Taken by the Hand is turns 1 today!

Birthday cupcake watercolor

One year ago today Taken by the Hand was born! Conceived out of the desire to motivate myself to get back to my roots in fine arts and crafts, I'm happy to say that it's been more successful that I'd hoped.  It's also given me the chance to share what I've been working on, whether it be a quick sketch,  a 3 month long woodblock print, or a seasonal decorating project.  Putting yourself out there can be a little scary no matter how many times you do it, so I thank you, my readers, for all your support.  Look at me, pouring my heart out.  Check back often as I make my way through the list of projects I have in my head, and remember to create, always, in whatever way you choose!

Einstein won the Nobel Prize...

...but not for his theory of relativity!  It was in fact his discovery of the photoelectric effect that won him the award.  This information is a great pickup line for a guy OR a girl and may be useful one day during bar trivia.

This sketch of Einy is actually the front of my bf's valentine's day card.  We are sometimes dorky-cute like that, but not in an annoying, Zoey Deschanel kind of way. 

My thoughts exactly

 

Poster available via Studio on Fire.

It must be Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is less than a week away, so there's still time left to make a homemade card or order those pajama-grams that NPR is always advertising (that wouldn't be a good present for me).  I used to be a real V-day hater, but I've come to see it as just a fun, harmless holiday that doesn't have to be taken all that seriously.  So this year I've gone the "cute" route and made a watercolor card and a glittery bookmark.

A card

A glittery bookmark

Read on for more details.

Display inspiration: Welcome back color

We're on the cusp of February and with only one snowfall so far in New York, you'd almost forget it's winter. But in spite of the unseasonably warm weather, there are early sunsets, leafless trees, and muted landscapes to remind us that winter is still here. For the past few months stores have been filled with drab grays and blacks, save for the occasional sparkly New Year's outfit, now on clearance. While I normally cringe at how early stores set up for the next season (you know, like back to school in July), I welcome the winter to spring transition if for no other reason than this: color comes back.  

And while I'm still waiting for the color of the landscape to catch up to the retail industry, the bright and whimsical window displays of Free People SoHo stood out against the gray backdrop.

The coldness of the geometric wire shapes contrasts with the softness of fake flower petals and puff balls but together have an organic feel. The shapes hang above like a canopy and cover the walls like vines reminding us that life spring up again soon.  

While some of these might be hard to recreate (I noticed some welded corners), you can certainly draw inspiration for wall displays or hanging mobiles! I especially like the idea of wrapping your exposed cords in colorful cloth and string.  

More from pics the SoHo store, plus other locations are available on FP's blog.

Chunky Infinity Scarf

I came across this crochet pattern on People Webs just before the holidays and immediately fell in love.  I've made three of them so far (and finally didn't have any mistakes on the third) and given two away as gifts.  This latest was a birthday present for my boyfriend's mom.  They are so warm and cozy, perfect for when you're too cheap to turn the heat up! And because it's so chunky it goes pretty quick; this one took one and a half football games.

The original pattern is here and there are many other pretty things on the site and at the Etsy shop, so check them out while you're there.  For my version, I used Patons Classic Wool in burgundy and a US M hook.

The pattern is much simpler than it looks,
even for this beginner.

Monet vs Monet

Since watching Midnight in Paris last week, I've been pretty into all things French.  So just for fun I did this sketch of Claude Monet, based on his wikipedia photo.  In the end, I wound up with 2 sketches after spending too much time on a warmup sketch (left).

Double the beard!

It's been almost a year since I was in Paris and despite being pick-pocketed by thieving Gypsy children, I would love to go back for an extended stay!