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You may already know that I have a fondness for advent calendar. I think I get it from my mom. As a child I remember her sewing together a large snowman advent calendar with pouches – inside each pouch was a felt ornament. Oh, how I loved it! She would also treat us to those store-bought advent calendars with a chocolate behind each door. Unfortunately I had to take turns opening the little doors with my little brothers.
Where am I going with this? Whipup has just posted a list of 30 of the best advent calendars – some of them are really gorgeous, yet so simple to make! I’m feeling very inspired at the moment…
Here’s a sampling of some advent calendars I’ve made in the past – I guess you won’t be shocked that they’re in book form!
This one is tiny, but chunky – the pockets are 2″ x 2″ and each one contains a tag. It seemed like a great idea at the time, but this book ended up taking about 8 hours to make! Between folding of the pockets, punching holes in each one, binding 24 signatures, gluing the pockets, then gluing the embellishments on each pocket…by the end of it, I was SO DONE.
This is a larger one – I made one for my mom last year (actually, today is her birthday – Happy Birthday, Mom!) and in each pocket I included a tag with “Merry Christmas” in a different language.
Do you have a great advent calendar you’d like to share? Please do!
I stayed home all weekend nursing a nasty cold, which meant I had lots of time on my hands. Perhaps too much.
As a result, I watched all 9 episodes of glee. Within 24 hours. Oh, but what joy! [Will I burn in hell if I admit that Sue Sylvester is my favourite character? The gems that come out of her mouth are shocking - but so, so hilarious!] For days, all I’ve wanted to do is sing and dance to Journey and REO Speedwagon… is that wrong?
Being sick also allowed me to make these beauties (while watching the aforementioned tv program):
Chunky books made from beer coasters! Can I tell you just how much I love these books?!!
I also spent time playing at Rollip (a fantastic site recommended by the lovely Shanley). It allows you to transform your digital photos into Polaroids – how freaking cool is that? For example:
BEFORE: Me and my *imaginary* boyfriend Jim Cuddy at the Jackson-Triggs Winery this summer (notice what he’s holding in his hand – one of my LP journals!).
AFTER: Again, how cool is this?!! [I actually prefer this photo to the original one.] I could easily spend hours and hours on this site…
This weekend I also discovered an amazing online magazine: Modern Handmade Child
If you’re into living simply, handmade gifts, crafting, and stunning photography and design, this magazine is for you. The Winter issue is chock-full of ideas and projects to try – and they’re not all centered around kids, as the title would imply. I am childless and have found so many items that appeal to my crafty, inner child…
Hope you’re enjoying your week so far – happy Monday!
A few weeks ago I received a copy of Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin by Terry Taylor (Lark Books) in my mailbox. As excited as I was when I opened it, life unfortunately got in the way and it wasn’t until recently that I was able to sit down and really sink my teeth into the book.
The book features 40 or so projects, each made with recycled materials that, for the most part, are readily available around the house or office: waste paper, egg cartons, manila folders, tea bags and coffee filters, etc.
I decided to make three projects from the book:
1. Diskette Book
I’ve had a box of these small floppy disks for years, just waiting for the perfect project to come along. This little book was fun to make, and I’m quite happy with the results.
This project is bound using the 2-needle coptic binding. Although I personally prefer the 1-needle coptic binding method because it’s faster and less frustrating (the thread is less tangly), I followed the directions in the book to see if they were easy to understand.
Most people who have used the coptic binding method know that using curved sewing needles (instead of straight needles) makes the binding process incredibly easier. [Trust me, switching from straight to curved needles will change your life. Try it. Go on.] Unfortunately the author did not mention this important fact, which may lead to unneeded frustration from someone trying this binding method for the first time.
The instructions were generally clear and well written. I couldn’t quite figure out how the author came up with the hole placements for the covers and signatures – the result was uneven distances between the stitchings. I personally prefer even and symmetrical spacing between stiches, but I am fully aware that not everyone is as obsessive about these details and I am.
2. Bar Notes
My second project was this chunky book made with beer coasters. I must admit, this was my favourite project from the book and everyone I showed it to fell in love with it too! One person kept talking about how great this book fit and felt in her hand, and I totally agree.
