tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61393961473479403102024-02-19T11:32:06.295-05:00The Barn of OpportunityKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-77992583279356523692013-03-17T22:22:00.000-04:002013-03-17T22:25:21.330-04:00Altered Couture returns
I'm sure you've all had an experience watching an event- a sports event, a play, a concert, a show of some sort...and you think to yourself, "Oh how I wish I was up there/in there/doing that!" Well, in the audience at the Altered Couture Fashion Show in 2011 with my friend Brigid, I thought just that. Making fashions out of recycled items? Helloooo! That's my gig!
You can see Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-72842227565667071832013-01-07T11:30:00.000-05:002013-01-07T11:30:05.943-05:00When the urge to craft becomes URGENT During my holiday crafting frenzy I picked up an issue of MaryJanes Farm Magazine and wanted to make the wreath on the cover. Classic Kate: putting down the umpteen things she *should* be doing and instead following a crafting urge that immediately seems vital and important. The ingredients were what attracted me: recycled stuff used in a unique way. Unique, you ask? How uniqueKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-61988323722626819782012-12-12T10:36:00.000-05:002012-12-12T10:36:31.904-05:0012 Days of Recycled Crafting
You know you haven't blogged in a while when you can't remember your blog's password... oh well. Nevertheless I'm back for the season of recycled/upcycled crafting. This time of year it's as if I have a fever of crafting. It wakes me in the night, it distracts me from other tasks, and I seek the company of other afflicted crafters. I was invited into just such a group Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-19576909103855956462012-09-28T22:23:00.001-04:002012-09-28T23:04:48.204-04:00Shadows of my childhood reading
This week I was invited to be the featured artist in the "Lunch with an Artist" series at the SpinOff Studio in Hallowell. My friend Manon Whittlesey, who is on the staff there, asked me to join them for lunch, a brief discussion of my art, and a hands-on workshop of my choice. I chose to teach them about shadowboxes made from books. I was inspired by the fun I had in creatingKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-4679982107510222082012-06-26T22:28:00.001-04:002012-06-26T22:28:54.792-04:00Welding at Snow Farm
I just spent an amazing 3Day weekend at a craft school called
Snow Farm in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. Andy's cousin Karen Totman is the Director there, and I've wanted to visit for a very long time. I took a welding class taught by Alison Safford. I lucked out- a great teacher and a very inspiring group of 4 fellow students. A huge "thank you" to my in-laws who just Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-84664155398374115602012-05-02T11:00:00.000-04:002012-05-02T17:51:12.326-04:00Island of Opportunity?
My family is very blessed. We were able to have a week away during school vacation to go to a glorious place called Maho Bay on the island of St. John, US Virgin Islands. Our days were filled with hiking and snorkeling and eating and drinking. Truly paradise. I could write on and on of the joys of Maho Bay Tent Camps, but today I will just tell you about one aspect of their "Trash Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-42863271729531081162012-03-11T17:46:00.000-04:002012-03-11T17:46:48.253-04:00Thrifty Fashion FridaysYou'll notice on my right hand sidebar, a new feature called Thrifty Fashion Fridays. It is the brainchild of my friend, Susan Tuttle. Susan and I have been collaborating and inspiring one another for a long time. She and I bartered when she helped me create my blog's banner (if I remember correctly, I made her a pie?). Now her love of thrift and fashion come together in this weekly Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-6981468929089774772012-03-08T21:51:00.000-05:002012-03-08T21:51:12.252-05:00Barter Starter and Starter BarterMaybe it is Dr. Seuss' birthday last Friday that has me in such a rhyming mood. I simply could not resist the title of my blog post. Here's what it is all about.
I had a lovely shopping experience at Shift the other day and came home with a book of recipes for making my own cleaning supplies. I want to create a class for the Long Branch School on that topic. The owner of the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-13837675371828727542012-03-01T11:26:00.000-05:002012-03-01T11:26:47.950-05:00Plastic with your latte?A snowy Thursday is keeping me away from the Barn. Grumble. Time to blog.
Back in December I had it in my head to make stuff out of discarded gift cards. How many of you received one of these at holiday time? I did! With no shame, I asked the people at the local Starbucks if they might hold on to the otherwise discarded cards when customers use up their card's balance. Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-81412892717168520802012-02-25T08:19:00.001-05:002012-02-25T08:28:16.965-05:00Shed a little light on it
As I approach my “blogiversary”, I am thinking about this first year of blogging and about why I haven’t posted more frequently. One reason I came up with is that I am often writing my entries late at night after the kids have gone to bed, and the quality of my photographs at that time of night, with artificial light, has been lousy.(exhibit A, Mr. Smurf at left) My Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-29428756735621788602012-02-13T22:10:00.000-05:002012-02-13T22:10:39.820-05:00Those beloved T shirtsI just got off the phone with a friend who was brainstorming with me how she might preserve a beloved rock concert t-shirt which has become threadbare. She was thinking tote bag, while I was thinking pillow. I mentioned my sister Sharon, who has made many many many quilts out of t-shirts for friends and neighbors. It is a tradition in their close-knit neighborhood in Rochester, NY, Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-26341099227182872862012-01-12T20:08:00.001-05:002012-01-13T07:11:58.257-05:00Coffee, Adoption and Friends I've been having a lot of fun with coffee bags lately.
While sewing a few of these bags, I realize how adoption has woven its threads through these projects and through my life. I met Alan Spear and Mary Allen Lindemann who own Coffee By Design several years ago when they were in the process of adopting their daughter from Russia. I was teaching adoption education and they were Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-52549985461322863042012-01-06T20:54:00.000-05:002012-01-06T20:54:09.055-05:00Storytime!OK, kids. Sit down and Miss Kate will tell you a story of a wonderful happening in the world of recycled crafting.
