Beadwork bonanza

When I came across Chris Maj's work on etsy, I at first, said "oooh." And then I said, "whoa." Why? I saw this:

And this:

And this:

And they are made out of beads, by hand, each bead threaded and woven together. Suddenly, I felt a kinship with all those people who look at my quilts and say, "You did all this? Wow, you've been busy. How long did it take you?" When underneath those questions is the unspoken elephant in the room:

How do you have the patience to do this?

The short answer is, we find it fun. Read Chris' long answer in my profile of her in Go Triad. And don't worry about how she does it, just appreciate the artistry, feel the connection to this art form that has been around since antiquity, and get your "oohs" and "aahs" ready.

Required reading added to the list

There is a good chance that you have not seen Charleston Art Magazine. It's petite with a petite distribution, but this quarterly, and the ladies who put it together, know what's going on. And I mean, know. Go to any hip event, and there's a good chance that Stacy or Olivia will be there. And will know much more about it than you (well, maybe not you, but me).

Still, they are not just about the events. They recently started a blog for the magazine, and it's filled with good info., calls for artists and a really great resource list of "artsy" things to get you plugged in fast. I'm honored that "From My Little Desk" is part of their blog roll too!

Add it to your blog reading list, all you art fans out there -- it's a great resource for the region.

Saturday Shopping Excuse

I used to say that I don't love shopping, but in the past few years, my giddiness on occasion while shopping has proven this false. So I am here to amend my statement. It's not that I don't like shopping, I don't like buying. In the past, it's been money woes, but lately, I've become more discriminating, budgeting out things such as "fill-in" clothes (it works ok, and it's on sale!), anything at Wal-Mart and shoes that hurt. (In case you're wondering, that does not mean no high heels. It means no cheap high heels.)

My buying success has gone way up, which means I buy something when I love it, know I can get a lot of use for it, and when it is a fair price. So me and my little change purse are off to the Lowcountry Artist Market tomorrow morning at the Music Farm.

Local vendors, variety, high-quality and just loads of cool stuff fill this market every time, and after writing a cover story about the market's growth and impact for yesterday's Charleston Scene, I am even more excited about tomorrow's activity. I personally shop for vintage goodies (that fit, are not falling apart, and flattering) and jewelry, but more than that, I'm always inspired by the vendors themselves and the creativity they illustrate.

Local Lowcountry Love

I know it's been a while, but I have been busily writing from my little desk, so much so that I've not had time to write about writing -- or the interesting things I get to write about.

Time to remedy that.

Almost a month ago, I covered the Second Lowcountry Artists Market for Charleston Scene. It's really a great idea, using the resource of Etsy, the daytime empty space of the Music Farm, and Charleston's passion for buying local to bring together great artists and crafters.

This particular Saturday was also special for one vendor in particular. Neve Inspired Clothing officially launched their line of handmade children's clothing, and their booth was instantly one of the most popular at the show. It was a family affair, with Bob and Kris manning the booth while new baby Shep slept through the whole thing!

Their ability and artistry comes together to create fun, funky clothes for the cool kids in your life. And for you if you see something you love and ask *very* nicely. :)