Something About Nothing

We slept in for the black friday early morning sales but are about to head out to see if any specials are still around, but as I checked my email I was excited to see that ALL of Craftsy's classes are $19.99 or less!  Woohoo!  Time to buy MY Christmas present! Are you shopping today?

Did I already share this? I just love this birdy statue in my yard. And one more for today:

Create Something One Of A Kind with  Blurb People love getting really creative, one-of-a-kind books for Christmas. Books that elicit a “where did you find this?” response. As the leading indie- and self-publishing platform,  Blurb  has an entire online bookstore full of unique books by an incredible array of undiscovered, self-published authors, artists, and photographers. And while these books probably aren’t in your recipient’s bookshelf, many of them should be. So, if you’re thinking of giving unique gifts this year, consider these titles. Each costs around $40 USD or less: Cookie Cravings by Maria Lichty and Heidi Larsen We all have cookie cravings. Popular food blogger Maria Lichter decided to put them into something deliciously original: A baking book featuring 30 recipes you won’t find anywhere else. Dog by My Side by Adam Schnitzer This charming collection of original, vintage photos shows us that as long as there have been cameras, we’ve wanted to photograph our canine best fr

I need a new pair of glasses so I ordered 5 pair of glasses to try on from Warby Parker  for FREE.  I tried them on virtually first but it was much better trying them on in my house.  I was able to tell if the glasses would be comfortable AND good looking. I really liked the way these looked but they did not fit on my ears at all.   I thought these green frames made me look a bit sickly.  I was trying to get a look at the green legs on these purple frames.  And this pair FELT great and I think they look good too.  And of course I had to see how they fit on the top of my head because this is where I wear my glasses most!   Warby Parker has teamed up with Beck to create a limited-edition pair of frames to promote Beck's upcoming Song Reader concert.  They weren't available when I sent for my sample frames.  The new  Limited Edition Carmichael Frames - Inspired by Beck , are available to purchase today and are only available while supplies last. Th

I'm so thankful for a time of year that reminds me to be thankful!   I try to be thankful all year but I love having a special time of year for all of us to remember. I have much to be thankful for! And because I am very grateful for all of my friends,  who also like to read my blog (even if this is your first time!), I want to giveaway a fat quarter of my hand dyed fabric to one reader.  Leave a comment telling me what YOU are thankful for  and I will draw a winner's name November 27th. PLEASE, please, please make sure you leave your email address in your comment or that your account is linked to your email.  Nothing breaks my heart more than to select a winner and not have ANY way to contact them! I am more than willing to ship the fabric internationally so everyone feel free to enter! Thanks so much for stopping by  and be sure to hop on over to Quiltinggallery.com   to visit all the other blogs giving away awesome stuff! 'Cause who i

My friend is a watercolorist and has a group of friends she paints with.     We have been trying to get together so that I could teach them how to use TAP (Transfer Artist Paper) on paper with their watercolors.  It isn't hard at all, they could figure it out on their own, but we wanted to have a play date, and show them something different than what they usually do.  We finally settled on a date and time and today was the day, until 5 a.m. this morning.  My daughter woke up with a stomach bug.   No fun for her!  And NO play date for me.  I feel terrible for all of us. It couldn't be avoided. So to make myself feel better I thought I would have a play date with my blog readers. Get out your supplies and let's play! Materials Needed: Watercolor or mixed media paper Board or foam core larger than paper painters tape pencil white gel roller  pen Sharpie or other markers watercolor paints and watercolor brushes (you can use inexpensive kid'

Give Something Personal This Holiday Season If you have a digital camera-whether it's your smart phone or your DSLR-chances are you have a lot of wonderful photos of the people you love. And there's a pretty big chance that if you do, those photos haven't seen the light of day since you first took them, posted them to Facebook, or picked that new wallpaper for your smart phone or computer. Now, imagine those photos in a book, given as a gift. Wouldn't you look like the best most thoughtful person ever? Yeah, you pretty much would. And with  Blurb 's easy, custom books, you can make a photo gift book that's both personal and extremely polished. You can use your Facebook photos, Instagram photos, or photos on your computer. You can design your own book, or have it automagically created with the  Blurb  Designer Collection templates. All these tools are designed to run right in your web browser, letting you make a book in as little as ten minutes, and they start at

What is  Craftsy ? Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting,  Craftsy  has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.    Behind the Scenes: The Making of a  Craftsy  Class Before filming even begins, hours and hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outli

My camera and My blog go hand in hand. I suddenly realized this when I lost my battery this week. It all started with a dead battery, followed by me removing the battery from the camera and then not being able to find the battery charger.  I made the mistake of setting the battery down while searching for the lost charger and then becoming distracted by something else. SQUIRREL! SHINY OBJECT! . . .and before I knew it a week went by and I couldn't find my camera battery, more or less the charger!  The worst part for me was that no battery meant no camera which meant no photos to blog! Scandalous! Finally this morning I happened across the battery charger sitting next to my sewing machine.  After a little honest searching I found the battery sitting in my art bag.  YAY! Time for some photos! Most of this week has been spent sewing for my daughter's high school drama department.  I am serging and sewing bags for the actors' costumes. Kirsten h

I couldn't decide between the red or the yellow so I'm posting both! Happy Fall!

Blurb's Chicken Soup For Your Soul! It can be really hard buying books for people as gifts. After all, you never know just which books they already have. And then when you do find the right book and give it to them, how do you make it really personal? Put in a book plate? Write an inscription? How do you make the whole thing totally them? These personalized “ Chicken Soup for the Soul ” books are one really great way to do it. Not only do you get to choose from five different story themes (from “Christmas Stories” to “Giving thanks”), you can personalize it in ways you just can’t with a conventional book. As the title suggests, these are stories meant to comfort and heal.  Your custom “ Chicken Soup for the Soul ” book will truly be a book for them because the book is printed with their name on the cover, as the recipient. And it’s truly from you because your name is printed on the cover as the giver. You can even include an inscription inside the book and on the back cover. Even a

The other day at my friend Juliette's house while I was finishing up the quilting on my Townhouse quilt, Juliette carved a few stamps.   Juliette is extremely talented in everything she does.  I always learn so much from her. This time I learned that I need to go buy more tips for my lino carver so that I can make these incredibly thin lines. The stamps are a lovely addition to her calligraphy on letters.  She has been very busy with this latest obsession. Juliette always has beautiful things displayed in her home. I gave Juliette one of my Oops erasers to carve and she made a lovely key. Which she used to send lovely letters. Juliette Inspires Me! Please leave a comment for me about what is inspiring you today.