Coffee and a Card

I love snow. I really do. I will grant that it's starting to border on the ridiculous that we have so very much of it right now and that we got another 10 or so inches last night and that the kids are home for their fourth snow day this month. But, all that said, snow days inspire me to pop in a movie, make some coffee, and get my craft on.

Today I decided to give the sewing machine a much-deserved break and bust out some of my card-making supplies that have been sitting idle. The coffee and snow combination really warms my heart so I pulled out this old favorite stamp set by MFT and this softly colored snowflake paper, appropriately titled Snow Day, from the Wassail collection by Basic Gray. To jazz up the card a bit, I punched some snowflakes with a Martha Stewart punch (and while I like the shape of the snowflake, the punch is a big pain in the rump on the heavy cardstock that I favor because it's always getting jammed) and painted them in some shimmery gold paint that I got from Stampin' Up. I used Stampin' Up! cardstock in Whisper White and Crumb Cake (formerly Kraft). I also threw in some Martha Stewart twill tape ribbon, crochet ribbon from Wright's, a pearl sticker that I picked up at Michael's.

Now to go make some more coffee and see what else is on that long, long list of projects...

Happy Crafting!

Kate

Mug Mats

I hate it when my hot coffee gets cold before I get to drink it. And with freezing temperatures outside, and cold counters inside, that happens a lot in the winter (also that I rarely get an uninterrupted moment to enjoy a full cup of hot coffee). I've had my eye on these little coasters since last year when I saw this project by Joelle Hoverson on Martha Stewart's website and today seemed like the perfect day to test it out.

The project is fairly simple, even for someone who's quilting level would be considered "pre-beginner". Really, I don't even think "beginner" describes my skill set at quilting. But as you can see, I made my way through these and really enjoyed the process. I did, however, find another tutorial that I prefer to the one prepared by Joelle Hoverson (though it should be said that I'm a huge fan of Joelle's work). Check out this one at Adelaide Lemonade. I found her technique and instructions even easier to follow and she made me feel just fine about my inadequate quilting skills. I even enjoyed practicing making quilted concentric squares. What makes the method at Adelaide Lemonade easier is the use of fusible fleece, so you aren't fussing with trying to get your batting to fit just right. When I ran out of fusible fleece (I only had enough for 2 coasters on hand), I resorted to using the method described by Joelle. Finished measurements are 4x4 inches for all. (I started with 4.5x4.5 inch squares for all.) Overall, both were easy and I am happy with the imperfection that is my quilted coasters. Of course I used more Bliss fabric and had a great time mixing and matching the coaster tops and bottoms. The two pictures above show the two different sides of the coasters. I made each one different and I think I'll make a bunch more because it really was a fun project to make and they go together so quickly.

Aaahhhh, hot coffee...

Happy Crafting!

Kate

Craft Book Challenge - January

I have what some may call a bordering-on-the-ridiculous number of craft books. What can I say? I love craft books! I love to peruse the pages of a new craft book, soaking up all the gorgeous photographs, being inspired by the possibility of so many new projects, enjoying the artistry and style of each author. I'm a craft book junkie. So when I saw the Craft Book Challenge on Liesl Made I knew it was the perfect challenge for me to undertake this year.

To kick off the challenge, I used my current favorite fabric, Bliss by Bonnie & Camille for Moda, to make Tone Finnanger's fabric basket in Sew Pretty Homestyle. I've been wanting to make some fabric baskets for the craft room so this seemed like the perfect first project for the challenge. In theory, it is both beautiful and practical. In reality, a fabric basket made this way is going to have some give, so I have to be realistic about what I'm going to use it to store. It's not exactly as practical as a plastic bin but it's a lot more attractive, despite my imperfect sewing, so I will make up a few more and use them for storing things that I like to look at, like my embroidery supplies, yarn, and favorite scraps of fabric.

I changed the dimensions slightly, from Tone's original instructions, only because I wanted to use this spotty red fabric and I didn't have quite enough. Overall the project was easy to complete, but I did find it a little bit fussier than it seems when you read through the instructions. I got some puckering in the fabric and batting, and I was slightly frustrated that I couldn't get the bottom exactly right. However, I suspect that if I try it again I will have a little more success, since I now know firsthand what are going to be my trouble spots. For now, I'm going to call it good and go make the kids a snack.

Happy Crafting!

Kate

Sunday Afternoon with Bliss

I spent today having a love affair with my new fabric and my red polka dot mug.
On my recent visit to Candlelite Quilts

I bought some of this, Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda, and now I'm in love. I first saw it in the shop near Christmas but at the time I was too focused on Christmas-y fabrics to fully appreciate it's sweetness. Now that I've turned my attention to things besides Christmas crafting, I have all kinds of projects in mind for this delightful line. Pictured here are the scaps from the gazillion squares I cut out of my stash of Bliss to make a quilt for a certain niece of mine (who still hasn't gotten a Christmas present from us - gasp!). The quilt is in process but today I couldn't stop thinking of other things I'd like to make with these prints. Unfortunately, as always happens to me, I have many more projects in mind than I have time to spend crafting. I promise to post any finished projects just as soon as I finish them. Don't hold your breath.

Work in Progress

With my Jenny Hart Sublime Stitching: Embroidered Effects book in hand (lap), I'm attempting these houses that I sketched out in December but never got the chance to make. I thought they would make nice little ornaments for the tree but I'm also thinking other ways to use them. More on this when I've actually completed one...

Merry Christmas Spoon

It may be January now, but I haven't completely let go of the Christmas season, as evidenced by my ever-present snowman mug. Right now he is serving as the backdrop for this gorgeous spoon. Let's talk about that spoon. Just look at it! It was a gift from my aunt and uncle and cousins and came with a tag that said "The Merry Christmas Spoon: This spoon is one of a kind, handmade especially for you by our friend Dean Roberts of Turner, Maine. For Christmas 2010 we commissioned the creation of 10 spoons made from apple wood from Century Elm Farms. Happy Cooking with lots of love" Not only is the spoon itself a work of art, it is made with wood from the farm in Maine where I grew up, and given to my family by people that I love and adore. I absolutely love it! Maine Handmade at it's finest!

Yarn Snowballs

Happy New Year!

I get very melancholy at the end of the hustle and bustle of the holidays but I have also come to cherish this time immediately after Christmas. I love winter and once the holidays have flown by, as they always do, I get to bask in the quiet coziness of a long New England winter. I love the snow, the hot chocolate (even better, the hot coffee with a little Kahlua), the relative calm.
My love of winter inspired me create some yarn snowballs to place on my mantle. The mantle seems so empty after the Christmas decorations come down, so I wanted to decorate with something that is everything I love about winter - shades of white, soft, and cozy.

The yarn balls are ridiculously easy. I used styrofoam balls, pins, a bit of tacky glue, and three different yarns to add texture. For this project, I used the inexpensive yarns found at the nearby box craft store.
To start the ball, I secured the yarn with a pin and just started wrapping. And then I wrapped some more, occasionally dabbing glue to hold it together. It's really a very cathartic craft. I whipped up 6 snowballs in no time and they look great on the mantle. A perfect wintertime decoration.

Here's to crafting up a great 2011!