Checking it Twice

To be honest, I've already received my Christmas gift this year: a Kindle. I love it. Truly. But that doesn't prohibit me making a list. *grins widely* And so, in no particular order of preference, I present the 2010 list of 'Presents Possible':

Jigsaw 'Butter Leather Trench'

Sterling gemstone band by JujuBySarah on Etsy
With citrine and peridot, please.

Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits

And perhaps some Christmas biscuits from Biscuiteers as well.

(Thought I'd throw this in for good measure:
I'm still searching for a leather sectional Chesterfield - fyi. Red leather, please.)

Hallmark ornament: 1940 Ford pickup

Blerg.

I've tried to not love it. But I do.

Adore her. (And I may have already purchased this.)

Sing it with me...

This should surprise no one; I ask for it every year.

Vintage NARS: 'Full Metal Jacket'

So, Mr C, aka darling husband... If you are so inclined, I will be most grateful. And thank you again for my wonderful Kindle. xx

Happy Christmas, dear blogfriends.   tIO x

Banner Day! with meringuedesigns

It's the Monday before Christmas, and it's a 'banner day'! Let's celebrate with the wonderful Etsy shop, Meringue Designs.



Cynthia Winward is a SAM of three who " found (her) passion in life" through sewing. When she left finance to raise her children, she also reunited with her serger and that's when things came together. Literally! Drapes, quilts, jackets and clothes for the children and for herself. And now she creates pillows, embroidery, patterns, and - of course - celebration banners like this one:

The best thing about this banner, though, is that it's for sale as a pattern - an "entire alphabet in mirror image...for uppercase and lowercase letters". It is a supplement to her 'Birthday Banner' pattern, which includes instructions for constructing the banner itself (also available in her shop). Wonderful, especially for those of us who like to 'make do and mend' - and create!

More loveliness from Meringue Designs:

  

Meringue Designs is a lovely shop and Cynthia writes an engaging blog, "Deep Thoughts by Cynthia". Reading through, Cynthia is not only "additcted to color", but this little tidbit caught my eye - and made me laugh-out-loud: "There is something ironic about being a seamstress and yet hating to sew costumes for my kids. I swear I can’t be bothered." I love that irony! And finding a terrific shop full of great fabrics, gorgeous pillows, and amazing banners - like Meringue Designs.

Time to wrap-it-up, lovelies! Here's to a great week - and a banner day!  tIO x

PS: Happy birthday, Tim!

Banner Day! with Earmark

Hear ye, hear ye! Earmark is today's 'banner day' feature, and is a wonderful shop run by husband-and-wife team Bridgette and Mike Berndt. Technically, I suppose, Earmark is the umbrella brand because these two have two Etsy shops - Earmark, their "mother shop" which stands alone as a traditional stationer, and Earmark Gatherings, their "new" shop "filled with fresh and fun party items".

Here are the two Etsy shop banners to start:




As I said, Earmark is a stationer, and a very talented and clever one. They design and sell most traditional paper products, e.g. cards, stationary, prints (like this one I bought), journals, invitations, announcements, etc. And, of course, they produce some terrific banners. Like these:

I may have featured some seasonal banners, but these are the tip of the proverbial iceberg for what Earmark creates and stocks; check-out this one:


Bridgette and Mike are lovely people who create lovely things. And they have turned their passions and talents into a lovely shop for the rest of us: "We have an obsession with paper products, and we cater to the customers that share our obsession."

Do they do custom orders? Yep. Wholesale? Yep. Are they available online? Yep - and not just at their Etsy shops, but also http://earmarkinvitations.com/ (and other online retailers). Bricks-and-mortar? Yep - look on their website for locations. Blog? Yep - http://eigreetings.blogspot.com/ Twitter? Yep - http://twitter.com/Earmark. Go on and click through any of these links to find out how Earmark "creates happiness", some of which looks like this:

      

That's is for today, kids. I'm off to either 'keep calm and carry on' or 'freak out and throw stuff'!

Make it a banner day!  tIO x

PS: Want to read more about Bridgette and Mike? Their interesting tale of life before and since Earmark was posted in May, 2008 as an Etsy "Featured Seller" Story: read it here.

Banner Day! with Bookity

As I continue to search for banners to celebrate and feature, my blog folder and Etsy favorites are filling-up dramatically! So many creative people out there; I love it!

Today's creative banner is courtesy of the wonderful  Bookity. In business since August, Bookity's mission is to recycle unwanted, unusable books, hence the clever name. Here's her engaging Etsy shop banner to start: 


The simplicity and charm of these creations, especially this banner - the "Paper Shakespearean" garland, is what I adore most:

And frankly, I like to say the shop name: "Bookity". So catchy!

