this is what happens

This is what happens when Ben leaves for a week work trip and I am left to my own devices.

I sew adorable blankets from random scraps of fabric (and a towel, which I used as the back). This is the very first piece quilt I ever made. I had to make some adjustments, since I rarely measure, which is required when quilting.

I am in love with the butterfly fabric that I got on clearance over Christmas. Utterly adorable.

I also made this girl's quilt, but I need to get some white fleece backing to finish it.

I also finished another baby blanket, and decided to put a caterpillar on it. I forgot to rotate the photo, so just rotate your computer.

I also learned why no one in their right mind makes swimsuits. Even when you working painstakingly slow and are really careful, you still get all sorts of bumps and unevenness. Man, that made me mad. But it still turned out well. I just hope the less than great sewing holds up in the ocean.

Diedra and I got this fabric on one of our trips to New York. I miss the fabric district. Who knew that an entire store of spandex would be so awesome?

And last, but not least, I take pictures of hilarious billboard signs in our small town. I absolutely love this sign for Hair Prophecy International. Garrett, I think you need to visit me just so that you can go there and get your hair cut.

DIY projects that i adore

I am currently enthralled in all kinds of do-it-yourself projects. A few weeks ago Ben and I repainted a kitchen stool bright green to match our towels and a bedroom table blue, because I wanted more color in our apartment. Last weekend we picked up two incredibly cool chairs for our living room, and I spent the afternoon de-rusting the bottoms and cleaning the cushions. They look great in our living room and so much better after a little cleaning. I love the feeling of accomplishing something and even more the feeling of making something beautiful.

I am currently on the hunt on craigslist for some other items I want for the apartment. Here are some DIY projects that I love. They are all ideas I've seen at Design Sponge, which is my new favorite blog to read.

Printed Duvet

Kitchen Utensil Key Rack

Bedside Table

Chalkboard Mirror

Stamped Dishtowels

Starched Fabric Decals

Recycled Cake Stands

wednesday night craft night

My dear friend Emily suggested that we start a regular craft night to (a) help us finish all those projects we have been meaning to and to (b) add some more activity into our lives. I thought it was a great idea. Now that stack of fabric can turn into something really fun and I can use more of the leather I received. I actually have a lot of scrap fabric that I have been trying to use up on projects, so this will be the perfect thing.

Emily is also going to take some vintage patterns from her house so that we can start learning how to make kids clothing, which I think sounds like a fantastic idea. It will be a great way to perfect sewing in zippers, doing hems, and making clothes, plus we can make adorable dresses and send them to our sisters or friends!

And when I say craft night, this isn't a guise for getting together with friends to talk. We will be doing hardcore projects and getting things done! Let me know if you want in on the fun.

new leather

I received a new shipment of leather this week, which made me incredibly happy. I've been on a book binding craze recently, which has caused me to run out of paper and run dangerously low on leather. Luckily, my Dad recently picked up some more leather, which he sent to me. I will have to post pictures of the books made from that leather, because it is gorgeous, but for now here are pictures of some recent books I've made.

These books are 5 inches tall by 4 inches wide. Each is made out of recycled leather, and many keep have the natural edges of the leather. You can even see the brand on the left, bottom book.

Here is a close up of the books. The leather wraps around the book and the closes with a leather strap that gets tucked under itself. Each book is made by hand is different, since the leather pieces have raw edges and I use different combinations of paper and ribbon.

Here is what each book looks like when it is closed. The curved front flap was already cut round like that, so I decided to incorporate it into the book.

Here is the same book opened up. The paper used is an incredibly beautiful paper, which you can't see that well in the picture, but is actually one of my favorites.

I love this book because of the natural edge of the leather that I was able to keep.

Here is the book opened up, where you can really see the edge of the leather. The paper is a brand new one that Ben got me for Christmas.

Here is a top view of the book , so you can see the great edges of the leather.

I love the paper I used in this book. It is a great retro poppy print.

Last night I got another supply of paper (for 40% off, which was a steal), so I'm back in book binding heaven. I'm hoping to make a lot of new books, since I have new paper that has yet to be used.

cuff links

For Christmas this past year, I decided to make cuff links for the men in my family. With a few cuff link backs, some super glue, and specially chosen items from the craft store, I was ready to go. Eric, a very proud Canadian, got a matching cuff link set of the statue of liberty and an American flag. I also gave him a pair of Canadian leaf cuff links as a consolation prize. Matt, who works at an Air Force base, got a bomber plane and tank. My brother Garrett, who is on a mission in Russia, got a matching set of a martini shaker and martini glass and menu. Yes I mailed them to him on his mission, and yes he wore them with pride.

After his Christmas package spent about 3 months on route to Russia, he finally received it this past week. And in typical Spencer custom, he wore them to his zone conference and told us all about it in his letter:

"So, I wore the cuff-links that you sent, Britt and Ben, since they are absolutely sweet. I don't have a French cuffed shirt, so I cut off both buttons, and then cut small holes in my shirt cuff, in order to wear them. Yeah, when I was in my interview with my mission president, I showed them to him, and he thought they were pretty cool, too. But, my companion told me (in companionship inventory) that he thought I was, as he put it, "living in Babylon" being focused on worldly things. First, I hate cheesy missionary analogies like that, and secondly, it doesn't matter that there were alcoholic paraphernalia on them—they were so sweet! Anyway, almost everybody at zone conference thought they were amazing."

