PuNk rAwK pUrL

Winter Contest

2011-12-01T10:21:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I have done a good ole fashioned promo / contest / giveaway on this here blog.

I am pretty excited about this one because it involves pillows!!!

& not just any pillows, but super soft and squishy wool felt pillows.

The winner of this drawing will win a Felt Up Pillow

{ choose from: Moby Stitch the Whale, Felt Up Flowers, or Geo-met-Tricks }

wool/rayon felt pillows :: Moby Stitch

So how do you enter this awesome contest?

Every item purchased from my Etsy shop for the entire month of December counts as one entry into the drawing. It's really very simple...

buy 1 item, get 1 entry.

buy 6 items, get 6 entries.

And the beauty is that you don't need to do anything else.

Just make your purchases and you will automatically be entered. Multiple items may be purchased on one invoice and will still be counted for each individual item. I will draw a winner the second week of January & contact you for your choice of pillow style.

new line of wool/rayon felt pillows :: Felt Up Flowers

new line of wool/rayon felt pillows :: Geo-met-Tricks

No matter what you are celebrating, may you enjoy the very best of this holiday season. & best of luck in the contest!
❤
-t

Holiday Cards

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

Wonky Winterland Trees...

Available in 4 vintage inspired color palettes are now in My Etsy shop!

It's a Christmas tree. It's a festive Winter Solstice bush. It's a Pick-a-Holiday Shrub.

No matter how you celebrate it... It's fun, colorful, and wonderfully wonky.

I machine stitch threads of garland onto colorful handcut paper trees and top them with a tin foil star!

Each Wonky Winterland Tree card is a one of a kind, handmade with ❤ by me. No two are alike. Please allow me to compose a set for you based on the color palette you have chosen.

Four festively vintage inspired color palettes to choose from::

Mid Century Martini {reds, blacks, greys, icy blues, & olive greens
• Candy Shop {golden mustard, turquoise blues, bubble gum pinks, & tangy orange}
• Vintage Fancy Forest {navy & turquoise blues, bubble gum pinks, apple greens, & mauves}
• Chocolate Blues {teal & turquoise blues, chocolate & kraft browns}

Single card • $6

Set of 3 cards • $16
Set of 6 cards • $30

& Convo me for larger quantities

Have you started your holiday gift shopping yet?

Or are you still shopping for your Thanksgiving turkey?

❤
-t

San Francisco Holiday Design Bazaar

2011-11-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area this Saturday & are looking to get a jump start on your

holiday shopping.... Come by and see me along with 35 other super talented artisans::

Holiday Design Bazaar at the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy

Local artists and designers sell their wares and donate 25% of their sales for the day. The proceeds of the bazaar will go towards developing visual and performing arts program. This event was created last year to provide Arts Education in every classroom.

PLUS :: a booth on the value of arts education, DJs throughout the day, silent art auction, live drawing/sketch artists, activities for the kids (face painting, art projects, etc.), childcare, and yummy food!

& remember this Holiday season to support your communities and...

Shop Local! Shop Indie!

❤
-t

It's Knot Your Fault...

2011-11-01T06:35:00.000-07:00

When I saw the ever awesome Ashley of After Nine to Five tweet about a bloggy photo contest... my eyes got super big, and my heart was all a flutter. Thank you Ashley and Misty for hosting such a fabulous contest!

I spent a couple of hours on Sunday at the long ago closed Alameda Point Naval Base. It is a dreamland of decrepit buildings, shipyards, debris, tumbleweeds, and pure abandoned wonder. I snapped tons photos of battle ships, air control towers, even the sun shinning down on the San Francisco Bay, and my favorite shot of the day was this rope. Pure texture heaven.

It's Knot Your Fault...

I shoot photos all day, every day. All of my photography {or iPhoneography} is taken and edited entirely on my iPhone. If you would like to see more of my photos, you can check out my Instagram account. I also post a few to Flickr.

Have a snap happy day!

❤
-t

1300 Things: Week 29

2011-10-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Week 29... Yup, I am picking up just wehere I left off. The last 1300 post that I published was on July 18th. Rest assured that I have continued to have immense gratitude every minute of every day since then.
I want to thank those of you who have emailed me to check on me... concerned about my absence, or just to tell me how much you have missed my blog posts... each and every one of those emails have filled my heart and given me heaps more to be grateful for.
I treasure you all.

1300 Things To Be Grateful For:: Week 29

700. You. My continued readers. & You, my new readers.

701. Rose water cookies.

702. Truly amazing sunsets.

703. Truly amazing sunrises.

704. Recycling an entire file cabinet's worth of old useless papers.

705. New neighbors who aren't a group of 21 year old guys.

706. My cutest customer (best customer appreciation photo ever!)::

the boo boo face was from the wrestling she had to endure to claim the pillow from her older brother.

707. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough region... yum!

708. Eating fresh raspberries off of my fingertips. They taste the same, but it's more fun.

709. Madmen on Instant Netflix.

710. When your hair grows past that awkward stage.

711. Birthdays. Mine... and Yours.

712. Freshly painted toenails.

713. The cold spot at the very bottom corner of the bed.

714. Stumbling onto sweet street art around town::

My Feet. Oakland Sidewalk. Sweet street art.

