design fix. dune tile from Spain.

Realistically, in this economy, lavish design just isn't happening that often here in the States.  More often than not, hotel owners & management companies are striving to get the most bang out of their hard-to-let-go bucks as they can.

Oh, but what I wouldn't give to have the right place to use Dune's tile. Dune is a Spanish tile company with architect/designer reps in Florida & California in the US.

I put a slide show at the bottom of the post with my favorites from the catalogs because it just got to a ridiculous number!

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Are you seeing this? A wall covered in amethyst! [on left]


Agate tiles on right. It's hard to see in my pic, but the agate-covered step is actually back lit.

 

And as if that wasn't enough ...they have fool's gold nugget tiles too.

Swarovski crystals embed into tile? You bet. [Please excuse the bad pic]

I really could go on & on, but I'm trying to show restraint. Let's just say that I was very giddy when I looked through these catalogs the first time.

See, doesn't take much to make me happy...

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Enjoy!

♥ - Kat.

book nook. the artful bride.

Here's another wedding themed DIY book. You know, I understand wanting to have some fun...but too much kitsch just isn't pretty. period. 

it's true. I'm a bwitch.

Boring? Perhaps, but I don't like to upset the apple cart...too much. Which means that for 95% of people would see it on the straight & narrow, square, vanilla. But 5% would see the hidden jokes in the details. Does that make any sense? Like a kid's movie with subtle adult jokes in the background. I l-o-v-e puns.

Okay. back from that tangent.  

Here are my picks from the book:

Flower Power jewelry set. Would I want it for a wedding? No. But in different color combos, it would be cute for other outings. This looks like some of the designs that my grandmother & I would work up when I was younger...but that can be for another time.

It's cute...Guest Survival Kit. add in some personal touches to it beyond breath mints & a tooth brush & I agree that it's cute.

Okay. I cracked up when I turned the page on these personal- ized undies. Aren't they great?! You would have to have the right group of gals to get away with this one, but I LOVE IT!

If the wedding is going to be a fun wedding...then I think this photo booth candle is a great idea. But, if the wedding is more serious, perhaps this would be more appropriate at a shower or rehearsal dinner rather than the reception.

How much do I love these monkey place settings?! This could only be pulled off with a more casual wedding. I would have to be separated from them because I'd keep playing with them - hahaha.

Another cute idea is this doll house miniature chair place card holder. The miniature name card is in the seat. I know, the picture didn't come out so well, but I'd think some would still need their glasses to see the name in real life. A miniature table is also pictured with "table two" labeled on it...

All images from book. The Artful Bride: Simple, Handmade Wedding Projects April Paffrath, Laura McFadden
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Okay, next post is going to go back design. I found this FABULOUS tile company...their catalogs have such great shots that I am going to set up a little slide show [fairly sure about that]. 

I'm off to personalize some undies!

♥ - Kat.

the crafter and the mill. a true story.

Besides the playhouse*, my favorite place at my grandma Edie's to snoop spend time in was the beadroom. Actually, it was an entire building immediately behind her workroom. At least 3/4 of its walls were lined with shelves from ceiling to floor. On the top shelf, lightweight items like yarn was stored. Down at the bottom, fabrics were stuffed into boxes and tubs. Everything in between...beads. Recycled soda bottles, mason jars - you name it - filled to the brim with beads. For a kid like me - it was the jackpot at the end of a rainbow.

So this past Saturday, my mom & I sifted through some of this fabric. I mentioned in an earlier post that there was a story behind the fabric...and there you go, that's my story. Haha - no, just goofing. and yes, I realize I'm not funny. just a nerd, but I'm okay with that.

Okay. Here's the actual story behind the fabric.

When my mother was a toddler, the family lived in the Aiken, SC area. At the time, the nearby mills + workrooms would load up the day's fabric scraps and put them outside the doors at closing. The scraps were free for anyone to come by and take home.

Notice how the pieces of fabric are all cut the same? That's because they were stacked & cut from a pattern press all at the same time. 

