Change of Address!

After inconsistent posting and uncertainty of where I wanted this blog to go, I've decided to make a change and start a new blog! One with a name that can grow with me. If you'd like to keep following posts about handmade, crafting, vintage, and the occasional tutorial, please add Tiny Nest to your reader!

Thanks guys!
Becky

Etsy Treasure Chest: Hitting the Books

A new semester (and my final one as an undergrad!) has begun, and I have recently shelled out a pretty penny on required reading materials for my classes. To lessen the blow a bit, I wandered around Etsy looking for some book-related items that are definitely worth buying!

via DreameryStudio

I love how this print feels like an anatomical drawing and has such ornate details. So elegant!

via collageOrama

 Similar in style to the first one, but with a more humorous twist. I'm a sucker for rodents and cute things, so this one totally has my heart.

via 1061brushhill

I can never have enough bookmarks, and this one would be a lovely way to mark my place. Cabochons come in such beautiful, delicate colors and I'd love to have this one adorning my pages.

via bibliocide

This circle garland features sections of a vintage dictionary and would be a great subtle accent draped across a doorway or bookshelf.

via weDesigns

My mom used to make rolled paper beads all the time, so I'm partial to both the process and the product. These are made of sheet music and have a nice layer of lacquer to give them durability.

via typewriterboneyard

This is such a clever idea! There's also a book base with an elephant on it that I LOVE, but I couldn't resist that adorable little toggle switch.

via slippedstitchstudios

I'm a huge craft supply nerd, and this magnetic bookmark totally calls my name. This would also be a really fun, easy DIY!

Now I'm ready to curl up with a good book and some hot tea to get through this snowy mid-Atlantic weather!
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I'll be working on re-designing the blog in the next few days and hopefully including some regularly-scheduled features to keep me on task. Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Crafting in 2011

What are your aspirations for the year to come?

Etsy Treasure Chest

via Berkeley Illustration

I love a good illustration of animals doing silly things. In fact, my good friend Tori did a series of drawings/paintings this semester that included a camera-wielding bear, an Uggs-wearing wolf, and a bowtie-wearing dog. That being said, I think it's high time I came clean about my own personal animal obsession.

Squirrels.

That's right, those filthy little rats-with-fluffy-tails, birdseed-stealing munchkins have stolen my heart. So this week's (and the very first!) Etsy Treasure Chest features none other than my furry little friends.

via owlcove

I'd love to have this little guy sitting on my dining room table!

via boygirlparty

This is almost too cute to write on.

via Behind the Screen Door

What better than a squirrel to do your nut cracking?

via LambCandy

A tea-toting squirrel is the perfect way to bring squirrel elegance to your home. Such a cute and chubby silhouette!

via angeldogdesigns

And finally, a more subtle nod the squirrel theme, the acorn! I love the idea of hanging these up around the holidays as an alternative to colored lights.



Now that I've admitted my infatuation with the Sciuridae, what are your favorite animals?

xo, Becky

A Semester Abroad

Well, not really. I just got so swamped with schoolwork this semester that I totally neglected both my hobbies and this blog. So to get back into the swing of things, I'll share my thrifted finds of the day:

A tiny mixing bowl to go with the larger one I got (for free!) from a moving sale a couple of months ago, and a lemonade decanter, both vintage Pyrex.

I also sewed up some stockings (my first!) from some fabric I got for free from my trusty interior fabric store. I just freehanded the shape and used this tutorial from Threadbanger to make sure I sewed the tops with the right sides facing out (and with a handy little hanger!).

Here's how they've turned out so far:

Planning on embroidering our names on the tops tonight!

I'll leave it at that for now, but I will commit to posting (much) more frequently from now on. I'd love to have a blog people enjoy reading, and I think some of that success comes from consistency. So here's to making an effort and enjoying the holiday season!

xo, Becky

Project #7: Quilted Potholder

I was pretty excited for this project because sometimes I just love simple, domestic decorations. And they also remind me of my grandmother's house.

I used 1/4 of a cloth napkin I got from a thrift store for the front, and some thrifted red cotton for the back. My quilting started out pretty wonky, but got better as I continued. After I finished the quilting, I decided I wasn't crazy about the edges (sometimes I'm a little picky), so finished it off with some vintage red bias tape from my grandma. The white thread I used was well-hidden on the front print and complemented the red backing quite nicely.

End product:




LOVE IT! I want to make so many of these for people!

xo Becky

Project #5: Supplies Roll-Up

This project dealt with using a heavier material, which I was slightly concerned about because I don't want to break this machine (especially since it's borrowed). Nonetheless, I snatched up some of the printed vinyl I got from a local interior fabric shop and used unbleached muslin for the interior, with gray thread to accent the silver swirls on the vinyl.

The result:



I varied the sizes of the slots to allow for larger supplies, but I'll probably use it mostly for my smaller painting brushes. These would be great to make for kids, with crayons or colored pencils filling the slots. The vinyl was a little tricky around the edges, and pinning was kind of rough, so I mostly just fed it through with my fingers.



For the closure, I used D-rings and a length of ribbon from my stash, since my twill tape was too thin for the rings. Overall I'm fairly happy and wouldn't mind making more of these.

xo Becky