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Book Review and Giveaway: Vintage Craft Workshop

We picked a winner and it's...Missy! Congrats! I'll be sending you an email shortly.

Can you tell it's Spring craft book season? Hope you guys are enjoying all these giveaways, there sure are some fantastic books out right now!

Cathy Callahan is one super-crafty lady and she wrote one super-retrolicious (yes, I think that's a word) book called Vintage Craft Workshop. Cathy specializes in all crafty things of the '60s and '70s and she knows her stuff: the premise of this book is a selection of crafts that were big in those decades "updated" by todays' crafters and makers. Full disclosure: I am one of those crafters.

I thought it would be fun to talk a little bit about the process of making a project for the book. It was really cool to take an amazing piece of work from the past and make it my own.

Cathy showed me this image of a bag first and told me that it could be updated in any way but that it should pay homage to the original and it needed to be made of burlap (a much loved material of the '60s and '70s.
I loved that the book looked like a fishing net but I wanted to make it a little bit "prettier" so I made some fish out of Liberty fabrics and wool felt and appliqued them to the bag instead of having them hang off the bag. So here's what I came up with!

Here's a favorite of mine for the book by artist Laura Normandin. First the inspiration, then her take on it.


Really, the best part of the book is getting some insight into the history of these crafts and seeing the inspiration behind each person's project.

Cathy's Mushroom Pincushions are nearly legendary at craft fairs and so it was very fitting for Susan Beal to remake one for her contribution and it was a trip to hear that the Flower Wastepaper Basket that Cathy made was a tribute to the same ones her mom made from old Baskin Robbins cartons!

Oh and if my endorsement is enough: Amy Sedaris loves this book!

Now for the best part: Chronicle Books gave me a copy of the book to give away! All you have to do is leave a comment below and tell me this: are you inspired by crafts of the past? How do you incorporate them into what you do? Just leave a comment by next Friday, May 27th at 5 pm EST.

Keep following Cathy's blog tour tomorrow with Mod Podge Rocks!

 

Book Review and Giveaway: World of Geekcraft

We picked a winner and it's....Anna! Congrats! I'll be sending you an email soon...

I am very excited to join Susan Beal's book tour for World of Geekcraft (Chronicle Books), not just because I have a project in it with my husband, but because it's just full of clever and witty projects and geek-tastic ideas.

hysterical star wars terrariums by susan beal

  needle felted solar system by rachel hobson

yes! lost-craft!! lost tin can telephones and swan station logbook by ryan and lucy berkely

A confession: I am sort of an undercover nerd. I like to pretend that I am way to cool for school but I usually blow my own cover. Case in point: a couple of weeks ago, I was in a comic book shop with my husband, bored out of my mind, until I caught a glimpse of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics. I ended up having a totally long-winded and incredibly nerdy converstation with the owner about the Buffy-verse and how well the comics followed or didn't follow the Buffy story. Total. Nerd. Alert.

buffy fuse bead portrait!! by shayne rioux

er-geek-onomic mouse pad by me and mr. love forever! 

My husband is a completely out and proud nerd. He's played many a heated game of Dungeons and Dragons, reads sci-fi and TK. I nearly lost him for a few years when World of Warcraft came out. He is also an accomplihed bread maker, screen printer, beer brewer, bike fixer and all around renaissance guy. That's why it was so amazing to work with him on a project for Susan Beal's book, World of Geekcraft. Not only does he really helps me let my geek flag fly but he comes up with ideas I never could have thought of. Like, a wooden mousepad with a painted sword and a leather wrist rest.

So here's the really fun part- the giveaway! Susan asked all her contributors what their best geeky memory was for the book (Mine? Meeting my husband!) and I would love to hear yours. Don't worry if you don't love computers or science fiction, you can geek out on pretty much anything right?

Leave a comment below by next Monday May 16th at 5 pm est and we'll pick a winner then send you the book!

And be sure to follow the blog tour to learn more about the book (and maybe get more chances to win the book!) Tomorrow, Friday, May 13  it's House on Hill Road & Public School!

