review

Books

My Rag Doll & a Giveaway
ByHeather Bailey April 23, 2014

I must tell you about this gorgeous new book from Corinne Crasbercu. With beautiful photographs, classic designs, and even darling little sketches and watercolors mixed in throughout, Corinne's new book, My Rag Doll, is a visual treat. Here is just a glimpse of the bright and inviting styling in this treasure of a book.

Even the materials-list pages are pretty. Look how the fabrics, ribbons and yarns are laid out for the Red Riding Hood doll shown above.

My Rag Doll takes you through the creation of a simple doll with customizeable hair and features. You can start with a clean and tidy hairdo and let the naturalism develop over time as the doll is loved and dragged about by her human friends. Or, you can style her hair with wispies and frayed ends for a more broken-in effect—see hair-style examples above.

And there are many different clothing and shoe patterns included as well, from dungaries and a raincoat to pajamas and a kimono—and everything in between.

I have a true soft spot for rag dolls. The sweetest gifts I received as a child—and I still have most of them—were all rag dolls made by my mother. My first rag doll can be seen in my baby portrait at one year old. I was so attached to my Raggedy Ann that the only way my mom could get me to stop crying during the photo session was to hand that doll right on back to me.

My next rag-doll baby doubled as baby Jesus in our family Christmas devotional when I was four. Somewhere amongst my keepsakes there is a photo of me as Mary holding my dolly Jesus. Later, for my eighth birthday, my mom made me another doll with a matching moses basket and a change of clothes. Again, there is a photo of me somewhere with my friends all gathered on our front lawn while I tear the wrapping paper off of this beloved gift.

I have often thought about creating the quintessential rag-doll pattern book. Something to pay homage to my long-standing love for rag dolls. I envisioned an intro with these personal photos and an account of my own history making dolls, even having dolls of mine displayed at a museum. Then, a lovely book like this shows up on my doorstep—it's great to have publisher friends—and my fantasy is quite fulfilled. I don't even have to do the writing and pattern-drafting work. I can skip straight to the fun part—gathering fabrics, trims and yarn and making up a rag doll for my own daughter to drag about and love. While I might write my own doll book one day, I'm in no hurry for now. This book is lovely.

– – – – – – – – – – – -

Stitch Craft Create, the publisher, has offered me a second copy of this new book to give away. To enter, leave a comment below by Friday at midnight MST. If you have a rag-doll memory, share it with us. One winner will be randomly chosen early next week. To purchase the book in advance and also immediately receive a downloadable e-book at no additional charge, click here. Or you can pre-order the book on Amazon. Blog-hop details here—psssst—there might be others giving away a copy of the book.

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HELLO Giveaways! | Tools

Giveaway Day 26
ByHeather Bailey August 26, 2013

I'm am all about art supplies. I love nothing more than to sit at my
drafting table with a fiesta of colorful paints, markers and tools
within reach. It's also handy to have a few supplies that are easy to
pack up and take with me for long family functions, for travel, or even
for a trip to the park with the kids.

One of my all-time-favorite, easy-to-pack art supplies is my compact set of Winsor Newton watercolor
half-pans (the official name for these little dried cubes of paint). I
love to work with pan paints on the go. And each half-pan can be replaced
as it is used—without having to get a whole new set of colors. In fact,
you can swap the colors around, add new ones, remove a few, and make
your own custom palette to paint with.

The teensy-tiny box opens up to reveal plenty of palette surface for mixing colors. There is even a little water tray for plein-air
painting. (I don't use the water tray myself. I'm happy to bring a
larger cup along.) Also included is a small, round paintbrush which is
stored inside the compact.

These pan paints don't offer the same pigment depth as top-of-the-line
tube paint, but they are a good quality for a traveling set. And this
little box of watercolors has remained one of my favorite art supplies
over many years. You might recall my March of the Tools post on these from a few years back.

Today's lucky winner will receive a new Winsor Newton compact watercolor set to call her own, the same traveling kit that I use. A $38 value.

Comment to enter today's giveaway. One entry per household. Be sure to include your email
address
so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
field on the comment form.

Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Tuesday 8/27/13—which means it will overlap with Day 25's giveaway and Day 27th's giveaway, so don't miss those. Watch for the winner to
be announced within the week at the bottom
of the post. For more info on my August giveaway party, click here. Please
share the word. Check back every day.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

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HELLO Giveaways! | Tools

Giveaway Day 16 — A Big One
ByHeather Bailey August 16, 2013

When I say that I'm friends with some cool people at some cool
companies. I mean, wow. I put out some calls, told everyone I wanted to
have a big Thank You Party for my readers, and look what's coming in.
Today's giveaway prize is another big one.

