September 2010

2010 guest blogger series: gearing up for a handmade christmas

by contributor on September 30, 2010

in Guest Series 2010

September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.

Today I want to introduce you to another fellow Australian craft blogger Kate who blogs at one flew over and contributes to the quarterly online quilt mag Fat Quarterly. Kate is a super nice and an excellent quilter – I know these things because she recently agreed to do some sewing for my next book – without having ever met me – these are the things that I love about the craft blog world.

According to my mother I have always been a ’5 minute wonder’. As a child I attempted every activity under the sun, none of which stuck. Two years ago and after the the birth of my second child, I went to an embroidery workshop at Prints Charming and never looked back. Embroidery quickly turned into a love affair with all things crafty. A sewing machine was purchased, fabric was collected and on most nights (to the annoyance of the rest of the family), you are likely to hear the whir of the machine or see the hook working like mad… which makes it pretty difficult to watch the TV.

Today I want to introduce you to some early gift making ideas. With Christmas just around the corner I’m sure there are many of you who have started thinking about making Christmas gifts or who are looking at uncovering some unique handmade items. I always intend on making a few handmade gifts myself and have listed below some of my favourite projects that I look to for inspiration.

I can’t wait to make these girly pretty lights [they are pretty simple to make with just a trip to the hardware store and some scraps you can find in the house], they will be perfect under the Christmas tree at night and I think my Mum would love a few to jazz up the Christmas dinner table.

This bag is very far from my own knitting capabilities but I delude myself and think I may be able to, one day do something like it. My younger cousin would love it [you can purchase it here]

My four year old spotted a Poppy Doll at a friend’s place a few weeks ago and hasn’t stopped asking for one! (photo courtesy of Pigeon Pair).

The house can always do with a bit of a spruce up and each Christmas I like to add to our decoration collection. These crochet snowflakes would be great stand alone or as part of a garland.

If you are handy with the sticks – although I should be thinking about gifts for others, I spotted this Mara shawl for me. I think it is just beautiful and will be a gift for myself.

If you are anything like me, it is highly possible that the gift making may be left to the last minute, in which case I have listed below some favourite purchased items that always seem to please! … These ceramic thread spool vessels hhave been on my shopping list for ages, the perfect gift for the crafter in your life. … My daughter was given a set of these wooden ‘blank’ dolls last Christmas, they were a huge hit.

So make or give handmade this christmas – hopefully these few ideas will help you get started!

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printables roundup

by kath_red on September 30, 2010

in Features, Paper+Mixed Media, Resources

don’t cha just love a downloadable design from some fellow groovy blogger. Something you would never have thought of, or didn’t have time to do. Like jam labels, and school lunch box love notes, and party thank you notes and list templates – and and and… the list goes on – enjoy … do you have any to add?

Labels
kitchen decal labels
jam or favor labels
canning labels
food expiration labels
jar labels
lots of jam and canning labels here
birthday cake toppers
color coded labels
martha stewart 50 printables
property of… labels
plant markers
paint can swatch labels

Notes / cards / tags / stationary / party kits / invitations
Sweet little notes
bus-driver gift tag
lunch box notes
vintage cute cards
bunting thank you card
striped birthday favor box
The prettiest thank you / gift tags
sewn with love label
canning party invitation
treat bag
cupcake wrapper
back to school party
party cake topper
mothers day gift cards
sweet gift tags
mushroom stationary
seed pack tags
airmail stationary
random acts of kindness card
baby announcement cards

Lists / charts / planner
menu and to-do list to help you get organised for event planning
printable to-do list
youngster yardstick for girls
chore chart
menu planner
lets get fit cards
cook book markers
to do list
children’s vital details cards
meal planner

color-in / games / decoration / book plate / bookmark / toys
I love this paper city - all ready to color in
mark my words bookmark
bunting
castle peeps book plates
icecream safari booklet
paper dolls
ready to color-in piggy bank
ready to color-in puppet theatre
summer fruit punch bookmarks
the cutest bookmarks
rainbow party kit
alphabet bunting
little packets
pink paper fawn
activity sheets
little houses
thread bobbins
sewing cards
paper doll
strawberries
kids printable address book
printable stickers
greek alphabet blocks

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2010 guest blogger series: make a bale of turtles with Jodie

by contributor on September 29, 2010

in Guest Series 2010, Whip Up Tutorials

September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.

