I am making a larger effort to be GREEN! We replaced many of our light bulbs with compact fluorescents, bought a share in a local Organic Co-op farm, and bought reusable groccery bags for a start. In my research of crafty greenness... I have discovered Furoshiki... or Japanese Fabric Folding as a green way to wrap gifts and transport items.
You can find basic instructions on Furoshiki HERE... and if you do a Google Image search for Furoshiki Wrapping you can see some amazing examples of the results.
As I understand this art form, traditional fabrics and cloths of a typical size are used. But I think it'd be cool to try some vintage dishtowels, hankies or even bandannas. Imagine wrapping a cookbook in a vintage embroidered dishtowel for a gift, a small jewelry box in a vintage hankie... or a baby gift in handmade flannel receiving blanket! Cuteness! I think I will also try to make some large cloths to carry as emergency totes. They'd be convenient to carry as they'd be so small... and I think I could fashion some out of fabric remnants edged in bias tape.... stay tuned!
August 16, 2007
August 14, 2007
Archiver's Makes Me Insane and What Happened to Cool School Supplies?
If you don't have an Archiver's Store in your hood... ok... you will probably think I am a jerk for biting the had that feeds me.... but my local Archiver's makes me so angry! Prepare for a rant about nothing important.
Every time I go to my Archiver's (you will have to guess which one) I have a bad experience. For one they don't have a child friendly attitude... now please, if you hate children or at the least hate shopping for scrapbook paper near children please don't come crying to me. I already read that thread on splitcoast and it infuriated me. I have a child... and so do a lot of crafters (duh). In my opinion it's just plain ole BAD MARKETING to not have some tolerance. A play area isn't even necessary... but it's nice.
By the way, by son is perfect in every way... he never pulls the paper off the shelves.
My fave scrappy stamp store The Cottage Stamper is always kind to my son... they give lollipops. :)
I don't even go to Archiver's with Andy anymore. He can sense their fear.
So last night I went to you-know-where... looking for flocking powder... which they had a decent selection of in case you are also looking... and I stumbled upon some other fun things...
This line of paper from Basic Grey... "Mellow" yummy... it's so Autumn Japanesy. I like it so much and I wonder how I missed this at CHA.
But they are never able to answer a simple question there! "Do you have Timber Brown StazOn reinkers?" and she walks me over to the rack with the StazOn and starts picking up everything but the StazOn. I don't think she even knew what I was talking about.
"Do you have Brown Brads?"
"No" was the jointly echoed immediate answer from both clerks... now I had seen brown brads... but I was looking for smaller ones... so rather than asking for small brown brads (which I feared would confuse them) I just asked for brown brads... and they DID have brown brads. It felt great to walk to the counter later with my browner than brown brads.
So you can imagine I didn't believe them when they said they didn't have 6" X 12" albums. I looked and looked... but I guess they were right.
One time I asked if all the Basic Grey paper was together and the clerk actually walked me over to some gray cardstock... loon.
Last time I went they couldn't find a opaque Sakura Glaze pen for me to sample. Am I the only one in the world who needs to sample a $3.00 pen before I purchase it? I think not.
Why don't these stores have sample counters like cosmetic counters do? They should!
My tip... If you are looking for cool school supplies for your 30-something-year-old-self... get your butt to a Borders Books. Did you know they have a teeny tiny selection of neat scrapbooking kits too? And some of their wrapping papers would be awesome for scraping... if you are the type that doesn't care about Acid Free and all that.
Boy I feel better... thanks for listening! If you've read this far you deserve a card... More new images from justjohanna... Who doesn't love a cherry on a cupcake? Yay!
Colored with SU! markers. Top of cupcake is glittered with Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter (white) and SU! Dazzling Diamonds in Red.
Every time I go to my Archiver's (you will have to guess which one) I have a bad experience. For one they don't have a child friendly attitude... now please, if you hate children or at the least hate shopping for scrapbook paper near children please don't come crying to me. I already read that thread on splitcoast and it infuriated me. I have a child... and so do a lot of crafters (duh). In my opinion it's just plain ole BAD MARKETING to not have some tolerance. A play area isn't even necessary... but it's nice.
By the way, by son is perfect in every way... he never pulls the paper off the shelves.
