Handmade Olympics #8

The final event in the Handmade Olympics over at The Rikrak Studio is for My Favorite Blog with a Handmaking Focus. An easy choice - Sweet Sweet Life - my hands-down favorite blog. I first found Sweet Sweet Life when she posted some photos of this amazing Charlie and Lola Dollhouse. So full of awesome! Really! Follow the link to look at all the pictures. You won't be disappointed.

I started visiting every day and found features about lovely, colorful homes, great indie makers and shops, a life full of joy and family and creativity - and lots and lots of color. Every visit makes me happy.

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Gratz Industries HQ - Layin' Tile

We haven't been keeping you all updated on progress here at Gratz Industries HQ because most of our progress for the last few months has involved opening boxes and adding a bunch of stuff to the pile for the SPMS rummage sale. Not fun reading - or writing - or doing, actually. But we're done! Every box has been opened and sorted through. All the piles on the floor have been taken care of. We're ready to start finishing the house.

Project #1 - tiling the upstairs bathroom. We already had the tile, the cement, the grout, the toilet - heck, we even had all the tools out and ready - sitting there in the corner gathering dust for months. We even cut the tile and laid it all out ages ago - just never got around to sticking it down. Sheesh! What is wrong with us?

So last weekend we got busy. Spreading cement. . .

. . . laying down the tile. . .

. . . grouting (the grout color is "croissant") . . .

and done!

A thing of beauty! I wonder how long it will take us to add the baseboard trim and install the toilet? We cut baseboards yesterday, so we'll see.

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Handmade Olympics #7

Fun! Fun! Fun! Event #7 in the Handmade Olympics over at The Rikrak Studio is a goodie. My Favorite Handmade or Vintage Item That's Fun. Fun! I'm all about the fun!

From my own shop I'm nominating my Blockheads pattern. I just love the Blockheads - they're beanbags, handwarmers, dolls, sachets. They're awesome - if I do say so myself. Jo has had hers for years and she still plays with them often.

 

 I added some broken-up cinnamon stick to the rice in the red guy, and a few drops of orange essential oil to the yellow guy. Yum!

 

This guy is one of my favorites. I added some peppercorns to the rice filler so he smells angry. :-)

From another maker I'm nominating all the rubber stamp sets made by Chupchik. They are simply wonderful. Like the Little Girl set. . .

and the Little Boy set. . .

and the Dinosaur set. . .

and this Pirate Map set. . .

These mix and match stamp sets have unlimited play (and fun!) value. I just love them!

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Harper launches a site for teens to post their own writing

This week, publisher HarperTeen launched a new online project called inkpop to serve as a place for teens to share their poetry and prose. It's a fun idea, and very similar to other "social fiction" sites like Scribd and the myriad fanfiction sites out there where people can read your work for free, comment on it, and rank it. But there's one big difference at inked: an editorial board at Harper will read the top five selections each month, as voted on by fans, and offer feedback and the possibility of publication.

Even if they never publish something from this online slushpile, it's a fantastic opportunity for young writers to get professional feedback on their work. And if they don't have a top five book that month? Well, it's a great opportunity to see what does and doesn't go over big in teen fiction. (Here's a hint: science fiction/fantasy and romance is the magic combination.) Right now the top pick, a novel-in-progress called Shadow Watchers, has 742 comments--most of which, by a quick scan, are raves. I read the first page or so, and it's got a great hook and a terrific teen voice.

According to the submission guidelines, you just have to be "13 and up" to submit work--which means it's not just for teen writers, but for anyone writing for teens. If you're an adult writing for teens, you'll of course want to consider whether submitting to editors and agents is better for your work than posting it to be read for free online, but if you're convinced it will go over big with teens and be a top five book, inkpop seems like a terrific place to get some attention and feedback for your work. Just be sure to read all the terms and conditions before you post--I haven't gone through the small print, but you know there has to be some...

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Handmade Olympics #6

Event #6 in the Handmade Olympics over at The Rikrak Studio is another good one - My Favorite Thrifty-Forward, Sustainably-Minded Blog, Shop, or Site. I was really torn on this one - I couldn't decide between Maya*Made or Betz White. I love both of their blogs and shops, stalk them both on Twitter and visit their sites daily. What to do? Well - someone else made the decision for me. Jessica already nominated Maya*Made so I've nominated Betz White. Here's one of her newest releases - a cute pattern for little softies made from felted sweaters.

Whew! Now - if both of them make it through to the finals (when readers get to vote) I don't know what I'm going to do.

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Book Review: Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Sadako is a rambunctious, energetic Japanese girl growing up in Hiroshima in the 1950s. Only a baby when the city was devastated by one of two atomic bombs dropped by the United States Air Force at the close of World War II, all the anniversary of "The Thunderbolt" means to her is a day off from school to enjoy the peace festival's shops and concession stands with her friends. But soon the fallout from the attack catches up to Sadako vividly and painfully, as she learns that even the children of those who survived Hiroshima can become victims.

