Crystal's Crafty Creations: Paper Globe & Our Winner

I have a bookmark folder full of crafts ideas that I am hoping to do at some point in time. The truth is I almost never get to them. But I think about them pretty frequently. I had a bad week, I am feeling defeated by all the waiting on work permits, stupid logistics, and well lets face it I hate sitting around. So today I decided that I would do something for myself.

I visited my Aunt in Venice when I was in grad school and purchased some lovely marbled paper there. I have a paper obsession. I've been dreaming about what to do with this glorious stuff since the day I bought it, but nothing seemed right. Then I stumbled upon the perfect craft tutorial on Photojojo (love them!) I saved it in my bookmarks after Christmas but today was the day it became a reality!

I'd like to say that I know that some people have a few pre-conceived notions about crafting. They attribute it to grandmas and cat ladies. I do to, sorta (as my Granny was a serious crafter...her quilts, crochet, embroidery is to DIE for.) I totally fly the crafty flag! In fact, I always say that my idea of perfection would be me sitting at home making things for my etsy shop (this may be my time friends).

Anyhoo....here are some photos from the sphere I made from my luxurious venetian paper, I can't wait to locate some fishing wire and hang it up. Did I mention it's gorgeous from every angle? I need to do more crafts they make me happy!

Now drum roll please! Time to announce the winner for the CSN drawing. I had Dom do the honors of drawing from the names of everyone who entered! Congrats to Dee, you will be receiving an email regarding the gift card at the email address you gave me!  I loved seeing your glorious picks, my readers have rocking, good taste!

A Giveaway!

Hello friends,

I was going to skip out on the blog today as I've already posted two blogs this week! However, I'm super excited because CSN stores contacted me about hosting this fabulous giveaway today and I had to do it.What's good for my readers is good for me right? Getting their email made me feel like I'm really operating in the blogosphere, and I thought only my mom read my blog. Heehee!

Do you guys know CSN? Love them!  CSN sells everything from swing sets, to shoes (don't ask me how I know), to cookware! We recently purchased this fabulous looking t.v. console from them (we haven't put it together yet as we need to have some furniture removed from our house prior to fitting it in the living room).  And that was pre-giveaway therefore I have no bias! CSN has over 200 stores and I'm betting you can find pretty much anything you want, if not hire me as your personal shopper and I promise to deliver!

Are you having the post holiday, "I really shouldn't blues?" Well refrain no longer because for one lucky commenter on this post I will send you a $25 gift certificate (emailed) to use at any of CSN's 200 online stores, on anything your little heart desires! This covers everything but shipping.

Leave me a comment about what fabulous CSN jewel you have your heart set on and why! 






The FINE PRINT:

1) Only open to US and Canadian peeps. (Sorry! I don't make the rules, I only enforce them.)
2) Leave your comment by Tuesday, January 25th by 12:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

That's it! Easy peasy, right? Good luck!

Making Zambia Home: Part 2

Well today I took some more photos of our work in progress! I decided I should wait until the house keeper came to take photos since the kitchen was a wreck! Once Patricia worked her magic, I busted out the tripod and took some more photos. I still did not get to the whole house, but here's part two of the Zambian digs.

I love the green we chose for the living room! I knew exactly what color family I wanted prior to heading to the paint store. I learned a vital lesson in paint choosing while I was there. Right before they were about to mix up the green paint, the painter told me that he had calculated the cost wrong. He told me that the shade of green I had chosen was going to be over a hundred dollars just for the green pigment alone. What the heck? Apparently some greens are greener than others. I opted out of the pricey paint for literally the shade right next to it which was normal price. I'd like to think I have a special talent for always finding the most expensive item in the store, case in point. That my friends is champagne taste on a beer budget!

So some of my favorite items in this room are below...I always say it's the little details that count. I'm on the hunt for a gorgeous, colorful, Zambia piece for the mantel piece. Meanwhile, you guys can dream with me!

