the happy honeybee

puppet play: diana schoenbrun guest post!

2011-05-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me, you have any number of stray socks and mittens lying around the house that have sadly lost their mates. In the new book Puppet Play: 20 Puppet Projects Made with Recycled Mittens, Towels, Socks, and More, author Diana Schoenbrun shows her readers how to make super cute and easy puppets from these and other recycled materials.

Since many crafters are interested in the creative process behind a craft book like this, Diana is here at the honeybee blog today to tell us how she came up with the inspiration for her book.

PS--if you'd like to try out a couple of sample projects from Puppet Play, including the quirky striped elephant puppet on the book cover, please visit the links below!

Crazy Cat Puppet
Betty the Elephant Puppet

From Diana Schoenbrun:

I came up with the idea for Puppet Play a few years ago.

I had taught a puppet and playwriting classes for children ages five to seven. They wrote a short play with characters and created puppets from materials found around the house. I enjoyed making puppets with the children and wanted to take this idea further. Why not use gloves, mittens, scarves, towels and other materials to build toy puppets for playtime? I wanted the materials to be easily accessible and found at home. I tried to incorporate found objects and repurpose other materials. Of course, it helps if you are a pack rat and save things for a rainy day.

Here’s some fun background information about the book. I used a green bandana from hiking trips for the frog puppet. Some cans from my leftover meals were used for a Robot puppet. The Roslyn Raccoon puppet is based on my sister. The original book title was “Take Those Stinky Socks Off!”

Check out the past blog tour stops below. Learn about how I store my supplies at Whip Up, check out how I came up with ideas at SewMamaSew, and how my mom influenced me at Oh My Handmade. Leave a message on my blog and Puppet Play Facebook page and I will choose one winner on May 27th to receive a free book.

Diana Schoenbrun is the author of Beasties: How to Make 22 Mischievous Monsters That Go Bump in the Night and Puppet Play: 20 Puppet Projects Made with Recycled Mittens, Towels, Socks, and More. Visit her online on her website, blog, and Facebook page.

Other stops on Diana's blog tour:

Luvinthemommyhood
Oh My! Handmade

Craft Sanity
Sew Mama Sew
Little Birdie Secrets
This Mama Makes Stuff
Roots and Wings
Whip UP
Fiskateers
Zakkalife
Prudent Baby
Make + Do

Craft Test Dummies
Cute Everything
Schmancy
Progressive Pioneer
Pink and Green Mama
Craft Gossip

Photographs courtesy of Diana Schoenbrun and Andrews McMeel Publishing.

peacocks in the park

2011-05-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a busy few weeks for us with a guest in town and all other kinds of goings on...I hope you've all been doing well!

Here are a few photos from an outing to the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanic Garden last weekend. I did take photos of various flora, but I was mostly taken by the many peacocks that were just wandering around the grounds unattended. They made the funniest noises all day long and didn't seem to be afraid of people at all...except once my husband got too close to one when he wasn't paying attention and the peacock turned and fanned all its tail feathers out at him in a big huff. Touchy, touchy!

Please be sure to stop by tomorrow, when author Diana Schoenburn stops by the blog to do a guest post. She'll be talking about her adorable book Puppet Play, which you can preview by clicking on the link.

birthday weekend

2011-05-01T17:03:00.000-07:00

A few snapshots from the weekend. Lovely cards, a panama hat and clothes from a clever husband (he had the dress made and screen-printed for me at one of my favorite shops!), a beautiful brunch at José Andrés Tres complete with mimosas and bloody marys, and sweet presents from dear friends.

Hope you've had a wonderful weekend, too!

unexpected easter

2011-04-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

My husband has been away for three weeks...and since I actually like my husband, that's a pretty long time. He was away for both his birthday and for Easter, so my rather sad dinner last night consisted of two slices of toast and some tea and chocolate biscuits.

It was therefore a lovely surprise to go outside just now and find a little present hanging on the door. Our former neighbor left a small basket filled with pysanky eggs, fun clips, and a large nut-covered penuchi that I'm pretty sure she made herself.

It was such a sweet and so thoughtful thing for her to do...and certainly teaches me to try and leave the house every once in awhile.

mini cake bunting

2011-04-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

These are terrible, terrible photos of something I made that I actually really liked.

I've always wanted to try making mini cake bunting, so I decided to host a swap for it, thinking it would force me to commit to actually doing it. My partner crafty cupcake likes a lot of feminine and vintage things, so I decided to make hers out of pretty printed fabric, vintage lace, beads, and vintage flowers.

The problem was that I've been so distracted lately that I left the project until pretty late in the game and didn't have the chance to take proper photos of it! Silly me. Oh well, I'm glad I have some photographic record of it...and I suppose I could actually make myself one sometime, too.

calling cards, squared

2011-04-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely set of name cards from my partner for the Laura's Old-Fashioned Calling Cards swap that I hosted.

My partner catsandbutterflys made me a dozen cards printed on nicely textured beige card stock in a rather unusual square shape and stamped with a pretty border. Best of all, the cunning little images are color plates from a decoupage book from the 1970s that she carefully cut out and pasted, which of course is a perfect choice for someone who enjoys vintage as much as I do. I wouldn't have thought to make squared off cards, but my partner explained that though the shape was somewhat unconventional, she thought it showed off the images better...and I absolutely agree.

I love seeing how different people interpret the same idea. Aren't these cards beautiful? I can't wait to use them as gift enclosures or swap cards!

story-inspired recipes

2011-04-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

One of the great pleasures of reading for me is having the chance to do some vicarious eating. My husband and I often read at bedtime, and we've discovered that many of the books I read mention food but very few of his ever do. (Hm!) My earliest memory of food in books was Ramona Quimby talking about how her father used to bring home a white paper sack of gummy bears as a treat, and of course reading about Mrs. James Wilder's groaning feasts just encouraged this fixation on food further.

As such, it was only natural that our little children's swap group would do a trade for recipes inspired by children's books. I printed mine at home and included recipes for Anne Shirley's raspberry cordial, Ma Ingalls' vanity cakes, and Mary Poppins' thin, crisp gingerbread cookies.

I've always loved the anecdote in Mary Poppins when the children are taken to a gingerbread shop, where they choose cookies wrapped in paper gilt stars. Later on that night, Jane and Michael see Mary standing on a tall ladder pasting the silver stars to the sky with a bucket of glue...amazing! If you watch the film and pay attention to the scene when Mary and the children are headed out for errands, there's a mention of stopping by the gingerbread store, although they don't actually show it in the movie.

I also included a recipe for Chicken and Almond Mousse, a recipe I adapted from the Ginnie and Geneva Cookbook. The Ginnie and Geneva series is one of those gems like the Betsy-Tacy books that I'm surprised more people haven't read. Set in the idyllic 1940s and 50s, the books were similar to the Beverly Cleary books in that they are just everyday stories about a girl growing up and her place in the world. Along the way, Ginnie discovers a love for the kitchen in Ginnie and the Cooking Contest and runs into various trials and tribulations with deciding what recipe she wants to submit.

When I read the book, I dearly wanted to taste what's described as a "rich, succulent concoction" with "tender white meat of chicken, whipped cream, olives, almonds, and flavoring." It wasn't until 20 years later that I discovered that the author had written a cookbook, and I was so happy to find the recipe for chicken loaf in it. I've posted a slightly altered version below in case you'd like to try it out.

Ginnie Fellows' Scrumptious Chicken and Almond Mousse

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

1 cup chicken broth

unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon cold water

1 chicken breast, poached and shredded

1/2 cup almond flakes, lightly toasted

salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 pint heavy cream

pimento olives, roughly chopped

Directions:

Beat the egg yolks in a medium heat-proof bowl with a whisk. Add in the chicken broth.

Bring a pot of water (filled 1/3 of the way) to boil and set your bowl on top for a double boiler effect. Cook the mixture until it thickens, stirring every so often.

Dissolve gelatin packet into a small dish with a tablespoon of cold water. Take your egg mixture off the heat and stir in the gelatin. Add the chicken to the mixture, and season with salt and paprika. Let the mixture cool to room temperature using an ice bath, stirring every now and then so it does not set.

Using a stand or electric mixer, whip the cream until it’s thick and firm and fluffy. Gently fold the cream into the egg mixture along with the chopped olives, but don’t mix too much or the whipped texture will be destroyed. Pour the mousse into a loaf pan sprayed lightly with vegetable oil.

Chill the mousse for several hours until very firm. To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn it carefully over onto a serving plate.

Adapted from the Ginnie and Geneva Cookbook by Catherine Woolley.

This is a really delicious dish that's easy to do but elegant enough for company, and I highly recommend trying it if you're intrigued. With warm weather coming up, it'll be just the thing for a summer evening with a crisp salad and a glass of white wine. Enjoy!

fairy tale scherenschnitte

2011-04-17T00:57:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, I'm a devoted fan of the art of paper-cutting. I'm just a beginner myself, but I do enjoy trying out little projects here and there with my trusty knife.

For the fairy tale scherenschnitte swap I hosted recently, my partner mentioned her love of period films and dolls in her profile. This spoke of a certain sense of romance and whimsy to me, so I thought she might like the Cinderella image I came across. I decided to do a simplified version of an Arthur Rackham silhouette from the early 1900s, cut out from textured white paper and mounted onto pink card stock. I had to add a couple little dabs of additional glue after I took this photo, but overall I think it turned out pretty well (though perhaps could use more added detail in the interior space?) and it's now on its way to my partner in Malaysia. It looks like Cinderella and her prince are having a grand old time at the ball, doesn't it?

I have to apologize for my absence lately, too. I've been a little distracted between lots of good books to read and a little project that I'm launching soon, but I do have photos saved up to share that will hopefully get posted without too much delay.

shopper alert: vintage circus cupcake papers

2011-04-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

The circus is in town! Or it's at Michaels, anyway. One of the members of my cupcake toppers group alerted everyone to some super cute cupcake liners that have vintage circus designs. I pawed through a lot of displays by the baking section until I finally found them in the bargain bins at the unbelievable price of $1.50 per 75-count pack! They're adorable, and there are also matching treat bags, stickers, cards, mini journals, and rubber stamps too.

This is going to be great, because I just posted a Mary Poppins circus in the sky pendant necklace swap in our children's lit swap group that I'm very excited about. I can use the stamps and stickers and such to gussy up the package when the time comes. I think I might use a cupcake liner in a craft for a special somebody, too--I'll have to see. In the meantime, the rest go into the baking cupboard. You'd think we baked cupcakes all the time, but it's really just a few times a year. It's so hard to resist a pretty liner, though.

a poem for your pocket

2011-04-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

April is National Poetry Month! And April 14 is Poem in Your Pocket Day, when you're encouraged to carry around a poem with you all day long.

I joined a swap recently in which you were to send a children's poem to your partner for this occasion, which is good timing since I recently found these amazing old Junior Classics books at a library sale for a dollar each. One of the books was a volume of Poetry for Young Readers, so I went through and chose "A Seal's Lullaby" by Rudyard Kipling and "The Moon's the North Wind's Cooky" by Vachard Lindsay, both of which I really liked. I also picked a funny Shel Silverstein poem called "How Not to Have to Dry the Dishes" since my partner loves his books.

I thought it'd be fun to make a mini accordian-style poetry book instead of sending just one poem, so I printed everything out onto nice stationery, glued extra end papers and pretty cardstock for covers, and sewed on a bit of ribbon to tie it together. I left a blank page in the middle so my partner can add her own poem if she likes, too! I like the idea of knowing someone will be carrying this with her all day long in a couple of weeks. It'll be fun to see the poem I receive in return, too.

little house votive: 5 minute craft

2011-03-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

I thought it'd be fun to decoupage a votive candle holder, so I purchased a clear glass one awhile back. It's been hanging out in the craft closet until this cold and windy weekend, when I decided it was time to see what I could do with it.

I measured and cut out a Garth Williams illustration from a yellowing copy of Little House in the Big Woods along with some text. Using Mod Podge and a soft brush, I painted the whole glass with a thin layer of glue. I then carefully placed the cut paper onto the glass and brushed on several more layers of Mod Podge, allowing them to dry between coats. (I replaced the chapter header "The Long Rifle" with the book title as well.) The whole thing took around 5 minutes, not counting drying time, and it's probably one of the most satisfying crafts you could do for under a dollar in materials.

When the candle is lit inside, it all looks appropriately old-timey and warm with light glowing through the vintage paper. So simple, so pleasing.

bookmarks...made for me!

2011-03-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

I received a lovely pair of handmade bookmarks from bionicrobyn this week. She sent me one with a Kate DiCamillo quote from The Tale of Desperaux with a lime-green ribbon, featuring an illustration with a spool of thread.

Since Robyn knows how much I like Mary Poppins, she also kindly drew Mary's parrot umbrella for me with the wonderful quote "Don't you know that everybody's got a Fairyland of their own?" Which, if I remember correctly, was said with a disdainful sniff. I like that she wrote the quote herself instead of printing it, and I like the little sprinkling of stardust on it, too. The umbrella is parted at the bottom so that the two sides of the spine slide right over the top of a page. Ingenious!

It's so fun to see what people do with the same idea and I especially like to receive things that are drawn or painted, since I can't do it myself. Those genes, sadly, skipped right over this particular bee.

easter decorations

2011-03-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

We've never really decorated for Easter before. We have lots of Christmas and Halloween decorations, but somehow we've never really celebrated the bunny...but when I saw these figurines in a Marshalls yesterday, I couldn't resist!

I love how two of the bunnies look like giant foil-wrapped chocolates. Several people asked me if they were real on the way to the register, which made me laugh, though it's completely understandable why they'd think so. They're pretty realistic looking in their coloring and sheen, and I especially like the little bit of blush on the lady bunny's cheeks. The big fellow is 20" tall and very well-priced at $14.99; the other two were $5.99 and $9.99 respectively.

