A Field Journal

In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

2013-03-30T22:55:00.001-07:00

I finally caught the Instagram bug (@oliviakanaley), so I thought I'd share a little recap of what I've been up to this month. Early in March I headed to NYC to style a PR brunch for Minted. I got to explore the city a little while there, walking from the Chelsea Market to Times Square by way of the High Line. Back in San Francisco things have been mostly quiet. This week, I helped out at photo shoots styled by Viola Sutanto for the next Minted catalog, and today I spent the afternoon at the Cal Academy, nerding out over botany specimens.

Woodland Creature Valentines

2013-02-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

Hi friends, I hope you had a happy Valentine's Day! I just wanted to share the mini cards I made featuring some woodland animal illustrations and corny little sayings. Click the image above for a closer look.

Hand Lettered Holiday

2013-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

This week, as I was working on some Valentine card ideas, I realized I never shared my 2012 Christmas card with you. I suppose it's quite off topic in February, but I didn't want to let it slip by unposted.

O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) is one of my favorite Christmas carols, and I especially love the older recordings that use the original Latin, so I let that inspire the text for my card. I created the design by hand, first with pencil and paper to work out the lettering, and then with gouache paints on drawing paper. I took the scan and had it printed on Minted's Triple Thick Paper, then finished off the edges with some gold gouache, for a DIY gold-foil effect. I paired up the cards with some green envelopes, and a set of closure stickers I made to coordinate (see them larger here). Now, perhaps I should get back to my Valentines in hopes of getting them posted sometime before March!

DIY Photo Ornaments

2012-12-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is the final holiday project I created for Julep. I think it's a great way to repurpose photo holiday cards at the end of the season — set some aside now, and turn them into keepsake ornaments next year. Get the full tutorial over at Julep.

Handmade Christmas

2012-12-26T00:35:00.000-08:00

Dear friends, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas day and have been enjoying the holiday season. I am happy to be home visiting my family until New Year's and enjoying some free time. December of last year I was working on this gingerbread house for, Handmade Christmas. The book was released by Penguin Books Australia over the summer and I've been meaning to share this project with you. The house is made of cardboard and trimmed with all kinds of craft store findings — beads that look like lollipops, peppermint-twist ribbon, sugary crystal glitter and plenty of colorful paper. Just in case you'd like to do a little post-Christmas crafting, I'm going to post the template here.

Wool Pom Pom Garland

2012-12-23T23:40:00.000-08:00

This is my second project for Julep — a pom pom garland made from extra thick wool yarn. I love using pom pom makers for these, but for those who aren't as fond of amassing crafting gadgets as I am, I demonstrated a simpler method over at Julep. This is a great project for the upcoming winter months as well!

Accordion Paper Trees for Julep

2012-11-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Hello friends! Thanks for all your patience this year while I've taken some time away from the blog. I'm happy to say I'm back with lots to share! I moved to San Francisco over summer to join the team at Minted as a designer and photographer. Part of my new role involves creating and overseeing DIY content at Minted's new blog, Julep. I made these modern paper trees for my first post! Click over to find out how to make them. I'll be back next week with more holiday projects!

Handmade Wedding

2012-04-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

The first Sunday of spring it rained a light spring rain. The kind that illuminates the white-pink blossoms against water-stained bark and gunmetal sky. It sends shoots and tendrils up from the soaked, blackened earth, coats the old brick path with moss. I think this season is the perfect time to share these crafts from a book I contributed to last year called Handmade Wedding (Penguin Books Australia, 2011). I created Fabric Envelopes, a Fabric Monogram, and my personal favorite, a Garland Basket, fashioned from a pip berry garland, wire and a hand sewn silk sash (all pictured above). Some of my other favorites in the book included projects by Halligan Norris Smith and Amy Moss; I also loved the book's photography by Julie Renouf.