These two lovely pieces were done by the oh so talented, Stephanie Thorton of Abracadabra Glass in Abilene, TX. Stephanie did several shows at the gallery I worked at in college, and whenever I'm in Abilene, I always stop by her shop. We purchased both of these pieces this summer, and I was lucky Dom didn't fill up the entire car. The disc is his favorite! 

Speaking of glass, I've long been a fan of this fantastic medium! There is a little glass blowing shop in the glass museum at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV. The top piece came from that shop, and we got to watch the glass blower make it. It is a frequent stop on my visits to my grandfather. The piece below came from the glass gift shop which is located above the museum, it is filled with treasures from the beaches of Haiti.

 

I have a new obsession with throw pillows, specifically throw pillows from Etsy. How fantastically, amazing are these guys? The two jungle themed pillows came from Carlos Santiago's spectacular shop, this man knows his pillows!  The darling, little snoozing dog came from RobinandMould in the UK. 

Moving on, one of the best functional spaces in our house is the kitchen. It is by far the largest kitchen I've ever had, and quite a change from Dom and I bumping into each other ever two seconds. It had so many lovely, existing neutrals so I thought it could handle a bold pop of color. Boy did it ever!

I get so much pleasure from all the little details! Dominic purchased this key rack for me this christmas (from Etsy...where else?). And I love these vintage-esque flour and sugar holders. They have been living in my storage unit virtually since I bought them. It makes me happy to see them out in all their glory.

Did I mention that we might of splurged on a couple of high end appliances prior to our arrival? Oh be still my heart...never mind that's just all the pastries and caffeine!

 

Just for fun, I thought you might want to see how the other half lives. You remember the pre-apocalyptic shopping excursion I did prior to my departure from the states, where it looked like I was outfitting a bomb shelter? All those goodies have to fit in this house too. Luckily, I have a pretty big pantry, and a guest closet. 

Making Zambia Home: Part 1

As promised, I am posting photos of our new home in Zambia. It will probably be a two part post. We had an incredibly productive weekend, we got the house painted, and started putting the final touches around our house. This is the first time in years that I have had all of my art work in one place and it makes my heart happy to begin crafting a home so to speak!

My favorite room so far, just might be my office. This is probably because I have never really had a real office in my home before. Besides the fact that I bought a whole load of new toys that I am just beginning to utilize to their fullest! Usually I stick a desk in a bedroom and call it good. But this is truly a creative space and it feels very put together, and I LOVE the art in here. Kudos to my talented friend Jonathon Kimbrell for the lovely Marilyns, and my mentor Timothy O. Sutherland for the lovely photo. You guys make my space!

Here is our dining room, which is just gorgeous! I love the combination of grey/tan wall (Soap Bubble according to the paint store) with the rich furniture. It feels modern, but young to me. Once again the art in this space makes me so happy! The large painting of wings was done by my friend Leighanne Meador, post Hurricane Katrina. I don't think it's ever had such a wonderful show case spot! The far wall is my Haiti wall, there is a  mirror was crafted by Haitians from oil drums (which isn't pictured) and two small paintings were done by Leroy Exil who Dom and I had the pleasure of meeting in person while living in Haiti.

Dom and I have slowly been working on the outside of our house as well, and our biggest accomplishment so far is the gorgeous rose/herb garden we look out onto from our patio. It is a little slice of heaven to have your morning cup of coffee and feast your eyes!

Here's a little shout out for the ladies of T.I.P., check out the glass on my patio door.Yes those are teeny, tiny sailboats.

More from the home base soon!

RARA carries on!

Today while reading my friend Kevin's blog, I learned that the business, RARA, that she nurtured from the ground up in Haiti, and sold shortly before the earthquake is alive and well in Haiti. I can't tell you what hope that gave me. Many of you recieved RARA as Christmas gifts, the year before last. I was an avid support of RARA and all it stood for in Haiti.

In Haiti, RARA bands often roam the street in times of celebration, utilizing found materials to make a variety of instruments. Kevin used this concept of using found materials to create bags from trash, and jobs for needy women in Haiti.  Purchasing RARA  bags promotes sustainable projects and artists in need in Haiti.

