There is something about unearthing a thing with your own dirty paws that transforms the simplest of objects into pure magic.

     As we drove past Amish farms and families, on our way to the Amethyst Field (part of a private Amish farm) in Lancaster early Saturday morning in post-rain-perfection, my mind wandered to The Foundlings Collection that we were launching 3 hours from then. We passed horses and buggies, families dressed in black and white, and a very tiny Mennonite school established in the 1800s. Everything was simple and beautiful and open, and the earth smelled clean and loved. It could have been 1919—except for our car and Aldous Harding singing. As we wandered through the Amish community I wondered if any parents or grandparents of the very people we were passing had painted any of the animals and plants and creatures we were celebrating, since they were made 100+ years ago, in this very area. I wanted to ask someone, but I thought it would be intrusive, so we passed through.

     We arrived at the farm that glorious overcast morning and parked in the alfalfa field by the Delaware Mineralogical Society's makeshift cardboard sign. When we stepped onto the freshly plowed and rained-upon field with our antique tools (which had been left in our new old house by the family before us, or the family before them), the earth fairly sparkled with purple gems—but we didn’t see them yet. First you must clear your expectations, then comes a finding, and soon enough, you can’t not see them. Within a few hours our Hunter Satchels were brimming with earthly magic: Amethyst, Smokey Quartz, regular Quartz, Feldspar, and mystery minerals.

     We gathered with some families from Open Connections and within a few hours everyone was sitting in the muddy fields chattering and inspecting their finds. By the time the sun broke through the clouds, Søren and Silas were thirsty and hungry, so we walked back to the alfalfa field where they sat in the trunk of the Subaru and ate lunch. I headed back to the field to retrieve a forgotten antique and found a few groups of determined treasure hunters who remained, one of which found the biggest Amethyst of the day—had Amethyst fever, and couldn't stop searching. Another group was digging a trench that looked more intentional than the rest of the holes scattered throughout the field. I asked about their digging—it turns out they are part of the Friends of Mineralogy, Penna Chapter, and, like so many geologists and rock lovers we’ve encountered, they were happy to share their knowledge. They told me about saddles and folds and intersecting ditches, but, being foundationless in this complex science, the information trickled through me like the dirt through so many sieves that morning.

     I returned to Søren and Silas, who were not bored as I feared, but hanging out with the other boys. We set off for home, covered in dirt, (after stopping for ice-cream of course) where we were greeted by Walter, also covered in dirt (from our garden-to-be) who photographed us as we tooth-brushed our finds.

Postscript: I posted this on Instagram @thebrotherskent and on FB and received a lot of questions (public and private) about the site. This is private land, and the family was kind enough to share it. I would recommend you look into mineralogical societies near you. There are chapters all over the US, and they are amazing resources! The PA and DE chapter cost $25 per family for a year. There are many field trips and educational meetings. Links are above!

The Studio is our favorite room. It is filled to the brim with paints, brushes, pens, pencils, journals, blank canvases and possibilities. Books of artists who have struggled through paint and brush long before us lay open to inspire and mentor. Each material and tool is waiting to be used, standing impatiently in their caddies, artist rolls and pouches. Our journals, beckoning from our desks, extract what is trapped in our minds as each day begins with hopes of greatness!

Need Inspiration to help fill your blank pages? Join us as we participate in two instagram challenges: #marchmeetthemaker and #100dayproject.

Lewis and Clark Expedition Stool	Waxed Canvas Tote

Medium Desk Caddy in Maple	The Harper Journal

Anselm Landscape Journal	Landis Wall Caddy

Beatrix Artist Caddy	Drafter Pouch

Sendak Mini Artist Roll	Mini Artist Sketchbook

I have been determined to write outside of my journal more and share on our blog, but paralyzed with this need to find a beginning. There is no beginning, just an ongoing. I have to jump in. It feels a little like double dutch, which I was never very good at.  But here it goes...