Button Card Valentines

2012-03-16T00:38:00.001-07:00

On the eve of the 14th this year, I was sitting under the halo of my brass desk lamp assembling these little cards. Nothing seems to beat pink scraps of paper come mid-February, except maybe boxes full of milk chocolate. Earlier in the winter I was working on some sewing illustrations for one of the magazines at work, and I got to thinking how perfectly suited old button cards are for those quintessentially tiny valentines that children hand out in grade school. I spent January thinking about this idea, and the opening weeks of February getting to work in Illustrator. The finished cards have a pastel palette, some dimension courtesy of pop dots, and an assortment of trite sayings like "Beau Buttons: Handsome and steadfast" and "Arrow Brand: Cupid's preferred button." Lastly, they're designed to pair with #1 envelopes from Paper Source in Blossom and Papaya.

To make them yourself, download the .pdf by clicking here. To assemble as shown above, cut out cards on page one. Then punch out buttons on page three using 1" and 5/8" circle punches. Adhere buttons to cards where indicated with 1/4" pop dots. I've also included blank button cards, in case you'd like to attach your own buttons or use them in your scrapbooking projects.

Print Ad Styling

2012-02-29T23:35:00.005-08:00

Last fall I worked with art director Suzanne Shade to style and shoot this print ad featuring Minted wedding stationery (designs by Annie Clark and Cadence Paige). It ran in the winter 2012 issues of The Knot and Martha Stewart Weddings and was truly a joy to work on — anything that involves velvet ribbon is pretty much a win in my book.

Wintering

2012-02-07T22:46:00.000-08:00

A quiet January came and went. Filled with wintery things like ice skating after work (quite awkwardly), practicing crochet stitches and delivering a few straggling Christmas presents (shown above). I suppose the year is off to a slow start but I refuse to worry too much about that, especially on a sleepy, rainy evening like this one. So far I've been happily dreaming more than doing — about getting organized and starting new projects. And I've been trying to cherish free time, rather than fret about how it seems ever insufficient. How is 2012 treating you, friends?

Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons

2011-12-21T00:11:00.000-08:00

I made these ribbons last winter as part of a freelance assignment for Making Memories. Their Bravissimo line launched last spring, and allowed crafters to make customizable, award-style ribbons. I joined Suzonne, Cathe and Gail in developing prototypes for a second round of Bravissimos, which unfortunately did not make it to production. Nevertheless, I thought I'd post them for a bit of Christmas inspiration. If you'd like to try making these from scratch, I absolutely recommend using a scoring board — it's the secret to getting picture-perfect folds. Striped paper and edge punches also add fun effects, and don't be afraid to experiment with non-traditional paper-craft items like tulle, jingle bells or mini ornaments.

Holiday Card Display

2011-12-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

This year I've been doing some photography work for the stationery company Minted. At the start of the holiday season, we collaborated with West Elm to come up with creative card displays. I styled the shot the photo above using Minted holiday cards and some felt accessories from West Elm; check out the full post on West Elm's blog, Front & Main.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2011-11-28T08:30:00.000-08:00

I'm back from a relaxing weekend with friends and family; definitely a much-needed break at the end of a busy month. I finally had some time to work on a just-for-fun project, so I made these Pilgrim hat place cards out of scrapbook papers, trims and findings.

A Martha Stewart Halloween Giveaway

2011-10-31T00:02:00.000-07:00

When I was invited to review the recently released book, Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts, I couldn't resist. I remember reading library copies of Martha Stewart Living when I was 9 or 10, and I think it's safe to say I've been hooked ever since. If you've followed this blog a while, you also know that holiday crafts top my list. So, this book is a natural fit. It's a beautiful, thoughtfully styled hardcover, full of ideas (225 of them!). I thought there would be no better way to review it than to attempt one of the projects. To celebrate Halloween I made some of the "Pumpkin Pouch Party Favors" found on page 213. (You can see my version in the top photo above.) Read more...
And now, what I'm most excited to share: a giveaway! The lovely folks at MSLO have provided two signed copies of Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday Crafts to be awarded to two A Field Journal readers. Please leave a comment on this post to enter, and be sure to provide an email address so that we may contact you if you win. Good luck! Contest will be open until Friday Nov 4. Contest has ended; winners Laura & Annie have been contacted via email. Congratulations!

