Tag Archives: crafts

Oct 31 2012
3 Comments
crafty adventures, Halloween, holidays

My Edgar Allan Poe Paper Playset

 

Happy Halloween! It is definitely going to be a scary one! The winds this week, courtesy of Hurricane Sandy, are whipping all of the leaves off the tress, leaving behind creepy bare branches. And the full moon has been shining through mists of clouds, and the filtered light is sifting through the branches painting spooky shadows on our walls. Between the shadows and the crazy flying leaves, Presley is going a little crazy around here.

So far to get into the Halloween spirit, I read some Poe (“The Murders in the Rue Morgue” for book group and “Ligeia” upon Cath’s recommendation), Naoto & I made dinner in our new dutch oven (I’ll blog about it soon!) and drank a bottle of Darkhorse wine, I watched a round of Roseanne‘s Halloween episodes (best TV ever!), we watched The Shining (It’s so scary to me…and to Naoto, too!) and I built my Edgar Allan Poe Play set (pictured above)…oh, and I also painted my nails with glow-in-the-dark polish. They are really not fun unless I’m in a very dark room…

But back to the Poe paper doll. A few years ago Naoto bought me this Edgar Allan Poe paper play set from Lisa Perrin. On Tuesday (proof that it takes me awhile to get around to things around here) I cut out the figures (using my favorite Kai scissors!) and assembled the play set. Isn’t it great?! I love that Poe is wearing bunny slippers! I’m looking forward to breaking this out again in January, for Poe’s birthday (January 19th).

What are your plans for Halloween? Any spooky movies or stories in your day? Are you dressing up? (I’m not…)

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Oct 30 2012
4 Comments
celebrations, crafty adventures, snail mail

Smart Women Vote

When I was a college freshman, I voted for the first time by absentee ballot. I remember being so excited when the ballot arrived, punching my choices with the little stylus, and dropping the completed ballot in the blue mailbox near my dorm. It was really exciting, but I was so disappointed that I didn’t get to vote in the real voting booth and I didn’t get one of those I VOTED stickers. Upon hearing my disappointment, my grandfather (who always wrote me the most charming letters) sent me his voting sticker. I’d forgotten all about this kind gesture until a few years ago when I was sifting through all of my college mail and I found it folded in a letter written in my grandfather’s beautiful script. Just thinking about it makes me all weepy.

Since then, I’ve voted at the polls in every election–and I’ve always proudly sported my I VOTED sticker. And, for the past few Presidential Elections, I’ve sported these Smart Women Vote buttons. This year, I did a mass mailing and sent a bunch out to my friends and pen pals. It’s a “safe” political outreach, because it’s non-partisan…I’m a firm believer in agree-to-disagree…I know I’m not going to change anyone’s mind about their political leanings, just like they are certainly not going to change my mind. (I am very stubborn.) But I do think it’s important to vote–so, no matter which side you are on, or whether you live in a red state, a blue state or a swing state…as they say in Chicago–vote early and vote often!*

*Kidding…just vote once.

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Oct 16 2012
3 Comments
crafty adventures

Watercolor Garland

I’ve had my sewing machine for over a year now…it’s only fitting that my first “sewing” project would be a paper one. I’ve been wanting to sew up a garland for a long time now and last week (since the house was a mess, laundry needed to be done and I had to work) seemed to be the perfect time.

On a Wednesday night whim, I pulled out my cheap watercolors and “painted” with all of the fall colors. I use the term “painted” loosely because I really just slopped the colors onto some watercolor paper. I tried an ombre effect–sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t–but it didn’t really matter how neat and tidy the painting was because I knew I was going to cut up the end result. I mostly used a sumi brush instead of my watercolor brushes. It covered more ground and it soaked up the cheap watercolors like a dream.

Once the watercolor dried, I flipped the paper over and did a solid color wash on the back so that the garland would look pretty on both sides. The next day I punched out a bunch of circles with my Fiskars two-inch circle punch. At first I tried to keep each color within the same punch, but by the end, I was mixing things up, letting some circles have white space or two colors…whatever worked. As I cut, I trimmed off the scraps so I could keep cutting further into the paper.

