Getting dizzy

Hand bound journal

2012-02-15T14:44:00.002-07:00

I've always loved the color combo of grey and orange. I think the grey background really makes the orange binding pop. Would be a great journal for a guy, or a non-girly girl.

Valentimes

2012-02-03T11:16:00.001-07:00

I made a banner of felt hearts and another of paper hearts. We always have a banner of some sort or other hanging in the archway.

Nothing says 'I love you' like Oreo truffles. Add a crumbled whole package of Oreos to an 8oz pk of cream cheese, form into balls and chill for an hour, then dip in melted chocolate and chill again. Get ready for your face to melt off!! Plus, I wanted to show you my mug from Ceramica that I hand painted. It looks better on the other side, but, oh well. :)

Free-form embroidery + brooch

2012-01-24T20:58:00.001-07:00

So I was finally able to find a home for this beautiful butterfly brooch I received as a gift a while back. It was from an antique dealer, as the story goes, and I have no idea the value, but the intricacy is awesome. I used green linen for the backdrop and then made a free-form flower from purple embroidery floss and as is the trend, I will leave it all in an embroidery hoop as a wall hanging. So pretty!

The owl obsession lives on

2012-01-18T12:33:00.001-07:00

We have been pretty busy around here watching The Legend of the Guardians over and over, "I foretold you so" being our favorite line. So, I made some felt owlets for the girls to play with. There was a free pattern at moonstitches.typepad.com. Cute!

Clay bowl with headbands

2012-01-11T14:03:00.003-07:00

Okay, so I may have broken the rules of bookbinding, but I just love the way this clay bowl looks with the coptic headbands!! I got the bowl from an Etsy shop and just had to sew it with waxed thread, since that is my favorite part of all. I think I will have to teach myself how to make bowls now so I can keep doing this. It was super fun to make!

Totoro Plushie

2012-01-05T18:28:00.002-07:00

I am a huge studio Ghibli fan, so when I saw a free pattern online to make Totoro, I jumped at the chance. My kids have been watching the movie all week and were super excited too to get a toy Totoro! My favorite movie is still Howl's Moving Castle, but I love My Neighbor Totoro also. I made this with grey fleece and white felt for the belly. I was running low on cotton, but light stuffing makes him super huggable. Yay!

Handmade Kindle sleeve

2011-12-27T12:28:00.003-07:00

So, after years of resisting the Kindle, I got one for Christmas. And, even though I am an avid reader and still love solid books(obviously), I am really enjoying the ease of use and portability. Having said that, I must also say nothing will ever replace my book obsession. Anyway, I think anyone with a sewing machine can make a Kindle sleeve. I used upholstery fabric lined with felt. It is a quick, super easy sew, and makes your Kindle much safer without having to buy another accessory.

Winter journal

2011-12-27T09:15:00.004-07:00

I used a brown barren-tree fabric for this journal, and brown waxed linen thread. I love sewing the headbands, it's my new favorite thing in life. I use the tutorial from the book Making & keeping creative journals by Suzanne Tourtilott, pg 35. It is the best tutorial I've found. :)

Journal with Coptic headbands & banana flowers

2011-12-12T13:39:00.006-07:00

This fabric reminded me of monkey tails and banana flowers. Cute, eh? I covered each of the six signatures with a piece of red card stock. I used the coptic stitch to bind it and then added the headbands afterward. Very fun to make. I can't get enough of the headband practice. I wonder if I could use this method in other mediums...

Flower mini notebooks

2011-12-07T11:09:00.004-07:00

I wanted to make some mini notebooks with a monochrome color scheme. I like how they turned out.

I used corresponding colors for the end pages.

But mostly I've been busy with the girls doing Christmas activities. We are home alone for a while, while Jeremy is in Scotland at Pop Fest 2011 with his band. We have made an ice wreath, decorations, Christmas cookies, of course present shopping and listening to music of the season. Happy Holidays!!

