finally!

sorry i've been MIA lately! but summer vacation is officially over - here's what's new around here:

1 - i've deleted the other blog, saint9 notes. initially, i had planned to use this here blog on the front page for just saint9 related news and updates, and saint9 notes for any unrelated ramblings. but sometimes i wasn't sure what to post where, so in the end, i'd just end up not posting at all (i haven't updated since june!). so i 86'd the other blog and i'm going to just exclusively post here, & hopefully more often. so update your bookmarks & rss feeds!

2 - i've got 2 events lined up this season: the bazaar bizarre boston on december 7th and craftland in providence, ri which runs from december 5-24. busy busy!

3 - i'm one of the organizers of the boston bazaar bizarre this year! super exciting. we've changed up a few things this year, including the location of the event, and so far it's looking like it's going to be awesome. i've also been posting over at the bazaar bizarre boston blog along with the other organizers, and we've been running an almost-daily feature showcasing interviews with the vendors of this year's BBB. check it out! they are quite the talented bunch.

4 - i'm working on a side project called an ocean away, which, as of right now, solely exists in the form of an etsy shop.

here's what i wrote over at etsy about the project:

an ocean away was started by me, jen ferreira, in 2008.

i am also the proprietress of saint9 (http://www.saint9.etsy.com). i created an ocean away to function as a side project for saint9. saint9 consists of items made solely from fabrics that i have designed and screenprinted myself by hand. over the years, i have amassed quite a stash of purchased fabrics by other designers, and i want to use an ocean away as a outlet for the items i make using these wonderful fabrics.

i'm hoping that an ocean away serves a few purposes for me:

1 - that it uses up some of the fabrics that i have been hanging onto for way too long. they are too pretty not to share!

2 - that i can test out some new product designs that may eventually make their way into the saint9 lineup.

3 - that i can raise some money to fund my all-consuming case of wanderlust (hence the name - an ocean away!).

bon voyage!

i'm not sure if i'll have things from anoceanaway at the sales this winter. i guess it depends on how much i get to work on it. but i have a feeling that designing new things for saint9 will probably be taking up most of my time and energy (i've got some awesome new ideas up my sleeve)!

no sleep til brooklyn!

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we’re on the way to brooklyn early in the am for renegade! i’m not bringing my computer, but i’ll be updating all of the goings-on via twitter, if anyone is interested!

brimfield antiques show

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over the weekend, i attended the brimfield antiques show. it was so much fun to dig through all of that awesome old stuff. i went with the one goal: to find a replacement for a fiesta ware bowl i lost years ago. i collect the chartreuse color, but it is now “out of print”, or whatever they call it when they stop making a color. luckily, one of the first booths i popped into had four of them! the owner of the booth, a very nice lady, was selling them as a set, but was kind enough to break up the set and sell me one. (i could have bought all four, but i am currently trying to de-clutter AND save money, so i sadly declined).



and now, here is my whole collection (complete for the moment):



so far i have

2 dinner plates
2 salad plates
2 cereal bowls
2 regular mugs
2 cappuccino mugs
1 serving bowl
1 napkin holder

i think i would like to eventually have place settings for four. i am torn between finding 2 more place settings in colors that will go nicely with the chartreuse and cobalt, or going nuts and buying whatever i can find in whatever colors i like and mix-and-matching them together. the bright colors always look so nice mixed up that way, but my need for order and neatness keeps trying to compel me to stick to a color scheme. i think i’ll let myself sleep on it until the next time brimfield rolls around (july! not too long from now! and then september.)




to see my photos from brimfield, click here: brimfield antiques show photos @ flickr

burning a screen

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i think i’ve finally (it’s about time, jen) perfected my technique for burning a screen.



i’m pretty sure i’ve got all of the variables and how they affect exposure time figured out: screen size, bulb wattage, and height of light source. i’ve also got the perfect sized piece of black matte board for a base as well as a good chunk of glass for weighing down the transparencies. i’ve had trouble in the past with underexposed screens, which means i either had to try to re-burn the screen (wasting emulsion and or silk) or repair the screen with a paintbrush and screen-filler (which is an ongoing process because it always washes out). it’s amazing what a positive effect a little patience has on the end result!

this weekend, i worked on a new pouch design!

meet the "par avion" zippered pouch, inspired by airmail envelopes:





i've got spring fever and it got me thinking about summer vacations and how great it would be to just hop on an airplane and head somewhere exciting. i'm not sure i'll actually be able use one of these pouches while on a proper vacation this season, but i'm hoping someone else will!

for more details and/or to purchase one, please visit the shop.

one more mug post, but then that’s it. i promise.

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i found my perfect mug!



the second crate and barrel store i tried had shelves and shelves full of them. i love it! it’s totally perfect and exactly what i was looking for to replace my dearly departed moo cup. i love it when things work out that way!

yesterday’s weather was so perfect (today, not so much - we are expecting cool temps and rain). it was sunny and warm (it reached 72℉ here in boston!) and it got me so excited thinking about how awesome this summer is going to be. i’m looking forward to so many awesome warm weather things, including but not limited to: beach days, outdoor fairs, 1/2 workday fridays, del’s lemonade, the brimfield fair, taking gracie to borderland state park, rasperberry lime rickeys, listening to music with the car or house windows wide open…the list goes on and on!

happy weekend, everyone!

cups and mugs abound!

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the mug madness continues…

i bought this teacup on ebay recently. i was sort of planning on using it, but was that a bad idea — it being a “collectible” and all? it doesn’t matter though, it’s awfully small. i generally like heaping helpings of coffee and tea per sitting.





the other day, while putting away the dishes, i accidentally knocked my favorite mug off the shelf and it shattered to bits (along with my heart!). it was just a silly thing, it had cows and the word “moo” printed on it as well as a little cow on the inside lip. but it was the perfect size and heft — not too light nor too heavy, and held just the right amount of liquid. i called it my “moo cup”.

so now the moo cup needs a replacement! i’ve been stalking these over at crateandbarrel.com, especially the “droplet”one:



i stopped by a local c&b after work yesterday, but no dice. i may try the other one today, if i am feeling up to the challenge.