619 miles

sneak peek

Kerry sent me this photo as a hint to what she's been working on in her spare time:

I wonder if making them is as addictive as the game.

book wish list

So.. I really should be doing homework right now, but instead I am dreaming about the business I am going to start. For real this time. This idea has been brewing for a while. Kerry: remember when I called you while I was sitting in the airport on the way home from the cruise??? That's when the idea struck, and I have been slacking too much to make it happen.

I attened my last grad school class last Thursday, and after this coming Tuesday I will be finished with ALL coursework. Thesis is still in progress, but the business is going to come on the front burner with the thesis.

I saw this video, and I think I need/want this book: Craft Inc. Revised EditionThe Ulitimate Guide to Turning Your Creative Hobby into a Successful Business. I read the first edition, bought the planner, and also read Creative Inc and I loved them all, so I am sure I'll love this latest edition.

 

disclaimer: I am an Amazon affiliate. I get a small amount if you purchase anything through these links. I'm not paid to recommend anything, just sharing things I love and thing you might too.

even MORE washi tape

I told you that sometimes I get obsessed with a project and just run with it. Tonight I was cleaning/organizing/getting rid of things in the craft/sewing studio. I had this Heiniken metal can with a lid that I got way back on a trip to Amsterdam. Anywho... I was not diggin the Heiniken logo

So I covered the side of the can with white paper and then attacked it with the tape. It looks rather nice sitting next to my paint brush vessel. The lid was a little harder to do that the main part, but not too challenging.

I am also trying to clear off my desk so I can get to some refashion projects. I purchased some fun stuff at the goodwill a while back and I'm itching to get sewing. Maybe tomorow if I can get some school work finished first.

washi tape strikes again

OK... It may be getting a little out of hand over here with the washi tape. I flew on Wed night and was complaining that I didn't like my red checklist cover.... and I immediately thought, "I should cover it with tape!"

It is so pretty and the most ridiculously easy way to spruce up/change/beautify pretty much anything.

Here I decorated a plain blue bag for my brother, Jesse's, belated Bday gift.

I used it here to hang my "I love NC" print (by The Wheatfield) on my pantry cabinet door. 

And finally, check out this thrift store glass vessel I transformed with the washi tape. I think it makes my paint brushes look even more special.

{all photos by Jenn}

Past washi tape projects include my planner and some magnets. Sometimes I seem to get on a roll with certain kinds of projects, what about you?

I am a fan

{Michelle Armas via Oh Joy!}

I can't believe that it is only the second week of school and I already feel bogged down and behind! I'm working a bunch still, so that does not help matters. September should be a little easier as I venture off to warmer (though hurricane prone) climates to catch up on sun, sleep, and homework.

Lack of time is also having an impact on my blog reading, however these recent posts definately caught my eye. 

I am a fan of

• this swoon worthy quilt block by Eileen Josephine
• the way Lisa Occhipinti re-purposes books. This has been floating around the blogs for a while, but if you check it out on SF Girl by Bay, there is a fun free pdf tutorial download.
• Michelle Armas' art, featured on Oh Joy!
• scrapbook pages that look like art, by Kelly Purkey (and these too).
• this rug. I'd like that color scheme for a living room I think.

Life is a bunch of craziness right now and I'm not the most patient gal in the world, so I'm trying each day to remember this.

What are you a fan of these days? Anything around the web catching your eye?

 

intervention & another washi tape project

My friend Amy and I have been joking with each other about needing various types of interventions. She says she needs a yarn buying intervention, I say I need a fabric buying intervention. Today after I came home from Target, I decided that I may need to add notebooks/journals to the intervention list!