Then, I moved into the bedroom and uncovered the sewing machine. Yes, it is avocado green. It deserves its own blog post.

Things did not go smoothly at the sewing machine. (It was the first time I’d used it without help.) The thread kept coming out of the needle and I wouldn’t notice until I had a few circles through…it was terribly frustrating. The circles weren’t connected, but there were all sorts of tiny perforations in them. I finally got out the manual only to learn (after several tries) that the machine wasn’t threaded all the way. Once I solved that little dilemma, there were no more mishaps. Smooth sailing with the rest of the garland. (And, unless you look closely, you don’t notice that some circles have a few extra holes!)

Right now the garland is living on my desk, but I think it will move into the dining room for the rest of the season. I am excited to try it again with some bright wintry colors, and maybe some shimmery watercolor snowflakes for December!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom! XOXO

 

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Oct 15 2012
7 Comments
crafty adventures, Halloween

A Halloween Mail Art Afternoon

 

Yesterday, after the tornado sirens stopped wailing and alarming apparently only me, I joined Donovan & friends for a Halloween Mail Art afternoon. I wish I had taken a picture of her table filled with large spooky sheets of paper, washi tape, pens, envelopes, rubber stamps and little bits that we picked through for our pieces of postal goodness. I wrote one letter, then decided to focus on envelope-making (& talking) for the rest of our time.

See the little ticket on the orange envelope? Yep, that is E.T…don’t you just want to hug him (while wondering who would make an E.T. rubber stamp?) There is just something so soothing about taping and gluing a bunch of stuff on an envelope. Now, if only I could catch up on my letter writing and fill those envelopes this week!

Donovan made each of us a treat bag filled with vintage and new Halloween ephemera to use on our mail art. I am in love with those vintage apothecary labels!

It was the perfect spooky day to partake in spiced hot cider and create some creepy mail. Thanks for hosting, Donovan!

(The last two pictures were taken as the sirens were going off, alerting us to the tornado that never came. I figured, if the old people in my building were going out for an afternoon walk, I was safe enough cloud watching from the balcony…)

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Sep 21 2012
4 Comments
celebrations, crafty adventures, little red toolbox

my little red toolbox | Sakura Stardust Clear Gel Pen

I’m afraid that the fabulousness of this pen is not going to be conveyed in my amateur  photographs…

Remember when gel pens were super-popular? I gave them as holiday gifts to my students when I first started working in education…the kids loved them! I personally never saw the draw…until recently…

Sakura’s Stardust Gelly Roll in clear is my favorite tool to use when I want to create a little sparkly accent on cards, envelopes and decorations. It works just like a gel pen, but it leaves a little trail of glittery ink behind. I used it to color in the acorns on the envelope and to outline the acorns on the decorations (which are part of this Acorn Garland Kit from Paper Source).

It is pretty subtle (you can barely see it on the lighter papers of the acorn decorations, but in person it is noticeable), so I wouldn’t really recommend writing a letter with this particular gel pen, but the Stardust line comes in a bunch of colors, if glittery writing is your thing. I personally just love it because it’s a mess-free way to add a little pizzazz to my projects… without the risk of getting glitter in my eye!

*This and all posts about my little red toolbox are not sponsored posts. I just thought it would be fun to share my favorite tools for paper crafting. For more about my little red toolbox, go here.

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Sep 14 2012
2 Comments
little red toolbox

my little red toolbox | coccoina glue

This week’s favorite crafting item from the little red toolbox comes from the land of my ancestors. (It is made in Italy for those of you who haven’t read this post.) My Coccoina glue stick is my favorite glue stick, not because of its superior effectiveness compared to other (cheaper) glue sticks I’ve used, but because of its amazing smell. Those of you who make stuff know that good smells and crafting often do not go hand in hand…but the Coccoina glue stick smells deliciously of marzipan. That is the only reason I bought it in the first place, but upon further research, I’ve learned that Coccoina is very eco-friendly–it is made with almond oil and potato starch and is so pure, you could eat it. (I’m kidding…but it does smell good enough to eat!) Coccoina has been making paste since 1927 and they still use their original recipe. I use mine mainly for mail art…it is perfect for paper-to-paper gluing. But it also works with cloth and photographs, making it perfect for collage and scrapbooking.

