I don’t know if you’ve tried this craft or not, but it’s really very fun. And satisfying.



In block printing, you are basically designing and creating your own rubber stamps - usually on a bigger scale than your typical wood-handled red rubber stamp.


Here’s what you need:

For the blocks into which you carve your design, we have lino blocks (short for linoleum block)...



...or, we have blocks that the company, Speedball, calls “Speedy Carve” blocks.

They look just like big flat pink erasers and are just as easy to carve into.



To cut out your design, you will need cutters, of course.





They come in various shapes and sizes and they all pop into a pretty lino handle. Easy.



After your design is carved, apply some paint to it with a roller...



and some block printing ink.



Finally, lay a piece of paper on top of your wet-with-paint design. Make sure the paint is evenly applied to the paper with your baren.





Carefully lift your paper from the block and there you have your first print.

Of course, when I first tried this craft, I couldn’t deal with figuring out all of the materials, so I just bought the kit.



It has everything you need to get started.


For a (much) more intelligent explanation of block printing, watch this excellent video by Blick Videos.

These charming felt flowers came in today...all the way from Tinsel Trading Company, reportedly Martha Stewart’s “favorite store in all of the world.”













I especially love the charcoal ones.





Hand-made in the Czech Republic.


We are selling them for $9.50 each.

Space is now available in the normally always full SEWING FOR KIDS class.

This is a 6 week series for the 2nd-3rd grade crowd and let me tell you that they make awesome stuff.

Yesterday it was “Ugly Dolls.”

Patchwork tote bags, drawstring pj bottoms, insulated lunch bags, aprons and SO ON have all been on the curriculum.

We’re all jealous.

Sarah and Chris are extremely talented, amazingly patient and just fantastic teachers.

Sign up now before they fill up, because they will.



Call Sarah (415-531-5009) for info on fees, supplies and registering.

Is there anyone who doesn’t want help “taming” their Nemo knitting or crochet intarsia pattern?



Perhaps more importantly:

Is there anyone who doesn’t want to spend untold hours knitting up a Nemo-themed sweater/pillow/blanket/scarf?





I didn’t think so.

Formerly known as the “Wreath” section, the newly renamed “Floral” section got a little sprucing up last week.







We also added a couple new items.

Preserved ferns...



and...

Yarrow



Fresh and bright for spring.

This is a really clever idea from the Creature Comforts blog.

I especially love how parchment paper is used as a not-super-sticky sticker backing.

Perfect.






photo by creature comforts



Incidentally, we have all the supplies you need for this project.

• parchment paper

• Japanese masking tape

• punches

• cardstock...

As it happens, when an employee is restocking a particular item, sometimes they discover stuff in that category that has never made it onto our shelves.

I don’t know how it happens.

Let’s just say that we get a lot of new stuff in and some slips through the cracks.



Anyway, yesterday, we restocked the crepe paper and found - ta da! - a few colors that had never seen the light of day.



Doesn’t it look so pretty now, all full and cherry?

Mrs. Grossman called me the other day.

No, not an employee of the Mrs. Grossman’s company, but the real life Mrs. Grossman herself.

I actually think it was a member of the Grossman family, so it might have been a Ms. Grossman, but close enough, right?

Anyway, she wondered if we might like to carry some of their, I mean, her stickers.

We would!


image by mrs. grossman’s


Today, I received the catalog and I’m perusing it now.

Is there anything more fun than settling down to a bowl of cereal for dinner and a new catalog you can’t wait to get a look at? Ahhhhh.

Anyway, I’m seeing a lot of great sticker options.

So far, I especially like the “Chubby & Cutie” section.



image by mrs. grossman’s




See what I mean?

Look at what just came in!

This is a really charming set, and from what I’ve read in the blogosphere, the colors are great.

We are selling them for $8.50 per set.


photo by eco-kids

Thank you for buying so much fabric during our March sale.

Sure we made a little extra income thanks to your enthusiasm, but the fabric shelves were the real winner.

Now filled - beautifully, meticulously, fabulously by Juliet - with a bounty of new designs.




By the way, all of our fabric (including the jersey, flannel, canvas and so forth) is all priced very simply.

$5.00/yard for solids.

$9.00/yard for prints.

I tend to tread very lightly through (and around, and over...) the topic of the FINE arts.

I am not an artist and so I almost always defer to the expertise of the expert, especially when it comes to supplies.

But today, I am breaking away from my insecurities to pass on two things that I know for sure... about art.


1. It’s watercolor season. Abundant, verdant spring (when it’s not raining) is perfect watercoloring weather. If I could paint, I would be very inspired right now.


2. We have two new kind of watercolor blocks in stock and they are really exquisite.




But what from Fabriano isn’t, really?





We have a variety of sizes in both flavors - all the way up to 20” x 14” and I definitely think they are worth a try.

And no, these beauties aren’t cheap, but none is better.

Two brand new colors of the very popular and infinitely useful Divine Twine...


PURPLE PLUM


photo by whisker graphics



and....(can you stand it?!)... A I R M A I L!

photo by whisker graphics




240 yards/spool. $15 each.

From Savoir Faire. The most beautiful selection of truly breath-taking decorative papers.



I couldn’t stop taking photos....

However you say it, this trim is cute. Think: aprons, pillowcases, tote bags.

We have a variety of happy colors and fun sizes.



All for about $1/yard.