715. iPhone updates going super smooth & all of my data & apps intact exactly where i left them.

716. Cranky cats... they are just as cute as non-cranky cats.

717. Little Star pizza... cornmeal crust sent directly from heaven.

718. Salted caramel ice cream and a walk in the park on a hot day.

719. A friendly smile from an old man on a park bench.

720. Candy Corn. Yup...I am the one person who actually loves the stuff::

721. Completing Year One of 365 Days :: Self Portraits.

722. Starting Year Two of 365 Days :: Self Portraits.

723. Soy chorizo.... it really is as yummy as the real thing.

724. Discovering the hilarity that is Little Britain.

What are you grateful for on this spooky Halloween day?

❤
-t

Snaps

2011-10-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

I snap a lot of photographs these days.

They are all shot and edited with my 3GS iPhone. I post some to Instagram, and I post some to Flickr... I thought I'd share a few of my favorites from the past week with you here now::

☞All photos are the sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &

are not to be reposted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission. Thank you.☜

Happy Monday!
❤
-t

Spooky Cute!

2011-10-12T00:58:00.000-07:00

Now available....

Spooky Cute Skully Journals

I have stitched it up again... this time with dem dry bones.

All of the boney pieces and parts are meticulously cut out by hand and machine stitched onto a morbidly cute colorful background. I then stich the artwork onto the cover of a Moleskine Journal.

There are 5 colors and 2 page styles to choose from::

Cauldron Black • Putrid Pink • Blood Red • Nightshade Navy • Menacing Mustard

Grid or Lined pages

Available now in My Etsy Shop...

Go get 'em before they get YOU first!

I am curious to know.... Trick-or-Treat, Old-Timey Poison Bottles, or Yo Ho Ho Ho....
For You, is the skull & crossbones motif more associated with Pirate or Halloween themes? Leave me a comment below, telling me where your mind travels to when you see this skully-boney icon.

❤
-t

The August Break::Day 18

2011-08-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

All photos taken and edited on my iPhone 3GS

☞All photos are the sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &

are not to be posted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission.☜

Day 359:: The Countdown Begins... 365 Days of Self Portraits

Do you have any long term projects winding up? Or perhaps just beginning?

❤
-t

The August Break::Day 15 - 17

2011-08-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Catching up on a couple of days...

All photos taken and edited on my iPhone 3GS

☞All photos are the sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &

are not to be posted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission.☜

Day 15:: A Day in The Park

Day 16:: Crane Edit

Day 17:: Attack of The 50ft Punk Rawk Purl

❤
-t

The August Break::Day 14

2011-08-14T08:46:00.000-07:00

All photos taken and edited on my iPhone 3GS

☞All photos are the sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &

are not to be posted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission.☜

Day 354:: 365 Days Self Portrait Project

It's super hard for me to believe that it has been nearly a year since I began this project. Many people ask me how I can stand to take & post self portraits every single day. And to that I ask, "Am I that ugly?!" *insert hearty laughter*
But for reals... It's been a learning process, both about how I see myself physically/emotionally and how I approach photography. I am looking forward to year number two.

❤
-t

The August Break::Day 13

2011-08-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

All photos taken and edited on my iPhone 3GS

☞All photos are the sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &

are not to be posted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission.☜

Oakland Fox Theater::
Shot with Hipstamatic - Libatique73 Lens / Big Up Film

If you are so inclined, here is a wee little bit about the glorious Fox Theater from here::

The Oakland Fox Theater, a 2,800 seat movie theater originally opened its doors on October 27, 1928 in downtown Oakland, California. The complexity of the Fox’s design portrayed a very lavish lifestyle. Reflecting luxury and class by its beautiful structure. After thirty years of delivering to the public, the Fox’s success was disrupted by the popularity of television that hurt downtown theaters across the nation. Attendance significantly dropped in the 1960s and the Oakland Fox officially closed its doors in 1966. After being closed for twelve years, the Fox avoided demolition when it became officially recognized as an Oakland City Landmark. February 2009 marked the beginning of a new era for the Fox. After being neglected for forty years, the once glamorous theater made its comeback.

Do you have a favorite venue to see shows in your town? I'd love to hear about it.

❤

-t

The August Break::Day 12

2011-08-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

All photos taken and edited on my iPhone 3GS

☞All photos are the sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &

are not to be posted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission.☜

My Post Office

My post office is pretty special... amazing architecture and details in every nook and cranny. I can't help but snap some photos every time I am waiting in line.

What's your post office like?

❤

-t

The August Break::Day 10

2011-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

All photos taken and edited on my iPhone 3GS

☞All photos are the sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &

are not to be posted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission.☜

Day 352 {365 Days Self Portrait Project}

Can you spy the itty bitty detail in the above photo that makes me super happy?

Line Up:: DXP App

Line Dancing:: DXP App

Peacock Tower(s):: DXP App

As you can probably tell.... I am more than a little obsessed with the art of double exposure photo processing. I am also currently obsessed with photographing power lines & traffic lights.

If you are an amateur (or pro) photographer, what are your current photo style crushes?

❤
-t

The August Break::Days 1 - 9

2011-08-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

It's true. I have been way too busy to blog.... and I promise it's been legitimate. But I think about blogging often and am eager to get back into the blog of things.

