Blogger Swap

It is getting exceptionally nutty around these parts but I wanted to pop in really quick to share what I sent off for the blogger swap Amanda, over at Sweet Potato Claire, was so kind to organize! 

I finally managed to make it to the post to get the package in the mail this week, but funny enough it did not have far to travel because my match lives just across the boarder in Colorado. Too bad we were not going to be here long enough to arrange delivery in person! 

I noticed from her blog that they are book lovers so I did add a knitted bookmark to what you see above.

This batik bookmark was inspired by the sea and the seaweed of Nova Scotia.

I had to include this set of bunny coasters. Just enough fabric for a set of 6! Yay!

And a knitted cuff with sweet little vintage button.

All wrapped up in some bright, happy packaging!

I don't know who will be sending a box to me, but it will hopefully be waiting for me in Maine when we arrive at my in-laws house in a few weeks. Exciting all around! 

Thanks, Amanda, for organizing the swap. 

Happy weekend! 

Make & Listen Along

 Make & Listen Along

~ On Thursdays I will post what I have been making and listening to as creations grow. 

If so inclined post, on your blog or flickr, about what you have been making (on your own or with little hands by your side) and listening to while you create. It can be new music, flash backs, a song or a whole album... whatever you like. You can be stitching with needle & thread, yarn, paper crafting, painting, cooking... and beyond. Share what you are making and the tunes that are fueling your creativity. Then come back to my Thursday Make & Listen Along post and leave a link in the comments so we can be inspired right along with you! ~

Thank you for all of your nice comments and encouragement for the book news the other day. It is a long road, but we are happy to travel it together and eventually bring you along when you can have the book right in your very own hands!

I woke this morning to a kitchen filled with dishes, which I really don't like, but last night after dinner we all made our way to the living room to cozy up next to the fire and I did not have to heart, or the desire, to wrangle anyone from their chosen spot to do the dishes with me. So we played games, wrote, knitted, and I looked at this book with my girl. It was a nice, quiet evening... not to be disrupted with things such as dirty dishes.

The last week has been filled with lots of fun making. I did not make nearly as much as usual during my mom's visit (there was a whole lot of writing and sword play that week) but this week made up for that a bit.

Making: 

I have been making time to watch the moonrise this week. It has been pretty amazing and I did my best to capture it, but oh, times like these make me wish I had better gear!

I have been getting these wonderful daily email from Heather for the Hibernate Retreat and while I have not had time to read all of the comments and fully participate I have loved reading through the posts and soaking up some of the calm that always come from Heather. She gave us a pattern for a knitted dish cloth and I jumped right in. It is simple, fun, and knit with crochet thread. Good stuff. I have fished one and started another. It is just the kind of knitting I need right now.

I also made up some hand salve from the class. I have been wanting to do this for a very long time but honesty, the mess of beeswax in my little pan has been holding me back. When I saw the recommendation to put the oils and wax into a mason jar to melt it was a revelation! So excited about this!

Mine did not set up quite as much as I would have liked so I will add a little more beeswax next time, but I am loving it!

I spent some time cutting and sewing this weekend. I wanted to try a variation on the patch for the 1st aid kit. My mom suggested I sew right sides together, then turn and sew it on that way, instead of the painstaking task of trying to do this as a traditional tucked applique. I was all about trying out that idea. I think it turned out pretty good, but I am still working on getting the corners just how I want them. I am not a perfectionist by any means, but that latent part of my personality seems to pop up when sewing is involved!

There have also been some neat things going on out there in blogland in regards to Alphabet Glue! It has been great fun to see others creating with ideas that originated in our very own kitchens and on our dinning room tables. I can see why Annie has so much fun created each issue of AG! 

Here is a little rundown:

Ginny has a fun post and discount code over on her blog, Cassi is giving away 5 copies of Volume 16, and Meryl has a copy up for grabs over on her blog. Oh. My!

Oh... and just one more thing before I post this amazingly long post! 

We are hosting a fun little bird exchange over on Mud Puddles to Meteors! Lovers of birds, poetry, and pretty things to hang in the house to brighten up winter days are sure to join in!

Listening: 

We have been listening to the fire crackle and shouts of bird spotting... eagles in the hood right now! Yay! 

And the Civil Wars moody goodness also seems to be showing up a bit more on the playlist lately. 

Your turn.
Please share what you have been making and the tunes on your playlist. And don't forget to leave a link to your post if you played along so others can visit your Make and Listen posts. 

