Stitch In Time

Crate Paper Creative Weekly:: RED

Today is the start of Creative Weekly over at the the Crate Paper blog.  There will be lots of design team inspiration and also a challenge with a fabulous prize so stop by.

There's something very retro when you combine red, cream and aqua. It's one of my favorite color combinations! This year, I used it for my Valentine gifts. Instead of sending out cards or candy, I sent out heart-shaped sparklers with tags attached. I used red glitter covered Thickers from the Fourteen collection to give them that extra "sparkle" and added a match to get the fire going.

 

Mentos in a Pop Bottle

That whole thing about putting Mentos Mints in a pop bottle...

Actually works...

4 things I love about today...

Starbucks coffee

Roses from my hubby

Heart-shaped pancakes before school

Valentines for the classroom

Shopping in Leavenworth

We just got back from spending a couple of days in Leavenworth.  Spent a lot of time shopping this time around.  My two favorite stores are Paprika (Sophisticated Hippie) and Pine Hill Mercantile.  They are right next to each other and I love the way the show off their merchandise... stamped shipping tags, wire baskets, old barnwood, suitcases, and torn cardboard to name a few.  If I had my own store I think it would look something like these:

Garden Party

Garden Party decor made using the new Kitschy Digitals Paper Garden kit available at jessicasprague.com.  This was such a fun kit to work with.  I only wish our Seattle weather was being a bit more cooperative. 

 

 

 

Veer Fonts

I really love the fonts from Veer.com.   I've only gotten a couple of fonts there, but they are the ones I use over and over.

I also really like how great they treat their customerers.  Every once in awhile they send you something really fun in the mail. 

Today's mail was this really cool letter set.  How great is the design of the outside folder? And inside... 5 sheets of rub-ons of Veer fonts...

Yes, they are definitely one of my favorite companies.

Anthropologie

We had some time to kill before our dinner reservation tonight (for my hubby's birthday) so we stopped by the Seattle Anthropologie.

We weren't really interested in buying anything but it's always fun to stop by for some inspiration.

Burnt toast... a new take on wall art...

Love how they set up their cabinets..

Lots and lots of color...

On the way back to the restaurant we passed Louis Vitton...

and Betsy Johnson...

Before we finally made it to Benihana's for a deliciious dinner.   Hope you are having a good weekend as well.

You've Got Mail

I love mail.  I love post office supplies, especially anything vintage.  Over the years I've collected my fair share of things having to do with mail.  Here are my favorites...

Brass Letter Slot... It's supposed to fit in a door and some day I might get around to putting it in a door, but for now it's just a fun, vintage find.

Post Office Box Door.  Again, I hope to actually attach this to a box someday, but for now it's cute on a shelf.

Vintage Rubber Stamps.  I got these stamps on Ebay.   31 stamps for around $10.  

I store them in an old printer's box.

 
Old Labels. 

 
Stamps... I think these are so pretty.  

Vintage receipts and tickets.

and finally this book  my husband bought for me for Christmas.  It's full of some of the coolest mail art and ideas.  I'm still going through all of the different chapters.  Very fun.   

My Art Closet

My art closet is made out of our old tv armoire which we used before we got a flat screen tv. 

I modified the inside doors to hold supplies.  I made the upper left door panel into a french memo board using red velvet fabric and ribbons...

I made the bottom left door panel into a collection board using cup hooks and cork board...

the upper right door panel holds a small bucket for tags and papers

inside I hung a glass Christmas ornament from the ceiling to look like a chandelier...

 

 
   
finally a place to keep paint brushes...

and boxes...lots and lots of boxes...most of these are made out of paper mache.  It's great finally having everything in one place.

 

Thursday Afternoon

It's a cold, fall day outside...which is nice for being inside reading a book.  I am just about to start "Sing Them Home" for my next Book Club meeting.

I don't know anything about the book, other than it's over 500 pages and I need to get started if I want to finish it in time. 

My son checked a really neat book out of the school library this week.  It's called "The Jolly Postman" and it full of envelopes which contain letters you can actually pull out and read.

The letters are made out to fictional characters like Cinderella or Goldilocks.

 

My favorite letter is to the Big Bad Wolf.

My daughter is currently reading "Spiderwick's Field Guide"

 
 
I love the illustations in this book.

Speaking of Spiderwick, if you've ever seen the movie you'll know they have a toadstool ring which surrounds the enitre house to protect it.  Somehow, we've ended up with our own toadstool ring this fall, and I can't get rid of it.  It's driving me crazy and everyone's telling me I have to wait it out until it goes away on its own.  Definitely frustrating.

I really wish I could get rid of it.

Anyway, it's getting late and the kids are almost home from school so I need to sign off.  Bye!