I heard about The August Break & knew that this was indeed the perfect thing to ease me back into blogging. I am attached to my iPhone. I snap pictures all day & everyday. I post them on Instagram (an iPhone app) & thoroughly enjoy the community there. {If you are on IG... look me up. I am punkrawkpurl... of course}. I of course also post to my Flickr account.

I will share 1 or 2 photos here each day during August. But for today... here's a heaping helping of photos to get me caught up for the first 9 days of August. Since there are no rules for The August Break I am sharing some photos that were taken in July... also since I wasn't here for July... photos from the month somehow make up for it... yes? hehehe

All photos are shot & edited using my iPhone 3GS.
All photos are sole property of Punk Rawk Purl &
are not to posted or reproduced under any circumstance without my permission.

Under The Freeway:: Hipstamatic Salvador84 Lens / Alfrede Infrared Film

Oakland Warehouse:: Double Exposure Edit

Day 341:: 365 Days Self Portrait Project

Line By Line:: DXP App

Feather Series - 1::4 Edit:: DXP App

Bridge Series 1::4 Hipstamatic - Matty ALN Lens / Float Film

Men at Work:: Hipstamatic - Watts Lens / Claunch 72 Monochrome Film

Up... Up... and Away:: Hipstamatic - Kaimal Mark II Lens / Pistil Film

Day 342 :: 365 Days Self Portrait Project

Do you have a Flickr account? Or are you a fellow Instagram junkie? Or do you just post a lot of photos that you take on your blog? Share a link to your photos in the comments below, I'd love to take a peek.

❤
-t

Thar She Sews... New Whale Pillows

2011-08-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Debuting tonight at the Telegraph Ave Crafty Corner::

& in my Etsy shop next week.

Moby Stitch Pillows::

Made from a super soft & sturdy wool/rayon felt & lot's of Love.

The front of these squishy soft pillows are sporting a happy little whale (inspired by the Moby Stitch Journals now available in my Etsy shop.) I couldn't just leave the backside of these super cute pillows bare now could I? There is a little surprise stitched up on the flip side of each and every pillow!

Each pillow is approx 17" x 12" & stuffed with the loftiest, fluffiest, highest quality polyester fiberfill... perfect for hugging while sailing the seven seas... or just hanging out in your home.

Leave a comment here & let me know which colors you'd like to see floating around in my Etsy shop!

Have a great Weekend everyone!!

❤
-t

Crafty Corner

2011-08-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Have you missed me? I sure as heck have missed all of you.

I've been super busy with all kinds of exciting things.

But for now, a quick post about an upcoming event.

If you are in the Bay Area you can come see me this week during the Oakland ArtMurmur's First Friday at::

The Telegraph Avenue Crafty Corner Fair

1645 Telegraph Ave . Oakland . (corner of 17th & Telegraph)*

Friday August 5th . 5pm - 10pm

Crafty Corner Vendors::

Elbow Grease Designs, PuNk rAwK pUrL, Yes & Yes Designs, Cocibolca Soy Candles

Photography exhibit "When Spaces Speak"

The entire neighborhood will be hopping during the First Friday of the Art Murmur

*1/2 a block from the 19th St. BART station

1300 Things: Week 28

2011-07-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone! Yes, I am alive. And yes, I have missed being here... a lot!

I've also missed visiting you over on your blogs too. Some things have shifted and I have been very very busy. I asure you that as I adjust to my new schedule I will be blogging and tweeting again on a regular schedule. Please don't forget about me! xoxo

1300 Things To Be Grateful For:: Week 28

675. Sweet cat kisses after a long day out and about.

676. Really good hot and sour soup.

677. A sweet cup of Cinnamon Plum tea.

678. BBQ pork chow mein.

679. Fortune cookies that don't lie::

Now that's a Smart Cookie!

680. Meeting a new friend... on his 1 month birthday!

681. The awesome staff at Pet Food Express. ( a local company)

682. Pecan Praline granola.

683. Peach season!!!

684. Peaches in Irish oatmeal.

685. Peaches in yogurt.

686. Peaches in my special peach macadamia nut bread.

687. Peaches in my mouth.

688. A trip to the Renegade Craft fair with friends.

689. Prawn burritos.

690. Being woken up by a cold cat nose.

691. Taking time-out to give myself a pampering pedicure.

692. One of my photos made it to the popular page on Instagram::

693. The summer set of ants came and went w/out much of a fuss.

694. Bagels with lox & cream cheese.

695. Ritual coffee in the neighborhood.

696. Securing an office space for a freelance gig.

697. Fresh fig room refresher.

698. Gaining speed and accuracy on a knitting machine.

699. My willingness to make an ass out of myself for a good picture::

And how is your summer going? Where have you been? Where are you going? Have you blogged about your summer vacation? Leave me a link to your post.

❤

-t

Collections:: Thimbles

2011-07-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

Last week I wrote about my grandmother's need to collect things and how that need was passed down to me. It's true, I have a need to collect things. I also have a need to display them in a pleasing fashion. Most of my collections are on display in my home. You will find them in/on:: jars, bowls, children's toy tea-sets, baskets, shelves, windowsills, buckets, and so on.

Another collection inherited from my grandmother:: Thimbles.

