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 :)

project theme colors

After loving my newly painted shelves so much I decided to run with that color scheme for the craft room/office. I’ll keep the walls the neutral color they’re already painted because it really captures the sun that spills into the room every afternoon, but I will try to incorporate turquoise, red, and navy blue throughout the room.

The next project I had in mind was to find a home for my favorite poster. [seen above, by elsie] Luckily, I saved this door from the bathroom cabinet where it no longer fits. (I replaced the door with this fabulous tea towel that was a gift from Kendra). I’ve put a layer of primer on it and my mind is waging an internal debate over the merits of painting the door red, turquoise, or blue. I’ve got lots of fun scraps of red and blue and green paper that will make for a pretty background. Stay tuned for results in a few days…

books on books

If you are serious, or mildly curious, about bookbinding, you should take a peek at Esther Smith’s How To Make Books from Purgatory Pie Press. I checked this book out of the library over spring break, but I was unable to crack it open before I had to be back at school. Then I saw it on my friend, Jenny’s, bookshelf a few months ago and remembered that I really wanted to read it. I’ve had it from the library for about a week now and it’s definitely one I will purchase when my book budget bounces back.

It starts off with ideas for simple books like accordion books, pamphlets, and books you can make from a single sheet of paper. Later, it gets into beautiful stab binding and long stitch books. I haven’t even tried any of the techniques yet but have been completely captivated. I read it in bed before I fall asleep and I’ve even read it on Metro. It’s that’s good.

 
A little birdie I embroidered with supplies from a Sublime Stitching kit and an RVA pattern.

Speaking of what to do on Metro, I’ve also been embroidering while riding public transit.  And on airplanes. It’s wonderful to have a new hobby I can take (almost) anywhere. I’ve got Not Your Mama’s Stitching up next after How To Make Books and all the Sublime Stitching books on my wishlist. Along with hundreds of colors of embroidery floss. And many, many patterns from Sublime Stitching and Red Velvet Art.

Do you have a favorite How-To book or a new hobby?