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.
Gift Guide
April 30, 2020

25 of the Best Mother’s Day Gifts You Can Only Find on Etsy

The hustle and bustle of modern life can be a challenge on the best days, but living far apart has added a new meaning to “quality family time.” So for Mother’s Day on May 11th (in the United States), they deserve something extra special. Etsy is the place to go for unique gifts, and they've got something for all of the most important women in your life—whether it’s your mom, mother-in-law, aunt, sister, or grandma.

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Creative Products
April 23, 2020

Man Builds Two Extra-Tall Cat Towers Spanning the Length of His Living Room

Connecticut resident Rob Coutu really loves his two cats. After noticing that one of his kitties, a Savannah breed named Zach, wanted a structure that would allow him to perch high and survey his kingdom from above, Coutu got to work designing him and his fellow feline an epic tall cat tree. Over the course of nearly a year, Coutu assembled two multi-story towers that are connected by way of a tiny footbridge.

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Painting
April 20, 2020

Adults Are Finding a Nostalgic Way to Creatively Relax With ‘Paint by Number’ Kits

When you hear the phrase “paint by number,” you’re most likely picturing the crafty activity you did as a kid. You’re imagining the canvases with detailed outlined drawings that are just waiting to be filled in with the small set of paints. It was a satisfying activity; by simply matching the numbers in the drawing with the numbered pigments, you created a fully realized picture.

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Sculpture
April 14, 2020

Endangered Butterfly Species Are Immortalized as One-of-a-Kind Glass Sculptures

Artist Laura Hart is fascinated by nature and the creatures that inhabit our earth. Inspired by fauna’s seemingly endless visual diversity, she celebrates this fact through striking glass art. Her Lepidoptera series depicts endangered and rare butterflies that are awe-inspiring in their attention to detail—especially in the way they highlight the visual variety of these insects.

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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.