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I have moved to a new website!

2011-03-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

I have moved! You can now hand out with me at my brand new blog.

for all of you who have kept up with my crafty adventures, thank-you! I hope to continue to share much more with you at the new blog!

I still have a few more things to tweak on the new site, but I know myself, If I wait until it's perfect, I'll never share it with you.

see you soon!

Sneak Peek of my new studio!

2011-01-21T12:04:00.000-08:00

I've been working slowly to get my new studio set up. You can see a bit of it in the video. I'll to a photo tour soon- it's not totally ready yet.

Studio and some new stuff from the craft fiend on Vimeo.

Behind the scenes// Colour Pallate for The New Blog

2011-01-16T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's time to start designing the background for my new blog! I hope to be able to unveil the new home for The Craft Fiend Mid March! I'm working so hard on focusing, culling out the things that aren't reflective of my personal brand and simplifying the look of everything!

Here are words from my inspiration journal to describe what the new blog will be like:

a daily celebration of handmade and nostalgia in a 9 to 5 world.

Here are some photos from my Pinterest Brand and Identity Board that I've saved to help me create the look of my new blog.

from girlhula on Flickr


from Valspring on Flickr

from lonnymag.com

Visual elements that I hope to include are:

Cleaner side bar with cohesive buttons, Polka dots and stripes (two of my favorite things!), A softer colour pallet, and a much bigger space so photos pop off the page!

Wasabi Suicide via colourlovers.com

Sushi for Lenas Love via colourlovers.com

off to read about backgrounds, hex colours, and headers!

Behind the scenes// Fonts

2011-01-13T19:52:00.000-08:00

You already know I'm working on building a new blog and and a NEw Website!

I'm now ready to choose background work on the background and header/ banner. I'm looking at all kinds of fun fonts and still dreaming of colour combo's.

Before I head off to my new studio to finish organizing it. Here are some things I've been collecting for font inspiration!

From "The Sketch Book Project" Doodle Heads

From Etsy

If you have a favorite website or blog please leave the address in the comments so I can check it out. I'd also love to hear about why you like it- is it the design, do you like how it's easy to navigate, do you like the colours? I'm really excited to make my new blog and websites easy for you to use!

Music Mondays//

2011-01-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

Music for today is brought to you by Massive Attack featuring Tricky. When I live in Toronto I listened to both these artists all the time. I kind of forgot about them for a bit- adding to my Pandora stations right now!

via youtube

Click here for more details about Massive Attack and here for Tricky.

Behind the scenes// Colour inspirations

2011-01-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, I wrote about the website(s) I'm going to be building. Some of the most exciting tasks are picking out fonts, and colour schemes, and deciding on the layout of the websites I'll be working on.

Here are the colour pallets I like the most.


via

via

Via

I essentially have three different sites to build:

A new home for this blog
A cozy spot for my webshop for She Loves Me Not
A fun bright, inspiring place for my sewing school 504 Stitches.

+
A top secret project...

Behind the scenes// What I'm doing and why

2011-01-04T05:08:00.000-08:00

I'm starting over. With Branding and online stuff...

In a few days I will be starting an online class, with someone I admire so so much, in which I will learn how to build a website! You can't know how exciting this is for me and what a huge step this will be in re-branding and positioning my personal brand and creative businesses in a place that will take everything to the next level!

a quick note of advice from Laura Roeder

First off I put together a list of goals and outcomes to guide my actions. I need these because I always want to do more than is actually possible so the list below will help me streamline the process and focus on what is truly important.

I'm letting you in on the process, the planning, and some fun behind the scene progress.

My goals :
*Move this blog to a Wordpress site. The theme I will be using is built off of the Hybrid theme.
*Build a website with an integrated web shop for She Loves Me Not Clothing Company.
*Build a website with an integrated web shop for 504 Stitches, my sewing school
* all three sites will have a clean, simplified appearance and complimentary branding
* as a bonus I'm hoping to be able to hand draw the social media icons and design some pretty blog buttons
* The Craft Fiend (this blog) will continue to evolve into the very personal brand landing page and online heart of my business so I've spent alot of time considering how to make this blog the heart of everything. I want this blog to be fun, pretty, and encompass the spirit of what I am putting into the world.
* I have one more thing I will be creating, but I'm keeping those TOP SECRET until I launch it.