Today I want to introduce you to Jodie from vintage ricrac. Jodie is another fellow aussie gal, an impeccable crafter and great all round gorgeous person. I have been lucky enough to meet Jodie a couple of times and listen to her talk and she is as fabulous and inspirational in person as she is on her blog.

My name is Jodie and I blog at www.vintagericrac.blogspot.com where I make toys and not-toys. I used to sew with selvedges and now I don’t. I wish I had more time to spend in the sewing room.

Hi, I’m Jodie.

Apart from the crazy need to dream up little back-stories to all sorts of inanimate objects, especially toys, I also love the crazy terms given to a group of things. Did you know a group of turtles is called a bale ? Neither did I!

These teeny turtles have been haunting my blog for a very long time. When Kathreen asked me to do a guest post here on Whip-Up I knew the turtles were the way to go! These guys are super tiny and super-cute. You can find full downloadable instructions and pattern sheet [below] to make a whole bale of turtles for yourself. All you need is some felt, embroidery thread and a Best of the 80′s soundtrack and pretty soon you’ll have a party!

Pattern Pieces For Party Turtles

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2010 guest blogger series: The crafty crow holiday ideas for kids

by contributor on September 28, 2010

in Guest Series 2010, Kids Crafts

September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.

Today I want to welcome Cassi – a fantastic blogger, maker, mother and writer – her patterns have been featured in heaps of books plus on top of that she searches the internet with a fine-tooth comb looking for the best-of-the-best kids crafts and shares them daily on The Crafty Crow, a website dedicated to kid friendly and family friendly crafts and activities. Her other site, Bella Dia, features her own crafting adventures that include sewing, embroidery, crochet, painting, drawing, sculpture and living life with her three beautiful, homeschooled children in the mountains of central Idaho.

Hello everyone! I’m thrilled to be guest posting here at Whip Up and so glad that my hard-working friend, Kathreen, is taking some time to spend with her kiddos. I thought I would share some of my favorite ideas for gifts that kids can make, because, you know, the holidays are coming up fast (and it gets faster every year!). I’ve chosen projects that are varied in skill level, useful, and will appeal to almost everyone on your gift list. And, but for a few exceptions, all the supplies are inexpensive and easy to gather. If you need more ideas I hope you’ll come visit me at The Crafty Crow and I’ll do my best to find just the right project for you and your little ones.

Now, let’s get started on your Handmade Holiday!

This decorated blank book comes from iHanna’s Blog. Who can’t use a blank book? Choose paper designs that are appropriate for the recipient and look for inexpensive journals to cover at the dollar store. If you have a stash of fabric scraps then you can use those too. All ages can have fun with this project, just help the little ones with cutting and gluing.

Paper beads are a great way to use up some of those old magazines you have sitting around! This tutorial comes from Creative Jewish Mom. Rolling the paper and gluing takes a bit more dexterity so keep this in mind when presenting it to the kids. Of course you can make necklaces but if you use elastic thread you can make anklets and bracelets too.

I think these initial silhouette paintings from Blissfully Domestic would be perfect presents for grandparents. Choose a standard paper size for this project to make it easy for framing later on. You’ll find that even the youngest kids can do this with amazing results. If you are worried about little ones putting paintbrushes in their mouth then add a little vinegar to the paint water – I doubt it will happen more than once ;)

The Little Travelers has a very nice tutorial showing you how to make felted wool soap. My son makes these for gifts every year and everyone loves them. You’ll need some wool roving but there are lots of sources online and I suggest a hard-milled soap too. It takes a bit of practice to get the technique down so be patient. As long as you have the roving you might as well try making some felt beads too – here is a nice tutorial for that technique.