I know I can buy a box of Elmer’s glue sticks for next to nothing during back-to-school sales, but for me, the $6 I paid for my giant 40-gram Coccoina is well worth the aromatherapy crafting.

*The blue books in my mail art above were drawn by Donovan. They were a part of the stationery she created for the last LWA letter social.

*This and all posts about my little red toolbox are not sponsored posts. I just thought it would be fun to share my favorite tools for paper crafting. For more about my little red toolbox, go here.

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Sep 11 2012
6 Comments
crafty adventures

renegade chicago 2012

This past weekend, Naoto & I made our annual trek to the Renegade Craft Fair. I start looking forward to Renegade weekend in the middle of summer, checking to see who is coming and browsing online to see what I want to buy. [Sidenote: Naoto never looks forward to Renegade…he’s just along for the ride, and the beer I buy him to keep him from getting grumpy.] I’ve mentioned on the blog before–I am very frugal with a lot of things. I hate spending a lot of money on toilet paper, toothpaste, make-up and cleaning stuff. But, I never mind spending money on things that I think are high-quality, unique and beautiful, especially when they are handmade. I do a lot of shopping for our home at Renegade (and on Etsy), and, except for two concert posters and a map, everything on our walls comes from independent artists. (That’s a post for another day…once it all actually gets hung on the walls!)

My first stop at Renegade is always the 16 Sparrows/Letter Writers Alliance booth. Donovan & Kathy always have a fun space full of postal goodness and this year was no different. (Don’t you love the airmail accent on the tent? Donovan made it with tape!) They were selling pigeon posts like hotcakes (For more information on my experience mailing a pigeon, go here.) This year, they debuted their pneumatic post, so I snagged one of those along with some labels and a postcard.

After the LWA we did a pass through all of the booths at the fair, scoping out which ones deserved our attention and attempting to shop. I say attempting because the crowds were thick and the booths were tiny, making it a huge challenge to navigate, decide and pay. So, we went to lunch.

We were lucky to get a seat at Jerry’s right by the fair. It was my first time and it was incredible! Their sandwich menu is a novel of unique sandwich pairings, tasty sides and beers. I had the Munchy: a grilled cheese with pickles and potato chips on it and a side of dill potato salad, and I also may have eaten Naoto’s entire side of mac and cheese. Yum!

Refreshed from lunch, Naoto took over. He charged through the crowds dragging me behind him and helped make some space in the booths so I could shop…it was kind of hilarious. Watch out annoying people with dogs on long leashes–we are coming through! Move your stroller, mom with the toddling toddler, we are flying by. Shove over canoodling couple, we want to shop!

One place I really wanted to shop was Son of a Sailor. I’ve been eying their Etsy shop for awhile and I wanted a necklace with our initials (K&N). Their other bracelets and necklaces were tempting, too (I’m keeping my Christmas list options open, Naoto!)  Luckily we were able to sneak into the booth during a wee lull so I had a moment to scope things out, make my purchase and have a tiny chat with Jessica (the designer). She was absolutely lovely and cheerful and she is just the kind of artist that makes indie shopping such a great experience!

Other than the postal goodies and the necklace, I bought two letterpress prints. One is the desk with the Lord Byron quote (“Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company.”) from Bison Bookbinding and the other is the donut (“Donuts make the world go ’round.”) from Nourishing Notes by Letterform. I’m very excited to get a couple of frames and get them on the walls. (For the record, last month I hung something up that I bought last year at Renegade.)  I also got some decals from Oh, Hello Friend and the lovely pillow cover from Little Low Studio.

All said and done, it was a great shopping trip, and a gorgeous day to be outside! Yay for Renegade! I can’t wait to see you again next year!