My fave scrappy stamp store The Cottage Stamper is always kind to my son... they give lollipops. :)
I don't even go to Archiver's with Andy anymore. He can sense their fear.
So last night I went to you-know-where... looking for flocking powder... which they had a decent selection of in case you are also looking... and I stumbled upon some other fun things...
This line of paper from Basic Grey... "Mellow" yummy... it's so Autumn Japanesy. I like it so much and I wonder how I missed this at CHA.
But they are never able to answer a simple question there! "Do you have Timber Brown StazOn reinkers?" and she walks me over to the rack with the StazOn and starts picking up everything but the StazOn. I don't think she even knew what I was talking about.
"Do you have Brown Brads?"
"No" was the jointly echoed immediate answer from both clerks... now I had seen brown brads... but I was looking for smaller ones... so rather than asking for small brown brads (which I feared would confuse them) I just asked for brown brads... and they DID have brown brads. It felt great to walk to the counter later with my browner than brown brads.
So you can imagine I didn't believe them when they said they didn't have 6" X 12" albums. I looked and looked... but I guess they were right.
One time I asked if all the Basic Grey paper was together and the clerk actually walked me over to some gray cardstock... loon.
Last time I went they couldn't find a opaque Sakura Glaze pen for me to sample. Am I the only one in the world who needs to sample a $3.00 pen before I purchase it? I think not.
Why don't these stores have sample counters like cosmetic counters do? They should!
My tip... If you are looking for cool school supplies for your 30-something-year-old-self... get your butt to a Borders Books. Did you know they have a teeny tiny selection of neat scrapbooking kits too? And some of their wrapping papers would be awesome for scraping... if you are the type that doesn't care about Acid Free and all that.
Boy I feel better... thanks for listening! If you've read this far you deserve a card... More new images from justjohanna... Who doesn't love a cherry on a cupcake? Yay!
Colored with SU! markers. Top of cupcake is glittered with Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter (white) and SU! Dazzling Diamonds in Red.August 13, 2007
New Blog Banner... and other stuff I need to do
Getting a new blog banner has been on my list of to-do items... I am still not fully satisfied with it, but I was like the last person on earth to have banner period... so now I have a "sort of" cool banner. Whatever... it's better than nothing.
Also on my to do list...
If this isn't enough reason for you to stay tuned... you are just too hard to please! :)
Ok... twist my arm... here are some fun San Fran Images for ya! Click on them to enlarge.
Giant sexy legs on Haight Street!
I have no idea what The Owl Tree sells... this was a "drive by" picture snapping!
Doesn't this sign make laundry look fun!
Really yummy Mexican Restaurant... REALLY yummy (the new blog banner was shot in their bathroom by the way!) The place was FILLED with awesome art and amazing copper walls which for some reason I didn't snap a picture of.
No I didn't get a tattoo/piercing here... but It's a cool building right?
What a great name for a donut shop! Unfortunately the sign/name was better looking than the donuts.
As if you needed another reason to love the Japanese... three cheers for food that eats itself! (Bottom picture... second square down on the left side.) Pictures taken in Japantown... my favorite place in all of San Francisco!
Also on my to do list...
- Acknowledge all the lovely people who have tagged me receintly. It's not that I am some sort of tagging snob or something... I just can't keep up. Please forgive me!
- Send a bunch of cards in for publication.
- Get some stuff up on Ebay.
- Make kitchen curtains.
- Buy fabric for kitchen curtains.
- Buy shelves from Ikea and reorganize my studio.
- Talk to you about Angelic Organics... the organic farm we bought a share in... yum!
- Figure out which justjohanna cards I can post for you.
- Post a bunch of stuff on Splitcost and ScrapTV.
- Finish organizing my San Fran pics and show them to you.
- Set up a paid Flickr account so I have more space and can sort things into albums.
- Clean my house (aren't I funny!)
- Add a ton of people to my blogroll.... again... SORRY! I am so bad about that!
- Celebrate my one year anniversary blogging (yay!)
- Do some sort of cool fundraising blog giveaway thingy.
If this isn't enough reason for you to stay tuned... you are just too hard to please! :)
Ok... twist my arm... here are some fun San Fran Images for ya! Click on them to enlarge.
Giant sexy legs on Haight Street!
I have no idea what The Owl Tree sells... this was a "drive by" picture snapping! 
