my coffee table is a mess. i’m behind on my new york magazines, and i’m digging into afar, a travel magazine birthday gift from a fellow wanderer. i couldn’t resist the tartine cookbook, after having indulged at their bakery when i was in san fransisco last february. but it’s instant love : how to make magic and memories with polaroids, which was just released, that i’m really excited about.  i’m hoping for some free time this weekend to curl up and soak it all in.

i had completely forgotten that i had submitted my name for the instant photographer list in the index. there i am! at the bottom!

want to know more about instant love? check out the book trailer.

i can’t remember how i first became acquainted with flowers in may, but i was recently scanning my hearted (favorited?) etsy shops and i stopped in my tracks when i saw the rolls of robot wrapping paper. i wanna wrap all future presents with robots.

photo credit: flowers in may

last saturday’s craftstravaganza was great! i was really happy with my display, and it got a lot of compliments. having my products displayed vertically definitely brought people over to my area, and by limiting my products, it was easier for people to focus on what i make. at previous fairs/sales, i’ve had almost everything i’ve ever made on a table, hoping that there’s something there for everyone. but i think that approach made my table noisy and a little cluttered. so on saturday i focused on my punched cards and books (journals, brag books, photo albums); a tiny bit of polaroid work (magnets and WORD); and spiral bound notebooks with block printed covers (which were a hit with kids). i think i’m on to something and will repeat this set up at future shows.

april 12, 2012
with aimee, park slope
expired polaroid 600 film

craftstravaganza is tomorrow! yay, weekend!

a couple of weeks ago i dropped my phone on the sidewalk and ruined my case. as i was looking for its exact replacement (an orange beauty by valentina ramos), i came across uncommon, and decide to make my own case. triangles it is.

i made a big book for sonya‘s 100 acts of sewing project.

sonya picked out the book cloth from my sample book when i was in san francisco last february. she requested the book lie flat, and at its size, (11 inches by 17 inches) spiral binding was the best option. i had hoped to use a card stock/cover weight paper inside, but at 100 pages, it got too thick for my little binding machine (and i just could not turn it over to a stranger at a copy shop). so instead, i used the heaviest text weight paper i could find, which is a good thickness at 80 lb, and bound it myself. my binding machine never closes the coils in a perfect circle, and i went through a couple of coils before i gave up and accepted the wonky spots.

i punched “100″ into the cover, all the way through, including the inside end paper (which i usually don’t do), and i love that when the book is closed it’s not easy to see the “100″ but when you begin to open it, the design becomes apparent as light comes through the holes.

i’ve got a new favorite for necklaces: yellowgrey. kristina creates lovely work with a unique set of materials: sea urchin spines, quartz points, vintage bits, african beads, and more… they all come together for one-of-a-kind piece. i bought myself the necklace knot a few weeks ago, and have my eye on the one pictured above, called film.

photo credit: yellowgrey

come to craftstravaganza this saturday at the state fairgrounds and buy your momma something nice! or buy yourself something nice! if you go, come see me at table 16 in the fine arts building.

april 12, 2012
brooklyn industries, park slope
expired polaroid 600 film

yay, weekend!

i made displays! a couple of boards, some dowels, and 2 pairs of hinges… now i’ve got a vertical display for cards and a horizontal display for books. i hope these help my work stand out more… i’m participating in my biggest craft fair yet this month, and my table is tucked into a corner so i could be easy to miss. either this was a brilliant idea or my table will look really cheap. i’m hoping for the former!

i cleaned out my closet over the weekend and found this silk scarf i painted in a surface fabric design class while in college. i still love the colors, but wow, that is too many fish.

last week a package arrived from france… what did i order from france? i could not remember. i opened the outer package, and there was a note, indicating that it was a birthday gift from jackie. i unwrapped a little more, and within: a geometry pencil case in paprika, camel, peach, and apricot from pamplemouss. yum. it’s too pretty to dirty up with pencil leads, so i’ve filled it with postcards that friends send me when they’re on the road.

thank you, jackie! mwah!

photo credit: pamplemous

april 11, 2012
west village, new york city
expired polaroid 600 film

over the weekend i went out to dinner with the girls to celebrate my birthday. i requested no gifts, and they graciously complied: jenn and lisa bought a goat at oxfam in my honor and tracy put together an amazing pre-dinner cheese plate and gave me a really good bottle of pinot noir (i will always accept bottles of wine!). it was perfect.

my bff’s birthday was in march, and i really wanted to make sure she had a good birthday, especially after finding out she couldn’t take her actual birthday off due to commitments at her job. we both said no birthday gifts this year… so for her birthday, i sent her snail mail for each day of her birthday week. it was mostly postcards, and at the end of the week, i sent a card along with some yummy chocolate.