I have been trying to get around to visit your posts each week (sometimes it takes me a few days) and they are wonderful! Thanks, to all of you who are joining in and linking up!

Make & Listen: Alphabet Glue

As I mentioned last week, the making around here has consisted of a whole lot of Alphabet Glueish fun. And now, Volume Sixteen is finally here! It is a super neat volume filled with art inspired by bubbles, a super fun (yet, admittedly, hard to photograph) bird flock migration mobile, an adorable matchbox library, awesome book lists, and some super science goodness, all in one very exciting volume. 

I am always happy to jump in and create with Annie, my partner over on Mud Puddles to Meteors, because we always have a good time and well, you just can't beat creating something great with a friend. So, when she asked me to help out with this volume of the Glue I was more than happy to join in! And to be honest, my little people love to play around with ideas and experiments, so it is a win-win round these parts. 

If you already love Alphabet Glue, and know you want a copy of your very own ASAP, you can click right here and before you know it Volume Sixteen will land right in your inbox! 

If you are new to Alphabet Glue and want to read up a bit more, click on over to the Alphabet Glue website to get a feel for just what the hoopla is all about! It is good stuff; just scrolling down the homepage over there makes me want to go make something with my little folks.

Listening

It has been quiet around here on the listening front. My mom loved watching just how a volume of Alphabet Glue and posts for Mud Puddles come together. (It is always fun to share the process with someone so they can see just what you do when you do your "computer things.") We said goodbye to Grandma yesterday but while she was here there was also lots of play going on behind the scenes (sword fighting being a favorite activity, with proper sword wielding instructions and all).

Your turn.
Please share what you have been making and the tunes on your playlist. And don't forget to leave a link to your post if you played along so others can visit your Make and Listen posts. 

I have been trying to get around to visit your posts each week (sometimes it takes me a few days) and they are wonderful! Thanks, to all of you who are joining in and linking up!

Make & Listen Along

 Make & Listen Along

~ On Thursdays I will post what I have been making and listening to as creations grow. 

If so inclined post, on your blog or flickr, about what you have been making (on your own or with little hands by your side) and listening to while you create. It can be new music, flash backs, a song or a whole album... whatever you like. You can be stitching with needle & thread, yarn, paper crafting, painting, cooking... and beyond. Share what you are making and the tunes that are fueling your creativity. Then come back to my Thursday Make & Listen Along post and leave a link in the comments so we can be inspired right along with you! ~

As you may remember, I made some little zip pouches as gifts for the holidays. The other day as I opened the little first aid kit I keep in my purse to retrieve a bandaid (don't ask) I realized that it really was not big enough to hold all of the things I would liked to have with me out in the world with these ever growing, slightly energetic and ever pushing the limits, little people. So, the idea for a little first aid pouch was born.

It has taken me awhile to start, but the other night I spent some quite time in the studio (while messaging back and forth with Annie) and started cutting and sewing. Then I moved fire side for a little stitching and by the end of the night I had the front panel of the bag all ready to go.

I thought about doing a more traditional applique to make the edges all neat and clean but in the end raw edges won out. I might play with this a bit more and try a cotton red all crisp and proper down the line. I should have used two instead of three strands of floss for the stiching. I think this is going to hold up pretty well to being in the purse though. I will test it out. 

It was nice to pull out my little sewing pouch again and sit by the fire for those few moments of stitching. I was all set to set it aside for bedtime reading but was thankful "the dad" was picked for reading bedtime stories that night. 

The other bits of making around here have been super fun and will be found in the winter volume of Alphabet Glue. When Annie asked me to help her out with this next volume I jumped at the chance. I always love working on projects for AG and the kids have a ton of fun experimenting with ideas to include. We are hard at work for a launch next week! Fun!

My mom arrived yesterday, so the listening around here has been a lot of: 

"How many days till grandma comes?"(10, 9, 8, ... 0)

"Where is she now? (at home)

"Where is she now? (waiting at the airport in Denver)

"Where is she now?" (in the air)

"When will we leave to the airport?" (now. please get your shoes on.)

"How long will it take to get the airport?" (an hour)

"We left at 8:05 and it's 9:05. We are not there yet! How much longer?" (any moment now.)

"There are two doors! How will we find her?" (both doors lead to the same big room. she will be there.)

"Where?" (right there. there she is!)

Running through the airport and giving big hugs! Just like in the movies! 

That and a bit of The Lumineers.

