NYC PaperCut - Saturday at the Market
I make no secret about the fact that I am (as cliche as it is) in love with New York City. I hope that in a past life or some alternate universe, I lived the NYC existence I am always dreaming of. I guess I love it for the reasons people always love it: change, opportunity, anonymity, freedom, speed, color, big ideas. I haven’t been able to work out living there in THIS life, but I still think about it as fondly as I think of home. Maybe one day, some great thing will drag me out east and I will live out my days endlessly exploring. Until then, I have vacation days.
This new piece is inspired by one of my favorite places and favorite daydreams about NYC - the summer flea market, particularly Brooklyn Flea. Fresh fruit. Cucumber soda. Amazing Mexican food. Antiques. Bad ass antiques. People. Noise. Sitting on the steps and watching it unfold on the hottest New York day. If I did live in the area, my wallet and my watch would be in serious trouble, because oh - I would spend time and dolla, dolla bills y’all. Every weekend, I would climb on my bicycle, load up my homegirl, Gertie and hit the streets looking for a thrill - maybe a block party (a la The Cosby Show) or maybe just an unplanned ice cream cone.
*Sigh* I know. This is a hugely romanticized view of a big, burly city from a wide-eyed midwestern girl. Shhhh - just let me keep it.
New York, New York PaperCut
Since I have a very exciting return visit to my favorite city looming, I started a new New York papercut today. It is based on a NYC papercut I did a few years ago as a gift. Obviously, it is not finished but I am happy with today’s progress. (My fingers hurt a bit though!) I’ll post photos when it’s all done! For now, I have a huge mess to clean up!
Part of the madness.
Not finished, but today's progress.
Happy Birthday Raccoon
This is a SLIGHTLY updated version on an old design. The difference: this one actually includes some text! Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Raccoon via PaperMichelle
ENDED: GIVEAWAY: Are you a boy or a girl?
Yay!!! We have a winner - who has been notified by email!
Congratulations on all of your little ones and THANKS for participating!
I am announcing a little giveaway from my Etsy shop! Yay! Gender announcing parties have been so in this year - I thought I would get in on the fun. (Seriously - is there anything more exciting than finding out if it’s a boy or a girl??)
Gender Announcements from PaperMichelle
The winner of my giveaway will receive a set of 10 “A Boy or A Girl” announcements from my shop. I can customize them to show a little blue or pink heart inside of each egg. It is a cute and memorable way to share your big news with friends and family. Please forward the contest to any expectant mommies or mommy blogs you know!
To enter, do any or all of the following:
- Follow @papermichelle on Twitter
- Leave a comment in this blog post
- Include a link to the giveaway on your own blog (let me know you did it!)
- Retweet my tweets about the giveaway, including the tag #papermichellegiveaway
- Add the new design to your “favorites” on Etsy
I will announce a winner on my blog and twitter on Thursday, June 30th.
New Bon Iver Released Today
Bon Iver, Bon Iver - via jagjaguwar
Do yourself a favor today and go pick up the new Bon Iver album, Bon Iver - via Jagjaguwar. The album is a quick forty minutes in length, but it is fantastic. NPR has been streaming the new album for a few weeks now, and I absolutely love it. Some early standouts are Perth and the heartbreaker, Holocene. Compared to For Emma, it is optimistic - but not lacking Justin Vernon’s signature sensitivity. Go. Purchase. Support midwestern music.
Happy Father’s Day!
Happy Father’s Day - I hope everyone gets to spend a wonderful day with their dad. My parents were about as amazing as anyone could hope for and I am so incredibly grateful.
Father's Day card - featuring my dad, my nephew and a tractor.
Midnight Bike Ride
Check out my latest paper cut! I love having all this summer vacation time to work on fun projects!!!
Home Sweet Home
New in shop! I worked on this little collage this morning - my first day of summer vacation!
OOAK Cut Paper Collage
Hooray for Earth - True Loves
Really loving Hooray for Earth the past few days. The NYC foursome sounds like a cross between Yeasayer and MGMT to me. Their album, True Loves, is out on June 7th - but streaming right now over at Spin. Give it a listen.
Writer’s Digest Submission
Painting/Jean-Michel Basquiat
I have been on this weird kick of entering competitions in writing and illustration lately. This morning I submitted two entries to the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition - one mainstream/literary short story and one rhyming poem. I’m pretty satisfied with both - here’s the poem:
I’m a hip-hop princess
A happy hour whore
A New York City luster
A Jack Kerouac connoisseur
I’m an unlucky lover
A coffee haus cliché
A bluegrass beatnik
And depressive by day
Warhol inspired -
Swish and a little campy
Basquiat admired -
Unapologetic and tramping
I’m a social scene smoker
Abercrombie & FUBU
A little bit cult-classic, my friend –
Who the hell are you?