My first Video Blog- A day late!

2010-12-31T20:16:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy my very first attempt a video blogging! I'm still trying to decide how to approach this type of blogging. Instead of taking too much time to mull it over, I took action and just did it! My usual habit is to wait and wait and wait and think it over and procrastinate about it.

My first video- a day late from the craft fiend on Vimeo.

Pinned //Cozy Quilts

2010-12-30T00:17:00.000-08:00

You already know that I'm so in love with Pinterest. Some pretty quilted things from Pinterest today:


Pinned by Kate Singleton

Pinned by E.Saunders

Pinned by Jenevie Green

What is your favorite place to get inspired? Tell me and I'll go check it out!

Music is for Mondays/ A Jazzy New Year

2010-12-27T05:58:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to have a huge New Years Eve Cocktail party. Like the party that Holly Golightly has and the police are called by Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffanys.

I admit, I do love a party that ends in mayhem just like The Party staring Peter Sellers. You know, the kind of party where you end up stumbling home arm in arm with your best partner in crime, falling asleep with all your party clothes on (even your shoes) and wake up the next morning in need of greasy brunch food.

The Party via Refinery 29

This year will be another quiet New Years Eve, since we don't have plans and January is shaping up to be pretty hectic and it's not even Christmas yet. I've learned the hard way that staying out too late puts me out of commission for 2 or 3 days afterward.

So in keeping with my goal of being more balanced in 2011...

I think we'll stay home and try some Classic Cocktail recipies and listen to records. I'm starting to get into Whiskey- it's a really fascinating subject and it's warm and yummy.

Whatever you are doing, I hope you find a way to do it in your own style!

Pinterest and my visual obessions

2010-12-22T07:34:00.000-08:00

I recently started using Pinterest and it's helping me keep track of everything I love that I come across on the internet. Believe me, its A LOT.

I pin daily. A few days ago I started pinning daily themes. It helps me keep things fresh and interesting and organized. I do love looking through other peoples collections, but I also want to find my own inspriation and eventually start adding some orgiginal content of my own to my boards.

I'm using it as a way to book mark tutorials, inspirations, collections, other crafters, bloggers and artists. Basically Pinterest is an online bulletin board/ inspiration wall. Pinterest is probably for you if you have a million bookmarks and you like visual lists.

It's my number one reward to myself for doing a task that might feel boring or downright tedious. I usually use it first thing in the morning while eating breakfast and drinking tea, it helps my brain wake up and feel excited about the coming day.

If you are on Pinterest let me know or connect with me so I can follow your boards.

You can follow my boards here. For Now I'll have 2 to 3 daily themed boards and of course my growing collection of ongoing boards.

Monday is for Music/ The ghost of music past

2010-12-20T08:40:00.000-08:00

My friend John found this for me. It's pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

you guys!

Happy Holidays!

A name change for Wednesdays Feature

2010-12-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

so... you know how I started my newest weekly feature- This Into That Wednesdays.. it turns out I have to change the name of it- an artist contacted me to tell me that he has "This Into That" trade Marked.

I've changed the name into Up-Craft Wednesdays. Up-crafting is like up-cycling, using materials that would otherwise be discarded to make pretty and useful things.

fingers crossed that no one has this trademarked too..

I'm flying to Austin for the day, so I'll post pics of the project tonight when we get to our hotel.

Current Obession // Origami

2010-12-14T05:32:00.000-08:00

I can't stop searching for photos of Origami... can you believe the pretty things people make with paper?!

Source


Source

Source

I think that my favorite origami shapes are cranes, but maybe boats?

Monday is for Music/ Christmas Sounds

2010-12-13T10:31:00.000-08:00

This reminds me of my childhood Best Friend, Sarah.

Seriously, does it get any better?