My husband's coming home today after a few days away, so it'll be nice to greet him with a house full of rabbits. Won't he be surprised!

free download: rose calling cards

2011-03-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

I just sent off a dozen calling cards to my swap partner ftdlynn, based on the new-fangled name cards that swept the Little Town on the Prairie by storm back in the 1800s. I used a vintage rose image (since Laura Ingalls Wilder named her daughter Rose) and lots of pink (since she always wore pink hair ribbons), along with the following quote printed on textured card stock:

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

I also included a few blank cards that have the original Helen Sewell illustration, too, and both sets will make pretty swap cards or gift enclosures.

If you'd like a set for yourself, the template for the blank calling cards may be downloaded here. Just add your name, print them onto cardstock, and trim--you never know when you'll run into a handsome young gent with a pair of matched Morgans!

free download: cassandra clare + madeleine l'engle bookmarks

2011-03-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

I hosted a handmade bookmark swap for my children's lit group recently, in which you were to send one bookmark tailored to one of your partner's favorite books and one bookmark featuring something you liked. As it happened, my partner DeidreArt likes several of the same authors I do, so this one was a particular pleasure.

Deidre's a big fan of Madeleine L'Engle, so I chose two quotes and book covers for the bookmark, including my favorite L'Engle book, A Ring of Endless Light. I've always loved the Austins, and in this book Vicky meets Adam Eddington, a marine biology student who teaches her to swim--and communicate--with dolphins. Whenever I see a dolphin now, I think of how L'Engle described their skin as "resilient pewter."

Deidre also enjoys Cassandra Clare's books. It was the easiest thing in the world to find a number of great Jace quotes from The Mortal Instruments, but I particularly love this swoony one. Who could resist a boy who hunts demons and says stuff like that? I also made a bookmark for Clockwork Angel, too. This was my absolute favorite YA book from 2010, and it tells the story of Tessa, who crosses an ocean to to seek her brother in Victorian London...and who finds that she has a mysterious past and unbelievable powers she'd never dreamed of. I love how Tessa learns to use her gifts to overcome her enemies, and I love all the characters that populate this dark, enthralling world. I'm dying for the sequel to come out, but it's a long way until December 2011. *sigh*

I backed the Cassandra Clare bookmarks with fantastic thin metallic cardboard from an Entertainment Weekly ad that I'd been saving. Do you collect bits and pieces of interesting material for your crafting, too? My supplies closet is bursting to the gills with all kinds of things that I just know will come in handy someday.

Anyway, if you'd like to print out these bookmarks for yourself, feel free to download a copy here. Just remember that they're for personal use only, not commercial, so no funny business, please! Consider it my version of a fan tribute. ;) Hope you enjoy.

once in a mega moon...

2011-03-20T18:59:00.000-07:00

...I will actually blog.

We went out last night to the Griffith Observatory to wait for the mega moon. It was so cloudy that we weren't sure we would actually see anything, but our efforts were rewarded with an incredibly bright and beautiful viewing. Between the walking and the waiting, we stayed out in the cold night for over two hours, but it was well worth it! After all, it will be another 20 years before we see a moon this bright.

handmade lettersets

2011-03-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

I'd never thought about making handmade lettersets, but apparently creative people find all manner of things to make. Hollycm6 sent me some wonderful stationery stitched from Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan book paper, and both lettersets include self-adhesive strips for easy sealing.

I really like the handmade envelope she sent them in, too, especially since I get to keep that particular one instead of feeling as though I need to use it! I also like the stamps she affixed on them, particularly the faux stamp for the Dandelion Weald that she made herself. I finally got postage-edge scissors recently and I can't wait to try making my own faux postage at some point.

angus

2011-03-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

Meet Angus. He has such style and personality that he gets his own seat at restaurants. He belongs to Margie in Arkansas, and he's also responsible for her winning the Amy Butler book giveaway . He's making a quick appearance here on ye olde blog just because we thought it'd be fun to meet him.

Happy Sunday to you!

outgoing packages

2011-03-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Posting a quick photo of some of the packages that went out this week. One of them is the Velveteen Rabbit adoption package, and the others are an assortment of prizes. I'm hosting a storybook-inspired recipe booklet swap and decided to do a quick little game asking people to identify the book foods identified in the swap description. Since several people chimed in, I decided to award a few winners with little children's lit-related presents.

It's always fun to receive packages that are decorated--and honestly, Swap-Bot people send the most amazing and happy-making embellished parcels. I love using deco tape and rubber stamps, but sometimes adding recycled book paper or printouts of interesting images are a really wonderful and inexpensive way to decorate, too. Since these envelopes were for children's book swaps, I thought it was fitting to use vintage Mother Goose pages and fairy tale illustrations. I hope they make their recipients happy!

velveteen rabbit adoption

2011-03-11T15:02:00.000-08:00

Well, there was more drama on Swap-Bot over people not sending swaps they were supposed to. Fortunately this was caught in time for me to re-route the Adopt a Book Pet swap I was to send to my flaky partner, however, so I was able to scramble and make something different for Moineau in France with a few days' notice.

Her profile talks about how much she likes books featuring animals as heroes (!), so I wanted to make her something featuring one of my favorite books, Margery Williams' The Velveteen Rabbit. My favorite version of this book features illustrations by David Jorgensen, so I did a little embroidered wall hanging based on one of the drawings. I used thin corduroy and wool blend felt for the body and sewed it onto grey cotton cloth (which used to be one of my husband's nice dress shirts). I used masking tape to tape down the embroidery to cardboard backing and slid everything into a thrifted frame, and it's on its way to France now along with official adoption papers. This isn't the first time I've made rabbits into wall hangings, but I think it's my favorite.

If you've never seen the beautiful film version of this book, by the way, you really should check it out. It uses the Jorgensen illustrations, is perfectly narrated by Meryl Streep, and also includes gorgeous music by George Winston. You can watch the first part of the movie here...but the film is so wonderful, it's really worth adding to your collection or perhaps even tucking into an Easter basket. I just love that it was done by Rabbit Ears Productions! At the 5 minute, 30 second mark in the clip, there is a brief flash of the drawing upon which this embroidery was based.

amy butler book winner!

2011-03-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for entering the giveaway for Amy Butler's Style Stitches! I received dozens of entries via email and on the post and it was fun to read about the purses that meant something to women over the years.

I'm pleased to announce that the winner of the book is Margie Alsbrook. Her entry made me chuckle when I read it, as it was easy to picture a purse with such a big personality that it had to be christened with a name.

What a cool looking book! I am not really a fur kinda gal, but my favorite purse was a fake fur purse I bought on a whim and ended up being my constant companion for a couple winters. The thing was huge and looked so real it got me VIP treatment at all these swanky places in Dallas, but the real reason I loved it was it became a character of sorts among my friends and family. My Dad named him Angus and whenever "he" arrived at restaurants and parties he would be given his own chair or stool (it was more kitchy/funny than creepy, I promise). We got endless laughs out of the whole thing, and I was sad when Angus inevitably became a bit too worn for public appearances. He has now been retired to the "purse closet" with my other favorites from years past, like the picnic basket purse. Thanks for hosting this.

I'm glad to know you still have Angus, Margie...it sounds like he served you faithfully. Congratulations!

My apologies for being so late with this post, by the way. I've been having trouble logging into blogger, but I think the issue has been fixed now.

nightingale paper cutting

2011-02-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

Recently I hosted an Adopt a Book Pet swap, in which participants were invited to make an animal from a children's book, along with adoption papers. The swap was of course inspired by the Adopt a Monster Plush swap from awhile back.

I haven't finished my own outgoing pet yet, but I've already received a nightingale paper cutting from my partner Sarah, aka Lavender Lizard. I love scherenschnitte and I love The Nightingale, so this was just perfect!

As it happens, I also just posted a Fairy Tale Paper Cutting swap over in our Once Upon a Time group, so this was really serendipitous timing. Great minds think alike and all that! Apparently Sarah is writing a grant based on Hans Christian Andersen's paper cutting, so she has this stuff on the brain, too. Knowing that I really like narwhals, she also sent me a narwhal ATC that she made from stamps she carved herself. I quite like the expression on his face, as well as the swirly blue ocean in which he's immersed.

oscar menu

2011-02-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

It's Oscar night! We went by the Mr. Brainwash mural on La Brea avenue last week to snap photos. I'm kind of hoping Banksy shows up to claim his Academy Award tonight for Exit Through the Gift Shop and announce that the whole thing really was just a hoax.

If you haven't already seen the documentary, I highly recommend it--it's a fascinating and surprisingly funny look at underground street art.

On Friday I suddenly had the urge to do an Oscar menu, so tonight we're having:

Black Swan Wings
Winter's Bone Marrow
The King's Speck-Wrapped Asparagus
Deviled Dragon Eggs
Sean Parker's Appletinis

I was going to make a The Kids Are All Right heirloom tomato salad, but there wasn't a decent heirloom to be had in all four places that I looked today, so we're just having a smoked mozzarella and regular old grape tomato salad instead.

9:00 pm EST: updated with photos! The black swan wings were a little frightening to look at, but that's part of the effect we were going for; I used a marinade of soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, oyster sauce, salt and pepper, and a little food dye. I wasn't a huge fan of the rubbery eggs (which I only simmered in the dye for 30 minutes and did not flavor), although the marbled effect looks really cool.

no gingerbread for me

2011-02-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

Well, I attempted to go the Pomona Library's Gingerbread Sociable for Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthday. Again. But apparently you really need to get there when it first begins in order to see anyone dressed in calico dresses...oh, well.

I still poked around and looked at the Little House exhibit, however, though I'm a little late in posting this. As I've previously mentioned, Pomona holds a number of Laura's precious original manuscripts and letters since she corresponded with the children's librarian. It's interesting to see the tablet with the Little Town on the Prairie draft and compare it to the final published version. It's amazing to look upon it and know that a woman I admired so much used that very paper to write about literaries and birthday parties with oranges and fashionable autograph albums.

The letters, newspaper clippings, and programs from various events over the years are specific to Pomona Library, and it is the photocopies that are on display. One of the letters contains a copy of her famous gingerbread recipe and was clearly written when she was in her late 80s after her husband died. I know she lived a long and happy life, but it still made me rather sad to read:

I'm living alone and it is very lonely without Almanzo, but it would be lonely anywhere and I would rather stay in my own, old home.

I do hope the original letters are locked away somewhere for safe-keeping, as it's a little worrisome that the photocopies and books on display are so faded and worn. I also wish there were more explanations for the artifacts...are those a family member's shoes? Where did the dolls come from? One of these days I'll have to go back and hunt down a librarian to answer some questions. In the meantime, it was really nice to see evidence of her legacy, however. And it's always nice to be amongst other Laura-lovers.

giveaway: amy butler's style stitches

2011-02-24T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I'm giving away a copy of Amy Butler's new book Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 25 Wonderful Bags.

The book is chock-full of great ideas for totes, shoulder bags, wristlets, clutches, pouches, coin purses, and wallets all made using interesting shapes and Amy's bright, modern signature fabrics. It also includes the patterns for all the projects, which is a nice bonus since I get pretty annoyed by books that expect you to photocopy and enlarge a pattern by 300%....not so easy if you're working off your little home HP printer.

The book has plenty of color photographs, easy-to-use instructions, and a spiral-bound style that's handy since it lies flat while you're wrestling with pins and fabric and thread. Mother's Day is coming up, and it would be so cute to use the book to make a pretty present for your mom or your grandma...especially with a sweet note tucked inside!

To enter to win, all you need to do is leave a comment below with your email address and share a memory about a favorite purse you've owned or made. You may also email me at thehappyhoneybee(at)gmail with the same information if you'd rather not leave your information below. One winner will be chosen on Friday, March 4. Good luck!

Photographs and review copy courtesy of Chronicle Books.

one tiny kitty

2011-02-23T11:52:00.000-08:00

Departing in today's mail: an itty bitty kitty made for the "I really like..." One Tiny Thing swap. This was a sender's choice swap, but I try to please my partner where I can, so it was nice to see that she is a cat lover as well.

I needle-felted a fuzzy little wool kitten for my partner and fastened a satin collar around its neck with a tinkly bell. The kitty measures around 2.5 inches and fits perfectly into a little wooden crate from Michaels that I painted blue. (When I opened the crate, I actually found the vest-wearing mouse hiding in it that I'd made a few years ago, so now he's been liberated from his pen!) I haven't done too much needle-felting other than a few Christmas ornaments here and there, but I really do enjoy it...the prolonged poking action with the needle is very therapeutic. Except when you accidentally and vigorously stab your own finger with the barbed needle, of course.

Side note: do you edit what you present publicly as well? Along with my love for Hello Kitty, dolphins, and few other choice things, I don't actually have my love for cats on my Swap-Bot profile, since there are so many weird and bad products that you might potentially receive. I figure I've listed enough other things on my likes and dislikes list to make up for them.

one tiny thing

2011-02-22T10:25:00.000-08:00

I was invited to join the group One Tiny Thing recently. I really like the concept, which is that you send one handmade item that is less than 4 inches in any given theme. Things that are small are always somehow so much cuter! Plus I like that the group rules state that you are not to send anything other than the thing itself. I love an extra as much as the next person, but sometimes in the world of handmade, the expectation to send additional "stuff" gets to be a little much.

