Sunday, November 30, 2008

recipe for betsy's mania soup

This soup is best prepared when you are doing laundry in the rain, also when you are preparing for a major event, oh lets say the 3rd ward holiday craft fair next sunday.
to make this soup you will need-

2 onions
oh, about a butt-load of garlic
your room-mate's carrots (you can ask her later)
2 turkey drumsticks, and/or some kind of leftover poultry item that is slowly drying out in your fridge
1 cup of rice (brown)
1 lemon
fresh herbs such as, savory, thyme, rosemary etc.
one vegan cube of bullion because it's been in the cupboard forever and it's lonely in it's little cardboard box.
one large pot
1 frozen pizza (just in case)

kay.
1. put your laundry in and then run to the grocery store.
2. overhear nice couple discuss what else they want to put in their soup.
3. decide you don't have time to make soup and buy a frozen pizza
4. check laundry on the way home. It will be way not done, but check anyway
5. begin soup

6. cut up the onions, garlic, and put them in the big pot with oh, a lot of really nice olive oil. If you want to get a mania gold star, use half butter half olive oil. I didn't. I used all the butter in the Irish Soda Bread that you make whilst Waiting for Guests. (recipe to follow)
7. while the onions and garlic are doing their thing (don't burn them unless you want to because then you end up with remorse soup instead of mania soup) cut up all the herbs and think about sad things because the onions are making you cry. At least you think it's the onions. You might just be tired and anxious because you decided to not make soup, yet here you are making soup.
8. Wipe your eyes with a 'clean' bathroom towel.
9. Zest lemon. Chop up the zest as fast as you can! Wow. I love to do that. Add to the pot. Juice the lemon and add the juice to the pot as well. Pick out the seeds you accidentally put in the soup.
9. turn off burner and go get laundry out of the washer. Put laundry in dryer.

10. Put 6 cups of water in the pot with both turkey legs. Yes, on the bone or else your soup will taste like ass. Does the liquid cover them? No? Crap.
So add 2 cups of water with the dissolved bullion.

11. Bring pot to a boil. Turn down heat and cover pot and let simmer.
12. Run downstairs to get laundry out of the dryer before someone steals your foundation garments. Can you remember if you turned the burner off? No. Crap. Go back and check.

13. pull turkey legs out of pot and put on a plate to cool.
14. put one cup of rice in the pot and bring back to a simmer and cover. Did you remember to rinse the brown rice? No? It's okay, at least you can blame your crappy soup on something now.
15. pour yourself a drink.

16. Try to do something productive while the rice cooks.

17. When the rice is cooked add the de-boned meat off the turkey legs back into the pot.
18. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with pickles.
or, put it in the freezer and eat the frozen pizza.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

whoops, theres the painting

well, I finished it. 16"x16" of painting madness. My biggest painting! It's shipping to Fort Gallery in Oakland next week after I varnish the hell out of Yes, If you zoomed out, there would be 4 more coffee cups and other various inedible bits of my life all over my art table. It's how I'm living it.
Oh! I'm going to be in the 3rd ward holiday craft fair on Dec 7th.
It's spinnin' time!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

no one needs to eat this much chocolate

Feeling a little pukey right now. I ate too much chocolate whilst updating my etsy site. Generally today has been of the out of sorts persuasion. I woke up this morning and all this stuff from my bookshelf was on the floor. Salinger's Nine Stories leaping to it's death from the 3rd floor bookcase. I'm not sure how that happened, nor how I could have slept through it. I think it's safe to say I'm feeling generally out of sorts. I do have a show coming up in SF in December. I am beginning the rounds of craft apps for the holiday season. So one asks oneself. What is ones problem?
So, here's the drawing I made last night.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

who will take my hands?


who will take my hands?
Originally uploaded by betsy ply
Here we go. This is one of the paintings in the 'Skinning' show. Anything else I was planning to say about it has leaked out my ears. The good news is, I bought some gouache. The other good news is I'm not afraid to use it.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Two days in a row

I'm blown away by my own verbosity. No, actually not so much. Next Thursday I'll be creating exquisite corpses at the gallery. Hopefully you will come and drink, laugh, and get confused with me. Yes, I do plan on letting you know where it is. I'm waiting for the finished invite. But it'll be next Thursday evening. Not this Thursday which is tomorrow because I will be at Aikido. You can go there to see me if you want, but I will be sweaty.

It has been almost a full year since I began this adventure in yarn spinning and blogging and and craft fair vendoring to build my small 'spinning empire'. I just wanted to thank all the amazing people who have supported, cajoled, cheered and commiserated with me.
Thank you. I can't really thank you enough, so I'm going to keep working.
Heart
Betsy

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

no more fried food for the bears!

I can't say that I'm a fan of shake shack. My tummy is super owie and really, did I need to eat that? No. No I did not. I am regretful and fretful.
here's how I feel about it.
This incredible picture was sent to me by my friends Randy and Barb who are far far away in the sane land of Vancouver -where bears get to have their say.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

what I should be doing

I'm in that special sort of hell reserved for people who don't update their artist's resume's in a timely fashion. All I can say is holy crap. Having said that, I'm pleased to announce I'm in a 3 person show thats opening tonight and I'm doing my due-dill by actually communicating it.


