A Collection A Day Blog Tour

Cafe Cartolina

Lisa Congdon's book, A Collection a Day launched this spring and for fun this summer, publisher UPPERCASE is holding a mini blog tour for the book.  It's launching today over at fellow Canadian blog, Cafe Cartolina where Fiona is showing off some of her own pretty amazing collections.  We're also included in the tour (visit here July 27th for a special post) along with design work life (July 20th) and sfgirlbybay (Aug. 3). A Collection a Day is available online here.

bella puzzles: wedding guest book wooden puzzles

{ photo wedding puzzle guest book }

cool. Lara makes custom wooden guest book puzzles -- stumbled across this great idea in an etsy blog post on beating creative burnout (erm...) so pls. forgive if you've seen elswhere...

you can get them with a photo, a color, or plain wood. you can get a rectangular puzzle or one shaped like a tree or your state/country. you can get your names carved as pieces. or a heart. or a monkey, or anything you want. people sign the backs of the pieces with the pens (included! so considerate). you could even use them as place cards. plus anyone who takes a scrollsaw class and whose talents are "making mischief and making art" must be supported.

[maybe i like this idea so much because my grandmother's typewriter (i know, so 2010) had a meltdown at our reception and refused to work. may or may not have had to do with toddlers. it works *now* of course, just not then -- we have these random 3-word haiku running down the left side of the paper. anyway. moral of that story: have a pen handy. anyway.]

there's a nice symbolism here -- we assemble our weddings, our marriages, and our lives from our families and friends, and so it's not just a picture of you, it's your community coming together and every piece is critical. sweet.

Lara also cuts puzzles for other occasions (baby shower, birthday, retirement, bat mitzvah) --
to see more of her work check out her other etsy store and her blog as well.




more at bellapuzzlestoo.etsy.com

handmade wedding book giveaway by brooklyn bride

image via brooklyn bride

charming new book out, which i would totally covet except i'm not doing it again. where were you last year, adorable book?

brooklyn bride is giving away three copies -- enter by checking out her post, with bonus killer pegboard seating chart how-to instrux. or, if your DIY-itchy fingers can't wait, go on and get your own.

Sycamore Street Press: The Perfect Gift

Contributor post by Eva Jorgensen of Sycamore Street Press

With the holidays just around the corner, I've begun to think about gifts. Beautiful books are always a great option... they're the kind of thing that many people love to receive but might hesitate to buy for themselves. So, if you're looking for gift ideas, I've compiled a short list of books that have caught my eye in each of 4 categories: cooking, art, children, and shelter.

Cookbooks (clockwise from top left): Tartine by Elizabeth M. Prueitt & Chad Robertson, Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, The Illustrated Quick Cook by Heather Whinney,  The Commonsense Kitchen by Tom Hudgens

Art books (clockwise from top left): Water, Paper, Paint by Heather Smith Jones, From Orchards, Fields, and Gardens edited by Kerstin Svendsen, Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations, Brooklyn Diary curated by Lena Corwin

Childrens' books (clockwise from top left): Petit Collage Deluxe Baby Book & Memory Box, The Life of Mr. Mustache by Studio Violet, Eat by Dwell Studio, The Book About Moomin, Mymble, and Little My by Tove Jansson via Book By Its Cover

Shelter books (clockwise from top left): Home Economics by Jennifer Marie Trontz via Size Too Small, Simply Scandinavian via Remodelista, The Selby Is In Your Place by Todd Selby, Handcrafted Modern by Leslie Williamson

This Week from Lisa Congdon: Will You Be Mine?

Contributor post by Lisa Congdon



I think the idea of giving a book for Valentines day is very romantic. I'd love to make a list of fiction for the occasion or an entire list of art books that make my heart swoon. Last month, at the flea market, I saw an antiquarian books vendor who'd made a display that said "Books make sexy Valentines gifts" or something like that. He'd set aside all of his romantically-themed novels and picture books, all of them old and browned and beautiful. Today, I went to the site of one of my favorite book publishers, Chronicle Books , and selected some of what they offer that might make a really nice Valentines gift for someone you love.

This list is in no particular order but I must say one of my favorite romantically-themed books of the last year is This is For You by artist Rob Ryan, pictured above.

Here are some others that I found that I thought were beautiful:

I Love Macarons :



For the pastry lover in your life; renowned Japanese pastry-maker Hisako Ogita shows us the art of baking macarons in full color.

Hearts for Madelene :



Hearts for Madalene is a beautiful and heart-wrenching project that has been chronicled into a set of gorgeous cards: "Every Monday, in honor her beloved partner Madalene Rodriguez, whom she lost to ovarian cancer, Page Hodel photographs a one-of-a-kind valentine crafted from every day objects. She then emails them to friends and family as a reminder and celebration of this remarkable soul and their magnificent love. This set of notecards collects her most beautiful and creative images. A portion of the proceeds from each sale of this collection will be donated to The Women's Cancer Resource Center in Oakland, California."

Love Hotels :



Japan is famous for many things, and among them is its quirky theme-roomed "Love Hotels" designed for short romantic interludes. This book is packed with stunning photos.