First published in 1977, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is the fictionalized true story of an eleven-year-old Japanese girl with fallout-induced leukemia who became famous throughout Japan for her campaign to fold one thousand origami (folded paper) cranes in a quest to seek the favor of the gods and become healthy again. Her inspirational story was immortalized in a collection of her letters and journal entries that was published in Japan, and today a statue commemorating her life--and her paper cranes--stands in Hiroshima Peace Park, a vivid reminder of the awful consequences of war.

At just 72 pages--17 of which are given over at the end to an epilogue explaining how the author came to write the story, and how to fold origami paper cranes--Sadako is a brisk read, but certainly not a light one. Told in simple and straightforward, yet often lyrical, prose, Coerr pulls no punches in her depictions of Sadako's and other children's illnesses. But while the book is certainly gut-wrenching, it is by no means so graphic that it cannot be read by (or to) children younger than its recommended eight and up age level. (I am, in fact, reading it to seven year old Jo in preparation for our upcoming trip to Japan.) This is one of those rare books where "eight and up" can really mean any age, up or down, not just "eight to twelve."

More than thirty years on, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes is still one of the most powerful, accessible, and important stories we have about the catastrophic effects of nuclear war.

The Sadako Memorial at Hiroshima's Peace Park

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Handmade Olympics #5

Today I'm nominating for an especially cool category on the Handmade Olympics over at The Rikrak Studio - Favorite Nicies Forwarding Kindness through Handmaking. I'm nominating The Toy Society. Never heard of it? Well - it's pure awesomeness. People make handmade toys and then put them out in the world where they'll be found and brought home. Lots of makers make their drops at places where the softies are likely to be found by a child who really needs a lift - outside hospitals, or on playgrounds near military bases or low-income areas - you get the idea.

Look at some of the beauties that people drop off, like this bunny. .

and this puppy.

I just joined The Toy Society and I'll be making my first drop next week.

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Pussy Galore Barbie

These are all kinds of awesome: Barbie has a Bond Girl line, under their "Black Label" brand. Now that's some fan service! I'm not sure they made Jinx (Halle Berry from Die Another Day, right) quite as...ample...as she is in a couple of places, but the Honey Rider (Ursula Andress from Dr. No, middle) is pretty great. The best of the bunch though is Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman from Goldfinger, left), which really captures her attitude and flair.

Plus, honestly: a Barbie named Pussy Galore? I don't have the words.

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Easy Peasy Jewelry

I've been making some necklaces lately. Necklaces that are easy for little hands to put on and take off all by themselves - that is, necklaces without clasps. Do you know about memory wire? It's magical stuff! A coil of wire that opens easily so you can slip it around your neck (or wrist or finger), then springs back to its original shape. Jewelry made with this bit of magic is comfortable and easy to put on and take off. It comes in three sizes. Necklaces (choker-style), bracelets (which make great doll necklaces) and rings (which make perfect Barbie necklaces). And you can get it anywhere jewelry supplies are sold. It's simply fabulous for making jewelry for kids.

I've been focusing on the necklaces - 'cause that's the size I have on hand. You can see them here. I think Jo wants to make some to add to my shop - we'll see if we can find some pink and red beads in my stash and make some for Valentine's Day.

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Handmade Olympics #4

Time for more nominations for the Handmade Olympics at The Rikrak Studio. Today it's Event #4: Favorite Handmade Goodie that Inspires Loveliness and Wellness. I expected to see a lot of bath products in the nominations so far - but I found a lot of jewelry. For me, inspiration and loveliness is all about words.

From my own shop I'm nominating my Enough is as Good as a Feast print. This was such a joy to stitch and the original hands in my workroom as a daily reminder.

From another shop I'm nominating this Barefoot in the Sunshine print from Freya Art. I already talked about it here and it really has been a sort of mantra for me so far this year. It makes me smile every time I see it.

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Book review: The Nine Pound Hammer by John Claude Bemis

In the first book in Bemis’ Clockwork Dark series, a kind of folklore Jedi called Ramblers once walked the country, righting wrongs. But the Ramblers were taken down one by one, defeated by an evil abomination known only as the Gog. Now a new group of young heroes—including a girl with a magic hand that can lead her through any maze, a boy with the size and strength of John Henry, and their leader, a boy with a special connection to the earth—must do what their more experienced parents and mentors couldn’t do. Filled with steamboat pirates, medicine shows, swamp sirens, and mechanical monsters, The Nine Pound Hammer is a steam-driven American fantasy with one foot in myth and the other in adventure.

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The Awesomeness of Craft Hope for Haiti

I've blogged about it before and I'm going to do it again because it's just so incredible. Craft Hope for Haiti has raised over $20,000 so far for Doctors Without Borders. $20,000!!!!!!!! They're taking a short break from accepting donations so they can get caught up on all the listings, but the shop is still open and continuing to be stocked with terrific items. Like this super-cool Animal Alphabet poster. . .

