Etsy

Bitty Binding

When I'm working on a project, usually I'm up and down, cut this here, press this there, rounding, backing, stamping, and various other -ings! It's not necessarily strenuous, but sometimes it's a nice treat to sit down and be able to make something from start to finish with all of the tools and materials at your fingertips! That's just what I got to do yesterday with this little Sweetheart book charm.

New in the Shop: Folding Box & a Few Words on Stamp Collecting

Another Liberty London infused box! This new box in the shop is covered in burgundy cloth and Liberty London's Small Susanna.

Lately my work has been accompanied by colorful vintage stamps. A few weeks ago I came across a box of stamps and stamp collecting books at the Crown Center antique festival. The gal selling them really wanted to get rid of them so she gave me a deal on the condition that I take the whole box!

 So, now I have a bunch of great stamps, some of which I've set aside to incorporate into projects, and others that I've bundled together in nice color combos to pass on as little gift with purchase treats. Along with the stamps, I now have a bunch of books about stamp collecting, which were fun to look through, but ultimately I'm not a stamp collector*, so I'm giving ebay a whirl. Anybody into stamps?

* I am, however, a major stamp user! I like having a variety of stamps on hand so I can match them with their recipient. That's normal, right? Lately my favorites are the new Love collection and the Pioneers of American Industrial Design stamps. I haven't even used the latter yet, I'm debating about keeping the pane pristine and putting in a frame. Wait a minute...maybe I am stamp collector!

New in the Shop: Trinket Box featuring Liberty London Fabric

I have a new box in the shop and it started out as most of my "for fun" projects do. I sat down with all of my favorite things and started playing. In this case, that button and those charms found their way to each other and I paired them with Liberty London's Fairford pattern for a happy little match.

Here's what happened next! Click on the photo to see a larger version in a new window.

Vintage Paper Lace

Over a year ago I was browsing Etsy for some vintage ephemera, and fun papery delights that I might use in the bindery. I stumbled upon this spool of vintage paper lace and immediately called my friend Lisa (fellow papery delights lover, you know, it's a technical term) to see if she wanted to split the spool. And, of course she did! Wouldn't you?!

Since the spool arrived, packaged in a sweet box, it has been my bench-top staple. I haven't used it in a binding, but I've been using it on just about everything that's in need of wrapping! And as it turns out, paper lace is a bit like the old Lay's slogan. I can't get by with just one color.

Several months ago I added these gems to my collection.

They have a way of making simple packages feel so special!

All of the paper ribbon I've purchased has come from an Etsy shop called A Bohemian Market. The proprietor, Carole, is friendly and helpful. We've only ever communicated online, but her kind personality can't help but shine through in her words. I was excited to see that she had listed some new white lace ribbon in her shop and wrote to her last week to check on availability of some other colors... it was my lucky day! The white and peach above, as well as the orange below are all recent acquisitions.

Aren't all of the eyelets lovely? Most of the little shapes are punched out, but not all, so if I ever need a little bit of quick confetti I can just run my fingers across some length of the ribbon to loosen the remaining pieces.

By itself, or dressed up, Carole's paper lace would make a nice addition to any supply box! As I write this, her shop is full, so feel free to take a peek!

The nitty gritty, as written on the large spools: Maxi Paper Lace, Ideal for Bows, Packages, Floral Arrangements, & Trimmings, 3" Wide 12 yds Maxwell Wellington Greensboro, GA,  Made in the U.S.A.

First Etsy Treasury

 Back in December I thought I'd try my hand at making an Etsy Treasury. I added a few items and then got busy with something else, but I picked it up on Monday and finished my first treasury. I enjoy looking through other people's collections, and my Favorite Items list just keeps growing and growing, so I thought it would be fun to start grouping my favorites together!

I wrote to those I included with a note and a link, and then my favorite part happened, their comments rolled in all day long! They sent private messages and left comments under the photos and it just made it fun and exciting! This might have to turn into a habit! All of these people have great shops, here's a link to check them out.

A Week of Celebrations!

 This beauty is named Emmalyn and Josh and I got to meet her at the hospital before she was even a day old! Our friend Sarah had her baby in the wee hours of Monday morning. I had never seen a baby so new to the world and I felt so lucky to be there. I spent a couple of great hours with Sarah, her mom, and the baby on Friday - just amazing! Congrats Sarah & Jason, let me know and I'll come over any time your arms are tired! 

 
On Friday night, Josh and I headed over to Winter Park to have dinner at Dexter's before stopping by the Rifle Paper Co. grand opening party open house. We were there right at the beginning, which I think was perfect, because we really got to take everything in, and to talk to Anna for a little while. I didn't think to have Josh take an iphone photo, but Becka & Nate of Studio 222 were snapping away before we got there, so I'm sure there will be plenty of lovely photos to see. Above is a photo of Anna & Lisa mid-transaction at the old Rifle location last year. Anna's twitpic gives an idea of how wonderful the space looks. It's just perfect, and I'm looking forward to going back during regular hours to make a purchase or two! Congrats Anna & Nathan!

My mom's birthday is today! Happy Birthday Mom! She thoughtfully called my brother and me to let us know that she didn't need any presents, and a card would be perfectly lovely. Little did she remember that I had taken her little falling-apart address book when we were together last, with the promise of repairing it for her b-day. Something small like that needed some fun packaging, so I put it into the Longaberger basket that I found at Goodwill for a whopping quarter! 

'Tis the season! It's almost time for stocking stuffers, so I pulled out a bunch of books that had gotten really cozy on their shelves and I put them in the Sale section of the shop.

And the celebrations just continue! Spice cake is in order as soon as our schedule aligns with our friend Wyatt, whose birthday wasn't too long ago. And we're off to Ohio for Thanksgiving this week. Can't wait!

And here's to you! Hope you have a celebratory kind of day!

Pasteurized: A Blank Book About Milk

As the granddaughter of a dairy farmer, I feel like I have an "in" with milk. Sure, I've never milked a cow, but I did sit next to my grandpa on a milking stool while he taught me how to plant flowers in his garden, so there's a connection there! Plus, I love milk!

More specifically, I love pasteurized* skim milk. I've heard tell of the delicious stuff straight from the cow, and I do love cream over blackberry cobbler, but as far as drinking goes, skim is just right for me!

God bless Grandpa, Louis Pasteur, and cows!

Oh! & the reason for this post is that I just put this book in my shop! Click here for more pictures.

Now, off to the kitchen to drink a tall white cold one!

* While in France we drank milk that was "ultra heated" when it was pasteurized and then stored in sterile containers that were unrefrigerated. I discovered that I much preferred the taste of our sans ultra milk from the states, and ended up not drinking milk for over two months! Not to worry, I had more than enough cheese to make up for it!