrownartsandcrafts.com

Studio Update & Neighborhood Prints

I've made the move from my shop/studio on St. George Street to my own personal studio conveniently located in my backyard. This has been a very busy two months and promises to be a hectic summer. At the moment I'm still trying to fit 385 sq. feet of work into half that size. I've been busy filling orders for some of my neighborhood prints which make an ideal graduation gift. Guests are always welcome in the studio.

Dorchester - my hometown :)

Duxbury - available in multi colors or solid background, white text

Marshfield - available in solid background with white text

They're also all available in a smaller version, framed or unframed.

Make Way for Sweet Treats!

Hey all! Well it's that time of the year when my lease comes up for renewal and I've chosen to leave my beautiful bright space at 285 St. George Street. My own home studio housed in a small building on my property is getting a facelift and will be my new destination. Having a brick and mortar shop has been awesome but to be honest I do more business through referrals and online than I do through foot traffic. The good news is the awesome little candy shop that's tucked in to the back of my building is going to move up to my space. I'm excited for Sweet Treats and can honestly say I feel good about passing the baton to the wonderful owners of this business as I know they'll treasure the magical little end unit as much as I did! I'll still be working away on my original artwork and prints along with my jewelry work as Boston Baked Beads. My studio  - just like my shop - will be open to visitors and shoppers by appointment and I'm hoping to have my online shopping site up and running by the time I leave on May 1. As always - thanks for your support!

Pillow Talk

I've been so busy getting ready for the Boston Gift Show with Boston Baked Beads that I haven't had a chance to work on this project. I'm excited to see how the alphabet scratchboards the I've been producing will look as throw pillows. Here's a peek at the printed fabric.

Teagan's Tiger

Now, that was the kind of snowstorm I like. Quiet, warm and well lit. We picked up about 8 inches - just enough to cover up all the ugly stuff and to postpone my daughter's cheerleading competition. Oops, a good mother's not supposed to be happy about stuff like that, right? Well, today's the makeup anyway - and I'll cheer extra loud to make up for it. Yesterday was the perfect day to scratch away another letter of the alphabet. T is for Tiger, finally! says my patient little friend Teagan.

Can't forget the hometown mascot!

I'm a workaholic. There's never a time when I'm not working on some project. During my "off hours" I like to do these alphabet scratchboards because they don't take a lot of planning - just some imagination. They're small so they start and finish over a few hours rather than a few days.

J is for Jellyfish!

This Owl's Living in Cali

This one was shipped cross country to San Lorenzo, CA.

Moo

This cold weather seems to be zapping away more than the moisture in my skin. I'm having a tough time keeping the creative wheels spinning this week. Necessary (albeit boring) administrative tasks have been addressed – but that's no fun. Last week in the studio I listened to Tina Fey's Bossy Pants. Hysterical! This week I've been listening to The Makers. It's a non-fiction read on the modern day industrial revolution sweeping the world. ZZZZZZZ That might be the problem right there – I think I'm going to return it to the library and pick up something by Davis Sedaris. In the meantime - the results are in from the DAA's 40th Annual Winter Juried Show jurying process. My tiny scratchboard Doolin Bovine was selected for the show. Yay!

And this...

Don't know if you noticed but this yo-yo bearing young Yak is wearing a tiny pair of cowboy boots. These are the things that bring joy to my day!

And then there was Q

DAA Winter Juried Show

Last night I helped register one of the many categories of artwork submitted to the Duxbury Art Association's Winter Juried Show. By 4pm today, hundreds of artists will have dropped off art to be juried for entry. The works will be selected by a panel of judges during an all day session tomorrow. Although artists are invited to enter several, only one piece per artist can actually be selected for the show. Generally about 100 pieces are hung. During the next three weeks an amazing juggling act is performed at the DAA to insure that the opening of the show at the Duxbury Art Complex on February 9th goes off without a hitch. There are many volunteer opportunities if you want to get involved. It's a lot of fun! For more info contact the DAA at 781-934-2731.

