Grey Moggie Press

Alphabet Swap::C (coffee & cameras)

It feels good to be back! I missed my blog. Unexpected family stuff took both Eric & me out of town for a while and has taken up a bit of our time lately. Finally, we’re regaining balance and I decided it was time to get back to the blog, especially since I’m super excited to share what I sent to Kendra as part of the alphabet swap!

 Finding a theme for C was so easy. I knew I wanted to focus on coffee & cameras, two things Kendra and I adore. To start, I saved a cardboard coffee cozy from a trip to SOVA and used it to trace a pattern onto a piece of blue felt. Then, one afternoon while Eric & I watched The Hurt Locker I stitched a camera onto it, using Elsie’s embroidery pattern as inspiration. I sewed up the ends and voila: a camera coffee cozy!

Around the holidays, I saw a DIY gift idea on From Scratch for hot-chocolate-on-a-stick. When the weather is cold again, I’ll revisit the hot chocolate idea, but this time I just focused on the painted mug. I searched all over my neighborhood for porcelain paint and finally found it at Frager's, which is where I should have started the search. Again, I used Elsie’s embroidery pattern as a starting point and painted a Polaroid photo onto the mug.

I added a few extras to the package including a drawstring bag I sewed up without a pattern. I filled it with coffee Eric had just roasted* and some delicious chocolate from P & C Market. A chain of daisies, a vintage camera postcard, and my latest mix CD filled up the box and I sent it off. And now to get started on D…we are so far behind, but deadlines don’t really matter with this project :)

* If you’re in the DC area and want to learn how to roast coffee at home, Eric is teaching a roasting class at Hill’s Kitchen in May. It's not on the schedule yet, but keep an eye out for updates here.

my funny valentines 2010

For a little Valentine cheer this year I participated in Carina’s Valentine Swap (she’s the brain behind Crow & Canary). I got partnered up with the cutest ladies, Diana and Meagan. Diana sent a cute cupid and doily adorned Valentine from one of her favorite etsy shops. I have a total doily crush lately. I’m waiting a week or two to see if it’s the real thing before I go out and buy hundreds of paper doilies from the craft store, but I’m soooo impatient. I’ll probably end up caving in a few days and buying a bunch of doilies only to realize I don’t know what to do with all of them. So if you have craft ideas involving doilies, send them on over!

Before her valentine arrived, I had checked out Diana’s etsy shop and fell in love with her sweet photo postcards. She sent this perfect telephone postcard along with her valentine. And then I went ahead and chose a few to purchase from her shop. I love having sweet notecards on hand – it makes sending mail so much more fun.

Meagan’s valentine arrived a couple days later. I was floored. She stitched a dictionary definition of Valentine onto a pretty piece of fabric. I love that she used neutral and blue shades and not typical Valentine red and pink. Yay for pretty embroidery.

I’ve done a lot of great swaps lately. If you are looking for a reason to craft and a way to receive a few inspiring crafts from others, I highly recommend getting in on a swap. Or find a friend who wants to do an alphabet swap with you :)

a unicorn state of mind

During our family Christmas celebration there were several coffee and tea themed gifts. I received a tea box from Eric and tea from his parents, we roasted coffee for my parents and eric’s parents also gifted my family some coffee. I gave Eric a book about coffee and we gave his brother a coffee grinder. And I think I’m forgetting something now.

So when Kendra and I exchanged holiday gifts last week I wasn’t surprised to see another theme sprouting. This time: unicorns! I stitched her a unicorn bag and she gave me these ridiculously cute unicorn glasses. Yay for unexpected gift-giving themes!