Wonky ornaments part III

2011-11-11T09:15:00.003-07:00

Some more ornaments made for the tree 2011. Josie made the blue one with the Christmas tree on it, and Sylvia designed the green one with the mama and baby. I attempted to make a pinecone but it looks a bit flat, I like the Dala horse a lot, and the partridge in pretty cute. They were a lot of fun to sew. :)

Windows Journal

2011-11-02T16:26:00.005-06:00

Cute fabric, and headbands. I hope to sell these in my Etsy shop. Happy days are here again, since I was able to quit my lame job doing data entry. Yay for crafting time!!

Suede Journal w/long stitch binding

2011-10-13T10:44:00.005-06:00

I used suede to make this journal and the long stitch method for binding. The suede is super soft, and I followed an Etsy trend by adding some original artwork to the back of the journal. OOAK :)

Journal with coptic headbands

2011-10-08T18:47:00.005-06:00

So I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at the coptic headbands. I thought I did pretty well for my first try. It takes lots of time and concentration, but I love the look. I will definitely be adding these to more journals in the future. :)

Koi pillow project

2011-09-06T09:34:00.008-06:00

Lately I have been obsessed with Japan. Especially the visual aspect, as in the images that originated there like the yin-yang, Koi fish, Hello Kitty etc. Anyway, I started this embroidery and have really enjoyed the calm of hand stitching. I free stitched the bubbles and used my personal sketches for the fish. I was going for a Koi look, but they must be babies because Koi are actually much longer than this. :)

Paisley fabric/criss-cross journal

2011-07-14T15:59:00.004-06:00

I wanted to try something new with my binding and liked the idea of making exes. The size of this journal makes it perfect for its intent, a sticker album for a four year old. :)

Butterfly Journal

2011-06-11T12:19:00.006-06:00

I made this for my niece. I hope she likes it. It turned out pretty cute. I used seven signatures of heavy drawing paper with a cool swirly paper for the first page. I was sorta sleep deprived while sewing this so its definitely got that handmade "charm" as they call it. :)

Leather journal

2011-05-22T10:48:00.004-06:00

Made for my brother in law. Super fun to make and hold, even though it's leather and I'm a vegetarian. It was kinda creepy at times, but I got used to it. I am approaching my four year mark with no meat. I don't even think I could digest it now. Anyway, this was my first attempt at making a mans journal. I think it turned out kinda cool. :)

Masked bunny cuteness

2011-05-04T14:03:00.005-06:00

Sooo cute!!! I made this for a birthday present from a Hillary Lang, Wee Wonderfuls pattern card. I still need to make the scarves. Made of wool felt. I love these little dudes. :D

Gettin' crazy with the waxed thread

2011-04-27T16:00:00.006-06:00

Not really...but still. I wanted to try a new design so I made this up. I think it's kinda cool. :) These pictures were taken with our new camera!! I think they are kinda nice, but I need to learn how to make them bigger (more kb). My old camera stopped working out of the blue, pretty lame if you ask me. The remodel from the flood is almost done in the Master bed/bath. I can't wait to be able to sleep in my room again after 3 1/2 weeks. Booya!

wonky toy

2011-04-23T22:22:00.007-06:00

I keep forgetting to take photos before giving away the toys I'm making for gifts and then it's too late to show you what I've been up to. Anyway, here's one I made for E.M.'s ninth b-day. Sooo mushy and fun to squeeze, plus there's the wonky homemade charm. :)

Wedding guest book

2011-03-16T14:50:00.005-06:00

Whew! It took forever to make this because after 6 years I finally went back to work...but that is a different story. Anyway, my sister is getting married April 9th!! At first I volunteered to make the cake, but after flopping colossally with fondant, I asked if I could make her guest book instead. Luckily she said yes! So, this is the end result. Her colors are charcoal grey and celery green so I tried to incorporate them into it. I hope she likes it!! :)

New binding!

2011-03-04T15:38:00.001-07:00

I wanted to do something different so I tried a new binding method which involves cutting slits in the front and back cover and putting ribbon or, in this case, vinyl strips through and sewing the book together with them in place. It was so fun to see the results, and I learned so much. I can't wait to make a few changes and have it work out better next time!

