10
Dec, 2009

snow day = the impossible gift of more time!

yesterday outside it looked like this:

so i stayed home and made this:

and these:

and some of these:

and i rode a few miles to nowhere on a stationary bike while watching this (seriously–it’s the most charming and funny thing i’ve watched since amelie.  thanks for the recommendation, little sister).  and also i made some updates to my shop including a new header, a new logo, a stamp featuring my new logo, and a bunch of new screen printed, fabric, reversible gift bags for the holiday season.

we also made homemade pizza only we didn’t have much mozzarella so i trudged through the frozen tundra up the street to the gas station/convenience store and bought some string cheese and we shredded that.  i love the resourcefulness of being house-bound in winter weather.

Posted in crafty stuff, winter | 1 Comment
07
Dec, 2009

easy ornament card printing tutorial

today i learned to my great suprise (and almost embarrassment) that i’d won two of the sms giveaways that i’d entered earlier this week!  i don’t think that i entered more than maybe a dozen or so (and, of course, i only put my name in the drawing for things i really wanted). so imagine my surprise when my name was one drawn from 396 names at soduel and from 299 entries at the princess and the monkey!  can you guess which thing i chose from lisa’s shop for my prize?  (it was difficult to choose just one thing!)  i can’t wait to see what sonja puts together in her surprise package — i love surprises!  i’m overflowing with joy from the generosity of these two crafty bloggers and my unexpected luck and i’d like to pay it forward, so here is a little tutorial for all of you from little old me.

Last week at the library I hosted the annual Nifty Thrifty Gifty program where I come up with a bunch of different kid-friendly-yet-cool craft projects that the participants could (theoretically) give as gifts.  My personal favorite project of the day was the styrofoam block printing that we’d done last summer*, but this time with a slightly different twist.

To make the cards featured above, you will need:

styrofoam dinner plate

sharp knife

dull pencil

block printing ink

brayer

cardstock

marker

Step 1:  (this part is for grown-ups only.  the rest can be done by a kid.)  cut off the curved edges of the plate so that you’re left with a flat styrofoam circle.  the shape of your circle will be the shape of your final ornament.  Trim the circle to make it more round if need be.  Make sure that the circle will fit onto your cardstock card.

Step 2:  draw your ornament design onto the styrofoam with the pencil (or whatever not-too-sharp instrument you have lying around).  Make sure that you press hard enough to make an indentation, but not so hard that you poke through the other side (although a few holes aren’t really a big deal).

Step 3:  put some ink on another paper plate.  use a little more ink than shown here.

Step 4:  spread the ink over the plate with the brayer, rolling it over and over in different directions until the ink is evenly spread and there’s a nice even coat of ink on the brayer (that’s the part you’ll actually be using).

Step 5:  roll the inked brayer over your carved styrofoam ornament surface.

the reason that block printing inks work better than paint is because they’re thicker and don’t seep down into the cracks you so carefully carved a moment ago.

Step 6:  place your image, ink-side-down, on top of your card  (i just folded a piece of standard cardstock in half) and press evenly, all over the backside.  it helps to do this on a solid flat surface (i.e. not carpet) if you want a smooth print.

step 7:  slowly, carefully peel the “block” away from the card to reveal your design!

this print looks like i could have maybe used a bit more ink.  but i sort of like the rustic look.

step 8:  repeat to create as many cards as you want!  allow the images to dry, then add a cap and string using a marker and your cards are finished!

*this idea was originally inspired by a project posted on glittergoods, but since i was planning the craft for about 150 kids (not all at one location) i couldn’t afford fancy styrofoam art sheets, so i came up with styrofoam plates and they worked just fine. (except if they’re too glossy, sometimes the ink acts a little funny when transferring to the paper, but … that just adds to the handmade look, right?)