I'm off to deck the halls.

This into That Wednesday

2010-12-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

so.. obviously this post is a day late. I was struggling with the exact formatting of it. and finally decided that it will be split up into two separate posts. The first week will be a peek of the actual materials I am using for the project. The following week will be the mini tutorial and photos of the finished project.

Just for today, pretend today is Wednesday while you are reading the rest of this post and everything will work out fine!

I love paper. In any form. I scored these heavy paper bags from work- they are shipped to us full of loose leaf tea which we sell in bulk so that means they are still fragrant and smell like yummy tea.

The wild wrapping paper is this super fun metallic paper that Brians mom wrapped a gift in last year. I knew it would come in handy!

Next Wednesday I'll share with you the finished project. I have a few in mind but I'd love to hear you ideas! What would you make with this stuff?

My Pomodoro

2010-12-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm doing a daily blog series on the New Orleans Craft Mafia Blog, and I'm totally loving it! It's good to have some structure and it seems to be helping me write. Who new having some guidelines would actually make me excited and spur on my writing!

I've also started using the My Pomodoro time management Ap on my i-phone- it's helping me keep on task and tricking the competitive part of me to get things done before my allotted time is up!

I just started using it today, so we'll see how it goes and if I stick with it. I'll let you know.

I do love tomatoes !

Monday is for Music/ Wacky Beatles Christmas Album

2010-12-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

I found this today. I like it. It's wacky and it's the Beatles. What a good combination.

It makes me in the mood to drink Christmas Ale and string popcorn for the tree.

Tell me what you Music Recommendations are.

Winter Warmth / A round up of Cozy things

2010-12-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

Even though I no longer live in the bitter cold of more Northern climates I've been freezing for the past 3 days. I hate the cold weather!

I'm dreaming of all kinds of cozy, cute, yummy things.

Via Free as a Ladybird on Flickr

Vosges Haut Chocolate Bacon Pancakes with real Maple Syrup via the nibble

The cutest hot chocolate ever! Via Flickr I'm going to make a big mug for myself right now!

Never before have I been interested by Blythe Dolls, but seeing one in a Dr.Who Scarf is making me dream of all the reasons to start collecting them. Via Flickr

I hope you are staying warm. I'm crafting up a storm in preparation for a few holiday projects!

Cranberry Salsa Saves the Holiday Table!

2010-11-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Another yummy Guest post from Jessica!

Have you ever noticed that most Thanksgiving foods are brown? No matter how delicious or crave-worthy, they’re just not very pretty. Think about it. It starts with the turkey, which is brown. The stuffing? Brown. My mom makes some delicious wild rice, which is – you guessed it - brown. Pecan pie is brown. Even candied yams and pumpkin pie wind up being an orangey-brown, which is a better, but still not great. So unless you’re my dad (whose favorite color is brown….seriously), you might be looking for a little something to brighten up your table. Cranberry salsa is the perfect solution.

Cranberry salsa is a dish that my friend, Emma, introduced me to a few years ago. All of our friends fell in love with it immediately. It’s one of those super-easy dishes that everyone loves, and for which you wind up giving the recipe away at least once every time you take it to a party. It’s tart, sweet and has a little bit of spiciness to it at the same time, all while being aesthetically pleasing. Cranberry salsa is incredibly easy to make, and can pull double duty at either a Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering. Usually I’ve presented it as a snack with tortilla chips, but if you’re feeling really festive you could try it with sweet potato chips. Anyway, here’s the recipe.

(P.S. - Alex won’t eat this either, but for once I don’t mind his pickiness. More for me!)

Combine in a food processor or blender and chop until medium consistency:

1 (12 ounce) bag of cranberries
1 red onion, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Up to 1 cup of sugar (I usually start with ½ cup and sometimes add a little more if it’s too spicy)
½ cup cilantro (optional)

Other than eating it with chips, you could use it as a spread on your day-after Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich or really top anything with it. This is one of my favorite holiday foods, so I hope you love it just as much as I do!

New Orleans I love you!