Last Monday — a bitter cold and damp Monday — Søren, Silas, Jacey, Ted, Shep, and I went in search of a mineral dump from the French Creek Mines at St. Peters Village. We heard of Magnetite and Calcite and Malachite buried there — unwanted minerals from the old iron ore digs. We found a deer skull (the entire deer skeleton buried beneath a blanket of rotting leaves), Jacey fell in the frigid creek, and we met a Woodsman Uncle with his niece and nephew – he was teaching them how to find shed antlers. He told us all about collecting things from the earth - from Native American arrowheads on the farm he grew up on in Phoenixville, Penna, to bottles from privies, naturally shed antlers and rocks. He went on about his love for digging and the past and the woods, and how he lines his multi-coloured bottles on his windowsills so that when the sun comes through multi-coloured light spills into his house. He boasted of a collection of thousands of bits and ended his monologue exclaiming, “I love this world.” What a joy it was to meet Carl.

After 5 hours of wandering through endless Japanese Barberry, Multi Flora Rose, and brambles, we exited through the corn field and ended our search with a much needed cold picnic.

This is our first year of homeschooling, but we've been explorers all along. The search for minerals began with Silas finding quartzite in a flea market parking lot* and quickly also became one with a Peg and Awl project in the works (for 2 years!) I shall not yet divulge our plan, but for now wish to share our adventures.

We would love to hear about your expeditions near or far! The blog thing is new to me, let's see how this goes... It feels like a journal — without the satisfying scritchy scratchy of pen and paper.

-Margaux

*3 May, 2018 Instagram @thebrotherskent

Stepping out of our car on a breezy Sunday morning into a parking lot full of regular parking lot rocks, Silas spied a slightly green one. He put in in his pocket and upon returning home put some lemon juice on it. He and Søren identified it as Green Quartzite and that marked the beginning of our new adventure – or re-adventure – into the world of rocks! This summer will now include a gem show and a dig in North Carolina. It will involve handmade Rock books and magnifying glasses and an even closer look at the ground. And, as always, heavy Hunter Satchels. I cannot wait. And the best part of this journeying is we need not stop when summer is over. #homeschooling , we’ve got this. 

When we make new objects for Peg and Awl, we don't set out to make. They come about through exploration and need. We pull from life. There is rarely a moment when Walter and I get together and say, "what should we make next for Peg and Awl?" 

The same is true for our lives. As I look through my photographs from 2018, this year seems to be all about art, journaling, exploring, curiosity, and finding our way together, as a family, as small business owners, and as makers. We were clearing a path for ourselves and didn’t even realize we were on the move...

Stepping out of our car one breezy Sunday morning into a flea market parking lot full of regular parking lot rocks, Silas spied a slightly green one. He put in in his pocket and upon returning home, he put some lemon juice on it. He and Søren (with the help of the internet) identified it as Green Quartzite and that marked the beginning of our new adventure – or re-adventure – into the world of rocks! Our Summer and Fall and on came to include gem shows, mines, hand stitched books and identification cards, magnifying glasses, and an even closer look at the ground.

And, as always, heavy Hunter Satchels. 

Most importantly, as I think back, that green rock seemed to confirm our decision to jump into the world of homeschooling. 

And homeschooling, it seems with the help of these rocks and the histories they hold, seemed to have lead the way to our deciding to vacate city living and officially become Country Bumpkins! We are moving house! Soon - and completely unexpected. I shall share more in time, but expect to see a whole new world of Peg and Awl treasures in 2019!

A little moment from a summer adventure to Calvert Cliffs, MD, where we found fossils and rocks and nests and bugs and dragged our bodies across unfamiliar landscapes to uncover the tiniest sampling of the world’s treasures. The endlessness of it all is breath taking. I want to explore more than I could possibly explore in a life time and find myself often - literally - not breathing. 

Kempton, PA. Another close-to-home adventure! We encourage our boys to keep journals. Søren made his own whilst Silas went shopping at Peg and Awl!

Drawing in VA, the end of our summer road-tripping.

PS: We listened to this on the way home: http://freakonomics.com/podcast/creativity-2/

Last week’s Birthday and Father’s Day adventuring led us to a farm house in PA built in the 1700s. I must confess, while the art of slow living sounds delightful, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I just spent 5 days with my family shuffling from one adventure to another. We all love moving – seeing all that we can see and doing all that we can do – until we collapse.

