I’m away on break again today to deal with some non-Indie Fixx stuff,  so Jessica Gonacha and Michele Maule are stepping in for me today. (Both are contributors to Feed Your Soul: the free art project, btw).

Jessica wrote a post for the Indie is the New Green column, in which she shares some tips with those of you with limited space for planting. After you read her post (and Michele’s), check out Jess’s latest venture called Pecannoot.

Michele shares some of her everyday inspirations for her art. I swear she can make the most mundane objects seem magical.

by guest contributor Jessica Gonacha

For many of you, this time of year means the beginning of spring. This is one of my favorite times of year– I love keeping an eye on the trees to see how fast the new leaves grow and watching the flowers poking out of the ground and the moss growing in cracks in the sidewalk. Springtime also means planting a garden, which is something I really missed last year since moving to Georgia and into an apartment. I had a thriving garden in Boulder (where I lived before), and I was so sad to say goodbye to it.

Gardens are wonderful. Growing your own fresh organic vegetables is not only good for you (body and spirit), but also for the planet. Think about all the fuel that’s used to bring fresh veggies to your local grocery store. And the pollution that’s added to the atmosphere. Planting and eating your own food is an all around good idea, plain and simple.

So this year, I’m determined to have a garden, even though I don’t have a yard. We do have a patio, though, and that’s good enough for me. Here are some ideas for how to get your green thumb on in a limited and maybe not-so-ideal space.

image from iaterris

1. Get an old tire (junk yard, local dump, maybe a tire store will give you one for free…), place it on your patio, fill it with organic soil, plant some seeds or plants, and voila! Your own mini garden patch. Maybe not the most aesthetically pleasing option, but it’ll certainly work!

images from left to right —gardeningtipsnideas.com, Howstuffworks.com and loxstockandbarrel.com

2. Plant an herb garden in a barrel, wooden container, or even a large colander! You can get very creative and use any type of container you want! Just make sure there’s a way for water to drain out.

image from planetbods.com

3. If you’re in an apartment with a porch, you can plant some green beans or peas in pots that will grow up poles/vines. Place the pots next to the porch fence, and watch the beans twist up the posts as they grow! (I’ll definitely be doing this one.) Check out this one for inspiration!

images from left to right — Sunset.com and Howstuffworks.com

4. And if you’re like me, you might just want to get some different sized, mismatched pots, grab some organic seeds, and plant some different things to see what happens! If you’d like to learn more about what types of plants/food like to grow next to each other first, I’d recommend checking out the Golden Harvest Organics website and this article for a list of which veggies grow well in containers.

Happy planting!!

About the contributor: Jessica Gonacha is an artist from Atlanta, Georgia who is endlessly creating. Her work includes paintings, drawings, illustrations, paper goods andd more and can be described as vibrant, colorful, and charming. Her work can be found on her site, in her Etsy shop and in various online and brick and mortar boutiques . You can also read more about Jessica and her work on her blog called Treasuring. Also be sure to visit Pecannoot an homage to abundance and how we define it.

by guest contributor Michele Maule

Hello everyone! My name is Michele Maule, and I run michelemaule.etsy.com (and also my blog, how 2 draw a cup of coffee). Jen asked me if I would like to write a guest blog entry for the day, and of course I said yes! I love guest blogging

So, I’m going to blog about what inspires me to paint, or make art. There are several things that really inspire me. One of the most influential things in my art is what surrounds me. The place I live. My home, my town, my city.  These things have a huge impact on me thus they have quite an impact on what I paint.

I moved around a lot as a kid and Portland was the first place that I actually called home, it was the longest that I had ever lived anywhere. It was my home, and I loved making art about it.

About a year and a half ago my partner and I moved to Pontiac, Michigan, because he was accepted into a really great MFA program here. I knew the move would be hard, but I knew that it would be harder to stay behind…so I packed up and moved with him. It has been really difficult though. The hardest thing for me has been the loneliness that comes with living here. Don’t get me wrong. I really love spending time alone. However, it’s one thing to want to spend time alone, and a completely different thing to have to spend time alone…Michael spends a lot of time in the studio, and making friends has never been one of my strong points. It’s even harder when you live in an abandoned city, with no car.

That has been the main theme in my work for the past year and a half. Loneliness and missing home. So, these are some of the photos that I took that were the inspiration for this latest series of work.