I heart plants!

2011-02-21T10:00:00.006-07:00

I made a little garden of plants to sell in my shop. Handmade of fleece. I added uncooked popcorn plus stuffing to make them extra heavy and fun to hold. As cute as they are, I don't think they are really baby proof. I hope I can sell some at the ColorCube. :D

Linen sachet with lavendar buds

2011-02-15T14:27:00.003-07:00

I hand stitched these flowers on a green linen cloth then sewed them into a sachet for a lingerie drawer or whatnot. They are generously filled with dried organic lavender buds imported from Provence, no other fillers or artificial additives are used. The smell is divine, if I do say so myself. I think this would make a great gift.

Herbert, the plant that never dies...

2011-01-26T14:02:00.003-07:00

Hand made of felt. I hope I can get a whole bunch of these made to put in my shop. This is my rough draft and there were a bunch of ways to make him cuter, like adjusting the leaves to look like his hair is parted in the middle, and making it like a bean bag by adding uncooked popcorn in the base. I love plants, especially house plants, so this guy is going down as a favorite. :)

Khaki and lovin' it

2011-01-25T13:11:00.003-07:00

Similar fabric as the last one I made, only this time it's khaki. I have been asked to put my journals in a store!! It's called ColorCube and it's an all ages music venue, with an arts and crafts shop inside. I hope to get some exposure and some orders too. So if you live in Boise, go check it out!! :)

Linen journal

2011-01-22T22:38:00.001-07:00

Muted shades, understated cool.

A new year

2011-01-05T11:04:00.004-07:00

I am really searching for inspiration to start a new path with my bookbinding this year. I am seriously considering doing my own fabric prints and then making journals with them. I made this mini notebook yesterday and the whole time I was thinking of how to solidify my identity as a bookbinder. I hope I can figure it out soon. Until then, I think I will fill up my shop with some more felt notebooks. :)

Third of Tropical Edition

2010-12-31T10:48:00.005-07:00

I saw a quilt with the same fabric and it looked awesome, so I had to have a journal of the same. I used grey waxed thread for binding and off-white card stock for the first page of the signatures. Surprisingly I got this done before the New Year!!

I heart Shrinky Dinks!!

2010-12-27T21:17:00.004-07:00

Look at this awesome family banner I made from Shrinky Dinks today! I was so shocked at how much it actually shrunk! It was so fun it had me brainstorming for hours at the possibilities. I hung the banner on my fridge with some cool mini-clothespin magnets. I forgot how much butt this stuff kicks. :D

Second of Tropical Edition

2010-12-17T15:12:00.004-07:00

I inadvertently made a journal using BSU colors. I really liked the bright orange in this exotic print, and even got some orange waxed thread to use, too. I think I should take this down to the humanitarian bowl and see how much a bronco fan would pay for it. Auction it off in the parking lot. Maybe even see if I could start selling them in the Bronco shop on campus. :)

First of Tropical edition

2010-12-13T14:26:00.003-07:00

The first in a trio I've titled the Tropical edition. The fabric I used for each of them is so exotic looking I basically had no choice. Anyway, I used a turquoise blue waxed thread to sew this journal, and tan card stock for the first page of every signature. Really fun to make!

Bookbinding Marathon

2010-11-23T16:23:00.005-07:00

All finished in the same day! Whew! A personal record for me. I think I can relax until after Thanksgiving now.

Frog and Pear mini notebooks

2010-11-18T11:27:00.002-07:00

Made as gifts for my kids' teachers.

Puppy with a scarf journal

2010-11-16T14:01:00.002-07:00

I just finished this custom order for a girl who loves dogs. I have a phobia of dogs actually, because I was chased off a small cliff as a kid by a Doberman, which resulted in a broken elbow. Anyway...I am slowly overcoming the fear and am 90% ready to get a dog for my kids. I think this little dude is the coolest!