Our work is often disguised as adventure and vacation, or the other way around. I cannot quite tell which way is up, but it gives me purpose. And, of course, everything in life is how you frame it. I believe we divide too much in our modern world. We’ve got time for work and time for school, and if we are lucky – time for family and if we are REALLY lucky, time for ourselves. So happy that I can call drawing and journaling with Søren, Silas, and Walter in Kempton, PA – along with fossil finding, kayaking, flea marketing, Crystal Caving and concert going – work, school, AND family time.

Small Hunter Satchel	Leather Journals
Anselm Bookbinding Kit	Little Rogue Backpack
The Sendak Artist Roll	Weekender

For most of my life I’ve carried things to keep me occupied – often in the form of books. They offered entertainment when stuck in a line or having arrived somewhere early – which I always did. I was pleased to be lost in a story or scribbling in a journal – unaware of the wait.

So, when the idea for The Sendak took hold, I was excited at the thought of bringing more organized ‘things to do’ on outings. And we’ve discovered, whilst perfect for the solo artist, The Sendak also turns out to be a sensational family centerpiece! For us it’s been fun way to engage with hungry boys during The Waiting at a restaurant, a lifesaver on long car rides, and ever-exciting to unfold and repack for each excursion.

The more often we open our Sendak, the less often we get caught ‘Blue-facing’ – our family name for phone and tablet excess. Our hands criss-cross as we reach for coloured pencils, pens, erasers, and our minds ignite – pass your paper to the right, a round of exquisite corpse anyone?

Whether your Sendak brings your own family together or accompanies you on solo en plein air excursions we know one thing: People dig ’em, ’cause we’ve been sending them out as quickly as we can make them!

The Sendak Artist Roll	All Black Sendak Artist Roll

We’ve been delighted to see everyone sharing their Sendaks in the wild and are psyched to share some of the amazing artists + makers who have put theirs to good use!

Don’t forget to #pegandawl so we can share yours!

Darla’s work is among my very favourite! I love seeing her All Black Sendak all clay-y and Darla-style. See a video of her and her latest project here and visit her website here!

Thanks to Luna Howell for this thorough and beautifully photographed review of the Sendak! So nice to see her work and read her feedback!

Lovely Samantha Dion Baker, whom I met this winter at the Philadelphia Flower Show (I knew her via IG only prior!) never ceases to amaze with her Sketch Journal pages. And she has a new book coming out called Draw Your Day! Preorders are awesome for artists, so if this sounds awesome, get yours here!

Yulia, one of the most enthusiastic Peg and Awl supporters was invited to Japan to participate in New York Fair and her and her husband are exploring Japan for the month completely bedecked Peg and Awl!

I always enjoy following along with fellow daily journaler Catharine MiSook and her endless stream of analog love!

It is always a delight to converse with Moneeza, Founder of Lotus Blu Book Art, A small family run artisan bindery based in West Yorkshire England. The Sendak looks right at home here!

Thanks to everyone who is sharing photograph of their Sendaks in use! Use #pegandawl or tag us @pegandawl ! I LOVE sharing your beautiful photographs and spaces in my stories and feed and am always on the lookout for more!

Spring is finally here and as we look out of our kitchen window we see our happy city boys, country-like, on our Olde-Fashioned Tree Swing, spinning, piling-up, climbing and sometimes even swinging!

We love looking at simple useful objects from the past for the stories they contain and the stories and life they can give. Our Tree Swing is exactly that, and a perfect example of an object we used to make for ourselves and now we make for everyone!

We have sent our swings across the world where they hang in backyards, grandparents’ homes, porches, offices, living rooms, and historic parks like Bartram’s Garden. They’ve made beautiful props for weddings and all kinds of photoshoots. With our Tree Swings, we have been able to share the joy that we saw in our boys’ eyes when we made the first 8 years ago!

Olde-Fashioned Tree Swing	Tree Swing for One