Book Love: Home Rockanomics

You should read this book because:


1) It has 54 projects that cost practically nothing. Really--half of them are garbage.

2) It's pink.

3) The variety of projects it proposes are impressive: sewing, crafting, arting, and cooking. I can't decide which are my favorites: the vegan bike tire belt, the handmade wall paper or the x-ray lampshades.

4) There are ACTUAL instructions, not a collection of perfectly primped pictures of projects no one with a day job could actually recreate.

5) The lady who wrote it, Heidi Minx, created Built on Respect--a non profit group dedicated to raising human rights awareness.

My only qualms with this book is that some of the projects are a little obvious (make patches out of fabric and safety pins...) and some of photographs are difficult to see-- the zine aesthetic is fun and entertaining, it kind of zaps the eyeballs. Despite these minor details, it's a marvelous resource.

What are you reading, my dears?

DIY Dream Flags

Hello Rosehips! This is the story of a bag of rags that met a fairy-godcrafter and became a string of dream flags:

A big bag of shimmery scraps--a gift from my Mum.

Snip snip here, snip snip there--

A few soft crescent moons in acrylic...

Stitch it up with silvery thread--

I hung the beauteous shimmery flags above my bed.
Perhaps I'll cover the whole ceiling?
I enjoy the way they flutter when you walk through the room.

I just love happy endings. :}

What kind of magic have you been making?

Video Blog: Setting Up Your Own Shows

Hello crumpets! Today we're talking DIY Show Set Up: useful tidbits for makers of all kinds on how to get your work up and out in the world. :)



It was a glorious day--that moment I realized that I didn't have to wait to be allowed into a secret society to have my artwork on display or play music for a crowd. That day my friends and I decided we were going to take our own making-destiny by the horns and do it our way! The journey has been amazing--it gets better every time and we learn more with each try.

What have your experiences been? Any advice you'd like to share with the class? Questions? Ask away!

Handmade Holiday: How To Novel Wreathe

Hello Pumpkins! To get myself in the mood for handmade holiday mischeif, I decided to spruce up the apartment with a paper wreathe for the front door. It's 100% upcycled, 100% free, 100% adorable and 100% easy-peasy to make! Watch:

You will need: Cardboard, scissors, an old book and hot glue

Start with a piece of cardboard you can cut into a ring, or any shape you like. Mine is cut from an old pizza box.

Find a paper back or an old book--I found this one in my laundry room. Cut out the pages and begin rolling cones of varying sizes. (The cover of this book will be recycled in another project!)


Start hot gluing the cones onto your cardboard ring. Make sure you're tucking them close together so none of the cardboard is peeking out. Experiment with different lengths and widths of cones to get the effect you desire. :)

Once you've filled the ring, finish it off with some text (construction paper) or a bow and deck your front door to drive your neighbors wicked jealous of the crafty bad-ass who lives there.

What are your handmade holiday plans?

Vlog: Handmade Holiday Crusade!

Grab the badge to play along! There are no required postings, no schedule, and no rules--except you have to Make Stuff: fold it, paint it, stitch it, bake it, mail it, build it, write it, and post it!

Much Joy kids, this is going to be fun. :)

Boho Spa Day

Hello Kittens* Lately, squeaking in some kind of quiet time has been near impossible: showers are more like bird baths, adequate sleep is a treat. So what do you do when you're a girl on the go-go with no dough? You take a boho spa day. :) Here are some of my favorite DIY ideas for delivering needed relief.

Bath Salts: You can buy or make them cheaply. (I buy them in bulk at the drugstore.) Toss a few handfuls into your bath, and even if you only have a few moments--it makes all the difference to your muscles. Here's a quick tutorial:



Make a Mask: I wouldn't spend $60 on a fancy dinner, let alone goop to put on my face. Here's the recipe for one of my favorite kitchen-whip-ups!

1/3 cup cocoa

3 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons cottage cheese

1/4 cup honey

3 teaspoons oatmeal powder

Mix all ingredients together and smooth onto face.

Relax for 10 minutes; then rinse with warm water.

Mind Massage: There is no substitute for the healing properties of massage, but when cash is tight the table isn't always an option. However, Whisper Crystal has an entire YouTube channel full of guided relaxations that walk you through your very own medi spa experience. The Turkish Bath is my favorite. Enjoy!



DIY Spa days are one of my favorite ways to spend time--not to mention a safe way to stay sane. It's not about how much you spend or how long you do it: it matters that you make the time. How do you pamper yourselves, my pets?