Posts tagged ‘books’

Last year at Zero Landfill I grabbed a ton of stuff. I’ve used at least half of it, but there are a good deal of items which have just been stuffed into the stash box.

This year I took a different strategy to the event. I only grabbed stuff that I ran out of last time. So I picked up 4 wallpaper sample books and some loose fabric swatches. They weighed my grub on my way out. It was a whopping 38 pounds!

These books are going to be free for your use in decorating a journal if you show up on Thursday to my class. Otherwise I will be cutting them up for all sorts of crafts, as will my scissor-happy girls!

Since I don’t have a boy around to model for me, Cressida is playing stand-in.

I really have to thank Cal Patch for her book Design it Yourself Clothes for making this draft so easy. She gave me the rules to follow where I was taking educated guesses before. So although there are no youth patterns in her book the explanations included are pretty universal.

This is just a first draft of the romper. I did not take into account how big a diaper is, so the rise is about two inches off. I’m going to adjust my pattern and make one out of a men’s shirt I really like. Wish me luck!

I’ve got a date to teach my Journal Class coming up in the next couple of weeks. I’ve had a quite a few people interested in taking it so I want to make sure you all get the memo.

We’ll be at Craft Akron working on our handbinding skills on Thursday, February 18th, from 2pm to 4pm.

You can even sign up for the class online here. Isn’t that convenient? I’m really looking forward to the class, hope to see you there. Oh, and bring a friend!

My friend, Mary, let me look through these books she bought at a library sale. I am just OOOh-ing and Aaaaah-ing over some of the projects inside. My favorite book out of the three is 167 Things to Make for Children. There are so many cute knits inside, as well as some woodworking projects I want to try out this summer. The one detail that just keeps me laughing as I flip through the pages is just how short the children’s dresses are! My kids wear shirts as long as those dresses! They do ook cute with the knee socks though.

I have been in the “make-for-me” phase of crafting since the holidays are over and I wanted to work through some of my stash fabric. This wrap skirt from Stitch by Stitch is just awesome, and the pattern pieces are included in the book and uncut! With the right fabric this could look really current, and the length makes it a great choice for winter. I hope I have enough yardage in my stash closet!

I’ve recently been lamenting about how few creative books I have.  Most often, I get books from the library and sadly return them, hoping I’ll remember all the good ideas.  I usually rather spend money on supplies than books, but I’ve recently come to value collecting books that are worth keeping and noting pages & ideas to revisit.  So in my effort to build a quality personal library, I’m setting a goal of buying at least one new book every month.  Plus I’m happy to give you a book review so you’ll know if it’s worth purchasing for yourself.

Mixed Metals: Creating Contemporary Jewelry with Silver, Gold, Copper, Brass & More by Melinda Barta & Danielle Fox

Book Summary: This book is for the jewelry maker with intermediate beading & wire-working skills (no metalsmithing skills are required).  There are 30 projects divided into sections by metals (gold, silver, base metals, faux metals, and a section on mixing metals), and each section includes history & facts about the metal.  The back of the book contains a section on caring for metals plus some beading/wire-working 101 skills.

Rating: On a scale of 1-5, I’d give this book a 4.  It’s good, but I’m content to buy it on sale, or I’d be happy to get it as a gift.

For me, 1 means it’s terrible, 2 means don’t bother, 3 means it’s ok but it’s been done before and doesn’t stand out as anything special (I’d borrow it from the library), 4 means it’s good but I’d only buy it on sale, and 5 means it’d be worth buying full-price and I’d use it somewhat often.

Review Notes: Visually, the photos, decorative page artwork, and layout of the book are very beautiful.  The jewelry itself includes a variety of unique beads & metals, and some fresh design ideas.  I like the asymetrical designs and interesting mixtures of bead shapes, colors, and sizes.  I learned a lot more about each metal’s history and how to properly care for it.  My favorite projects are: “blooms in brass” pg 47 (bracelet with a great color scheme, dynamic combination of a metal ring, leaf connector, and interesting clasp), “feather your nest” pg 80 (bracelet with an engaging collection of bird-themed beads & charms), and a necklace called “golden blush” pg 20 (the bead combination & metal chain spacing is perfect).