. . . and this cute plush dog named Rufus. . .

They keep adding new things every day. Go shop!

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Handmade Olympics #3

This is the last week to nominate favorite artists in the Handmade Olympics over at The Rikrak Studio. Here's what I'm nominating for Event #3 - Favorite Handmade Eco-Friendly Goodie.

From my own shop - Shiny Happy Bunnies - made entirely from repurposed fabrics. I've been working on a whole stack of these guys to stock my shop up for Easter and embroidering all those smiling faces has been FUN!

From another artist - I nominated the cupcake pincushions from Betz White. They're not new - she's been making them for a while now - but they are dang cute and I love them.

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NFL games = 11 minutes of action

Tired of the field goal/commercial break/kickoff/commercial break tedium of NFL broadcasts? You don't have to be a football hater to think televised pro games are boring. A few years ago, a writer for Wired Magazine took a stopwatch to a Chiefs-Broncos game, and found there were just 12 minutes and 8 seconds where the ball was actually in play--from hike to down. Twelve minutes!

Now, with the Super Bowl two weeks away, the Wall Street Journal has done an even more exhaustive breakdown. By their count, a three-hour telecast has just 11 minutes of action. Here's their breakdown:

Players standing around: 67 minutes

Commercials: 60 minutes

Replays: 17 minutes

Actual playing time: 11 minutes

Yep. According to the article, "As many as 75 minutes, or about 60% of the total air time, excluding commercials, is spent on shots of players huddling, standing at the line of scrimmage or just generally milling about between snaps." Yawn. And can you imagine how much more boring it must be for fans who actually watch the games in the stadium, sitting through all those commercial breaks without anything else to entertain them? Cheerleaders can only do so much.

And lest you think the broadcasts are spending a lot of time on the cheerleaders, consider this: most telecasts show them for just 3 seconds. "We make it a point to get Dallas cheerleaders on, but otherwise, it's not really important," says Fred Gaudelli, NBC's Sunday Night Football producer. "If we're doing the Jets, I couldn't care less." (Sorry, New York Jets "Flight Crew.")

I'm sorry, but the next time somebody tells me baseball and soccer are boring, I'm going to have a little ammunition.

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The Handmade Olympics - Event #2

I think event #2 of the Handmade Olympics will be my favorite - Favorite Handmade Goodie for Kids. From my own work I'm nominating my dolls - but I'm not sure if I nominate just one or the whole category. If it's just one I've got it narrowed down to Abigail Darcy. . .

or Lucy Emma.

I love Abigail Darcy's generally sunny look. I love her eyes and her smile and her pigtails. I love the vintage trim on her skirt (it came from Alan's Granny) and I love the bright orange ribbed fabric I used for her boots - an old set of curtains I found at Goodwill.

But I love Lucy Emma too - especially her green hair and the fact that I accidentally placed those buns a little higher on her head than I usually do - and love the way it turned out.

Decisions, decisions. The decision on what to nominate from another designer was super-easy. Herzensart Vikings! Every single one of them is amazing.

I love the foked beard on this guy. And that battleaxe? It's a RATTLE!

And how about the flask hanging from this guy's belt?

And this guy's raggedy, shaggy beard? Eeeeee! They're all fantastic! You can see the whole lot of them on Sandra Monat's website, where they generally sell as fast as she can make them.

Join in the fun! Go over to the The Rikrak Studio and nominate your favorite handmade items.

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Handmade Olympics 2010

Have you heard about the Handmade Olympics yet? It's a fun and fabulous idea from The Rikrak Studio. There are competitions in 8 categories. In each category readers can nominate one thing made by themselves and one thing made by someone else. Judges narrow the nominees down to ten and then readers vote on the winners. Fun, no? So, after careful consideration, I made my nominations for the first category - Our Favorite Handmade Goodie with an Innovative Design.

From my own work I nominated my Triangle Toys. I made the first of these ages ago and I'm still really proud of the design. I wanted to make a baby toy that was really simple - with a super-clean design. In this case, all the animals are the same triangle-based pyramid shape - you can tell what kind of animal it is by the color and by a couple of very simple details.

My favorite is this dinosaur. Jo immediately saw it as a dragon, so I made one for her in magenta velvet with back ridges in raspberry tissue lame. Ooh la la! These are pretty time-consuming so I don't make them often, but I have one set in my shop right now. I also sell a pattern for DIY folks who want to make their own.

From one of my favorite Etsy shops (KraKra) I nominated Miss Gertie Porket - this absolutely adorable little pig. I love that she is made to play with. And the design is so clever - just the kind of thing kids love. See that cute coat with the handmade (!) buttons?

Turn it around and it's a pretty flowered dress! And she doesn't skimp on the details. Even without her clothes, little Gertie is pretty fancy.

Don't you want to nominate someone? You have until January 31. Go play along!

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