Archive for June, 2011
This giveaway is in conjunction with Reader Appreciation Week here on Papernstitch. Thank you so much to everyone who reads this blog and has made it what it now is!
You know that I am a DIY fiend, and I know that you are too. So I am super pumped to be bringing this giveaway to you today! Thanks to the lovely people at Trumpeter Books and Shambhala Publications, I am giving away not one but two amazing craft project books that will inspire even the busiest (and craftiest) do-it-yourselfer. Both are from Shambhala’s Make Good Books series, and honestly, I am completely jealous of whomever wins the pair, worth a retail value of $42. I took a few photos so you can see exactly what’s up for grabs.
The winner of this giveaway will receive these two titles…
1. Natural Patchwork: 26 Stylish Projects Inspired by Flowers, Fabric and Home by Suzuko Koseki – This 128 page book is perfect for the girl who loves her sewing machine. Yep, I am talking to you! Natural Patchwork is filled cover to cover with detailed diagrams and full-color photographs of projects ranging from patchwork placemats to pillows and bags.
2. At Home with Handmade Books: 28 Extraordinary Bookbinding Projects Made from Ordinary and Repurposed Materials by Erin Zamrzla – As you may guessed from the title, this book is for the girl whose favorite tools are a bone folder and awl. There are so many great ideas in this one- lots of bookbinding techniques fill this 191 page book.
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Here’s how you can enter to win this set of books valued at $42:
There are 3 ways to enter this giveaway (so you can enter up to 3 times). Each entry should be a separate comment…
1. Leave a comment below and tell me what your favorite craft project is that you’ve created. Bonus points if you tell me why.
2. Become an email subscriber by filling out the form below. *If you are already an email subscriber, you are automatically entered to win.
3. Twitter, facebook, or blog about this giveaway and leave a link in the comments. *You can use the handy buttons below this post to link via facebook and twitter.
**Giveaway will end on Monday, June 27th at 11:59 pm eastern time.**
Extra, extra! Time for a week of free goodies and discounts!
I am so excited to share that today is the first official day of Reader Appreciation Week. To say thank you for being so awesome these last three years, I’ve put together a week of giveaways, discounts, and more just for you…
All week long, I’ll be giving away some really fun prizes to help you with your creative business, along with a couple of things to keep the creativity running through those veins. AND there will also be special discounts everyday this week for you to take advantage of.
It’s going to be great. I promise. So be sure to come back everyday this week to participate in the festivities. The first giveaway will be up at 1pm EST.
You feel comfortable with scissors and glue and maybe even a sewing machine, but it’s time to break out of your comfort zone and explore the great unknown (or at least the lesser-used supplies in your diy arsenal).
What do you say? Let’s crawl to the back of your closet and dust off those supplies you haven’t used in a while. It’s diy time! And this week it’s all about your modern home.
Here are your projects and the supplies you’ll need…
1. DIY Supply: house paint
(above) Turn a dingy planter into a diy project full of sunshine on Old Brand New.
2. DIY Supply: electric drill and drill bits
Create a modern birdhouse for your feathery friends.
3. DIY Supply: slow cooker (yep the one typically used for food)
Make your own set of dip-dyed candles from Martha Stewart.
4. DIY Supply: dremel tool
Bring plants indoors with a diy wall garden made of magnetic metal tins.
5. DIY Supply: glass etching cream
And finally, quench your thirst for design with this tutorial from Curbly to make your own Eames-inspired drinking glass.
What DIY supplies will you be dusting off this weekend?
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One last thing before I go… Next week is officially Reader Appreciation Week! So, I’ll be hosting some amazing giveaways, sharing some fun tutorials, and a whole lot more to say thanks for the last three years! Get excited. It’s going to be fun.
Based out of Ukraine, Europe, BeautySpot is a collaboration between husband and wife duo, Polina and Sergery. They are full time Jewelry makers, and their Etsy Shop is a way for them to connect with customers internationally.
Here’s what they have to say about their work…
“We believe every moment in our lives should be beautiful, as life is too short to waste it. Jewelry for us is not just some items someone can wear. It’s whole lifestyle.”