I WIll Never Forget You :



An homage to Frida Kahlo by photographer Nickolas Muray, who was Frida Kahlo's friend, lover and confidante, this book chronicles their relationship in pictures and words, through his stunning portraits and their heart-felt correspondence.

Bend the Rules with Fabric by Amy Karol

Amy Karol of the Angry Chicken blog and author of Bend the Rules Sewing has recently put out a new book under the "Bend the Rules" series called Bend the Rules with Fabric. Having just received it, I can hardly wait to try a few projects myself. From painting, stamping, dyeing, stenciling, photo-transferring (etc.) one is able to make very cool things without too much skill involved. The book includes templates and patterns to help create fun things such as pillowcases (see image below), tee-shirts, pillows, even wall art. There's also an accompanying "Bend the Rules" Gift labels set (with heaps of fun messages such as: "I made this, just so you know. So, don't say anything mean about it."... or "I totally want to get one of these for myself, so let me know if you don't want it.") The book and label set is available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Powell's Books and your local bookstore.

amykarol.com
angrychicken.typepad.com

Paris: Made by Hand

Looking forward to seeing this book, Paris: Made by Hand by stylist and fellow blogger, Pia Bijerk that recently launched worldwide. I love the idea of walking through Paris, with this book as my guide, embracing an aesthetic called "fait main" which in english means "made by hand". The book covers over 50 shops in Paris that embody the spirit of handmade, many of the shops with studios in the back where craftspeople can be found. Available through Amazon here.

Love, by Samantha Hahn

Love is a new 40-page art book curated and designed by illustrator, Samantha Hahn, about love. 24 artists with a distinct style and voice were given the theme “love” and set free to interpret it. The outcome expresses both singularity and uniqueness.

Contributing artists include:
Hannah Stouffer, Lilly Piri, Aaron Hogg, Lisa Butterworth, Dan Funderburgh, Samantha Hahn, Erin Loechner, Jesse Breytenbach, Kate Miss, Jessica Gonacha, Kelly Lynn Jones, Yasmine Surovec, Shira Sela, Matthew and Sandy Lynn Davis (Treatzone), Maditi, Amy Sahba, Ez Pudewa, Hijiri Shepherd, Marisa Haedike, Lisa Congdon, Holly Becker, Kate Neckel, Katie Sokoler & Kate Bingaman Burt

A great little book to buy yourself or treat someone who appreciates art.

Love, by Samantha Hahn
samanthahahn.com/blog

the book of decorating

This morning watching the Today Show I was reminded of the new Domino Magazine book, The Book of Decorating as they featured a few tips on the show from the book on decorating a home on a budget. I so want this book and found they have a sneak peek online so you can check out what it's all about. View the video here. See more about the book here and it's now available through Barnes & Noble.

waisze redux: handmade scrapbook tins

{ sweet serenity altered scrapbook tin }

sorry for the post-lag, all! so. much. going. on.

my world is totally upside down, so this week will be a bit spotty in the posting -- good things are going on off-blog, friends!

was in NYC last weekend, stopped by brooklyn flea on sunday where (before it rained) i ran into wai sze, who i featured last september. not only does she make gorgeous tin favor boxes, which are even cuter in person, she has expanded her line into these awesome little handmade scrapbooks that fit inside -- check out the wedding photo one below:



was sad that it rained (although i did manage to stuff my craw with delicious pupusas and tamales, worth going just to eat), there were lots of other etsy folks out i didn't get to see. if you're in NY, i recommend!

so nice to meet you, wai sze!


more at waisze.etsy.com

brooklynbookbinder redux: thank you cards

{ chocolate brown merci cards -- set of five }

la la! in addition to gorgeous heirloom-quality albums and journals, maggie campbell has added wonderful letterpress thank-you notes. worth an update!




more at brooklynbookbinder.etsy.com

brooklynbookbinder: albums and journals

black and copper photo album

pretty and perfect as an engagement or wedding gift or your own wedding album. or use one of the journals or sketchbooks as an alternative guestbook -- even better with a bigass feather pen, sold separately. more at brooklynbookbinder.etsy.com

books for the holidays

Around the World: The Grand Tour in Photo Albums
Barbara Levine , Kirsten Jensen

this is a very cool coffee table book for both travel and photography lover. and might i add vintage photo album collector. lots of beautiful snapshots, passenger lists, itineraries and postcards from cairo to burma.


Taking Things Seriously : 75 Objects with Unexpected Significance
Joshua Glenn , Carol Hayes

this book had me thinking for days. about the stories behind the objects in the book and about what my objects of unexpected significance were. a poignant look at ordinary things, instilled with extraordinary significance. a book to be inspired by.


The Guerilla Art Kit,
Keri Smith

everything you need to put your message out into the world. for fun, non-profit and world domination. in the keri smith way, this book gives new meaning to guerilla art. like leaving books for strangers to find, chalking quotes on the sidewalk or making your own stencils, it's full of fun assignments and ideas for the artist/activist.



The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings
Albert Hastings , KayLynn Deveney

a glimpse into an eighty-five year old man's life through the lens of photographer, kaylynn deveney. contains handwritten text and poems by albert hastings in a unique storytelling viewpoint of both photographer and subject.