Once upon a time there was a woman who lived in VT and called herself Recycle Moe. Actually, she called her business Recycle Moe. Anyone could tell by looking at Moe that she had a certain flair for life and craft. She made lots and lots of great things out of recycled Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-29178185925348803452011-12-26T19:38:00.000-05:002011-12-26T19:38:24.671-05:00Halloween to ChristmasLast I posted I was obsessed with turning this...
...into this!
And then there was November. In November, the volunteers of the Bowdoinham Public Library set their crafty minds to creating small bits of paper loveliness for the sale that we call "Treasures From the Library Attic". We use books left over from the November Book Sale, added to those books we salvage from the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-24261769638294542992011-10-26T22:38:00.000-04:002011-10-26T22:38:36.231-04:00Ooooo, how I love Halloween! I do love the lead up to Halloween. It coincides with the end of summer and the beginning of my crafty season. I feel like locking myself inside, cooking large amounts of food containing squash ( or food containing large amounts of squash) and crafting my little fingers to the nubs.
And the Barn of Opportunity never fails to supply me with the inspiration nor the supplies.
Last year I Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-5730598513163678212011-09-15T20:32:00.001-04:002011-09-17T07:34:11.503-04:00Lemonade, of sortsI've been having fun playing with something called Pinterest. It's like a virtual pinboard,or bulletin board, where you can "pin" images that you find online, and organize them on various "boards" of your own choosing. I like it so much better than a "favorites" list since it is all visual, and easier for me to organize. Clicking on a "pin" or image sends you to the original source post. &Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-26602507166865555682011-09-07T20:24:00.000-04:002011-09-07T23:14:42.136-04:00Love affair with a gadget
At the risk of sounding a bit loony, I must tell you about my favorite gadget. I am truly in love with a gadget. It is the Foley Food Mill.
I have vivid sensory memories of Mom making applesauce with the Foley Food Mill. I am sure she made other things with it, but I mostly remember the applesauce. When it was referred to in my home, it was always with its surname, theKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-2178427555866219002011-08-31T13:38:00.000-04:002011-08-31T13:39:01.614-04:00Back to school with the Barn of Opportunity
I am very excited to be an instructor this fall at the newly established Long Branch School of Maine. When I learned of the plans for this new school in Bowdoinham from one of its owners, Pete Feeney, I was hoping that I could find a course to teach that would fit with the school's mission. From the school's website:
The Mission of Our School is to:
&Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-15821216060554859432011-08-26T01:03:00.000-04:002011-08-26T01:03:59.006-04:00reduce, reuse, recycle ...REPAIR!I'm lovin' my forth "R" today. The forth R in the R's of preserving our planet's resources being repair. (The fifth "R" by the way is RENT but that will be the focus of another day's adventure) Today I went early to the Barn of Opportunity on a pure drop-off mission. No time nor intention to look around in the Gift Shop, nor chat with neighbors and friends. Not a minute to admire the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-84232963925571123362011-08-16T09:04:00.000-04:002011-08-16T09:04:44.913-04:00Before you Recycle this week's news......dig into the newspaper box to the Maine Sunday Telegram from this past Sunday, Aug 14, and pull out section A. On page 11 there is a big ol' coupon from Hannaford, offering $2 off any "Close to Home" produce item. Yup, that means when you are in the produce section of Hannaford (we don't need to be there much at this time of year, do we? I admit I still need my avocados and bananasKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-63481721226741094512011-08-07T23:24:00.000-04:002011-08-07T23:24:48.661-04:00Book Group Tackles "How-To" booksMy book group at the Bowdoinham Public Library is called Stitch and Pitch. We knit (or not) and pitch our favorite reads from the preceding month. Instead of assigning a particular title, we agree on a theme and everyone reads whatever they want (or not) on that theme (or not). We pride ourselves on being the guilt-free book group. July's book theme was "How-To Books". We Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-23818295300446701832011-07-08T22:42:00.000-04:002011-07-08T22:42:24.602-04:00I can't be trusted...
...with an electric iron. Really. Trust me with a library, a car, a group of children, a sharp object, or even a large group of children with sharp objects, but do NOT trust me with an iron. Back in this post I promised to tell you about the old rug's burn mark. Here's a closeup:
As you've figured out, I do a lot of crafts at my house. I do my own version of Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-45967764107151554552011-07-02T16:29:00.000-04:002011-07-02T16:29:56.003-04:00At long last, the FashionsI haven't forgotten! Just a wee bit busy with a few other things. The Altered Couture fashion show at the Frontier on June 15 was pure entertainment. There were designers who were 9 years old...Designers who were teenagers, and designers who weren't teenagers! There were drag queens and grandmothers. All of the artists spent $30 or less at second hand stores for their materials.&Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-68269732683534033782011-06-14T14:36:00.000-04:002011-06-14T14:36:02.411-04:00Altered Couture Tomorrow NightIt may be a bit mean to tell you about a great event for which tickets are already sold out. I'm lucky to have two tickets to the Altered Couture Fashion Show at the Frontier for tomorrow night. It will benefit the ArtVan. $5 to get in and then an auction for the fashions we see. Artists were invited to design and create using no more than $30 worth of second hand or re-purposedKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6139396147347940310.post-52585550106010378112011-06-10T21:19:00.001-04:002011-06-10T21:20:25.519-04:00Give & Go, Dump & Run...No matter what, it works Bowdoin College has been responsibly getting rid of its end-of-school flotsam and jetsam since 2002. Back in the beginning, they called it the "Dump and Run" and a few local non-profits helped the Bowdoin staff collect, sort and sell the clothing, sheets, lamps, rugs and other detritus from the college students that would otherwise be thrown in dumpsters. In return, the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10391207602640087179noreply@blogger.com3