I Just Might Explode

do. week thirteen.

It's been over a month since my last 'do' project, but ah well. I was pretty proud of myself for actually getting this project done last Saturday. Next week's probably won't be done until Tuesday night. ;)

do. week thirteen.

Attend the CC Marketplace

Every Saturday from May-October in downtown Boise there is a market. Capital City Public Marketplace. (Ah! Andrea! We should get a booth next summer. Wouldn't that be fun?!) It's a fun environment with live music, fresh produce, and local artists. I went last summer with Brenna and I asked Matt if he wanted to go with me this time.

At first, I was feeling sort of awkward about taking pictures. And then I thought "what's the worse thing that could happen?". Someone asking me to stop? No big deal. It was crazy busy when we got there, but it was fun nonetheless.

Photos of the market:

I even dragged Matt into Anthropologie and Urban! (Actually he's a really good sport about stuff like that. The only guy I've known to be like that. Haha.)

We went into Luxe Vintage, but I didn't find anything I loved. Matt asked if I had ever been into Atomic Treasures because he thought I would love it. I hadn't! And I did love it. They had so many pretty things in there, but I only bought some vintage wrapping paper.

I love that I did little no to editing on those photos. Having a camera + lens that works so well in low-light is a dream.

<3

do. week twelve.

(frame from kitschy digitals. actions by hayley)

Ah, here it is!

do. week twelve.

Finish Travel Journal

I flew to the Salem/Portland area last October to visit my sister for a few days when she was going to a school in Salem. My parents picked me up there and we drove to Seattle to visit Cornish. Days before I put together a travel journal much inspired by a class Kim Smith ran awhile back called 'Going to a Happening'. As everything Kim does, this class was awesome! 

I put together the journal with Mandi's rockin' kit that I was too intimidated to use. I had several pages completed, but never finished the journal while I was still traveling. For the last 8 months the unfinished minibook has sat in my scrapbooking bins. I thought about throwing the pages out and using the book for something. Finally, I decided to finish editing the few photos I took from the trip.

I have major problems with editing the photos and I take. I forget to upload them or print them. So in effect I have thousands of photos sitting on my hard drive unorganized and unedited. I know I could be freeing and decide not to edit everything, but those against my moral code or something and I can't let myself do it.

I'm glad I finally edited these though. Does anybody have a system to editing, saving, and backing up their photos that they'd like to share?

I had some of the journalling done from when I was on the trip and then added a personal touch with random tweets and a blog post I wrote while on the road. I know there is some gripe and dorkiness associated with Twitter, but from a minibook viewpoint it added a cool element. ;) I used this application to access older tweets, so I didn't have to spend hours clicking on 'more' to get all the way back to October. 

Here are a few pages from the kit. You could see the entire mini on TwoPeas.

Be back tonight with a cool giveaway. And then tomorrow, details about the class! :)

do. week eleven.

Ah, yes. One, two days late? Struggling to get back into a routine...  After being so funky and lazy and emo for months... Yeah. But, slowly but surely... Here's my latest 'do' project! :)

Do. Week 11.

Say Thank You To Teachers

This one is partially inspired by Haley's adventure from months ago(thanks Haley!) and I finally finished it all up about two hours ago!

I am so ready to say goodbye to high school for forever, but there are a few things I'm definitely going to miss. Eating lunch with friends, skipping class and going on adventures, and, most assuredly, my teachers. I have been really blessed with some awesome instructors that became my confidantes and biggest encouragers. Being a high school teacher is a thankless job and these people are paid far too little for what they do. I've had some great high school teachers, but decided to narrow it down to two.

Here is what I made them!

I have been so blessed with an amazing photography teacher. She was always hard on my work, but taught me the great lesson of "just because you have an emotional attachment to it, does not make it your best work". She forced me to be ruthless with technical perfection(that I need to focus on more, I'm so lazy!) and critical of compositions. I made her a mix CD and handwrote a letter.

The embroidered camera is from a Kitschy Digitals pattern and the fabric is Heather Ross. My stiching is very.. quirky. But that makes it charming, right?

My next gift was for my Junior year English teacher. Mr. K is a young, nerdy, and spunky English teacher o' Awesomeness. It's so cliche to say, but he is the reason I love English. I was a Co-Director for the Writing Center at my school this last year and Mr. K was in charge of it. I'm really glad I got to work with him again this year. His encouragement, humor, and personality is something I am going to miss so much...

He, of course, loves books and has the best taste in music.  So I chose some lyrics from this Smiths song and tried to make the manliest collage I could. Ha!

The whale is from Moby Dick and the upside green frownie face is for the Great Gatsby. He'll love it. 

I'm off to go deliver them. As always, thanks for reading! :)

<3

do. week ten.

It's do. week 10! It's also VLOG time. Watch the video to watch me "explain" what I did.

Please excuse the abuse of the word "like". I did not realize this was a problem in my life until I made this. Support group, like, anyone?

Untitled from Kara on Vimeo.

Also. Some pics of the finished product-

Bye!

do. week nine.

Let's all pretend it has not been a whole month since I posted a 'do' project and that I did a whole lot of things in April, okay? Cool.

Do. Week 9.

Fix My Bag/Purse

I've been wanting a new 'hippie' bag for awhile now. I haven't had much luck in finding the perfect one(eclectic fabric, handmaid, long straps, boxy style). Back when I was a Freshman(when I was young, impressionable, and so innocent!), I nannied for a family when they went to Hawaii. Meaning I went to Hawaii with them. And it was amazing. And I'm pretty sure I would shave my head to go Hawaii again. Anyhow. I bought this Roxy bag when I was there. I used it for years. Then the strap thing started shreading and I got the idea to re-do it. And viola! New purse.