Golden Hours

2011-10-28T00:23:00.000-07:00

Late in the summer, my brother and I rode out across the old Bonsall bridge. There the abandoned roadway floats above the California oaks that rise from the dry riverbed. On the far side, foxtail and wild yarrow grow up through cracks in the pavement, and in that particular hour they were caught in a halo of expiring light. The weeks since have passed quickly, turning those golden afternoons to violet dusks, cold and clear. Every now and again, the air has the scent of damp earth and wood smoke. It's nearly November. We must catch up.

Summer Sewing

2011-08-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

We reached the island well after sunset, swathed in a haze of salt air and fading light. The place was Two Harbors, a small outpost on the Catalina isthmus. We spent three days there, camping in canvas-walled cabins overlooking the cove. That first night we hiked along the bluffs under a black sky, looking down at the port lights reflecting off the water. Summer nights here are scented; coastal sage and native grasses, wild licorice, warmth and dust.

For this trip I did a little last-minute sewing. The Two Harbors Tote, a sturdy, drawstring, beach bag with rope handles for a bit of nautical flair. I found some coordinating fabric by chance, which resulted in the Seafarer Clutch — just the thing for ferry tickets and collected shells. I illustrated step-by-step instructions for both projects so you can see how I made them and maybe try them yourself. Click here or on the banner above to download.

Kids' Crafternoon

2011-07-27T02:00:00.000-07:00

Last autumn I had the opportunity to contribute to the Kids' Crafternoon series of books, a collaboration between Kathreen Ricketson of Whip Up and and the Australian publisher Hardie Grant. The Papercraft volume, out this month, includes some classic pinwheels and rolled flowers I made. Below are photos I took of them just before I shipped them Down Under to be styled for the book:I've also included a few pages scanned from the finished book in this post — I love how kid-friendly the instructions are with their practical tips and step-by-step illustrations. Now for the best part: a giveaway! Hardie Grant has provided me with a copy of the book to send to one lucky reader. Please leave a comment on this post to enter (everyone is eligible, just be sure I have a way to contact you), and I'll announce the winner right here next week.
Update: The lucky winner is Comment 23 — Jenni. Congratulations! Comments are now closed.

Fans & Fireworks

2011-06-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

Click the photo above for a larger view.

It was just before the light reaches the time of tall shadows. The sun, low in the sky, caught the dust that hangs above the road. A thousand flecks of gold in the still, heavy air. It was then summer arrived. The season for simple things. Night breezes, page-turners, the whir of an old electric fan. And, that quiet sort of reverence for home and country.

With those things in mind, I designed these handheld fans for the Fourth of July. You can print and make them yourself; here's how: Click here to download clip art, print on cardstock and cut out. Score and fold along white line. Unfold and lie flat. Now, working perpendicular to your first fold, score at half inch intervals. Fold accordion style. Shape into circle and glue at top using tab. Let dry. Glue wooden sticks to each of the remaining ends and tie or glue sticks together.

A couple of notes: The wooden sticks can be found at Michaels. I stained them using a water-based stain by FolkArt (found with the acrylic craft paints) - it's perfect for these kinds of projects (where it would be too inconvenient to break out the hardware store stuff). Also, a bone folder and scoring board or ruler are extra helpful here — they'll give you those even and crisp folds every time.

Feedsack for the Fourth

2011-06-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

It occurred to me that I should start sharing some of the projects from my Victoria columns that went un-posted last year. I thought I'd revisit these cocktail napkins (from the July/August 2010 issue) since we're coming up on the Fourth of July. To make these, cut 10" squares of material and edge with 1/2" double fold bias tape. You can customize the look using a bias tape maker and fabric of your choice. The bias tape shown above uses reproduction feedsack cottons by Windham Fabrics. Stay tuned this week for a free printable project, just in time for the Fourth!