I included this fantastic rubber band pinball game from Journey Into Unschooling because I think it would make a great sibling or friend gift. Also, I think it appeals to the teenagers who may not be so terribly excited to be making their gifts ;)

Homemade playdough is easy and inexpensive to make and I really like that this recipe at One Golden Apple uses natural dyes. Add some glitter for a little sparkle or some powdered drink mix to make it smell yummy! Of course this is a super gift for kids to give to their younger siblings or, if they babysit, those little ones will love it too.

You’ll find the tutorial for these artful trivets at Prudent Baby. Plain ceramic tiles can be found at big box hardware stores but I have seen them at our local building thrift too. This is another project that is accessible to all ages. Older kids can do this from start to finish, the younger ones can create the artwork and then let the adults do the rest. Be sure to write the artist’s name and date on the back as this will be a precious keepsake for a long time to come.

Dish towels make a nice gift for grandparents, teachers, neighbors and older siblings or cousins that are just starting to live on their own. By Little Hands shares a simple tutorial using foam shapes. If you are feeling adventurous you can try creating your own stamps from potatoes or have a look around the house for anything that might make an unusual print and do a little experimenting.

You’ll be able to make these story stones from Red Bird Crafts at almost no cost at all. Coordinate the pictures for a favorite story or create a variety of elements for an endless amount of tales. Preschoolers and older can do this easily. If you don’t have a good source for river rocks then you can use wood slices from the craft store.

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For more kids craft, creative ideas and activities go to the Action Pack website

2010 guest blogger series: making a mask

by contributor on September 27, 2010

in Guest Series 2010, Whip Up Tutorials

September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.

Today I want to introduce Susan from the blog Living with punks, Susan has a lot of fun fashioning outfits for her gorgeous kids and generally just sewing up a storm.


Hi all! It’s me Susan, at Living with Punks, I am so excited to be here and feel completely honored that Kathreen included me in the guest posting. I’m the mommy of three punks, and when I’m not chasing them around, you can always find me conjuring up something in my sewing studio. I started sewing about 2 years ago and have found a passion that I know will never leave my heart. I also love blogging and sharing all the things that actually come out good with others.

A brief explanation for the name Living with Punks in a nutshell. It is a morphing of those sweet names you come up with for your little ones. Everyone in our extended family and in between has known our twin boys as “the punks” and it has become an affectionate way to refer to them. And by punks we mean… Punks… as in Punkins! I would never call my kids Punks… as in troublemakers! Errrrr, at least that’s what I’ll admit to on the blogoshpere ;)

Today I am bringing you a BOY PROJECT! I don’t know about you but sometimes my boys feel a little left out when all I seem to do is pump out girl things off the sewing machine…. so, let’s make those boys fell special today!

Who is that masked man?

I’m gonna show you a quick and simple tutorial that will make your kids squeal with delight. You know, one of those high-pitched BAT squeals:) Let’s get started.

Materials:

  • 1/4 yard felt. I try to use wool felt, but you can use acrylic if you are not planning on washing it (some acrylic felts shrink horribly and unevenly)
  • Contrasting Thread
  • Coordinating Thread
  • 12″ of 1/2″ elastic

    • Instructions:

    1. Print out the Bat Mask Pattern Download here and cut out.

    2. Fold the felt piece so you have a double layer of felt to cut through. Pin the mask pattern to the felt to prevent shifting while cutting. To cut the eye, just fold that particular portion in half and make a slit to get your scissors through, and then cut around the eye piece. Take your elastic and place it on the side of the opening closest to the flat side of the wing and secure with pins

    3. Take your contrasting thread and begin stitching 1/8″ away from the raw edge. Stitch all the way around, being careful as you go around the points and curves. I found it useful to hand turn the needle around the tighter places.

    4. Use your coordinating thread to stitch around the eyes.

    5. Put on your little punk and watch him fly through the air! You can always make a pink princess bat mask for that little girly too, if you have one… we all know they have that bat squeal down!

    Have FUN! If you do make a mask, remember to post it to my flickr group so you can show off the goodies.

