Francis' Buzz

Meet Francis. Every day, Franics' mom made him wear the argyle vests she handknit for him. They were made with much love, but he was too young to understand. Francis got made fun of. A lot.

The part of the day he liked least was his walk home from school. Yet he never walked, he ran. Dippity stick in his mouth till his tongue bled, he had no fear. The sugar buzz gave him super running powers, and he made it home before the bullies ever caught up.

This is how the illustration looked about halfway through:


...and the final piece:


Here is how it looked at the art display on Saturday night at the SCBWI conference, and on the right is a photo from NYC which features a famous little runner, Eloise!:

thanks!

Thank you design*sponge for posting my silver leaves moleskine and a link to my etsy store, and thanks to everyone who came by and shopped!

Wow, it seems like just yesterday that I goccoed my first moleskine.

Here are some cards I made recently, in different sizes and colors. Most of the materials came from paper source, but the illustrations and words are all mine:




Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog while I have been away making stuff. Happy Valentine's Day. Love, Rania.

5 things.

Oh my goodness, I've been 'tagged'! Kristen tagged me to do '5 things'.
The rules are as follows:
1. someone tags you,
2. you post five things about yourself that you haven’t already mentioned on your blog,
3. you tag people you’d like to know more about.


little me

Alrighty, here I go...
1. When I was in high school I wrote an agony aunt column for a local magazine and got paid really well for it. I answered fan mail, wrote about makeup, eyebrows, hair, legwarmers, mini skirts and skin. My mom saved every issue and its always a laugh to read them.

2. Growing up I was fascinated with people who could draw and would spend my lunch hours watching them, but as hard as I tried everything I drew or painted looked like poop. Then over summer break when I was 16 my family and I were stranded at an airport in Houston waiting and waiting for our flight to Venezuela. Of course I had a sketchbook on me, so I pulled it out and started to draw from photos in a newspaper and for the first time ever, it came out exactly as I saw it. Magic! I went on to get an A the following year in GCSE art, and two years later another A in A-level art.

3. Its always hard for me to answer the "where are you from?" question because: I was born in NYC, went to preschool in London, elementary school in Houston, high school in Dubai and college in Beirut. I moved to DC in 2000 and love this city, and don't have plans to move anytime soon. Also, my accent has changed every time.

4. I love having short hair. For some reason I forget this and remember as soon as my hair nears my shoulders. I cut my hair last week and am already itching for it to be shorter.

5. I can't have enough Thai food. My favorite dish is Penang Tofu. I love indian too, Palak Paneer, yummmm. I could seriously eat it every day.

I tag Roz Foster, I Like Seamonsters, Green Bean Baby, Bookish Lady, and flossy-p!

{please note...tonight I was *forced* to change my blogger account, so feeds might be disrupted. so sorry.}

sbcwi. scwbi. SCBWI.

SCBWI = Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. I could never it right until I joined a few weeks back. Now I totally know how to spell it!

In just over two weeks I'll be heading up to NYC for the SCBWI Winter Conference. I am so excited, yet still a little nervous since it will be my first time attending. Sean and I are going up a few days earlier to just hang out in the city, and maybe take a quick trip to Brooklyn to check out some galleries and the new etsy lab.

I do have some homework to do before the event, I'll be doing an illustration to show in the Art Display. Am currently working on some ideas and will post progress once I start.

In other news, I've made the etsy front page twice in the past month! [Thanks flossy-p for sending a page capture!]



Also, thank you poppytalk for featuring my Macy Notebook!

I am always fascinated by all the awesomeness found on the internets, and all the connections from one site to another. From illustrationmundo I found this interview with Carson Ellis on youtube. I love love love her work. Also check out paper forest, a lovely blog all about "paper art news and ideas", and then visit the illustrations by the writer, Jaime Zollars. Beautiful.

Perfect eye candy for a Sunday afternoon.

kissing ramona.

Meet Ramona. Ramona swam faster than any boy.
She swung higher than any girl and wrote better cursive
than the prettiest teacher in school.

But there was one thing she couldn't bare the thought of.
Even the teeniest mention of the word kissing,
and Ramona's face would turn the brightest pink.

the invented sun.

Have I mentioned Sean's got an opening tonight? I'll be there all night, please stop by! Its his first solo show in a commercial gallery. Isn't that awesome?

The title of the show is 'Worshippers of the Invented Sun' and here are two of Sean's pieces:


Left: Great Minds Think Alike, Right: The Imaginary Idea of Time as Concrete

He artwork combines paint, plaster, glass, concrete, and mythology. You can read more about his work here.

Opening is 5-10 PM. Touchet Gallery is located at the corner of Fleet Street and South Anne Street in Fells Point, Baltimore. Tonight is also First Friday Fells Point ArtLoop, so 9 other galleries will be open late as well.

Hope you can make it!

welcome january.

Ah. Its nice to start a new year. 2007. Hope its an awesome year for you. and you. and you!

