They Call Us Crafty

Holiday Craft Photo Dump

2014-01-14T07:33:00.003-08:00

Another holiday season has come and gone. As usual, I couldn't help but get crafty for Christmas. I made several books as gifts (and forgot to photograph most of them). I also made cinnamon ornaments which is a simple fun way to dress up your presents. So, here is a few snapshots of my holiday crafting.

I'm only a little obsessed with the A Beautiful Mess photo app, as you can see. If you are interested in the recipe for the cinnamon ornaments, you can google it and find about a thousand variations. Mine was roughly a cup of cinnamon, 1/3 cup apple sauce, and 2 tbs Elmer's Glue, but there are many different versions to suit your needs.

How were your holidays? Did you make/receive any handmade gifts this year?

♥ Jessica

Pottery Sale Today! Rain or Shine at Changing Hands Bookstore

2013-11-24T08:08:00.002-08:00

Come by today, November 24th, at Changing Hands Bookstore from 10-4 to see my new pottery!

Thanks! See you today.

Sarah

Cool weather and warm mugs

2013-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats a cool fall afternoon like a warm beverage.

Sarah

A Parade of Vases

2013-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Even the smallest of my vases can hold large colorful flowers for your enjoyment.

Sarah

Who's bringing the treats?

2013-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

This owl is perched waiting for someone to fill these chip and dips with delicious treats.

Sarah

Berry Breakfast

2013-10-13T15:25:00.001-07:00

Merry Berry!

2013-10-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

I have been gearing up for the holiday season!

Sarah

Maine

2013-08-22T06:39:00.002-07:00

It's summer which means that I am doing a lot more things that require me to leave the house, and, consequently, a lot less crafting. A few weeks ago I took a trip to Maine which is a great state for taking pictures.

2013-06-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

The most popular type of journal I make are these cassette books. I find old cassettes and turn the liner notes into journals. They fit snugly back into the plastic case, thoroughly hiding their secret new purpose.

The problem is finding good cassettes. Lately, they haven't been as available as they used to. I guess people learned that they don't really sell at tag sales or thrift shops, and they ended up in the trash. Either that, or maybe some avid cassette collectors have snatched up all the good ones to keep in the giant tape collection they have housed in their basement.

The other problem is that I have amassed quite a collection of my own. I use the liner notes and cases, but I still have the actual cassettes. It feels wasteful to throw them away, so I keep them. What for? I have no idea. Perhaps I will come up with a use for them someday (vague images of an 80s themed party are floating through my head).

♥ Jessica

Jeffrey Brown giving props to Sweetpea Pottery

2013-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would share some of my custom made art work by my favorite comic artist Jeffrey Brown.

If you haven't read his books you should go out and buy them. His stories are laugh out loud, relatable, and enjoyable to read. Thanks Jeffrey for sharing your stories and artwork with the world!

jeffrey brown comics

Sarah

Ceramics in my home

2013-06-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

Susan Beiner ceramics

Andrew King

Tom Budzak

Kaori Fujitani

Kurt Weiser

Thanks for visiting!

Sarah

Renegade Craft Fair Los Angeles 2013

2013-05-30T09:45:00.003-07:00

Almost a year ago Jessica and I started this blog, They Call Us Crafty. We joined forces to showcase our craft; ceramics and bookbinding. This blog has given me support to think about my craft, how to photograph my work and to receive support from our followers. We decided to create this blog to enter in the 2013 summer Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles. We found out that we did not get in. The frustrating part is, we don't know why. The fair sends out a general letter. Of course I felt rejected and upset. I have had some time to sit with it and I realize that sometimes it is about the journey, not the end result. I am happy I started this blog with one of my favorite people in the whole world. Jessica inspires me everyday and it has been such a wonderful time communicating with each other and others this way. We plan on continuing this blog and we hope you continue to read. I plan on gaining skills on how to take better pictures of three-dimensional work and I look forward to sharing my ideas with you. Thanks for reading and spreading the word of our blog!

Sarah

Handbound Scrapbooks

2013-05-22T05:57:00.001-07:00

On June 1st I will be attending a charity event which I also helped to organize. The Morning Glory Evening of Chance will be a fantastic night out where you can play casino games for charity and enter raffles for some fabulous prizes. My contribution to the raffle is going to be a scrapbooking kit with a hand bound scrapbook.

The best way to bind a scrapbook or photo album is called sidebound, or Japanese stab-binding. Individual pages (as opposed to folded signatures) are sewn to the cover as pictured above. The covers are hinged to make them easier to open. Each scrapbook page is 8x8" with a 1" spine.

Spacers are added along the spine so that the final book (after all the photos and embellishments are added) isn't too big.

The back cover has a pocket to keep things like stickers. I will be including this fun set of casino stickers for the winner to scrapbook our casino night.

If you live in the area, and want to support a great cause, please come out to the Morning Glory Evening of Chance. It promises to be a fun time!

♥ Jessica

Coptic Endbands

2013-05-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Recently I made my Mom a large art journal to give her for Mother's day.

I have been browsing through the book "Headbands How to Work Them" by Jane Greenfield and Jenny Miller, and I thought I would try to add a "coptic headband" to this book.

I made several attempts. Okay, it was more than several. I was afraid I wasn't ever going to get it right. I think it just took some (a lot of) practice. Finally I was able to sew some decent headbands. They aren't perfect, but at least I understand how to do it now.

I'm looking forward to trying all the different styles of headbands in this book.

♥ Jessica

The Life of the Plate

2013-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

My plate journey has finally reached the last step. Plate making is challenging for me. A couple of my plates cracked and they are no good. To make a good plate I find you can not use a lot of water and need to dry them slowly or cracking occurs. Also, they have to dry on a flat surface to not have them lift up in the middle of the plate and cause warping. I had some warping on this go round. I'm not sure when I will revisit plates but it is always a good challenge for me to try.

Sarah

Ceramic Book Covers

2013-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

The book covers are out of the glaze firing and ready to be shipped to Jessica so that they can be bound into books. Hope you like the new designs.

Sarah

Wedding Bells

2013-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

My coworker is getting married this summer and I wanted to make something for her because she is so nice. Her fiancée is a chef and I thought a bowl is the perfect item to add to there kitchen. She could use it to display fruit, or use it as a mixing bowl or serve up a nice fresh salad.

Enjoy!

Sarah

Don't take my word for it part three...

2013-04-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today my guest photographer is my friend Gabrielle.

Here are my spoon rests working hard while Gabrielle is making soup in her home. Check out Gabrielle's pottery at Gabrielle Koza

Thanks Gabrielle for the photographs:)

Sarah

Don't take my word for it part two...

2013-04-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Claudia is always an excellent host and it always a nice surprise when I show up to her home to see my pottery in use. Here is a couple pictures Claudia has taken in her home of my pottery. Thanks Claudia for being a guest photographer!

Sarah

Getting Ready

2013-04-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

This week I have been getting ready for the Bethel Blooms Craft Fair, in Bethel Connecticut.

I have been pricing my books, checking my inventory, and finalizing my booth design.

One thing that I should do each time I finish a book is add my stamp. However, I haven't been keeping up with it, and last night I had to stamp most of my inventory.

My stamp is a Japanese Hanko. These are used in Japan instead of signing your name, like we do here in the U.S. I think a stamp is an easy and consistent way of signing my work. I ordered my Hanko from JBox.com.

So, if you are in the area, please come visit me at the Bethel Blooms Craft Fair and check out all the other artists.

♥ Jessica