I love my brother. He is an inspiration for being such a great missionary, but I also love how he hasn't lost his sense of humor and keeps it real on his mission.

leather books

I learned how to bind books in college and instantly fell in love. I remember spending a lot of my Saturday mornings hanging out in the empty classroom taking advantage of the amazing paper cutter. I made a lot of books that semester, many of which I still use.

When my best friend Jocelyn and I realized that we both took that class and knew how to book bind, it was a match made in heaven. We started to collect supplies; Jocelyn supplied the pretty paper and I found the perfect source for leather: my father.

I might have to tell you a little about my father at this point. He can do anything (and often does). Sometimes he thinks of something and then makes it (gee, I wonder where I get that from?). He learned how to make fly rods a few years back and has since taught the entire family. He taught himself how to fix cars and has spent a lot of time in our garage trying to keep our Ford Tauruses going. He picked up woodworking and has made our kitchen table, bookcases, bed frames, cribs, and jewelry boxes.

A few Christmases ago for the Spencer family Christmas craft, I taught the family how to make books using leather as the cover, and my dad instantly fell in love. He is actually really good at this and loves to make them in his spare time. My dad had part of a cowhide, which we used, but we knew we had to find more leather. Then came my dad's brilliant plan. As part of his job he drives around the state and often passes a local show factory. One day he stops in and just asks them if they ever sell leftover leather. Nope, they give it away for free. So he walks into an entire ROOM of leather scraps and fills up an entire bag full. Every once in awhile my dad will send me a huge box of leather, all different colors and textures. This is what supports my book making.

So with a box or two of leather and some paper, Jocelyn and I set about to get back into book binding. After making a few books, we came upon this ingenious way to make really small journals in only about 30 minutes (as opposed to 2-5 hours for each journal). We haven't made books together in awhile, but I still pull out my supplies and make books every few weeks. Below are some examples of the journals I have made.

favorite brother

In true Spencer family fashion, a few years back Garrett made everyone in the family something with his face on it. The girls all got aprons with his face that either said "favorite brother" or "favorite son." The nephew got a t-shirt that had his face with "favorite uncle." It was pretty rad.

The best part is the likeness to Garrett's face. Yes he made the stencil himself. Yes he painted them on aprons and teeshirts.

Below is the latest creation by Garrett. I think my mom mailed his stencil to him in Russia so that he could make more items with his face on it.

Maybe someday if you are cool enough you might get your own Garrett t-shirt with his face on it. I suggest sending him packages now to start buttering him up.

high aspirations

I get on a sewing/crafting kick each year to gear up for Christmas. With such creative ideas, I usually make something for friends and family as part of the gifts I give away. To give you an idea of how in depth and awesome the projects are, here are a few of my favorites:

1. grill set. Actually my dad gets the credit for first making one of these, but I recreated it with a friend last Christmas. Who wouldn't want all your grill implements put into a canvas organizer?

2. family memories book. A few years ago I got extremely ambitious and spent nearly 100+ hours putting together family memories collected from all of the siblings. I then formatted it into a book, complete with chapters, pictures, and titles for everything. Add 20 hours of making them into hand-bound books and you have one of the best projects I've ever done.

3. vintage aprons. I started making aprons last year, kind of on a whim. Since then I've changed the pattern a bit and gotten more creative. This year's crafting has also included aprons, but specifically made for crafting, not cooking. Tonight I will actually be working on sewing a few more, and hopefully I will also have pictures to post as well.

4. favorite recipes. Since most of my friends know I love to cook, I thought I would pass along some of my favorite recipes last Christmas. I spent a few weeks collecting my favorite family recipes, typing up the ones I've created in my head, and then printing them out for my friends in DC. I also gave copies to my siblings and Mom. I may or may not have also included mini bread pans and a potholder.

5. witty t-shirts. I started making t-shirts years ago. In fact, one of my first Christmas crafts was to make t-shirts for all of my family members. (I then made them all wear the said t-shirt on the same day and we took pictures.)

Now I have high aspirations to sew the most adorable craft aprons the world has ever seen. Not that I need any more aprons because I already have four that I have made myself and one with Garrett's face on it that says "favorite brother." Most of the aprons will be as gifts, but I might just have to keep one. Eventually I might run out of craft ideas for Christmas, but until then I think I'll be doomed to be creative each year.

items on the crafting to-do list

1. Finish my gold skirt that I started months ago. Jocelyn and I found this incredible material months ago, and inspired, I started to make a skirt. Then frustrated because it wasn't turning out quite as I planned, I gave up. I think I just need to finish the waistband and sew on the buttons. My goal is to finish it tonight and hopefully wear it (that is, if I liked how it turned out. I have some hesitations).