I received my first package this week, which happened to be in sort of an open theme "send what you like" type of thing. Happily, my partner SunnyBlueSkies likes Pooh, and after visiting my blog saw that I did, too! So she painted a beautiful little matchbox and decorated it with book papers, and enclosed little glass magnets that she made inside. So sweet! The packaging with the drawstring bag and paper tag are just perfect, too.

thomas keller's fried chicken

2011-02-21T23:51:00.000-08:00

It's been cold and windy here in Los Angeles, so over the rainy weekend, I finally made Thomas Keller's lemon-brined fried chicken. I pretty much stuck to the original recipe, except that I double-dipped the chicken for extra crunch (letting it air dry for an hour between dippings) and I used a mixture of peanut and vegetable oil and butter and shortening since that's what I hand. I know, I know, but I pretty much only make fried chicken once a year, so we don't hold back.

It was deliciously herby and juicy, and we're still eating the leftovers with mashed potatoes. As much as I enjoyed it, however, I have to confess I think I still like my own version of Gourmet's recipe more, though it's a toss-up for my husband. Either way, it's good to have fried chicken options! It took a long time to find the right recipes and the right techniques.

beloved books

2011-02-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

My husband's family is really good at saving everything. His great-grandparents, who lived through the Great Depression, were very thrifty and took good care of the things they had. Years ago when they cleaned out the family home, they found its original bill of sale from the 1920s, as well as the Sears Roebuck Catalog out of which his great-grandparents had ordered their ready-to-assemble "catalog house." His great-grandfather built the house himself in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with the help of some Amish people who lived in the area. My mother-in-law still has all the paperwork for the house, which is astonishing to me since I sometimes can't even find my receipts from last week!

We've inherited a number of great things from his family, including a 1970s air popper that came in its original box and works perfectly, as well as those vintage valentines. She's also been sending along some amazing cameras for my husband (with original instruction manuals, still in their boxes, etc, etc), and yesterday I also received some well-worn, well-loved copies of Alice in Wonderland and Little Women. Both are inscribed to June O'Brien, my mother-in-law's mother, in beautiful script dated 1934.

The Lewis Carroll book is illustrated, of course, and the endpapers feature the Tenniel drawings printed in red ink. I especially like that Little Women appears to be the movie tie-in edition, since it comes with black and white photographs from the 1933 film. So funny! I enjoy leafing through them, and it will be a pleasure to read the books again with the knowledge that my husband's grandmother (and likely great-grandmother) clearly once loved and valued the same books.

wallace and gromit stamps

2011-02-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when you say you like something, people will just send it to you. For no good reason except that they're nice people.

Many months ago, I randomly expressed my envy over the Wallace & Gromit Christmas stamps that the Royal Mail issued last fall. To my great surprise, the wonderful Shadow Akiyah on Swap-Bot offered to send me some from the U.K. once they came out and refused to receive anything in return. I'm not really a formal stamp collector, but I do enjoy seeing interesting ones as well as ones featuring images with some significance to me. These W & G stamps that I just received this week are really fun, especially since the pack comes with a paper advent calendar and commemorative folder.

Have you been on the cracking new Wallace and Gromit site, by the way? There are tons of cute games, activity packets, and e-cards available there. If you're handy with the needles, you might try crocheting your own Shaun the Sheep with the free pattern from Purple Linda, too!

I find it really reassuring that in today's digital world, you can still see human fingerprints on Wallace and Gromit's faces. It's one of the many reasons that they'll always remain timeless classics.

mini cupcakes

2011-02-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

Did you have a good Valentine's Day? We sure did! We had an outrageously good dinner at Jar (oxtail dumplings, duck confit with black kale and roasted turnips, and butterscotch budino for me) in West Hollywood, followed by a second dessert of an assortment of mini cupcakes from Hotcakes Bakes. We, um, didn't eat all the cupcakes, mind you, but there's always today and tomorrow to finish them off.

I hope you had a day full of sweets with your loved ones, too!

i am loved

2011-02-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

I keep saying this, but unexpected surprises might be my most favorite kind.

In addition to the washi tape, my friend Linda also sent me some other Valentine-y presents in the mail. I've been saving them up to share because I love them so much! I received a SWAK rubber stamp, pretty salt water taffy in the only flavors I happen to eat, sweet vintage buttons still on their cards, and best of all, a wall hanging she embroidered and framed especially for me.

The wall hanging is actually a delayed Christmas present, but one well worth waiting for. As I've mentioned before, "The Owl and the Pussycat" has special significance to us since it was one of the two poems read at our wedding. I already have a copy of Sonnet 116 from an old book framed for my curio wall and had been looking for something similar for the other poem--and now here it is!

Linda took an illustration of the poem and embroidered it onto cloth, ingeniously filling in the large spaces with watercolor marker. I love the end result, which looks appropriately like a real children's book illustration. Both the animals are so sweet and dreamy and serene on their moonlit journey, and I can't wait to find a good place to hang this.

It's always wonderful when someone makes something with you in mind, but when someone chooses something as personal as this, it renders me practically speechless. It's wonderful to have dear friends. Especially when they're both thoughtful and crafty.

romantic poems

2011-02-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

I made another poetry booklet recently. I found a selection of poems I liked and paired them with vintage Valentine images and put them all together in a booklet bound together with spray adhesive. After using "The Owl and the Pussycat" for a swap awhile back, I've been wanting to use the other meaningful poem read at our wedding, too, so Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 was the very last poem included in the booklet.

I meant to offer the booklet as a download, but unfortunately the two files were too big for Google docs! So if you'd like a copy to print out for your own Valentine, feel free to message me at thehappyhoneybee(dot)gmail(com) or leave your email address in the comment box and I'll be happy to send you one electronically. The Christina Rossetti booklet I made awhile back would be a pretty accompaniment to any flowers and chocolate you might be sending, too...

3 handmade postcards

2011-02-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

A quick break from all the hearts and flowers today.

Here is the postcard I made for a swap using vintage book paper and some of that lovely washi tape from West Elm. My partner loves children's books and Pooh in particular, so it was an especial pleasure to do. Since the card will have to travel through the postal system, I sealed the top with some clear acrylic spray as well...hopefully that will do the trick.

I sent my partner a couple of extra postcards made from Where the Wild Things Are and The Tale of Benjamin Bunny as well. I'm always on the lookout for inexpensive/damaged books at thrift stores to use in crafting, and I especially like the ones that have yellowing, brittle pages--it speaks to both their age and how much they were loved.

Postcards are such an easy and cheery thing to make, too. One day I'd like to do a really, really big postcard to send through the mail, but I'll have to look up the dimensions and such first. Hallmark used to sell those really giant (2 foot?) cards and envelopes, so I would think that postcards would probably go by the same standards of measurement.

more valentine cupcake toppers

2011-02-09T15:52:00.000-08:00

My friend Naomi sent me some cute cupcake toppers for the Sweetly Vintage Valentine Toppers swap recently. As I've mentioned, we keep getting partnered in swaps, which is kind of nice because then you know you'll be getting a good package in the mail.

Naomi used adorable stickers to make her toppers along with the pleating technique I used for the holiday toppers I made for Christmas. They're so pretty and so sweet! She also sent me some wonderful glittery Valentine postcards from Cavallini and Company, which I'd seen in stores and really liked. She was also clever enough to write a note on one of them, knowing full well, I expect, that this would give me license to actually keep it.

In other news, my husband is finally home after a month away, plus my gentlemen friends were staying with us for a few days while they were in town, so it's been a little nutty around here lately. Hopefully things are back to normal, however...I've missed the blogosphere!

bookish valentines

2011-02-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

When you were little, did you decorate shoeboxes and paper bags for Valentine's Day? I fondly remember how much fun it was to make them with construction paper and glue and to watch the pile of thin white envelopes and little candies accumulate.

That was the idea behind the Sweets to the Sweet: a box of bookish valentines swap that I hosted. I thought it'd be fun to decorate and fill a box with cards signed by children's book characters, so everyone was asked to pick cards and write short messages that might've been chosen by characters they liked.

I wrapped and glued a cracker box in pretty red and white wrapping paper and then put on a few graphics so it looked sort of candy box-ish. I then printed out vintage cards or images that I found online, and embellished some of them with bits of glitter and ribbon.

I found a penny valentine with a worm on it that was perfect for Ramona Quimby to send to Henry Huggins, since of course she proposed to him with a worm wrapped around her finger; I printed out a Nancy Drew silhouette and pasted it to a doily for a card from Ned; and more penny valentines from Joe Willard to Betsy Ray, from Sheila Tubman to Peter Hatcher, and from Jules to Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family. The only two that weren't real "cards" were the one from Harriet the Spy to Sport and the card to Emily Byrd Starr from Teddy Kent, because he would of course send her something he'd painted himself. I always loved that Teddy had "the trick of putting [Emily] into every portrait that he painted," so I took the liberty of attributing A Meadow Flower to him. (Apologies, Mr. John White Alexander!)

I also used a few cards I scanned and printed from the box of 100-year-old valentines my mother-in-law sent me, including ones from Gilbert Blythe to Anne Shirley, from Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet, and from Peter Pan to Wendy Darling. It actually made me really sad to re-read the end of Peter Pan again; it'd been years since I read it, so it brought tears to my eyes when Wendy tells him she doesn't remember how to fly. Such a bittersweet ending.

Anyway...I put everything in the box with some candy, and I hope my partner will enjoy opening it. I'm looking forward to getting some bookish valentines of my own to read, too!

vintage valentine cards: the real thing

2011-02-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I received a lot of valentines in the mail. Not just any old valentines, but ones that had belonged to my husband's great grandfather and great-uncle. When my mother-in-law first asked me whether I wanted them, I said "Of course!" thinking I'd receive maybe a dozen or so, and they'd be the funny penny valentines you see from the 50s and 60s.

That wasn't the case.

I received a box packed full of cards, enough to fill two large freezer bags plus a big album my mother-in-law had finished. Many of them were made in Germany, and the papers and images they used are just beautiful...lovely colors and script and poems hearkening back to a gentler time. This is what a valentine should look like. Today's blaring colors and offhanded feeling somehow seem garish by comparison.

Quite a few of them are also really huge! Some cover the entire page of the 12" x 12" album, which is astonishing to see. I was also surprised to see how many of them used 3D type raised effects, as well as some interactive ones (moving legs and arms, etc).

Some of the Valentines are dated as early as 1902, and they all appear to be from the boys' mother or aunt. What I find really interesting is that most of them are just signed with no messages on them, but perhaps it's because the cards have such heartfelt sentiments printed on them already. It's also a little funny because there are so many valentines from their female relatives, but I can't find a single one that is marked as being from the boys to them or to/from any of their sweethearts. Still, these meant enough that they've been kept for generation after generation for over a hundred years, which is just amazing. I feel incredibly lucky to have these and am glad to be their guardian for the forseeable future.

I scanned in just a fraction of the cards that I received, but you get an idea of how gorgeous they are. If you'd like to use some of the cards in your crafting, you should be able to download a couple of the single images by clicking on the jpg to enlarge it; just right click and save to your computer. I'd appreciate your linking back to this post if you use them. Please send me links and share anything you make from them, too!

thomas keller, thumbelina necklace

2011-02-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

Trading handmade can be wonderful, but sometimes you can just trade away stuff you don't want for stuff you do. Paperfarm and I set up a swap recently in which I sent her a couple of things I already had in exchange for a couple of items I was interested in.

I'd been salivating after Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home so she sent me a copy from my Amazon wish list. I'm so excited over this book, and I can't wait to try his recipe for lemon-brined chicken. It sounds amazing!

My partner also makes jewelry, so she made me a Thumbelina necklace for me using a tiny fairy charm, a thimble, and some little silver spoons. Isn't it cunning? I also like the silvery moon shining above.

All in all a most satisfactory exchange!

shopper alert: japanese masking tape

2011-01-31T17:06:00.000-08:00

I received two unexpected packages from my dear friend Linda within the last week. I'm saving one to share later, but I had to do a quickie post about the first one. She knows I love decorative masking tape, so she sent me a cute little set of three red and pink ones from West Elm...a most unexpected and welcome surprise!

I randomly went on their site today, and it looks like the yellow and purple sets are on sale for the ridiculously low price of $4.99 plus free shipping plus you receive a beechwood dispenser! Goodness, what a bargain. If you love washi tape, get yourself a set now before they sell out.

Update: looks like the tape dispenser is no longer available, but the orange set is now available in addition to the yellow and purple ones.

valentine cupcake toppers + download

2011-01-31T10:42:00.000-08:00

I make way more cupcake toppers than I do cupcakes. That's probably a good thing, though sometimes it's hard to remember the need for moderation when you have so many cute toppers lying around.

I hosted a Sweetly Vintage Valentine Toppers swap on Swap-Bot recently, and here are the ones I sent to my partner. I love this assortment of sized-down old penny valentines, which includes a mermaid and a veggie since my partner is a fan of both.

I'm also including a link where you can download a copy of these cupcake toppers and print onto cardstock if you'd like to make your own. They are easy to embellish with glitter, ribbons, lace, or whatever you'd like!

another pooh candy gram

2011-01-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

So here is the Pooh Candy Gram that my partner Simple Seamstress sent to me! A sweet box lined with E.H. Shepard illustrations, tied with printed fabric ribbon, and filled with neat rows of vanilla caramels.

These candy grams can be so much fun to send instead of a just an ordinary card, and they come with the bonus of sweet treats for the week ahead. They would make adorable greetings for birthdays or other occasions, too.

fairies and rabbits

2011-01-29T15:53:00.000-08:00

A few lovely handmade items sent to me from mmilesesq for a Children's Lit Paper Goodies swap I hosted recently:

-- set of 8 Beatrix Potter tags cleverly adorned with butterflies and picket fences
-- a selection of Winnie the Pooh cards
-- a set of bookplate labels
-- sweet personalized Pooh swap card
-- set of 8 glittered fairy tags with envelope pockets
-- wonderful books!