2010-11-18T16:21:00.000-08:00

Dear New orleans,

It's been just over a year since we moved here. For Brian, it was a return to a city he loves. For me, a new place, and somewhere warm - all year long!

There are times when I miss home and then there are times when I am so in love with the way this city just is. Even the insanely poor roads and the slower pace, which can drive me MAD.

So I just wanted to say how much I love you, how happy it makes me to be here.

Jessica Cooks!

2010-11-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

Now that Fall has arrived, many girls have embraced the change in weather by throwing on a pair of Ugg(ly) boots and a sweater. Having not experienced Fall in five years due to having lived in New Orleans, I'm not eager for it. As the temperature drops, I've been fighting to keep wearing my warm weather clothes and merely throw on my super cute fall jacket over the top.

There is one thing I have openly embraced, Fall Foods! The farmers market near our apartment is full of Swiss chard, pomegranates, squash, apples and other produce that conjures up images of savory dishes eaten while snuggling indoors. That being said, I decided I had to make this dish. Generally I like to cook things that my husband can enjoy. Seeing as he likes apples I thought he might like this. I was wrong. It turns out he only likes raw apples. More for me!

Butternut Squash with Fresh Herbs

1 Lg. Butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and removed of useless thready part
5 T butter
3 apples, chopped into bite size pieces
8 sage leaves, chopped
1 1/2 T thyme, chopped
1 1/2 T rosemary, chopped

Set oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash cut side down in a pan and fill with 1/2' of water.

Bake for 40 minutes until fork tender. You can also microwave the squash in a microwave- safe dish with the same amount of water for 5 to 10 minuets. When the squash is done, remove it from the pan and set it aside until it's cool enough to handle.

While it's cooling, add the butter to a saute pane on medium-high heat. Once melted, add the apples and herbs until the apple is fork tender.

Now back to the squash. Holding it by the skin, carefully score it into cubes and use a spoon to scoop it into the pan with the apples. Try not to make a huge mess while doing this like I did, as falling squash leads to a strange dance wherein one tries to keep the cat from eating scraps off the floor while encumbered with squashy hands.

Saute for 2-3 minuets for flavors to combine. Eat. Let me know how you like it!

Jessica! Thanks for this yummy recipe.

What I Want Today- Cedar House Fabrics

2010-11-07T05:04:00.000-08:00

I've been going through my fabric stash, in preparation for my sewing classes, holiday card making, and possibly a few last minuet handmade gifts. Today I am drooling and drooling over fabric... not buying anything.

Say you're proud of my restraint... then I'll feel better about not whipping out my credit card and charging some of these beautiful prints from Cedar House Fabrics

Source

I will be keeping my eye on Cedar House Fabrics. I do love modern, organic fabrics...

A very large To DO list ... and it's getting bigger!

2010-11-04T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm working on some fun projects for the rest of this month, and finally have all classes up in my new website - if you are in New Orleans and have a fee Sunday come take a class with me at 504 Stitches.

I just wanted to look at some pretty things before filling another page in my note book of to do's and adding to my wish list... boy do I need a fairy god mother or a benefactor! Wouldn't it be lovely to open my mail box and find a check - good for making dreams come true?

here are some magical photo's they made my night.

via Flickr

Via Flickr

off to make lists

good niiiite!

Meet Jessica!

2010-11-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to introduce you to Jessica! She's agreed to post on a regular basis on the The Craft Fiend.

Hi I'm Jessica! I'm a newly married 25- year old living in a tiny apartment in Manhattan with my husband, Alex- a musician and a notoriously picky eater, and my overly social cat, Clara. I love Puppies, cooking, occasionally baking and I've started to enjoy reading again after a long hiatus. Giraffes are my favorite animal. Fun fact: I am the same height as the average newborn giraffe (5'5" stow that one away for Jeopardy). Other interesting facts about me: I love nachos of any variety, my favorite color is blue and I believe that my toes should always be painted.

Jessica, Welcome to the blog. I'm so excited that you've agreed to let us come along with you for your adventures in Manhattan.