Funktastic Journal

2010-11-09T12:57:00.003-07:00

Very fun to look at and hold, sorta hard to describe. I liked this fabric and wanted to make a book out of it, but I'm not sure what it reminds me of...if you have any ideas let me know. I've been eating too much sugar today, so maybe after the effects wear off I'll be more smarterer. yeah...

Herb Journal

2010-11-06T14:46:00.002-06:00

For a gardener, perhaps. I used textured dark blue cardstock for the end pages that look really cool on the spine with flecks of red here and there. It took forever to make because I was also watching Netflix episodes of Chuck while stitching it together. This journal is way fun to hold. Really mellow fabric and understated grooviness.

Flaming guitar journal

2010-11-02T15:51:00.005-06:00

I used sparkling red felt for the flames on this guitar, unfortunately they kinda got hidden behind the strings. Custom made for a girl guitarist. :)

Autumn Journal

2010-10-29T10:24:00.003-06:00

Made for Kiri, my sis, who requested a fall journal. Hope she likes it! :)

Blue journal and Bee journal

2010-10-25T16:39:00.002-06:00

Two journals I recently commissioned. Really fun to make.

Business cards woo-hoo!

2010-10-01T11:47:00.003-06:00

A fabric shop, The Country Quilter, has invited me to advertise my books there!! I took some samples in to show the owner and she ordered one on the spot! She liked that all the fabric I use is from her shop. So I made up some Mini-cards at Moo.com. I used the Melissa Crowley, Naturally, design on one side (in the picture you can see one of seven designs) and then my info. on the other. I also made a mini journal as an example to put up there, too(it's 2x2 1/2 in.). I hope I can get some sales. One of the customers that was shopping that day ordered one, too. Needless to say, it was a major ego boost. Thanks Karen!!

Henna Journal

2010-09-30T13:25:00.004-06:00

The design on this fabric totally reminded me of those supercool Henna tattoos. I liked the mix of colors a lot, too. I hand stitched in nine signatures of paper with multi-colored card stock for the first page. I finally used my brown waxed thread to bind. Fun to make and fun to touch!

Flower garden Journal

2010-09-21T13:59:00.004-06:00

I lovelovelove this imported Japanese fabric and am really happy with how this journal turned out. I love grey, too, and finally got to use grey card stock and eyelets. I hand stitched a watering can felt patch for the front.

Cinema journal

2010-09-20T13:52:00.006-06:00

For the movie lover in your life. I used a lot of black and white for this one. The signatures all have black card stock as the first page and then snow white heavy drawing paper for the rest. I hand stitched a vintage projector of felt for the front. This was really fun to make.

The photographers journal

2010-09-17T12:41:00.005-06:00

This is a custom order for someone that loves photography. I tried to imagine the colors that photography bring to mind. The red stands for the darkroom and then black and white for film. I hand stitched a mini camera patch for the front. I hope she likes it!

Brick and lime

2010-08-26T15:09:00.006-06:00

Another handbound book that I finished today. The bonsai tree patch was added at the last minute. I really don't know if it works or not...

Lamby lamb

2010-08-24T10:18:00.004-06:00

Hand-stitched, super soft, and cute!

Ahhh, summer

2010-08-07T22:06:00.006-06:00

So, I've been doing an awful lot of playing with the kids and not so much book binding this month. Yes, we made a "balloon land" wading pool, which was basically 100 water balloons (filled by yours truly, thank you very much) floating in a wading pool, which was fun to walk through, and then you get to smash them later. But I did manage to sew three books in the last little while, which I will be writing more about after the patches are made. Anyway, summer is winding down and I will get back to the proverbial grindstone sooner or later. Tchau!

Walnut Vinyl Journal (Vegan)

2010-07-12T15:27:00.005-06:00

I attempted another long stitch journal. This time I hand sewed some blue felt to a piece of vinyl to make it a bit thicker. It turned out super soft and fun to hold. I added six signatures of 70# blank paper inside. A vintage button holds it together. :D

Summer bouquet

2010-06-24T11:11:00.002-06:00

Classic mini notebook style, flowers of felt and random embroidery. Fun to make!