Your turn.
Please share what you have been making and the tunes on your playlist. And don't forget to leave a link to your post if you played along so others can visit your Make and Listen posts. 

I have been trying to get around to visit your posts each week (sometimes it takes me a few days) and they are wonderful! Thanks, to all of you who are joining in and linking up!

Make & Listen Along

 Make & Listen Along

~ On Thursdays I will post what I have been making and listening to as creations grow. 

If so inclined post, on your blog or flickr, about what you have been making (on your own or with little hands by your side) and listening to while you create. It can be new music, flash backs, a song or a whole album... whatever you like. You can be stitching with needle & thread, yarn, paper crafting, painting, cooking... and beyond. Share what you are making and the tunes that are fueling your creativity. Then come back to my Thursday Make & Listen Along post and leave a link in the comments so we can be inspired right along with you! ~

Oh, what a week!

There has been a whole lot going on around these parts... I can't wait to share some big news... but I must! Gah!

We have been making lots of lists and plans and dreams, that I will share about soon.

We have been doing some actual making as well. Some for gifting, some for sending, and some for us.

- Peppermint bark was the first edible of our holiday making. Yum. It could be true that I have already eaten entirely too much, but also true that I will eat a lot more, and may even make another batch before all is said and done.

- We made Phases of the Moon Lanterns for lighting outside while we watched the full moon rise, and to help us light up the night on Winter Solstice.

- We made up some nature boxes for sending, which included pulling out boxes and jars of nature from Nova Scotia to share. This was totally acceptable to my girl who quickly went to work making more museum displays in her room! Those boxes are so fun to make up and ship away.

I have also been making myself get to bed between 8:30 - 9:00 every night. (Yes, brother, when you texted the other night I was sleeping.) I have finally gotten back into the rhythm of waking early (usually about 4:00) and find I am so much more productive early, as I have always been.

We have been trying to play the holiday tunes lately but more often than not we have been enjoying the quiet of the season. Early nights and dark morning set the tone for more peaceful time here to begin and end the day.

Your turn.
Please share what you have been making and the tunes on your playlist. And don't forget to leave a link to your post if you played along so others can visit your Make and Listen posts. 

I have been trying to get around to visit your posts each week (sometimes it takes me a few days) and they are wonderful! Thanks, to all of you who are joining in and linking up!

Kindred

I have the privilege of being included within the pages of Kindred again for Issue 4: Harvest. I am very excited about this issue, and all of the beautiful photography and writing it will hold behind this amazing cover.

Here is a little sneak peek at what I designed for this issue; a little sewing project to take along on picnics and other adventures in eating away from home.

The list of contributors is inspiring and Amanda always does the most amazing job of bringing each issue together with beauty and elegance. I am thankful for the opportunity to add my contribution.

If you would like to see for yourself what this issue has to offer, it is available for pre-order here.

Make & Listen Along: A little bag

 Make & Listen Along

~ On Thursdays I will post what I have been making and listening to as creations grow. 

If so inclined post, on your blog or flickr, about what you have been making (on your own or with little hands by your side) and listening to while you create. It can be new music, flash backs, a song or a whole album... whatever you like. You can be stitching with needle & thread, yarn, paper crafting, painting, cooking... and beyond. Share what you are making and the tunes that are fueling your creativity. Then come back to my Thursday Make & Listen Along post and leave a link in the comments so we can be inspired right along with you! ~

It had been awhile since the sewing machine had peeked out from under its cover and it was crying out to be seen. I have a few projects rolling round in this brain of mine, it can be a scary place in there, and they want to get out too! 

I finally had a moment to sit down at the machine this week. 

Here is what I knew when I sat down: 

I needed a bag for a little something I have going with the kiddos. 

I needed some low-brainer sewing. 

I needed no pattern to follow, because that is not low-brainer!

  

So, this quirky but cute little bag was born. It may be little but it has big plans in its future. I will share more about how I made it, what it's occupation will be, and a little giveaway next week.

There have also been GF graham crackers made, water color painting flying onto the page, and a whole lot of ball games being made up in the backyard. 

Along with all of the usuals and the rumbling of thunder from our awesome afternoon thundershowers, The Civil Wars were added to the mix this week (thanks to Danielle's recommendation) and I really like their sound. 

What have you been making?

What is on your play list?

Please do share.