This was meant to be a lightweight, inexpensive swap consisting of at least 5 paper items, but my partner went well above and beyond what was required with her thoughtfully chosen and generous package. I'm always touched when people take my likes and dislikes into account, but it's especially nice when people make things especially with you in mind!

birdhouse valentine

2011-01-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

It's kind of fun to join swaps with restrictions. I recently signed up for one in which you were to send a cheap Valentine package that cost no more than $2 to send and had to consist of at least one thing that was pink. Other than those guidelines, the package could be absolutely anything.

This struck my fancy since I liked the challenge of finding something interesting that was both inexpensive and lightweight to send. I was pleased to see that my partner would be hollycm6, since she's sent to me a few times but I haven't really sent to her in official swap before.

I decided to purchase a $1 miniature wooden bird house from Michaels, which I painted in two shades of pink. It was then embellished with a few small pom poms, shiny heart stickers, a pink grosgrain ribbon, and just a touch of white glitter. I also made a tiny needle-felted bird to set onto the perch, where he's holding a small woolly heart dangling from some striped twine. He looks like he might take off at any moment bearing his little love message.

To make it extra Valentine-y, I think I'll fill the bird house with candy. It's a little silly, but I do like heart-shaped chocolates and things like that around this time of year, and something like that would be perfect. It's going to be interesting to see if I can find something wrapped that will still be small enough to fit into the opening, though. And hopefully it won't push the weight over the max, ack! Anyway, this was a really enjoyable project...it's so satisfying to make a present that's both cheap and fun.

Incidentally, I know I've been quiet lately, so yes, yes, I admit it. I still haven't found how to remove my Kindle from my hand for more than a couple of hours at a time yet.

happy pooh day!

2011-01-18T11:52:00.000-08:00

Today is A.A. Milne's birthday, so it's also Winnie the Pooh Day. Pooh Bear is a long-time favorite of mine, and I've been lucky enough to see both the dear animals that belonged to Christopher Milne last year and the original book manuscripts at Trinity College at Cambridge University. Someday I'd love to go to Ashdown Forest and play Pooh Sticks, too.

In honor of Edward Bear, I hosted a little Pooh candygram swap using this idea from Inchmark. I just lined the bottom of a stationery box with E.H. Shepard illustrations and filled it with candy, gift tags made from vintage book paper backed with card stock, and wee Pooh picks that should be perfect for tea sandwiches. All wrapped up in blue ribbons and good cheer.

There are more photos of the original Pooh animals on the honeybee Facebook page if you've a hankering to see them. And if you need some Pooh urgently, don't forget you can also download the Pooh bookmark I made last year, too! Happy Pooh Day--and may your day be filled with lots of honey...

mockingjay pin

2011-01-17T12:52:00.000-08:00

I finally read Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games last year and was blown away by how spectacular it is. It's the story of a post-apocalyptic world in which teens are chosen to outwit each other in a vicious survival game, and where winning the televised competition literally means the difference between life and death.

Each contestant is allowed to bring one memento from home, and 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen chooses to wear a mockingjay pin. The bird is evolved from a crossbreed between a mockingbird and a jabberjay, a bird created by the pitiless Capitol to spy upon its citizens. As such, it is something that should not exist--and it eventually becomes a powerful symbol for the revolution.

I loved the first book in the trilogy, which is incredibly bleak and violent and sad. As soon as I finished it I had to look for a mockingjay pin, and sure enough, there are licensed pins, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. (There should be more merchandise to come, since the book is also in the development stage for a film.) I ended up buying a pin from an Etsy seller, though, because I liked how the metal looked and the idea of supporting an independent artisan. I usually link the sellers I buy from, but in this particular case I won't, since the pin actually arrived separated from its pinback and it was a bit of a hassle to get a partial refund. After consulting a lot of different people on the best adhesive for this sort of thing, I was able to mend it (I think) with E-6000 glue.

I love it though, so in spite of the annoying buying experience I'm glad I got one. If you're interested in seeking a similar pin for yourself, there are a number of other mockingjay interpretations on Etsy as well. And if you haven't read The Hunger Games, do. It's unforgettable.

worried bunny

2011-01-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

Here is the last holiday photo for the year, I promise. My friend Holly and I decided to do a Christmas swap together, but the normally trustworthy postal service has been very slow since mid-December. My package to the UK took 3.5 weeks to get there, and after nearly six weeks I still don't have mine from her yet! But I know it will be worth waiting for.

Anyway, I sent Holly a bunch of things, including various books, peanut butter chocolates, bunny slippers, and a holly brooch sewn from felt and needle-felted berries.

I also made her a tiny felt bunny wearing a hat and coat made from a recycled cashmere sweater. (The same sweater I used for those arm warmers awhile back...it's the gift that keeps on giving!) Holly is just crazy over rabbits so hopefully she'll enjoy having one for her tree. I like that she looks a little worried, since I've always thought that most buns usually are. Lots of Mr. McGregors around, you know.

sophia allison

2011-01-15T10:08:00.000-08:00

My friend Sophia Allison is a really talented artist. She works primarily with found objects and recycled materials, inspired by her childhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains and her current home in Los Angeles.

Her sculptures and sewn work have been featured in various solo and group exhibitions around the country and abroad, as well as in publications such as the L.A. Times and Art Scene. My favorite is this Make Magazine article on the amazing luchador capes and masks that she creates out of materials such as tea bags, Band-Aids, and even feminine products. Pretty cool stuff! I also love the delicate hanging sculptures she makes out of used coffee filters, as well as her paper-cutting installations.

As an established artist, her art usually fetches gallery pricing for the massively intricate work she does. But for a limited amount of time, she is offering to create small artwork for $25 on her blog. You can view all the details through the link, and commissions will be accepted through Saturday, February 12, 2011. She will also ship directly to those who are out of state. Please do contact her if you are interested! It's a great opportunity to acquire some eco-friendly artwork for a very reasonable price.

P.S. You might remember the hedgehog baby quilt I made last summer, which was for Sophia's daughter. Having seen her work, perhaps now you'll understand why I was a little nervous about giving it to her.

Visit Sophia online through her website and blog to keep up on her latest news and exhibitions. Photos courtesy of Sophia Allison.

sweet stamps and cookies

2011-01-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

Continuing the Random Acts of Kindness theme, I received three packages this week that made me emit little high-pitched squeals.

I am in a number of groups with hollycm6, and she sent me not one, but two random packages of goodies. One was filled with chocolate and Beatrix Potter stickers, and the other...with hand-carved rubber stamps! That she made especially for me! I love that I have my user name and a little wandering bee on a stamp. I've always wanted something like this because "honeybee" is my husband's nickname for me, but I don't actually make any sort of bee (other than tiny needle-felted ones)--so this is just perfect!

The other stamp is another one I requested, which is an Ernie the Envie stamp. He's the super cute Swap-Bot symbol designed by Rachel Johnson--you can see his cheerful face on the link on the right side of this blog--and I can't wait to see him smiling approvingly on my future packages. Holly, by the way, is also the artist who sent me those great Red Riding Hood cards.

I also received a small box of koala cookies from TraceyK. So cute and so delicious! There are a number of different koala bear designs, including koalas...eating cookies. Asian snacks and sweets always seem to be so much cuter than those produced in the rest of the world. Erm, even if the animals on the boxes have their heads removed so you can see the chocolate oozing out from inside.

It's always fun to receive swap packages, but when they're sent for no particular reason, somehow it makes it even nicer.

unexpected kindness

2011-01-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

I have to confess that swapping online can sometimes be a chancy prospect. I join most swaps for the pleasure of creating something and just hope for something fun in return--and I'm lucky that I've mostly been paired with great partners who have sent me many unexpected and wonderful presents.

One thing I've never been able to understand, though, is when people say they will do something and then they just...don't. How is it possible to make a commitment and not fulfill it? If something comes up, as things sometimes do, shouldn't you at least let your partner know?

I've been really bothered about this for the past few months, since a number of issues came up over the holidays. I've been pretty lucky in that I've only been completely flaked on a couple of times this year, once for the Design a Calling Card swap and for an ornament swap through another blog. But several people flaked on the Little House Christmas swap, most of them apparently quite deliberately, which left their partners disappointed and empty-handed. For a big package. At Christmas time. With an incredibly sentimental theme.

I was pretty heartsick over the whole thing. Even though I wasn't personally flaked on, I don't like for members in my groups to be disappointed or to go through unpleasant swapping experiences...and I felt a huge responsibility for this since we had several people join Swap-Bot specifically just so they could participate in that particular exchange.

But the amazing thing was that so many wonderful people stepped in to help as soon as they heard what had happened. Each of the missing swaps was "angeled" by other Hundred Acre Wood members, who volunteered to send extra packages for no reason other than that they are kind and generous people. Naomi sent one to Paris, and chickadeebijoux (Courtney) sent one to England...and there were more volunteers besides. I can't thank them enough for being so quick to respond to their fellow members, and for filling the stockings full of meaningful presents despite the holiday rush. These ladies also braved an extra trip to the post office just a couple of days before Christmas, and for their modern-day "swim across the creek with precious presents on their heads" efforts, they both certainly deserve the Mr. Edwards Award for going above and beyond to make someone else's Christmas special.

I sent out an angel package as well, and it was a pleasure to do since ftdlynn "adores" Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was enough for me that she received something she really enjoyed...but to my great surprise, I also received a "thank you" package from her in return this week. Teresa sent me a beautiful hand-tatted piece that she watched a local craftswoman create in Texas, a set of book plates, and a variety of bookmarks featuring books and quotes that I love. Best of all, however, she enclosed a wonderful note to express her appreciation and thanks. It made me a little teary, because it was so completely unnecessary, but so incredibly sweet--and it more than made up for the frustration I experienced. It can sometimes be a lot of work to host a swap or to head up a group, but the efforts are rewarded tenfold by what I receive in return.

So in spite of the occasional Grinch, it's because of people like Teresa and Naomi and Courtney that it's a pleasure to swap on Swap-Bot. Beyond the wonderful presents they send, it just lifts the spirit and gladdens the heart to be reminded that there is such beauty and kindness in human nature. It's that same lump-in-the-throat feeling I get every time I watch It's a Wonderful Life; life, and people, are wonderful indeed.

Photo #2 courtesy of Courtney.

kindled

2011-01-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

Since last Wednesday, I've pretty much shut off all communications with the outside world. I've rarely left the house, I've lost interest in meals, and I haven't done anything creative at all. It's all because that was the day I finally received a Kindle. Since then, I've been holed up in the house, speaking to almost no one and reading so greedily you'd think that I hadn't had access to books in months!

I will forever be devoted to the printed page, but this device has changed everything about the way I read. For children's books, I'll certainly still be buying hard copies, and I'll never stop haunting secondhand bookshops...but for newer books and YA books where the tactile and visual pleasure isn't nearly as important, the Kindle is the absolute perfect reading experience. A few of the things I love best about it are:

Trim Ergonomic Design
You never quite realize how heavy and cumbersome books are until you start reading on a Kindle. The tablet is amazingly thin and lightweight, and it holds up to 3500 books. I also like that it's not backlit, because it doesn't strain your eyes when you're reading for long periods of time. The e-ink technology really does make it seem as if you're reading a printed page, so it's much easier on the eyes. (Plus the size and shape make me think of Captain Picard sitting behind his desk with his silver tablet...but that's neither here nor there.) I also really appreciate that they've designed this in such a way that it doesn't feel like an electronic device, in that the fonts are friendly and the screen savers feature lovely scientific illustrations or author portraits. The wizards at Amazon did a great job of creating a really pleasurable reading experience.

Free Book Samples
I never read a book without skimming the first few pages, so having the ability to sample chapters and to order books so quickly and easily is astounding. I read 13 books in the first 5 days and sampled so many more...the whole process of researching, acquiring, and reading that many books would normally have taken weeks, if not months. And now I have new authors I love!

Instant Gratification
The Kindle is incredibly fast and responsive. Unlike every other electronic device I've ever used, including computers, Blackberries, iPods, fax and copy machines, etc, this device responds so quickly, you don't even have time to process your next thought before what you want is already there. This applies to page turns, turning it on and off, and even charging it. Downloading a book on the 3G-WiFi model takes literally less than a minute, which is just mind-blowing to me.

The very few quibbles I have with it are minor. I wish sorting books were a little easier, and it's a little too easy to mis-type on the rather widely-spaced QWERTY keyboard. But they really don't affect my enjoyment of the Kindle at all. This is a wonderful, wonderful device that I really think will be in many more homes in the future.

I'm so glad my husband got me one for Christmas--it's changed a huge portion of my life, and is literally one of the best presents I've ever gotten.

gathering honey

2011-01-05T00:03:00.000-08:00

There have been a few honeybee sightings around the web recently...

My Little House Christmas stockings were featured on the wonderful site Beyond Little House, which is home to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Legacy and Research Association. These kindred spirits are also the organizers of Laurapalooza, which I hope to go to someday. The goings-on at this year's inaugural conference made me just pea green with envy!

There have been links to my Jane bookmarks on a couple of book discussion groups on Good Reads as well, including the Jane Austen group. I do so enjoy reading comments and reactions to my posts, so I was tickled to see the numerous happy reactions to my bookmarks that have been left in the forums there.

One of my favorite baking sources, Bake it Pretty, pulled my Vintage Holiday Cupcake Toppers tutorial from their customer gallery and featured them twice in the last month. There are just oodles of great products and ideas over there in the BIP blog and store, so it's very fun to be included on their site.

