Every picture has a story - rice rafferty- the story of us ;~)

We're the rice rafferty girls - aka the real Gilmore Girls. We're not the typical mother/daughter we even share the same names.  Kara's middle name is my maiden name hence we share the names rice & rafferty. Since neither of us have a sister so we're best friends and actually enjoy hanging out together. While each of has our own friends we share; inside jokes, love watching foreign and old movies together, attend concerts, cook, garden, work on our designs, and doing our own photo shoots.

We share cross generational information. I took Kara to see Cyndi Lauper, Leon Russell & Mikhail Baryshnikov. Last week Kara took me to an Ingrid Michaelson concert to meet up with her friends. Tonight we're going to see Rusted Root at the Lockport Canal Fest!

We even went to colleges together. When we were looking at art colleges for Kara, I answered the nagging call that I had unfinished business to do. The same day Kara started at University at Buffalo, I entered classes at Buffalo State College. We  shared a joke that morning from Romey and Michele's High School Reunion, " If this doesn't work out, you want to fold scarves ?" It was actually worked out really well because we would share information, critiqued each others work, and share supplies. Kara's university education was more conceptual while my college program was stronger with craft and technique. Together we were able to fill in the gaps everyone finds in their education. This is when our serious art work camp began.

Kara's silk screening class projects were heavily influenced by my fiber background. While the professor had all of his students printing on paper, Kara was off silk screening on t-shirts, up cycled denim skirts and even created her own fabric then made a bras to ward off breast cancer.  From handmade paper which I taught Kara to make, she silk screened her designs then built into lamps for her Senior BFA Thesis Project. Graphic design became more interesting for her when she combined fiber elements - embroidering book covers, binding handmade books, and scanning in interesting textures.

After graduation Kara began working graphic design jobs while I taught classes for two years at my college fiber design program. Working fulltime jobs left less time to make handmade items at first, but Kara quickly learned she also finds joy in the making.  I kept designing devore scarves, working with fiber reactive dyes and burning out the designs.  As Kara would assist me with the process we soon began a partnership that keeps building. Kara designs the business cards, labels and websites. I keep making new garments, statement necklaces and devore scarves.

Always hungry for knowledge, in fall 2008 I moved to Savannah to attend Savannah College of Art and Design masters fiber program.   Kara stayed in Buffalo working as a Graphic Designer. We were miserable apart.  Kara kept researching about textile and accessory businesses while I was gathering information @ SCAD. Last June I returned home full of ideas and armed with more knowledge we started working on more projects together and that is how rice rafferty our cottage industry was born. We specialize in making one of a kind accessories items; statement necklaces, devore scarves, silk scarves, copper jewelry, hair accessories, aprons and tutus.