Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons

I made these ribbons last winter as part of a freelance assignment for Making Memories. Their Bravissimo line launched last spring, and allowed crafters to make customizable, award-style ribbons. I joined Suzonne, Cathe and Gail in developing prototypes for a second round of Bravissimos, which unfortunately did not make it to production. Nevertheless, I thought I'd post them for a bit of Christmas inspiration. If you'd like to try making these from scratch, I absolutely recommend using a scoring board — it's the secret to getting picture-perfect folds. Striped paper and edge punches also add fun effects, and don't be afraid to experiment with non-traditional paper-craft items like tulle, jingle bells or mini ornaments.

Holiday Card Display

This year I've been doing some photography work for the stationery company Minted. At the start of the holiday season, we collaborated with West Elm to come up with creative card displays. I styled the shot the photo above using Minted holiday cards and some felt accessories from West Elm; check out the full post on West Elm's blog, Front & Main.

Thanksgiving Weekend

I'm back from a relaxing weekend with friends and family; definitely a much-needed break at the end of a busy month. I finally had some time to work on a just-for-fun project, so I made these Pilgrim hat place cards out of scrapbook papers, trims and findings.

A Martha Stewart Halloween Giveaway

When I was invited to review the recently released book, Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts, I couldn't resist. I remember reading library copies of Martha Stewart Living when I was 9 or 10, and I think it's safe to say I've been hooked ever since. If you've followed this blog a while, you also know that holiday crafts top my list. So, this book is a natural fit. It's a beautiful, thoughtfully styled hardcover, full of ideas (225 of them!). I thought there would be no better way to review it than to attempt one of the projects. To celebrate Halloween I made some of the "Pumpkin Pouch Party Favors" found on page 213. (You can see my version in the top photo above.) Read more...

Golden Hours

Late in the summer, my brother and I rode out across the old Bonsall bridge. There the abandoned roadway floats above the California oaks that rise from the dry riverbed. On the far side, foxtail and wild yarrow grow up through cracks in the pavement, and in that particular hour they were caught in a halo of expiring light. The weeks since have passed quickly, turning those golden afternoons to violet dusks, cold and clear. Every now and again, the air has the scent of damp earth and wood smoke. It's nearly November. We must catch up.

Summer Sewing

We reached the island well after sunset, swathed in a haze of salt air and fading light. The place was Two Harbors, a small outpost on the Catalina isthmus. We spent three days there, camping in canvas-walled cabins overlooking the cove. That first night we hiked along the bluffs under a black sky, looking down at the port lights reflecting off the water. Summer nights here are scented; coastal sage and native grasses, wild licorice, warmth and dust.

For this trip I did a little last-minute sewing. The Two Harbors Tote, a sturdy, drawstring, beach bag with rope handles for a bit of nautical flair. I found some coordinating fabric by chance, which resulted in the Seafarer Clutch — just the thing for ferry tickets and collected shells. I illustrated step-by-step instructions for both projects so you can see how I made them and maybe try them yourself. Click here or on the banner above to download.

Kids' Crafternoon

Last autumn I had the opportunity to contribute to the Kids' Crafternoon series of books, a collaboration between Kathreen Ricketson of Whip Up and and the Australian publisher Hardie Grant. The Papercraft volume, out this month, includes some classic pinwheels and rolled flowers I made. Below are photos I took of them just before I shipped them Down Under to be styled for the book:I've also included a few pages scanned from the finished book in this post — I love how kid-friendly the instructions are with their practical tips and step-by-step illustrations. Now for the best part: a giveaway! Hardie Grant has provided me with a copy of the book to send to one lucky reader. Please leave a comment on this post to enter (everyone is eligible, just be sure I have a way to contact you), and I'll announce the winner right here next week.
Update: The lucky winner is Comment 23 — Jenni. Congratulations! Comments are now closed.

Fans & Fireworks

Click the photo above for a larger view. 

It was just before the light reaches the time of tall shadows. The sun, low in the sky, caught the dust that hangs above the road. A thousand flecks of gold in the still, heavy air. It was then summer arrived. The season for simple things. Night breezes, page-turners, the whir of an old electric fan. And, that quiet sort of reverence for home and country.

With those things in mind, I designed these handheld fans for the Fourth of July. You can print and make them yourself; here's how: Click here to download clip art, print on cardstock and cut out. Score and fold along white line. Unfold and lie flat. Now, working perpendicular to your first fold, score at half inch intervals. Fold accordion style. Shape into circle and glue at top using tab. Let dry. Glue wooden sticks to each of the remaining ends and tie or glue sticks together.

A couple of notes: The wooden sticks can be found at Michaels. I stained them using a water-based stain by FolkArt (found with the acrylic craft paints) - it's perfect for these kinds of projects (where it would be too inconvenient to break out the hardware store stuff). Also, a bone folder and scoring board or ruler are extra helpful here — they'll give you those even and crisp folds every time.