My grandma embroidered... a lot. And yet, this is the one skill that I didn't pick up and run with. Well, embroidery and the ability to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle in freaky record time. This seems like an awful lot of thimbles for one woman to have, one for each finger... and then some. {I realized that there were a few missing from this photo. I believe I have 13 total.} I am aware that thimbles come in different sizes. But I don't know... is this a lot of thimbles for two hands, even if they do embroider a lot?

Regardless of how many thimbles one woman needs... I love each and every one of them. And more than that, I love the collection of them gathered in this pretty little dish.

Is there a skill or trade that you wished you had learned from a family member?

❤
-t

Mail Day!

2011-07-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I received a package in the mail from my friend Julie. I had no idea whatsoever that she was sending me a giftie. I recall that I was having a rather difficult day. But what was nestled inside of that awesomely decorated package lifted my spirits so high that it gave me a serious case of the gratitude tears.

{ My Hoop Art Made by Julie }

Julie made this gorgeous Hoop Art just for little ol' me. The colors, the shapes, the composition... it's 100% Tammy and I absolutely LOVE it. There was no question about it, I knew exactly where I wanted it to live. I immediately hung it up in my bedroom. Two weeks later, I still get a warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy just thinking about it. And when I gaze upon it... my eyes feel pretty awesome too.

So I bet that you are totally jealous of my awesome new artwork. I would be if I were you. The good news... You too can own a piece of awesome Hoop Art from Julie.

The awesomely talented Julie opened a new Etsy shop just last month. And she gave her new shop an equally awesome name, Hey! Caddywhompus. Some of you may recall that I interviewed Julie a couple of months back in connection to her vintage shop, Restless Hearts Crafts. It was in that interview that Julie alluded to this new endeavor. And boy oh boy... are we ever so lucky that she followed her word & opened this awesome shop.

A big Thank You to Julie for offering PuNk rAwK pUrL readers

10% Off in the Hey! Caddywhompus shop!

Use Coupon Code:: PUNK10
code expires July 31st 2011

Have you discovered any awesome new Etsy shops recently?

❤
-t

1300 Things: Week 27

2011-07-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

1300 Things To Be Grateful For:: Week 27

650. Number 650 means I am half way through my list of 1300.

651. A simple rearranging of the furniture creates such a fresh feeling.

652. Coffee ice cubes.

653. The cool side of the pillow.

654. The awesomeness that is the Verla Ivans Etsy Shop::

{ Handmade Wooden Arrows from the Verla Ivans shop }

655. Hot Pink + Kelly Green + Jet Black = one awesome color palette.

656. Documentaries on John F. Kennedy.

657. Mushrooms sauteed in butter and garlic.

658. Getting surprise packages in the mail!

659. New neighbors who appear to be sane.

660. Driving a convertible on the hottest days of the year.

661. A cuff quickly made from the neckband of an old t-shirt::

662. Watching Rosco on a catnip high.

663. Lowered tax rates in California.

664. 53 sales on Etsy!

665. Making new friends. It never gets old. xoxo

666. A hunky boy delivering In-N-Out burgers at midnight.

667. The architecture in my favorite Oakland post office::

668. Learning to use a knitting machine.

669. Learning how to fix bent needles on said knitting machine.

670. The sweet stare of an adorable puppy dog.

671. Sushi lunch breaks!!!

672. Cold beer on a HOT day.

673. Stretching out to find the cold spot at the foot of the bed with my foot.

674. Reconnecting with some dear Twitter friends after being absent for a week.

What are you most grateful for on a hot summer day?

❤

-t

Collections:: Scissors

2011-06-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

I most certainly inherited my need to collect "things" from my grandmother. A quick snoop around her house and one would find an endless trail of collections... In her bedroom a windowsill was lined with interestingly shaped pebbles. In the study, a small wicker basket held stamps torn from their envelopes. A corner of the kitchen counter was jam packed with jars, each one containing its own collection (swizzle sticks, matches, bread twist-ties, watch batteries, and anything else that she could fit multiples of into a jar). Even in the bathroom, a floral porcelain bowl on the counter cradled dozens of toothpaste caps.

The lovely Ana from i made it so hit the nail on the head with her comment on my post from last week aout the jar of silly string... "it really speaks to the "waste not" nature of that generation". And it is so true my grandmothers need to collect directly stemmed from her childhood growing up during The Great Depression. 'Waste not want not' was more than an expression, it was a recipe for survival for my grandmother.

My grandmother and her home of collections are now gone. But, the evidence still exists in the contents of her sewing room, which were passed on to me. There are multiples of every tool within the many sewing boxes. Perhaps I will share more photos of her collections. All but two pairs of the above scissor collection were my grandmother's. There are actually several more pairs than this... but it was a bit crowded and didn't make for a as pretty a picture.

Have you inherited any collections from a family member or loved one?