This incredible machine here is called the Cricut Expressions 2.
It is an electronic cutting machine. Digital designs are plugged into
the system on cartridges and out come perfectly-cut pieces. Pieces of
what, you say? Pieces of cardstock, chipboard, sheet magnet, foam, felt,
balsa wood, vellum, cling vinyl, fabric and more. That's a lot of
creative possibilities.

This
Cricut is a free-standing machine that is easily operated using
touch-screen technology. You don't have to have a computer. From what I
read, this is one of the easiest cutting machines to operate and there
are a number of video tutorials and reviews posted online if you're a
visual learner.

Included with the Expressions 2 machine is their Cricut Essentials
cartridge which includes hundreds of designs and a Cricut Alphabet
cartridge. Beyond that, Cartridges galore
are available separately from a variety of designers. The machine
features a cutting area as large as 12" x 24" and it will arrange
multiple items for you in order to prevent waste.

Great for crafts, party decorations, card-making, scrapbooking, fabric
applique, product packaging, valentines. I can think of so many fun
things to do with a cutting machine. What incredible technology to have
on hand.

Oh! And Cricut is also including a bundle of iron-on vinyl in three colors—winner chooses the colors.
Wait till you see what you can do with this iron-on vinyl. Holy cow.
You can customize tee-shirts, pillows, shoes, sports jerseys, hats,
handbags, Christmas stockings—anything. To see images of this
heat-transfer film in use, visit Cricut's iron-on vinyl product page, then click on each color of vinyl to pull up project ideas.

With so many functions and uses, it's quite impossible for me to cover it all in this one post. I recommend you visit their "New to Cricut?" page, the Cricut Blog, and the Cricut Forum if you want to delve in to the details and see all that the Cricut Expressions 2 can do. Cricut is also on Facebook (a great resource), Instagram and Twitter, so go say hello.

All in all, today's generous prize is a $345 value. Thank you, Cricut! To enter for today's
giveaway, leave a comment here on this post. One entry per person.

Be sure to include your email
address
so we can contact you if you win. You don't have to type your email
address into the body of the comment if you entered it in the email-address
field on the comment form; I can access that info from behind the scenes. Today's giveaway will close at 11:59pm PST on Sunday 8/18/13.
(This is a big one and it's Friday—so I'm giving you all weekend to
enter. This means it will overlap with Saturday's and Sunday's
giveaways.) Watch for the winner to
be announced early next week at the bottom
of the post.

For more info on these August HELLO Giveaways, click here. Please
share the word. We have lots more in store for you this month.

Good luck!

xo—Heather

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Fun Stuff

Rose Bowl Treasure
ByHeather Bailey March 16, 2013

The Rose Bowl Flea Market makes me gitty. Wendy and I were like two
magpies, combing the aisles for sparkly treasure. She has a great,
vintage-20s, flapper-deco aesthetic. It was fun to see what trinkets
called her name—definitely a great way to get to know each other on a new level.

I highly suggest it.

One vendor offered metal letters of every size and color, including
polkadots. I sorted through his alphabets for a good 20 minutes—they
were comically hot in the bright sun. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a
website or even a business card. If someone’s looking for at Etsy
opportunity, track this guy down. He’s a Rose Bowl Flea Market regular.
And we all need his letters.

With our car trouble, we had to leave the trailer behind, so my
blinders were on when it came to furniture. That was a bit painful.
However, a hunt for small treasures brought an interesting challenge. In
the end, my eclectic loot included: plastic chicks, pink buttons, a
rhinestone buckle, embroidered ribbons and silks, a green vase, a red
scarf, and a sequined gold and black vintage circle skirt. If you're a
treasure hunter too, The Rose Bowl Flea Market marks the spot. In
charming ol' Pasadena, CA.

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Books

Summer Reading
ByHeather Bailey June 8, 2011

I recently asked for book recommendations on Twitter. Here’s a list of what came through. Of course, who knows what literary taste each of these books reflects, but I’m enjoying the adventure of finding out. If you are looking for a summer read, one of these might suit your fancy — but read at your own risk. I don’t know anything about these books.

• 19 Minutes by Jody Picoult (several people recommended this, but warned that it’s “heavy”)
• Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler
• The Birth House by Sideshow Ami
• Charlotte Collins by Jennifer Becton (“if you like Jane Austen”)
• Christmas Jars
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• Freedom by Jonathan Franzen (“anything” by him)
• The Giving Tree (ha! a kid’s book)
• The Great Night by Chris Adrian
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
• Mistress of the Art of Death (looks like this is a series)
• Modoc (this is about an elephant!?)
• The Red Tent (several people recommended this one)
• Remarkable Creatures
• Sarah’s Key
• The Tailor’s Daughter
• The Time Traveler’s Wife

And I’ll add Bossypants by Tina Fey to the list. I’m curious to see what that one is about. Has anyone read it?

