Keeping the hands busy . . .

The longer you put off updating the blog, the harder it seems to be to get back to. I blame Facebook - where it's easier to pop a few photos into an album and see what the girls are doing.

Both daughters were home for Christmas and it was wonderful getting outside together. Winter this year has been so mild that trails were open enough to go hiking in search of several new local Letterboxes. Most of them were frozen solid in the holes they were buried in though, thanks to the melt/freeze weather conditions.
We introduced Jax to hiking while looking for letterboxes, but getting her to sit nicely while we stamped in will need some work. She does climb onto stumps and halt all forward momentum at a moments notice. She seems to think they make the perfect resting spot!

By Christmas I had about burned myself out with all the knitting mitten projects. By the time the girls left Maine once again I was ready for a different craft to take over my interest - and help keep the empty nest blues from taking over for too long!
First up was rediscovering Coptic bookbinding - logbooks for Letterboxing! I picked up one of the Crop-A-Dile eyelet setters. I love it - although it does take more hand strength than some of the promos advertised. Also the name brand eyelets are no longer readily available and the backs of the ones local craft departments carry really don't spread flat and smooth. Some of the edges are quite jagged and require an extra squish to hide the fact as best I can. The main thing is to get them squished enough so there are no sharp edges to snag a finger on! 

Of course as with all craft projects of mine, any can be tackled to the point of obsession! At last count I was up to about 30 finished logbooks. I had several packages of index cards and a pair of jeans to recycle into denim pocket logbooks. 

I'm thinking of holding a crafty yard sale this spring.

Next up on the crafting front was to dig out the crochet supplies and make a couple new bunnies. My box of finished things is always available for the girls to dig into and choose items for their friends or their little ones. It was getting depleted of bunnies!

As the 2nd bunny was nearly completed I "discovered" a free Dice Bag of Doom! pouch. It totally tickles me no end. I've finished 3 now using up odd balls of yarn.  (Nothing obsessive to see here folks. I bought 2 packages of eyes and there's one left :)

(Did I say Blogger had gotten easier? WHY is so hard to move pictures to where you want them?)

Altered Book Letterbox

Under Construction

Still practicing Coptic Binding, this time using 2 playing cards sewn together as the covers. The idea came to me after my trip to Goodwill and Salvation Army stores in search of Nancy Drew books to alter. I came across a couple of other books I thought had potential.

One is an Agatha Christie book with a padded hardcover. Very classy looking with a gold leaf image on front. Title is "Cards On The Table" - thus the playing card theme took hold.

My 1st Letterbox to plant in a library is being attempted.
Still have no earthly idea what to carve as the stamp. Leaning towards an image of the library it would be planted in.
Could you start sketching Steph?

Our order of the "Pink Stuff" from Stampeaz will be here next week.
Sorry, local scrapbook store.
Even with $5 shipping, buying 4 is like getting one free.
(or maybe it's more like buy 3, get one half price...math not my strong suit and Sara is asleep.)

1st efforts at Coptic Binding

That went pretty well

I searched and found both written & video tutorials for Coptic Binding.
It took a combination of the two for me to grasp the way this sewed binding was worked. Diagrams from several written tutorials helped make videos easier to follow.

Some of the videos I found were hard to listen to or had no sound.

It'll take a little more practice for me to get these to come out...
((oh, what's the word I'm looking for?))

Better. Okay...Perfect?
By perfect I mean using the correct techniques.
I'm still a little fuzzy on the kettle stitch that makes a crochet-like chain.
1st one is a little wonky.
(too loose even though I thought at the time I was really pulling the thread tight.)
2nd one is better, but still missing some of the chained columns.

Our Library is looking for a book I requested, but was not listed in the database we use. Non Adhesive Binding, Vol. 3: Exposed Spine Sewings. I hope they buy it! Looks very interesting.
(And that Lazy Susan in the photos was purchased at Goodwill for a $1. Thought it would help organize "things" on the table.
Turns out it just elevates the mess 2 inches higher :)