From this....

 

To this...

 
I ripped off the Roxy label(bleh!). Added some french knots, stitched on a doily, and a plastic dinosaur.

I sewed together some leftover Heather Ross Fabric and then attached the pieces with some buttons Michelle sent me awhile back.

Yay!

What are you doing this week?

do. week six.

Oh, dear. I am so far behind on the 'do projects'.

I'm hoping to post the 'do' projects on Monday now that my life isn't nearly as busy as it used to be. So, here's a belated one from yesterday. I've even been working on next week's project today. GO me!

Do. Week Six.

Watch Man on Wire

My best friend Stephanie and I have been talking about watching this documentary for months now.  We've had a hard time finding it anywhere local and then finally had the chance last Saturday when we talked our friend Josh into getting it from his streaming Netflix.

Josh's little sister and her friends refer to Josh as "The Player". Though he did complain about watching it some, he really shouldn't have. What boy should complain about three girls on his couch? I definitely wouldn't complain about three boys on MY couch. ;)

As IMDB puts it, Man on Wire is - A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century."

This crap is crazy, people. His passion is so evident in the way he describes this story. It's definitely a must see.

A quote from it that I loved- "Life is to be lived on the edge, see everyday as a true challenge and then you live your life on the tight rope".

Tomorrow is thrifting and working on the blog re-design. Today I went with my friend to get her noise pierced(is it my 18th birthday yet?), dyed my hair some intense red, art journalled, babysat, and worked on the 'do' project. Not a half bad day.

Oh. If you have an idea for a 'do' project that you'd like to do with me, email me! I really loved doing stuff with other people. Makes it more fun! I'm open to anything. Something artsy, a book, adventure, whatever! :)

Kara

do. week four.

Hello and good day! Spent the day at the Boise Art Museum and then to Indian food with Andrew, Josh, and Steph. They have never had Indian food before so I was excited to introduce. And there's lot's of silly pictures, yes. Anyhow.

Week Four:

Do a collaboration with Kim.

Kim and I have been talking for awhile about doing some type of collaboration.

Kim is wonderful.

She is a great combination of artsy and thoughtful.

So, for the next two weeks we'll be sharing diptychs of little pieces of art we make. Pictures, drawings, doodles, whatever. We have a word every other day. Day One is 'Yearn'.

<3

kara

do. week three.

This post has been in Draft mode since yesterday and I'm making myself finish it tonight though I need to be reading or sleeping. Amy told me I've been MIA and I need to fix that. As Amy says, I shall do.

Do. Week Three.

Attend a First Thursday. 

Very happy to get another one of these checked off my list. First Thursday is a monthly event in downtown Boise where the galleries and shops stay open extra late(because apparently Idaho goes to bed at 7:00). And art is cool and there is free food. FREE FOOD.

My dear love Stephanie and I bundled up in the cold, hit up about 6 galleries,  settled down at a cute coffee shop and listened to some super lovely live music. Unfortunately I was charging my camera battery before our date and when we got there I realized my battery was still in the charger. At home. So, some lovely camera phone pictures. 

 

COFFEE.

I adore her.

 

Any place with Christmas lights are my fav.

My favorite show/gallery was at the Basement Gallery, called 'Noise in the Basement' featuring some fantastic pieces.

The conversation between Steph and I when we were there-

"Man, I love creepy art."-K

"You would."- S

and

"My children are going to be so messed up when I'm constantly encouraging them to paint creepy things."- K

Some awesome pieces from Eric Ruiz-

And some great gig posters from Ben Wilson(I can't find any of my favorites from the show online).

One he did with Mr. Eric Ruiz-

(Buy here)

(and here)

Steph and I took the long way home. Ingrid Michaelson, Matt Costa, and Train.

 
 

Oh, yay! I have been really enjoying this project so far. I can't wait for February to be over and I'll have time to do them more. By the way, the next two 'do' weeks are awesome. Let's just say some cool people are involved, ;)

Other things I'm excited about-

Smallish Etsy update and giveaways next Sunday/Monday

New class up next May or June

More blogging

ART.

<3 you!

do. week two.

Technically it's not Saturday anymore, but the day ran away with me.

Week Two: Write Letters 

This is something that's been on my to-do list forever and I'm glad I finally did it. 

One letter to a boy whom I have not wanted to write at all. I stayed up way past my bedtime to write it. I'm really glad I did though. It was a good letter. Funny, very me, and honest. Really honest.

Another letter to this beautiful girl. She has been bugging me since Christmas break to write her a letter. I happened upon this website earlier this week and then Hayley happened to blog about it too. So, I wrote Sara a letter about what I see when I see her. I hope she loves it. 

And then two letters+mix CDs to two awesome girls far away at college. They both appreciate some good music and I thought it would brighten their very Oregon Winter right now.

Included below are the the CDs I sent to my lovely friend Michelle. Not all the songs are included because the website does not have them all. I hope you enjoy them too!

And a quick look at the paper sleeve I made for the mixes, with a Kitschy cupcake. 

Happy weekend!

do. week one.

Finally.

A 'do' post that didn't happen last week, but I did it!

Week One: Use a disposable camera 

I've been saying for months that I wanted to use another disposable camera. My film camera decided to be stupid and I've been itching to play again with film. I used a Fujifilm brand and had them developed at the grocery store. 

Disposable cameras are awesome. Here are a few favorites from this awesome Flickr group.

Here are a couple that explain my love.

(from here)

(and here )

These are the ones I took. If you want to see more, this specific roll is in this set and more of my disposable photos are here. 

This week's do project will be posted tomorrow. It's the WEEKEND.