Doesn't this sign make laundry look fun!
Really yummy Mexican Restaurant... REALLY yummy (the new blog banner was shot in their bathroom by the way!) The place was FILLED with awesome art and amazing copper walls which for some reason I didn't snap a picture of.
No I didn't get a tattoo/piercing here... but It's a cool building right?
What a great name for a donut shop! Unfortunately the sign/name was better looking than the donuts.
As if you needed another reason to love the Japanese... three cheers for food that eats itself! (Bottom picture... second square down on the left side.) Pictures taken in Japantown... my favorite place in all of San Francisco!
August 12, 2007
Great Band Names
Ya know when you get that random thought... "that'd be a great band name!" Well, like you, I get tons of spam email... and they often start with those weird nonsensical sentences structured to trick your spam filters right? Well hidden in those wack-o phrases are cool band names. Feel free to use the following... these would probably also make good poetry prompts, song, film or album titles as well. Do with them what you please.
Poll Module for Serendipity
Last Child in the Woods
Superweeds Damage
Feedback Mapbirds (my favorite)
Information or Dead
Unibus Baggage
The Simplification Trick
Dragon Screamer
Shift Biz
For None Venture
Megatown Backsplash
A Clock in Your Pocket
Typewriter Plush
Justin Long Glibly
Cablecar Media
Blaster Gallery
Insane Report
All my Pretty Chickens
From the Crowns of Stems
Poll Module for Serendipity
Last Child in the Woods
Superweeds Damage
Feedback Mapbirds (my favorite)
Information or Dead
Unibus Baggage
The Simplification Trick
Dragon Screamer
Shift Biz
For None Venture
Megatown Backsplash
A Clock in Your Pocket
Typewriter Plush
Justin Long Glibly
Cablecar Media
Blaster Gallery
Insane Report
All my Pretty Chickens
From the Crowns of Stems
August 11, 2007
justjohanna News!
Attention justjohanna fans! There is a super quickie DT call going on! Check out Johanna's Blog for the deets. It's a fun team to be a part of, I hope some of you will consider giving it a go!
We also have a fun Sketch Challenge going on... no contest this month.... but a great sketch to inspire you.
Here are my submissions... All stamps by justjohanna
This card uses bleaching to achieve the look on these layers. I like to beach with "splashless" bleach. Just paint it on and heat set or let it dry overnight. I stamp with Staz-On or Chalk ink when using this technique. Different cardstocks bleach out in different colors. Just make sure you are using a high quality cardstock without a white core.
It's sort of hard to see, but the layer on the left is several Marvy Mega Square Scalloped punches overlapped. The notecard base is by A Muse. Don't you love this new "Lovely Skull N Bones" stamp by justjohanna! And fyi... "hallo" is "hello" in dutch! :)
If you haven't checked out all the new stamps at justjohanna you should! There is a great new Octopus "Oh Octopus" and my favorite "Rag Doll Unicorn". (see below) If you are a regular reader you will remember that I predicted Octopus would be big... and CHA proved that point... We saw many Octopi. My next prediction is for unicorns... and this uni is top on my list of must haves! More proof that unicorn are hot can be found on Etsy... almost 30 pages of unicorn love!
We also have a fun Sketch Challenge going on... no contest this month.... but a great sketch to inspire you.
Here are my submissions... All stamps by justjohanna
This card uses bleaching to achieve the look on these layers. I like to beach with "splashless" bleach. Just paint it on and heat set or let it dry overnight. I stamp with Staz-On or Chalk ink when using this technique. Different cardstocks bleach out in different colors. Just make sure you are using a high quality cardstock without a white core.
It's sort of hard to see, but the layer on the left is several Marvy Mega Square Scalloped punches overlapped. The notecard base is by A Muse. Don't you love this new "Lovely Skull N Bones" stamp by justjohanna! And fyi... "hallo" is "hello" in dutch! :)If you haven't checked out all the new stamps at justjohanna you should! There is a great new Octopus "Oh Octopus" and my favorite "Rag Doll Unicorn". (see below) If you are a regular reader you will remember that I predicted Octopus would be big... and CHA proved that point... We saw many Octopi. My next prediction is for unicorns... and this uni is top on my list of must haves! More proof that unicorn are hot can be found on Etsy... almost 30 pages of unicorn love!
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