Crafty Things

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tasty + crafty things…homemade apricot jam #2

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Last week we were buried in more apricots from my mom's tree. Remember the first batch?

This one little tree puts out so much sweet fruit, I couldn't stand to see it go to waste or to the squirrels. So once again, we were up on ladders filling every box we had with ripe fruit. We picked about forty-five pounds, and there was still a ton of fruit ripening on the tree!

In addition to the apricot tree, my mom also has a white nectarine, Santa Barbara plum and lemon trees. The apricot and lemon trees have been there since my childhood, which seems like forever, and the nectarine and plum trees are somewhat newer, their fruit wasn't as abundant, but it was SWEET and YUMMY!

The lemon tree puts out these freaky alien like lemons every so often. Here is the biggest alien lemon to date. Doc called it the eternal lemon because we used it for an entire week. 

With all these apricots, I had a lot of canning to do. I canned a batch every morning before work and every evening after work for a week. Having all the ingredients and equipment strewn all over the kitchen made Doc super twitchy as he's borderline maniacal about a tidy and clean kitchen, but he was supportive and helpful. D also pitched in by picking and weighing the apricots.

In the end, we canned almost 7 dozen jars! I barely had enough energy, or rather enthusiasm, to crank out some labels.

The final product in all it's glory…

Some of you will be getting a few jars in the mail, so keep your eyes open!

One last thing…I did save a few apricots to make some rustic tarts. These are so easy to make, especially if you make the pate brisee the day before you intend to use it. The added cornmeal to the crust add to the rustic quality. 

Thanks for checking in!

F&N

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wrap up on letterpress

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So I'm pleased to report that my letterpress class was wonderful! I learned the basics about letterpress and its history thanks to a short "lesson" and handout prepared by Jordan. After our intro, Jordan gave us a demo on the machine, and then each of us cranked out - literally - forty proofs of all of our cards.

With Jordan's permission, I snapped a few shots of her studio.

Thanks to a generous classmate, I was FINALLY able to taste Tartine's morning bun! WOW, WOW, WOW!!

I was pleased that my thumbnail sketch took to the process nicely, but I was disappointed in my selection of typography. I think with a few adjustments, it'll get to a place where I'll be happy. But I had a great time anyhow!

F&N

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object love…letterpress cards

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Three days and counting until my letterpress class with Jordan Ferney of Oh Happy Day!  Yes, like the rest of you, I love letterpress. One day, my business card will be letterpress. But in the meantime, I will be making calling cards for Fiddlesticks & Nonsense. Here's a peek at the art work…

I had several other layouts, but after some input from Doc and friends, I landed on these. Typography is soo hard and challenging. I'm not cut out for the nuances and finesse it requires. I'm really hoping the sketch comes through; keep your fingers crossed! I'll share the results!

Thanks for checking in!

F&N

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family…parties

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I've been hankering to throw a party, more specifically, a themed party. I can point the finger directly to Party Perfect for causing this stir at our home. But it's all good! I wish her blog was around when we had our first party for D, but I think Doc and I did pretty darn good!  So, I thought I would share some photos of birthdays past in my gallery.

 

The pattern has been to have a birthday party every other year. We seem to be on the even years. Age 2 and 4 are under our belt already, and birthday #6 is around the corner. So far, D has no expectations for a party every year. His main concern is CUPCAKES! Truth be told, I'm the party pusher. It's a great opportunity to combine all the activities I enjoy. However, D does enjoy parties and all the preparations.

Thanks for stopping by!

F&N

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family…lucky me!

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Here is a small Easter gift I received from Doc and D. It's a wonderful intersection of things I love, crochet [learning to love] and curiosities! 

This scientific crocheted specimen was procured in-store at the Curiosity Shoppe. After some on-line detective work, the creator is Jessica Polka, and her blog is Wunderkammer which means a cabinet of curiosities. 

I realize I'm a latecomer to her work, and this may be old news to most of you. But man, I love her stuff! I squealed with delight when I visited her etsy shop and saw patterns for cuttlefish, squid, octopus, coral and more. Needless to say, I ordered all the patterns immediately!

Have a look at her site and follow the links. The photo on the right is from her flickr stream. It accompanies her article, Sculptural Crochet Primer, which is just the inspiration I need to continue my pursuit of crocheting. 

Safe to say, I will be be spending time with hook, yarn and jpolka's patterns. I'm super, super excited! I love that a thoughtful gift turned into a wonderful discovery. I'm very luck that my boys know me so well.