Target has some ridiculously cute notebooks and planners. They even have some Russell + Hazel stuff as well as Jill Bliss!!! Who knew?!?! Well... I am now the proud owner of a seriously pretty Jill Bliss notebook. One that may just be too pretty for me to write in. I'll have to plan it out... exaclty what to use it for, since I don't want to ruin it. Does anyone else do this? Do you you plan what to use each notebook for or worry about ruining a pretty notebook? Here is a look at what I scooped up from Target:

I also needed a planner since I have to take 2 final classes for my Masters. I had a moment of insanity and was actually contemplating buying a $60 Russell + Hazel planner kit. I even had Amy check it out at the store in Minneapolis this week since she was up there. But, I mean 60 bucks?!?!? really?!? Well she snapped me out of my madness and I picked up a simple one for $9.99 instead. There were even cheaper ones, but this one was cleaner and simpler on the inside. I wasn't really a fan of the cover, but I knew I could spruce it up. Last week Danni (from oh, hello friend) showed how she turned a plain-jane notebook into something amazing with.... what else, but washi tape! As mentined before I'm a little addicted to the tape right now. Maybe I should add that to the intervention list as well. Anywho... I used her project as inspriation and spruced up my ho-hum planner into something personalized and pretty. And it cost nowhere near $60! I really like how Danni added a decal to the front of hers. I'm thinking I may add something like that to mine too... maybe one from decalLOVE. (update: I finally added simple letter stickers with my initials JN)

before

after

On the front cover I used a piece of white cardstock under the tape. However, on the back cover I just put the tape directly on the cover. Also on the front, the bit of green showing through near the coil binding was bugging me. So I used a sharpie paint pen to make it white. Another fun and super quick washi tape project!

week in the life 2011 - album part dos

Part dos = COMPLETE! Whohoo! I'm so in love with my project life 2011 album. I think my hybrid approach worked out really well for me. I've been checking out all the posts at Ali's site and I love seeing the different approach that each person took. I love how the simple concept of documenting one week in your life results in so much variation and creativity. The biggest part of completing this album is to just jump in and not to over think it. And if something isn't working it is totally cool to swich gears completely and go in another direction. I did all of the above. I over thought it, and then I started, and then I re-started. And in the end I heart my album. In fact, it is sitting next to me on my couch right now, and I bet that once I finish up this post I'll be flipping through it again.

Sooooo here is the finished project. I didn't photograph each and every page, but I included a variety of pages to show you what I did. If you want a refresher of how it began, you can click here for the "before".

To read more about how I used iPhoto to make my 8 1/2 by 11" album click here. If you want to see my original plan as well as a link to each of the daily posts visit this page. Curious about how messy my desk was during the process... have a peek. If you have any questions about the hybrid process, about using iPhoto, or about any of the stuff I used please feel free to ask! 

messy desk

messy desk = work in progress...OR week in the life album complete!

Yep, I finally finished it. I am sooo happy about how it turned out. I really feel like I left enough white space to add in some fun elements and some more journalling to really make it reflect me. I've never attempted a combination digital/paper hybrid album before (gotta get with the scrapbookin lingo), but I would totally do it again. LOTS of fun. It's too late to take photos tonight, so I'll just leave you with a quick shot of how my desk looked when I wrapped up the project.

I used the free version of picnik through flickr to add in the words. It is really easy and quick. I normally would use photoshop, but I uploaded the photo to flickr from my iPhone, and I wanted to try out picnik.

 

quilt in the mail

I finally mailed off my purple and linen baby quilt! The new parents should be getting it very soon and I cannot wait to hear how they like it. I attached this tag to the quilt with a safety pin before I wrapped it all up.

pinterest project - washi tape magnets

Tonight (and by tonight I really mean last night, since I'm not posting this till morning) I was planning on working on a refashion project I've been meaning to do. However, I forgot that my desk was currently covered in paper and stamps and stickers and washi tape. lots of washi tape. I've built quite the collection. I'm kinda addicted to it, I must admit.

So instead of sewing I sat down to straighten things up. I'm leaving it all out to finish up the week in the life album once it gets here. As I started straightening I went back to the original plan I wanted to use to make the album and decided that I would use the concept that I talked about previously, and make a fun art journal. After I put together the main part of the journal I decided to switch gears and whip up some washi tape magnets.

I saw this blog post earlier this week and thought it looked super cute. I did what I always do when I see a nifty DIY that I want to accomplish, I pinned it!

I made a trip to JoAnn's today and picked up two widths of magnet tape specifically for this project. It was really easy and fun to do. I can see myself making A LOT more of these. I love how they look on my fridge!!