Kitty mascot

2010-06-17T20:20:00.003-06:00

Aranzi Aronzo pattern from The Cute Book. Made as a gift...

Puppy in a red scarf mini notebook

2010-06-16T11:42:00.002-06:00

Cute!

Spring blossoms journal

2010-06-09T20:38:00.007-06:00

I just love pink and green together (peach and green, too, for that matter). It was great to use green in a journal, period. I used a light green fabric for the end pages and a forest green card stock for the first page of all seven signatures. I used a different stitch on the binding that I thought turned out pretty cool, although the paper looks a lot shabbier than it should where I was stitching. I hope to use this stitch again with better paper. I got this fabric in Montana...it will always remind me of my sisters and how alike yet strikingly different we all are. :)

Jellyfish fields mini notebook

2010-06-04T16:49:00.005-06:00

Here's my version of jellyfish fields made of felt and embroidery. I'm not sure it's possible in this medium...they just look sorta wrong, not as wispy and fragile that I was going for. Anyway, it was fun to make. :)

Montana

2010-05-31T19:15:00.002-06:00

My sisters and I went to Montana for Memorial day weekend. It was a blast! Look how beautiful it is there! I had so much fun...

Japanese Bonsai mini notebook

2010-05-20T19:28:00.004-06:00

I copied the bonsai I've been nurturing for eight years onto a patch. I love that little tree. This patch is made of felt and has embroidered leaves. Mini notebook made of stiffened felt with black fabric end pages. I am somewhat obsessed with Japanese culture lately. I would move there if I could...

Flower garden with kitty

2010-05-17T12:53:00.007-06:00

A mini notebook with embroidery flowers and a felt cat. Inside end pages are a cotton swirly circles patterned fabric. Paper size is 3x5 cards cut in half. Cute!

Undersea garden journal

2010-05-11T21:27:00.005-06:00

Aquatic gardens in beautiful blues. Another journal for the Etsy shop. I used blue eyelets and black waxed thread. Dark blue card stock is the first page of all six signatures of paper. Really fun to look at and touch. I saw the movie Ponyo recently and really loved the undersea animation, I wish I could draw like they can! And I wish I lived closer to the ocean in general. I love the idea that this fabric is patterned after an undersea garden...so pretty!!

Gettin' buggy

2010-05-01T15:31:00.004-06:00

The girls and I made some crazy bugs from a kit. It was a lot of fun and took up some time on a lazy Saturday while Jeremy had to work. The weather is still too cold for the park and it's May as of today!! Can't wait to do some yard work and leave the house without my winter coat. It's a stay in and bake some muffins kinda day. :)

Dandelion mini notebook

2010-04-30T13:05:00.003-06:00

I used free hand embroidery to "draw" some spring dandelions in the sun. Made with a felt background and attached to a stiffened felt cover. For end pages I used this blue polka dot cotton fabric. Paper is refillable, 3x5 cards cut in half. Lots of fun to make...tons of french knots!!

Polar Bear Journal

2010-04-28T10:21:00.005-06:00

I got this beautiful fabric on a trip to Hailey, Idaho a few weeks ago. Jeremy and I left the kids with his sister and took off for an overnighter. His band played a show at the Sun Valley Brewery while we were there, too. So this journal really reminds me of the deep woods and the beauty of the mountains. I added a hand sewn felt patch to the front. The book is also carefully hand sewn with linen waxed thread. Each of the six signatures has a beige piece of card stock as the first page. Sewing the book is my favorite part...this time was especially fun, I don't know why. :D

Bunny in space mini notebook

2010-04-22T11:28:00.004-06:00

I finished this last night. It's a design I made once before but really liked. Patch made of felt and attached to stiffened felt. Hand stitched by me with embroidery floss. The end pages are a dark blue "starry" cotton fabric. Super cute!

Owl mini notebook

2010-04-13T14:13:00.005-06:00

A felt owl patch added to a stiffened felt cover with cotton fabric leafy end pages. Pretty crazy/cool if I do say so myself.