Here is my latest piece:



Knit XXVI. mixed media. 12" x 9" [SOLD].

Upcoming art dates for Sean & I are below, hope to see you there!:

The Warehouse :: December 31-January 27
Opening was New Years Eve, and thats when I discovered
I got an awesome spot in this show!
1017 7th St NW :: Washington, DC

Worshippers of the Invented Sun
Touchet Gallery :: January 5-February 11
Sean's first solo exhibit at a gallery!
Opens Friday night, 5-10pm, hope you can make it!
536 S. Ann Street :: Fells Point :: Baltimore, MD

Counter Culture Festival II :: Saturday, January 27 :: 4–7:30pm
Dr Dremos Taphouse :: Hosted by the DC Conspiracy
2001 Clarendon Blvd. :: Arlington, VA

tiny clicks.

More soon, this is just a start:



Knit XXV. mixed media. 14" x 11" [SOLD]

Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas, fun holidays and if I don't post again soon, the most fabulous new year ever!

::Update :: December 31:: Tonight is Art Romp at the Warehouse Theater, and this painting will be on exhibit there! If you can't make it tonight, the art show goes on till January 27. Check out their web site for gallery hours.

more silver leaves.

This time I printed them on black Moleskine cahiers, and I love how they turned out.


[yes, they're in my shop]

Thanks to everyone who came to our open studio party! Don't forget, the Palace of Wonders show is tonight, should be fun!

working away.

Here is a peek at some work in progress:



That is my table of almost done pieces. There is a whole other table with more in the works.

Thanks to everyone who braved the cold and came out to the Booty Market on Saturday! It was so cold and I was so not prepared, so the next day I bought 2 wool coats. One of them is pea green, I love it! It totally matches my avatar.

december already.

I've been making some shirts...



And printing more Moleskine..



And getting ready for a bunch of shows in December!

Here is the list, and a handy little flyer with all of the info.

Craft Mutiny Booty Market
Dec 2 :: Saturday :: 2-7pm
Silver Spring :: email for address:
darnknit [at] gmail.com

Annual Open Studio
Christmas Party [in conjunction
with the Washington Glass School]
Dec 9 :: Saturday :: 2-6pm
3708 Wells Avenue :: Mt Rainier, MD

Palace of Wonders
Art and Craft Show
Dec 10 :: Sunday :: 7-11pm
1210 H Street NE :: DC

Downtown DC Holiday Market
Wednesdays and Thursdays:
Dec 13-14, 20-21 :: 12-7pm
Seventh & F Street NW :: DC
in front of the newly reopened
National Portrait Gallery

Black Cat Rock‘n’Shop
Dec 17 :: Sunday :: 8pm-12.30am
1811 14th Street NW :: DC

gocco printed bookplates.

On Saturday I hopped on the metro and went to the Book Arts Fair in Silver Spring, MD.

My favorite books there were mostly the ones that were silkscreened, etched, letterpressed with fun bindng work and occassional diecuts. And if they combined all of the above and had a little bowl of chocolates on the side, I stood and stared forever.

I was quite surprised to find so many books printed on inkjet printers. My impression was that those types of books were made using traditional hand printing methods like etching, woodcuts, silkscreening, etc. I only found one table with gocco printed stuff: postcards.

So overall the exhibit made me respect my inkjet printer a little more and I hope to put it to some good use soon. The last time I made a book on an inkjet was in college.




These bookplates were inspired by a little handwritten inscription in a children's book I have. When I find the camera I'll post a picture. There are six diffrent designs, and yes, all the bookplates are in my shop.

Thank you all for reading my blog even with my decrease in posting...December is going to be a big month with some fun local shows. I can't believe we're so close to the end of the year!

open studio sunday.

On Sunday Sean is hosting an Open Studio at our Mount Rainier space. Details, map and directions have been posted here. I'll be at a wedding so Sean will be hosting this alone, please come by!

Here is some of my latest work in progress:



Last Thursday the Art Monday crew got together again to make live artwork as the bands played. Yes, we were part of the entertainment. It was quite interesting to find that we had a crowd watching as we worked.




If you're going to Handmade Arcade in Pittsburg tomorrow, Woolarina will have some of my notebooks and three blind mice for sale at her table. Other Craft Mutineers will be there so check out their stuff too!

My online shop will be down this weekend as the whole etsy upgrade takes place, but it will be back up and runing again on Monday.

Have a great weekend, everybody! The weather was gorgeous in DC today, hope its as nice everywhere else too!

Mutineer.

Tomorrow night at Cheif Ike's in Adams Morgan the Art Monday crew will be doing collaborative artwork on stage (well, maybe off to the side) while the bands play. For this event, our name will be The Calavera Collective. Above is the awesome flyer that Kirk designed.

Speaking of mutiny, have I mentioned that I'm the newest member of Craft Mutiny? I haven't? Oops. Go check it out!

Happy Halloween!