I used Tyvek bookcloth for the spine, but duct tape would also provide great results. This binding method is called long stitching – the wonderful thing about this type of binding is that it’s so versatile: you can create an assortment of looks from the same basic stitches. Fortunately the author gives several examples of looks you can create withthe long stitching method.
I can definitely see myself making tons of these books – next time I’ll use new beer coasters (although the ones I used for my book give it a “rustic and authentic” look).
3. Slinky Map Book
This was actually the first project that I had started to make from this book. I wanted to try a binding method that I had never attempted before. This type of binding doesn’t seem to have an actual name; the book mentions that it’s a custom stitch that the designer learned from someone else.
Even though the final product is pretty fantastic, the process was LONG and PAINFUL. Trimming, folding and punching 120 folios, then stitching each one individually (read: 120 signatures!) made for a project that lasted several long hours. The repititiousness (did I just make up that word?) involved in sewing the singatures together would have made for a mindless, almost relaxing binding process – if the threads didn’t keep tangling. This book required two long threads and four needles throughout the process, and keeping the threads straight was definitely a challenge.
That being said, I definitely love this tiny book (each signature is actually only 2″x2!). It gave me the opportunity to learn a new binding method [I'd definitely like to explore how to use this binding on a larger-scale book]. And even though I usually prefer to make functional books that I can use (for journalling, note-keeping, etc.), this book is actually quite fun to hold in your hand and play with. Believe it or not, it really feels like a Slinky – the toy many of us enjoyed as children!
All in all, I enjoyed many of the projects featured in Eco Books. I wonder about the functionality of some of the projects (egg carton books – how does one use those?), but as I explained earlier, I don’t tend to make books purely for form – the have to have a particular use.
The instructions for the projects I tried out were pretty clear, although I’m not sure how clear they would be for someone who is a complete newbie to bookbinding. Several standard binding methods (coptic stitching, stab binding, long stitching, etc.) are used repeatedly on various projects in the book, so don’t expect a different binding for every project. Once you understand how the different bindings work, you can usually substitute one method for another one if you’re going for different looks.
The publisher (Lark Books) has graciously offered a bonus project to you, my dear readers! You can download it here: Eco Books Bonus Project.
Check out the Events and Workshops page for more info!
Yesterday I posted a few new items in my Etsy shop, which had been sadly neglected. I’ve been having a great time these past few weekends making a dozen or so LP journals, including these beauties:
We Are The World
Journey
WHAM!
Imagine my thrill when I received a message from someone wanting to feature my WHAM! LP journal on her 80s-themed blog!
One of the reasons I love making LP journals is because of the nostalgia – especially when it comes to vinyl records I listened to during the 80s: Duran Duran, WHAM!, A-ha, Bon Jovi, Prince… Even though I now cringe whenever I see legwarmers, Aqua-Net hair, and fuchsia lipstick and eyeshadow, those were the days.
Three new workshop dates (and the brand-new workshop project below) have been added to the calendar – check out the Events & Workshops page for more information. And don’t forget to register soon!
Accordion Crimes
More Greece updates to come later, but for now:
A crappy photo of my latest project – an LP journal made for a friend who is graduating from law school (did I mention she’s really, really smart?). I didn’t want to give her a standard, lawyer-ly graduation gift (briefcase, pen, etc.), and when she mentioned that she used to carry around a HAIR album from apartment to apartment until she finally got rid of it (before she met me), bells went off in my head. Voilà!
I normally make an effort to take better photos of my work, but it’s late and I don’t have access to natural sunlight at this moment. Meh.
This past weekend I went to see Little Ashes (with above-mentioned friend) – I’d never hear of it, but quite enjoyed it. It’s the story of Salvator Dalì and Federico Garcìa Lorca’s friendship and eventual love affair. Dalì is played by Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame. This role was certainly risky for a teen idol (there is almost-full-frontal nudity as well as several homo-erotic scenes), but I do have to commend Pattinson for taking a chance and going out on a limb. Good job!
I’ve made a mental note to explore the works of Dalì and Lorca in greater detail – I really don’t know much about either of them and am now quite curious…
With spring making a reluctant appearance every now and again, I’ve decided to update my blog look with a new theme and a new header (coming soon – gotta put my newly acquired Photoshop skills to the test!). As much as I loved the other look, it was too dark and dreary now that the snow has melted. Time to brighten things up around here!