Frost Free

Every year about this time I tend to be scrambling to finish up my entry for the Duxbury Art Association's Winter Juried Show. 2013 is no exception. In my own defense, I do have a finished and framed small scratchboard that's ready to submit. Over this past weekend I finally found an archived image that I had wanted to work from and decided to start working on it for a future show. I'm doing ink on Claybord. This works up much faster than scratchboard - being additive vs. subtractive. Putting ink on a surface rather than scratching the ink from the board. So now - I'm just hours away from finishing- and then there'll be tweaking - however the entry for the DAA's show is due by Friday by 4pm. Think I can make it?

And Now on to the Next Holiday

My oldest daughter stopped in yesterday afternoon and decided she was going to attempt to make HomeGrown Instagram famous. I'm Instagram ignorant so I was happy for the offer. If you're into it - our ID(?) - I don't even know what you call it - is homegrownduxbury. She took a lot of shots and uploaded them. We did get quite a few likes. I am falling so far behind the technology wave it's not funny. Thank goodness for my daughter!

The Positive Energy of Youngin's

If you're ever feeling ambivalent, hesitant or any of the those other "ants" out there – get yourself to a pile of children fast! I was invited to be the artist in residence today at the warm, friendly Furnace Brook Middle School in Marshfield. I was feeling a little "all of the above" over the past few days –not about visiting the kids but just about everything else. It's exciting for the new year to begin but then the questions arise - Where do I put my energies? Where do I start? etc. Kids don't think that way. They just jump in and if it's not fun they get back out. The children today were so receptive and their energy was infectious - just what I needed!

Beautiful Dreamers

Here's to all of your beautiful dreams for 2013 - hope it's a great one.












My drawing, Eleanor's words.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I'm looking forward to spending the week relaxing with my family. Thanks to all of you for making this such a wonderful year! I have lots of exciting projects I plan on working on in 2013. Can't wait to share them with you. Enjoy your day tomorrow - See you next year!

Awesome Gift Idea #7

Today we find ourselves with just 5 days til Christmas. Hopefully you all have finished up the tasks that come with the season and can now take this last weekend before the holiday to enjoy with friends and family... preferably at a less than hectic pace. Tonight at HomeGrown it's our Guys Shopping Night from 6-9pm. I've had a few men pop in already - driven by gentle hints from their better halves I suspect - to pick up a hand crafted belt buckle and accompanying leather belt. I've got a half dozen left just waiting for the right bearer.

Awesome gift idea #6

Looks like our chances for a white Christmas have been dashed again. It feels more like late October these days rather than winter – which will be here any day now. Celebrate the season with this frosty winter wonderland display of embossed and embellished snowflakes. Here they are displayed as individual pieces is a complementary shadow box frame for $50 each. I also have them displayed together in one frame for $115. Perfect gift for those on your list fortunate to own a ski chalet. Who knows, maybe it will win you that much anticipated invitation for a weekend away!

Awesome Gift Idea #5

Here's another gift idea  - the subway sign art is now available featuring the great towns of Marshfield, Dorchester and Duxbury! (Actually the Dorchester and Marshfield are still at the printer but I'll put one aside for you if you'd like). The large version is available in a beautiful black wooden frame - I also have a few silver for a more contemporary look - measuring 20" x 20" with the live area being 11.5" x 11.5. The cost is $75. The smaller version is available in 2 versions. Matted to fit an 11"x14" frame with the live area measuring about 4.5"square at $25 (matte only - for the do it yourselfers) or the same version is available in a black 11" x 14" frame for $45. If you're interested message me on Facebook or email me at lisa@homegrownartsandcrafts.com - they're being claimed fast! Don't forget that our Guys Only Shopping Night is Thursday, December 20 from 6-9pm. (I hear there's a few ladies planning on shopping too - but don't tell the guys!)

