Gardening, Drawing, Working in the studio

Working on the 2010 Dolphin Studio Calendar. Making color separations and learning ALOT

Eating salads from the garden most nights.

Making

This is what I have been working on in the studio. The blanket on the table came back for a repair. It was a little hard to find what the customer was concerned about. The experience reminded me how cool that collection was. Makes me want to make more!

The top image is of the sign I am making for the Alchemy Initiative. In case you haven't heard, we are having an Earthday celebration - the WE of Alchemy Initiative is a group for four, myself, Jess Rufo, Jess Conzo, and Bridget Conry. Alchemy Initiative is bound to grow but for now we are the team making it happen. Join us 4/22 here at the Church from 6-10 pm. See Alchemy Initiative.org for all the deets.

This Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I am holding my Potholder Rug Making Workshop. There are a couple spaces open if you are interested.

Kennedy Park with Jen and Henry

The other day my friend Jen and her son Henry, the girls, and I went for a drizzly cold walk in the woods. We brought the dog and not enough warm clothes. Violet didn't mind and Henry shared his mittens. Lucy slept most of the way in the stroller.
Jen is the editor of Orion Magazine and sits on the board of our local currency Berkshares. She is wonderful! I love her eloquence, parenting style, groundedness, and brilliance.
In addition to all that her dad is a pediatric cardiologist and has had many a helpful conversation with me around Ben's heart condition.

We were chatting and thinking there might be a way to have Berkshares be better represented in Pittsfield if they had an office here. Maybe that could be a facet of Alchemy Initiative??? Just ideas for now but exciting to think of all the possibilities!

Inspiration

We took a ride to North Adams, the home of Mass MoCA yesterday. I think it is the biggest Museum of Contemporary Art in the country?? Huge galleries filled with interesting spectacles are around every corner. Funny, my friend Daniel, of Dream Away Lodge ilk, and I decided on the way up that we were good for about an hour in a museum of any kind, and that was all it took. The show we were chasing was the Sol LeWitt wall drawings exhibition. It will be there for 25 years so don’t rush but do see. I recommend the audio tour (you can download it free from here). The science behind the artist’s intention adds immeasurably to the experience. The lovely Jody Joseph, Mass MoCA Retail Manager was an eloquent and thoroughly entertaining guide.














































Afterward we enjoyed the best cuppa Joe North County has to offer at the new and truly enchanting Elf Parlor on Ashland Street. Just open for a few weeks, this place wreaks eye sweets from entry til exit. The staff is cute and friendly and man can they make a great hot drink. Affordable and yummy, they even offer Hot Vanilla Creams for the wee ones – ingredients: warm milk, honey, vanilla, fluffed up just enough to feel fancy, served in a kid sized to go cup for a buck! How nice is that! An affordable kids drink without sugar, relatively healthy too! They have tasty baked goods. We shared a handful of yummy homemade cookies including molasses, the traditional chocolate chip and something called Butternut which was a buttery, chewy cookie laces with nuts and praline to beat the band! All in all a great way to spend a day and be inspired. There might just be some new blankets coming out of this!

Sweater Making

Today began my February Workshop. The focus this month is on sweater making. Here is my friend Diane wearing a truly amazing rendition of a workshop inspired cardigan. She made the buttons with Fimo. Diane was a workshop attendee at the first one I offered back in June 2008. She got hooked on the process and has made several LOVELY pieces.
Monday and Tuesday round out this month's workshop. The Third Sunday in March I start a new workshop on button vests, incoporating used wool overcoats that are woven and wool knits like sweaters. We will learn combination techniques and general structural know-how pointers will be discussed.

Workshop Schedule for 2009

here it is - the thing people have been asking about. The full year of workshops I am offering in the studio. If you have difficulty reading the tiny type (which looked perfectly legible before I uploaded it!) let me know and I can email you an attachment that is bigger.

Soon my site at www.crispina.com will changed up to reflect what I am up to these days. Until then here is the calendar of events.
More to come . . like my book will be out in August! It is coming together and looking great!

Memorable Weekend!

Ben was with us this weekend. I met him in Stockbridge, at The Dolphin Studio, late Friday afternoon. We had a great chatty ride home. Nice to have one on one time with him.

Before Ben’s arrival, I had spoken to Deborah from Storey Publishing - the first sample pages of the book, I am finishing up with them, are ready for my review! We arranged to have them dropped off for me to have for the weekend. The book is called Chop Shop - due out in August - all how to make things using the process I have developed over the last 21 years. It was a TON of work. I did the writing and illustrations and loved the process!



