I'm coming out of hibernation! You'd think that with all the snow we had, I'd have written quite a bit about whatever artsy endeavors I undertook. But oddly, I slept...a lot. And played with the cats. Watched the Olympics. Etc. Nothing really involving any bookbinding or crafting. I did manage to sew the second window seat cushion. Yay!

But I have been in a baking mood and I want to share another blogger's creative idea that I decided to try. I find quite a number of creative ideas through Twitter and this one is no exception. Heather Baird of Sprinkle Bakes posted the lovely Mehndi-inspired gingerbread cookies she made for a friend. I loved this idea so much that I made a few for some friends that live far away from me, decorated them with some lotus flowers and mandalas, and sent them off! Mine turned out well, but check out Heather's on her blog. Amazing creativity! I don't always look at food that way --maybe I should turn my crafting eye to that media once in a while.

Another great baking idea that's been around for a while is cake in a jar. I haven't had a chance yet to try these out (I'm going to get some small Mason jars soon) but Cakespy.com showcases them in a post from last August. I absolutely LOVE cake so never fear, I will attempt these soon. I'll take pictures (of course!) and maybe you'll get one in the mail :) Suggestions for flavors?

Finally, one last blog post that I can't wait to try myself (look away librarians!) is the ruffly book wreath from Living with Lindsay. I'm going to get a beat-up book from Goodwill, one that I would never willingly read because it's not that good (I won't embarrass any authors out there by letting you know which one I choose). As a pseudo-preservation librarian, how can I willingly destroy a book you ask? Well, let me put it this way. I think everything should have a purpose. I don't really like to buy knicknacks and trinkets because I don't really need them. I also don't like the idea of having to put things in storage that I never use because in actuality I don't need them then, do I? For me, a book that has had a good life but is going to sit on a shelf in Goodwill until it either gets tossed or recycled will have a better life as a ruffly book wreath on my wall. By repurposing it, I've given it a new life.

I have to point out the merits of Twitter. If you know how to use it properly, you can discover a wealth of ideas out there that I don't have time to Google, or frankly wouldn't even think of to Google. If you want some ideas on crafters to follow, I'd gladly share. Or check out my Follow Friday (Twitter name is tempermiranda).

Lastly, in other news I will be creating a few more of the Recycled Bookbag that I loved so much (see my earlier post) before I list them on Etsy (a site that is getting a tad too crowded but it's the best site I've got). I should be sewing the hymnal and posting pics as well. Happy Monday!

Glass Half-Full Kind of Artist

Glass has always intrigued me. I may have mentioned it on here, but anyone who knows my artistic endeavors knows that I really want to work with glass as well as metalsmithing (Is this one word?). Sometime this year, I'll at least get the chance to work with glass for the first time! I recently discovered the Pittsburgh Glass Center and I'm quite astounded at all they have to offer. The photo to the right is from their Flickr stream, specifically from the Art on Fire Auction in 2009. When I found their website a few months ago, the beginner classes taunted me. So many! What to choose? I can't take all of them, it's just too cost prohibitive. And I suppose it would take me quite a few weekends on top of my already busy schedule... And then I saw the Sampler Series! I decided pretty quickly that I was going to start saving up for the Hot-to-Cold Sampler. It's a mix and match combo in which you take 4 of the 2-hour classes. Each class is a different type of glass-making: hot, warm, flame, and cold. I really like this sampler idea because it gives me the chance to figure out which type I prefer before heading into intermediate (or more beginner) classes. It will give me a direction; however, knowing myself, I'll probably like all 4 types!

As of a couple of weeks ago, I had about half of the amount I needed. And then a lucky deal! Offermint.com has some great deals in the Pittsburgh area, featuring local businesses putting up gift certificates for half the price they are worth. As long as enough people buy into the deal, it goes through. Check out your own city! Recently the Pittsburgh Glass Center was featured with $50 gift certificates going for $25. This helped me out tremendously and I'm now ready to book my classes. And no worries, I'll be posting pictures of all my novice attempts!