❤
-t

1300 Things: Week 26

2011-06-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

1300 Things To Be Grateful For:: Week 26

625. Reuniting with old friends after 10 years.

626. Meeting awesome new friends.

627. Talking w/ Kathy from Princess Animal about plans for upcoming awesome events.

628. A sunny drive over the bridge.

629. An upbeat friendly toll booth operator at Bay Bridge. Rarely happens.

630. The cool shelving built special for me for the craft show.

631. My Hunky craft show helper. Super helpful and motivating.

632. The gift of laughter & awesome handmade gifties from Miss Zelma Rose.

633. Parking directly across the street from the venue in an area not typically easy to park in at all.

634. The feeling of cool wind on my face after being in a dank room for hours.

635. Japanese fabric w/ reedonk cute zoo animals.

636. My wonderfully wonky handmade banner (excuse the horrible photo):

637. My love to organize translating into quick set up & break down of my craft show display.

638. Watermelon agua fresca.

639. Having a good hair day when you are in the public eye all day.

640. Lazy night of pizza, beer, and movies.

641. Hearing the words, "you haven't changed a bit in 20 years".

642. Cool old buildings in my neighborhood::

643. Peppermint tea.

644. Positive feedback about my work.

645. Being reunited with an old painting that I haven't seen in eons.

646. Louis the alligator.

647. Crafty trades.

648. Crunchy crispy juicy apples.

649. Biutiful w/ Javier Bardem.

What are you grateful for right now this very minute?

❤

-t

Photo Days- Silly String

2011-06-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Doesn't everyone have a jar of multi colored thread clippings in their home?

I keep it on my sewing table and all of my thread clippings go into it. My grandmother had one on her sewing table, and when I was a little Tammy I called it her silly string jar.

I have lofty ideas about using all of the clippings in some sort of craft project... but don't really have a clear vision of what that might be. I imagine something w/ epoxy or glue. Or perhaps I will just keep the lidded jars on a shelf, what a pretty display that would make.

Do you have any ideas for a project with my Silly String?

Happy Friday Everybody!

❤

-t

Felt-Up Pillows

2011-06-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

More of what is keeping me busy this week...

The Felt-Up Punk Rawk Pillows are ready for their debut this Sunday.

Each pillow has a color coordinated set of hearts stitched onto their cute little backsides. How do you like their little name tags? Yeah, I love 'em too.

Fingers crossed that they sell out at the event & that I have to make a whole new batch for my Etsy shop. Either way, I should have some in the shop by the end of next week.

That's all for now!

What kind of colorful fun have you been up to?

❤

-t

A Busy Bee Be Me

2011-06-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here is just one of the many things that is keeping me from being able to write up all of the fabulous blog posts that I have been dreaming up for you guys this week. I am most excited to share with you some tips about marketing and promoting your blogs and Etsy shops. So stay tuned for that next week, and please enjoy pretty pictures posts for now.

This is one of the pillow styles that I will be debuting at the Hecho Local Market this Sunday. I am particularly proud of the labels, also handmade by me. I will share a photo tomorrow of the other styles that I have coming up. & Yes, they will be coming to my Etsy shop as well.

If you are a Bay Area local I will be looking for you on Sunday at the handmade market. If you aren't Bay Area bound... then be sure to shop handmade wherever you are this weekend!

❤

-t

1300 Things: Week 25

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

1300 Things To Be Grateful For:: Week 25

600. Sewing fabric again.

601. A pretty jar of buttons

602. All of the many tools & accouterments of sewing.

603. Yellow Gingham.

604. Putting Birds on it::

yes... yes... I need to address the thread tension/fabric puckering issue.

605. Sitting in the sun, drinking coffee and sharing a scone with a hunky boy.

606. A cool breeze on a hot day.

607. A walk around the block.

608. A grilled cheese sammie w/ an over easy egg in it. (who knew?)

609. Delicious chicken curry.

610. My staple gun.

611. This succulent garden from So Succulent on Etsy::

{ via Poppytalk }

612. Clouds shaped like ice cream cones & penguins & pic-nick baskets &...

613. Rosco wrapping himself up in the orange blankie at the foot of the bead & peeking out one eye at a time.

614. My iron. Yeah... I love to iron.

615. Cucumber, Neroli Blossom, & Linden Flower fancy candles.

616. The happy rhythm of cutting out a pile o' felt bones.

617. These ottomans from Fun Makes Good... or as I prefer to call them, pouffes::

{ via Design Milk }

618. When puppy dogs get squinty eyes & blown back floppy ears in the wind.

619. Wiggly Toes in the sunshine.

620. Surprise gifts in the mail.

621. The sound of the word 'Palooka'.

622. Pineapple juice.

623. A letter in the mail with some really good news.

624. The sound of Jeff Bridge's voice in True Grit. It's got a lil' touch of Slingblade::

Although Jeff Bridges voice did not make me swoon, I do get weak in the knees for a deep gravely voice like Tom Waits, Sam Elliot, or dear god... Matt Berninger {vocalist of The National).

Whose voice makes you swoon?

❤
-t

Event:: Hecho Local

2011-06-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Just one week from today I will be peddling my crafty goods at this awesome event in the Mission District of San Francisco, just one block from the 16th Street BART station.

There will be live music, fashions shows, tons of crafty vendors, a raffle, and even face painting for the kiddos! Being in 'The Mish', there are tons of amazing places to eat, including Reaction Restaurant right next door to the gallery, which I am told is tasty-awesome! (I will have coupons to Reaction Restaurant to share w/ the first 12 people who stop by my booth)

But wait! There's more!

☟

From PuNk rAwk pUrL you can expect to see::

A few new lines not yet available in my Etsy shop
Special Show Pricing
A lovely new felty banner that I have been stitching up
Lot's of goofy smiles and my silly glam rock haircut.