2. Make my vinyl vintage purse that I've been thinking about for a few weeks. I found a pattern online and then by some miracle, ran into the perfect black vinyl at the fabric store while looking for some canvas to make a fly rod case. The pattern is simple, so I am confident that I can finish it in an hour. If it turns out well, I have some pink pleather that I think would look great as a purse.

3. Make a new planner for 2008. I've been making and using my own planners for three years now. Since it is the end of the year, my planner is almost full, and I need to start thinking about next years. I've reused the leather before (and just re-sew in the blank pages). Or I could change things up this year. So many possibilities. I might also add fancy paper to make it pretty.

4. Teach Julie how to craft. She is always commenting how she wants to join my crafting parties (often these parties consist of just me, sometimes Jocelyn and I join forces). Well, come on over Julie. Seeing how Christmas is approaching, I need to step up the crafting and get started on a lot of my Christmas projects which are too top secret to talk about on this blog.

5. Work on said Christmas projects.

6. Use the new semi-precious stones from Sri Lanka to make earrings. Diedra brought be back beads from semi-precious stones (quartz, citrone, something else) that I need to make into earrings. The beads are incredible and so much better than boring glass, in my opinion.

7. Work on a baby blanket that I've been thinking of doing.

8. Make a handbag using the awesome handles I picked up months ago. I actually have the perfect fabric, I just need to sit down, create a pattern, and put it all together.

9. Sew aprons. I give these away as gifts frequently, so they are always on the craft list of things to do. I also picked up some great fabric recently that I should use up. I think I gave away my last apron, so I should make a few to have on hand. The great thing about making aprons is that I use my scrap material from other projects, and surprisingly enough random fabrics put together actually turns out quite cute. Who knew?

Wow, 9 projects. That should keep me busy for while. Hopefully after tonight I can at least make progress on a few of these, and if any of them turn out well, post pictures of my success.

finally organized

In spite of the fact that it only took about 6 months for me to finally get my sunroom organized, I am thrilled by the result. The main problem was a lack of storage and serious lack of good bookcases to suit my needs. After looking at several stores for a bookcase that was the right size and not finding anything, I finally just waited until one of my roommates was moving and bought a bookcase off her. So really I should be thanking Anne-Marie for making this all possible.

With the new bookcase in place, I was able to neatly organize two baskets of fabric, all my sewing notions, my book binding tools, leather scraps, and my sewing machine. And somehow I managed to make the whole thing look organized and cute instead of just messy.

As I have struggled to keep my crafts and sewing projects organized and neatly put away, I have come up with some great organizational solutions:

1. Get a tall bookcase that can hold not only your books, but also baskets filled with anything from stationary, thread, patterns, fabric, and sewing tools.

2. Get different size baskets which can easily be pulled off the shelves, used, and then replaced. I've actually had a lot of success cleaning up after a project using these baskets because items can be put right back in and then placed back on the shelf. Because it doesn't have to go into the basement or attic, it actually gets put away.

3. Get smaller plastic containers to hold things like bobbins, thread, and buttons. A little help in the organization makes accessing my sewing notions that much easier. Plus I like that I can find things quickly and know exactly what tub/basket everything is in.

4. Stack extra fabric on top of the bookcase. Since I always seem to have remnants or fabric waiting to be used sitting around my sunroom, I finally decided to fold it and place it on top of the bookcase. This way it is organized, but out of the way. I also like to use large wicker baskets to hold yarn and this fabric, which I then just set on top. It isn't as clean as I would like, but it is a million times better than having the baskets cluttering the floor.

5. Use the extra space under your bed. I keep metal bins under my bed filled with anything random items like craft paint and brushes, pictures, wrapping paper, and extra pens and pencils. Because these bins are smaller, they are easy to pull out and retrieve whatever I need.

So what is your favorite organizational tool? Anything you really love that helps you keep your life or projects in order?

no shame in being single

A few weekends back I participated in my church's regional women's conference. The theme was "Bless Every Home," focusing on specific skills or talents that women in the area have. The topics ranged from easy dinner ideas, organizational techniques, food storage, and crafts. I did a booth on hand-made leather journals, my latest passion.

While talking to one of my friends who was there demonstrating jewelry making, an older women commented on how many talents we have and the amount of crafts we are each involved in. She then asked how we learned to do so much and fit it into our days. Without missing a beat I turned to her, smiled, and commented, "we're single."

There was no mocking or bitterness in my voice. I was being 100% honest. I love my life and the opportunity I have to enrich myself in different areas, be it social, professional, spiritual, or intellectual. Although my mom is worried about my marital status, I for one am extremely grateful for my current situation. However, this does not mean I am adverse to any available, handsome bones people want to throw my way.

tip of the week

Recycle your old ties. Yeah they may look like they walked out of 1972, but you might be surprised the ways they can add style and spunk to your look. I've used them for everything from belts (adorable with jeans and a plain t-shirt), around purses to add color, make-shift watch bands, and as headbands. If the fabric is really great, consider cutting them up and using them in other crafts.