Posted in crafty stuff, library stuff, stuff that makes me smile, tutorials, winter | 3 Comments
06
Dec, 2009

goodbye, famous dave’s and hello to the haze

tonight we tried another new restaurant.  it’s called “the haze” and it’s by the same folks who created our favorite sushi place *so we were pretty sure it would be yummy.  and we weren’t disappointed.  the thing that sets it apart from other bbq places is that you order your meat (brisket, chicken, pork, etc.) and then you specify whether you want it “eastern” or “western” (see the menu at the link above if you want more details).  we both decided to go western tonight.  i got brisket (falling apart tasty), mr. happy stuff got ribs (huge and meaty).  i got coleslaw (fresh, crisp and not sopping with sauce) and an acorn squash soup with apples (lovely texture and flavor–much better than your standard squash soup) and some gingered beets (surpringly light, served cold, yummy!).  he got fries (salty deliciousness) and beans (a very interesting mix of beans with an unusual but really good flavor).  because we ordered our meats “western” we also each got a slice of texas toast (which was homemade bread–not the stuff out of a bag from the grocery store) and just for good measure, we added a slice of cornbread to our meal (full of kernels of corn, a sweet, crispy top, yummity yummers).  we both had plenty left over for at least one more meal apiece (maybe two for me).  the bill was maybe (literally) only a few dollars more than our last few visits to famous dave’s (the local-ish bbq chain that is on mr. h-s’s bike commute home) and we both agreed that the food was about 10 times better tasting.  plus, they use local sources for their meats!  no competition at all.  here’s a picture of my leftovers sitting in their box:

i think that even my vegetarian friends would enjoy a meal of the “sides” and go home happy and full.  (in addition to the ones i listed above, they also had soy-glazed carrots, curried sweet potatoes, potato salad, and something else yummy i’m forgetting, but some of those are seasonal.)  we might have to try their lunch sometime soon too….

*which we visited recently and were thrilled as usual.  the highlight of the evening?  a dessert that featured a deep, dark chocolate truffle-like base, a tiny, oval pistachio cake, and a large shard of… bacon brittle.  oh my.  it was surprisingly fantastic.

Posted in autumn, reviews, yum | 1 Comment
04
Dec, 2009

making worms

this christmas, since i’m into carving stamps, i’ve decided to make stamps for my nephews as part of their gift from me.  i also thought they might enjoy watching the process, so i waited until we were together at thanksgiving to make the stamp.

the first stamp i carved was of his name.  in the photo above, he’s playing with the rubber “worms” that i’ve carved away from the image.  on another day, i decided to make him a second stamp.  i asked him if he wanted a monster or a rocket ship.  i’ve never really drawn a rocket ship, but i’d seen lots of simple and cool looking rockets and figured i could probably make something that looked more or less like a rocket ship.  of course, he chose the rocket ship.  here’s how it turned out:

not to sound braggy, but i even impressed myself.  i had no idea i knew how to draw and carve such a cool looking stamp!  the best part?  i still have the original pencil drawing and could transfer it to the carving medium again to make another rocket ship stamp for myself!  this is really getting to be an addiction.

Posted in crafty stuff | 3 Comments
04
Dec, 2009

drooliscious

i just have to brag about the fantastic lunches i’ve had for the past two days.  three days ago, after work i visited the la baguette bakery near my library.  although it’s been there for over a year, i only recently discovered it and i hadn’t yet had a chance to try a loaf of their bread.  so i went and bought some bread after work on tuesday.  one of the loaves was an olive loaf that is filled with kalamata olives.  for the past two days, i’ve made a sandwich using slices from that loaf, roasted red peppers, farmer’s market spinach and local, yummy goat cheese.  today, i also added a salad featuring that same spinach plus apples, pecans, dried cherries, a tiny bit of red onion and annie’s goddess dressing.  oh. my. goodness.  super fantastic lunch made even better by the knowledge that i’d looked in my fridge that morning thinking i had nothing for lunch.  wow.  the clementines for dessert were just the exact right finish to the meal.  oh, and yesterday’s home-canned peaches were also a nice snack.  food can make me so happy–even more so when it’s somewhat healthy.  this meal could actually be vegan very easily.  all i’d need to do would be to substitute hummus for the goat cheese.  also a yummy idea.  hmmm… maybe tomorrow….

oh and one more happy thing for today–it snowed!  (i think it’s the first time this year, but i might have forgotten some from october or something….)