for my birthday this month, she did the same for me, and i loved it so much! little notes arrived daily (i was in nyc for a few days, so some of the mail was waiting for me when i got home). it was so much better than any material gift — knowing that she had taken the time to write a little something for me for 5 days worth of mail was so awesome. and she included little special bits: a drawing from her son, and a goofy thing from our childhood.

i’m hoping we’ve started a new tradition. you should give it a try, too.

happy weekend!

more book news: there’s another great book out on the shelves, called making mini books, and my *hi* brag books are in it!

and not only are my brag books in it, but there are instructions for how to create your own.

i’m still too scared to read the instructions myself, afraid that i missed a step or wasn’t clear. (silly, i know…)

there’s even a template and i reveal how i make my perfect holes with a japanese drill punch. i was a little worried about telling the world how to make one of my signature pieces, but in the end, i realized that i’d rather inspire someone to create than be worried about copycats.

and in the index, a big bio. i had forgotten about my goofy bio! writing bios is so hard: i don’t want to sound stiff and boring, and yet i want to sound interesting and inspiring without sounding pompous and full of myself. this bio is a little playful, maybe too much so. but it was fun to write. and i’m under kaija‘s bio! i’ve been a huge fan of kaija’s work for years. what an honor to be included with her and so many other great book artists.

aside from my little project, making mini books really is a fun book. there are many different binding types covered: accordion, coptic, stab bound, case bound, match book, and more… there are detailed instructions, diagrams, and templates for over 30 projects. it’s a great add to any maker’s bookshelf. and i’ll use it myself: i sense a mini book themed pARTy in the future.

april 13, 2012
madison avenue, new york city
expired polaroid 600 film

i first saw west cermak books last november at the minnesota center for arts book arts fest. you know that feeling of excitement/inspiration you get when you see really great design? not just in the products themselves, but also in the presentation and packaging? west cermak has it in spades. after the book arts fest i looked up the etsy shop, but it was empty. i’ve been keeping my eye on it, and in the last 2 weeks it’s been stocked with some really great goods. yay! this zig zag yellow journal is my favorite.

photo credit: west cermak

hello, hello! welcome to monday. over the weekend i finally finished the custom order above. i have been saying no to custom orders that come my way, but i just can’t say no when i’m asked to make a book for someone’s wedding. i guess there’s a little romantic in me yet!

while i loved designing the guest book/album with the bride-to-be, i did drag my feet a little on the production. i definitely prefer my creative time be on my terms. but now that it’s finished, it’s fun knowing my work will be a part of a big day!

central park (ghostbusters!)

union street, park slope with aimee

birthday treat from magnolia bakery

pup on smith street, cobble hill

brunch, west village

smith street, cobble hill

tile on houston, soho

smith street, cobble hill

conservatory with cindy, central park

union street, gowanus

i covered a lot of ground in my 3-1/2 days in new york last week: upper east side, upper west side, midtown, central park, chelsea, west village, soho, gowanus, hell’s kitchen, park slope, cobble hill, tribeca… i walked for miles, needing to stop occasionally to rest my aching feet, cursing that i’m refusing to wear the type of orthopedic shoes that would support my dogs for the blocks and blocks i punish them with… but there really is no better way to see the city.

happy weekend!

on tuesday morning, i went to the university of minnesota campus to give a book binding demonstration. i’ve been doing it each spring and fall since november of 2010 for a friend: she teaches a portfolio class for senior architecture students, and they need to figure out a way to present their work for employers or graduate school admissions. the hope is that i come in and show them a couple of ways to create a portfolio by hand.

i’ve gotten pretty good at demonstrating how to cover boards to make a simple folder in which the portfolio would be pamphlet-stitched in… and i do a great japanese stab-binding demonstration. i do feel a little bad, though, because i’ve been playing with my materials and techniques for years and i’m sure i make it look so easy and once they (they’re so young!) sit down to duplicate what i’ve shown them, the frustration and struggle is immense. i wish i could guide them along while they’re making, but i can’t. i can only hope that i’ve engaged/excited them, and presented the techniques and details well enough to get the ideas flowing and their attention to detail and skills will kick in. and i know i made really lame jokes (heh, i went to design school so i wouldn’t have to take math classes, heh, who knew book binding would be so fraction detailed? heh.). do i seem like an old lady to them? am i trying too hard to look hip in an adult way that isn’t weirdly trying to look younger than my age? should i tell them that book binding doesn’t pay my bills and that i’m really an IT nerd by day?

but despite my insecurities about my presentation, i get asked to come back each semester. and i hear from my friend that the students do make some great portfolios. most of the students do seem to listen and take notes while i’m there. and the best part is when they thank me at the end. i think i even got applause once.