RSVP to the event if you'd like. Or... just show up & surprise me.

I'll see ya' next Sunday!

❤
-t

Shop News

2011-06-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

Had my 47th sale yesterday & I am super excited to celebrate my 50th. I will enclose a special gift made by me with this little milestone sale! Pass the word along... I sure would appreciate it. You know where to find the goods!

Happy Weekend everyone!

❤
-t

Photo Days

2011-06-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been a very bloggy week for me. Had a visit from the Flu-Bug-Fairy. And she wasn't a very nice guest. In fact, she gave me a pretty bad headache all week. But the awesome news is that I am feeling much better now. My flu addled brain hasn't much of an attention span beyond making pretty photo collages with the photos on my phone. So here is a quickie post about the iPhone app that I used... and of course the pretty photo collages.

In between power naps & marathon bouts of rocking back and forth while holding my knees up to my aching tummy I have been playing with my seemingly bottomless bag of photo apps on my iPhone The newest one to my phone is called PicFrame. Much like the Diptic app, PicFrame allows you to make photo collages with images that are stored on your phone. PicFrame however allows you to adjust the corners to different degree of roundy-ness. And as you may have noticed... I am often a fool for a photo with a rounded corner. I attribute it to having grown up in the 70's when photos came back from the Photo-Hut with rounded corners.

Speaking of iPhone photo apps... I am super excited about a post that I have been meaning to write up for a couple of months now and haven't gotten around to it. This Tuesday I will post about a photo app that has been very instrumental in the marketing of my Etsy shop and of this blog.

What about you... What are some of your favorite things to do when you are sick?

❤

-t

How About Some Cute...

2011-06-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I sat down to knit this mouse as a gift for a friend. This friend is severely allergic to cats, so while not working on him, I was careful to keep the mouse under lock & key { inside of a sealed ziploc bag }. Despite my efforts... Rosco got to Mr. Mousie. And by 'got to him', I mean that he found the bag, chewed a hole in it, and spooned Mr. Mousie into the wee hours of the morn. This is pretty unusual behavior for Rosco. In 6 years, he has never really interfered with my yarn or my knitting... maybe once or twice.

I came up with the name Buford because it just sounds like someone who would be friends with a Rosco P. Coltrane. And friends they are. One of the few toys that Rosco doesn't lick bald or chew to ribbons.

The mousie pattern is from Ysolda Teague's charming little self published book, Whimsical Little Knits 1. And is also available for individual purchase.

Do you craft ~~with~~ for your pets?

❤

-t

1300 Things: Week 24

2011-06-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

1300 Things To Be Grateful For:: Week 24

575. Funny people. Yeah, I'm talking to you!

576. Cake pops! Of course cake would be even awesomer on a stick!

577. Puffy yellow skirts by jean paul gaultier.

578. Blue & white geometric patterns on a well fitted top.

579. My outfit for this years SF Etsy Craft Party (of which I was one of the organizers)::

580. The My Girl Thursday apron that I have was a PERFECT match for my outfit. Lookie Here!

581. Bake Sales.

582. Black Jet Baking. My mouth has a crush on the Cornmeal Shorites (shortbread).

583. Putting my swollen aching feet up onto a fluffy pillow.

584. The generosity of strangers when asked to aid someone in need.

585. My comfort with speaking in front of large crowds.

586. This ruffled streamer tutorial::

{ from dana-made-it.com }

587. Sharp scissors.

588. Brightly colored felt unicorns.

589. Fabric covered storage buckets.

590. Serrano Chile salted caramels from a friend.

591. Caramelized Onion dip from Trader Joe's. Even the label is stylishly cute!

592. This house. Everything about it excites me.

{ house designed by Pedro Gadanho. via design milk }

593. All of the response to the newly launched "Dear Rosco" column.

594. Finally using iMovie to edit a video for a vlog. (still tons to learn)

595. That I am still loving my haircut.

596. The way that a strong wind sounds whilst up in my 3rd floor flat.

597. Olive green & lime green skinny stripes.

598. The X-Men movies. (yeah.. really)

599. I love this song, in all it's variations. Especially the one in this video::

What's your favorite childhood song?

❤

-t

Getting To Know... Honey Cooler Handmade

2011-06-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

I couldn't be more proud to introduce you to my dear friend Stephanie. I first met Stephanie about 8 years ago in the elevator at FIDM on orientation day and we hit it off right away. Unlike me who quickly jumped ship to sail the educational seas of interior design... Stephanie remained on board the Good Ship Fashion Design. And boh oh boy... did she get it right! After graduation she did some amazing work. To really grasp the talent that this lady has... you must check out the photos on this page.

Stephanie has recently opened an Esty shop, Honey Cooler Handmade. The virtual shelves are stocked with intricate items that are tailored for the girlie-est of girly girls... or for those of us who only wish to be so on occasion. Her work is truly beautiful in every sense of the word. I can attest to her workmanship. I have sat across the dinning room table many an afternoon, watching her pieces come to life. Made from ribbons, lace, etc. dating as far back as the 1800's, and crafted with such intense detail... her work is an art form.

T:: Tell us a little about your background in fashion design. How old were you when you sketched your first "fashion" and what was it? Where did you go to school?

