Response 100 just arrived! It’s like the flood gates have been opened…I love checking in on the website and watching that number go up! Thanks so much to everyone who has posted, tweeted, and taken the survey. You guys are great!
It’s a scorcher again up here in NH. I’m headed to the air-conditioned library to cool off. In the meantime, here’s a classic DIY video for you all…
I’m headed to a wedding this weekend. Is it just me, or is everyone getting married this weekend? I wanted to share a little project I made to decorate my bff bride’s pre-marriage party. I was inspired by this paper heart garland, even though I haven’t gone for the whole garland thing (I do like birds, though!). I don’t get the newspaper but I do get Cosmo–typing that made me feel like a terrible person–so I decided to cut up old magazines to make my garland. You can see the results here:
Paper hearts are surprisingly easy to sew on a sewing machine. I used a zig-zag stitch, kept the needle going on medium speed, and just pushed each one through. It was fun to pick out the next heart and try not to get a dozen orange ones in a row or a bunch all the same size right next to each other.
To transport the garland to MO, I wound the hearts around an empty toilet paper roll. Piece o’cake!
I’m going to hang them up in the doorway or around the table like you would streamers, but it would be fun to hang them down in a doorway like a 60s beaded curtain, too!
Sunday was the last beautiful day here on the Seacoast, with gorgeous 70-something weather. Now we are firmly in the 80s, and I do not like it. Luckily, the A/C was fixed at the coffee shop where I work. Unluckily, our ice maker broke at home.
But back to Sunday…I saw a poster for the Portsmouth Open Market downtown and last weekend, I checked it out. The market is a combination farmers’ market/craft fair and is connected to the New England Open Markets, who put on SoWa. Strawberry Banke, where the fair is held every Sunday, is a
collection of colonial buildings next to Prescott Park, a waterfront hanging-out area with gardens. Basically, it’s a beautiful place. Andrew went to the Jazz Festival while I walked around–perfect scheduling, Portsmouth!
The vendors at POM are a mix of regulars and newbies; the application process is fairly low-key. Sellers get their spots on a first-come, first-serve basis, so one vendor told me she had moved around for each of the past four weeks. Not a bad idea, I think–get to try out all the different locations.
I talked to a few friendly local crafters, including Bark from Boston; Laura from Thornton, NH; Uma Joy from Rollinsford, NH (practically neighbors!); Heather, who had an awesome screen-printed quilt backdrop; Sibel from Newburyport, MA (lovely town); and Leanne from Lowell, MA. The business cards I had made got some positive reactions, which was just lovely, having spent a couple of days sewing them.
I was impressed with the variety of crafts: there were fishing lure earrings, organic soaps, New Hampshire-roasted coffee, homemade pasta, owl-printed pillowcases, spun and knitted yarn, and hand woven scarves. I couldn’t resist some soap from Clayton’s Way or a sweet purple headband from Robinwoods Design. I’m wearing it now to keep the sweat from getting into my eyes as I sit here and type. OK, slight exaggeration…but only slight.
I hope to hit the market again in a couple weeks and see who else comes to town. In the meantime, have you taken the survey?
Hi, crafters!
I think it’s about time for that hallowed blog ritual…the giveaway!
Take the survey by July 31st and you’ll be entered to win a $100 Michaels gift card!
(Don’t worry, if you’ve already taken it, you’re in.)
And if you help spread the word, I’ll enter you twice. Leave a comment with a link to your post or Twitter, and you’ll double your chances of going on a little shopping spree.
Just a little thank you for helping out the Craft Book Project!
