Scenes from (Work) Life

Happy Friday, guys! Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been spending most of my time at my messy desk, surrounded by piles of felt and floss.

It's actually worse than this picture lets on. If I were to pan around the room, you'd see crafty debris on pretty much every tabletop, desk, and bookshelf available. It is a colorful, happy mess though. :)

Just look at this pretty felt bundle...soon to be cut up and sewn into little creatures...

...like this guy! I'll be selling this snail ornament and lots more at GRUMP on Dec. 14th.

I'm going to do another post next week with more sneak peeks of what I'll have at GRUMP, but in the mean time you can always follow me on instagram for more behind the scenes shenanigans.

Have a great weekend, friends! xo, Mary

Things I liked lately

This little cowboy has been making me smile since he came to live with me. Whenever I have a frustrating work/life moment, I just look at him and he instantly cheers me up. Thanks, Mr. Cowboy! :)

He came in this awesome packaging too. Incidentally, Kim Welling is a genius and you should buy something from her, or several somethings.

I already mentioned these Sharpie paint pens in this diy post, and I also used them on this notebook in the shop, but I haven't mentioned that since I got these, no surface is safe from me. I'm in love with their pastel opaqueness, and they write/draw really smoothly once you get the right ink flow going. I'm using them all over the place. The only slightly annoying thing is that you have to shake them up for literally like half an hour to get the ink flowing the first time. But I think all paint pens are like that. And I'm counting it as exercise.

The scottie dog has been keeping my headphones from getting completely jumbled in my bag, which is much appreciated, and the cute little stripey envelopes came in a set from Martha Stewart. I think I got these at A.C. Moore, but they're probably available everywhere her products are sold, which is everywhere. The envelopes are just the right size for the thank you notes I send with orders and remind me of fruit stripe gum, which everyone knows is the best tasting gum on the planet...for about 30 seconds...then turns into a wad of silly putty in your mouth. I haven't actually had any since high school, so for all I know science has fixed that whole flavor-vanishing problem by now. It's not like they have anything more important to do.

Other things:

DIY - This IKEA hack via Poppytalk is simple and perfect.

Travel - This list of the most charming places in the world. I think I've only been to one or two of these places...must do something about that. Also, I would probably add a few cities to this list, but you know, we all have our favorites.

History - Actually an old article that I came upon randomly last week when I was searching for something totally unrelated...the internet is magical sometimes and shows you just the thing you didn't even know you were looking for...anyway, it's an article about a dollhouse that was decorated by Charlotte Bronte while she was a governess (before she wrote Jane Eyre). She mentions in a letter to her sister sewing the dolls' clothes, though she wasn't terribly happy about it. I love finding out random things about authors whose work I'm so familiar with, or for that matter, artists too. Anyway, the dollhouse was up at auction several years ago. Can you imagine owning something like that?

Stocking Stuffers and Small Gifts

Clockwise from top left: tea cup brooch by Sketch.inc; small hand-painted jewelry dish by prettylittlethieves; songbird coin purse by Louise Brainwood Textiles; and bear soft sculpture by MountRoyalMint.

Clockwise from top left: 8 mini geometric stamps from Hunter & Co; small rose gold triangle earrings by Meltem; tea light holder by paulova; and business card holder by Allisa Jacobs.

P.S. Check shop announcements for order deadlines and shipping times if you want to receive by Christmas. Even if it's too late to give as a Christmas gift, you could always order one of these beauties as a present for yourself. :)

P.P.S. Everything in my shop is ready to ship and there's still time to order something cute if you're in the U.S. :))

Presents to Myself and Crafty Things

Happy Friday, guys! Just wanted to share a few things I've purchased from fellow Etsy sellers and friends lately.


I ordered this card set from Marieken's Society6 shop. I wanted to see what Society6 cards looked like as I sell them too, and I'm happy to report that the print quality is excellent, the paper is quality stock, and they are quite large as well at 5x7". I've been sending more cards and letters recently and found that my stationary stash was looking a little pathetic. So I'll be on the lookout for more cute cards on Society6 and Etsy too.


