Tic Tac Toe Board from Stash Happy: Appliqué

Remember trading cute Valentine’s Day messages with friends in elementary school? The classroom was filled with exchanges of colorful little cards, cute candies and chocolates, and even the occasional carnation. Teachers handed out clusters of hearts to paint in reds, whites, and pinks. Vocabulary lists for the day contained words like ‘cupid,’ and everyone seemed just a little extra excited to be in class. Well, today’s free project would be the perfect gift to make Valentine’s Day a little extra special for the youngsters in your life. With sweethearts in the O’s, this soft and portable Tic Tac Toe board from Stash Happy: Appliqué will breathe new life into an old favorite just in time for the holiday.

To download the free pdf project instructions click here.

Who among us hasn’t spent time prepping a Valentine’s Day card featuring a heart shape cut from colorful paper? Is it even possible to look at a heart without softening just a little into a smile?

The evocative shape takes center stage in our book, FOCUS: Love, one of the books in our series showcasing digital photographers in their quest to see the world around them with perceptive eyes. Whether crafted by human hands, formed by nature or simply pulled together from our own need to make sense from the highly visual world around us—graffiti scrawled on an alleyway wall, the sloping curves of an iron gate, shapes cut from paper by a child, worn stones scattered on a forest floor—hearts can be found almost everywhere … as long as you’re looking. You’ll find 250 photographs by 150 photographers from 30 different countries within the pages of  this book.

View this little book teaser a sampling of the great imagery in the book.

We’re giving away one copy of FOCUS: Love. So, how do you enter for a chance to win? Leave a comment on this post by 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 9. Any comment is fine, but you’re welcome to leave a comment letting us know how you plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. One winner will be selected at random and notified on Friday, February 10. Click here for the official rules. And good luck!

It begins with the influence of court dress in the first chapter, which highlights turn-of-the-century and Edwardian styles. The advent of Modernism and the flapper look in the 1920s gave rise to tubular dress shapes and short hemlines with Art Deco embellishments, while the 1930s “boudoir bride” wore glamorous bias-cut gowns from Madeleine Vionnet or Hollywood costumiers Adrian and Irene. The wartime bride of the 1940s was happy to marry in a day dress or design from the new ready-to-wear bridal market.

(More after the jump. Click on the photos for a larger image.)

Christian Dior’s New Look led to the return of the hourglass silhouette in the 1950s. A revolution in bridalwear characterized the 1960s, both in experimentation of fabrics and in shape, while bohemian and ethnic styles were reflected in the fashions of the 1970s. With Princess Diana’s wedding in 1981, the tone was set for the opulent frills, flounces, and rosettes of the 1980s, a look that rapidly gave way to more minimalistic and slender styles in the 1990s and on.

Vintage Weddings covers notable weddings of royalty as well as Hollywood celebrities and high-profile politicians. The author, Marnie Fogg, is a fashion expert and media consultant on all aspects of the fashion industry. Bruce Oldfield OBE wrote the foreword.

Download the instructions here: Love Letters quilt

See more of Deborah’s work on her site.

First weekend in Tucson! This is paradise!

I have not been to the Tucson gem and mineral shows for four years, and it is so great to be here. My first weekend in Tucson, and I have already blown my budget.

The weather is perfect, and waking up with the views of the mountains is spectacular. The colors here are so different than those on the East coast. I am mentally matching bead color numbers with the purples and greens I see.

The best part is seeing old friends and making new ones. I spent an hour at Sandy Schor’s booth looking at his incredible collection of antique jewelry, and I bought myself a micromosaic smalti filati button. I have wanted this style of micromosaic for many years and can now cross that off my list.

Here are some photos!

Tucson is really a combination of many different gem, mineral, bead, jewelry, and art shows -- and they all bustle.

The micromosaic smalti filati I purchased in Tucson.

I love the colors of the Southwest. Good morning, Tucson!

The best part about Tucson, of course, is seeing friends new and old -- including, here, Julie, Rae, and Sarah!

Just Ducky offers just that: American-made, custom children’s clothing perfect for your little one. And you get to pick the fabric… plus a bunch of other fun options, too!

Based in our neck of the woods here in Western North Carolina, Just Ducky has been creating custom clothing for kids since the early 80s. They’re currently celebrating the release of their spring 2012 line, a collection of new designs and new fabrics to choose from. Available in a few select retail stores in the Asheville, Just Ducky does most of their work through home shows: think trunk show in a cozy environment, good company, and fun with fabric. And you’re invited!

Join us:
Wednesday, February 8th
5:30-7:30
At Lark Books (67 Broadway, Asheville, NC 28801)

Want to find a home show in your area? Click here. Or maybe you’re interested in hosting your own Just Ducky home show? Click here.

