Monday already!

I've arrived at this post completely unprepared to talk about anything related to whatever the theme of Monday's post is. But I can't give up on this blog experiment half way through and I really appreciate the fact that no one has mentioned the missing posts from last Thursday and Friday.

I doubt that anyone reading this is going to want to read paragraph after paragraph of random thoughts just so I can say that I fulfilled my post obligation. I also feel that I need to introduce less random and more deliberate into my posts. So while I work on that little task I thought I'd show you photos from our weekend.

On Saturday I went to my first "craft-a-long" through Meetup with a group of women in Santa Cruz. I never get much done at these craft gatherings even though I tried not to bring anything too ambitious. The good part of these things is that you get to sit around in someones lovely home, meet, eat and talk. Since Emmett was born I can count on one hand the amount of times I've been out for more than 30 minutes without him. Let's just forget how weird that sounds for a minute and think about how this was a well earned 2.5 hours of pseudo crafting.







On Sunday we woke to super clear blue skies and couldn't resist heading to the beach. We still don't know what our favorite beach is. We've been to the Capitola main beach and the main beach in Santa Cruz so today we opted for the New Brighton State beach, which is just south of the Capitola main beach but part of a state park and is surrounded by campgrounds instead of overpriced taco shacks. So we loved it!

Few words Wednesday

I feel that it's ok to reveal this project because it is FINALLY in the mail to it's very deserving and patient recipients.

One wee quilt and a bonus felt portrait - both by me.





a.j.r.d





The quilt was started more than a year ago - where does the time go? At least it's arriving before her first birthday. Yikes - that's coming up too - must get to work...

tutorial Tuesday #2

Back-lit cabinet



I made this about 2 years ago for an auction. It turned out great but the details of just how it came about are a little overwhelming. So, why am I posting it as tutorial if it's overly complicated with many fussy details? Well, I thought I could simplify the directions and therefore making it totally doable. That said, this is a project for people who can handle power tools, a little math, spray glue, paint and stain. In my case I had a Richard who did most of the hard stuff.

The main ingredients for this projects are:
* One cabinet, preferably in an unfinished state and with a glass front door or no door at all. It's key that you are able to see through to the back of the cabinet so the whole lighting effect isn't hidden by a solid door.
* masking tape
* twinkle lights
* large format printout of an image that will fit the shape of your piece well.
* frosted plexiglass cut to fit the back panel
* wood stain
* spray glue
* power drill, with bits
* new hardware for the cabinet door, I used plumbing parts
* small hooks for the twinkle lights (see photo below)
* one Richard or if you can't find one anyone willing to help you will be fine

Instructions: (I'll be as clear as possible but remember, I'm simplifying)
* stain the cabinet, let dry
* use masking tape to mask out any parts that you'd like to keep the color of the stain

here's what I did


* paint the entire cabinet, any which way you like. Let dry
* remove masking tape to reveal the stained portions.
* at this point I took a drill bit and drilled holes in the cabinet. This is optional.



Now for the tricky and not so simple stuff.
We came up with a kind of false backing in which I attached the printed out photo on to some frosted plexiglass and fastened that into the back of the cabinet. This would be a good place for you to come up with your own design for creating a false back in to which you'll be shining the light through. If you want details on this part let me know and I'll explain it to you. Basically you want to make a space in the back, behind the photo, where the lights can go.

Here's a photo of what the backside looks like with the space made for the lights and the photo glued to the plexiglass which is making a new back.



Here's what it looks like from the front.



Add some new hardware to the door, if you have a door, I used plumbing parts. Isn't the hardware store the coolest place for stuff like that?!



Here are a few more images to help. It's a big project but the results are great.

plexiglass









* note - in the example shown, I also used wax. I coated the entire piece with batik wax and then scraped it off. It added a kind of shiny textured finish that is really cool but beware, it's messy!
Also, the piece was sold at the auction so I have no idea how all these things are holding up.

PS. I've posted about this project before, you can read that here Forest for the World

Monday's post #2

Ok, I'm not quite sure what Monday's posts are about yet. I imagined that they would take on a bit of a "history of craft" theme but to be honest with you I haven't had time to learn anything about the history of craft or what I really mean by that. So until I get some clarity (we might be waiting for some time) I'd like share stuff that I love.

Last month after the devastation in Haiti, I gave to Medicine Sans Frontiers (dr's without boarders) because they do good work and I would encourage anyone else to do the same. Then I ran across a wonderful online auction To Haiti with Love, a weeklong fundraising event curated and managed by visual artist René Joshi Sims of fruityfantastica and author Kate Inglis of sweet | salty.* It was a fantastic collection of art, services, vacations and more. I couldn't help but bid on something, 3 things actually. I ended up winning one out of the three which were, or are, these great little illustrations done on sticky notes by Rene Joshi Sims.

So simple, so fluid, so lovely are these. I look at them and feel good. Thanks Rene and Kate, you do good work too.



I actually only bid on the toothbrushes, Rene added one to the package - what a delight!

(*text from the To Haiti with love site)

Something for Saturday

I made some yummy gluten free veggie pancakes yesterday and thought I'd share the recipe.