The mustard chair is Michael’s, and the brown chair (it’s really cream colored, but I like it brown better) is mine. We both spend quite a bit of time in these chairs, and I thought they would be great to represent each other.

I also love using my shoes to represent me. One of the first phrases I can remember learning from one of my first boyfriends was that you could tell a lot from someone by the shoes they wear. I’m still not sure how true this theory is…but for some reason I always think about that…

In some of my other works, I love using things that are considered outdated technology wise. Old typewriters, telephones, cameras that require film.

All of these things used to be considered the top of the line machines, and now most of them are tossed aside and forgotten. I feel like maybe they might be lonely too…

When I was little I use to think that all inanimate objects had feelings, and I guess that part of me has never really left. So I paint them, and they all seem to have their own personalities, which I really love.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about me and my work! Thanks to Jen for letting guest blog today! I hope you all have a great week! Love, Michele!

About the contributor:  Michele Maule has been making art for over ten years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in art from Portland State University. Her specialty is printmaking and collage, but she also loves to paint and book bind. You can find her work in her Etsy shop, on her blog and on flickr.  She also contributed to the Feed Your Soul Project.

I’m taking a little break this week to attend to some personal stuff, but don’t worry I have a full schedule of Guest Bloggers lined up for you so there will be plenty to read!  I will be at home (no fun vacay for me), so I will also be checking in a little bit as well from time to time.

Today Michelle Engel Bencsko of Cicada Studio is sharing a wonderfully colorful treat! Michelle just launched her latest venture Cloud9 Fabrics, which she co-founded with Gina Pantastico.  The ladies started Cloud9 with the goal of to producing eco-friendly, affordable, organically produced fabrics for the crafting/sewing community.

by guest contributor Michelle Engel Bencsko of Cicada Studio

Color studies has always been one of my favorite art subjects. It’s most likely that if you ask me to look at something, the first thing I’ll notice is color (followed closely by balance and form). Spring has a way of elevating this perception at every glance; even in the gray of a rainy March day, the bright chartreuse shoots pop off the dark damp earth. Coral buds strike against their woody stems. Yellow petals start peeking through. Regal purple splashes across hay-colored lawns. The world is going technicolor, and my eyes and spirit are reawakened!In honor of the upcoming symphony of color that we’ll be privileged to view in the next few weeks I’d like to share some of the splashes of color I’ve been collecting over the mono-toned winter months.

1- Mod Square Quilted Pillow Cover by Silly Boo Dilly 

2- Orange Mari Teapot Cozy by Kalla 

3- Mustard Mary Jane House Shoes by Elephant and Chickpea 

4- Porcelain Sale Cellar by Clay Swan 

5- Spring Has Sprung Pillow Cover by Home Sweet 

6- Felted Wool Stones in Rustic Turquoise by Lil Fish Studio 

7- Recipe Greeting Card by Epicerie

8- Mini Frame Pouch in Daisy’s on Purple by Oktak 

9- Sketchbook in Totem Fabric in Fuchsia by Summersville 

About the contributor: Michelle Engel Bencsko is a textile designer and graphic artist for Cicada Studio, her self-owned and operated company. You can find her exclusive textile print collections in her Etsy shop  and her licensed quilt fabric collections at Henry Glass & Co.  She resides in New Jersey with her husband and two sons. She’s also dedicated to her blog, Cicada Daydream, which she keeps up daily.

The last of March’s Feed Your Soul: the free art project downloads!  March was ‘in like a lion..’ but it’s going out like a bunch of birds! This is just lovely and I’ve already printed mine out to hang.

About Nancy Mungcal - Nancy is the artist behind Pretty Little Thieves. She draws, cuts, pastes, colors and prints. She loves the tools of her trade….Helvetica, Kraft and graph paper, Pantone colors, black pens, 05 pencils, markers and notebooks. And also, illustration, graphics, hand drawing, patterns, art, nature, animals, travel and especially music. She also believe that one can never have too many books. You can see more of Nancy’s lovely and intriguing work her on website, in her Etsy Shop, on flickr and on her blog.

1. How do you describe your work?

Through drawing, painting, cut and pasting, I tend to explore recurring themes of duality, duplicity, heartache, loss and friendship. Repetitive patterns, organic shapes, girls (often times conjoined), and animals (especially wolves and bears)  express the images in my head.

