Somewhat Recently

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I've updated my website to show the new pieces I've been working on, if you follow me on Instagram this is probably not news. These are all made from repurposed salvaged wood generally found on the side of the road somewhere, ranging from about 8 inches to about 3 feet. Plenty more of these to come as the supply of salvaged wood is pretty much never ending!

I also completely failed to mention that a few of them are in The Sacred Door gallery in Venice, alongside some absolutely breathtaking textiles from a slew of other artists. If you are in the LA area you've got to check it out! The Justine Ashbee pieces are mind blowing, more on that later. 

www.christijay.com

DIY Macrame

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I shared my macrame plant hanger DIY on The Bohemian Collective blog. Click to check out the full instructions!

There's nothing I love more than handmade gifts, giving them as well as getting them. There's something so much more personal about it, pour your love into a hand crafted item and it will show! If that weren't enough, the double whammy of knowing you can save money AND relieve stress through the meditative process of creating gives you plenty of reasons to try some handmade projects this holiday season.

This D.I.Y is incredibly low-tech, using the ancient art of macrame in the simplest form. I've provided the bare bones of how to make a plant hanger with just a ball of yarn and a small metal ring. You can get much more creative with this, adding some wood beads, dip dyeing it, or tying little charms to the tassel at the end to personalize. No matter what you decide to do, you'll be creating a one of a kind gift and providing your loved ones the multitude of health benefits that come with having plants indoors. Enjoy!

But A Dream...

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New listings up in the shop today! 

I hope to be creating more pieces like the above, the big yarn necklaces are a personal favorite, inspired by 1970's fiber art and artists like Sheila Hicks. I've mixed cotton yarns with cowrie shells, historically used as currency and a sign of wealth, and executed the designs in macrame and knitting techniques that take patience and time to create. These pieces serve as a reminder of our connection to the natural world and all its riches, hand crafts, and the lost art of patience. 

Knotting and Weaving

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A few tapestry yarn beasts I've been working on lately. I have tons of yarn that I've accumulated that is either too itchy, or doesn't work on my knitting machine, or just generally sitting around unused for some reason. Combine that with an unlimited supply of fallen twigs from the backyard, some time and patience, and a whole lot of shoulder muscle and ta da! Yarn for your walls. 

The first one shown was for an exhibit we had at my work, The POP studio, called Nightmare on Helm Street (the fun part is - all proceeds go to charity to make hospitals less scary for kids!) and the last one was for the bride and groom of the most beautiful Big Sur camping wedding I've ever been to... also the only Big Sur wedding I've ever been to. Nothing quite like waking up to the sunrise in a sleeping bag next to the fire, surrounded by redwoods. 

That wasn't really the plan, I had space in a tent to sleep in but thanks to a steady supply of craft beer the night before, I was feeling pretty wild and invincible. Not even waking up with a ponytail full of fallen leaves and a sleeping bag coated in dirt could make me regret that decision. I think sleeping outside in nature is something we should all partake in as much as possible (and yes, falling asleep on the patio chair on a sunday afternoon counts!). Of course, that's a whole lot easier to do in sunny California, but if you ever get the chance, try it! You may even like it.

Count UP

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I love making .GIF's. Rings available for purchase in the shop. 

The Royal Ocean

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You really do learn something new every day... I found an image of a man with a purple splashed shirt and a skien of yarn on the beach. Naturally, seeing three of my favorite things (dye, yarn, ocean) in the same image got me on the search. It's the cultivation of a beautiful purple dye that comes from the Purpura shell of the Oaxacan coast. This purple shell dye, like many luxury fashion trends of ancient times, has a few wild stories behind it. It was also cultivated in Essaouira, Morrocco from the Murex shell (still not sure if Pupura and Murex create the same dye or not, but they seem to create the same color), and is currently still created there by a few artisans. All images above from here, showing the Mixtec of Oaxaca artisans process.

"The hue became wildly popular among royal celebrities of the day; Cleopatra loved the stuff so much that she dyed the sails of her royal barge purple to meet Mark Antony. But violet soon turned to violence. Legend has it that Juba’s son Ptolemy was murdered by Emperor Caligula for having the audacity to sport a purple robe, making trendy Ptolemy possibly the world’s first fashion victim. The bright, nonfading dye was never successfully produced commercially, and the secret extraction methods were assumed lost in the siege of Constantinople in 1453. But in Essaouira the stuff is mysteriously still available, for a price. The mysteries of the color purple are still passed down from one generation of murex collectors to the next, and jealously guarded." from here. 

Sneak Peak!

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Working on the lookbook for my Fall/Winter collection - more to come.

Soon to be available here. 

SELL YOUR SOUL

WALLETS - $45 - $30

SELECT PURSES - $170-$120 - $120 - $90

CRYSTAL NECKLACES - $28 - $18

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It's time to clean out the vaults and make room for more! Go ahead and take advantage of my temporary insanity.

SHOP NOW

Already 2,000 Miles Away...

Almost done unpacking from Sunday's swap meet and getting ready to pack up for a weekend on the shore, though my mind has already traveled there. I currently live about 10 miles from the ocean, but L.A. beaches cannot begin to compare to the chalky soft white sands, clear blue waters, and gentle rolling tide of the beaches in Florida. Say what you want about it, that state will always have a piece of my heart. Humidity? Bring it on! Slow drivers? Let's join them! Rednecks? Umm... ok that's where it can get a little strange, but honestly I've never heard a Southern accent I didn't like.

I somehow always think I'm going to get a bunch of crafty projects done during these trips, but my relaxed mind goes into overdrive (or maybe underdrive?) and it's just swim, drink, eat, chat with the family, nap, help a child put together a puzzle, repeat. Nevertheless, I like to have projects to think about doing, and since me and Ben have been doing a bit of re-decoration, naturally all the projects are for the home. 

Boucherouite rug (above) from here. Moroccan rugs made from fabric scraps - an ideal solution for all those fabric scraps I save (the realist inside knows I'll only have the patience for a pillow, the dreamer inside is OK with that.)

Lets throw the realist out the window and make an embroidered tent, shall we? from here. 

I've got two window frames in my backyard that I was apparently saving for a project like this. Maybe I'll paint them then hang them from trees so the sunlight will shine through them all over the garden. from here. 

Dreaming of dreaming under a dreamy quilt... via here.

applique pillows - another great use for scrap fabrics (this one's an embroidered suzani, but I'd interpret it as applique because I'm quite lacking in patience) from here. 

 more pillow love from here. 

those mosaic hanging lanterns are gorgeous, especially going back to the colors in the suzani (the epic indoor/outdoor space never hurt!) from here. 

multi-color dream catchers and Moroccan wedding blanket via here.

macrame'd hemp has such a special place in my heart... 18 year old me, on the beach digging through shells, putting them on macrame hemp necklaces, and hanging out with the dogs, some friends, and an albino burmese python while we took turns swimming. Naturally, I'd like to keep this memory alive with these macrame plant holders (sandy wet dogs not included)