S:: I love lingerie and vintage-styled fashion, so Honey Cooler Handmade is the perfect way for me to channel my obsessions into something more productive than just amassing lots of pretty clothing! I graduated from FIDM in San Francisco with a degree in Fashion Design, but my penchant for fashion started much earlier. I drew my first dresses as a little tot camped out in front of the TV watching The Wizard of Oz and Annette Funicello's Babes in Toyland on repeat. The gowns I drew were ridiculous: huge skirts with swags, giant flowers, bows and fitted bodices. Needless to say, I credit my favorite childhood movies with cultivating my sometimes fantastical fashion sense. Even though my style has calmed down a lot since my youth, I still do some of my best work with a good costume movie playing in the background!

T:: Honey Cooler Handmade- tell us about the über sweet name of your shop.

S:: In addition to being the name of a super sweet drink, honey cooler is Deco slang for a kiss! Since so many of my pieces are inspired by Deco elements, I wanted to choose a fun name that was rooted in one of the coolest time periods in history. Some other vintage slang words I came across in my hunt for the perfect shop name are: moll (a gangster's girl), juice joint (a speakeasy), manacle (wedding ring), cement mixer (a bad dancer), petting pantry (movie theater), tomato (an attractive girl), platter (a record). And there are a million more out there... perfect your vocab and you'll be talking like Bogey in no time... That smudger has one heck of a chassis and stilts for days. Being her dapper would be the cat's pajamas, but she's all static and too heavy on the munitions if you know what I mean...

{note from T: I absolutely adore slang from bygone days & often quote my Grandpop! ❤}

T:: You are obviously very inspired by many different time periods. When you are designing a piece which periods do you like to combine? And can you shed any light on the difference in fashion and costuming... when speaking about period clothing it can sometime get hazy.

S:: You're right that I love to combine elements of different time periods in my work! Part of the reason for that is that I'm really indecisive and love far too many things to focus on just one. And to be honest, being truthful to only one period is costuming - I want my pieces to be regarded as clothing to wear every day. My favorite time period by far the Victorian era. I love the 1830's - 1880's, and the 1920's to the 1950's; those periods emphasized a level of workmanship that is absent from most contemporary fashion.

T:: Your pieces are so incredibly detailed. How long does it take you to make some of the different pieces that you offer? And don't you work with mostly antique lace, ribbon, etc?

S:: The Bow Belts and Wistful Flapper accessory pieces generally take 1-2 hours to make. A Ribbon Corset can take 4 or more hours, whereas the insertion lace pieces can take much longer depending on the intricacy of the design. Each piece is unique, so I never have to adhere to a set schedule or time frame when I sew. The materials I use run the gamut from very old (circa mid-1800's) to contemporary. I use Victorian-era pieces for portions of the Souvenir Tops and the laces used in the Deco Camisoles. If I'm lucky I'll come across old fabrics now and then, but I find that they usually don't hold up in the long run so I usually use new fabrics for the Deco Camisoles and Garconne Tap Shorts. Old laces are actually quite strong though, so I have no problem using them! The Ribbon Corsets are made with mostly vintage ribbon; my most recent (Betsy) was fashioned with ribbon from the 1930's!

T:: If you were a food or meal... what would you be, and why?

S:: This is a hard question to answer! I'd probably be pizza because it's the most delicious food on the planet! At its core it's uncomplicated, but in an instant you can gussy it up with all kinds of awesome toppings and it becomes something unique and awesome!

T:: Tell us 6 things that you are grateful for right this minute.

S:: 1) My amazing husband. I'm lucky to be married to my best friend. 2) Fountain pens! 3) Growing spots of blue sky after a dismal few days of weather. 4) My always-improving sewing skills. 5) Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles in Berkeley. 6) Tammy, for being such a great crafty partner! (And for featuring me on her rockin' blog!)

________The Goods________

One lucky reader will win a $20 shop credit from Stephanie's deliciously beautiful shop, Honey Cooler Handmade!

how to enter::
{there are 3 possible entries per person. the first one is mandatory before entering w/ the 2nd & 3rd. please be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.}

required entry::
- Visit the Honey Cooler Handmade Shop & ❤ your favorite item & then leave a comment here with the link to the item you ❤'d.

additional entries:: {please leave a separate comment for each one}
- Follow the Honey Cooler Handmade Blog

- Copy & Paste this Tweet:: { Enter the @HoneyCoolerHM Giveaway on @punkrawkpurl to win a $20 Shop Credit: http://bit.ly/jPzI8D }

The giveaway is open to all readers (U.S. & International) & ends on June 22nd at 11 pm pst. Winner will be chosen by random number generator & announced on June 23rd.

And if that wasn't enough...

Stephanie has very generously offered PuNk rAwK pUrL readers

20% off in the Honey Cooler Handmade shop!

Please use code: ROSCO20

This coupon code will expire June 24th 2011
{ can you tell that someone has a lil' crush on Rosco P. Coltrane the cat? }

❤

-t

Dear Rosco - Love Cooper

2011-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello PuNk rAwK pUrL readers. My name is Rosco P. Coltrane and if you are new around here you might not know who I am. I am a cat. I am PuNk rAwK pUrL's cat. You can read about me and about this new column 'Dear Rosco' by clicking on the link for this blog post.