My grandmother used the scraps in her various projects. A personal favorite of my mom & me...her quilts.

Those scraps that I brought home Saturday are from the same stock that I learned & practiced sewing on when I was a little girl. Now, I'll work on turning them into something that others will enjoy too. Awe...& there's my gush quota for the day =)

♥ - Kat.

*playhouse - by the time I was a little girl, the playhouse was basically another storage building. However, it's shelves were lined with puzzles, books & games. Almost everything in there had belonged to either my grandparents, my mom, my aunt or perhaps one of my 4 uncles...

haha..misdirect + requests.

Yikes. I think that I might have fried my brain just a bit unloading the rest of the beads this afternoon. I was about to write the story behind my grandmother's fabrics & stopped upon entering the title. There is still a picture to take tomorrow when the sun pops out again. I'll type up the story then & wing this for now - can you stand it?

I've received a lot of requests lately. Yes, lots about flowers this + that. I promise that there are new things on the way. Actually, as soon as I get done here I'll be going back into the studio to work on a project.


Okay, the other prominent Q I get is about my old Team Eric necklaces [True Blood - that Eric...smoking hot Eric..you know]. I need to check in on my supplies. And if that's looking good, do one for both Eric & Alcide --Bill fans, you can special request because it just ain't happening otherwise! Ditto that to you Twilight people.

& on that delightful note ;) ...

Enjoy!

♥ - Kat.

a melancholy christmas.

In my various profiles, I mention that my grandmother, Edie, is the one responsible for my venturing into jewelry, etc after helping her when I was a child with her craft business. When she passed away a hair over *gasp* 12 years ago - my mother & aunt divided up all of her supplies. I've ended up with a good amount over the years too because, in all, that was about 3 buildings & 1 school bus* worth of supplies + her shop filled to the brim with finished goods for sale + all of her sample designs in yet another workroom. I'm serious when I write that she truly ran her own business, that we toured the SE doing craft shows & walking into manufacturer showrooms [many of which she knew the owners by their first names].

Right, the point.

My mother & kid sis will be moving back down to Florida soon (from Atlanta). At least for now, mom's decided to let me take all of her share of Edie's beads & halve her share of the old fabrics. >She knows that if she finds a project to use ANY of it that I'll be happy to send it to her right away< So we spent the majority of Saturday going through beads & fabric, all the while reminiscing.

Today, I'm going through the stuff that I brought back home with me. It's silly, really. It's like Christmas going through all of this bounty, but I keep tearing up.So many memories.

My aunt, mom & I have sort of a pact between us regarding Edie's supplies. We can use any of it up in a design & sell, but not solely as supplies for sale. In that way, we hope that she's proud & pleased from afar that her collection is still making others happy. So that's why you won't see any of these fabrics or beads up for sale as supplies in my shop. (Sorry quilters!)

For now, I'm simply overwhelmed. I still have another carload of beads to bring home. And while I'm positively itching to play with the fabrics...I think that I'm going to set them aside for the moment. They all have to be laundered, that's for sure. I mean, they're in the 40+ age range & there's a history behind them [that I know & will share later in a separate post]. That, & I'm too close to them just now. Some of them would do well as flowers, but for others it would be an injustice to hide their charming prints.

Edie, we forever love & miss you.

♥ - Kat.

*school bus storage - no joke. my grandparents had a retired Escambia County school system bus out by the greenhouse & Edie used it as storage. When I was little, I used to climb up on the hood in the evenings, lay back against the windshield & look at the stars. 100% true.

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A peek at some of the vintage fabrics:

weekly deal. BLUE or GREEN.

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Do you realize that it's not too long before the leaves will be turning? Okay, autumn is my personal favorite time of year...but I still like to hold onto summer for as long as I can.

This week, take 25% off anything with BLUE or GREEN in the shop. Enter "summerday" in the message to seller during checkout & I'll refund you back via Paypal.

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♥ - Kat.