Richela Fabian Morgan's Blog, page 12

25 Days 'til BEA: No Moms In The Dugout!

Today was spent watching my kids play ball from the bleachers. Some parents may complain about wasting their precious weekends on spectator duty for every little game, but I happen to enjoy it.

It was painful when they were really little and I often wondered--sometimes working my outer monologue rather than my inner one--on the necessity of organized sports at such a young age. There were other parents that regarded me as ignorant and I was shunned. "Don't talk to that one," I could hear someone say behind me, "she hates sports." While that was a gross exaggeration of how I felt,  I was fine to be left alone.

Over the last seven years, I have learned the rules and understand the lingo. I know what to say and when to say it. And most of all, I try not to embarrass my kids (much). I stay behind the gate, away from the players and coaches, and avoid getting emotionally invested in every little ball or strike.

26 Days 'til BEA: I Believe In Unicorns

Yesterday my grommet kit was returned to me. Hurray! So I was able to complete the first bag...or maybe not?

I think it looks nice, but am now considering some tassels for a closure. Which means that I'm not really done. Oh, no!

Someone stop me before I add too many details to this bag. Why is it so hard to say that I'm finished with a project? I know that I'm not the only one who does this, keep making "improvements" until the whole thing looks like crap. If someone out there can give me a mantra or trick to save me from myself, I would be forever grateful. Right now I'll have to sit on my hands...or maybe start another bag? My latest shipment of tape arrived so I have stacks of unopened duct tape sitting on my work table. I should be happy, but the call of tassel closures is almost too much to bare. I had to go for multiple walks today to clear my head.



I believe, Ella. I believe!

Unicorns. Ella. My new mantra.

27 Days 'til BEA: Of Things To Come

This morning there was a train delay and I found myself waiting with a mob of fellow commuters on the subway platform. The daily crossword puzzle had already been dealt with, so I decided to edit the camera roll on my iPhone. Any number above 100 seems (to me, at least) an absurd amount of photos to carry on one's cell phone, and mine had crept past the 300 mark. With an extra twenty minutes thrust upon me by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, it was the perfect time to perform a thankless task.


I came across this picture, sandwiched between a "selfie" with my kids and a movie of (according to my son Mack) "the worst snowball pitch known to fourth-grade kind." Back in January Mack and I were walking to school the morning after a bitterly cold night. The sidewalk was frozen and our feet cracked the ice beneath us, making radial patterns with every step. We stopped and snapped a shot of one of these patterns because they looked like sunflowers. The irony of the moment was not lost on us. Sunflowers in the wintertime?

When Mack left me on my designated corner (because I am not allowed to walk him all the way to the front of the school), he smiled at me and asked, "so how many days until summer?"

I responded, "Too many!" And he gave me a quick kiss before running off.

I forgot about this picture until now. I forgot about this blissful moment with my son, walking to school and talking about the future. These morning walks still happen, but they are fleeting. And it was nice to be reminded of a perfect one on a morning fraught with train delays and anxious commuters. On the subway platform, it all came rushing back and I found peace despite my surroundings.

28 Days 'til BEA: Did I Mention That I'm Getting My BFA??

I have a confession to make.

Every Friday I've been hauling my butt off to school. It's not that I need a college degree--I already have one. But in the twenty (yikes!) years since receiving my BA in history, I can honestly say that it has not given me an edge in my chosen career. So why not pursue another useless degree?

I'm currently learning about color theory. The compositions to the left are based on an Edward Hopper painting and I've tried to mix my paints to either match the original color or use an analagous scheme. Tomorrow I'll be mixing my paints again to re-interpret the same painting using another color scheme. So far I have learned that I love color but hate painting. (Next!)

Some may wonder why I've decided to go back to school. I consider this my mid-life crisis, but it's not entirely selfish. I can share this with my family. My kids love seeing me work in my studio and I show them every assignment I have to complete for class. And everything I've been doing helps me be creative in ways I've never been before, thus actually helping me in my chosen career. As a crafter I'm methodical and exact. As an art student, I may sketch and plan, but I experiment. I see where the process takes me and then repeat it to see if I can get the same results. It's actually making me a better crafter.

Which brings me to my duct tape bags. I finished the green bag (please ignore the mess in my studio):



I'll finish the first bag as soon as I receive my grommet kit back (I loaned it out a few months ago). Right now it's sitting on my shelf, looking pitiful. I'm tempted to throw a towel over it so I don't feel so guilty!

29 Days 'til BEA: So That's What Those Rings Are For!

Ever buy something that you knew would come in handy someday or was worth a lot more than the price tag?

Six years ago I bought a set of 3 inch brass rings. I found them in the dollar bin of a craft supply store and immediately bought them. I almost felt as if I was robbing the store, benefiting from the mistake of a careless stock person. Brass rings for a mere buck?? I was making out like a bandit!

But the joke was on me when I finally examined them at home. They were too small for bracelets, too heavy for earrings, and I couldn't figure out how to use them in any of the other crafts I did. So I tucked them away in my art bin, hoping that I one day I could solve the mystery of the brass rings.
Today while making my second bag, I had an "a-ha!" moment. I was looking online at photos of bags and saw the same type of rings on the handles. (Insert trumpet blare.) The rings were meant for making bags.

