spring in miniature

The spider plant in my office is blooming! Teeny tiny white flowers that have delighted me in their surprise appearance.

thrifting treasures

For the upcoming mermaid party: ocean tablecloth & fabric + white seashells

For a future project: wreath base. Take a look at these wreath projects that I  admired in the past and have yet to make!

fabric fishies for a birthday

It's my new favorite method of greeting card making: gluing fabric scraps onto paper. There is something so appealing about the contrast in textures.

Fishies for a fisherman's birthday below.

brown beauty

After the snow has melted and before the green has grown one has to look closely to find the beauty of the in-between season.

fall colors = sunroom colors

Pantone recently released its Fall 2012 Color Report.

I was interested to see that many of my sunroom color ideas are part of the palette:

A part of me really really wants to get some of that magenta into my house – they call it Pink Flambé – but after I fell in love with this fabric, I may just have to let that go.

spring craft gifts

Things I will be sewing up for my girls in the near future. Hold me to it!

1. Mermaids for the older daughter's birthday
She's having a bit of an obsession right now. We are decorating with a mermaid theme for the birthday party too. It won't be too elaborate, mostly just doing up the table and the cupcakes. We've got a stack of mermaid books checked out of the library for inspiration. I am excited about it! The book, Fleecie Dolls, was a treasure discovered on the shelves at my husband's grandmother's house over the holidays. It is always a bonus to have fellow crafters in the family!

2. Stuffed bunnies for Easter baskets
Pattern from CraftSanity Magazine Issue 2 from artist and blogger Abby Glassenberg. There's even a pattern for a matching stuffed carrot. Awww!

3. Henny Penny and Chicks for the younger daughter's birthday
This adorable stuffed chicken and her babies are found in fabric designer and artist Anna Maria Horner's book Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. I determined that I have enough fun scrap fabric stashed away that I did not actually purchase anything for this project beyond velcro. I have actually been wanting to make this chicken for years now!

ice texture

I noticed these strange, scrolling, meandering lines on the icicles I was pulling down for my daughter's delight. I wonder what causes this?

love this bracelet!

One of the lovely ladies I work with has been crafting up these charming bracelets made of vintage buttons! She picks a color scheme and then attaches all the buttons to a chain-based bracelet. Isn't it a beautiful idea?

It makes me want to scoop up all those bins of buttons you see at antique stores!

what I'm reading right now

If I am not actually crafting, I am doing the next best thing: reading about crafting! I can't get enough of new project ideas and beautiful inspiring photography. Here's what I have perusing these days:

Scrap Republic: 8 Quilt Projects for Those Who LOVE Color
I got this free from a friend at work what passed it along from someone else. How fabulous is that? And you know that I just loved loved loved the colors. I am very interested in doing patchwork in the more traditional sense this next quilt. I basically did large blocks of fabric on my first quilt, which was a really good place for me to begin. However, I am very interested in experimenting with piecing together individual blocks and then combining those. This book is all about using up scraps so I may wait until I have some more projects completed before I get serious about any of these quilts.

 Sew What You Love: The Easiest, Prettiest Projects Ever
I got a gift card to a book store for Christmas and treated myself to this beauty. I love that it does not have a narrowly defined focus. There are purses, skirts, home decor items, toys – all with beautiful photography and patterns. I felt validated in my purchase after Amanda Blake Soule mentioned using the book on her own blog!

The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons
Speaking of Ms. Soule, I indulged and bought myself her latest book, The Rhythm of Family. There is a chapter for each month with essays and projects meant to be done with your children. Some are of the gardening bent, some of the art making bent, some of the kitchen creations bent. My older daughter and I managed to make one of the ice wreaths, similar to these seen on The Artful Parent, with the help of our freezer. We'll have to try to go more natural next winter when it is actually below freezing outside! I love nature and I am inspired by this book to slow down and enjoy it more.

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods
This is not exactly "art" but it is all about "making." The author of this book does an analysis on whether or not things are worth making the old-fashioned and homemade way or not. She compares the cost, the hassle factor, and, of course, the results. The best part of this book is her writing. She is absolutely hilarious. I would recommend reading the book simply for the chapter on chickens (for the eggs), maybe followed by the chapter on goats (for milk for making cheese, of course!). Both had me laughing out loud. I am working on perfecting my own hummus based on her recipe and have great plans for bread and perhaps a few other recipes.

Now, onto some actual making!