Kevin also shared a link to own of her U.S. RARA importers, Tesoros Trading Company, who is selling RARA bags and now promoting a new program to help local artisans in Haiti called Hearts for Haiti.

I truly believe that art in Haiti is one of the things that could revitalize the Haitian economy. The vibrancy of their art in every form still astounds me. Support Haiti and the creatives that pour themselves into art every day.

Buy a heart for Haiti, and generate a donation to the HAND/EYE Fund's artisan grants program supporting Haiti artisans in their struggle to rebuild their lives and businesses in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake.

Hand-carved river stone hearts from the village of Cormier, located in a rural zone just east of Port au Prince, represent the best link between Haitian artisans and the distant markets they must reach to earn a living. HAND/EYE Fund, through its Austin, Texas importing partner, Tesoros Trading Co., offers employment to the carvers by buying the hearts from them. The proceeds from sales of the hearts go to the HAND/EYE Fund's artisan grants program in Haiti - which offers small cash grants to artists and artisans who need to rebuild houses and workshops, replenish tools and raw materials, and gain access to design input from the markets in which they are trying to sell. 

The HAND/EYE Fund supports skilled artisans in their struggle to earn decent livelihoods through preservation of ancient traditions, innovation of new ones, exploration of new markets, and educating the consuming public about the cultural and economic importance of their work.

The Fruits of Our Labor

New Years at Kanyemba: Part 3

 Our third and final day at Kayemba, found me up at 5:00 a.m. for the second morning in a row. The sunrise was even more gorgeous than the day before for oranges and pinks flooding the sky. It was the perfect ending to fabulous weekend.

Around six, Dom and I joined a group of people to take a canoe ride down the river. I was nervous about the boat tipping over so the camera didn't come along. We didn't see as much wildlife as we did the morning before, but floating down the river in the peaceful quiet of the morning was spectacular. You can also hear all the animal sounds which is more difficult with the speed boat. I think Kanyemba will definitely be a stopping point in a future!

New Years at Kanyemba Lodge: Part 2

 For a photographer, few times are better than the quiet sunrise, when it's just you, your camera, and the awakening world. This year at 5:15 a.m. on New Years Day, I was standing on a wooden deck overlooking the Zambezi River contemplating the last year.  I believe that moments of beauty often bring healing to my heart. And watching the sun crest over the horizon I felt at peace with life. 

 Seeing as I was already up, I dragged Dom out on another speed boat adventure so I could take advantage of the fantastic light that was swirling around in the New Year. We took off to see what other wild animals we could find. 

 The purple billed heron is a massive, beautiful bird. You can see more photos of this one and the weekend here at my professional blog.

The crocs were out in full force, I was happy to shoot them with a long lens and keep my distance. I learned that this one was female, the ones that are brighter in coloring female, the darker ones are male.

My favorite shot of a large hippo harem! 

It was an amazing morning! We stumbled upon a bachelor herd of elephants. Bachelor herds are all young males and usually one older male who is responsible for herd and for teaching the young bucks the ways of life. They were playing in the water when we arrived. What is about elephants that is so awe inspiring? They are the most majestic creatures, and it always seems to me that they are regarding me in the most human-like fashion.

I wish I could explain the glory of the trees in Zambia, some are over a 100 years old and they are gorgeous. This one is a sausage tree (See the sausage-like bean bods in the leaves?)

Here is a male crocodile, who wasn't too keen on showing us his face, which suited me just fine. 

We spent most of the rest of the day by the pool, enjoying the company of our friends, and the glory of complete relaxation. But I couldn't resist snapping a photo of a creepy, crawly friend in our bathroom in our room. Does anyone know it's name? It looks like a walking stick, but was such an intriguing little critter.

 I finished off New Years day like I started it by documenting the sunset of one of the most perfect days of my life.  Welcome 2011! May you bring many adventures my way!!

 © Crystaline Randazzo Photography - All images are copyright of Crystaline Randazzo and in no way are to be used by Google, Google Advertisers or any third party. These are not your pictures. Steal them and I will sue you.