polaroid magnets

Aren't these the best little magnets? It's a great idea. All you need are some of your favorite pics, some cardboard and magnetic tape... You can get all the deets from abrosiagirl's blog.

I will be going to the Crafty Supermarket art show this Saturday and I'm sure I'll be drooling over tons of lovely handmade items. (I'll also be annoyed that I have been totally slacking off and have zero wares for my next craft show--- but that's another story.)

OK, well it's hump day. Hope it's a good one.

Cheers. xo

things on my mind

crafting
I've been slacking. I need to get my craft on. Here is one lovely flower I'd like to make... out of old tshirts!

Tutorial via matsutake

playing
I have been playing a lot of scrabble lately. I lose a lot too. Sadly. Surprisingly ;) Here's a set I'd love to own.

Scrabble set via Andrew Capener

owls
You know I love me them owls :) Here's a how-to:

made out of pochette envelopes - via

laughing
I need to do this more. Not sure why I don't laugh a lot. But I really should... Here's something that cracked me up:

May your day be fantastic today!

xo

bags for the people

Today there is a sewing workshop by Bags for the People in Brooklyn, NY at the Etsy Labs! If, like me, you are nowhere near NYC you can join them virtually here.

From Etsy.com:

Bags for the People is a non-profit organization that provides the public with a sustainable alternative to plastic bags. They use all repurposed materials and give out bags for free. Bags for the People also perform community building workshops and events to convince people to make the switch from plastic to reusable and inspire the public to take an active and creative role in life. We'll have all the materials you'll need to sew a bag of your own here at the Etsy Labs! If you have any other fabric or old clothing that you would like to turn into bags, please bring them along.

Bags for the People's tagline (and mission) is Sew me. Use me. Wash me. Reuse me. Visit their site to find out more.

If you want to participate from home you will need these supplies:

• Fabric (an old T-shirt would do the trick)
• Sewing machine, or a sewing needle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Pins
• Iron
• Download Bags for the People's instructions

Happy Sewing!  xo

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amazing cakes, how sweet...

Happy day-after Monday ;) I had a nice and relaxing looong weekend-- spent mostly eating. Nothing wrong with that, right? In honor of yumminess, here are some great cakes I think you'd enjoy:

Happy happy rainbow cake! (via)

Ahoy! Long Journey Cake (via)

Work of art! Mini cakes. (via)

Angry Birds game cake. Have you played yet? (via)

Hope you have a sweet day! xo

rob ryan - papercutting illustrator

These amazing illustrations are by Rob Ryan, a highly acclaimed artist specializing in paper cuts and limited edition screen prints. His elaborate paper work has appeared in collaborations with high profile designers in the fashion world including: Tatty Devine, Liberty’s of London, Ernest Sewn, Paul Smith, Vogue, etc...

 

I discovered his illustration style recently through the new book, The Gift, by Carol Ann Duffy.

"It's the story of a girl’s journey through life and the desires that shape it. With a kind of magic that is timeless, The Gift speaks to everyone who wonders about the mysteries that lie at the heart of the human experience."

The book follows the protagonist from life to death. Poetically written, it's probably best for older kids. Rob Ryan's illustrations are hand cut from single sheets of paper and spray painted, one color per spread, and then photographed.

You can read more about Mr. Ryan on his site and you can buy The Gift here.

spoonflower

Have you heard of Spoonflower? You can design and print your own fabrics! Isn't that swell? Or you can just buy from their shop which is full of unusual and funky designs.

Wouldn't this fabric make a great handbag? And this one, below, I think would make a cute dress for an American Doll that someone I know is getting for Christmas.

Here are some more great fabric prints I like. Not sure what I'll do with them... Any ideas?

You can visit Spoonflower here. Have a great Tuesday! xo

tee + ruffles = pret-tee

Here's a great tutorial from Robin at All Things Heart & Home. This altered tee is so cute and quite easy to make. Check it out:

What do you think? Pretty doable right? She used two cheap t-shirt. One to cut and one to adorn :) You can visit her blog post here. Happy sewing!

craft room ideas

This is how my craft closet looks when it has exploded onto my dining table. Not pretty.
And here are some 'after' shots... Kidding. Only in my dreams! I need help.

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Ahhhh... aren't these amazing. This last one is my favorite. I like the tall table and stools. Though the pink nook above is best when you don't have a whole room to dedicate to your craftiness. These rooms are truly inspiring and perhaps, something to look forward to. :)

Do you have a craft space? Got any tips? Do tell.

paper art by people too

I've spent most of my morning pouring over the work of People Too. The Russian cut paper artists, Alexei Lyapunov and Lena Ehrlich, are amazing. Their work speaks for itself. Absolute art!

You can see part of their beautifully painstaking process for this children's book illustration below:

Aren't they great? You can see more of their work here. And if you speak Russian, here. :)
xoxo

(via visualstreak)

abby did!

Today, the day after Halloween, I'm in the mood for a whole different lot of monsters. Take a look at these cute cuddly critters from abbydid. We picked up these fuzzy fellows at the Crafty Supermarket earlier this year.

Aren't they cute? K got the Gadabout purse ("hellooo, mom... I can put my cell, lip gloss AND a book inside"), M got the Wibbly Woo pillow with neat pocket lip where many a LEGO minifigure has slept, and Z got a Knuckebiter, which I could not find to show you. I'm sure it is hidden somewhere with it's own secret treasure inside. But here is a similar one (I want one for my iPhone!) :

abbydid is a local craftster with great imagination and skills! I love her choice of plushy fabrics and textures to create these whimsical, fun (and useful!) creatures.

You can find more stuff on her etsy shop here.

xo

tape that!

via

Do you use Japanese masking tapes? If so, I hope it's not just to make painting straight lines easier. There are so many other fun and beautiful things you can do with this neat tape. From invitations to packaging to binding for books, the possibilities are endless.

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I am constantly amazed at the great thing people make out there. I hope you are inspired to use these lovely tapes... because plain tape is just, well, boring ;)

You can find great ideas all over the web or from book like this one I found on Uncommon Goods. The tape is available online from shops like this one and this one.