In Country Living

2011-06-07T23:04:00.000-07:00

Last summer I made and photographed a doily cocktail umbrella craft for the paper goods shop, Papermash . (If you missed that post, you can see it here). This year I was asked to recreate the project for the June issue of Country Living; which is on newsstands now. Click on the scan above to read more detailed instructions or visit countryliving.com. (Photographed by Victoria Pearson, and written by Jourdan Crouch.)

The Wind and the Sea

2011-05-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we drove out to the point, where grey skies broke to windswept clouds over the ocean. I hadn't been to the lighthouse since I was a girl, too young to remember anything but the bright of sand and whitewash. I had forgotten the rooms and their strange quiet. The artifacts (circa 1880s), touched only by sunlight and dust. Can you imagine a life here? Overlooking the vast and ancient sea, the lore of a thousand years adrift on the current.

Wont you take a walk with me?
Down where the shore meets the wind and the sea.
I once sought my fortune there,
'Neath torrid sails, in tepid air.
In that place of crest and swell,
Where golden chest and porcelain shell,
Tarnish in the blackened deep,
Forgotten in a lasting sleep.

Little Brown Bunny

2011-05-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hello again! I'm back with the second project I promised you last week. I usually enjoy coming up with my own crafting ideas — it's often my favorite part of the process, but every now and then I come across a tutorial I just cannot resist. Each spring I'm reminded of this charming how-to by Jennifer Murphy for Martha Stewart, and I decided this was the year I'd make a pom-pom bunny of my very own. What have you been up to this fine May Day? I'm off to do a little spring cleaning and savor the remains of the day.

In Your Easter Bonnet

2011-04-27T18:21:00.001-07:00

Hello dear friends! I did some crafting over Easter weekend, and wanted to share the results with you this week and next. First up are these miniature silk and satin bonnets (4.5" across widest part of brim); they're based on this 1830s bonnet from the Old Sturbridge Village collection (the pale blue, deep rose and aged muslin ties on that particular piece are just gorgeous). To make a miniature version of my own, I drafted a pattern which you can download for personal use by clicking here. For more photos, instructions and supply tips, click here to read on.

Instructions: To begin cut the pattern from light-weight cardboard and cover each piece in material. I adhered the fabric by running it through my Xyron sticker maker and then applying it to the cardboard pattern piece. Assemble the bonnet using a strong, quick-drying fabric glue (I use Fabri-tac) and line the inside of the bonnet with cardstock for a clean look. I also added part of an oversized cupcake liner to create a ruffled look under the brim. Finally add your trims.

Trims: I didn't have any vintage millinery, so instead I had to be resourceful in the silk flower department (which I'm usually not a fan of). The velvety roses shown above began as brownish hydrangea petals plucked off an artificial stem. I dyed them with fabric dye and then cut out individual petals and refashioned them into rose blooms. I also found a stem of small fabric flowers that were suited to this project. Additional trims used: floral pips, grosgrain ribbon, faux bois ribbon, gold microbeads, iridescent sequins. For leaves, I treated yellow-green silk with fabric stiffener, let dry and cut out leaf shapes.

She Hates California, It's Cold and It's Damp

2011-04-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

Road trips that start in the early morning are sublime. Filled with the promise of open highway and burgeoning daylight. Punctuated by quiet breakfasts, beachfront diners and old tunes on the radio. The cares of yesterday get lost in this world of scenic routes, unfolded maps and gas station postcards. It’s certainly true — sooner or later, wanderlust gets the better of us and we take to the road.A couple of weeks ago, I took a weekend trip with Brett along the central California coast. It was stormy sort of weekend - hence my title for this post (a peculiar lyric from this song) - but I managed to take some photos and compiled them in a little online magazine/travel journal. Click here or on the mini magazine below to read (Flash required).