Yes, you would think that a bag-obsessed person such as myself would have immediately known what those rings were for. But I didn't. And now I wish that I gobbled up the rest of those brass rings six years ago. That dollar bin was overflowing with them.

I need a time machine!

30 Days 'til BEA: Obsessed With Bags

I'm in a frenzy at the moment. I have 30 days to prepare for an event that seemed unlikely a year ago: my demo at the Book Expo America! Some of you may be asking, "What is the Book Expo America?" It's an annual international book fair that is held in the US at the end of May/beginning of June. While there are other international book fairs (there are ones in London and Frankfurt, for example), the BEA is probably the most well-attended. The site of the BEA used to rotate among several major cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, but it has been held in New York City for the last ten years or so. Which makes sense since most publishing companies are based in NYC.

It's a bit surreal because I've attended this book fair many times as an employee of a publishing company. (Okay, many different publishing companies, but who's counting?) And now, instead of promoting other authors, I'm going to promote---ME! I'll be doing a duct tape crafting demo on Thursday, May 30th, at 2 PM. I'm asking all well-wishers to send me some positive vibes on the day of. And if you are attending the BEA, please come to my demo!

In addition to putting together materials for the duct tape crafting demo, I'm making a kick-ass bag that my publisher will raffle off during the BEA. It will be filled with goodies including a copy of my book TAPE IT & MAKE IT, several  rolls of duct tape, and crafting tools. Today I'm working with my all-time favorite tape to experiment with: a blue and white chevron print made by Platypus. I've made a pleated fabric and paired it with orange duct tape trim. The combination of these two colors/patterns is incredibly soothing to me and I've used it a number of times. I hope the bag turns out well, though I'm sure that it won't be the final one that I send in. I'll probably make at least three different bags before deciding which one looks best. Here is what I have so far:



I thinking of adding brass grommets to give it a little umph. Let's see what tomorrow brings...

Getting Crafty in Wellesley and Brockton, MA

For the past six months I've been busy promoting my book TAPE IT & MAKE IT. The experience has left me little time to write on my blog and I hope to get back on track this month. But before I switch gears, I wanted to share some photos of my recent visits to the towns of Wellesley and Brockton in Massachusetts.


The photo on the left was taken at the Wellesley Bookstore on March 27, and the little boy holding two perfectly crafted duct tape flowers is Esra. He, his sister Sasha, and his crafty dad were certainly the highlight of my visit--and that's saying a lot since over 40 kids (and their parents) came to craft with me. Allison and Kerri of the Wellesley Bookstore were incredibly generous with their time. And the two back to back sessions were successful! Thank you, ladies.




 

On March 29 I had the pleasure of visiting the Wellesley Free Library. Not only was the program full, there was a substantial number of boys. I usually do get a fair amount of boys at my events, but these guys were serious wallet makers. I soon discovered that there was a duct tape wallet trade in the local middle school. How awesome is that?? Thanks to the children's librarian Clara for inviting me. I had a wonderful time.


Cell phone holder and wallet by Livvy.


"Let's not call them purses, okay?" Raul and Brett with their pencil cases (below, left).
 

 


On March 30th I made my way to Brockton, MA and visited the Brockton Public Library. Thanks to Lucia and Tammy for inviting me.There were a few older kids that truly exhibited fine craftsmanship.






 

 A young lady named Claire decorated her wallet with the word "odd." I gave her a quizzical look. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, I'm odd." I smiled and replied, "Odd people are so much more interesting. I was odd when I was a kid, and I'm still odd. I make stuff out of duct tape!"
 


I also experienced a first: one of the participants made something for ME! A young man named Sam made me this pretty bracelet:



After presenting me with the bracelet, Sam asked me to sign a piece of scrap paper. Huh?

He gave a sheepish grin. "What if you get famous? I can sell it and make a lot of money!"

So this is what I wrote:
Dear Sam,
This is weird. :)
From,
Richela

I hope to be really famous one day so Sam can hit pay dirt.















I'm taking it easy this month, with one event on  April 20th at AI Friedman in Port Chester, NY. I'm going to kick back and maybe take naps or something to fill the void.  But come May, be on the look out for me. I have a lot of events lined up and can't wait to meet another Raul, Brett, Livvy, Claire, Sam, or Esra. See you later. xxoxR

My Kid Makes Me Laugh

You see this guy? This is my son's G.I. Joe action figure. Mack posed him in this ridiculous karate/yoga stance to get my attention. He carefully balanced stacks of UNO cards in Joe's (kung fu?) grip, stood back, and waited for me to come into the room. I was in my usual crazed morning state, trying to remember where I last saw my house keys and picking up dirty socks that clearly did not belong to me. And when I whirled in like the Tasmanian Devil there was Joe, threatening to whack me with fistfuls of UNO cards. I laughed so hard that tears collected in the corners of my eyes. Mack laughed with me, and we were reduced to two speechless/barely breathing hyenas rolling on the floor. Now that's the way I want to start my day.