For the first time in a long time, I’ve finally found the energy to start creating again. A few of my projects from this weekend:
This Flashdance (What a Feeling – yeah !) notebook is relatively small – approx. 5″ X 6″. I made three other small notepads in a similar format (using Saturday Night Fever and ABBA albums) but forgot to take photos before dropping them off for sale at nathalie-roze & co. this afternoon.
The two books in the photos above are large – approx. 8.5″ X 11″. I looooooove large books, though they can be intimidating at times… The one on the bottom (with crazy flowers) is filled with several sheets of 300lb. watercolour paper – I made it so I can improve my rusty watercolour skills before the big trip to Greece in May.
I also upcycled several boxes (popcorn, cereal, etc.) and leftover paper scraps into these nifty notepads:
I’ve starting trimming numerous brown paper bags to make super-thick, super-cool notepads. I love love love kraft paper and can’t wait to see how these turn out!
As you can see, the ideas have definitely been flowing…it’s the energy that was lacking. I feel a certain awakening now that spring is here (for good, I hope) and the Greece trip is becoming reality (5 weeks to go). Watching Mamma Mia (and Colin Firth!) while making the upcycled notepads last night were great motivators!
In addition to making all these books, I spent some time updating my etsy shop, which has been sadly neglected of late. Here are a few of the beauties you can now find in the shop:
(I’m quite in love with these russian dolls…)
What about you – do you feel a certain awakening or energy increase when spring is in the air? What have you been inspired to create?
The new year is off to a great start – I’m already booked to present several workshops here in Toronto!
Check out the Events & Workshops page for more details…
Oh dear…as if I needed another project to add to my already too long to-do list…sigh.
I finally (!) got my act together created my very own Etsy shop. I’ve actually had the shop for a while, but hadn’t posted anything to it except for a single, lonely tutorial. I have just spent all morning uploading the following handmade books:
Bruce Springsteen
- Top Gun
There are more available at the shop – check it out here!
I was saddened to hear about the passing of comedian Harvey Korman last week. I used to love watching the Carol Burnett Show and its incredibly talented cast of characters. Whenever Harvey was teamed up with Tim Conway, you knew you were in for a good laugh. I searched YouTube and found this gem:
I could spend hours watching all the videos from the Carol Burnett Show – even 30 or 40 years later, they are as timless and funny as ever!
In more creative news…
Now that I’m fully recovered from the crazy super-bug I caught a few weeks ago, I’ve been spending lots of time at my craft table. I’ll be moving into a new loft later this month and will need to decorate the new place. Since my budget is limited at the moment, I decided to create a decor element of my own. I introduce you to my new friend Audrey:
The photo on the right shows the image that I used to create the canvas painting. I’m thrilled with how she turned out, and I can definitely see myself making more of these in the future!
I’ve also been making books, books, books for sale at nathalie-roze & co. Of course, I forgot to take photos of the dozen or so LP journals I made before delivering them, but they included Steve Miller Band, Eric Clapton, Rolling Stones, BTO, and more. I found out that one of my David Bowie LP journals will be used as a guest book at a gallery in Scarborough. They’re showing an exhibit on LP cover art (including the Bowie cover I used to make the journal) so it’s a perfect match!
I did remember to take a photo of this journal I made for a swap – the theme was the Muppets and I absolutely love this book. I wish I could keep it!
As a change from making books all day, I started making these a few months ago. I have to admit, they’ve become a bit of an obsession. I loooooove how they add a touch of class to just about anything:
(I’m also loving the macro feature on my camera!)
Today I plan to plug away and make more books for sale, but I’m not sure how far I’ll get with the heat. It’ll be close to 40 Celcius this afternoon with the humidity factor, and it’s already hot and sticky. Ouch. I may need to take a few ice cream and cooler breaks in between the book making…
Happy crafting!
- I had a great time at the Gordon Lightfoot concert last night (it was pretty thrilling to see a Canadian icon in person):
- I haven’t disappeared from the face of the earth; I’ve simply been dealing with some life changes that include becoming newly single, finding a new place to live and everything in between. Part of the process is yucky and sucky, and yet it’s a time for great opportunies and changes. I’ve always believed that everything happens for a reason and it’s important to learn from every situation that comes your way, good or bad. Already, some good has come following the bad…more to come soon.