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    2010 guest blogger series: handmade gifts for the party season

    by contributor on September 26, 2010

    in Food, Guest Series 2010

    September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.

    Today I want to introduce Christina, author of the blog The Sometimes Crafter, where you can find beautiful images and well executed projects.

    I am a Jack of all trades, stay-at-home mom, work-from-home woman, small-home-business owner who gets lots of flack for having the blog name The Sometimes Crafter, when in reality it seems to be always. Quilting, painting, block-printing, photography, pattern writing, longarm quilting – you name it, it’s fair game. My first published patterns appears in the newly released Lunch Bags! book by Stash Books. Find me on my blog The Sometimes Crafter, where I post about all of my crafting adventures.

    Handmade Host/Hostess Gifts – Before The Rush!

    We are just leaving the season of housewarming and summer parties, and entering the season of holiday parties. I am always at a loss as to what to gift to my hosts and hostesses. Partially because I am thinking of something 30 minutes before running out the door. Usually it ends up being a bottle of wine, probably unwrapped. Well, it’s time to think of some other ideas as well as prepare for the upcoming party season. Because my friends all know I craft, they love to see handmade items from me. I think it is a little disappointing to them if they don’t see something handmade. I remember a time when handmade was the last thing you wanted to give/receive – my how times have changed!

    If you were lucky enough to make homemade jam or preserves this summer, why not give a jar of it away? Or maybe you attended a local famer’s market with homemade goodies…make it your own with a scrap of fabric! I just love the way these jars of caramel by Creature Comforts look with the right kind of fabric. You could always substitute more season appropriate fabrics and ribbons to match – something orange for fall with a quick raffia bow. Quick, simple and pretty to give and get! Just my kind of gifting. Creature Comforts also provides some free tags for printing and adding to your jars and a link for a simple caramel sauce to make in a pinch. Another great way to fill some jars in a jiffy is to mix up some Instant Spiced Tea (aka Russian Tea – recipe below) – a perfect fall and winter drink.

    Create a Thank You box with all the goodies needed for the host/ess to thank their friends. We all know it’s polite to send out thank you’s, but it’s sometimes hard to get ourselves out to buy everything. Assemble thank you cards, stamps and pen in a small box or basket. Tie it with an outrageously big bow and you’re ready to give. (Makes a great housewarming gift, too!) How about taking it one step further? Have your own photos printed on notecards by a printer. Clear off a table and set out some holiday items to snap photos of or fill some coffee mugs with a steaming hot drink and place in front of a window to try and capture that rising steam. Settle some greenery around it for a very festive feel. An even faster alternative is to search on Etsy and support a handmade artisan. If you have a decent printer, find a local paper shop and look for either linen cover stock or something with a slightly glossy finish for a more professional look and print them yourself. Use a corner punch to give them a finished feel.

    How about some monogrammed hand towels, as suggested on the Martha Stewart website? Head to a local discount store to pick up some inexpensive, simple hand towels and dress them up with the host/ess initial. Or stencil on a fun shape that matches their kitchen theme and personality.

    Another quick host/ess gift idea: Etched glass jars full of holiday candy favorites. This will be a great addition to any party, or for the host/ess to put aside for their own enjoyment later. Grab some jars or glasses at a thrift store or local discount store and find liquid etching materials at your discount craft store and create simple striped or dot designs. Don’t worry about intrigate designs, simple is always better. Fill it with a favorite hard candy – like peppermints for a Christmas party or make your own homemade toffee!

    And of course there are always the old stand-by’s: cookies, wine, fresh flowers… If you know you will have lots of host/ess gifts to give this season, set aside a Saturday this month to get everything done and have in the waiting. Then you need not rush around at the last minute trying to think of gift ideas.

