Making Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:27:00 +0000

The new yarn in Pretty Zakka Shop is so easy to work with, and I am in love with the texture it creates. A cotton/acrylic blend, it is slightly nubby and has the tiniest bit of stretch. My first project with it was this hat for Wanda.

Next up is a set of coasters and some scrubbies for the kitchen (following the pattern in this book). I am also planning on some booties and a matching hat for a friend's baby boy who will be here soon.

How about you--what are you up to today?

xo

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:31:00 +0000

I'll take one of each, please.

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:49:00 +0000

Jenny Gordy

Mociun

ellenitza
The weather is just barely starting to shift into spring, and all I can think about are pretty dresses worn with lots of layers (both underneath and on top).

IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY AROUND HERE...

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:54:00 +0000

Actually, it's been a long week of sickness for both Henry and his mama. So, I am taking a minute to appreciate a few things I love. Including chocolate cupcakes with roasted marshmallow "frosting"...

my Minnetonkas...

the storage unit my dad brought this morning for all of my Pretty Zakka Shop merchandise (even though I said the bad f-word about forty times while putting it together)...

and these two boys who both need baths, have been harassing each other all day and are scattering junk all. over. the. house.

I think I need another cupcake.

TUTORIAL: LEATHER BRACELETS

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:53:00 +0000

SUPPLIES:

assorted strips of leather in various widths (1/2" to 1") and lengths (ranging from 7"-10")

self adhesive snap

needle and embroidery floss or crewel wool for embellishment

vintage buttons for embellishment

Using a straight edge, cut
your pieces of leather to the desired size. This size is up to you and
depends on the size of the wrist and whether or not you want the
bracelet to fit snugly or hang loose. If you are making a gift and
don't know the wrist size of the recipient, a safe bet is to cut the
leather strip between 8"-9". I make my bracelets 1" wide so there is plenty of room for the snap and to add embellishment.

Using needle and either crewel wool or embroidery thread, do some decorative stitching along the length of the leather. Make sure the knots are tied securely.

Following the instructions on your package of snaps, apply the proper hardware to each end of the bracelet. I like to use snap setters, but if you don't want to do it this way, the snaps you tap into place with a hammer work just as well.

Your bracelets are done!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:53:00 +0000

I am not a technology girl at all and have not been even remotely tempted to buy an iphone, but these photos my sister just took with hers kind of make me want one! Aren't they pretty? She used this app, if you are interested in trying it out. Even their website is pretty darn cute!

XO

WIP WEDNESDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:25:00 +0000

This project is so cute! Using a tutorial she found on the long thread, Angie has been making these pretty cereal box journals. You can see more of Angie's craftiness on her blog and in her shop. Thank you so much for sharing, Angie!

Around here, Henry and I are trying to recover from the flu, so quiet, easy projects have been the name of the game. Right now that means necklaces made following Jenny Gordy's lovely tutorial.

How about you? What have you been up to?

xoxo

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:06:00 +0000

I have just added so many cute new items to Pretty Zakka Shop!

I love it all, but am especially excited about these knitting and crochet pattern books. The projects are all so adorable, and even though the written directions are in Japanese, each step is really clearly illustrated so that even non-speakers can follow along!

P.S. Are you working on a project you would like to share for WIP Wednesday tomorrow? Send along a photo--it is fun to see what everyone is working on!

XOXO

TUTORIAL: LACE PRINT COASTERS

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Help your friends protect their furniture with these pretty lace coasters!

SUPPLIES:

(4) solid colored ceramic tiles

(1) sheet of felt

(1/8) yard of lace

(1) can spraypaint (it doesn't have to be black, but make sure it contrasts the color of the tile)

gloss medium (i prefer a spray can, but brush-on will work, also)

epoxy or other super strong adhesive

rotary cutter to trim excess felt

Working outside on newspaper (or something similar), lay down your tile and postition a piece of lace on top. Make sure the lace lies flat and is not wrinkled.

Holding the can 8"-12" above the tile, apply a thin, even coat of spray paint. It is better to apply a few thin coats than one thick one. Let the paint sit for about 30 seconds before carefully removing the lace. This gives the lace a chance to absorb some of the paint and makes your design clearer.

Here is what your finished product will look like.

This is an example of another style of lace.

This is what happens when you hold the can too close and apply too thick a coat of paint.

Let the spray paint dry for a few minutes and then apply two thin coats of gloss. Again, hold the can 8"-12" above the tile. Let the gloss cure for 24 hours before moving on to the next step.

Cut a piece of felt for each tile, leaving about 1/2" excess all of the way around.

Starting at the top of the tile, apply a line of adhesive.