More Bookity inspirations:
               

She may be based in Reading UK (which is wonderful planning on her part, really), but she ships internationally, happily upgrades shipping if you ask, and invites custom orders "in the spirit of adventure and the creation of shiny things". Best of all is Bookity's motto: "have sewing machine, will make." In fact, I think it's this 'inveterate optimism' that pervades and draws me in! "That's the spirit!" I cry. And the ticket to beautiful, repurposed, handmade items from Bookity. Check it out.

This week, in the calm before the storm, I am going to try to catch up on some reading, Wolf Hall in particular.

So... 'read on, McDuff', and make it a banner day!   tIO x

PS: Find more Bookity at the Bookity blog, on Facebook at the Bookity fan page, and on twitter at @bookityshop.

Knee-deep in Stockings

Last night, The Grey Colt hosted its annual 'stocking competition' to a packed house of artisans, raffle-hopefuls, and various and sundry community notables:
    
Snap of my entry this year: (a chalkcloth, white-polka-dot-on-red oilcloth, and tartan ribbon stocking that, were I to make this again, would be pieced-together on the wrong sides and have the edges pinked)

Supplies via OilclothAddict

Wine was poured, hors d'oeuvres were passed, and a merry time was had by all!

Look for updates throughout the week as the voting continues. TTFN! tIO x

Banner Day! with NottyPooch

Today's banner comes to us from the clever and crafty Etsy shop of NottyPooch:



Based in Penang, Malaysia, Huey and Wah are the two owners of NottyPooch design and own two naughty pooches, Xiao Bi and Coco, the shop's namesakes. They are also responsible for all of the cleverness and craftiness that results in their "eco recycled banner accessories and cool tshirts".

Here are some examples of their beautifully transformed banners:

 <-- a sleeve for Macbook   <-- an iPhone case

 <-- a casual tote   <-- a long wallet

Clever and crafty, right? In production on Etsy since early 2008, the duo can also be found tending to their blog: http://www.nottypooch.com/mydogdiary/, fanning their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/nottypooch, and following (and being followed) on twitter: @nottypooch.

With their backgrounds in the fine arts, passion for life, and commitment to producing great, practical accessories in eco-friendly materials, NottyPooch provides us all with another fun "reason to be unique". Two paws up for that! And for the free international shipping!

Toddling off to the antiques shops now, lovelies, to do some recycling and eco-friendly shopping of my own. Make it a banner day!

Banner Day! with nestables

As I was scouring sites and shops for banners this week, an odd thing happened: I couldn't find any that caught my eye. I was a bit perplexed. Usually, too many things catch my eye. "I must be ill," I thought. With 'the flu' running rampant, it wouldn't be a stretch. So I carried on, as all mommies (and bloggers) do.

This morning, I circled-back to Etsy. It usually takes me awhile to peruse the amazing offerings - because so many things catch my eye. Within minutes, however, this wonderful shop popped into view:

Let's start with that wonderful shop banner; it had me at 'hello'!

Open since March 2009, nestables isn't just a shop full of banners and bunting. There are lovely pillow covers, linen napkins, and even custom orders on offer.

And everything looks beautifully made!

Take a gander:

       


Simple but gorgeous. Plus, it's another 'local-to-me', and you know how I feel about that.

Regardless where you live, however, with its fresh fabrics, eye-for-detail, and tasteful style, nestables is the perfect shop to find some feathers for your own nest.

I'm off to 'fluff-and-fold'! Remember to make it a banner day!

Thanks for perusing this blog; blog you again soon!

"12 Days of Handmade Christmas"

Before I forget, stop over at the lovely Edie's blog, lifeingrace.

Not only is her blog amazing and inspirational, but she's started the:

12 days of tutorials from 12 different guest bloggers. Great ideas all around!

Today is Day 3 and the project is Coasters, courtesy of 4 Reluctant Entertainers. Day 2 featured the Ragamuffin Garland by The Nester. And Darby from Fly Through Our Window started us off on Day 1 with her Dishmat tutorial.

Thread your needles, ink your stamps, and enjoy!

Time out for fun!

I need to take a sec to pay homage to Etsy and its founders. I abso-fabulously love the whole concept, and browse daily. I had not imagined that there are so many talented people - and all quietly doing their thing. Here are some of recent faves: (click the photo to see the designer's Etsy name)

Visit www. etsy .com for these and more wonderful inspirations!

Today's conundrum: How can the trees lose leaves and then know when to grow them back again?

Future conundrum: Will the Japanese beetles decimate our roses and hollyhocks again this summer?

Thanks for perusing this blog. Blog you again soon!