A more unusual sighting was the inclusion of the savory baked phyllo squares I made on the Athens Foods website. The nice people over there contacted me directly after I did that post to offer their assistance and product for future phyllo recipes, but since I hadn't had a chance to get back to them yet, it was an especially kind mention.

I truly appreciate the many e-friends who stay in touch via Facebook and Google Connect and who take the time to visit my blog so often. I'm also very grateful for the inclusion that I've been seeing on blog rolls and reading lists, as well the wonderful links to my photos and tutorials. I don't sell any products on this site or solicit any advertising, so it's these links and sweet comments that make my little heart sing. Thank you so much for making blogging such a pleasure!

embroidered tea towels

2011-01-04T10:41:00.000-08:00

One of the pleasures of swapping on Swap-Bot is that you get a chance to receive crafts you might never get around to doing yourself. I do a bit of basic embroidery here and there, but I've never done tea towels...so it was really wonderful to receive this set from tishous.

Tish hand-dyed the towels especially for me, and chose a squirrel and a matryoshka design to stitch. I really like the colors she used, as well as the patterns from Sublime Stitching. The towels are nice and soft and will be lovely for all those times when recipes call for something to be wrapped in a "clean cloth towel," as these are much too pretty to use to wipe things up with.

I especially appreciate that Tish worked on these over the busy holiday season. I've actually done a number of postcard exchanges with her before, and she's always a fun and reliable partner to get! I'm glad we did a 1:1 swap this time for the tea towels, as I'm going to get to enjoy these for a very long time.

fun postal stamps

2011-01-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

Some good news for 2011...the United States Postal Service will be issuing a set of stamps this year featuring images from 5 Pixar films! I like most of the choices included here, though I do wish Finding Nemo and The Incredibles had made it as well. It looks like the stamps will be issued in August, so there will be some fun mail to look forward towards the end of the summer.

Speaking of stamps, I received this sweet set of Royal Mail Pooh stamps from my friend Holly recently. I'm very fond of Pooh, of course, and although I'd received a couple of them on postcards, it was nice to get the sheet as well. I just love E.H. Shepard's illustrations, and these drawings are so perfectly rendered on the simple cream-colored background. I also have this set of Wallace and Gromit Christmas stamps winging their way to me courtesy of a kind Swap-Bot member in the UK, which I'm very much looking forward to.

I really don't collect stamps in an official capacity, but those two British sets just happen to feature themes I enjoy--and I do like to use good ones on domestic mail when they're available. We don't seem to have nearly as many author stamps here in the U.S. as they do in other countries, particularly for children's lit...and I somehow missed these stamps featuring Laura Ingalls Wilder and Louisa May Alcott books from a few years back. Where was I? What was I doing? I should have been at the post office with a fistful of cash in hand. Oh, well.

Hope your new year has gotten off to a great start, philatelic and otherwise. Cheers to another great year!

cozy yarn wreaths

2010-12-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

Unveiling a few more of the presents I made this year...

My friend Linda and I have a newish tradition in which we exchange mostly handmade things for Christmas. I'd been wanting to try making those yarn wreaths that have been making the rounds in the crafting blogosphere, so this seemed like a good time to do it!

I used a small flat styrofoam wreath that I wrapped in cotton batting and white baby alpaca yarn, then adorned it with little flowers I made from felt and from a recycled sweater. I painted a bit of glitter to the bird and hot glued everything down and tied a fat yellow bow with vintage velveteen ribbon at the top. It turned out very sweet and it was pretty easy to figure out and assemble. (It was so fun to do that I also made a second one for our old neighbor!) I quite like the way the alpaca looks in this project, since the fuzzy softness adds to the cozy appeal.

I also made Linda, who is a newlywed, a slightly imperfect house ornament featuring their last name and the year. It's all hand-stitched and embellished with sequins and a gingham ribbon.

I think next year I'm going to have to try to get presents out a little earlier so that I can post them a little earlier. Are people sick of looking at Christmas things yet? I'm rather glad the hustle and bustle is over, but I'm still enjoying going over photographs and memories. But just a couple more post-holiday-themed entries, promise!

Photo #1 courtesy of Linda S.

comfort and joy

2010-12-29T16:49:00.000-08:00

We are under the weather (again!) so things are a little quiet around the honeybee household...but I did want to share a few photos from the holiday weekend.

Pictured here is a lovely tag written by my clever husband (attached to a Puffin Classics copy of The Secret Garden), some festive holiday décor (including the two middle stockings received from The Little House Christmas swap), a Hello Kitty gumball machine I received as a present (and its true and rightful owner), and a little felt owl I made for the Strumpets Crumpets ornament swap. And now that their recipients have opened them, I'll be back tomorrow with photos of a few more presents I made as well.

It's raining and dreary and cold here again, so it's nice to look over these photos and remember all the merry-making and holiday goodness. Hope your own Christmas was warm and lovely and bright!

merry christmas!

2010-12-24T08:36:00.000-08:00

Popping in briefly to wish everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! And below, a little holiday cheer, too.

As always, no matter where you are or how you celebrate, may your arms and hearts and tummies be full.

december rainbow

2010-12-23T10:14:00.000-08:00

After a week of torrential rain, the sun broke through the clouds yesterday afternoon and a massive rainbow appeared over Los Angeles. Actually, there were two rainbows, one stretching impossibly over the other.

I first heard about them through Facebook and Twitter friends and hurried outside when I saw one arcing behind the house. This positively unreal photo of the rainbow illuminating a church was taken at the end of our street--I ran a couple of blocks in the rain to capture it, so I was literally chasing a rainbow! The sky was still dark and stormy here, but just a head turn away there were glimpses of cerulean blue sky and sun. Pretty awesome.

We aren't quite done with the rain and flooding yet, but it was amazing to be rewarded with such a gorgeous sight after so many dark days. Hopefully a sign of more good things to come.

holiday cake pops

2010-12-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I woke up and immediately made a chocolate sheet cake. It's been raining steadily for a week here in southern California, so it was wonderful to smell the heavenly warmth coming out of the oven... and it makes the idea of baking cakes for breakfast very tempting.

This cake was baked for a specific purpose, though...I wanted to make cake pops! I've been wanting to try these for some time, and since we were going to a Christmas party thrown by some friends, it was a good excuse to finally do it. It was fun to discover that they're very easy to make--just rather time-consuming, so they're really mostly for special occasions. I'd actually initially wanted to make cupcake pops but had the wrong cookie cutter on hand. It was just as well, however, since it's good to get the hang of what you're doing with a more simple project the first time out.

I was worried the pops would be too sweet with the candy coating or that there would be cake pop disasters, but everything turned out just fine. I only had a couple of really wonky pops (which, believe me, were not wasted by the pop-maker) and they all tasted great. I'll be posting a fuller review of the fabulous new book Cake Pops in the new year, and I can't wait to try making pops with more shapes and colors.

christmas tea parcel

2010-12-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

Last week, I sent my gentlemen friends a Christmas package to help them get through all those cold winter nights. They're both tea drinkers, but they've never owned a proper tea pot, so I thought it was time to get them one.

I sent them a pretty white china tea pot and creamer, as well as our new favorite blend of tea from American Tea Room. This company, which is located in Beverly Hills, used to be known as the Palais du Thé and I'm a big fan of their lapsang souchong, which is a dark tea that tastes exactly like smoke. For this gift, we decided to go with the beautifully addictive new tea Nirvana, which is made up of Japanese sencha, figs, berries, rose petals and kiwi. I'm not usually a fruity tea person, but I love this particular drink--it's a subtle, sophisticated blend of florals and green tea that is mellow and smooth and absolutely unforgettable. If you'd like to order some for yourself or for a friend, the company does offer free shipping for orders over $50, and they have lots of great gift packages available as well.

It's not Christmas without books, of course, so I also sent them a copy of Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce. I don't think either one of them have read it, and it's a nice cozy mystery to curl up with during the winter holiday. I really enjoy the challenge of finding children's books for my friends to read--I worked in book stores for many years, and my favorite question from parents was always "My son doesn't like to read. What would you suggest?" so I'm culling from that mental list as I send them books. So far, so good!

I packaged the tea things up in huge amounts of bubble wrap in a sturdy box, then prettied it up with paper adorned with birds, sequined ribbon, and a brass jingle bell. The book was a humble secondhand copy, but it's still befitting of holly tissue and vintage red velveteen ribbon. At the last moment, I also slid in a decorative pine cone that I glittered, and I quite like the overall festivity of the package. The presents are both simple and fancy...just like the boys they're going to.

epicure imports

2010-12-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we went to Epicure Imports for some gourmet goodies. The restaurant wholesale warehouse, which is open to the public just six times a year, stocks all kinds of delicious imported foods, including charcuterie, fine chocolates, and packaged goods at a discount.

We went primarily in search of this amazing truffle tagliatelle, which I've been unable to find anywhere in stores. We bought it last winter and it's amazingly addictive with the addition of just a little bit of butter and perhaps some fresh parmesan. For comparison's sake, this particular pasta sells for $18 a box online (ack!) versus $10 a box at the warehouse sale.

We also came away with some cheese, sausage, truffle butter, and a few other goodies, although compared to most shoppers there, our basket was pitifully small. Part of the fun of going is really to see people loading up their shopping carts with huge quantities of food and hearing all the totals being rung up. It's pretty exciting to see the vast amounts of money people are able to spend on food! We certainly don't eat like this all the time, but it's nice to have a little taste of it now and then.

Epicure's website is rather unreliable, but they recently did set up a Facebook page, which is sporadically updated, but I am also posting their 2011 sale dates below.

Epicure Imports 2011 Open Warehouse Dates
6900 Beck Ave., N. Hollywood, CA 91605
818-985-1500

February 11 - 12
April 15 - 16
June 10 - 11
September 23 - 24
November 18 - 19
December 16 - 17

Please remember to call ahead to verify hours and dates. If you're in the Los Angeles area and you love to eat, Epicure is definitely worth a trip.

christmas card 2010

2010-12-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

Every year, I look for months and months ahead of time for just the right holiday card. This year it turned out to be a postcard from Rifle Paper Company, whose amazing invitations and cards I've loved for awhile now, though I've never before purchased from them. As soon as I saw this Night Before Christmas illustration, however, I knew we'd found our perfect 2010 card!

The card stock is smooth and creamy and such a pleasure to write on. I love the whimsy and sweetness of the card, as well as the warm colors and old-fashioned drawings. The postcards came packaged up in glassine packets tied up with peppermint string, and were almost too pretty to use.

Every year we send out around 40 holiday cards, give or take a few. The list changes every now and again, but for the most part it's the same people we've known and loved for years. It's a little sad because I think every year we receive fewer and fewer cards in return, since it seems to be one of those traditions that unfortunately seems to be going by the wayside. It's a shame because people already correspond so little as it is.

But you know...for us, it's the act of writing and sending the card that is most important. There are some people we don't speak to or see nearly as often, so it's the one time of year we reach out to them. And I figure it's always nice to know if someone's thinking about you, especially during this time of year.

vintage Christmas bookmarks + free download

2010-12-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

I can't seem to wrap my brain around blogging in a timely manner...I have photographs and projects stored up, but it's been so busy this holiday season that it's been hard to sit down at the computer for any length of time!

I thought I'd share a project I made a few weeks ago for a A Very Vintage Christmas Bookmark swap, whose guidelines were simply that the bookmarks needed to be made with a vintage holiday theme. I printed old-timey Christmas images onto card stock and paired them with quotes from traditional carols. They were then laminated and embellished with vintage paper lace I acquired from the flea market, which was really easy to affix using a Scotch adhesive dot roller.

I have made other kinds of bookmarks, but I find these paper ones such a quick and satisfying project to do--and it's so nice to spoil your partner a little bit by sending four instead of the required one. I have fancy metal bookmarks and fabric ones and leather ones, but it's really the paper ones that I use the most.

If you'd like to make your own set for stocking stuffers or to mark a favorite passage in a book you're giving as a gift, feel free to download your own set of Vintage Christmas Bookmarks. A reminder to print them for your personal use only, not for commercial purposes, please!

unique la: winter 2010

2010-12-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

So there no plans to go to Unique LA this weekend, but I was scarcely finished posting the write-up on Renegade yesterday morning when my husband asked if I wanted to go to "that other craft fair." I said weakly, "But we already bought all the presents we need to get for Christmas..." to which he responded, "But this won't be about buying gifts for anyone else, this'll just be for you." And that's why I married him!

I did actually end up getting a couple of gifts there as well as more cute pins for myself, and it's always fun to browse and see what people are making. We came away with lots of free drinks and these tote bags designed and printed by 7 Lightning Bolt ...which I have to say were much better than the ones from last year's show, which were really flimsy and just had some faux spray-painted words on it.

I love tote bags so much--I don't think we've ever actually paid for one, we've gotten so many from craft shows and film festivals and other such events. They really come in handy, more so than nearly any other freebie.

renegade holiday craft fair

2010-12-12T09:15:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Renegade Craft Fair returned to Los Angeles for its holiday edition. Weirdly, it's being held on the same dates as Unique LA...it sounds like there might've been a big game of craft chicken going on!

We decided to stop by Renegade--although it's smaller than the other fair, it's outside (which meant sun and food trucks) and best of all, free. There were lots of great vendors there, and we found some goodies to take home including little pins from Oh, Hello Friend, a card from Sycamore Street Press (printed on vintage letterpress and recycled card stock), an airmail stationery set from Paper Pastries (maker of those great Chefs pencils I got earlier this year), little freebie pins from dorklandia and Careful It Bites, and a set of Alice in Wonderland rubber stamps from The Urban Craft Center.

I'd been salivating over these stamps for awhile after I saw them on Etsy but hesitated because of high shipping costs from Asia, so I was really happy to see them at the fair. I love the Cheshire Cat and Wonderland stamp in particular!