Skinning is a time-specific art exhibition which intends to provide a cathartic calming space within Long Island City. The title refers to the I Ching hexagram of approaching change and revolution, as well as the current still point of the approaching Presidential election and swelling economic, social, and environmental pressures.

Symbolically, Skinning is a shapeshifter -- a bird shedding its feathers -- a ruler can be overcome.

Molt and revolt.

Windows Gallery will be available for you to take time out to relax and meditate upon the liminal state created by the following artists:

Ryan Coleman's paintings blur the line between literal representation and abstraction, flatness and depth, and cerebral and sensual gesture, while exploring subjects and themes which deal with the human condition and experience.

Betsy Heistand's intimate and colorful paintings play with the picture plane, inhabited by fanciful, lamenting biomorphic creatures.

Natalia Pikula's installations incorporate various 2D mediums to build structures. Her prints stride through landscapes and abstractions, as well as danger and liberation.

Dream upon Michael Mahalchick's Silver Pillows: Meditation center meets the Factory.

Curated by Alison Beth Levy


Join us at the Exhibition Opening on Saturday, September 27th 7-10pm

Windows Gallery is located at 13-03a Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, close to PS1 and the Pulaski Bridge on Jackson Ave.
Subway: G to 21st; EV to LIC/Court Square; 7 to 45 road
http://www.windowsgallery.com/location.html

Skinning will be open Saturdays and Sundays 12-6pm through Sunday, October 19th, or by appointment.
For more information, directions, and to make an appointment please call 914.772.3974 or email alison.b.levy@gmail.com


Heads up. I will be 'back blogging' soon. I've been traveling and unraveling a bit too much to blog. Sometimes betsy needs to process. So I'll be talking about Chicago more at a later date. And I'll be talking about All Tomorrows Parties which I attended, and can even remember some of it. Even the bear suit.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

not according to plan


well, I'm too tired to take my shoes off. I've decided to drink a beer instead of a glass of water and I'm listening to Bon Iver way way too much.
Why the long face? Why the no talky? I haven't had so much good to say. I became a single person again after 7 years. He's gone off somewhere, to the land dudes go to figure shit out, I guess. I'm working on getting to the land where ladies go to get shit done.

I'm renaming The Chicago Renegade as 'the endurance craft fair of choice'. I'm lucky the Chicagians are super troopers. 48 hours of rainy rain rain. And they were there! These amazing people....Thank you Chicago but seriously, you need to put a dome over your city. Please.

I've just interviewed 5 people to be my possible roomate. Betsy tired.
But I'm in a show! Just to add to the mix of complete mania, chaos and pathos.
I'm very excited to announce that I will be in a show with two other fab artists in Long Island City. The opening will be the 27th. More to come. yep.
Maybe it's time to take my shoes off now....
I promise to write more if you promise to buy me socks.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

please forgive my accidental blog break


sunday's table
Originally uploaded by betsy ply
here's a picture of my table at the Renegade Craft Fair In San Francisco.
I came back to brooklyn hell bent on a detox.
Here I am detoxing. Day 6 with no coffee!
I promise more Verbage later.
Special thanks to Ranu, Linda and Bev (got your Cd's today bev!)
I heart you.
betsy sleepy.
goodnight

Friday, July 4, 2008

going to california

But if you tried to put flowers in my freaking hair they would get lost immediately.

I'm almost ready for the renegade craft fair. I'm leaving tomorrow for some much needed r&r before the big weekend.
Of course I'm bringing a bunch of stuff to work on while I'm relaxing. yep.
I got a stupid huge suitcase and Beverly got the stuff I shipped yesterday.

Beverly posts the best posts. I think she writes better about me than I write about me.


Here's a pic of the eye pillows I've been making. They are microwavable! The buckwheat hull pillows aren't, but these ones are make with buckwheat seeds. They are much heavier. Someone told me they were called 'dream pillows'. I eschew this title rabidly.
And guess what, I'm going to tell you why. When I was turning 8 years old, my mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I was very clear with her. I wanted a brown bunny with no clothes on. I said, bunnies don't wear clothes. It would be a lie. There is a kernel of clarity here.
The clarity of an 8 year old who wants a stuffed animal, just a naked one.
I ended up with a pink bunny that had no clothes. I named him Buster. His huge size made up for the fact he was pink.
What I'm saying in my own special way is, I have never been a sentimental person. Giving a pillow the title of 'dream pillow' imbues this pillow with...
a) the concept that dreams are pink fluffy things that are good, kind and G rated. This is a simplistic view of the world I won't support.
b) It can do something it can't i.e. give you something you don't have and think you want. No, it's just an amazing pillow that feels really really really good when you put it on your eyes, or any other part of your body.



This is yarn. I have nothing ranty to say about it at all.
It'll be with me at the renegade craft fair.