I carved a pumpkin last weekend but its already rotten, so this pic of my Tonka Mighty Backhoe with two yet-to-be-scrabble-named works will have to do for today.

The art opening tonight at City Hall was quite fun. Sean's two pieces are right on the main floor, beside a piece by Margaret Boozer. It all looked great. Bravo to all the participating artists, DCCAH, and Sondra Arkin.

Alright, I'm off to watch a zombie movie.

I like Baltimore.

Last weekend Sean and I went back to Baltimore. We were 2 of the 70,000 people that made it out to watch our crazy friends launch a giant beehive into the harbour at Flugtag. Fun!

Next stop was Fells Point for some of the best pizza. We decided to walk around and check out the shops and found a Canadian ship parked in the harbour: the HMCS Toronto, a frigate, which is now my new favorite word.





On Sunday we took a little walk through the National Arboretum. This photo was taken in the Asian Garden on the way down to the Anacostia river. Sean posted a great picture of the Anacostia here



Oh, and last night we went to the 930 club to see the Decemberists. I love them. We had an awesome time. The couple we stood next to came up from North Carolina to see the show, and they're going to see them tonight as well. I wanted to do that too, hee.

Tomorrow night there is going to be a huge Art Opening and Halloween party at City Hall, and everyone is invited! If you live in the area, please come! The city bought artwork including two of Sean's sculptures. Check out the details here. Yay, Halloween!

silent action.

Knit IX detail. mixed media. 14" x 11"

I recently donated this piece to the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop Arts Ball & Silent Auction which is set to take place on November 3nd.



Thank you Pixie Purls for featuring my knit paintings in your latest podcast! Yes, some of my knit paintings are still available for sale in my shop.




Here are some photos I took from the roof of my house! It was scary climbing up there and but also very cool to be able to look out and see the capitol building, washington monument, and just all the crazy rooftops. I got to see the turrets and parapets up close, and now I get to use both of those awesome words in a sentence.

stickers.

So, the original plan was to make some 1" buttons from my illustrations, but then I couldn't decide on a few to go with. So instead, I printed up 12 as 1" round stickers! The images show all 12 in my favorite big, lined note/sketch/idea book.



Yes, I added them to the shop. Thank you to everyone who has bought stuff from there! And thank you USPS for shipping it all so fast! I would still like to have buttons made some day, and the 1" size is so appealing to me cause they're so darn tiny and cute.



What have I been up to? Last weekend I went to Art on the Avenue and had the fun of experiencing a street festival without the worries of being an exhibitor. The best part was that I got to see awesome vendors I already knew, and meet a few new ones too!

Also, I finally made it over to the Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. Fun! I especially loved their gift shop. If you just want to check out the shop, let them know at the front desk and you won't be charged the $12 admission. Then come check out some DC museums for free! hehe. My favorite artist at the museum was Gayleen Aiken. "She started painting as a child and never stopped." Ooh, looks like theres a whole little movie about her!

Oh, and in a week, some friends are set to do this. yikes! If you make it out to the Baltimore harbor next Saturday, cheer for the Beehive Bomber!

craftiest bastard of the week.

Thank you Craft: for featuring my gocco printed leaf notebooks and ornaments! The notebooks are for sale in my shop, and I plan to add the ornaments later this week.

Thank you Tina Seamonster for featuring one of my (now sold!) paintings on the awesome new Craft Mutiny blog!

Thank you Dan Vera (founder of menknit.net), Erin and Lolly for coming by my booth at Crafty Bastards and writing about me + my work!

...and finally, thank you City Paper for selecting me as "Craftiest Bastard of the Week"



yay!

my second festival.

...was super fun!



Here I am setting up in the early early early morning (pre-coffee):



The weatherman threatened rain but the weather turned out gorgeous. Sean helped me set up (thank you!) and then took these pictures of my space during the day:






It was amazing to be surrounded by so many talented artists & crafters all day long. Part of me wishes I had more time to discover the booths, and watch the breakdancers, but it was great to have had such a busy day. I did manage to talk to some of my favorite vendors there: Debbie of 60 Bugs, Joy of Charming Vices, Paula of Woolarina, Tina of i like seamonters, Heidi of My Paper Crane, Kristina Bilonick (yes, one of the old art monday collaborators!), and Jenny of 8th Street Soap Kitchen.I even got to meet knitting bloggers Lolly and Jenna...and a ton of other people! It was all amazing.

Thank you everyone who came by, said hi, stayed to chat, and bought my stuff! I really love meeting new people, and its so exciting to hear comments like "I've seen this before"...and then I'm asked, "were you on ....'s site?" yay!

The Crafty Bastards crew [Liz, Kim, Sara and Karen] were the awesomest hosts ever. Unloading was painless, setting up was super easy, and they kept us updated on every detail you could imagine. wow. thank you!

I plan to update my shop [shoofly.etsy.com] with more items in the next few days. Please stop by again soon to check it out!