It's always fun when a craft fair is in town, especially when you get to eat Korean-style galbi tacos afterwards. We actually had a fender bender on Thursday and then another little issue with our other car the next day, so it was really nice to end the week on a good note.

and the winner is...

2010-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to everyone who entered the giveaway for Modern Top-Down Knitting! It was so hard to choose from all the wonderful stories, but one in particular stood out for me because it speaks to how much a handmade item can mean to the recipient. A knitted gift requires not only skill, but time and patience and love as well, and it's funny how the recipient often feels all of that.

Knit and Curl says:

What a wonderful contest! After racking my brain to remember the best knitted gift I've ever received, I realized that I've never received one! Maybe that's because I'm always the one doing the knitting . . . no hard feelings, though.

The best knitted gift (IMHO) that I ever gave to someone, was the hand-knitted harvest orange sweater that I knit for my father when I was about 14 years old. He asked me to knit it for him and he went to the yarn store with me to pick out the color he wanted. I remember running home from school and hurrying through homework so I could get the sweater finished quickly.

I don't remember the particulars of the "giving"....but I'm sure I can dig up a photo of him wearing it. We are not a gushy, physically affectionate family, but every time I saw him wearing it, I knew he appreciated it. I felt like it was the warm hug I was never able to give him when I was a self-conscious teenager, too insecure to verbalize my love and affection for him.

Knit and Curl will receive a copy of the beautiful new craft book Modern Top-Down Knitting. Congratulations!

Don't forget, you can also download a free pattern for the cute Mulberry hat pictured if you'd like to try it out the book. Just follow the link above and scroll down to the bottom of the post.

Look for a new book giveaway on the blog in the coming weeks. Thanks again for sharing your wonderful stories!

little house christmas stockings

2010-12-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

There are many books I re-read every year during the holiday season, but none that embodies the spirit of Christmas to me more than the Little House series. I mention Laura Ingalls Wilder all the time here on the blog, but if only you knew how often I think of her...especially during the cold winter months! I learned so much from Laura as a child, and I feel I learn from her still.

This is my favorite Christmas passage, from On the Banks of Plum Creek:

(Then) Ma told them something else about Santa Claus. He was everywhere, and besides that, he was all the time. Whenever anyone was unselfish, that was Santa Claus.

Christmas Eve was the time when everyone was unselfish. On that one night, Santa Claus was everywhere, because everybody, all together, stopped being selfish and wanted other people to be happy. And in the morning, you saw what that had done.

"If everybody wanted everybody else to be happy, all the time, then would it be Christmas all the time?" Laura asked, and Ma said, "Yes, Laura."

Isn't that just the loveliest way of thinking about the holiday season? It makes my little heart grow three sizes bigger whenever I read it, I swear it does.
As such, the Little House Christmas swap I hosted recently meant a great deal to me. It was a chance to put together some of the things I see in everyday life that remind me of Laura and of the true spirit of Christmas and to share it with a partner, and I've been so happy to work on it these past few months. I actually had two partners for this swap, one that was randomly assigned and one with my friend Naomi for obvious reasons.

Every month this fall, we've gone back to various flea markets and antique malls, and I've been especially vigilant because I was searching for Little House items. I was thrilled to find vintage cross-stitched gingham aprons, vintage handkerchiefs (which were of course tucked into the apron pockets), a small heart-shaped tin pan along with a card with Ma's heart-shaped cakes recipe, and even an old crock of bear grease! Just what Pa used to use to slick down his hair when he was courting Ma. I love the old paper label on that container, which is mercifully empty now, but would still be very nice for holding little bits and bobs.

Naomi is a teacher, so I thought she'd appreciate a copy of McGuffey's First Reader, which Laura might've used as a teacher--this volume was originally published in 1867, and this particular copy is dated 1920, as well as an old autograph album. The album is dated 1952, but it's filled with great handwritten messages, and is especially appropriate because the owner was a girl named...Mary!

I also made a few things that were Laura-related, including small gift tags collaged with quotes from the books (stamped with Christmas horses, little houses, and a bright-burning candle), Little House postcards, fashionable calling cards that could double as swap cards, and small paper and tin ornaments (made with vintage book pages, a miniature sleigh bell, vintage lace and buttons, a flat peppermint candy, and striped bakers twine).

No Christmas is complete without Christmas candy, of course, so there was also a big peppermint candy cane, thin striped ribbon candy (I was *so* pleased with myself for finding those!), little "Victorian" chocolates, and old-fashioned caramels. Plus a shiny penny in the toe, just because the Ingalls always seemed to manage that somehow. I wrapped everything up in red and white striped tissue paper (like the kind Ma used so her packages would look extra festive) and plain brown waxy tissue with colored string (just how the presents were wrapped when the Boasts paid them a surprise Christmas Eve visit) and packaged them in embroidered stockings I made from wool-blend felt and vintage lace, one of which is adorned with a heart and the other with a little house in the big woods.

For this swap, it was important to keep true to the spirit of the Ingalls family, so all of the items had to be handmade or relatively inexpensive, but this turned out to be a very easy to do. The stockings were so fun to put together, because it was not only the perfect mix of vintage shopping and hand-crafting, but because it was also hugely sentimental undertaking as well. Naomi in particular is so well-versed in children's literature, and I just knew that every single thing I made or chose was something she would understand the reason behind and appreciate. I really think I got just as much joy out of making this as I hope she did in receiving it.

shopper alert: le creuset sale!

2010-12-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

If you've coveted Le Creuset forever but could never bring yourself to pay full price, the factory outlet stores are in the middle of one of their huge (semi-annual, I think?) sales right now. We went Christmas shopping today and weren't planning on buying anything for ourselves, but when you spot the oval 6.75 quart french oven in the perfect Caribbean blue you've always wanted and it's on sale for $129, down from $365, who could possibly resist? Not me! And certainly not more poor husband, who graciously footed the bill. The price is even lower than it is at Home Goods, where I've recently seen a few of the same roasters for $200, although only in a couple of colors.

The factory stores sell "seconds," which essentially means there are minor flaws in the products--mostly in the spraying of the enamel paint. In the close-up photo, you can see the tiny bits of bubbling here and there, which you really don't notice at all. (Although I did, of course, make the nice man at the store take three different ones out of their boxes so I could examine all the finishes.) All the cast-iron still comes with LC's lifetime guarantee, which is pretty amazing. I can't wait to roast something! I'm sure it will be extra delicious because it will be coming out of this beautiful pot.

If you are lusting after Le Creuset for yourself, there are lots of outlet stores all over the U.S. and I'm told the sale will go through the end of December. Good luck!

Thanks for all your comments on the Modern Top-Down Knitting book giveaway, by the way...there are so many lovely stories to choose from! Don't forget, you have just a couple more days to enter the contest. Such an easy giveaway, and such great prize to win. :)

christmas tree

2010-12-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few days over here at the honeybee household. Are you all decked out for the holidays? We're finally mostly done, and have just started wrapping presents and addressing holiday cards. I love this time of year, but I do wish there were at least two more weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas so we accomplish everything we want to!

I have lots of photos to share of things I've been making, so I can't wait for my partners to get them. In the meantime, I thought I'd post a photo of our tree, which we finished decorating last week. There are 2000 lights and countless ornaments on this fella, which makes him incandescent when he's all lit up. Every year I think that our tree is the loveliest one we've ever had, and every year I think it's really true.

modern top-down knitting: q & a + giveaway!

2010-12-02T00:13:00.000-08:00

What if you were so inspired by a crafter you admired that you wrote her a letter...and to your great surprise, you received a mailed letter in response? And what if that correspondence developed into a relationship that led to the publication of your very first book?

Such is the story behind Modern Top-Down Knitting, which is inspired by the techniques developed by knitting legend Barbara G. Walker and written by author Kristina McGowan. This method of knitting advocates knitting from, well, top to bottom, and eliminates unwieldy sewing construction.

McGowan brings this technique up to date with current fashion with her original patterns for dresses, skirts, sweaters, hats, arm warmers, and even a few jewelry items. The designs showcase a modern aesthetic that feels very timeless, and her use of color and flattering necklines and trim are especially striking.

The book features great photo tutorials as well as clear, concise writing by McGowan, who shows interesting techniques in working with elastic cord and reversing the knit to achieve a more fitted, feminine silhouette. She also shows how she customizes garments by dip-dyeing finished hats, creating decorative "seams" with crochet, and adding beautiful finishing touches such as velvet and silk ribbon trims. It's a really wonderful book with great projects, although it was a little unusual that many of the models are photographed with relatively neutral expressions--a cozy but flattering dress would definitely earn a much warmer smile, no matter how modern the woman might be! Nevertheless, the author's capable, friendly tone and well-written tutorials make this an easy and pleasant book for any knitter who wishes to tackle projects that are both classic and fashion-forward.

Kristy was kind enough to chat with me about her terrific new book, touching on her background as an artist as well as the many advantages she sees in using this "top-down" knitting technique.

Q & A with Kristina McGowan

When did you first learn to knit?
I was about ten years old when I first learned how to knit. I went to visit relatives in Austria and they taught me the basics. In later years, I learned from books.

Have you always been crafty?

I was fortunate to have very cool parents who always encouraged my twin sister and me to draw and paint and create things with wood and clay and paper. All of my memories from childhood involve crafts of some kind. My father built a wooden corner cupboard for us that was filled with our supplies -- the magic cupboard!

Even now, there are few things that make me feel more at peace than roaming around an art supply store. Last week, I took my twin to Blick Art Supply here in Manhattan – a huge, perfect store -- so she could buy paintbrushes. And as we stood in line, she laughed and told me that she felt like the dazed badger in the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox. And I completely knew what she meant. It’s just the joy and wonder of being able to create something – of having an idea in your head and finding just the right materials to see it realized. I find the whole process incredibly rewarding and comforting.

What are the advantages of knitting in the “top-down” style over traditional methods?

Top-down knitting allows you to customize at every step and make sure that you’re getting the fit you want. You can try the items on at any point. Simply place your live stitches on a piece of waste yarn and try things on – and right then and there you can work additional increase rounds if you need to, or decrease as needed. The control you have over shaping is wonderful. If you have long arms or a short waist – or whatever it is -- you can easily knit a bit more or less and make sure that everything is just right.

Can this book be used by a relatively new knitter?

Yes, I think that it can --- the hats especially are quick and easy starter projects.

This book describes beautiful techniques such as creating seams or pintuck effects with simple crochet.

Thank you! I spend quite a lot of time drawing things out ahead of time, creating swatches and contemplating, but one thing that I’ve learned is that less is always more. I know that’s cliché, but for me, it’s very true. Many times if I’m stuck on a piece or something just isn’t working, the solution has been to stop trying so hard – to allow just one element to be the focus, whether it’s the yarn, the color, or a simple stitch pattern. I understand the temptation to throw everything you can into a design and to show all that you can do – but for me, resisting that urge has always worked the best.

Have you seen your designs made and by other knitters yet?

I have! That has truly been a lot of fun. When you meet a kind person from North Carolina who sends you a photo of a dress of yours that she’s just finished and she’s made it in this beautiful cocoa brown – a color you’d not thought of for it, but that works really well -- or a lady from Singapore makes a skirt and sends you stunning photos of it one morning -- or your editor sits next to you during a signing and makes one of your hats right in front of you – that is super exciting and feels really good.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

Ideally, it would be great if the book inspires knitters who haven’t already checked out Knitting from the Top to do so. Designing your own pieces is a lot easier than people may think.

Win a copy of the book!

If you'd like to win a copy of Modern Top-Down Knitting, leave a comment on this post describing the best knitted gift you've ever made or received along with your email address. If you'd prefer not to leave your information here, you may also email your responses through my profile by clicking on "email me." One lucky winner will be chosen at the end of the day on Friday, December 10!

And if you'd like to try out a project from the book, you may also download a free Mulberry Hat pattern from the publisher's site, along with many other free handmade holiday projects (some of which will look very familiar to honeybee blog readers). Please also visit the other stops on Kristina's blog tour here. Happy crafting!

Photographs and review copy courtesy of STC Craft.

vintage holiday cupcake toppers: tutorial + free download

2010-12-01T01:41:00.000-08:00

For those of you hosting holiday parties (or who need one-of-a-kind hostess gifts!), why not dress up your baked treats with cupcake toppers? I've made a few sets this year and it's a very quick, rewarding craft...and it's so much less expensive to make your own than to purchase them. Since the two previous cupcake topper swaps I'd hosted this year got such a great response, I decided to start a Dress that Cupcake! group.

Our first swap was a holiday themed lucky parcel. My partner HoneyBunny is a really creative cook (she shared a delicious recipe for clam-stuffed shrimp with me recently that is now one of our favorites) so I was looking forward to making something for her. Since she is a fan of vintage, I thought it would be nice to make toppers that looked very old-fashioned using images from vintage Christmas cards.

I really like how they turned out, since the crinkly tissue paper adds to the impression that you might have just found them in a box in the attic somewhere. Except they're much less dusty and iffy for your dessert table.

If you'd like to make your own, I've posted a simple tutorial below and uploaded a copy of the cupcake topper images as a pdf here. Just be sure to use them for good (your own personal use) not evil (commercial use), please!

Vintage Holiday Cupcake Toppers Tutorial

Materials & Tools:

1 sheet of vintage holiday images
scissors
tape
1 sheet of tissue paper in a coordinating color
glue stick
blank cardstock ovals

Directions:

1. To make the cupcake toppers, print out a copy of the vintage holiday images onto cardstock and cut around them.

2. Center a toothpick with approximately a third of the stick on the back of the each topper and firmly tape it in place. Smooth out air bubbles with your fingers and make sure it's fastened tightly.