2 cups shredded broccoli/cabbage/carrot mix (available at the grocery store all ready to go)
1/3 Cup Bob's Redmill pancake mix
Ground flax meal and water mixture to replace an egg (1tbs ground flax meal + 3tbs water, mix together and let sit for a few minutes then add to the veggies)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp cumin*
olive oil for frying



Mix ingredients together, form little pancakes and fry until golden.
Tastes great with apple sauce and/or sour cream



sorry the photos kind of suck - I gobbled them up to fast to take better shots.
* I think you could substitute any herb flavor that you like.

11 months

My little baby is 11 months old.


Soon he'll be one and then two and then 18. As much as I complain about annoying stupid days I already miss them.

Sketch book Friday #1

a couple doodles - the bottom one is a quilt that I would like to make some day...

Todays post

is canceled due to neck pain.
Tomorrow's sketch book post has not been canceled :)

Photos only #1

These were taken on the last day of February, 2010, at a rest stop on the I-5 between LA and San Jose.





photo effects by Hipstamatic

Mummysam GIVEAWAY

HEY everyone! If you like Mummysam's work, and why wouldn't you? You might like to know that she is giving away this amazing print. Go to her site, comment and you might win!


photo from Mummysam

Tutorial Tuesday!

The skys are full of rain today in South Santa Clara county. We drove a sick Richard to work, hopefully he'll start to feel better as the day goes on. Emmett is already down for his first nap which means the clock is ticking on my free time. I have two freelance projects to work on today, a ton of house work, some grocery shopping, infant entertainment and if the stars are aligned, a nap some time this afternoon. So let's get on with it...

Here we are on Tuesday, I was a little behind on Monday's post. I really wanted to go deeper into Mummysam's work but I'm glad that I posted what I did so at least you, lovely reader, can see her work and perhaps explore deeper on your own.

Tuesdays are for tutorials! I never said that these tutorials wouldn't be from other people, did I? I hope not because there are so many amazing bloggers out there sharing projects that it would be wrong to just focus on myself. And since I want this blog plan to be successful, I think it wise to let others help me in my goal.

Todays tutorial comes from Sister Diane at Craftypod. Thanks to Sweetpea's Natalie Ramsland, who recently turned me on to some new crafty goodness (who ever said twitter wasn't good for anything), I have have been enjoying Sister Diane's craft podcast called Craftypod and the blog that goes with it. This tutorial is one of so many fun, easy and sustainable craft tutorials available on her site. I love that I have a platform to share it with anyone who might not already know about Craftypod.

Here's the tutorial :

How to Turn a Cardboard Box Into a Splendid Notepad - from Craftypod

photo from Craftypod

I have a large notebook made from used copy paper, which is still blank on one side, and old cereal boxes. It's the best because it's all stuff that would have gone in the garbage. LOVE these little note pads for the same reason, it's virtually free and recycled AND you get to use a button. It just doesn't get much better than that. I am going to try and make one today. Stay tuned for an update.

UPDATE!

I tried it and it's was fun and easy.

I started with a cereal box. I cut out one panel and used that for my cover.
Following the tutorial instructions I made the center fold.



and then cut down the paper. This was the hardest part since I don't really have a paper cutter.



I also don't have a stapler. This was never an issue when I worked in an office but now that I'm home the lack of basic office supplies is rather appalling.

So I sewed the pages together with quilting thread



Then I glued the pages down with tacky glue and clipped it together for an hour or so for drying.



Since I left the top part of the box I had a built-in flap for closing so I just added a sticky-back Velcro dot to hold it closed and it was done!



From cereal box to noteboook in about 1 hour.

Hey look at that - it's Monday!

Phew! It's been quite the weekend eh! As much as I like to down play my competitive spirit I sure am excited that Canada came through to win the gold metal and in O.T. to BOOT!

We didn't get to see the game because we were off gallivanting with my old friends Francine and David. Well, they aren't old just very dear and we've been friends for a while. It's fun to reminisce and since we both have little children now (their's is Charlie, almost 5) We also have so much fun exploring the new worlds we've created for ourselves. They moved from Montreal to LA 3 years ago like immigrants going to a brave new world looking for opportunity. It was a rocky start but they've done it. Oh it was good to see them. Having that kind of friend within one days drive is a giant check mark on the plus side for moving to California. We didn't see much of LA, it rained and was kind of yucky and Richard was sick. But it didn't matter, not at all.

Here we all are


Anyway, today is the first day of all this crazy blog plan that I have planned and I plan to stick to it!

So what are Mondays all about? It's about people or things that spark my imagination. It's about things that I like, thing that I'd like to make or do.

Today it's the work of Mummysam



I must admit that I am not very well versed on her artistic career but when I ran across a tweet from Renegade Craft linking to their Spotlight Series with her work I was immediately in love. In love with the combination of fabric and illustration. In love with the freehand quality. The colors, expression and depth of it all.

Even though I don't have time to produce much art it's a good feeling to know my imagination is still open to sparks of inspiration. It's also good to know that she can create artwork this well while being a mom.

Here's something that I made last week. I like it, but it's not loose enough, not fluid enough, it's not dancing.



see you tomorrow!