    Instant Spiced Tea (aka Russian Tea) (pictured at top)

    • 2 1/2 C. Tang (1 – 20oz package)
    • 1 1/2 C. sugar
    • 1 1/2 C. instant tea
    • 2 1/2 C. lemonade mix (1 – 20oz package)
    • 1 T. ground cinnamon
    • 2 tsp. ground cloves
    • 2 tsp. ground nutmeg

    Mix all the ingredients and place in jar or airtight container. Use 2 rounded spoonfuls per 8oz of hot water for hot tea (or cold for ice tea). I find it easiest to mix everything in a freezer size ziplock bag. Do try a cup for yourself before placing in containers to make sure it is to your preference for taste. You may find you like more tea and sugar added to your mixture. Don’t skimp on the spices either!

    Need this to be a bigger gift – make up a few handmade coasters and add a mug or two. Pour the mixture into plastic baggies, tie at the top with ribbon and cinnamon sticks, then slip inside the mugs! Perfect last minute gift for friends and family!

    { 2 comments }

    sewing tips roundup

    by kath_red on September 26, 2010

    in Features, Quilting

    Here is a list of sewing tips, sewing basics and sewing techniques – lots of lovely visual tutorials – do you have any more to add to this list?

    Nicole has a huge range of sewing tutorials – many related to bag making – like using interfacing, how to quick un-pick zip tips, and bias tape.

    Make it and love it has a really good tute on curves and clipping seams and more sewing tips too – like gathering, how to cut fabric,

    casey brown has a guide to sewing tools

    Sew mama sew has plenty of sewing tutorials such as this one from Tina Sparkles on using colour in your refashioning, how to embellish knit fabrics, sew sally has a tute on how make your homemade clothing look more professional, and some tips on getting the right tools for the job. … And there is more at sew mama sew: lining, darts, free motion quilting, choosing fabric, buttonholes, and get the stitch book courtesy of Cassi from Bella Dia and how to finish seams.

    fishsticks and fries has some hemming tips
    Simply modern mom has some tool tips, a guide to sewing machine parts, and don’t forget her 5 basic sewing tips.

    five green acres – how to easily add seam allowance and tools of the trade

    Sewing Jeans using the ‘hump jumper’

    The mother huddle has some sewing tips - easy elastic waist band and ribbon storage solutions.

    Craft apple – all about rulers

    Salt and chocolate has some sewing tips for the beginner,

    The house of mirth discusses wearing what you sew.

    pink chalk studio has tips on laminated sewing and adjusting patterns and how to make double fold binding.

    How to do pleats

    Prudent baby discusses sewing machines

    tutorial on shirring and how to do a zip

    Cathie fillian has a great post on Teaching kids to sew – more posts on how to teach a child to sew.

    Craft stylish – how to choose a needle and top 10 sources of fabric

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    2010 guest blogger series: knitting a weird world with Anna Hrachovec

    by contributor on September 25, 2010

    in Guest Series 2010

    September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.

    Today I want to welcome Anna Hrachovec from mochimochiland.com, Anna’s first book of patterns, Knitting Mochimochi, was released in June (we reviewed it). Anna is a Brooklyn-based knitter who divides her time between designing patterns for unusual knitted toys and creating more complex one-off knitted pieces for exhibition. You can find Anna, her patterns, and her blog at mochimochiland.com.

    Knitting a Weird World

    While most people in the US have been spending their summer days at the beach, or taking trips to the mountains, or just trying to stay cool, I have been wallowing in wool for the past two months. The somewhat foolish decision to spend the hottest time of the year knitting nonstop was entirely my own – I’m in the middle of making an 8-foot installation piece for a solo show (my first!), which will open 7 October at gallery hanahou in New York. And yes, the whole thing will be knitted, give or take a vintage model train. It’s an insane undertaking, and I’m loving it.

    The idea started with a vision of a train set. What’s more fun than exploring the detailed landscape lovingly put together by a model train enthusiast? For the past year, I’ve been obsessed with knitting miniature animals, people, and other objects, and it seemed natural to bring a bunch of them together in one scene. The surrounding landscape – mountains, buildings, and the like – would give me the opportunity to try my hand at knitting larger pieces.

    With the generous help of Cascade Yarns, I began with the ground layer, which I made by knitting with four balls of thick yarn at a time. I mixed three shades of green to give the color some variation, and I’m planning to display it purl-side up for a fun texture.