This is Stella, she won't be coming to California. She eats flowers.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

dinner-may27th


bloody mary and coffee ice cream......

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

yep. drawings!

I'll be bringing these to the brooklyn flea this sunday. This happens to beMemorial day weekend and my birthday weekend, all at the same time. I usually like to have a 'birthday month' with a lot of party do-overs and such. I think this year I'll let the whole thing slide by in a more unremarked manner. I'll be making pillows for the flea on my actual birthday, only because I took a time out to go on a chocolate and sci-fi bender yesterday. This put me slightly behind my production schedule.
I just got another 18lbs of hulls, plus some microwavable seeds! Eye pillows people. This means eye pillows. Much better than some old birthday.
Anyhow.....
I obviously haven't gotten the scanner working yet.




More later, I'm all sleepy time right now.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

good news!

I'm in the San Francisco renegade craft fair. I'm so freaking happy!
Here's a picture of robin who is describing my happy on the inside, on her outside.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

on the bobbin


on the bobbin
Originally uploaded by betsy ply
crazy coil yarn, hand dyed. cheviot wool

sunday morning and I'm upset

new drawing! I'm so totally bringing these to the flea on the 25th

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

drawings

More words, more drawings, less sleep! It's overrated anyway. Sleep is. Words are okay, I guess, but drawings are better. I'm not saying I'm a person who likes to create hierarchical systems or anything. My drawings have words. I frequently sleep. So there.
Okay. Done with that piece of semantic nonsense.
Tomorrow's task is to finally hook (after I find it) my scanner up. Taking flash pictures of flat artwork is not so much fun. Nor does it really work.
I'm thinking about bringing these to the flea. I'm waiting until I get a few more done.



And another thing! Nicole's bunny Uli won best softie in the pink and plaid category. dude. Your bunnies rock hard dude.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

rainy heart yarn

I owe all my Sunday good will and happiness to all the amazing people I met this Sunday at brooklyn flea. And, of course, to the indomitable nicole She sat on a chair over a puddle the entire time. The entire time.
She's got an event coming up this Sunday. Selling her lovely softies......

The flea.
The rain started and ended early. The chill remained.
But the crowd was friendly, engaging, cute and most importantly warm.
Just so you know, my tent is the rockingest. Lots of yarn squishing. Lots. All the alpaca skeins went right away, but the good news is I think I've found a 'supplier' so I should be able to re-up soon. Yes. I just finished watching all five years of the wire in 3 months. That's a whole lot of Baltimore.

Couple things.
I meant to post this pictures from the first flea closer to the....err...first flea. That didn't happen.
Julie from etsy bought some of my yarn and she was knitting up this amazing blue blanket.


Okay.
more April 27 pics.
The table......
The very sad lady from slow loris waiting for her tent.

Nicole! Did I mention she sat over a puddle. The entire time. She gave me ginger candy. I heart her.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

new drawings....

Well I'm all packed up and ready for tomorrow's flea adventure. Lots and lots of yarn. I'll have my spinning wheel tomorrow. Nicole will be hanging out with me and protecting me from frostbite and other people.
But I made some drawings!
'nuf said.

Monday, April 14, 2008

my first flea!

April 13th was my first go around at the brookyn flea
Dude. It was cold. I was wearing my 'sexy brown coat'.
the below picture was taken at 9am on saturday the 12th.
I was having some issues.

This is a picture of stella marking her pop-up tent. As she immediately claimed it and the surrounding kitchen area as hers. Ankle attacks ensued. We had to have a conversation about sharing.
After forcing my friend anthony to help at the unholy hour of 6am, we wrestled the 58 pound tent, (my wares becoming more secondary by the second as my brain kept cycling the weather report endlessly inside my hyper-yet-un-caffinated-mind) into the car service and began our journey into another and deeper part of brooklyn. As said friend was on a juice fast
and I was running on she-hulk stress, our lifting powers evened out nicely.

Did I mention how freaking cold it was?

Kay.
picture time.
super cold anthony being er....super cold?
yarn......I like it.

beverly's amazing amazingness!
okay I'm tired. I've got two canopy tents in my living room (don't ask). the birds are sleeping. And I'm so ready to be there as well. I've got lots more to say and post. But right now, I lack the will.
For my last pic for tonight. I'd like to show you what my dinner was tonight.
martini and quince pie......
(made by my finest jen)

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

It's time to put the cards on the table



Well, kicking and screaming (softly) I'm entering the creepy no-space called the, you know.....thingy. That's Ivy, my Green Cheek Conure. She's looking at you.
She's looking right...at...you. 64 grams of pure ferocity staring you right in the eye.

So I'll try to be brief as I get all my thoughts lined up in a little row.

I make yarn. I love yarn. It's pathological that's all you need to know. I'm also a painter. I do some singing. I can embroider like nobodies business. I can swear like a sailor.
But the most exciting thing, the most excellent thing is I'm in the Brooklyn Flea!
http://www.brownstoner.com/brooklynflea/
See you there?