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.
Art
December 25, 2014

Playful Drawings Pair Animals with Sign Language Alphabet

Chicago-based illustrator Alex Solis teaches us American Sign Language with the help of charming and colorful drawings. Combining photography and his cartoonish style, Solis adds small critters to pictures of hands that form different letters of the sign language alphabet. The animals playfully interact with each hand that corresponds with the first letter of their name. Solis' imaginative drawings feature octopuses, zebras, unicorns, and many more.

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Photography
December 2, 2014

Oddly Charming Photos of How Teddy Bears Look Turned Inside Out

As a kid (or even as an adult), you probably had/have a favorite stuffed animal. Maybe it was one that you always slept with, or it was even your best friend. If you were ever curious what that creature's insides looked like, well, wonder no more. Brooklyn-based photographer Kent Rogowski turned stuffed animals inside out and revealed their inner workings for his series titled Bears. The results are simultaneously fascinating and strange.

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Design
November 22, 2014

Infographic Visualizes Which Countries are the World's Happiest

Which country is the happiest in the world? To find the answer, you simply need to look at this infographic published by MoveHub.com, a resource for people who want to live abroad. They visualized the data of Happy Planet Index (HPI), which shows to what extent 151 countries across the globe produce long, happy, and sustainable lives for their citizens. The index measures three components: life expectancy, experience well-being, and Ecological Footprint.

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Creative Products
November 15, 2014

Custom-Built BBQ Smoker Looks and Sounds like a Real Train

Steve, a retired iron worker from northern Illinois, is taking backyard barbecuing to the next level, and custom built himself a large smoker over the course of three years. But, this isn't just your average piece of equipment – it's one that looks like an old-fashioned steam engine! Reddit user DrewCIL, Steve's son, originally posted about the video on the site, and people have understandably been very impressed with his dad's handiwork.

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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.