Here’s a simple leaf rubbing project that you can do with the kids. Find instructions in my post over at Alpha Mom.
Indie Craft Experience
I’m getting excited about the upcoming Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular!
After procrastinating and staying home with sick kids all week, it does seem that we’ll have a few things to sell this weekend. I hope to share some photos tomorrow. My daughters are the designers and I am the laborer for this project. I’ve digitized their drawings for machine embroidery and we’ve made Gocco prints as well. The girls will be allowed to keep some of the proceeds and donate some to the charity of their choice. My goal here is to give them confidence that their artwork has merit, which will hopefully inspire them to continue creating beyond childhood. But who knows how that will work out. Anyway, we’ll be selling ornaments, pencil cases, pillows, totes, zippered pouches, notebooks and other odds and ends. My former intern who helped with my book, Erin McCamant, will also be selling her lovely work in our booth.
The event is this weekend at Ambient Plus Studio, which is just southwest of downtown. Click here to print a map. Check out the full vendor list here. I hope to see you there!
Etsy Finds Friday
Hand Printed Poppy Softie, $24.50 from Poppy and Ted.
Lambswool Green Pencil Scarf, $60 from Sara Carr.
Needle Felted Alphabet Balls, $55 from Jack’s Beanstalk.
Vintage Mushroom Bowling Set, $28 from Muddy Feet.
Mickey Mouse Viewmaster, $15 from Hey Hey Tiger.
Julius, $34 from Rabbit! Rabbit! Softies.
Jellyfish PDF Knitting Pattern, $4 from Butterfly Love.
DIY Felt Tools Pattern, $6.99 from Fairyfox.
Thumbelina Laser Cut Shadow Puppet, $15.50 from Isabella’s Art.
felt jar
My friend Laura has just opened a new Etsy shop called felt jar, featuring her wonderful, whimsical felted things. Her items are all 100% wool that have been either needle or wet-felted. Right now in her shop you can find owls, ladybugs, ornaments, acorns, pincushions, gnomes and other felted treasures.
If you’re not familiar with needle felting, it’s a labor-intensive process that involves painstakingly shaping and punching wool roving with a sharp needle hundreds (maybe thousands) of times to create dense felt shapes. Wet felting involves immersing the felt into hot water and forming shapes by molding it with your hands. Felting isn’t easy and it’s even harder on your hands.
Laura is also the photographer for my upcoming book for Chronicle Books, which explains why her photographs are so beautiful. You’d better hurry over and take a look now before her shop is sold out!
Bag it. Tag it.
Happy Holidays?! I know it’s early, but get started now and relax when the holidays are finally here.
Here’s a quick drawstring bag and wooden chalkboard tag that you can reuse for a thrifty and eco-friendly holiday. I opted for simple, but you could change up the fabric, or use a satin ribbon or rick-rack trim for the drawstring. Two buttonholes on the front of the bag allow the string to hang in the front and the drawstring casing is created by simply sewing a channel in the outer and lining fabrics. These would be simple to make in many different sizes for all of your holiday gifts.
Click on the image below to print out the full instructions.