Posted in winter, yum | 2 Comments
03
Dec, 2009

make waves @ your library

*warning:  lots of library content in this post!  apologies to my non-children’s-librarian readers!*

a few weeks ago, we had the annual summer library program meeting where lots of children’s librarians from the area get together to talk about our ideas for the upcoming summer library program.  next year’s theme is “water” and i agreed to put together a few decorating ideas to share.  well, life here has been crazy (more about that in another post) so i ended up bringing along only one original idea and the rest of the ideas were borrowed (with permission) from terry ehle of the two rivers public library who presented at the wla conference.  her ideas are so inspiring!  you can see photos of past summer decorations at their library on their flickr page.

i didn’t even have time to represent all of her ideas, so i just picked my favorites.  one of her table display ideas was about oceans and she cut these great squiggly shapes from construction paper and stapled them into circles so that they would stand up on their own.  then, she grouped them together all over the table and tucked books in among the coral reef.  i thought it might be difficult to make good looking coral, but it’s pretty much the same thing as free-motion stippling.  :)  i actually just drew the lines and had a library volunteer do the cutting for me.  terry also had the great idea to sprinkle clear flat glass marbles all over the table to look like foam/bubbles on top of the water.

then there was this awesome octopus.  terry’s basic decorating theories seem to be “big, splashy, 3-d and, if possible, mostly free” so this octopus is made from paper (hers had painted eyes, mine are made from paper), wire (inside the legs to make them pose-able), staples, and then the whole thing envelopes one of those large acrylic poster holders for support.  so cute, so easy.

in the background of the above photo, you can also see my one “original” idea — cut out lots of drop shapes from a variety of blueish papers (you can either cut them freehand (or have a volunteer do that) or i think there’s a drop-shaped die available that you might be able to use) and sew them together in a big string using a sewing machine straight stitch and leaving a little space between each drop.  i also made a strand with fabric drops and found that the stiffness of the paper made it much easier to sew the paper ones.  these strands can be arranged into shapes (like the spiral above) or hung in shorter strands from a doorframe like a beaded curtain.  it would also be fun to have a bunch of them “dripping” out of a giant water faucet…. hmmmm…. i’m still getting inspired!

terry also had a pond display with cattails instead of coral.  the cattails are made from wooden skewers (i think i’ll try to find longer skewers for my next display attempt) and pieces of foam insulation thingies i found by wandering the aisles at the hardware store.  i also tucked little clip art fish into the reeds.  i added yarn and river stones for texture on this table.

although i didn’t put any other ideas together for this workshop (we only had about 45 minutes to set up before the event began), i’ve got great ideas for decorating for pirates too.

now the tricky part…. deciding which direction to go for my own library next summer…. saltwater, freshwater or arrgh, matey?

Posted in library stuff | 4 Comments
16
Nov, 2009

batch bakehouse review

last sunday, we enjoyed brunch on the east side with friends.  as we were chatting, they mentioned the new bakery nearby called “batch bakehouse” and were raving about the deliciousness there.  even though i was completely full from brunch, i insisted that we stop by the bakery afterwards to pick something up.  sadly, when we arrived, we noticed that it was “cash only please” and we’d just spent our last cash dollars on brunch and since our atm cards were in the midst of being replaced and since it was sunday, we had no way of enjoying any treats from this wonderful place that had given me a sugar rush just from walking in the door.  i threw a big hissy fit to poor mr. happy stuff, but there was nothing to be done.

after some careful plotting, i realized that i had a workshop to attend on that same side of town on friday.  i needed to be at the workshop by 8:00 and batch opens at 7:30–perfect!  i was so excited last friday to walk in, cash in hand, and pick a treat or two.  i got a pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant) for myself, an almond croissant for a friend who was meeting me at the workshop, and then bought this beautiful, rosemary-infused fougasse for dinner.

maybe it was just because i was lucky enough to arrive just as they opened, but the croissants were still warm (and soft and slightly chewy in the most wonderful way) and weren’t so flaky that i got crumbs all over myself, but instead, they were just the right kind of flaky–the kind that is pleasant to teeth and tongue and not all dry.  there was just the right amount of chocolate and it was still soft, but not melty enough to drip out or anything.  my friend reported good things about the almond croissant too.

on the recommendation of the batch staff person, i re-heated the fougasse that night before we ate it.  i love the beautiful leaf shape and found the texture to be wonderful.  i loved the rosemary too, but mr. happy stuff thinks he might have enjoyed it more without.  i can understand that–i prefer my rosemary in small doses too.  not that this was overwhelmingly rosemary-y, but we (ahem) did eat the entire loaf in one meal between the two of us.  we couldn’t help ourselves.  it was delicious.  definitely worth repeat visits.