I rarely design with gold or wear it, so there are some projects I don’t love for that reason.  Plus there’s some other jewelry that I’d never make or wear, although I can still learn & appreciate the design elements & techniques.

Another thing to note is that if you are a beginner, this may be a good book to give you some design ideas, but each step of the instructions does not include visual support, so you’re on your own.  There is a useful how-to section at the back of the book.  It includes clear instructions & diagrams for those who are newer to certain basic skills.

Also, the authors’ philosophy of “mixing metals” is that anything goes and they give no guidance.  I wonder if they considered creating a section that showed similar jewelry with only the metals changed.  This might help designers see the visual impact mixing metals can have on a piece.

Today I browsed the new releases & best sellers books in Amazon’s Crafts & Hobbies section.  I want to stay on top of what’s new and continue building my personal library.

For my next purchase, I’m considering Photojojo, 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet, or Chain Style.   What artsy/crafty books do you recommend?  What new or old books are must-have’s for your bookshelf?

images from Amazon.com

I meant to submit some crafty ideas to Green Craft Magazine, but it slipped my mind.  I missed the latest deadline, but they’re always taking submissions for future publications (deadlines are every September & March).  So, I’m now planning ahead for March!  Here’s the info blurb about their submissions guidelines:

Finding creative uses for old items is nothing new to artists, but the spirit of preserving the planet is more important than ever before and GreenCraft Magazine is here to honor and inspire those who find artistic applications for normally discarded resources. GreenCraftwill provide ideas for repurposing trash to treasure by showcasing projects where waste is repurposed into ecologically chic creations. So … have you found a use for cardboard rolls left over from paper towels? Have you cut up an old T-shirt and knitted it into a purse? Have you taken a burned-out light bulb and made it into a beautiful flower vase? Have you transformed old board games into notebooks? Then we want to hear from you! Submit your recycled, reused and repurposed items to GreenCraft Magazine today!
Deadline for artwork to be received: Semi-Annually every September 15 & March 15

I first discovered Iris Folding through a library book.   It took a long time to understand the instructions, but I figured it out and made tons of Christmas Tree cards that year!  Iris Folding has a learning curve, and after that, each project still takes awhile.  For that reason I make fewer greeting cards and more frame-worthy projects.  Plus, after learning the traditional methods I decided to be less rigid with my style.  I prefer more random color patterns & less calculated placements of each paper, and I don’t care for the “Iris” shape in the center.  Plus, for this project I’m using paint chip samples, which if I folded them, they’d be way too thick!  So, this project is inspired by Iris Folding, but if you’d like to see the original methods, I recommend the book 460 Iris Folded Cards to Make: The Complete Iris Folded Compendium.  And for more images & inspiration, check out the Flickr Iris Folding Handmade Cards Group.

Here are instructions to make this tree, along with a free original pattern.

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I discovered a wonderful tea shop during a recent trip to Chicago, and this weekend I visited a local location.  It’s called Teavana which means “a heaven of tea”.  I was really impressed with how knowledgeable their tea people are.  I love that I can sample a few teas each visit.  And I appreciate how their flyer & website educate on how the different teas (white, green, black, oolong) are made, what temperature & how long to steep each tea, and the health benefits of each tea.

I’m not quite a tea snob, but I love learning more of the intricacies of tea.  I got a book last birthday from my husband called The Harney & Sons Guide to Tea.  It’s full of great information, but lacks exciting pictures.  Does anyone have any other tea companies or books you recommend?  I think I’ll have a tea tasting party this winter!

The small sock knitting has continued in earnest around our house. This little white cotton sock is the outcome of the tutorial from Wednesday. I have almost commited the infant sock pattern to memory, and I am enjoying the little portable projects. No sweaters are safe in these parts anymore, now that I’ve found an affordable way to knit!

The pattern I am using (with some very slight variations and mistakes) comes from 50 Baby Booties to Knit, by Zoe Mellor. It’s the striped sock pattern, but of course I am not striping it. I also used the kitchener method to close the toe.