Gently set the felt on top of the adhesive and press on top to secure it to the bottom of the tile. Apply glue and adhere the felt to the rest of the coaster.

Once the felt is in place, turn it over and use your rotary cutter to trim away the excess.

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 17:28:00 +0000

Some of you may have noticed in my feature on Apartment Therapy that there is a new granny square afghan in the house...

It was made for my grandma, Emma (shown above), by her mama. I am thrilled to have taken charge of it. And Henry has been warned, "No snacks near the special blanket!"

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:19:00 +0000

We have a winner! Josh volunteered to pick the name, and it is Kitty Cat! Congratulations! Please email me with your address and I will have your package in the mail ASAP.

Thank you SO much to everyone who entered--I truly appreciate your efforts! We will definitely have to do this again. :)

Contest Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:44:00 +0000

Since the main project I have been focusing on in recent weeks is Pretty Zakka Shop, I decided that it would be the subject of today's WIP Wednesday. I also decided that it would be fun to do a giveaway!

The prize consists of the following items from the shop:

*one Paper Doll Coloring Book
*one set of Sweetheart Paper Cupcake Molds
*one yard of Shinzi Katoh Forest Linen Tape
*one roll of Black lace Deco Tape
*one cream colored Slice of Cake Lace Basket
*one "Alice Falls" Memo Pad
*one Pink Medium Balsa Tray
*one Pink Cake Shop Gift Box
*one Yellow Little House Gift Box

Would you like to win? If so, here is how you do it...

To enter you name into the random drawing, you can either:

*Tweet this post (which is super easy by using the "ShareThis" button below)

*post this to Facebook (again, super easy using ShareThis)

*Mention (and link to) Pretty Zakka Shop in a blog post

*Add the Pretty Zakka Shop button to your side bar.

You will receive one entry for each of these things that you do, for a possible total of four entries!

IMPORTANT!! Please let me know in the comments section of THIS POST which of these things you do so that I know who has entered the contest. As it will not be possible for me to keep track of everyone's posts on your individual Twitter/Facebook accounts and blogs, please make sure to leave me a comment so I know. I do not want to leave anyone out!

Some of you have already posted about Pretty Zakka Shop in various places. First of all--THANK YOU! Please feel free to use these as your entries and leave a comment about them.

Entry to the contest will be closed and a winner will be chosen at 9 a.m. PST on this Friday, February 26.

Good luck! Everything in already boxed up and ready to go to the post office as soon as i draw the winner on Friday!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:12:00 +0000

TUTORIAL: LEATHER BOW KEYCHAIN

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 23:28:00 +0000

SUPPLIES

leather scraps (at least 7"x2" big)

small scraps of wool felt

metal keyring

needle and thread

high quality epoxy or adhesive

First, cut your leather into two pieces, one measuring 8"x2" and one measuring .5"x1.5".

Trim the corners off of the larger rectangle. This does not have to be precise, but it will be easier to form your bow later if you remove some of the excess leather.

Make sure your leather is lying wrong side up and apply a dollop of adhesive smack dab in the middle.

Fold the left side over on top of the adhesive and apply another dollop on top.

Fold the right side toward the middle and gently press to adhere.

Now turn your little leather packet over and gently pinch the sides in toward the middle to form your bow shape.

Carefully loosen your grip just slightly to place some adhesive in your newly formed folds then set aside your bow for a moment.

From your felt cut a 2"x.5" section.

Fold it in half through the keyring and secure everything with five or six stitches.

Now return to your bow. Turn it over to the back side and place a good drop of adhesive in the fold, as shown.

Squeeze the sides together and place more adhesive on top.

Gently place the felt/keyring combo on the bead of adhesive and wrap your small piece of leather around to secure everything. Make sure to use plenty of adhesive. The leather I used was very thin and soft, but if you are using something thicker and less flexible it is a good idea to clamp on a clothespin to hold everything in place while it dries.

That's it! Yay! This is what your new keychain looks like from behind with pretty keys on it. Fancy!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:15:00 +0000

I am fighting sickness and am going to put off DIY Monday until tomorrow. Have a great evening!

xoxo

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:04:00 +0000

Have you been HERE yet? It's open, it's open!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:37:00 +0000

I recently bought Henry a new loft bed and put his old platform bed in the little nook under the windows in the family room. It took me about two seconds to get over the fact that it might be weird to have a bed in a non-bedroom and to declare this my favorite spot in the house. I predict much time spent here with a wiggly little boy and one chubby little puppy.