- Now that things have finally slowed down at the pesky day job, I’ve finally found the time to take a few workshops, such as a basic letterpress class -
- I even took my very first scrapbooking class (!):
- I’ve been busy making LP Journals to sell (available at nathalie-roze & co.) – by the way, you can learn how to make your own LP Journal on May 24, when I’ll be teaching a workshop at nathalie-roze & co.:
- I’ve been making bookbinding kits to sell (available at Urban Scrapyard):
- I completed a commission that had been in the works for a long time – a dos-à-dos (back-to-back) large-sized journal:
- I participated in several swaps on Swap-Bot:
- I even found the time to take a walk on the beach:
And yes, there is a beach in Toronto.
A few weeks ago I took part in a Swap-Bot swap featuring handmade books. After reading my partner’s profile, I discovered that she is a huge admirer of Frida Khalo. That set the wheels in motion and this is what I put together for her:
The book itself had been lying around the house for some time – I had made it as a demo during one of the workshops that I was teaching. I had no idea what to use it for…until I realised that its colourful inside pages prefectly reflected Frida’s colourful paintings. An idea was born!
My partner indicated she was quite happy with her book, for which I’m glad. Part of me loves the simplicity of the pages, but part of me wishes I’d had more time to embellish the book. I’m in love with this book nonetheless and I’m happy it went to a good home.
After months and months of waiting…I present to you my latest workshop creation: Tied Up In Knots…On Steroids!
Looks innocent enough, but you’ll quickly learn how to make crazy pages, pockets and fold-outs…
Check out the Events and Workshops section for more info.
Stay tuned – more craziness to come…
I finally feel I’m back on the creative track – in the past week, I’ve put together a new workshop project, finished a swap project, made 6 journals, taught a workshop, and am in the process of making a series of new journals and developing workshop projects…
All this amongst three chiropractic/acupuncture appointments, major spring cleaning, and the pesky day job. I’m feeling great (despite the pesky back problems, but even those are getting better….). I finally feel the creative juices are flowing again, and my energy levels are finally back to normal (or even higher!). Hallelujah!
I’ve taken photos of a few of the above-mentioned projects, but I don’t have the time to upload them at the moment… I need to pack for a road trip to New Brunswick for some much-needed R&R at my parents’ house. B and I are leaving later today and I’m really looking forward to spending time with friends and family. It’s been much too long since I’ve seen everyone (over a year)…
When I get back I’ll also tell you about a special award that the ever-kind and creative Astrid has bestowed upon me. Lucky me!
Happy Tuesday, everyone! I’ll be back soon, I promise!
I’ve just confirmed a new workshop I’ll be teaching at nathalie-roze & co in March. Learn how to make a retro LP notebook such as this one:
It’ll make you want to jump for joy too.
Check out the Events and Workshops page for more details.
Taking baby steps every day to try and get through the craziness at work…having a nice glass of red wine with dinner…eating a proper, healthy dinner…taking a long, hot bath while reading a good book…and forcing myself to create something, anything, no matter how tired I am:
Taking these small steps is already improving my mood and outlook, even though I am physically and mentally exhausted from the lack of sleep and long, long days (and too-short nights). I tell myself it’s temporary; in one month I’ll have balance in my life again, so I must keep my head high and plug along.
SHOW AND TELL -
This is a ribbon-hinged album I made during a private workshop I taught a week ago – I love black and white with a touch of colour. The inside pages are black – I’m thinking of painting the pages with splashes of bright acrylic paint. Still need to figure out what the purpose of this book will be:
And finally, this is a photo album I made as a thank-you gift. I had envisioned it in my head, and it turned out pretty much as planned. I’m very happy with this great, little chunky book:
Looking forward to creating more – I can feel a number of projects bubbling inside slowly, waiting to be released…there’s hope yet.
Looks like today is going to be a great day for staying in and making books. We got what looks like a foot of snow overnight, and today it will turn to freezing rain and ice pellets… As I said, a great day for sipping hot lemon & ginger tea and playing with paper. I have several commissions to finish before Christmas, so the timing is fantastic.