A Very Happy Crafter,

F&N

 

crafty things…back to basics

I have an on-off love affair with knitting. In the beginning, I was obsessed. I was determined to knit a scarf, hat, sweater, anything for everyone I knew. When I was preggers with D, I knit him sweater after sweater. And then, suddenly, I stopped knitting. Completing projects took longer and longer, and this frustrated me. Concurrently, I began reading the First Man in Rome series [really, really fabulous historical fiction!] which consumed my "free time" for about 2years.

Currently, I'm in love with knitting, but my attention span and time are limited, so I must stick to small and easy projects.  Scarves are perfect for immediate gratification!

Lately, I've had a wandering eye to knitting's cousin, chrocheting. Feeling confident and secure in the knitting arena, I thought crocheting would be a breeze and easy to learn. NOT TRUE…at least for me. In the wee hours of the night, when Doc and D are asleep, I pull out my hook, yarn and The Crochet Answer Book for what feels like a futile attempt to teach myself how to crochet. Argghh! 

I do think I am making some progress, but I'm still reluctant to pull the trigger on starting a project. There are some really cute blankets, toys, and accessories for kids in this book by Lucinda Guy.

 

I love this book, Simple Crochet, for the black & white instructional photographs and the variety of materials she uses in the projects, such as kitchen twine, leather and fabric scraps. The projects are simple [they appear to be at least] and elegant.

Honestly, what I dream of crocheting is the Babette blanket that I spied at purlbee. In the meantime, I'll keep practicing and searching for that first project.

A frustrated crafter,

F&N

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good to know…F&N general announcements

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As much as I like concise, focused entries, sometimes there is a need to "unload" random bits of information. So here it goes!

 

For the SF and Bay Area locals…   San Francisco Sunday Streets are back. If you didn't have a chance to participate last year, make sure you do this year! Bring your bikes, skates, sunscreen, kids, pets and cameras and enjoy traffic free streets. 

 

Riley G Strapworks…camera straps rock! I received my handmade Speed Racer strap last week and immediately put it to work. Now, I've got my camera ready at all times while out and about, and I don't worry about looking like a tourist with my new strap. Follow his journey of building Riley G Strapworks into a business and see his photography portfolio on his blog.  His photography style makes me want to bring the whole family to SD for a photo session!

 

And speaking of photos…I've uploaded several new albums to the Photo Gallery link, including one for aprons. Please take a look. The thumbnail to the left features my new favorite apron made from Henry Alexander Regent Skull fabric. I hope you enjoy perusing the pictures and check back frequently as I plan to continually add more photos.

New Neighbors…are popping up at the Purl Beehive. I know most of you found your way to F&N through the Beehive and visit all the other wonderful blogs in this creative blog community. For those of you who haven't visited the Beehive, the Beehive icon in the sidebar will get you there. 

THANK YOU…to everyone who checks in and reads the blog. I love all the comments, so keep them coming!

Best,

F&N


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crafty things…easter preparations

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Here is my "mood board" for Easter. I mainly put this together so I could select some fabrics for the table setting and other craft/decorations. Typically, our aesthetic and sensibility is very modern, but for holidays or special occasions, I have an incredible propensity for romantic/victorian/gothic decor. I find it very hard to reconcile the two modes. In fact, this is really my first attempt. And believe it or not, the oversize egg theme was something I've been ruminating about before I picked up the recent issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine.  I have an unexplained affinity for ostrich eggs.

For the decoupage, I've tagged some lovely images in this book.  I may abandoned them if the scanning/photo copying is too difficult given the book's size.

I'm also in the process of acquiring some silver pieces on ebay to complete the display and the table setting. I've entered a crazy bidding war on a specific little item…ughh. 

I'll keep you posted on the progress and preparations for Easter. I'm short on ideas for activities that the grandparents and other adults can do with D. I'd love to hear any ideas you might have.

Thanks for hopping by!

F&N

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[really big] crafty things…Christien Meindertsma

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Doc came across this wonderful picture in I.D. magazine of designer Christien Meindertsma knitting a panel for a rug. Doesn't that look like so much fun? I'm curious about those "needles"…did she make those? She must have. 

Christien's work is inspiring on many levels, and it makes me wish I could redo college art school all over again. I think she has found that rare intersection of craft, design and art, and her ability to execute bringing these three elements together is fascinating. Make sure you visit her site and peruse her other projects, like Pig. Do a google search and read some of her on-line interviews, too.