 

 

Book Review and Giveaway: Modern Log Cabin Quilting

It's not very often that I get a craft book in the mail and immediately get to work on not one, but two of the projects inside, but that's exactly what happened with Modern Log Cabin Quilting (Potter Craft) by Susan Beal. Full disclosure: Susan is a good friend of mine, so I'm not totally unbiased but still, I absolutely love this book- Susan is an amazing crafter and an awesome teacher. You will have tons of fun with this book.





I've always been a little bit of a renegade quilter, I've never followed a pattern and just sort of patch things together at random. The world of quilt patterns has always mystified and fascinated me but I wrote off patterns as something that a person with much better math skills than I should tackle. This book makes it totally easy to understand and get right into and log cabin is such a cool quilt style with a million variations.

Speaking of variations, it really is amazing how many there are in log cabin quilting, from the very traditional to the totally modern. In all her projects, Susan shows such skill with balancing color and pattern too- quilts are so personal so it's cool to see that just a shift in color or print makes for a quilt that is totally your own.



My first stab at the log cabin was this Everything-in-One-Place Zip Bag (original above, my version below!). I love any project that puts my giant tubs of fabric scraps to good use- I could make these bags a million times and never have two that look alike, that's how much fabric I have. And actually I might- they make great gifts!

My second project needs to remain a secret at the moment- it's a present for a very special mom of mine and can only be revealed at a later date!





There are some larger projects in Modern Log Cabin Quilting too- several seriously gorgeous quilts that I would love to make when I set aside the time. I think the Anniversary quilt is my favorite- what an amazingly thoughtful gift this would be! Oh, but I also love the Vintage Linens quilt- so bright and happy.

So now for the giveaway part! I'm giving away one copy of this book to a lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me and Susan about you and quilting: are you an expert? a total novice? Does quilting run in your family? Whatever you want, I'd love to hear it! Then I'll pick a winner and send that person the book! Easy right?

Comments close on Monday April 11th at 5 pm EST.

 

 

Giveaway! Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night

OK, I love this book! Beasties by Diana Schoenbrun teaches you how to make 22 legendary, otherwordly, spooky or otherwise mystic creatures using really simple materials like scraps of fabric and thread. Combining a love of monsters and their portrayal in art, film and books with some serious mad crafty skills, Diana does a fantastic job of bringing each of these characters to life.

I also love, love, love that she created crafty sets for each of her creatures in the book. Such an original and cool way to do a photoshoot- perfect too for this book!

You can fnd out where to buy the book here and find out more about Diana here.

And now to giveaway part: Thanks to Diana I have one copy of Beasties to give away! Please leave a comment below telling me (and Diana too!) what your favorite monster is. Comments close on Monday March 28th at 5 pm est and then I'll randomly pick a winner! It's as simple as that.

 

 

Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts: Art vs. craft and a Giveaway too!

World renowned quilter Kaffe Fasset has a new book out called Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts (Stewart, Tabori and Chang), and oh boy, are they spectacular! That's one of the things I love about quilts: that very simple fabric circles, squares and diamonds can be sewn together to become these mesmorizing works of art. 

I love the way the quilts are photographed in the book (by Debbie Patterson) and I really love the spreads where Kaffe shows his inspiration: tiles, cobblestone streets, piles of shipping containers. You can very clearly see how these photographs translate perfectly into quilts.

Speaking of art, I asked Kaffe if he thinks what he does is Art with a capital A and here's what he said:

I'm not trying to create a deep art statement through my craft, but I suppose it’s as much art as you wish to make it. I am deeply challenged and satisfied by the task of putting as much beauty and wit as I can into a traditional form. I feel after 40 years being involved with so called craft that I'm not anywhere near bored with making use of my hands to create further variations on my themes—the most important of which, to me, is colour. Colour is deeply mysterious and has the power to transform our level of consciousness, which, isn’t that what art does? The same as poetry and sonata forms are to writers and musicians, colour is really my subject in all I do, and that is a never ending study. There must be something to it or I'm sure I'd have dried up years ago.