I’ve spent some time digging around the depths of the online wedding world to offer up to you a list of some of the best wedding blogs out there, all jam-packed with ideas for everything from the dress to decorations and extra special touches. I’ve collected 27 of them below (I just couldn’t cut it down to 25!), listed in alphabetical order. Turn to these sites for creative inspiration for the big day. But be careful: you may find yourself getting lost in the beauty of it all.

100 Layer Cake
Borrowed and Bleu
The Bride’s Café
The Cinderella Project
DIY Bride
The Knotty Bride
Emmaline Bride
Engaging Bride
Forget Me Knot
Glamour & Grace
Hot Pink Brides
The Inspired Bride
Oh Lovely Day
OK, Now What Bride
Once Wed
One Lovely Day
One Wed’s Savvy Scoop
The Loveliest Day
Love and Lavender
Perfect Bound
Recycled Bride
Rock n’ Roll Bride
Ruffled
Something Old, Something New
Style Me Pretty
The Sweetest Occasion
The Wedding Chicks

Sonoko was the first foreign instructor at Bead&Button — in 2005 — and her presence each year draws crowds and “oohs” and “aahs” of excitement. She is a star of the beading world — and we mean “world” quite literally here.

This new book takes her Japanese book Mode de Beads, which included instructions for nine projects, translates them, and adds instructions for 16 more jewelry designs by Sonoko, for 25 total — all in English, of course, and with a gallery of other beadwork from the author completing this magical book.

Crystal Rose design from the book Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue

Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue is an April 2012 publication; ask for this gorgeous, inspiring beading release at your local bead store or bookstore, or order it online on Amazon or BN.com.

We invite you to sample the book: Click here to download a PDF of the Crystal Rose necklace project from the book, plus enjoy a taste of the projects in it pictured below. If you’re intrigued, tell us so, and then share the link on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and StumbleUpon. Please join Lark Jewelry & Beading on Facebook, too, and we invite you to visit Sonoko’s website — which is in Japanese, of course!

Under the Sea necklace from the book Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue

Cheerful Midafternoon necklace project from the book Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue

Shower of Blossoms necklace project from the book Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue

Sunflower necklace project from the book Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue

Night Dew bracelet project from the book Japanese Beadwork with Sonoko Nozue

Sonoko Nozue at the 2010 Bead&Button Show with (back row, left to right) her translator, Lark Jewelry & Beading editor Nathalie Mornu, and our group's senior art designer, Kathy

This is me making a mug. I make a lot of mugs.

My name is Thom, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new ceramics editor and point person at Lark.

I was hired by Lark a little over a year ago, shortly after I moved to Asheville. Before that I lived in New York, where I worked a few blocks from Central Park for the craft book division of Random House.

I didn’t expect to continue to work in book publishing when I returned to the south. At least not in a full-time kind of way. But as luck would have it, Lark needed help on their needlearts team just as I was moving. I jumped at the chance. As a lifelong potter, I knew and respected Lark’s publishing program. And I was more than happy to make books for fellow makers, even if it wasn’t the ceramics books.

Fast forward a year and here we are. I will be the primary editor at Lark for ceramics books going forward (we are still a collaborative office though, and super-editor Linda Kopp will continue working on ceramics books here and there). To go along with that, I have two other big-ish pieces of news:

As of now, we have spun off a new, dedicated Facebook page for Lark Ceramics.
Drop by and say hi! We’ll give you some incentives to “like” us as well. What kind of incentives? How about posting calls for entry for the ceramics books. Not enough? We’ll also create some themed photo galleries and such. What more could you want? Seriously, let me know and we’ll make it happen if Facebook allows it. With some time, I hope it will end up as fun of a ceramics Facebook page as a Facebook page can be.

I will be attending NCECA in Seattle at the end of March.
We haven’t finalized the details yet, but I will try to wear a Lark button or hat or something to make me easy to spot. I’m also trying to think of something fun to bring and give away. (Temporary tattoos are the best I’ve got so far.) Once we have the details worked out, I’ll post them on the blog and also on our Facebook page.

I look forward to meeting our authors, readers, and everyone else in the ceramics world–whether it’s in person or just online. Let’s make things together.

To enter to win the Joy of Socks book and kit, please leave a comment on this post by 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 2nd. Any comment is fine—though we’d love to hear what crafty things you’re making – or planning to make – for Valentine’s day. Three winners will be selected at random from among all eligible entries and notified by Friday, February 3rd. Click here for the official rules.

This giveaway is now closed to new entries. Thanks to everyone who left a comment. The winners will be announced shortly!