That's A Wrap

"Practical. Pretty. Tape." That's what TapeSwell is all about. Purveyors of decorative tape, these guys have created dozens of designs that are anything but dull, brown and tacky. Use them to make your packages prettier, or for other DIY crafts such as scrapbooking or picture framing.


Via Design Mom.

Not Your Grandmother's Crochet

I mentioned most of the details from our fun trip to the Point Theatre in Ingram, Texas on Monday, but I saved the best for last: the gift shop. It was a totally unexpected little treat.

The Hill Country Arts Foundation has tapped into an obviously able group of ladies who donates their time to crochet blankets, pin cushions, potholders, pot scrubbers (deemed 'the best in Texas') and various chotskies. These goods are then sold in the gift shop where profits go to help supporting the theatre and arts center. Check out some of the gems:

Granny Square Blankets:


Potholders:


Scrubbers:


Crocheted granny square blankets and potholders are certainly not new to the market, but it seems like more and more are trying their hand at modern applications of the craft. Flickr is flooded with images of granny squares, a fact that has certainly been fueled by the recent DIY surge. I selected a very small handful below:


And check out how fellow interior designers, artists and bloggers make use of crocheted items in their real lives:


I feel my inner-Martha being tapped. It kind of makes me want to find some crochet needles and get to work. If you, too, are feeling so inclined, check out this tutorial for instructions on how to crochet your own creations. Good luck!

Wool and the Gang

The mother's day gifts that I ordered for my Mom and Godmother FINALLY arrived!

It was so fun watching my Mom open her gift. As a knitter who is rediscovering her skills, she absolutely loved the knitting kit I got her from Wool and the Gang in the UK. (This, of course, made me so very happy!) Luckily, I was with her when she received it, so I was able to document the goods and see how they were packaged.

Let me just say that the whole thing is gorgeous. As you can see from the pictures below, the kit arrived in a white paper kraft bag. A sample of the peruvian yarn included in the kit served as the tie to a picture of what she was going to be creating.

Upon opening it, there were a number of things that I didn't expect to see. In addition to the beautiful knitting needles and fuchsia yarn, there was also a few iron-on patches, a package of smaller needles, instructions and a lookbook full of entertaining images (e.g., a dog covered in a knitted scarf).


I first discovered Wool and the Gang from DailyCandy. I also referenced it in one of my Mother's Day gift suggestion postings, but had no idea what to expect when I ordered the kits. Let me just say... this will not disappoint. It's the perfect gift or Do-It-Yourself project. (And given that it's May, you've got plenty of time to finish a new scarf before winter arrives.)

Hmmmm... perhaps a Christmas present for a loved one? After all, it's never too early to start that kind of shopping.

An Egg-Cellent Idea

Cascarones have been a tradition of Fiesta since long before I was a child. Made of hollowed eggs filled with confetti, they are cracked on other people's heads as a fun (and often surprising) gesture. They are (usually) a fantastic and glorious treat for both 'cracker' and 'recipient.'

For such a small object, the cascarone evokes a huge affect. They are usually around when some sort of celebration is going on, so times are happy.

In San Antonio, cascarones are readily available on street corners, in shops and in local grocery stores starting around Easter time and going through Fiesta (the end of April). If you aren't lucky enough to be in South Texas during that time, you can easily make your own.

I'm sorry that I don't have visual directions to accompany this post, but the steps are very straightforward (albeit a bit messy). If you don't have access to a prepacked egg dye kit, you can easily make your own egg dye. See below for what else you'll need to get started.

Felt Applique

I love felt applique pillows. So many make wonderful graphic statements that are whimsical and fun. I like having reminders like this laying around.

1. Alexandra Ferguson; 2. Balanced Design; 3. Hable Construction; 4. Karen Hilton Designs; 5. Alexandra Ferguson; 6. Balanced Design; 7. Karen Hilton Designs; 8. Hable Construction; 9. Tanya Aguiñiga