Posts by Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. She is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art where she earned her BFA in Illustration and MFA in Illustration Practice. Sara is also an embroidery illustrator and writer living in Seattle, Washington. She runs Bear&Bean, a studio where she stitches pet portraits and other beloved creatures. She chronicles the creativity of others through her website Brown Paper Bag and newsletter, Orts. Her latest book is Threads of Treasure: How to Make, Mend, and Find Meaning Through Thread, published in 2014. Sara’s work has been recognized in Be Creative With Workbox, Embroidery Magazine, American Illustration, on Iron and Wine’s album Beast Epic, among others. When she’s not stitching or writing, Sara enjoys planning things that bring together the craft community. She is the co-founder of Camp Craftaway, a day camp for crafty adults with hands-on workshops in the Seattle area.
Photography
February 27, 2017

Portable ‘LAB BOX’ Lets You Develop Film at Home Without a Darkroom

With the advent of digital photography, developing your own film is becoming something of a lost art. One of the hurdles to doing so is having a dark room to initially load your film for processing—without the danger of exposing it to light, and thereby ruining the film. (And if you’ve ever done this, you know that it takes some practice to get right).

Read Article

Technology
February 23, 2017

World’s First Braille Smartwatch has Tactile Dots for Users to Feel Messages on Screen

There’s a new smartwatch called Dot hitting the shelves that’s designed specifically for people who are blind. It’s a sleek-looking device that represents a different direction for assistive smartwatches. Many of these timepieces have previously relied on audio prompts, but instead, the Dot displays braille text. The circular face can exhibit four characters on the screen at a time—this makes the braille watch the first of its kind.

Read Article

DIY
February 22, 2017

DIY Wood and Resin Bowl Captures the Beauty of a Shimmering Ocean Shore

Artisan Peter Brown is a self-proclaimed “geek with a full set of power tools” who takes advantage of his knowledge and skills to create gorgeous DIY projects. With an incredible attention to detail and skillful hand, he’s recently produced a wooden bowl that glistens with blue resin dancing around its edge. Inspired by secret wood rings, he wanted to produce something similar on a larger scale.

Read Article

Art
February 20, 2017

Enchanting Flowers Suspended in Light Bulbs Glisten Like Precious Jewels

Flower artist and medical researcher Rie Okitsu has created a way to enjoy beautiful blooms in an unlikely setting—via Edison-style light bulbs. Through their company the Flowerium, they seemingly freeze bouquets in time. Delicate petals are suspended in special liquid that allows them to maintain their vibrancy for a long time. As they gently sway in the unique flower light bulb vase, the petals shine like jewels.

Read Article

My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.