Posted in reviews, yum | 3 Comments
15
Nov, 2009

dye can do amazing things

i’ve had this one pair of overalls for probably at least 10 years.  i like the way they fit (not too tight, not too baggy), but for the past 7 years or so, they’ve been relegated to the back of the closet and brought out pretty much only for playing hockey in (i can fit my knee pads underneath them and the denim is pretty sturdy if i fall and scrape across the ice).  they’re looking a little worn around the edges and very, very faded.  almost white in spots.  here’s the only picture i can find of them (and they’re mostly hidden underneath a coat in this picture, but you get the idea)

they’re okay, but pretty boring.  i pulled them out last week for some reason and wore them around on sunday (including to church–i was in a hurry and didn’t take the time to change clothes) and realized just how faded they were and thought that maybe i shouldn’t wear them in public anymore.  but then i thought of one, last-ditch effort i could make to try to save them–dye!  when i went to pick out dye, i ended up choosing olive and navy dyes, with the idea that i would dye them olive, then over-dye them navy and then maybe get that cool denim color i’ve been loving lately.  so yesterday, i threw them in the washing machine with the olive dye (and an old potholder and a tank top that i wanted to have in a darker color).  after elongating the wash cycle three times, then letting it go through one “clean” cycle, then drying them on “hot”…. i was super excited to get this result:

i don’t think i even need to bother with the navy over-dye!  i really wish i had a before picture so you could get the full effect of the transformation.  basically, these went from bleh to wow and i’m not ashamed to wear them out in public (even if no one except farmers wears overalls anymore). woo hoo!  (oh, and the potholder and the tank top turned out great too!)

Posted in autumn, crafty stuff | 2 Comments
14
Nov, 2009

field trip to silver buckle press

some friends of mine invited me to join them for a personal tour of the silver buckle press here in town.  i’ve always been a little curious to see how this style of printing press works, so i was happy to join them.

i love the printed samples they’ve got all over the room.  the woman there gave us a wonderful quick introduction to how the pieces of type are loaded into trays, then showed us a few different presses.  isn’t this one cute?  hmmmmm…… wish list?

then, she let us each print one card using some wooden type she’d already set up on one of the presses.

i loved it.  i am so into different kinds of printing right now and this was just so much fun!  she also gave me a scrap of a kind of material that i can try cutting my own (crude) type from to do a very simple type of printing.  because i really need another hobby.  sigh.

i loved learning the provenance of the terms “uppercase” and “lowercase” letters, plus actually seeing pieces of type in different size fonts, plus the little teeny spacers that are one-point and two-point spacing?  just so cool to see where all of these things that i use every day on my computer began.

it’s just amazing to me how adding ink to paper can increase its value (monetary, sentimental and/or aesthetic) so exponentially.

Posted in crafty stuff | 7 Comments
05
Nov, 2009

fabulous shades of green

i went swimming (indoors) today after work and whenever i do that i always come home starving.  so when i was scrambling to find something to eat and noticed a recipe i’d gotten out of the october issue of martha stewart for “cheese flautas with cilantro pesto” my gut instinct was, “no!  takes too long!” but then i took a deep breath, realized i actually had all of the ingredients on hand and that they wouldn’t really take all that long to make, and enlisted the help of mr. happy stuff (who was also surprised that i was willing to take on somewhat elaborate dinner plans).  together, we put together the cilantro pesto (based on pepitas instead of pine nuts, cilantro instead of basil, plus lime juice, olive oil and garlic–yum!) which produced a fantastic green oil.  then, we assembled the flautas (and added chicken to some of them which was good) and devoured them with sour cream and avocados (another great shade of green).

but my favorite shade of green came in the mail today in the form of a complete surprise gift from my bloggy friend (and common threads cohort) rebekah.  look at this fantastic koolhaas hat she knitted and sent to me:

isn’t it just gorgeous??!!  i super love it.  it’s so soft.  i’m actually wearing it right now because i don’t want to take it off.  there was definitely a happy dance involved in opening up that package.  wheee!

this is the back so that you can see the fabulous texture of the pattern:

thank you, rebekah!

Posted in autumn, crafty stuff, stuff that sparks a glow in my soul, yum | 4 Comments