I guess that brings up an important question: is art defined by the audience, the beholder or is defined by the artist who makes it? Does it even matter if you love what you are creating?
I think a lot of people who make things don't think consciously about making art but just because it's subconscious doesn't mean it isn't happening. I personally have a pretty broad definition of art: I think any original act of creation and expression that comes from within is art. As much as I love the art that hangs on the walls of museums, art exists in many many other places. Without that belief, I'm not quite sure where I would be.

If you would like to get direct feedback on your quilt-making skills from Kaffe and his co-author Liza Prior Lucy, join his quilt-along!

And now for the giveaway!! Please leave a comment below and let us know: is there a difference between art and craft? What is it?

Comments close on Monday the 24th at 5pm. Good luck!!

Book Giveaway! The Handmade Marketplace

And the winner is: Laila! Congrats to you- I will be sending out a copy of this book shortly!

Whether you are looking for craft-world domination or just to make a little extra pin money, ifyou have ever dreamed of selling your handknit scarves, felt ipod cozies or appliquéd tote bags, The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell your Crafts Locally, Globally and Online by Kari Chapin (Storey Publishing), is a must-have reference. With chapters on branding, marketing and craft fairs and advice from DIY luminaries such as Diane Gilleland, Emily Martin (who also does some of the illustrations!) and Holly Becker, this book prepares you for for the ups and downs of selling your wares.

 

Boy, I wish there was a book like this when I started making stuff! As Amy Sedaris says on the back cover, "Thanks to this terrific book, I am prepared to make a fortune selling my googly-eyed peanuts." Hah!

The deal is: I have one copy of The Handmade Marketplace to give away to a lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me why you would benefit from this book and I will pick one winner. Comments close on Friday April 30th at 5 pm EST.

Necklace Giveaway from Lauren Haupt

 I'm a huge fan of Lauren Haupt's modern, organic jewelry so I'm really thrilled that she agreed to do a giveaway on my blog! 

Lauren is giving away this awesome "Ascending Wing" necklace made from wood and either oxidized or regular sterling silver (your choice!).

Since it's only a week until Christmas, this one probably isn't going to get to you in time for gift-giving but let's just say it will be a nice gift to you!

And because it's the holidays and you have enough to think about, all you have to do is leave your name and let me and Lauren know whether you would like the oxidized or the regular silver. Comments close on Monday December 21st at 5pm. 

Orangepoppy + A Giveaway!

Rebekah Gough is a a Seattle based jewelry and accessories designer who recently launched this gorgeous line of textile based jewelry called Orangepoppy. The pieces are all handmade with using materials such as new and vintage fabrics, milinery flowers, silk, lace and rhinestones. 

Also, her product shots are really lovely aren't they? They are taken by photographer Stacey Winters.

And now for the really super-exciting part: Rebekah is giving away this Autumn Poppy necklace below to one of you! All you have to do is leave a comment telling us what you would wear it with and we will randomly pick a winner! Comments close on Monday October 26th at 5 pm est.

You can see a lot more of Rebekah's jewelry here and read her blog over here.

And the Winner is...

Jump for joy! The winner of the Kanzashi Giveaway is... Heidi Jo!

Heidi Jo wrote, "I have a gray tee that I would love to wear with this. I think I would use a fabric belt at the waist and then stick this flower on the buckle part. So pretty!"

Congrats, you won an incredibly lovely kanzashi brooch from Diane Gilleland. For all the rest of us, we can make our own from her great book, Kanzashi in Bloom!

photo by Josh Goleman via {frolic!}

Kanzashi: Flowers in Bloom Giveaway

OK, this is really exciting! Remember this brooch?

Well Diane, the author of the book Kanzashi: Flowers in Bloom kindly offered one brooch to give away on my blog! I wish I could win!

So all you have to do is leave a comment telling me about an outfit of yours that will go perfectly with this brooch and I will randomly pick a winner. The deadline is Friday, July 31st at 5 pm EST.