Jane Goodall and the Shopping Habits of (Some)Men

I remember one Christmas Eve receiving from my husband - then boyfriend - a battery operated stuffed gorilla that played a Christmas song while beating on its chest. The toy was wrapped in a brown paper bag that looked like it may have contained french fries at one time. I have a feeling it was purchased earlier that afternoon at the L Street Tavern – back in the day when it was better known as Striggie's than as the set for the movie Good Will Hunting. The fact that this odd gift was accompanied by a beautiful ruby and diamond ring salvaged the holiday (and my relationship) but quickly gave me insight into the gift buying practices of men and how they love waiting 'til the eleventh hour to shop. With that research in mind I invite you to pass this on.

Awesome Gift Idea #4

If you're talking earrings - you'll often hear the complaint amongst women that they'd like to wear drops but they find them too heavy to wear. These earrings are made from polymer clay. Slices of patterns are placed like a veneer over a sheet of solid color clay – covered on both sides. The circular shapes are then cut out, baked, sanded, polished and finished as earrings. All the work is done right here on the premises of HomeGrown. Extremely lightweight - they allow the wearer to participate in fun, colorful fashion trends without the torture. And they won't torture your wallet either. At $25 they're the perfect gift for every fashionista in your life from the babysitter to the bus driver.

Awesome Gift Idea #3

Running out of ideas? There's nothing like a theme gift...for that randy old cousin that always lingers just a few seconds too long when greeting your husband, for the best friend you've known since grade school who's still a little shy or for the prize everyone fights for at the neighborhood Yankee Swap!

Step 1: Kill 2 birds with one stone. Send your husband, brother, father, etc. to the mall and have him pick up a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey (Believe it or not - there's still a lot of people who haven't read it yet!) and enjoya good belly laugh while you imagine the look on his face as he flips through the pages in the queue at Barnes and Noble. C'mon you deserve it  - it's the holidays!

Step 2: If he's still talking to you, ask him to stop at Job Lot and pick up a pair of cheaters - 125% should be sufficient for starters. Make sure they're black or grey to stick with the theme.

Step 3: Have him stop in to HomeGrown to pick up a beautiful custom necklace in shades of grey that doubles as an eyeglass/sunglass holder from Boston Baked Beads!

Step 4: Wrap 'em up and cross that one off your list!

Custom Monogrammed Art

Here's a unique gift idea. The art work for the initials were hand drawn then reproduced by burning the image onto a coated plate using the power of the sun. Soy based ink is hand pressed onto the heavy copperplate at the same time that a heart impression is embossed into the paper as well. I originally created this type of artwork with couples in mind. One customer had a different way of looking at it and bought one as a gift for a 17 year old girl on her list. - her initials flanking the heart and framed as a beautiful piece of art. Either way - another perfect gift for your holiday shopping. Custom colors not a problem, each being created individually. We've got about another 10 days to pull this particular gift off to have it ready for Christmas.

One Perfect Gift

Well, there's only 18 more days 'til Christmas and if you're at all like me - you're working yourself into a frenzy trying to find gifts for the folks who have everything. Well, I'm lying a little. Every year at this time I'm usually in a frenzy as if it was my very first Christmas and I was new to this gift buying craze. Yesterday at HomeGrown a brand new customer came in and was absolutely delighted to find the perfect gift for some friends in Pennsylvania. They loved to come visit the town of Duxbury and while here they would walk the beach in search of sea glass. After seeing the shadow box framed embossed print of a starfish displayed with sea glass she decided to do the same with the print of a scallop shell. The shell is reminiscent of some of the beach life you'd find here in the northern Atlantic Ocean and the shadow box frame would provide the perfect way to display their sea glass collection. There's also a crab, sea urchin, sand dollar, jelly fish, sea horse, nautilus shell and my favorite - the horse shoe crab. Shipped from my neighbor Packaging Plus  - my customer can cross that one of her list!

subway in duxbury

All I want for Christmas is a 48 hour day. I have a list a mile long of projects I want to work on! My latest accomplishment was creating, matting and framing the Duxbury "subway art" – I'm hoping to do one for Marshfield as well. I guess it's only fitting that my studio sits on the site of an old train yard - that's the closest thing we're going to get to a mass transit station around here.