 More photos [from her site] for your viewing pleasure!

Now, I must convince Doc that D really needs one of these stools!

Enjoy, 

F&N

crafty things…an apron or two

Finally, I've hit my stride with aprons! After sewing different types of aprons for the last year now, I've arrived at two styles I enjoy making. It feels good to have an apron or two in the arsenal. 

Kitchen Duty

There is no pattern for "kitchen duty". I just kept cutting and shaping until I came up with a shape that was flattering. What I love most about this apron is its versatility. You can keep it simple and tailored by using bias tape, or flirty and sassy by adding a ruffle along the edge. I'm typically not a ruffle gal, but the juxtaposition of the skeletons and really feminine details, like the ruffles and the wide waistband and ties was too cute to pass up. The fabric, Papel Picado Mexican Muertos by Henry Alexander is a favorite, and it's been in my stash for a long time waiting for the perfect project. I just discovered that it's now out of print, but if you do a google search, you can still find a few sellers carrying this in black, red and turquoise. I scooped up some serious yardage on ebay recently…I love it that much! In fact, I adore most of the Henry Alexander skull and skeleton designs. They are "morbidly alluring" [I read on a sellers site.]

Cocktail Hour

This sweet little "apron" is very easy to make. I call it the Cocktail Apron because it's short and asymmetrical and feels more like an accessory than an apron. Nevertheless, I still think it's super cute, and it makes a wonderful hostess gift. The pattern is from this Japanese sewing book, My Style My Apron. The book is fabulous and provides many ideas for this single apron. The fabric is a cotton/linen blend with a reversible gingham dot pattern. It comes in some fabulous colors, and last time I checked it was on sale at Supperbuzzy.

The aprons in the photos, poorly modeled by yours truly, were made and donated for a fundraising event at D's school. It was hard to say goodbye, but I'll be making some for myself sometime soon.

Enjoy,

F&N

crafty things…last minute monogram notebooks

D was attending a single birthday party for three girls over the weekend. The parents had requested, "no gifts, please". While I appreciate and respect parents who request no presents, it sill makes me uncomfortable to send D empty-handed. So, I thought something small and handmade would be appropriate. With 45 minutes left prior to departure, Doc and I made these monogramed notebooks.

Joelle's book, Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, provided the inspiration to use the notebooks, and the stenciled monogram was inspired by my dear friend, C, who always stencils "D" on her wrapping for gifts to D. Fortunately, I've got a stash of the Moleskin notebooks on hand as all three of us carry them.

What you'll need:

What to do:

  • Fuse fabric and interface together 
  • Using a pencil, faintly trace stencil onto notebook cover
  • Trace stencil onto right side of fabric
  • Cut out letter
  • Glue cut letter onto notebook cover using the pencil outlines as guides
  • Stitch in place
  • Tie threads in knots on the wrong side

So, like I said, we whipped up three of these in 45 minutes. Happy and proud with our creations, I sent Doc and D off to the party… a week EARLY! I'm such a dork!  

Happy Crafting,

F&N

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giving back + small stuff…big kid coupons

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The blogging world has a whole lot of information and ideas to share. Personally, I've taken a lot, and I've been thinking of ways to give back more frequently. So I've decided each time I use a "freebie" from my favorite bloggers, I will post a freebie of my own.

Freebie #1…Bid Kid Coupons

Perhaps, sharing these coupons airs more of our family's dirty laundry, but friends have responded positively to them and confess to implementing a similar system. We started using these about a year ago when D's sense of entitlement was at an all time high, and his family contribution was at an all time low! Immediate course correction was needed. I tried the responsibility charts, sticker charts, discussions…everything. As a last ditch effort, I made the "Big Boy" coupons. Success! 

I'm not sure why he responded to these. Maybe the size was smaller and less intimidating than a big chart, or perhaps he likes to punch the stars at the bottom. 

For each "responsibility" D completes, he gets to punch a star. He's a big-time negotiator. So, we negotiate how many stars he gets for particular achievements, but the REALLY big negotiations occur when he's accumulated a few coupons. He mostly cashes in his coupons for small toys, such as Hot Wheels or Legos, or an activity/outing involving a treat, like a trip to the Ferry Building for gelato or the Japanese Tea Gardens for cookies and green tea.

