An outgoing crowd!

It's been a while since I posted because I haven't collected all the links and images I wanted until now to share what an amazing experience it was to play at Convention Hall in Asbury last weekend! The Remember Jones album release dance party was a huge success, bringing in hundreds of people wanting to experience the horns, strings, sounds, vocals, and compositions of the Remember Jones team. The entire 25 piece band played a total of 34 songs for nearly 3 hours. I was lucky enough to hop on stage with Daimon and we performed one of our singles "Eye Contact" in front of the screaming crowd.  It happened so quickly; I'm just glad there's some footage of it!

You can download a free copy of our live version with Remember Jones on our band camp page or listen here:

Cody McCorry on Theremin 

The crocheted eyeballs were made by artisan Tessa Perlow.  Check out her Etsy Shop here.

December Projects

I live for moments like the ones I had the past 2 weeks.  I meticulously worked on two projects to be given as gifts, one of which was a playbill blanket showcasing playbills that had some personal connection to him- whether he played the music, had seen the show, or a family member had acted in the show.

The other project was another pet portrait I alluded to in a previous blogpost. It was so enjoyable to work on this one.  A black and white dog has more color to it than you might think. It was fun picking out the pinks for his belly.  They all look similar but if you look closely you'll see there are 3 pinks.   This dog owner had the best reaction; I wish I had recorded it.

Rhode Island, Rockets, and doing Research

- We packed the car with gear and I said goodbye to Little Richard, who begged me not to go to Rhode Island for the weekend.

-We arrived just in time to see a sunset. Dave, of Icky Woods, was kind enough to take us to a great viewing spot. 

 - Bone and Marrow and Homeless Apians played at Jimmy's, where their drummer, Kevin, was abducted by aliens.

- The next day, all the boys were sluggish and tired. NOT ME! I went to a flea market and bought this fun needle book for my collection.   

- Last night was my friend Shannan's annual summer party.   I'm aware it's not easy to see what's going on in this picture, but this "glow" party was a lot more than glow sticks and black lights. 

 -This morning, Daimon and I had a southern breakfast at F-Cove, a great little restuarant in Brick NJ whose owner is from New Orleans. The blueberry pancakes were loaded with berries. I like a place that doesn't skimp on the blueberries!

- Daimon and I made a quick stop to pick up some produce, where I found this feisty praying mantis.  Tell me that's not the biggest cherry tomato plant you've ever seen!

-We made a stop to a friend's house where we fired these old fashioned rockets he had since he was a kid. They must've been at least 15 years old. After several failed attempts, the rocket finally shot up so high it pierced a cloud! The parachute deployed and the rocket flew many houses away. Now we all have an urge to go to the nearest hobby shop to buy more rockets.

-Daimon and I spent some time discussing the next album, and we are both really looking forward to beginning the recording process next January. If you haven't had the chance to listen to our album, Patterns, you can listen for free here- https://bonemarrowmusic.bandcamp.com/

-In addition to the many books I've accumulated and read through for the next school year, I bought a great book at Barnes and Nobles called "Camera".  It  includes both a historical overview of photography and also shows how cameras changed through the years. There's even famous photos shown with the type of camera it was taken with.  I justified the purchase since I'll be teaching Media Arts next year, but I'm also glad that I can learn more about the cameras I have collected over the years.  Even though my collection has grown over the past year, I posted about my collection back in 2012, you can view here.

-The weekend flew, and it ends with a little more traditional productivity. Since "The Cutting Crane" is building inventory, I've been making more wearable items and sewing more often.  It's one of the many blessings I never fail to appreciate about the summer; having the time to do more of what I love. Creating with my sewing machine is a luxury because I finally have time to do it. These fabric bracelets are works in progress.  The water soluble paper hasn't been washed off yet. 

I just have to remember to sleep!

Luna Parc

If you live in or near New Jersey, this is truly a must see- Luna Parc.  I barely had enough film for the photography expedition to this bizarre and colorful place. 

It really was one of the weirdest, most photogenic, and eeriest places I've ever been in. There was no one there except the artist in the back of the property building a sculpture out of old trophies. Going into this house with my nephew made us a little uneasy with all the dusty mannequins, old doll heads, glass eyes and taxidermy in every room. 

My nephew and I took photos, ate at a funky diner called the Chatterbox (where they served our fries in little mustangs, how cool?!) and explored a few vacant spots near Stokes State Forest. I'm so proud of him for picking up a film camera at his age (he's only 12) and knowing all the basics already. I gave him a few rolls and wanted to help him load it. "No, I got it, let me do it."  The kid's a champ! I got some shots of him being an explorer and photographer.

Check out this etching I found in an 1800's craft book! We saw the book in a little cafe/antique store on our way home.

I came home to this today.

Trying Something New

This new fascination and hobby that I had never considered before all started with a little encouragement from Farmer Schuster at the farm where I volunteer. He had bags and bags of alpaca fiber, and little interest in spinning it into yarn. It would need cleaning (a lengthy, laborous task), and I would need the skills and tools to turn it into a money maker. I originally had this idea of having a craft table with all my vibrantly colored yarns beautifully spun and wrapped.  With the help of old library books and youtube, I realized it wasn't about making money, but a process-based art form.  It's so soft on your hands, and soothing to watch.  So, I enrolled in a class! For only $30 I got an hour and half of hands on learning from a little shop in Farmingdale, NJ.

The process of carding is something I'm still learning and practicing. 

Before carding, you have to go through the fiber and pull out the little "junkies". It takes a long time, but there's something soothing about it.

It wasn't too long before I dyed my first batch.  I purchased some Jacquard dyes and decided I was going for a "pumpkin" color. It was unexpected that the yarn batch would turn out neon orange.

It's not hair, it's alpaca yarn!

Maybe next year I'll make this investment...