Alphabet Glue Summer Science Special

When Annie asked me to join her in creating this years Summer Science Special for Alphabet Glue I was  happy to jump in and help out. She was after all graduating a husband from medical school, packing up to move to the big city, and gearing up for the trails of a hubby in his rookie year of residency... along with nurturing her two awesome little people. We have collaborated in the past so I knew that along with helping her out in this crazy busy time of life, it would also be a whole lot of fun. And it was!

The kiddos and I had a great time testing out project ideas and combing the library stacks looking for books that would make the cut for the awesome book lists included in every Alphabet Glue. Early on it became very clear that Annie is truly a master at the art of creating a compelling book list. It is much harder than one might think to pull together a list of amazing books on any given topic! And there are some really wonderful books for all readers in this special issue.

From quick fire starters to quirky quicksand, exploding volcanos to balloons that inflate in the most amazing way, this Summer Science Special it is filled with fun and just the right dose of excitement! 

Annie is also offering last years Summer Science Special in a bundle with this current issue so if you missed out you can get double the fun and exciting summer science!

It was wonderful to help out and get a super neat behind the scenes look at how Alphabet Glue comes together. Annie is a sweet, gracious and every so funny friend and I am lucky to call her such! 

So pop on over and check out the 2013 Alphabet Glue Summer Science Special for yourself. Whether you are looking to cure cabin fever while hiding out from the summer heat or preparing for a day with the grand kids you are in for some good summertime fun!

My Mom's Studio

While my mom has not always had a studio she has always managed to carve out a space to create. 

When I was young she shared space with my dad in his garage workshop on occasion. Since we lived in Southern California I recall a studio of sorts out on our covered back porch were she painted and put many a creation together with her trusty hot glue gun. 

She also had a shed in the backyard that she made into a studio at one point. It was actually two sheds; one for molds and the mixing of terra-cotta slip (which my dad was kind enough to help with) and the other for cleaning, firing in the kiln, and painting and decorating. I have good memories of the many hours spent by her side there helping with all of those tasks. 

Once she started sewing her creating came inside but that was just around the time when I was off to college and my brothers were out on their own, so my bedroom was made over into studio space and she was off on yet another adventure in creating. 

Now she has a rather large space in the basement of their Colorado home. My dad has filled it with work tables and lined the walls with shelves for her. There she sews all kinds of creations from clothes to dolls, she models clay and arranges flowers. Often when I call she is there, making, creating, playing with all of her supplies at her fingertips. Like the rest of her home it is filled with curiosities and whimsy. Here is a little peek. 

 

 

She talks about moving her studio upstairs to the larger and lighter sunroom (and I think it is a great idea) but she likes being able to hid away her creative process and with all of the entertaining they do I can understand that. This space is more than she has ever had in the past and she loves every little bit of it. 

I got the chance to photograph many of her creations while I was there. Tomorrow for the Make and Listen Along I will share just what she makes in this studio of hers.

Do you have a space to create? What would be your dream space?

The Way to a Girl's Heart

 

Along with a stack of linen my mom brought along a few other goodies from her studio to share with me.

She really knows the way to my heart!

What crafty supplies would be the way to your heart?

Hope you have a great start to the week!

A Scrappy Problem Solved: Scrap Cards

I have a problem. 

It is hard for me to toss out even the smallest scrap of fabric. Even those edge bits that are all frayed and can't really be used for anything else. They pile up on my desk next to my sewing machine until I have finally had enough and throw them away. I am not typically a hoarder but those little bits of fabric bring out the worst in me. 

Last night I wanted to sew but really needed a no-brainer project. I also realized that I needed to make up some cards for some letters to be written. In fact I almost purchased stationary this weekend but resisted because I had plans to carve some stamps and make up some stationary. At some point! 

The two needs came together in perfect harmony with these cards. And I got to use up my pretty little fabric scraps!

They are messy and fun and frayed and I love the way they turned out. I did not do much planning. That is where the no-brainer part comes in... 

Sometimes I laid down many layers and sewed them all at once, which caused a bit of bunching up that I liked. Other times I just sewed layers after layers until it was time to stop. As the bits of thread began to pile up I picked them up to toss them in the trash, then decided to use them too!

So I wrote a few notes this morning and will be heading to the post this afternoon... Yay!

If you have a scrappy problem you might want to check out this new flickr group for inspiration. I also found this neat board this morning for fabric scrap ideas.

What have you made with fabric scraps?

Have you found a use for something that was bound for the trash? 

Please share in the comments. Links are welcome too. I would love to see!