Cheers to the Booth Girls

Fun night last night! Thanks booth girls!

midnight oil

I was burning the midnight oil last night making some brand new embossed paper prints. I love the process. From my own artwork I create the "plate" from polymer clay - the same material I use to make Boston Baked Beads. I soak a very heavy copperplate paper in water for about an hour, blot and then hand crank through a press. The plate makes an impression into the damp paper and voila! The art will (hopefully) have dried over night so that I can matte some and frame some. They'll be ready for tonight's soiree. 10"x10" shadow box framed images are $50 each and 11"x14" matted prints ready for standard size frames are $30 each. They really do make beautiful unique gifts. If you're in the area please stop in at 285 St. George Street in Duxbury between 6 and 9 pm. I'll give you 10% of on all purchases and paid orders. Please pass it on!

Rescheduling

HomeGrown from Dorchester, and you?

I grew up in Dorchester, MA - one of many awesome neighborhoods in Boston rich in community spirit. I'm homegrown from Dot and am proud of it - made me what I am today. Where were you homegrown?

Gift Guide – South Shore Living Magazine

Thanks to South Shore Living Magazine for featuring HomeGrown Arts and Crafts studio as the home to Boston Baked Beads artisan polymer clay jewelry in the November/December issue. Editor Maria Ferri mentioned she was impressed by BBB's signature owl pendants. I was thrilled to find them featured in the gift guide.

Olde Bostonian

Took a little field trip yesterday. Stopped in to look around at Olde Bostonian. I love perusing through the hoards of antique doors, windows and fireplace mantels just hoping to stumble upon something awesome. If you've got an old home and need a missing part - you may just find it here amongst all the other treasures.

Doodlin'

I'm not really obsessed with owls - many assume I am. They're just fun subjects. Did this sketch last week while taking a break from polymer clay for a wee bit. I was thinking about making him into a print and adding some color.

Not Many Fabulous Females over Forty?

What's up with that Boston Globe Special Style Edition? The Fall 2012 Boston Globe Style Magazine came out several weeks ago. I was quick to notice that while they highlighted the 25 most stylish Bostonians only one woman over the age of 40 made the list. The one woman who made the list is Anne Hawley – the Director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum – and she lists her age as "I can't tell you that." Two gentleman over 40 made the list. One is Duncan Hughes of Duncan Hughes Interior – who, using my best judging a book by its cover skills, looks like a hot ticket as well as a fashion horse. The other is David Manfredi, a founding principal of Elkus Manfredi Architects. I'm not knocking the younger set and all its fashion prowess. We're a very hip happening city and a big draw because of all of our great universities and hospitals. But amongst all those skinny jeans and hipsters there's quite a few fashion forward females long past 40 and possibly even 50! Boston needs its own Iris Apfel - maybe I'll start training now and in a few years I'll apply for the job. In the meantime I think I'll send Anne Hawley one of Boston Baked Beads signature owls as a hearty congratulations for keeping us on the board.

Guerrilla Girls

What an impressive sight - a 200 square foot billboard mounted on the back of a flat bed  - rolling up to the steps of the Museum of Fine Arts. A naked women with a gorilla's head flanked the enormous traveling ad. The tiny Montserrat College of Art Gallery sacrificed over 5% of their operating budget on this one effort - to educate a targeted market of art patrons of the fact that only 11% of the artists featured at the MFA are women. The guerrilla campaign was not actually intended to bash the Museum of Fine Arts but to create awareness of the Montserrat's gallery and possibly increase it's attendance level from the mere 4000 visitors it receives annually. Perhaps they should have killed two birds with one stone and attacked the problem of ageism in the art world as well. From what I understand - it's a recent trend that art patrons are far more interested in supporting young emerging artists than those that are rather long in the tooth. What would Whistler's mother say to that?!

back on track

Life has a way of always keeping you on your toes. Last Tuesday at 10:00 I was walking out my front door on the way to the studio. By 10:04 my plans had changed dramatically. Here I am almost a week later hoping to get back on track...again. I'm headed on a field trip today down to Rhode Island to talk to some platers and casters for custom bezels for Boston Baked Beads.