Oh MAN! The sample pages are great! The people at Storey sure know what they are doing! They look better than I could have imagined. It is astonishing to see all that rough work come together in smooth, professional, book-like form! My next task is to read through it and make finishing touches making the illustrations match the copy.

I had to wait til I got home from chaperoning a high school dance sponsored by Youth Alive here in downtown Pittsfield to take a look. I had the pages in my hands for about 47 seconds before I had to dash out the door.

There were a whole lotta kids at the dance held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Every different walk of life and all three high schools in Pittsfield were represented without a hitch. I had a blast meeting some community minded fellow chaperones, getting educated to youth culture, and seeing all those beautiful kids. The chaperones were invited into the ballroom for the Youth Alive performance. The crowd was mighty enthusiastic and exuberant! Youth Alive performers were A M A Z I N G – AND they organized the whole event, selling tickets, keeping lines moving, and being generally responsible.
One kid from Dalton was puking in the bathroom less than an hour into it. He was pretty green. We called 911.



At 8:30 Saturday morning I was in Brattleboro VT for a workshop on being an educated, proficient and productive Food Coop Board Member. CBL101 was the title of the day-long seminar. It was super fun! The presenters were engaging, fun and very informative. I met 19 mostly new, board members from neighboring coops. The day got me jazzed about my recent commitment with the Berkshire Coop Market Board of Directors. I have to add here that Policy Governance is an idea that seems to fit well with the changes we are experiencing in many aspects of culture today.

By 7:30 Saturday night, my sweet hubby and I, were at his company “Christmas Party”. It was held at The Old Forge in Lanesboro where they have over 100 choices in the beer department and great food to go with. We had fun. My brother-in-law works for Chris so my sister Sofie was there and she is always up for some fun. We laughed a lot while maintaining as much composure as expected. Chris employs over thirty people at CESCO plumbing and heating so there was a nice crowd there. We were home in bed shortly after midnight. All the kids were sound asleep and peaceful.

Ben, our dear friend Jayme Hummer, and I went skiing at Jiminy Peak Sunday afternoon. It was a BEAUTIFUL day - a truly fabulous way to end a pretty special weekend. The conditions were superb after a late Saturday night snow of musta been 7 or 8 inches. It was cold and sunny with big puffy clouds streaking across the bright blue sky. Jiminy Peak generates about a third of the power they use with a huge beautiful wind turbine that seems to float above the trees near the summit gracefully gliding through time in silence. Just gorgeous. Made my lungs fill with clear cold mountain air with a sense of comfort sometimes consumed with environmental guilt when alpine skiing. Season passes next year?

January 7, oops its the 8 2009

This is the view out my early morning window today. It is so pretty - peaceful and the din of the city just revving up for the day.


Couple things:
1.
I have been getting tons of requests for product from all sorts of nice people all across the land. It feels really good to have the demand but a little overwhelming too.
Just so you know, production went from a 40 person crew until April 2008 . . . to me.
And Juan weaving rugs as fast as he can.
Sarah, the RISD intern turned amazing assistant just left for ENGLAND! Would you believe! She is moving there with her new, british hubby - off to seek their fortune. I will miss her spirit and amazing capacity around the house and studio! The adventures were many and mostly FUN.
2.
Since I have had a little time to spend with the development of my web presence, all manner of friendly tree hugging recyclers have been dropping by to check in. Thanks you guys! I feel like my circle of friends is back. It was really strange to go from attending major INTERNATIONAL tradeshows where I met and saw most of my oldest friends a couple times a year to being a semi-home based Pittsfield Girl. I mean I love the pace change - fo sho but I miss the rest of it.

Back to the subject of that LOVELY looking fresh snow.
Yesterday the view was the heavily drenched slush look. All gray, drippy, wet.

I got an appointment with the Dr. to check out little miss Violet's diaper rash and got not much else done. Took a L O N G time to get places in the weather and I was so glad they could take her right away. She had been commenting on how her bummy hurrt mommy.
Seems better already.

Back to the 'Couple Things':
Be patient peeps! New stuff will go up on Etsy soon! Sometimes bummies take presedence over pretty much all else.