    I had a general idea of the different elements and scenes that I wanted to incorporate into the landscape, and that has evolved a bit as I’ve progressed. To keep myself from getting bored, I’ve tried to mix it up by sometimes working on a bunch of little things that I know I will want to put somewhere, like trees and cows, while setting deadlines for myself to make the larger pieces that will determine the contours of the entire design.

    During the process of knitting, I’ve frequently brought everything out and set it up in position so that I can visualize how it’s taking shape and decide what I need to work on next. I took this photo early on in the process, letting skeins of yarn stand in for future landscape features.

    One great thing that has come out of this process so far is the way it has forced me to take risks in my designs and problem-solve in creative ways. The big rainbow that I recently knitted is one example – I only had a vague idea of how I could knit it in strips over foam, so that it would result in a sturdy structure with a smooth surface.

    I invested four long days of working on this rainbow, and I didn’t know how it was going to turn out until the very end. (I did a step-by-step post about it on my blog, where you can see the results.)

    Other parts have just been fun, like the skyscrapers that I made based on the Shyscrapers pattern in my book Knitting Mochimochi. I started out knowing how to make them, so it was just a matter of choosing colors and making them in varying sizes. It was fun to have them as desk companions for a few days as I was deciding on their placement.

    I still have a lot of knitting ahead of me before everything is finished and ready for the public, but I’m feeling good about my progress so far, and lucky to have this opportunity to take on a big crazy project of my own design. If you’re in the NYC area, please join me for the opening on October 7th at gallery hanahou!

    Details of the show: Greetings from Mochimochi: a weird world of fun and chaos hand-knitted by Anna Hrachovec : October 7 – 29, 2010 : Opening reception: Thursday, October 7, 7-9 p.m. – RSVP info@galleryhanahou.com : gallery hanahou, 611 Broadway, Suite 730, NYC : www.galleryhanahou.com

    { 2 comments }

    2010 guest blogger series: Poppytalk with design inspiration

    by contributor on September 24, 2010

    in Guest Series 2010

    September/October brings change of season, and fresh starts and frivolity and seriousness too. So for a break from whipup realtime I am introducing a few weeks of guest bloggers to liven up your crafty experience. To bring you something fresh, and hopefully invigorate you to make and do and be and think! Its going to be a fun few weeks so come along for the ride.

    Today I want to welcome Jan from Poppytalk – one of my oldest blog buddies and author of my favourite design blog poppytalk – Jan’s aesthetic has a little bit of grunge, lots of handmade and some gorgeous styling. You can find more of Jan’s design aesthetic poppytalk.blogspot.com; poppytalkhandmade.com and twitter.com/poppytalk

    Pom Pom Mobile, fairydreaming.etsy.com

    Inspiration: Pom Poms Galore!

    Hi Whip Up fans! Greetings from Canada! It’s Jan from Poppytalk here, and I just wanted to thank Kathreen for inviting me to post here at one of my favourite crafty blogs, I’m honoured.

    Last week I posted about some totally rad pom pom garlands that the talented girls from Honestly WTF crafted up. Ever since, I’ve had pom poms on the brain, thinking when and where and what I can do with them next. So today I bring you a little inspiration of all the possibilities.

    Last week I posted about some totally rad pom pom garlands that the talented girls from Honestly WTF crafted up. Ever since, I’ve had pom poms on the brain, thinking when and where and what I can do with them next. So today I bring you a little inspiration of all the possibilities.
    Garlands by Honestly WTF
    Necklaces, imkeklee.com
    Johan Carpner (via Bloesem)
    Pillows, Jackie Von Tobel (via HGTV)
    DIY project in Dutch magazine Ariadne At Home (via Style Files)
    Mittens by WoolyRosie
    –Jan

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    whipup newsletter no.37 2010 [good reads edition]

    by kath_red on September 24, 2010

    in Features, Newsletter

    * Over the next few weeks you will be seeing a series of guest bloggers here at whipup. While I am taking a computer break to spend with my children in our spring school holidays, I have scheduled in some fantastic craft bloggers who will enthrall you with recipes, tutorials, patterns, essays and stories, I hope you can stick around for what promises to be a fantastically fun series. You can find the whole series here.