3. Fold tissue paper a few times and cut into long 1/4 inch strips.

4. Flip your toppers over and working from the back, accordion-pleat the tissue strips around the edge of the cardstock. Carefully tape them down every inch or so, and snip off the excess tissue when you reach the end.

5. Cut cardstock ovals of approximately the same size as the vintage images. Using a good glue stick, cover the plain ovals with paste and place onto the back of each topper. Firmly press into place with your fingers, taking care to smooth around and above the toothpick.

Voila! Easy peasy craft with very pretty results.

I packaged the toppers up in a glassine bag and also made a little cake banner using the "Wishing you the sweetest holiday" greeting along with two short bamboo skewers. Since it was a lucky parcel, I also included a batch of candy buttons I made using a Bake it Pretty mold, some snowflake cupcake wrappers, a set of "Baked With Love By..." labels, and a few little trinkets and candies for additional decor. I put then everything into a recycled plastic container that I decorated with striped paper and cupcake-themed deco tape. I hope HoneyBunny enjoys her package...and that you'll enjoy making these toppers, too!

really big craft store map: update

2010-11-30T20:26:00.000-08:00

I checked back in on the Really Big Map of Indie Craft Stores project recently, in which I invited everyone to help create a giant craft store resource...and it's so great that people have been adding to the map!

There are stores listed all over the United States, and in Europe as well. I hope people will continue to add their favorite local independent stores that supply craft materials or sell handmade items. With the holidays coming up, it's an important reminder to support small businesses and artisans where you can.

To learn more about the project and to see how you can add your own favorite stores, please visit the project page for simple instructions. Thanks!

On a side note, all the Google Maps features are pretty nifty. You could, in theory, map out a route from one end of the country to the other with stops at all the craft stores along the way. Sounds like a great idea for a documentary to me, HGTV.

another red riding hood

2010-11-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Received from littlez in the Netherlands yesterday: another Little Red Riding Hood from the fairy tale ornament swap! Apparently this is a popular theme here on the blog this week. This ornament is also sewn of wool felt, made with beautiful stitching and beadwork. I really like the child-like curiosity of this piece, and it's always interesting to see how different people interpret the same theme.

My partner also sent along a couple of cards she designed, based on a couple of European fairy tales I hadn't read: Soljev and the Dragon and Brother and Sister. Again, one of the pleasures of swapping in a group like ours is finding new things to read. The packet she sent was also covered in cool Dutch stamps as well--very colorful and fun.

holiday handicraft + free downloads

2010-11-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I picked up an amazing out-of-print book called Holiday Handicraft at a flea market here in Los Angeles. It's written by a woman named Nina R. Jordan, who seems to have written numerous craft books for children. I love the warm, comfortable way speaks to her audience, and how true these ideas still are today:

Ready-made cards for the holidays are printed so thousands are just alike. But when you make a card for somebody, you know that no one can ever make one exactly like it, no matter how hard he tries. The same applies for any gift you make.

I also enjoy the charming advice she gives about special crayon colors:

Probably everyone who reads this page has a set of crayons or water colors, or both. But did you know that crayons are also made in the colors of silver, gold, and copper? And that there are 10¢ pans of watercolors in silver and gold? The gold, silver, and copper crayons are not commonly sold in stores but they may be bought for 5¢ each by writing to the American Crayon Company, Sandusky, Ohio.

I wonder what the author would have thought of the vast array of materials and options available to modern crafters now. But the thing that is most fun, of course, is that many of these crafts are just as great now as they were then. I thought it would be nice to share some of the pages, which would be great little holiday projects to make at home, especially with kids. The author's illustrations are really sweet and most of the projects are self-explanatory due to her drawings. (I think I'm safe copyright-wise on this since the book was published in 1928, which means it should be in the public domain. Nevertheless, please copy these images for your own personal use only.)

I'll post more images for the holidays when I get the chance. Enjoy!

zoo

2010-11-28T00:50:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, we wanted to do something outdoorsy after all that food...so we went to the zoo! Apparently this was a popular idea, since we ran into two other parties of people we knew there as well.

It was a really nice day to be out, quite brisk and slightly overcast, and good weather to be walking around in. The animals always see to be more active when the weather is cooler anyway, and we saw lots of playful behavior on display.

Of course, there were also animals that were curled up just trying to stay warm, too. As you may remember, I love koalas, so I was looking forward to seeing them on our outing... and see them we did, although they were all huddled up in balls or clinging to branches by heat lamps. I'm quite fond of the way koala bears fold down their ears when they're sleeping...it's so very sweet and it makes me want to squeeze them with great enthusiasm. It's just as well I'm really not allowed anywhere near them; heaven help the poor bears if I ever get myself over to those places in Australia where you get to hold them.

the snowman: ornament kit

2010-11-27T15:49:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite holiday books is Raymond Briggs' The Snowman...it's such a lovely and sad book, all the more powerful because it's wordless. So I was very excited when my friend Holly posted a swap in which participants were to create an ornament kit for their partner based on this book.

I considered making a few different things, including a sewing kit or a needle-felting kit, but thought those might be a little too complicated to get the look just right--and so much of what is beautiful about the book is the artwork. Since I'd had such fun rediscovering Shrinky Dinks recently, I decided to make instructions for making shrink film ornaments for my partner.

I made a test ornament with a miniature snowy pompom, a silver bell, and tinsel pipe cleaner. It turned out looking very sweet, especially after I added a subtle bit of glitter glue to the snow. I included 5 different images for my partner to make, along with the appropriate materials and instructions--I hope she enjoys putting everything together!

The book is wonderful...but so is the cartoon adaptation, which has lovely music and soft, muted colors. If you've never seen the film, The Snowman is available to view here and continues here. I would normally quibble over adding an introduction for a book like this, but when the speaker is David Bowie--and he casually throws a snowman scarf around his neck--all is forgiven. Please do watch the film (and read the book!) when you have a moment...it will transport you to a snowy, gentle place you won't easily forget.

red riding hood cards

2010-11-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

Received from a tag game this week: two Little Red Riding Hood cards, hand-drawn by hollycm6. Holly makes a lot of really cool journaletters and stationery that she sells in her Etsy shop (she was also the one who sent me that amazing manatee postcard a few months ago), and I really like the dark, dark woods and lonely cloaked figure depicted here. I also like the drawing she did on the front of the envelope with the wolf peeking out from behind the tree. I'd never heard of the term zentangle before Swap-Bot, but many people seem to enjoy this technique and it's quite beautiful when it's well done.

Holly also stamped the inside flap of the card with a Postcard stamp, so that it may see a second life by turning into a postcard by the recipient! So cool. I'm glad she sent me two, because I'm not sure I'd give this away otherwise.

thanksgiving

2010-11-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

It's just the two of us for the big holidays, but we always cook up a storm anyway--it just means there are more leftovers to eat! Since we're both pretty traditional when it comes to the two big eating holidays, we don't vary the menu too much from year to year, but we enjoy the feast of all-day-grazing just the same. You know the meal is a success when the participants all collapse into a turkey coma, too stuffed full of food to move a muscle.

Wherever you are, however you celebrate...hope you've had a lovely day full of good food, good friends, and good cheer.

Happy Thanksgiving!

malibu vineyards and views

2010-11-23T11:04:00.000-08:00

A friend of ours was in town this weekend, so yesterday we went on a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway to a couple of vineyards. I'd heard that there were quite a few wineries in Malibu but we'd never been, so we decided to take a short day trip to explore the area.

It was an absolutely beautiful day to be outdoors, sunny and windy and very autumnal. The vineyards were located off the PCH, and the drive through the mountains on the way there was breathtaking, with stunning views of deep green valleys and winding roads with the blue ocean in the background.

We were especially excited to see a copper-colored geodesic dome perched on top of a ridge. My husband and his friend Matt have always been big fans of this type of building, and it's the first time we've seen such a nice one in person. Additional photos of the house show more of the construction and interiors, which apparently has rooms with ceilings that are two and a half stories high! Amazing. It also has windows all around the house to take advantage of its beautiful view.

Eventually we made our way to Malibu Family Wines, where we did a mixed tasting of their Saddlerock wines. It was a rather unusual place in that most of what you could see were scattered tables and chairs, where guests can relax with a bottle of wine and enjoy live music on the weekends. It was really cold in spite of the outside heaters, however, so we decided to go on to a tasting at Sip Cielo Wine Bar, where we did another tasting. It was a really lovely day, and a wonderful way to spend a fall afternoon.

red riding hood ornament

2010-11-21T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last year, I made a lot ornaments as gifts. I'd hoped to participate in some Christmas ornament swaps this year, but many of the ones I saw I was sort of leery about joining or the timing just wasn't quite right. I did join one swap from another blog, though, and I hosted one on Swap-Bot as well, in which you were to make a lovely fairy tale ornament for your partner.

Though the swap was sender's choice, I always try to tailor to my partner's tastes if I can, so I was pleased to see that one of weeatcrayons' favorite stories was Little Red Riding Hood. There's something about that story about a girl walking in the lonely woods and danger in disguise that's always been so appealing to me--and of course, the drama of the scarlet cloak can't be beaten!

I decided to sew a little Red Riding Hood out of wool felt, and used a vintage button and lace to accessorize. I cut everything freehand (I know it would be so much easier if I spent time on a pattern first, but sometimes I just think more intuitively with scissors) so it took a little while to figure out how to make the cloak nice and flowing, but I think it turned out all right. I had plans to weave the little basket with fabric strips as well, but working on that small a scale it was impossible, so I just created some detail work with embroidery instead. The little flowers inside her basket are also vintage, acquired from Dozing Dormouse's Etsy sale a few months back. I just clipped the flowers down and made a tiny bouquet with floral tape. Everything was hand-stitched, which took longer, but when things are this small I think it's just easier.

I thought it'd also be fun to make a second companion ornament, so I used shrink film and a vintage illustration to make another storybook page. I glued silvery tinsel around the edges (my first time using E-6000--it's kind of evil, no?) and tied a pretty ribbon at the top. I quite like the way the sun looks shining through it, so I think it should look pretty good on a lit tree as well. Hooray--the first ornaments of the season are complete!

squirrel

2010-11-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

As I was taking photographs outside yesterday of some swap items I'd made, I sat on a ledge in front of our next door neighbor's house. There were all kinds of rustling noises and leaves falling, which I at first assumed were because of the wind blowing everything around. But then there was such a flurry of activity in the branches above me that I finally looked up, and saw this little guy directly overhead.

The squirrel was busily gathering seeds from the big pods in the magnolia tree and eating them, quite noisily and with great gusto. You can see the bit of red in between his paws in that last photo if you click on it, which is quite charming. It would have been a bit more picturesque if he'd had his bushy tail perked up a little more, but I suppose a squirrel's got to balance himself whether he's having his picture taken or not.

matryoshka plush

2010-11-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

Departing this week: two plush matryoshka dolls made for a pair of little girls in Texas.

This pair of dolls was sewn from wool felt and are huggably-sized, with one sister a little bigger than the other. Lulu has a wee bit of a wave in her hair and both girls have their names embroidered on little patches on their tummies. Their mom asked me to make these for her daughters because they are a Muslim family, and nesting dolls wear a similar head scarf to the ones worn by Muslim women. As such, I just made sure that there weren't ties beneath the chins, which reads a little bit more "Russian peasant." I quite like their rosy cheeks and their red, red mouths!

I'm pleased with how they turned out...and now I may have to do another one for myself at some point. Did you know that the word "matryoshka" is derived from the word "mother?" Very sweet! More information on the history of nesting dolls here.

cross-stitched jane

2010-11-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about swapping is that occasionally you'll receive something made in a craft that you don't do. I haven't cross-stitched since I was a child, so it was a pleasure to receive this pretty cross-stitched bookmark from my partner booklover for the Jane Austen swap, quite painstakingly done with neat stitches and lace.

Chris didn't actually make the bookmark herself, so I rather wonder about the lady who did. I wish every handmade thing came with its own little story attached do you'd always know how it came to be.

I've been working on a few sewing projects that I can't share quite yet, but they've been keeping me pretty busy! Lots of photographs to take in the days to come.

savory baked phyllo squares

2010-11-15T09:03:00.000-08:00

The photograph isn't that great, but the dish was spectacular. I made Martha Stewart's phyllo squares with baked egg, spinach, and cheese for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious!

I substituted parmesan for the feta and served it with a side salad. There's something so comforting about breaking into a runny egg, and the combination with the cheeses and flaky phyllo was just marvelous...definitely a dish we'll be making again. With the leftover phyllo I might make croustade aux pommes if it's still in usable condition. Fingers crossed!

urban barn holiday faire

2010-11-14T09:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we took a trip out to Escondido, California, which is about 90 minutes away from Los Angeles near San Diego. We went to the Holiday Vendor Faire at Urban Barn, which is a shabby chic-ish home goods store I'd read about on a blog somewhere. There were pretty filmy dresses and jewelry and holiday decorations and paper ephemera everywhere, with additional vendors set up outside.

We came away with a replacement present for those matryoshka dolls (!), a tinkly vintage holiday pin for me ($2), and a carded set of buttons ($1) for a special project I have in mind. I wish there had been more vendors (both the place and the fair were on the smaller side), especially since we went a little out of our way to attend, but I think Urban Barn is relatively new so perhaps they'll grow in time.

I do so like shopping at flea and antique markets. If I could, I'd always buy gifts that had previously belonged to someone else!

mine!

2010-11-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

This doesn't happen that often, but I've decided to claim something for my own that was originally purchased as a Christmas present for someone else.

