Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

by Jen Parrish of Parrish Relics

(Renzo Piano designed extention ~ photograph by Nic Lehoux)

I recently visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, one of my favorite places for Art and dreaming in Boston. I was a bit nervous about seeing the new wing for the first time, not being a big fan of modern Architecture and having very mixed feelings about changing a place so close to my heart. I loved it just the way it was, and wondered if Isabella would feel the same.

I went during the Gardner After Hours experience in February, and was happily surprised that the new wing didn't detract too much from the magic of the old space. A new glass corridor lined with trees outside that got closer together as you get nearer the entrance of the Palace cloister made the transition an interesting one.

Drinking Bellini cocktails and enjoying live music flowing from the courtyard makes you feel magically transported to Venice for an evening. The tapestry room was restored beautifully, many pieces that were obscured by the stage are now in full view and made it well worth the trip. Will go soon again during the daytime to explore the new building further, but it was wonderful to revisit this Boston treasure that I had missed so much while under construction.

Create: The Art and Craft of Boston Handmade

It's time for the first Boston Handmade show of the year! Eight of our members are exhibiting this month in Create: The Art and Craft of Boston Handmade to celebrate March being National Craft Month. The exhibit is on view at ArcWorks Community Art Center in Peabody from March 15 until May 6. The opening reception is Thursday, March 15 from 6-8pm and we would absolutely love to have you there as our guest.

Clockwise from top left: Arthur Halvorsen, Jessica Burko, Allison Fraske, Kerry Hawkins

Our exhibiting artists are Kerrie Beck, Jessica Burko, Allison Fraske, Kerry Hawkins, Arthur Halvorsen, Karen Mahoney, Lynne Parrella, and Lucie Wicker. This is a great chance to see a variety of handmade arts and crafts being made in the Boston area, as well as an opportunity to discover a community art center. ArcWorks gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10am-4pm.

Clockwise from top left: Karen Mahoney, Lynne Parrella, Kerrie Beck, Lucie Wicker

Monday Mosaic: Bronze Tones

1. Violin 2 5x7 Photo Print , by Lucie Wicker Photography
2. Willow, 5x7 photograph , by Kerry Hawkins Photography
3. Peach Bird Tea Bag , by Arthur Halvorsen
4. 2 Ochre Mugs by City by the Sea Ceramics

Cute Lunchtime Creations

By Jennifer T. of MaJenta Designs

My friend got me the adorably cute book above, inspiring me to make creative and cute lunch bento box creations! Its so fun, so then I started to look around online too, and found this cute blog dedicated to bentos! Who knew that lunch time could be a place to extend your creative juices!

Here is yet another great blog that includes some instructions on making her creative bento creations too. So much fun, I cant wait to start making something cute!

Preliminary Product

By Evan of Evan Webster Ink

A lot of attention gets placed on the artist's final product. And rightfully so. But there's something to be said for thinking about and celebrating the process.

So here's a post devoted to the t-shirts that get no love. The scrap t-shirts. They've been used for perfecting alignment and testing colors. You won't see any of these on any runways in Paris but they are strangely interesting and powerful.

1. Lots of Boston:



2. Faint Tuxedo + Pink Burst:



3. Beauty and the Townies ... coming to a theatre near you in 2013.



4. Elephant Boat



5. CrossFit Farming ... the next craze?

Knitting For Baby - yours and mine

by Jessica Burko of Reclaimed To You

Woolen knit cap for age 9-18 months

With a three-month-old baby on my hip and a two-and-a-half year old toddler running around, I don't have a lot of knitting time in my day. But short time and found yarn make a great combination for small projects like baby and child sized hats. Making these tiny gems only takes a couple of hours (broken up into many short knitting sessions!) and a very small amount of yarn which is usually what I have available since I knit from found and reclaimed yarn - usually ends of other projects, or cast-offs from friends.

Cotton newborn hat

My kids have lots of handmade hats and they never leave the house without one - or two! These projects are so small that I can carry one in my bag and knit a few rows waiting on line at the bank, or in a doctors office, or even while nursing my baby girl. Reason #4692 I love knitting: It's low tech and portable. No batteries required :)

March Birthstone: Aquamarine

by Allison of Fraske Designs

Happy birthday to those of you born in March!

March's birthstone is Aquamarine. A beautiful blue gemstone, the name aquamarine is derived from the Latin word aqua, meaning water, and marina, meaning the sea. Aquamarine comes in many shades of blue, and this is based on the presence of iron. The deeper the blue, the higher the value. Aquamarine is a popular choice for fashion jewelry because its blue shades compliment nearly all skin tones.

Legend has it that aquamarine protects sailors and guarantees a safe voyage.

Here is some handmade aquamarine jewelry available on Etsy:

Rain Cloud Brooch by Nesrin Duggan

Aquamarine Earrings by RareEarth

Aquamarine Ring by MonBedo