Tammy and I have been talking about me writing this column for a few months now, and I am pretty excited to finally be answering my very first letter from the pet of a blogger. And a super cute pet he is. Tammy and I both really loved the photos of this ridiculously adorable dog. Speaking of dogs, I would like to clear one thing up right now. Just because I am a cat, I have absolutely nothing against the canine type. I have met and loved a lot of dogs. Pets are like people... some are lame and some are awesome... no matter the nap of their fur.

Now let's get down to business...

Dear Rosco,

My name is Cooper and I just turned 10 months old last Sunday (been living with my folks for 7 1/2 months). I'm an only child.

My mom's name is Sécia. She has a little blog in which I'm often included and runs two Etsy shops; Petite Insanities & The Little Bird Told Me when she's not working in television production (her day job). I'm a really good puppy and don't even chew on her things (only mine). I can sit, lay down, shake & heel on command and I even play catch by myself. She's really proud of me. One day she hopes to be able to work from home so she can spend more time playing & cuddling with me.

My question is: How come I still squat when I go potty? I would think I'd be lifting my leg by now.

Dear Cooper,

Thank you for writing in & thank to your mom, Sécia for allowing you to use her computer... assuming that you don't have your own computer. And if that is the case, I'm going to need to discuss some admin issues with Tammy. But enough about my potentially unfair working conditions. Let's talk about you.

So you pee while sitting down huh? I have indeed noticed that some full grown dogs do pee while sitting. I always assumed that they were just ~~lazy~~ smart. I mean, why in the world would anyone lift their leg, unless they are licking their foot to clean it?

In the interest of your concern over the matter, I asked the Hunk (Tammy's dude) about your situation. He loves dogs and has fostered a bunch of them over the years. He is my go-to dog expert. The Hunk said that it's not as common for adult boy dogs to pee while sitting, but some do and there is nothing wrong with you. He compared it to human men who pee while sitting instead of standing.... other dudes might judge you for it, but there is nothing wrong with you. The Hunk asked me to clarify: that he does NOT pee while sitting... but still no judgement.

My thoughts in closing...

With all of the squatting that you are doing, your glutes will be super strong & you can kick the butts of anyone who makes fun of you.

❤ & purrs & whisker kisses,

-R

If you are a pet reading this, and you would like some advice from me, please see the bottom of this post for the details or email me. I would love to hear from you.

Vlog Q&A

2011-06-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Another vlog...
a.k.a another opportunity for you to witness just how goofy looking I am whilst speaking. You can also have a laugh at the first vlog I posted.

The questions for this q&a were taken from a post on the My Girl Thursday blog. You should go and check out her blog because she is awesome and also because she is celebrating a massive milestone with an equally massive giveaway.

Of course there are a few disclaimers before you are cleared for vlog viewing takeoff
{& mere lessons for me to learn before recording again}::

1. I am wearing puffy princess sleeves under my cardigan & as a result
I look like a linebacker.
2. There is a pesky glare on my glasses.
3. ~~The screen capture is HIDEOUS! & no matter how many attempts I made to edit past it... it's here. Frog face of the worst kind. Don't be scared,~~ once you get past the screen capture there are plenty more friendlier yet still embarrassing ~~Tammy faces to be laughed at .~~ Thank you Vimeo for making it super easy to change the ~~screen capture~~ video thumbnail. The hard part was finding the how-to based on wrong search term.

If you'd like to reply to the questions in your own vlog:
1.Do you have a middle name?

2. What was your favorite subject in school?

3. What's your favorite drink?

4. Favorite song at the moment?

5. What would you name your children?

6. Do you participate in any sports?

7. Favorite Book?

8. Favorite Colour?

9. Favorite Animal?

10. Favorite perfume?

Okay... Now I am curious, what is your favorite perfume?

❤

-t

1300 Things: Week 23

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

1300 Things To Be Grateful For:: Week 23

551. The kindness of strangers.

552. Happy white clouds after a week of grumpy grey ones.

553. Meatball subs.

554. The smell of paint. A lot of different kinds of paint.

555. The happy feeling that I get when I look at this photo::

{ via Poppytalk:: Styling - Margot Austin, Photography - Michael Graydon }

556. Chocolate & coconut.

557. My first Etsy sale to Iceland!

558. Sweet crisp apples.

559. Two new free film styles from Hipstamatic.

560. Trees.

561. A 1% decrease in the state tax rate.

562. This picture. This woman. That dog.

563. Tacky tabletops at tasty taquerias

564. A freshly washed blanket.

565. Vintage linens.

566. The happy-go-lucky customer service at Mailchimp.

567. When customers share photos of the items they received from me.

568. Tuna Noodle Casserole::

569. Confirmation that I am vending at Capsule Design Festival this Fall.

570. Gluten free soy sauce. (it just tastes better)

571. Crafty Business dates.

572. New friends.

573. Alpacas.

574. National Donut Day... Chocolate cake donut w/ Rosewater glaze::

Did you celebrate National Donut Day last week?

Which one food item would you honor with it's own holiday?

❤
-t
p.s. In conclusion I noticed that the photos of this post are alternating crisp bright greens and stark black & whites. I am currently a little obsessed with taking black & white photos... which strikes me funny seeing as that I am typically so motivated by intensely bright colors.