How sweet. Their line of jewelry and accessories really celebrates the simple things: winter trees, spring flowers, and animals in nature. You’ll find a variety of accessories, like cute brooches (the Sweet Foxy Brooch was featured on the front page of Etsy), unqiue earrings, and even cufflinks (perfect for Father’s Day)!
I’m impressed by the dedication to quality that shines in every piece created by this team, and the amount of their work that’s been featured on the front page of Etsy is testament to their skills.
Discount Code: Use code ‘BeautySpot10″ during checkout to get 10% off of items in the BeautySpot Etsy Shop.
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
Darlene of The Alchemists Heart has an enviable amount of passion and dedication for her craft. She’s a photographer and graphic designer, but her heart is in mixing up enticing scents. She’s been blending her own compositions for over 15 years!
The perfumes Darlene sells in her Etsy shop are all natural and contain no artificial aromatic ingredients. The essences used in her creations are sourced from natural origins and are derived from plants, roots, herbs, and other botanical sources.
According to Darlene, “Natural perfume is discreet and very different than alcohol laden colognes. I can’t think of anyone who likes their perfume making an entrance before they do!” Her signature scents are designed to last 5 to 7 hours.
Shop the wide variety of scents available in The Alchemist’s Heart Etsy Shop.
(The detailed descriptions will make you wish you could smell through your computer screen!)
Vanessa wrote this post. She is a full time copywriter and webmarketer with a passion for art, creativity, and thrift. She writes about thrifting, creating, and saving money every weekday on her blog, Thrift Core.
Ever lay awake at night thinking, “Oh man, oh man! If I only knew what Brittni’s style essentials were, I could rest easy!”?
Well then, you are in luck my friend – because I just rounded up my top six essentials over on Camille Styles for her “My Essentials” column. Not surprisingly, Luna and cupcakes are high on my list. But I also have a couple surprises in there, and I wrote a few words about why I just can’t live without each of these wonderful things too. So, you’ll want to head over to Camille’s site to get the whole scoop.
Side Note: I actually had a few more essentials that didn’t make the cut. But I still want to share ‘em. So here’s four extra must-haves (for me) that I absolutely adore.
Extra essentials…
1. I love the small hello sign I bought for my office from William Dohman.
2. Right now, I am addicted to Pinterest. So, I would say it’s definitely one of my favorite sites. *If you like Pinterest too, you can check out my pinterest boards here.
3. Since I sit in front of a computer all day, sometimes it just feels good to write my thoughts down on paper. So, I am never without a notebook and a pen. I recommend these notebooks if you’re looking for some options. They are really all I use.
4. And of course…There’s a local shop here in Jacksonville that my friend Shaan owns that I just adore. It’s called Nest Living. Jeff and I pick up a lot of things for our home from him.
See six more of my essentials on Camille Styles now.
Thanks so much Camille for asking me to do this!
After a few weeks of looking at specific items for the home, like last week’s rug roundup, I decided to take a little detour back into a color scheme, or in the case of today’s images, a lack thereof. Today’s focus is the combination of black and white as used in modern interiors. You might think that use of primarily black and white in one interior space might be harsh or cold looking. I will readily admit that until recently, I never really considered black at all for interior spaces, not wanting to head that far down the dark pathway, but these interiors are both inviting and fun. The black accents really play off the lighter background, and give a place for your eyes to rest, something on which to focus.
There is a simplicity to the black and white color combo that is relaxing to look at, and good designers use a combination of shape, repetition and texture to play these pieces against one another in interesting ways. Items with differing amounts of black and white provide a range of variation, and oversized fixtures add strongly to the visual interest in a space. Repetitive elements like matching picture frames create their own pattern, while overlapping objects and images provide a sense of depth. Black and white sits beautifully against woods like whitewashed oak, teak and walnut, those woods with a greyer tone. And don’t forget what the monochrome palette does for that single splash of color in a room – it’s an amazing way to create a strong focus for any bright color!
(above) Chartreuse Chairs in Loft
Red Centerpiece + Oversized Black Pendant
Amy wrote this post. She is the designer and owner of FormFire Glassworks, where she creates modern lampwork glass beads and jewelry. You can follow her twitter @formfireglass.