    ** You also might like to check out the featured post category where you will find roundups galore on topics such as fashion, design, knitting and more…

    This week I want to introduce you to some good books I have been reading lately: craftily creative or creatively crafty – whichever way you think of these books they will get you excited about thinking and working and doing creative stuff.

    The Corporate Creative: Tips and Tactics for Thriving as an In-House Designer by Andy Epstein How (April 16, 2010).

    The corporate jungle is a scary place – how do you work within the confines of clients needs, within a large company and as part of a team without losing your creative edge and personal stamp? Andy Epstein explains it all this is small compact book filled with smart advice and humorous anecdotes. These bite sized chunks of information on topics such as ‘Sell like hell’ and ‘the buddy system – how not to lose your way’, help the creative fit into the corporate culture without losing their soul. A quote from the introduction “In spite of the need to meet your company half-way and to strive to fit into its culture, it’s important to always keep in mind that, as a creative, you really are different from your peers in the corporate world (as if you didn’t’ already that that) you need to work with this reality, not resist it or abus it, and leverage those differences to establish yourself and your teams as valuable players in the corporate world”

    From Here to There: A Curious Collection from the Hand Drawn Map Association by Kris Harzinski Princeton Architectural Press (September 1, 2010).

    We all use maps to get places. At the moment while planning our holiday we are all busy pouring over google maps to find the perfect beach, and recently I have purchase the tomtom app for my iphone – these things make we wonder whether paper maps are perhaps becoming redundant, but then my kids draw a map of our neighbourhood with all the important parks and bike paths featured, and I know that maps will always have a place. Then this book comes into my hands and I fall in love – its a collection of hand-drawn maps – all those funny little impromptu maps you might quickly draw to give a friend directions or the maps you kids might draw of their neighbourhood, there are fictional topographic maps, and artistic renderings of city streets, club maps, college maps, travel maps … There is Lucas Ihlen’s ‘Traffic Island’ map, an obsessively drawn map, chronicling all the garbage he collected in his hometown of Adelaide Australia. Janell Olah’s ‘FMW VIP Party’ map, shows the locations for a progressive party in Philadelphia. Jan Rothuizen’s ‘Mayflower hotel’ map, shows a 3d map of a hotel room in Beirut, which is often filled with journalists, the map shows every aspect of the room including the stickers, graffiti and the clothing. This curious collection is addictive.

    Absolutely Organize Your Family: Simple Solutions to Control Clutter, Schedules & Spaces by Debbie Lillard Betterway Home (July 16, 2010)

    Is your house constantly cluttered, are you tripping over socks and cups on the floor, is your kitchen bench piled with paper and kids knicknacks? Well this is the handy little book for you, elegantly designs (with rounded corners – I love those) and neat little break out boxes throughout – this book is thankfully not overwhelming, its quick to read and full of clever little tricks to help you get organised. With tips like delegating, and getting a morning routine, using calendars effectively and setting goals, this book will help – if only I can find where I put it!

    Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today? by Kate Bingaman-Burt Princeton Architectural Press (March 31, 2010).

    This book chronicles one obsessive artist’s purchases over the past few years. Kate Bingaman-Burt, has drawn something each day that she has purchased since 2006, sometimes its a shoe, or a taxi ride, or a drink or a concert ticket, and along with the cute line drawings is a sentence of what the item is along with the cost. ‘Three dollars and fifty cents, present for Clifton’ ‘Diamond necklace 18 Dollars’, ‘two scarves, two dollars, purchased at dirt cheap in Starkeville’. I find myself reading each item, and comparing prices and descriptions, its interesting to see what other people will buy and pay for – its a quirky little view into someone else’s life – I have been given permission to be a voyeur!

    Be creatively good!
    Kathreen
    xx

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