Mack has an awesome sense of humor and I often wish he would try to draw cartoons, but he feels like he can't draw well. He sometimes will collaborate with a like-minded friend and come up with really interesting characters and concepts, like "Mr. Mustachio is a Maniac" and "Mama On The Moon." Sounds like something you want to read, right? But the collaboration usually ends with Mack feeling like his vision has been tampered with and he moves on to other things.

I recently found this scribbled onto a piece of scrap paper. While I think it relates to skills associated with basketball, I had a hard time with the "butt slapping." Is this a skill that all basketball players must master?? Again, I laughed at my son's sense of humor. Mack may feel like he can't draw well, but I love his pictures, especially when he's trying to illustrate an action.

I kept the paper because it makes me laugh. Since I'm alone during the day, I need a pick me up that doesn't involve alcohol. This depiction of butt slapping brings a smile to my face and immediately my mood lightens up.

Do your kids do funny things to make you laugh?

The Fecund Clown Still Stands

This photo was taken last August. A friend of mine told me that while
other buildings were damaged, The Fecund Clown still stands.
And through it all, The Fecund Clown still stands...
By now the world should know that Hurricane Sandy left so many beaches in the North East devastated. I've seen pictures and heard stories on Facebook from friends and family. And despite not having power for six days, I will never complain about the experience of doing without. My life is back to "normal" while so many are dealing with losses so great that I cannot comprehend them.  
This past summer my family and I had the good fortune of spending a whole month in Rockaway Beach. I won't go on about the wonderful time we had. The bottom line is that we  fell in love with the place and the people. And they are suffering. Please check out these sites and see what you can do to pitch in.  Occupy Sandy
Rockaway Needs
Rockaway Beach Surf Club (on Facebook)

I will be there on Wednesday with a shovel, a push broom, a box of gloves, and a dozen face masks. And I will keep returning until the someone tells me that it's okay to stay home.



 

         

One Kid's Obsession

This post has nothing to do with crafting. It's about a how kid's love of baseball helped him save a team.

Back in June, I asked my son Mack if he wanted a birthday party. It's a necessary question because, unlike his older sister Masana, Mack can leave it or take it. He can have a big celebration with all the hoopla or he cannot. And being a baseball-obsessed kid, a part of him would rather go to a baseball game and simply spend his birthday sitting in the cheap seats with an extra large hot dog and cotton candy.


Mack at 5 years old.This year we decided on a father-son baseball game birthday party and at first I thought it was a great idea. But then I realized that he would probably receive a lot of baseball related birthday gifts, which he could really do without. He already has several gloves, a huge bucket of balls, a collection of aluminum and wood bats, baseball caps from every baseball team he likes, and so on and so on. When he was five years old he wrote to every major league baseball team and in return received books, stickers, bobble-heads, posters, calendars, and a bag of dirt from the pitcher's mound. This kid didn't need anymore baseball "stuff." I gently asked Mack how he felt about a "no-gift" policy and was met with his best stink-eye. "That's a horrible idea," he flatly told me.

A few days before our birthday conversation, we had received an email from our school district regarding the elimination of several sports teams. The one team that stuck out for us was the Freshman Baseball team. And so when the idea of a "no gift" policy didn't go over well with Mack, I countered with a suggestion that we fundraise. We could collect donations to save the Freshman Baseball team. I pointed out that it affected him because that was a team that he would one day try out for. Mack got excited and said yes. We set the date and proudly sent out the invitations with "Help Save The Freshman Baseball Team" written in bold letters.

On the day of his party, we got to the baseball field and pinned up the t-shirts we made for the kids onto the chain link fence. We set up the dugouts with bags of Double Bubble chewing gum and the stands with popcorn and vats of Italian ices. Mack, his friends, and all the dads played a raucous game and had a lot of fun. At the end we collected the donations in a box and went home with smiles on all our faces.

Later in the evening I found Mack sitting in the middle of the living room floor and counting the money in the box. He seemed disappointed. He thought we would raise thousands of dollars. "There's only $260 in the box," he said and sunk into his elbows.

"But that's $260 more than what they had before," I told him. "And if every kid did what you just did..." I patted his head and gave him a kiss. He suddenly brightened up and ran upstairs. When he came back down threw some crumpled bills into the box. "It's now $267!" I laughed and gave him a hug.

We placed the bills into an envelope and Mack slipped in a note that he wrote to the school district:

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I had a baseball game birthday party and all my friends gave me money to save the Freshman Baseball Team. Go Tigers!

Thank you,
Mack"


Yesterday we received an email from the school district letting us know they raised the funds to reinstate the sports teams that were eliminated due to budget cuts--including the Freshman Baseball team. They also wanted to let us know that they were especially touched by Mack's donation of his birthday money and invited him to present the raised funds to the Board of Ed. When Mack read the email, he smiled and said, "Let's do it again next year." Without saying anything else, he opened up his backpack and started doing his homework. And that's when I had to leave the room because I started to cry.

I realized that Mack grew up just that much more, and did so without really trying. His love of baseball extended past his own individual obsession and into an area known as compassion.

I love my kid and couldn't be more proud of him.