It’s been a busy weekend, so I haven’t had much time to work on my projects. Friday night, B and his friend John and I attended the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. One of B’s nephew’s was nominated for an award, so it was all very exciting. Unfortunately, there were so many technical glitches throughout the show that it was difficult to thoroughly enjoy the evening. First, they started 20 minutes late. Then, the teleprompter was showing the text backwards, and when they finally got it right, the text would disappear. I felt terrible for the poor awards presenters, left standing on a stage with no text to read; most of them were sponsors who had no experience or ability to improvise during awkward moments… Several times, when they listed the nominees in a certain category, as they called one artist’s name, another artist’s music would begin playing. Argh!
The event planner in me found it very painful to sit back and watch all of this. So many times, I wanted to run to the stage, push the production people aside and take over the damn show!
Despite the numerous glitches, there were a few highlights during the evening:
- Derek Miller’s performance – I saw him a few years ago in Inuvik, Northwest Territories and this guy can really rock!
- Lorne Cardinal, aka “Davis” on Corner Gas – he presented one of the awards. When there were technical glitches during his part, he was the only presenter who was able to ad lib through it – this guy is so frickin’ hilarious!
In the end, B’s nephew didn’t win, but they did perform during the show – a great honour in itself. Unfortunately, it looks like the list of winners hasn’t even been posted to the CAMA website yet…
Yesterday my friend C and I checked out the first ever City of Craft event – I wanted to apply to this craft fair, but unfortunately missed the deadline. So I thought I’d check it out to see if it would be worthwhile to attend next year’s event.
What a disappointment. From a logistical standpoint, traffic flow was a nightmare. There was barely enough room for one person to walk in the aisles between tables. Because of this, you couldn’t really stop and look at anything properly, because people were shoving their way around you. The quality and variety of products was also disappointing. Am I the only person who doesn’t “get” crocheted penises and boobs??? Everything looked the same – it seemed to all be about buttons, yarn, and softies. Nothing really new or innovative. Nothing especially eye-catching. I left without buying anything – an extremely rare occurance for me.
My friend C was just as disappointed as I was with the event. She’s an event planner too (we worked together on Canada Day and Winterlude celebrations in Ottawa), and we started talking about all the things we would do differently to improve the event. Suddenly, it dawned on us – why not organize our own craft fair! We certainly have skills and experience on our side, as well as a few good contacts in the industry.
The idea of planning our own high-quality, curated arts & crafts fair was very appealing to us and we have already come up with a number of exciting ideas. I’ll keep you posted as we move forward with this project…
This weekend was great, from a crafty perspective. I’m really getting into the Christmas spirit, despite being so exhausted from my day job. Worked on a few projects:
Project #1: Chunky Advent Book
Bought a kit to make this project and turned it into this:
Each page is a numbered mini-envelope with a tag inside. The book itself is 2″X2″, and refuses to shut close (but that’s exactly how I like it!).
I was debating what to include on each of the tags, and finally decided I would write one self-reflective question for each day. The end of the year is always a time for me to look back on past accomplishments and to future goals. I love those end-of-year questionnaires so I figure I’ll adapt one for my chunky advent calendar.
Speaking of advent calendars, if you’re as obsessed with them as I am, check out this site – I was very pleased to see the star advent calendar I made several weeks back:
Project #2: Christmas Cards and Envies
Some days I’m convinced I’m insane to insist on making my own Christmas cards every year (or almost), but it’s so important to me and I love doing it. Here is what I made for this year:
The envelope has a small window, inside of which is stamped “let it snow”. (And it’s not diarrhea green, as in the photo; it’s actually a beautiful olive green. Trust me.)
Project #3: Ribbon-Hinged Albums
I was commissoned to make two ribbon-hinged albums, both of which I’ve started and almost finished. Photos to come…
Project #4: Personalized Journal
I was also commissioned to make a journal for a co-worker’s daughter. She (the daughter) is a ballerina whose photo was used on promotional material for a ballet school, and her mother has asked me to include some of the material as part of the journal. I love a great challenge! I think I’ve finally figured out what to do…again, photos to come…
All in all, a great weekend!