Does it sound like bribery? Maybe, but the results have been positive. Using this system over the last year, I have noticed D will fulfill most of  his responsibilities without asking for a punch; it's second nature. Now, that he's mastered the basics, we've moved on to bigger tasks [and bigger negotiations] such as washing dishes and vacuuming.

I've included two downloadable pdfs, Big Boy Coupons & Big Girl Coupons. My apologies if the color schemes are too gender biased, it was not my intention, I just liked the palette.  I hope some of you will get some productive use out of these!

Enjoy, 

F&N

 

ps - Freebie #1 is for Katie's quilt tutorial!

 

 

 

crafty things…Katie's quilt

Katie from katie did shared her amazing quilt she made in superhuman time. I know I posted a comment on how beautiful and modern her quilt was, and I'm sure many other people did as well because she posted a follow up tutorial. 

I was super excited when I read through her posts and discovered she used Kaffe Fassett shot cottons. These are my favorite solids, and I use them almost exclusively. I was doubly excited when Katie also gave the green light to sew the binding on by machine. This bit of information really pushed me to make my first quilt, because I know I don't have the patience or time to hand finish the binding. 

Gleaning information from Katie's tutorial and Joelle's book, Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts, I embarked on creating my first quilt. All the materials and supplies were ordered from Purl Soho, a perfect one-stop-shopping for busy people.

This is for D, and it's part of a mini redesign for his room that I've been working on lately.  As you can see, the colored flecks in the carpet were the inspiration for the quilt's color scheme. 

OK, it's not as stunning as Katie's, but I'm pleased with it. It could use more stitching to achieve the puckered look. I also need some serious practice working with such a huge piece of fabric and running it through the machine, but I'm sure I'll get there. As for the binding, I used cotton twill tape and a tape maker. Is that legal? I like the rough and ready quality it adds to the quilt…perfect for a five year old boy! 

Katie, if you're reading, thank you for sharing and inspiring.

F&N

crafty things…Valentines

OK, so I bet it's no surprise we make our own Valentine's cards. It's become a tradition since D was born, and he's constantly making Valentine's throughout the year! Generally, I draw something in Illustrator and print them, and D stickers, draws, and kisses each one. Most our Valentine's are sent to family plus a few friends.

Now that D is in kindergarten and has to give a card to every student, I wanted to try something different. More importantly, I wanted him to be the "creator" not just the decorator of the cards. So, with some team work, D and I made these…

and it was super fun!  I've always been interested in block printing, and this seemed like a great exploratory project to test the waters. It was so easy. I purchased all the tools and supplies individually, but I just discovered you can buy a starter Speedball block printing kit. 

You start with what seems like a giant piece of a pink rubber eraser, transfer your design and begin "carving". 

D drew the design on the block, and I carved around it. He inked it and pressed the paper. It was that easy. He did get bored of this design about a third of the way through and created another design…

very simple and sweet. We tried to mix some pink paint with little success. It brought back a flood of memories [and anxiety] of my Colory Theory class in college. I forgot how to mix paint! It comes back after the first disaster, but the attention span for mixing paint is pretty short as you can imagine.

 

F&N

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Small stuff…art explosion

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While we like to foster creativity and expression for D and provide access to many art supplies and tools…

this is unacceptable! I try to ignore the growing mounds on his table and "gently persuade" him to clean up after he's finished, but it's no use. You see, he's never finished! As he so rationally explains to me, "I'm just taking a break, I need to leave EVERYTHING where it is so I can finish LATER."

I understand his arguement, completely. I leave projects in progress out as well, except I have a more Gerhard Richter approach…

and D is more like Calder…

which is fine, assuming you have a giant studio that is self-contained with a door. Since all of us tend to spend time in D's room, the Calderesque model won't work. Husband and I much prefer an organized environment to a chaotic one. 

I know it might seem unfair or that I'm stifling creativity, but an organized room and work area is how it's going to be. I don't confuse organized with "inaccessible". In fact, we make every effort to provide D with a sense of ownership over his own room, which includes tidying up. 

So, to keep the peace [and organization], I purchased a Bisley cabinet from the Container Store. I don't know why we took so long to get these for his room. We have several of these in our office, and I specify them frequently for our clients. Sometimes the solution is right in front of you!

It's all worked out. He's said to me, "Mom, I just love this new thing! I can find my stickers now! And I can take it with me to college!" [ College?]

Thanks for stopping in,

F&N [an imminent empty nester!]