Special Offer

My new years resolution is to be on time. So far I have been doing pretty well with physically showing up promptly but the deadline issue is yet to be tackled. The reason I bring this to your attention is because I have left marketing my fast approaching January workshop late. I need to have at least 5 students to run the class for any given day. I am offering a buy one and get one for half price special. To take advantage of this offer you must sign up by January 10. If you can find the time in your days from January 18-20 to take a class in my studio I promise to engage you in a wholly satisfying experience that will leave you inspired. Everyone will finish the day with a finished blanket or scarf. The process is done by hand. There is no experience necessary. All tools, materials and lunch is provided for they day. Classes begin at 10 and run until 5pm and the charge is $150 per day. (Bring a friend for $75!)

Studio Workshops

The first round of studio workshops offered sporadically in 2008 were such a great success that I will be offering monthly 3-day workshops in my Pittsfield studio throughout 2009. Beginning the third Sunday of each month, I will teach a class in a specific subject. January's lessons on scarf and blanket making begin on the 19 and will carry over to the 20, and 21. Students can join in any day - or two or all three. Single day students will certainly finish a scarf and/or baby or lap blanket. People who stay for more than one day will have the opportunity to complete a larger, more intricate project and learn more involved techniques.
All materials and tools are included in the daily price of $150. If students are interested in staying for three days the fourth day (a Wednesday) is a free finish-up day.
Those with paid registration for the first workshop of 2009, by January 10th can bring a friend for half price.

There is no prior experience necessary although a strong desire to learn is a must.

Classes are limited to 10 people and run from 10-4pm. Barter, sliding scale fees and tuition assistance are available

Tools and materials are available for purchase if students are interested in continuing on with the technique after the class.

Feel free to contact me with any further questions or just leave a comment that I can respond to here so everyone can see.

Crispina and Friends Studio Sale

It was a huge success! I am talking about our recent studio sale.
23 of the Berkshire's finest - and funnest, gathered on the weekend of the 13 and 14 of December and sold lots of super cool stuff.
Enticing scents from the hot food and amazing baked goods from Judy Merrit and David Rizardi's Tutti Baking Co. filled the air. Music wafted through too from Steve Elling and his friend Christopher who played traditional Italian mandolin and acordian tunes as we opened on Saturday.
My new friend Shirley Edgerton and her AMAZING, eloquent, engaging, fine young group of steppers and drummers added their magic to festivities. They were raising money for competition uniforms and subsidizing a trip to the inauguration for a few of the group. In exchange for donations they were wrapping gifts in paper they had made and performing a few times each day.

This is certainly the tip of the iceberg but at the moment I have a little stenographer here helping me making this post one to be continued.

I hope I can get mention in here of my dear old friends Heather Cupo and Sean Kimball who came by with Louisa age 6. It was super fun to meet her for the first time and Heather had on a vest I had made prolly 10 years ago - and so did another customer I didn't know. They got to meet and I took their picture!

Sorry for the lack of well designed layout. I am a novice blogger and need help. Does anyone know how to move pictures around?

Cheers for now - check back soon!

Fresh

It has been entirely too long since I have posted. Many cool and exciting things are happening that seem to rocket into the past at breakneck velocity. Today is Christmas and we had a great chill and enjoyable family day.
I will be posting on a daily basis for the next week so please do check back and see what's up.

December Studio Sale

After making several unsuccessful trouble shooting attempts to correct the problemo of VERY WEIRD color translation of the accompanying image, let me just say that:
On December 13 and 14 I will be hosting a brand new kind of studio sale! 23 of the Berkshires and surrounding area's finest makers will gather at my studio to sell their wares from 10-5 both days. Affordable gourmet lunch will be available on site as well as Holiday greenery, pottery, jewelry, mobiles, and more. Gift wrapping will be provided by donation by Melville Street's very own Youth Alive. There will be music and hooping and all manner of high jinx to be had as well as a lot of great gift ideas inclucing Dolphin Studio Calendars and John ffrench ceramics.

Calendar Time

The ffrench family business, called The Dolphin Studio started 38 years ago by John and Primm, (my Mom and Dad) is in the throes of another busy calendar shipping season. We produce a hand silkscreened calendar every year and have since the beginning. When I was a kid printing was one of the daily chores that each kid was required to carry out. It was our task to register the paper on the table and then carry the fresh, wet prints from the print table to a clothesline to hang to dry. Since then things have gotten a lot more organized and fluid.
Primm cuts all the stencils, John did do all the printing single handedly for many years. This year he had help from his friend and master screen printer John Ahlen.
Sofie, my sister, and I have been heading up the mailing and shipping departments. It has been really great to have time to add this to my day.
Just last year Primm hand wrote each mailing label and 'thank-you for your order' enclosure. She swore off it after literally doubling sales due to features in the NY Times Magazine and DailyCandy.com. Sofie and I hold onto her personal touch as much as we can while adding computer printed labels and UPS pick-up to the mix.