It's a BookBag! Recycled Tote Bag Project

Hooray! I have finished the recycled tote bag and although it didn't turn out exactly as planned (anyone who has made a cloth clamshell knows what I'm talking about), it still closes. It's still functional. Just not perfect. I'm actually looking forward to making a few more of these, but I'd probably use cloth for the bag instead of bookcloth scraps (they ARE really strong though). Maybe I'll even get around to posting them on Etsy. Ooh, I just bought new stamps too so I could put an owl emblem on them. :)

I call it the "Bookbag". This is a photo of the front of the book when the bag is folded up inside and it's tied shut. As mentioned, I used bookcloth scraps for the bag part and cotton tie scraps for the sides. When the bag is opened, the ties can be knotted straight along the bottom so they don't catch on anything or dangle. The base of the bag is a used hardback case of a book (intended for the trash since the book got a nice new hardback case). On the interior, I retained the original endsheets which have colorful maps. When you look inside the bag, you can still see them!

When opened up, the bag is fairly strong and can hold some larger items. I fit a few puzzles and small traveling games inside. I think it would be good for heavy fruits and vegetables as well. I've included a picture of the bag opened up, as well as another of the back side of the book when it's closed. I made sure not to decorate it with details that pop out too much. I wouldn't want them to catch on anything and rip off. This was a fun little project and I'm excited to look at the other ones and vote! If you'd like to vote, they'll be setting up the poll sometime tomorrow here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=439.0.

I think I'm living proof that women are great multi-taskers...

Wow, this week has been crazy! Work has kept me running, running, running! There are so many things going on, let's see if I can remember everything I wanted to share.

First things first...I noticed yesterday that people from Brazil, Vietnam, India, and Dubai have visited my blog! Whee! Yes, I understand they probably just stumbled on it and won't be back...but still! Hey, I'm just excited that anyone actually reads all my online chatter. :)

Let's see, as for my current projects...I'm still working on the tote bag. The step I'm on right now is the slowest part because it involves the Dremel and sewing (but so far I think it's turning out well). I need to have it done after this weekend for the crafting competition so at least I'll be done yammering on about it!

I also have another opportunity that I am VERY excited about. I recently recalled that when I was a kid, I wanted to illustrate children's books when I grew up. I volunteered to bind a children's story that was written by a young relative. Since it is very short (about a page), I will need to lengthen it out and include illustrations. It will be a surprise gift for her (I think...details still need to be worked out) and I'm hoping she'll enjoy it. And I'll get a chance to do something that I've wanted to, and to see how much I enjoy it! I used to make coloring contests for neighborhood kids but I never actually sketched out a children's book.

My aunt's church hymnal is proceeding VERY slowly (I seem to be putting "very" in caps quite often in this post). I have the signatures guarded and folded, I just need to start marking and sewing. I'll probably try to finish that up once this tote bag is completed. Here's a photo (indoor lighting, sorry!) of some of the guarded pages.

I have a few other projects in the works that I'll give you photographic teases of once I'm farther along. A canvas piece, maybe a jewelry piece, and possibly some sewing? I'm really pleased that I have a sewing machine on hand! (Don't worry, I'll probably mention that in the next ten to fifteen posts) I also just agreed to take part in a college fundraiser so I'll be doing a little bookbinding (hopefully) at some point this year for some more Texas people. I really do enjoy making pretty books and art for people to appreciate, especially when you are binding something so meaningful to them. I almost wish I could see them when they open it!

Winter is also back here in Pittsburgh (we had a nice little reprieve for a while) so I'm fantasizing about spring and summer vacations, working in the yard, and all those outdoor festivals! <---- LOVE the craft ones. Here's hoping I can make our yard as pretty as some of my art.

Recycled Tote Bag

Tonight I just want to post a brief update on my recycled tote bag. Tomorrow (unless I'm feeling less chatty/exhausted from work) I will post a little more about the changes to my blog, some classes I'm interested in, and some other project photos.

I've been trying hard to motivate myself in this dreary month to get some projects finished. The nice thing about the recycled tote bag project is that it's due by February! It's a project competition posted by Craftster and if I want to be in the running, well then I have to have it finished at the end of this weekend. I'll post it for sale on Etsy afterward and depending on how successfully it turns out, I may make some more.