Summer blue stripes journal

2010-04-06T10:47:00.007-06:00

Fun to make and some of my favorite summery blues. There was a blue sky today after a week of rain and gray, so I am hopeful that the leaves on the trees will be returning soon!! Fabric covered recycled hard back book covers. I used a cool map/hot air balloon fabric for the end pages. Six signatures of paper are carefully hand sewn inside. The first page of every signature is a baby blue color, the rest of the pages are white. I used an off-white linen waxed thread to sew the pages in, black eyelets were used also. This is so reminding me of summer and that breezy, oceanic smell. A journal to take on a trip to the beach!

Jewelery frame

2010-04-02T15:13:00.002-06:00

I found this vintage frame at a thrift shop and then covered cardboard with some paisley fabric and cut it to fit. I think it turned out pretty cool. Could be used as a cork/message board with push pins also.

Cilantro plushie

2010-03-30T21:39:00.003-06:00

Another attempt at a Cilantro doll. This time I used fleece for the face, too, instead of just the body. I think I liked the smaller version better. I want to try again with a smaller face at least. Hand stitched by me. :)

Panda love mini notebook

2010-03-29T20:23:00.003-06:00

I don't know why, but this guy cracks me up every time I look at his face! So spaced out! I guess it's good to be able to laugh at your wonkiness in sewing rather than the opposite- right? Anyway, hand stitched felt, embroidered bamboo and grass. Paper is 3x5 cards cut in half. <3

Travel journal

2010-03-18T15:40:00.006-06:00

I had to use this colorful, whimsical fabric for another journal. There are pictures of famous architecture and modes of transport all over it. The end pages are cotton fabric also, with greetings printed in all kinds of languages. The first page of every signature is a vintage map from a Life encyclopedia circa 1960. The rest of the pages are white blank drawing paper. I used gray eyelets, and black linen thread to sew it together. Super cute! OOAK

Quail mini-notebook

2010-03-16T18:18:00.002-06:00

I made another mini notebook of stiffened felt and embroidery. Another gift, this one is for my kindergartener's teacher. I never get tired of making these...

Spring Fever journal

2010-03-06T16:26:00.003-07:00

Hand made, one of a kind. Fabric recovered hard-cover book. Six signatures of blank white drawing paper with the first page of every signature being blue card stock. I used dark brown eyelets as well. Carefully hand stitched with black linen waxed thread. Coptic stitched to lay open flat. End pages are a flowery cotton fabric also.
I loved this Alexander Henry design and had to use it for a spring time journal. Lots of fun to make and really one of my best journals to date! :)

Pear mini notebook

2010-03-05T16:19:00.001-07:00

Hand stitched. Covers are made of stiffened felt with cotton fabric end pages. Made as a gift for one of my kid's teachers. I hope she likes it!

Popcorn with a kick!

2010-03-04T15:51:00.003-07:00

I had to tell you all (all two of you that will read this) about this awesome spice topping from Mexico that transforms popcorn into the BEST treat! It's called Tajin and it's a mixture of red pepper, salt, and dehydrated lime juice. Anyway, you can sprinkle it on fruit or veggies and/or popcorn... and it is so tasty. It's my new favorite snack. I ordered it online from mexgrocer and wanted to recommend it. :D

Cuteness!

2010-03-04T14:20:00.002-07:00

Thrift store finds I just couldn't pass up! This jar with a red ceramic lid makes the coolest moss terrarium. And then this green, round lunchbox was too adorable to not take home. Cilantro looks so cute in there, too!

The circle game (Joni Mitchell) journal

2010-02-25T16:07:00.007-07:00

I've always loved that song by Joni Mitchell called The Circle Game. So when I saw this fabric completely dedicated to circles, I thought of the song and had to make a journal from it. I'm not sure if the song or the fabric inspired me. My life is so full of cycles... some good, some not so good, but nonetheless I am happy to have a visual homage to patterns. So, it's a few hours later...the peacock patch was an afterthought...I just wanted to add something to make it less boring. I don't know if I will change the name of the journal or not. The original idea still holds true, I will always start singing that song when I see it. The last photo in the set was taken before I added the patch(which is 100% hand stitched by me). I really loved making this...my two favorite things (books and patches) together again!!

