gifting someone of the crafster variety this year? how about a book on their craft? or maybe one on how to sell it or taking pictures of it? i personally own eight out of ten of these books (a bit of an obsession?) and can vouch on how truly wonderful they are. chock-full of useful information, you or your recipient will surley leave full of inspiration and better equipped to take on the world of craftiness!

p.s. do you have any favorite crafty books?

row 1: how to make money using etsy | the handmade marketplace | creative, inc

row 2: craft, inc. | how to sell your crafts online | print & pattern

row 3: a field guide to fabric design | a crafter’s guide to taking great photos | martha stewart’s encyclopedia of crafts

wrap up: {2011} {art} {books} {craft} {crafty} {design} {etsy} {gift guide} {how to sell} {photos}

speaking of my odd liken to corn lately, have you all read animal, vegetable, miracle by barbara kindsolver? i couldn’t help but think of it yesterday as i wrote about my seasonal cravings. this book has been one of my favorites for a long time, and it is one of the reasons why i fell in love with eating locally and seasonally.

it is the (true) story of a year in which the kingsolver family deliberately fed themselves on food grown within their community, and what they learned from the experience. it’s inspiring, entertaining and encouraging- and it is even jam packed full of seasonal recipes and weekly dinner planning ideas! if you haven’t read it, i (obviously) recommend it. if you’re not much of a reader, maybe you would enjoy visiting their website where you can still find recipes, resources and tips on finding local food.

wrap up: {barbara kindsolver} {books} {food} {local} {produce} {recipes} {recommend} {seasonal}

well i’m not sure about everything, but these two things sure do make me happy. because of our moving, i haven’t been gardening as much as i like this year, but my fingers still yearn to be in the dirt. i have a little plot planned out and i’m ready to get started on a little veggie garden any time now. how is you garden growing?

{image: the sweet life found via elizabeth fink}

wrap up: {art} {books} {garden} {library}

beautiful, aren’t they? this takes my love of books to a whole new level. for me, these bookmobiles from shop house inspire imagination and encourage me to pick up a favorite read. the good news? you can learn how to transform books into art yourself!

shop owner and author lisa occhipinti recently published her latest book, the repurposed library (lucky for us!). inside, you’ll find 33 inspiring book transformation projects and be crafting (and reading) in no time.

wrap up: {art} {book mobile} {books} {library} {lisa occhipinti} {repurpose} {transform}

i keep spotting jillian tamaki’s work around blogland (first spotted here) and fell in love with these darling book covers instantly. she embroidered three of them as covers to some upcoming penguin classic books. all three will be released this fall, and i’m not sure how anyone could resist picking these beauties up. awesome work, jillian!

a dreamland of embroidery

wrap up: {books} {embroidery} {jillian tamaki} {penguin classics}

 
time for an inbox inquiry! this one comes from my good friend, tammie. make sure to share your suggestions in the comments section!

hi tammie! i am so happy to hear you’re getting into sewing! i think you’ll love it. :) i don’t often use traditional ‘patterns’ but i do have several favorite pattern books, here they are!

simple sewing by lotta jansdotter. this was one of my first ever sewing books, and i loved every pattern in it! it holds a collection of 24 of her most popular sewing patterns with each pattern neatly tucked into a folder inside. you can use them over and over!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
weekend sewing by heather ross. creative projects for clothing, accessories, and home items that can be made in a weekend or less. the sewing instructions are beautifully illustrated, and patterns for the projects are included on pullout sheets.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
in stitches by amy butler. my all time favorite designer! in this pattern book amy brings her fresh, modern style to the timeless craft of sewing. she presents more than 25 charming projects ranging from cushy floor cushions to smart aprons to stylish handbags.
 
 
 
 
 
 
bend the rules sewing by amy karol. a great book for novice sewers who are seeking something a little more modern. this book has a clear, down-to-earth sewing guidebook that includes 30 great projects.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
seams to me by anna maria horner. illustrated in glorious color and sprinkled with her vibrant energetic fabric designs, this book explains sewing fundamentals in a refreshing style.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
sew and stow by betty oppenheimer. 30 exciting sewing projects – including grocery totes, lunch bags, aprons, dog beds, laundry bags, and yoga mat totes. these projects will help you get organized and help the planet with a wide assortment of reusable totes, carry-alls, and shopping bags.
 
 
 
 
 
 
readers: do you have any favorite sewing patterns or books? we would love to hear about them!

wrap up: {beginner} {books} {craft} {inbox inquiry} {patterns} {quilt class} {sewing}

hello, friends! i’ve been enjoying some really great reads lately and thought you might like to know the latest additions to my bookshelf!

 
1. creative, inc.- the ultimate guide to running a successful freelance business by meg mateo ilasco & joy deangdeelert cho. this crafster book teaches you everything you need to know about starting your own freelance biz. from setting up shop to working with clients and agents- the advice in this book is priceless.

2. the total money makeover by dave ramsey. finally! a book that spells out exactly what you should do with your finances in an easy to understand way. the sure-fire way to get out of debt, stay out of it, and start managing your finances responsibly. i’m telling you, this is the best book i’ve read in a very long time.

3. the conscious cook by tal ronnen. i just got this fantastic cook book in the mail this week! it’s 100% vegan, and you’d never know it. with creamy, ‘meaty’, and easy-to-fix-unusual meals throughout, i’m going to be cooking my way through this one start to finish.

4. the history of redemption edited by ronnie smith and illustrated by christopher koelle. i’ve talked about this book before and was so excited to finally get it. the illustrations are absolutely stunning and the story (of course) is timelessly beautiful.

do you have a favorite latest additions to your bookshelf? please share!

wrap up: {books} {bookshelf} {cookbook} {crafty} {creative} {money} {read}

clear forest bookmarks

today i’m looking for your insight. do you like using digital readers or prefer old fashioned hard copy books?

i’ve been tempted to explore new readers like the nook, kindle or ibook, but something about them just doesn’t settle with me. see, i like to flip through the pages of a book with my fingers, doggie ear the corners and make notes in the side columns. and to me, there’s just something about placing a well loved book on a shelf to refer back to again and again. i like to have a library, i think books are beautiful. it is for this same reason that i prefer to purchase my books rather then get them from the library, i want to call them my own and keep them forever (though, i do try to purchase used books). plus, i found this article on our health and wireless waves a bit concerning. also, if i used a digital reader, i wouldn’t be able to use cute bookmarks like these!

so what’s your opinion? do you use a digital reader? do you like it, or not? i can definitely see where there would be certain advantages. for instance, i’m sure airplane and vacation reading would be much easier (and much lighter). and it might be easier to find passages, if you can search for a specific word or phrase. i would like to hear which you prefer, and if you’ve tried a digital reader- what do you think of it?

wrap up: {books} {digital reader} {hard copy} {ibook} {insight} {kindle} {library} {nook} {read}