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Sep 08 2012
8 Comments
crafty adventures, snail mail, washi weekend

Washi Weekend: Letter Ledger

For the past few months, I’ve been using this Letter Ledger to keep track of my incoming and outgoing mail. I learned about it from the blog Paper Pastries and I was inspired by Margaret’s idea to use washi tape to personalize her Ledger. I used some of my latest favorite washi tapes (some are actual Japanese tapes, some are more “scrapbooking” tapes). I don’t think I will ever tire of pool blue, but if I do, I can change the tapes out–simple as that!

I love my Letter Ledger! It appeals to the “documenter” side of me (I love making lists of things and writing things down) and it helps me to remember who I owe a letter to, what I want to write about and what questions I want to ask.

And, there is a handy pocket in the front for stamps and my Letter Writers Alliance membership card!

Now, if only I could find the perfect address book…

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Sep 07 2012
5 Comments
little red toolbox

my little red toolbox | kai scissors

It wasn’t hard to choose the first tool to feature from my little red toolbox. My love for my Kai Detail Scissors is unmatched. I cut a lot of tiny things for mail art and other projects and my old kitchen scissors weren’t cutting it (pun intended…couldn’t resist). My hand would get all cramped, my cutting lines were all jagged and quite frankly, I dreaded having to cut anything. Then, I was exposed to Kai Scissors by an old manager at our local paper store. These scissors are absolutely dreamy! They cut really smoothly and easily and they are tiny and pointy, which makes them great for cutting little detailed objects (like forks and flying men from a Trader Joe’s bag and washi tape banners) and they are comfortable to hold (which is completely necessary when you are doing a lot of cutting). Kai Scissors are made in Japan and the blades are hand balanced and hand polished. And, in case Naoto decides to use my precious paper scissors to cut open a potato chip bag (he knows better…now…), the blades can be sharpened if they get dull. I ordered my Kai Scissors at KaiScissors.com. They offer free shipping and a very good price. Mine are the N5135 model, and though they say they are for embroidery, they’ve worked like a dream for me in paper crafts for over a year now. Yay for tiny cutting with ease!

*This and all posts about my little red toolbox are not sponsored posts. I just thought it would be fun to share my favorite tools for paper crafting! Don’t know about my little red toolbox? Go here!

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Aug 31 2012
6 Comments
crafty adventures, little red toolbox

my little red toolbox

My dad gave me this toolbox awhile ago after I bombarded him with links to several expensive ones from Etsy. I knew he had one or a dozen to spare and when he offered up the red one, I was thrilled. I love it’s scratchy paint and well-placed rust. I love that it has a tiny tray inside for little bits and a large compartment on the bottom (for big bits?) Until now, this toolbox was holding my giant pen collection, some frequently used erasers and some infrequently used watercolors. Now that my toolbox is going to move into the new (ok, halfway-finished) office area, I’ve decided that it should hold something else.

You see, I am a total disaster. I am completely unorganized and messy. I take after my dad in this sense. My mom is completely organized and tidy…and she–like Naoto with me–fights a losing battle with trying to keep my dad organized. And I often find myself searching for my most frequently used tools–the tools I need to paper craft or make mail art. Instead of putting them away where they belong, these tools often get shoved on the guest bed or in a drawer in the frenzy of tidying up for guests. I’m hoping that having a dedicated crafting space (instead of the kitchen island or the dining table) helps with this problem…but in case it doesn’t, I’ve come up with a fool-proof system just in case my disastrous ways don’t change.

I’m going to use the little red toolbox to hold all of my most frequently-used paper crafting tools. It’s big enough to hold all of my favorites, and small enough that I can leave it on my desk (or take it on crafting adventures). I will always put my tools away. And, in another irregularly regular blog feature (like this one and this one) I am planning to share all of my favorite paper crafting tools.*

In the meantime, a place for everything and everything in its place…

*Hopefully each Friday starting next week can be dedicated to the little red toolbox…and hopefully I can get back on track with posting about the apartment on Thursdays…I’m going to try to make it happen!

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