Pear and Teal Journal

2010-02-15T16:58:00.007-07:00

Another hard back journal, but it's also soft because it's fabric covered. :) The first page of every signature is teal blue card stock. The other pages are an off white, blank drawing paper. End pages are dark blue with white polka dots cotton fabric. Journal size is 4 1/2 x 6 inches. I added some creamy yellow eyelets. In spite of potty training my three yr. old, I still made time to finish this...it was a labor of love. :p

Winter flowers mini notebook

2010-02-05T10:20:00.003-07:00

Hand stitched flower patch. Made of felt. The end pages are a gray/white cotton fabric. Made as a gift. This is my favorite patch to make. It always ends up so pretty.

Bird lovers notebook

2010-02-02T11:10:00.002-07:00

Hand stitched of felt, plus I embroidered a couple of plants in back. Patch is attached to a stiffened felt cover and notebook paper is 3x5 cards cut in half, so it's refillable. Is it just me or does this remind you of the bird watching Scout merit badge? hahaha

Happy Journal

2010-01-30T17:43:00.006-07:00

I upcycled a used book cover and recovered it with this cool polka dot/egg shapes brown fabric. The end pages are pink with polka dot trees fabric. There are six signatures of paper with the first pages of each being a brown flowery card stock. I used an off white linen waxed thread to sew it together. My camera really sucks- sorry. Anyway, fun to make and fun to handle.

French inspired journal

2010-01-20T10:35:00.004-07:00

I upcycled a battered old 1960 Life World Library book about France. Five of the nine signatures of paper are hand torn pages from the book. The cover is off white flowery flannel and the end pages are brown flowery cotton fabric. Notice the Eiffel Tower on the front page. Very fun/soft to handle and lots of vintage pictures and history about France to see. :)

Holy cow!

2010-01-12T11:34:00.003-07:00

I organized my craft corner! Believe me, this is a million times better than it was. And it only took eight hours! Not really, more like four...but still. After two years of chaos there is finally some order. Thank heavens.

Mushroom sculpture

2010-01-11T13:38:00.007-07:00

Fabric and felt, together at last. I sewed some mini mushrooms into a little desk-top sculpture. All lovingly hand stitched, thus the wonkiness. :)

Midnight journal

2009-12-30T11:37:00.004-07:00

I managed to make this book in December after all. It took a lot longer than normal because I was so distracted by all the goodies in the house (I can't stop eating!). I used seven signatures of heavy paper and linen waxed thread. Black end pages make it seem more masculine. A gift for a male perhaps...

Time out for Mom

2009-12-22T16:16:00.002-07:00

Some of you know that I went to Ireland and Scotland for a week this month. Thus, no new crafting. I feel like such a slacker...but I did get Christmas pulled together, so, I haven't been all that lazy. Here's a picture of me with the Malahide Castle, in Ireland, behind me. Merry Christmas everybody!! :)

Green turtle sketch book

2009-11-30T10:25:00.004-07:00

So, it's finals week. Over the weekend, instead of studying, I learned how to do long stitch binding! (I'm such a slacker :P) Since it was a trial run, I just used stiffened felt for the cover. Most people use leather for this kind of binding, but being vegetarian, it seems wrong. I really liked this method for binding and want to do more of it, but I'll have to find a better solution than felt. I think canvas would work with some sort of backing. Anyway, I love how aesthetically pleasing the binding looks on the outside. Anyway, like I said, this was my first try...so it actually looks a lot cooler than this when professionals do it. :)

Wonky ornaments part II

2009-11-23T17:40:00.004-07:00

We are adding to last years wonky ornament collection. Made of felt, both sides are the same. I made the first two blue ones and Josie made the red one. She did it all herself and did an amazing job. You're so awesome Josie!!