At the L.A. County Fair this summer, we browsed through Liliana International, a great booth specializing in Russian lacquer boxes, jewelry, and other gifts. There were lots of antique icons and hand-painted eggs, and best of all, a big selection of nesting dolls.

I've mentioned my fondness for matryoshka before, though I've never actually had a real set before. We found this cheery red-painted set that looks very storybook-like that I just loved, and since it was very reasonably priced we got the set to give it to someone else.

The mistake was that I decided to open up the package and leave it on display on my bookcase to admire for a little while...and then a little while turned out to be a few months...and then, well, they just look as though they belong there, all snug in their little corner. I'm sure we'll find something else nice for the original recipient. But I'd mourn these forever if I had to give them up.

card-making at paper source

2010-11-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

Have you been to Paper Source? I re-discovered them a couple of years ago and I have to say, I think it's the best of the big-chain stationery stores. They have a great selection of cards and wrapping supplies, with a well-edited selection of rubber stamps and embellishments in particular. They also offer a lot of DIY kits and workshops, which is really great.

Awhile ago I decided to sign up for their card-making workshop on whim. I wasn't sure what to expect, since you never know how informative these things will be, but it actually turned out to be really fun. We made 8 different cards and got to play with a vast array of card stock, watercolor pens, fancy stamp pads (when will you ever get a chance to try out a $9 stamp pad otherwise?), paper tape, tiny clips and glue dots, lining envelopes with coordinating paper, and more. This is where I first used Stickles, of which I am now a devoted fan. I love the subtleness of the glitter, as well as the amount of control you get with the chubby pliable container and fine tip.

There were lots of chatty ladies there who were really creative and fun, and the Paper Source people were just amazing. The three employees were so helpful and responsive and shared a lot of little tips and tricks, and they even stayed an hour past the official workshop end time (and way past their closing time) so we all could finish up our cards and our shopping. There were snacks and drinks, and they also gave us pretty little gift-wrapped party gifts with our names on them, which turned out to be really nice imported chocolate cookies. All that for $35, which is a pretty good deal considering so many mass-marketed cards seem to be going for an average of $6 or so apiece. I'd like to go back and take their book-binding and box workshop sometime, too.

If you haven't already been to the Paper Source stores, which seem to be scattered in various states acrosss the country, the holidays are a good time to check them out. At most of their stores tomorrow on Saturday, November 13, there will be a free open house with holiday demos of their card-making and on Saturday, November 20 there will be free demos of their gift-wrapping and kits. Call your local store for details!

We thought about making our holiday cards this year, actually, but then we found one that we fell in love with and have already ordered and received them. But I'm glad I took the workshop since a lot of the info will certainly come in handy for other occasions. Plus...it was super fun.

jane bookmarks + download

2010-11-11T00:13:00.000-08:00

If you can stand looking at a second set of bookmarks in one week, I have another download to share with you! I'm very fond of Jane Austen of course, so I made a set of these for a Jane bookmark swap during last week's paper crafting.

I decided to keep them pretty simple, since the quotes themselves are already so lovely. The images are of a Jane silhouette, the covers to a couple of her books, and the picturesque logo for Houghton Cottage in Hampshire, England. If you'd like a set for yourself, you are welcome to download a copy here. Just print them onto cardstock, laminate and cut...and once again, these are for personal, not commercial use, please.

For a slightly different take on Jane, I bought a set of hilarious Pride and Prejudice and Zombies postcards a few months ago and used quite a few of them during the witching season. I never really finished the book itself, but these pictures are fantastic, and the postcards themselves are really well-designed and of great quality. Quirk did a really great job with these, and I hope they'll branch out with more interesting book projects in the future.

hardback puffin classics

2010-11-10T10:34:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen them, there is a gorgeous new collection of hardcover editions of children's literature from Puffin Classics, the Penguin division for kids. Designed by Daniela Terrazzini, they have bright cloth covers with whimsical illustrations and nice creamy pages. They remind me of library editions of books I read as a child, but with much lovelier cover designs.

They're similar to the Coralie Bickford-Smith classics I like so much, and my favorites are probably Robin Hood, The Secret Garden, and The Wind in the Willows. The Anne one is the least faithful to the spirit of the book with its more modernized sensibility (come now, cupcakes? and all that pink!), I think, but it's still rather sweet for a young girl. The inclusion of Huck Finn is also rather unusual, since it's the only book that doesn't quite fit the whole dreamy, sweet theme of the other books and cover styles. I do like that combination of tangerine and orange in the design, though.

If you're looking to add to your collection or know a child who needs a keepsake copy, these would make really beautiful gifts. It's very strange, but I can't seem to find them for sale online anywhere, so this may be an exclusive in-store Anthropologie purchase for the time being, which they did with the last batch of Penguin classics as well.

Images courtesy of Daniela Terrazzini.

shopper alert: pretty boxed tags

2010-11-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

One of the fun things about going to visit other cities is the shopping! I pretty much shop in other places the same way I shop at home, which means trips to craft stores and bookstores. On my trip to Houston a couple of weeks ago, my friend and I went to a really great half price bookstore, which had a combination of both new and secondhand stock. I found a really great box of vintage reproduction romantic postcards which will be great for Valentine's Day, as well as these two sets of boxed gift tags by Potter Style.

I already had this set, which features quotes from Shakespeare and Jane Austen, but I liked the ribbons and quotes and old-timey drawings in the Proust and Cabinet of Curiousities ones even better. It's nice that they are season-less, so that they can be used for any occasion.

They retail for $12.95 and are still available online, but at the discount store I went to, they were just $4.95 each, with plenty in stock! Half Price Books is apparently a chain with many locations nationwide, but sadly none here in southern California. I suppose it's just as well that there aren't...I'd probably spend far too much time and dollars there.

owl package

2010-11-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

It's really fun to put together packages tailored to someone's likes and dislikes. Okay, it's fun when the person is interesting and articulate and shares at least a few similar interests to yours.

For the swap I joined recently, my partner (whom I don't know at all) listed a whole boatload of good things to choose from, including owls, jewelry, books, and mail art, so I sent her the following mix:

* a papercut owl mounted to painted wood frame
* a fuzzy pompom owl turned ornament
* 1 pair of enamel cloisonné owl earrings
* 5 golden rings
* 1 sheet of personalized address labels
* 1 packet of rubber-stamped mail art images
* 1 packet of rubber-stamped French and British mail art images
* the Little Prince postcards and tags.

Except for the jewelry, which is part of stock I had left over, I handmade everything for her. I quite like the way the wall hanging turned out, and I made it by printing a random owl drawing I found online onto a sheet of cardstock. I printed onto the backside of the sheet and cut from that side with my X-acto knife, then cleaned it up on the front side and glued it onto a woodblock that I'd painted grey and white. I then sprayed it with a few coats of acrylic sealant and attached a hook for hanging.

To take a photo, I put up the wall hanging onto our wall, where he looks rather at home in the middle of all of our assorted objects, which include a water colored print we purchased from an artist at The Torpedo Factory many years ago, the top of a vintage door knob from a flea market, the clay Cobra Command plaque my husband made in the fourth grade, hooped embroidery projects, pressed flower hangings, framed poems (that's "Where the Sidewalk Ends" above the owl) and so on and so forth. But in the end I had to send him off to his new home, where I hope he'll be very happy.

little prince postcards and tags

2010-11-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

More papercrafting....postcards and tags made from The Little Prince book pages! The tags are packaged up in an envelope I made as well, featuring a quote from the book.

The flower is made from other vintage book papers and floral wire and tape, and both were sent as part of a package that I'll share tomorrow.

Happy Sunday to you!

little house postcards

2010-11-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

During my frenzy of paper-crafting this week, I've made quite a few postcards. My favorites include ones made with vintage Little House book papers, the pretty "Post Card" stamp that came from overseas, and cardstock that reminds me of faded wallpaper (unblemished by a blacking mark, mind you) and rose-covered calico.

The Garth Williams illustrations are just beautiful of course, and a testament to how warmth and humor can be portrayed even in shaded black and white. Paired with Laura Ingalls Wilder's luminous prose, it's no cinch that these would probably be appealing to another fan. I'm saving them up for future correspondence, but they would definitely only go to someone else who truly loves Laura as much as I do.

If you're a serious collector with means and purpose, by the way, there are original works by Mr. Williams available at Every Picture Tells a Story, a wonderful shop in Santa Monica that sells lots of artwork based on children's literature. A couple of the original Stuart Little drawings are even available! I confess I try not to look at what's available too often, because it just makes me want to cry. The Rosemary Wells ones in particular fill me with terrible yearning, as Morris' Disappearing Bag is one of my favorite Christmas stories. I mean, the rabbits look like dumplings! How can you not love them? It's all just too, too much for me to bear.

rose tree bookmarks + download

2010-11-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

There are a few different versions of "The Rose Tree "fairy tale, but I think the one by Flora Steel is definitely the most beautiful. I read this version for the first time recently when a member of our Once Upon a Time group chose this tale as the focus for a "winner takes all" tag game we play, in which everyone who participates must send something related to the winner's chosen tale.

The imagery of the language in the Steel version is very beautiful, and although it's a dark story it's quite lovely as well. I made a set of bookmarks for the winner using vintage illustrations and quotes from the story, and attached dusky rose lace ribbon after laminating them.

If you'd like a set of your own, feel free to download the Rose Tree bookmarks here. (For personal, not commercial use, of course.) It's really a pleasure to make things for someone and have the results turn out to be something you can easily reproduce for yourself, too!

magical package

2010-11-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Fair warning: I am going to gush. I received a call from my husband while I was away saying, "You got a box that is covered in bunnies." I knew immediately that it was a package from my new friend Holly in England, and I couldn't wait to get back home to Los Angeles and tear into the box. When I came back there were 4 different swap packages and 9 postcards, but I saved hers to open for last because I knew it was going to be amazing. But even with that expectation, the box completely blew me away.

I'm actually surprised this wasn't lost in transit, because look how cute and tempting it is, all covered in rabbits! Such a tease. The contents inside were even better, though, and included: a dear little recipe book of British sweets with vintage-y illustrations, two clever little pins, postcards, beautiful rubber stamps (a bee! a bee!) and tissue tape, British snacks and sweets (with bears, hedgehogs, and jelly people!), children's book papers tied up with lace, two wonderful little books she knew I would love, Pooh wrapping paper with E.H. Shepard illustrations, stamp fabric, a darling roll of deco tape, and lovely, muted fabric tape with a Norwegian doll print.

The most wonderful things of all, however, were the items she handmade for me. I've received a lot of envelopes made from recycled paper, but these were the most perfectly creased and crisp and dear little envelopes I've ever seen. I received two generous bundles of these, along with cunning little Pooh tags that I couldn't possibly give up to anyone else, a beautiful folded Secret Garden notepad, and best of all, a gorgeous Secret Garden paper garland.

I kept marveling over that impossibly perfect garland, with the book papers punched out with exactly the right mysterious words (clearly done by someone who knows and loves the book too), the rubber stamping of crow and key together, the slight distressing of color here and there, and the little glints of flower embellishments in all the right places. It's so beautiful, and I think once I reorganize my craft closet I will have to hang it up in there. I know it will inspire me and make me happy whenever I see it.

I loved every single bit of this box. Everything is so perfectly made, and so perfect for me! I can't even tell you how amazing it is to know someone after such a short little while, and then to receive something that is so exactly suited to your taste. I'm so touched over the amount of thoughtfulness and care that went into this package, and so very humbled that Holly thought I was worthy of it.

silhouette postcards

2010-11-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

I cut a couple of silhouettes for a postcard swap last night. I have a few sewing projects I want to do but I'm still not feeling great, so paper crafting is about as much as I can handle right now. Plus it's really hot here! Mid-nineties in November, which is crazy.

I did simplified versions of templates from Cindy Mindy Pindy's blog, although I'm waiting to hear if it's okay to laminate these before mailing them off. I'm a little worried that the paper-cutting won't survive going through the mail without an envelope, so I'd rather send something else if it's not okay to laminate them. These didn't take *too* long, but I am rather fond of them. I can always find a simpler silhouette to cut and send...and use these for something else!

anthro in wonderland

2010-11-02T02:02:00.000-07:00

I've always sworn that Anthropologie employs little gremlins that infiltrated my dreams. These little creatures are always busily taking notes on the things I want and desire most and then they go back and make them in their little gremlin factories and then sell them to me for exorbitant prices.

So it should really come as no surprise to me that during a period when I'm even more obsessed with children's books than usual, Anthro has come out with something clearly taken directly from my daydreams and night dreams in the form of their November catalog, which is inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

I was honestly so taken by the whole concept (and how whimsical and odd this seemed, even for Anthropologie) that I hardly even noticed the clothes and goods the first time around. I mean, who has the brainpower to pay attention to a sweater when there's a giant speckled chicken on a leash?

But of course, no one looks at this things just once, so the beautiful little details in fabric and embellishment come out upon the second or third perusal of the spread. Which is just about when you realize yet again, that yes, yes. Anthropologie knows exactly what it's doing.

quiet halloween

2010-11-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Not a single child showed up at our door for Halloween.

I suppose I have to accept the fact that, although there are many children in the neighborhood, we're just not going to get kids coming to our apartment door in the city the way we used to when we lived in a townhouse in the suburbs. Our holiday was pretty quiet as a result, but we did have a little celebration with frozen appetizers (shhh) and chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. They're topped with the fun Halloween cupcake toppers I received a few weeks ago.

I've been quiet since my little trip since I'm a little under the weather. I caught allergies that developed into a sinus infection which has left me tired and listless, especially since it also spread to the husband...we are sickly little buns at the moment! I do have a bunch of things saved up I can't wait to share, however, and hopefully will be easing back into the blogosphere soon.