Several of these titles were not available at the library yesterday with multiple holds placed on each of the copies — a good sign. The three I ended up taking home for Round 1 were: Back When We Were Grownups, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Corrections (by Jonathan Franzen).

Thanks to everyone who sent their picks. I have to read at night to fall asleep, otherwise, my mind invents all sorts of excuses to stay up! If you have a suggestion or two to add, please share it. Maybe tell us a little about it. Twitter does’t afford space for much explanation, does it? Here you can cast more than 140 characters in the role.

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Tools

The Universal Survival Tool
ByHeather Bailey March 16, 2011

Chocolate is perhaps the best tool of all. Of course, if I was stuck on the prairie with bodies to clothe, food to procure, and a shelter to build, I may not think so. Then again, maybe I would.

I’ve come to the conclusion that if I’m going to splurge, then I’m going to splurge. When I want chocolate, I want the good kind, not some cheap, grainy, make-your-mouth-sore chocolate wanna-be. Good chocolate, or no chocolate at all. Same goes for ice cream, cake, butter, mayonaise, and so forth. Why bother if it isn’t any good? In the end, what real pain is there in spending $2 on chocolate satisfaction over $0.50 on chocolate disappointment? This is my thinking.

My favorite, easy-grab indulgence is the Ritter Sport Butter Biscuit bar from Germany. It’s creamy and dreamy. I’m sure there are plenty of other varieties that are just as delicious, but this is one of my all-time favorites AND the Target nearby has them displayed at their checkout stands — which adds an undeniable convenience factor to the equation.

When I’m feeling extra snazzy, I may even venture to the other side of the store to grab one of Ritter Sport’s other varieties. They make a surprisingly fantastic Cornflakes bar and I’m ga-ga for their Marzipan bar as well.

Good chocolate. Chocolate, good.

How about you? Who makes your favorite chocolate bar? Or, if you’re not into chocolate, then how in the world do you get by? Do tell.

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Tools

Chef’n Spatulas
ByHeather Bailey March 11, 2011

A few years back I picked up an oddly-shaped silicone spatula on sale at a fancy, local grocery store. I was intrigued by it’s double-ended design and the claim it was heat-resistant to 650º F (340º C). It worked so well as a spatula for baking and also as a stirring tool for cooking that I hustled back to that store and purchased the only other one left. These are now among my favorite, everyday kitchen tools.

The spatula is reinforced down the center with a super-strong, super-stiff metal bar. The silicone at either end is flexible, but not too flexible. It scrapes up brownie batter like nothing else.

I am glad to have tracked down the company’s website so easily. It turns out they have a ton of nifty tools based on the same concept. Look at all of these options and colors! My exact spatula is no longer in the collection, but it is most similar to the clear design below.

Who knows, it may no longer be my favorite once I have my hands on that violet one above, or perhaps the red one. It looks like they are available on Amazon for $10 to $13 each or so.

Here are the product names for easier hunting:

1. Chef’n Switchit Flex Wide (pink + 3 other colors)

2. Chef’n Switchit All Purpose (violet + 7 other colors)

3. Chef’n Switchit Spoon/Spatula (yellow + 5 other colors)

4. Chef’n Switchit Spreader (red +7 other colors)

5. Chef’n Switchit All Purpose (cream + 7 other colors)

6. Chef’n Switchit Flex Spoon (blue + 7 other colors)

7. Chef’n Switchit Slim (green + 7 other colors)

8. Chef’n Switchit Long (clear + 5 other colors)

And check out this groovy salt and pepper grinder — it’s a bunny and you squeeze it’s ears!

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Tools

The Pen is Mightier than the Spatula
ByHeather Bailey March 17, 2009

Isaac loves to cook. His sister, Evie, gave him a subscription to Cooks Illustrated magazine
for Christmas one year and now we're hooked. I'm pretty sure I would
never have picked up this magazine from the shelf of a bookstore. But
it's great!

Cooks Illustrated covers the science of
cooking in a fun, easy-to-follow format. In any given issue, you might
learn how to best hard-boil an egg so the yolk stays centered (helpful
for deviled eggs), or which brand of stone-ground mustard is the most
flavorful, or the science behind aged cheese. Who knows — all kinds
of interesting things. Their test-kitchen cooks tirelessly compare
techniques and recipes to arrive at the best methods and flavors. Then
they quickly outline their test results and make suggestions in the
magazine. Even better, their research and info is completely unbiased
– like Consumer Reports
for cooking techniques, food, & recipes. The magazine doesn't have
any ads and is illustrated in old-fashioned pen-and-ink-drawings, which
I love.

Anyhow. Yes, I'm recommending a cooking magazine as a favorite tool for March of the Tools. Next time you're out shopping, stop by the magazine row and take a peek through Cooks Illustrated. I love knowing the 'why' behind a good recommendation. And Cooks Illustrated is full of 'whys' — and good recommendations.

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