Almost There ...

Wow! First day of school tomorrow - how time flies. Spending more time in the studio of HomeGrown lately and less time on the beach. I've got a lot of projects going on outside the confines of HG as well each requiring a degree of creative energy. My mind is continuously in motion with the promise of new activity on the horizon. One last vacation before I close the page on the Incredible Summer of 2012. I'm headed down to St. Kitts on Friday for a week. Looking forward to basking in the beauty of the West Indies and hopefully being inspired in the process. I enjoy traveling during the off season. It allows for a quiet discovery of your surroundings rather than peering over people's heads. With Isaac having already passed that area I'm hoping for some sunny skies while I'm there – also keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't cause too much trouble elsewhere. I visited St. Martin last year in late September and spent most of my time enjoying the sun and sand but appreciating a few dramatic skies after a brief shower or two. ...And then, I'll get back to work.

Harbor Seals

I absolutely love these heavy glass seal bookends. Another auction find, these would be absolutely gorgeous in the bedroom of your new favorite tike. They're here at HomeGrown - and if I'm not, call or text me at 781-724-3537 and we'll make a date!

August already – Get out there and get working on your summer bucket list!

Cash Drawer

Adding a few vintage finds to the shop. Funny story behind this one. Like everything I buy at auctions I tend to want to live with for awhile. It's common in the trade. This has been in my possession for a bit. It's quaint little size and warm tones made it a welcome addition in my home for a pitstop. I was wiping it down this morning and the drawer slid out a little bit...and an envelope fell out. It had been stuck under the drawer. Now don't get excited - it didn't contain a map to the exact location of the Holy Grail but it did contain some cold hard cash! A little money that got stashed away and then – out of site, out of mind. This little sewing box complete with swing out drawer to hold spools of thread is available at HomeGrown for $75 - sorry, I already claimed the cash.

Chalk Paint - all the rage!

Chalk paint - have you heard of it yet? It's all the rage in England or so I hear. You may have heard of the British brand Annie Sloan or perhaps the All American CeCe Caldwell's. And then there's plenty of recipe's on how to make your own. Using this technique requires no prep work. After painting however the piece should be waxed. Here's a vintage sewing cabinet (with its removable thread drawer still intact!) that I treated with homemade chalk paint and finished with a coat of wax. It's a great little size and color. I'm looking forward to experimenting more with this process.

Personalized Wooden Hangers

I designed these wooden hangers and had them cut from a smooth birch plywood. Each one is hand painted, some plain and some with patterns. With a few days notice they can be personalized with a little one's name. Makes a great gift for a new baby!

Happy 4th!

Hope you all have a great holiday! Stay safe!

Seeing Red

Spring has come and gone quickly replaced by summer - my FAVORITE season. These erratic weather patterns that we've had over the past year has my internal clock so confused. A bright coat of red paint on the front door should wake me up, what d'ya think?

Tiny Telescopic iPhone Camera Lens

I'm a major league fan of anything/everything Apple. I use my iPhone constantly as my connection to the world. The camera is so convenient and really takes great pictures. However, it's not really great at taking shots from a distance. (And the flash stinks - don't even bother trying to take pictures at a party at night or in any other poorly lit situation) This morning, at the crack of dawn — when I was supposed to be sleeping late — I was researching telescopic lenses for the iPhone. I really wanted a Rollei but I think they're only available in Europe at the moment. I settled for a Sound Logic. (?) I've never heard of the brand but figured for $34.99 I can't go wrong. It even comes with a tiny tripod. I have an idea for a series of scratchboards I'd like to do which will require a little voyeurism on my part. Nothing weird - let's just call them candid shots - it sounds so much better. I'll keep you updated as to whether or not I've wasted my $35.