What is your favorite spot in your own house?

xo

WIP WEDNESDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:08:00 +0000

Here is a little peek of what I am working on right now... These granny squares will be used to make a pretty new cover for a rectangular throw pillow on out bed. The yarn is from Debbie Stoller's new line and I love it! The texture is so nice and easy to work with. Hopefully she will also add some new colors to the line!

Next up is a basement renovation from sweet Nicole of i heart napa. She is in the process of building a home office in her basement (as well as adding a laundry room and a new heating system), and I can't wait to see it! Nicole's home is beautiful, and I know her new office will be no exception!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:23:00 +0000

I have been working on the new shop all day long, but I will be back tomorrow for the first WIP Wednesday. I will be posting progress photos of a few things that I have been working on. If you would like to share your latest projects, send a photo or two my way!

xo

TUTORIAL: CROCHETED ROPE BASKET

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:30:00 +0000

I love having little baskets and containers around to keep things tidy, and have really been wanting to experiment with different materials to crochet with recently. This little basket is not only a perfect way to practice crocheting with rope, but also to hold little odds and ends! For this project I used a Size P crochet hook and one package of clothesline rope. This rope is nylon, but it would be fun to use cotton rope and experiment with dyeing it different colors! How cute would it be to dye the rope a few different colors and make a giant granny square rug?
Now, lets get to the project pictured above...

To begin, start with a slipknot and then chain five stitches.

In order to close up your loop, send your hook through the center of the original slipknot and chain one.

Your loop should look like the one above.

Send your hook through the center of the loop and single crochet six stitches. This should bring you back where you started--please feel free to improvise by adding or subtracting stitches, if necessary.

One completed round should look something like this.

Chain one, and go around the circle again.

Stitch markers definitely make it easier to keep track of where your rounds begin and end. I did not have any handy, so I used a glue stick. :)

Round and round we go...

When your base is as wide as you want it (mine was four rounds), it is time to begin building up the walls. Start with a chain stitch...

Then begin your next round of single crochet through the top of each stitch below (by sending your hook through the middle of the stitch, as opposed to underneath it).

Pull these stitches tight, in order to form a stable base for your basket.

Once the base round is finished, chain one and start on round two of your walls. For round two and each round after, crochet through the bottom of each stitch.

Keep going...

and going...

When you are ready to begin your last row, chain five stitches. This will become your handle.

Skip two stitches and attach the chain to the basket rim with another chain stitch. Continue to chain stitch to the rim until you are halfway around the basket. Follow the instructions above to make another handle, then continue your stitches until you reach the beginning of your round.

When you have reached the end of your last round, pull the end of the rope through the last stitch, then weave it into the basket and tie it off.

All done!

If you do this project, please email me a photo--I would love to see it!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:54:00 +0000

Dear Josh,

I can't decide if the past three and a half years have gone by quickly, or if it seems we have been together forever. It has not always been an easy road (in fact, sometimes it has downright sucked), but we continue to move forward and to progress, and for that I am thankful. Stopping in front of that red barn to see if you and the little black coupe needed help was one of the best things I have ever done.

I love riding around with you in the smurf-y blue roadster.

I love riding around with you in general...

I love that you not only love me, but also my strong willed little boy

and our fat little pug (look how little he was here!).

I hope we continue to move forward together forever, and that you love us as much as we do you.

xoxo

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:58:00 +0000

Here is a fun little sneak peek of the giant project I have been hinting about...

I will be closing my etsy shops this week (so if there is anything you have had your eye on, grab it now!) and opening a new shop! The new shop will feature cute zakka style items for you and your home, and I could not be more excited about it. I LOVE having shops, and i obviously LOVE making things, but I have realized that I do not love making things to sell. I have decided to keep making things for fun (and sharing them with you, of course!), but not to put any added pressure on myself by trying to sell them.

Changes will also be happening with this here blog... In an effort to be a better blogger, I am setting up a few little weekly routines. Each Monday I will post a new tutorial, (this will start tomorrow!) and each Wednesday I will host WIP Wednesdays. I will be posting progress photos of my current projects (say that 10 times fast!), and I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE for all of you to email me photos of your WIPs to post, as well!

It's a lot of change, but I think it will all be for the better. Let's see how it goes, OK?

XOXO

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:16:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:34:00 +0000

Just a little hint as to why I have been somewhat absent in this space recently... I am working on a big project, which I am (and I hope you will be!!) in absolute love with. More details are coming soon!

In the meantime, I am taking very seriously the lovely advice from Tara and will soon establish some more concrete blogging routines (aka a schedule!). A weekly tutorial is definitely in the cards. Is there anything else you would like to see more of?

Hope your weekend was a lovely one!

noreply@blogger.com (Katherine) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:30:00 +0000