For those of you who follow me on Twitter (not many, I know), I recently posted that I had a great idea for my bag. I'm not going to post the exact details yet, but I'll post two pictures as hints. I knew what I was planning on using for my materials but while I was working on it the other day, I glanced at a piece of the bag and a really great idea popped into my head! I had to IMMEDIATELY find my sketchbook and figure out the logistics. I think it's doable (doable as in, it looks cute AND it's a functional tote bag) but considering that I haven't used a sewing machine in years (it's so much faster than hand-sewing though!), it might be sloppier than intended. And for those of you wondering, no I didn't buy a new machine (I actually have one but something is wrong with it); I borrowed my sister-in-law's. :) Thanks Julie! Anyway, back to the bag. I'm really hoping that no one else has the exact same idea and frankly I've been a little worried to Google it. I'll have to before I post it (I don't want to plagiarize), but I'm going to wait until I finish mine. I don't want to see someone else's and have that unintentionally influence the one I'm making. I know, I'm being so mysterious! Well, my bookbinding coworkers/friends will love it! Check out the photos and ignore my stray threads. :)

A new book to devour...

This week I feel like I have a bunch of little things to say, so you might get a bunch of little posts! I like to break up the text with at least one photo, so hopefully I'll be able to put something up that goes along with the topic. Right now, I'm exhausted from snowtubing all afternoon and once I'm done vegging on the couch with Hubby (and playing Mario on the Wii), I am going to head upstairs and pick up where I left off on a new book. :) I just had to share my thoughts on this one because it's about a freelance bookbinder (!) who can also see ghosts (!) and is trying to solve a mystery involving an illuminated manuscript (!). Seriously, how much better could this book get?? It's called The Book of Illumination: A Novel from the Ghost Files by Mary Ann Winkowski and Maureen Foley. I also just noticed on Amazon (in their section of Frequently Bought Together) that I also own one of the ones frequently bought but I would never have connected the two. Hm. Anyway, I am about halfway through the book and so far I have been nerdily excited over the references to bookbinding, the North Bennett St School, and to art/book and paper conservation schools. I am a little disappointed with how much the authors focus on the protagonist's personal life vs. interacting with ghosts (it seems to be a very minor part of the book thus far) but I'm hoping it will pick up a little towards the end of the book. I need to share this book with my bookbinding chums! (Yes, I used the word chums)

I also just came across a post on my Twitter today from amlibraries about social media cards as the 2.0 Type of Business Card. You can read the blog post here. I find the idea to be an excellent one. I appreciate that libraries and cultural institutions have a presence on social networking sites, but really? Who wants to "connect" with an institution? I would much rather network with a specific person who responds to my questions and comments rather than an overreaching organization. In most cases anyway, one person is assigned to update the institutions social networking accounts and the users/patrons get to know who this person is, responding to them on a more personal level. Let's share the workload with others, eh? Everyone should know how to use FB at this point (and NEEDS to). It's a really great guest post on The 'M' Word: Marketing Ideas for Libraries and Nonprofits, you should check it out. (http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/)

And just to include a picture for you :), here's a photo of a necklace I created as a holiday gift. It was my first attempt at working with wire and really bending it, hammering it, etc. I had to choose an easy design because otherwise I knew it would look a little miserable. The receiver seemed to like it and that's all that matters to me!

Hubby as Inspiration

Today we had a great deal of snow and hubby and I spent the day together since I didn't feel it would be safe to drive my usual 35-40 minute commute. I also had a bit of a sore throat so it seemed a wise decision. Naturally, while I could've been productive, especially in the craft department, I wasn't. But I found an unexpected source of inspiration in my hubby. As some of you know, he is in the computer programming field. Over the holidays, he recognized some skills that he hadn't used since college and decided to brush up on them. One way that he plans on doing this is by entering programming contests that are posted online. It forces him to create new code using....uh, things?....that he hasn't in quite a while and in the process, he could potentially win some prize money and gain some exposure.

While we were sitting here reading (me)/working on the computer (hubby) and listening to the Pogues station on Pandora, I realized that I should do something similar. I constantly wish I had "assignments" like in art class because it was far easier for me to be creative when I had some limitations. So of course I googled it (my fancy schmancy librarian education coming in good use!) and came across Craftster. What a great site! They have craft challenges about once a month it seems, which is a perfect timeline for me. The one due in February is a tote made of recycled materials. I'm going to have to scrounge the house for some ideas but I'm rather excited. Even if I decide not to participate in this challenge, there are many more to come. I enjoy having direction...no wonder I loved school.