2. What are your inspirations in your art and life?

This list is endless, but the short list would be the usual suspects of family, friends, art, music, literature, travel and nature.

3. What do you do to help feed your soul?

Doing things for others; staying hopeful, positive and optimistic; listening to a lot of music; reading; traveling as much as I can; and making things.

Download Nancy Mungcal’s Feed Your Soul contribution HERE!

I am tired of that”R” word…recession. Now, you made me say it. I’m tired of hearing all the doom and gloom and of all the finger pointing and of all the downright negative crap.  I just don’t think my spirit can take anymore it. I want the world to be all faeries and light and chocolate lollipops. And while I know it’s not,  I just want to pretend anyway. But seriously, I think it’s important to step back and try to put things in perspective, count your blessings, look for the silver lining or whatever your catch phrase of choice is.

To that end. I’m doing 3 things.

1. Sharing some of the things you all do to feed your souls. Remember back here I asked you for your help.
2.  Sharing some of stuff you guys are doing to take a bite out of the “R” word and to save money.
3. Finally, I am sharing a very special Feed Your Soul and Boycott the Recession Contest. Each month, for at least the next few months, I will be giving away books donated by Chronicle Books. Great feeders of souls in my book, (no pun intended), the fab folks over at Chronicle Books offered to donate some of their wonderful titles as their way to participate in the Feed Your Soul Project.

Here’s what you can win this month…

Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea by Alice Waters

Wallpaper Projects: More than 50 Craft and Design Ideas for Your Home, from Accents to Art by Derek Fagerstrom

Stitchable Stationery from Jenny Hart

How to win:

Leave a comment on this post with something that you do that feeds your soul or something that you are doing now to save money.  Leave as many comments as you’d like, each will be counted as an entry, so leaving multiple comments will help your chances of winning. I will picking one random commenter to win the prize. This contest will end April 9th at 11:59 pm. This contest is open to international entrants.

So now, how do you feed your soul?

Jaime from Glue Girl —

~~~  “Eat (lots of pasta, bread, cheese, & chocolate) & talk to my friends (Not just say “I’m doing fine.” But actually talk about how I am really doing. It helps a lot to be honest with your friends and yourself.)” ~~~

Wendi Gratz —

~~~  “Feeding the soul is more complicated. I quit my full-time job (with loads of travel) last fall and took a part time administrative job at Penland School of Crafts so I could spend more time on my art. Penland’s campus is beautiful and I try to go for a walk every day - even when it’s cold out - to remind myself how lucky I am to be in such a beautiful place, surrounded by such talented people. And I’m trying to spend a full day every week (and at least a little time every night) in my studio. I feel like my work is finally starting to come together into something coherent and that’s really satisfying.” ~~~

What are you doing to help you save money?

Tara from Handmade in PA —

~~~ “I’ve tried to make as many of my coffee shop splurges at home as possible. Of course, I make my coffee at home instead of buying it out. But, I’ve also learned to make bagels, breakfast bars, and granola from scratch at home. When you’re excited about what’s waiting for you in the fridge or pantry, it’s much less tempting to spend money on treats out.” ~~~

Lisa from Handing Out Hope —

~~~  “My social life is pretty important to my sanity. However, so is being able to make my car payment and rent and little things like that. So, my friends and I have cut down our expenses by having a lot more video/game nights. We all bring fun things to do and hang out thereby skipping parking fees, cover charges, drinks, tips and usually some gas money.” ~~~

That’s it for now! Periodically throughout the month, I will be sharing some more of your suggestions. Thanks you to Chronicle Books for their wonderful donation!

Oh, there are so many made up holidays that I could come up with to convince someone to buy me this Letterpress Recipe Cards & Box Set from One Canoe Two. Hmm, how about Crazy Cat Lady Day, which is today btw?! Or how about National Treat Your Favorite Blogger to Letterpress Day, which I believe is next month?! Or maybe International I Ate a Sandwich Today Day, which is just about every day of the year!?

Or maybe, today is actually Mr. Indie Fixx Should Buy These For Me For My Birthday, But Give Them to Me Early, Because He Likes Me to Be Happy and Also Likes to Eat Day!!!!!

What holidays can you make up to justify this purchase?