We normally sell out by mid December and they are going fast so if you want to get one, don't wait. They cost $50 and can be ordered right from here: The Dolphin Studio.

November Workshops

I am not sure why there is an underline on my text here and honestly I am too tired to figure it out at the moment. Sorry it must be a little difficult to read!

Wanted to let you know that there are a flurry of workshops coming up in November. There are open slots each day but not many so sign up soon!

Attached is a cute color poster for anyone who wants to print it out and hang it in a high crafter-traffic area that would be GREAT! For the rest of you, here is the information that is most useful...

There are a flurry of workshops being offered in the studio this month. I am holding them all back to back to acomadate some out of town guests coming all the way from Texas.

Sooo
As the weather gets colder and we begin to think about the traditional gift giving time of year, consider taking a class in making things that are wonderful to give as gifts.

Here is the Schedule
Sunday, November 16 – learn to make Crispina style sweaters collaged from used sweaters in a shape and color of your desire
Monday, November 17 – choose between Rug weaving and Ornament Workshop including our notable wreathes and bobbles
Tuesday, November 18 – Scarves, Blankets, and Pillows or Ragamuffins - your choice.

Each day is $150. Sign up for all three days and have a free workday in the studio on November 19 to finish nearly completed projects.
The class fee covers all tools and materials as well as lunch. Sweater making workshop students should bring a garment to use for a pattern.
Open studio hours available every Wednesday to prior workshop students at $10 hourly or $45 for the day. Materials are available to take home at $5 a pound.

Feel free to leave a comment with any questions. To sign-up I just need you to send a check with a note in the memo line telling me which day you would like to join. Hope to see some of you soon!

Pittsfields Third Thursdays

This is my firend Megan, she is the Cultural Director for the City of Pittsfield. Not sure if they had anyone in that post before her. Her contribution to our city is truly amazing. To see what I am talking about come to our last 2008 Third Thursday this week. Megan came up with the idea and made it happen with help from community members and a LOT of hard work and organizing. In the top image she is taking a well deserved break on my porch before last months festivities. In the bottom image, she is, twittering while riding in one of the hot air balloons that were here on our Common as part of Third Thursdays on September 18, 2008. This month promises to be a great seasonal kick-off with street performers, music, and magic tricks planned to take place all up and down North Street. WaHOOOOooo Megan! Thanks for bringing our community together!

Workshops

Due to popular demand the October workshop has been changed to a Sweater Making lesson. Details are:
October 19 10-4 at my studio in the former Notre Dame church (40 Melville Street) right in the heart of Pittsfield. Come join the fun and learn how to make Crispina style sweaters from 100% recycled wool sweaters.
The class costs $150 and includes the use of all tools and materials as well as lunch.
Please contact me via email to confirm your place as class size is limited to 10. Thanks, crispinaffrench@gmail.com

Harvest

This past weekend was a welcomed introduction to a circle of surreal magic that seemed to be on every corner. Route 9 from Pittsfield to Twist Fair in Northampton is not to be missed. Check out the eyecandy! This is just a sample!

It is a good day

Most days I go for a walk. I used to run in the mornings before getting married and having two babies in two and a half years. It is hard now to find a rhythm that supports running but most days I do get in a good walk.
Good thing I have a dog. Okemo is chill as long as she is allowed time to run around in nature unleashed if possible. I feel the same way.
Changes in my morning routine with the school year change where we go. Living in the heart of this small city doesn’t really provide a walkable destination desired for my walks. I need to be off pavement, soaked in oxygen, immersed in nature and that cacophony.
In the mornings after the girls are dropped off at their slice of nirvana, Okemo and I make a loop over to Kirvin Park off Williams St where this solace is found these last few weeks. We walk along the paved way through a large sloping meadow of Queen Anne’s Lace in full bloom and shoulder high Golden Rod working toward its bloom in late summer. Views of our rolling Berkshire Hills grace our way. This place is pure dog heaven. People come from all over Pittsfield with their companions who run freely sniffing and playing and kicking up their heels. After a healthy dose of that, Okemo and I wade through cool clean babbling water skirting the ball field, into my nirvana of quiet meditation, muddy trails, dragonflies, twitters and shrills. Lungs filled with life and calm. Shoulders back, heart open, deep nourishing breath, connecting me to the earth and my dog.
Ohm
Shanti
It is a good day.