Embroidery flowers

2009-11-14T20:35:00.002-07:00

A mini notebook. Paper size is 3x5 cards cut in half, so it's refillable. I really love embroidery. It's so fun with felt. Click the picture to see details.

Geo shapes drawing book

2009-11-11T16:50:00.002-07:00

I thought this fabric was pretty cool, it reminds me of turtles. I sewed in six signatures of heavy drawing paper. I was somewhat distracted as I was sewing this, so there are a few mistakes...after almost a year of learning the Coptic stitch I still feel like an amateur. The learning curve is so steep it seems. Anyway, maybe ten years from now, I'll feel like I know what I'm doing. :)

Journal w/Scandinavia photos

2009-11-07T12:56:00.004-07:00

I finally got this journal sewed together. I used some cool flowery Amy Butler fabric (Love her) for the cover. I upcycled an old school water damaged encyclopedia about Scandinavia by recovering the cover and using a lot of the pages for this book. I also added three signatures of blank heavy drawing paper for writing. I used black linen waxed thread to sew it. A groovy polka dot print was added as end pages.

Bunny love

2009-10-28T10:41:00.001-06:00

Amy Butler fabric stretched onto canvas then painted with a bunny silhouette. It's a bit camouflaged unfortunately.

Howard the monster

2009-10-07T16:58:00.003-06:00

Pretty spooky!! Hand made of fleece, also felt ears and wings. About 10 inches tall. Happy Halloween!

Autumn journal - duplicate

2009-10-04T15:22:00.002-06:00

I made another one. Sewed together with linen waxed thread while listening to Conference. Six signatures of heavy drawing paper. I love this Anna Maria Horner fabric.

Cilantro notebook

2009-10-01T17:31:00.003-06:00

A mini notebook with a hand sewn patch attached. Cilantro again, the character from my story. She lives on a tortilla chip shaped island. Her parents are salsa enthusiast's and named her after their favorite ingredient. :)

Mini notebook -flowers

2009-09-28T09:45:00.003-06:00

Hand made of felt and embroidery. Paper is refillable, 3x5 cards cut in half. So fun to make!

notebooks!

2009-09-11T11:15:00.005-06:00

Handmade by me and to be sold this weekend (Sunday) at the Built to Spill "There's Nothing Wrong With Love" Tribute Show. It's also a benefit show, for my husband's family members who are still recovering from an auto accident, and all proceeds go towards this. Come support this worthy cause, if you can!

Cilantro 3-D

2009-09-04T16:03:00.005-06:00

I made a little Cilantro mascot. She is hand stitched and has an embroidered face. She is made of green fluffy fleece and felt for the face and arms and legs. This was my third try. Mia just reminded me that she needs a cape. I will add that soon. :)

Victorian blue journal

2009-09-04T08:57:00.002-06:00

I upcycled a used book by recovering it in this pretty flower print fabric. Eight signatures of blue drawing paper have been hand sewn inside. A dark blue fabric covers the end pages. Very old school and delicate looking. Schoolmarms would love it!

The Stranger - a notebook

2009-08-24T15:35:00.005-06:00

Another crafting adventure. I made a little embossed notebook. Front cover has a man with a cowboy hat, back cover has an owl on a branch. I don't know if you can tell from these shots, but it's really pretty cool. I added 3x5 cards. Pressed into the cover with metal "stamps."

Cilantro

2009-08-08T13:24:00.004-06:00

An embroidered version of the animal I am writing a children's book about. My plan is to hand stitch the book with the Coptic binding method and have my own fabric design for the cover. A little stuffed softie will go with it. This didn't turn out like I thought it would though. The drawing I made of it was way cuter...

Autumn journal

2009-07-30T09:51:00.004-06:00

My camera isn't working that well. I love the colors of this one, reminds me of Autumn. Which is just around the corner, unbelievably. Mia turned five this week. Plus, we've had lots of fun with friends and cousins, so not a productive month for me. I hope after the reunion, I'll be able to get back into the swing of things...but then I start school too, so, we'll see.