I got this adorable polka dot infinity scarf from Kristen's Etsy shop a couple of weeks ago and have already worn it several times. In my mind, polka dots go with everything, including other prints and patterns. The more the merrier. :) Also, I just noticed that the filter I used on my phone makes my eyes look brown. So weird! (They are really blue, if anyone's curious.)


Last but not least, I bought some felt from Benzie for Santa's workshop, a.k.a. me working 'round the clock sewing all the felt things. I'm trying to make as many things as I can for the holidays.

Lots of big things are happening in my corner of the world; how about you? Any big plans this weekend? I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! We are not traveling this year, which is a relief, but we'll still be plenty busy. Wishing you all a great weekend. :)
xo, Mary

Today's Finds

Woodland deer stamp from Creatiate

"Little Woodland" limited-edition print by Eloise Renouf

Blue concrete exposed bulb lamp by Sturlesi Design

Blue Window original aceo watercolor painting by vumap - Silvia Beneforti

Green pouch from Gift Shop Brooklyn

I'm loving this earthy palette of blues, greens, and browns; defined outlines, and woodland things. :)

Bits of July

Here are some highlights of July from my phone. If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, my username is my_hideaway.


Pretty hydrangeas; passed these houses on the way to a flea market one cloudy Sunday; spent a couple of afternoons by the water stalking ducks; and milkshakes at the diner.


The cutest window display at Paper Source; walking on a path by the water; new very exciting washi tape to pretty-up my packages; and a pop of bright blue.


A bunny was waiting on our front walk when we came home one day; my favorite new tray currently holding my makeup on my dresser (reminds me I need to do a post on recent Etsy purchases soon!); fairy lights on all the trees lining a street nearby; and we've had some crazy pretty pink sunsets lately.


Loved the stenciling on this door; a wall of sea creatures made of old soda cans swimming above a bed of cacti; a bumblebee doing some serious work on this pretty thistle one day at sunset; and a very hot, sweaty, exhausted me at the end of a long day outside running errands...aka the opportune time to take a selfie. ;)

July was a pretty good month filled with lots of time outdoors, despite the heat, and lots of delicious treats...way more than were actually photographed. Sometimes (actually, most of the time) I'm too busy stuffing my face to take a photo. I really, really can't believe it's already August and the year is 3/4 over. That is just blowing my mind today.

Hope everyone is having a good week!  xo, Mary

Last of the "Rejects" (for now)

I got my last package of "rejects" from Kristen of Milo and Molly, who came up with the idea for the swap. She sent so many cute cards and bookmarks and magnets that I couldn't even fit them into one photo!
 

I love all the bright colored paper and inks. I've already used some of the baker's twine to pack up an order, and I sent one of the thank you cards to a family member. I should really send one back to you, Kristen, haha. Thanks so much!! :)

Wrap it!

In the past, I have made my own gift wrap and tags, but this year I don't have a lot of time for that. I do, however, still want to be as eco-friendly as I can and also come up with something cute (the packaging is half the fun, after all). There are lots of shops selling upcycled or eco-friendly bows and handmade gift wrap. And there are also lots of free printables on the web. Here are a few things I've found that might make your life easier if, like me, you are swamped at the moment, and no matter how appealing it might sound to carve your own stamps, there just isn't time for that.

Clockwise from top: 5 eco-craft gift boxes from green bug; wrap it in a tote, like this one from Louise Wright; use paper grocery bags or kraft paper and these snowflake stamps from Sweet Spot Stamp Shop to create your own gift wrap; and top it with these reusable wool felt bows from A Market Collection.

Now that the wrapping's done, you'll need gift tags, like these free printables from Oana Befort. I've already printed mine. (psst: also check out Oana's shop for gorgeous illustrations.)

Or if you're giving a gift card instead of a present and need a card to put it in, these free printable cards sure are pretty.

I hope that helps! You can still have pretty handmade packages (eco-friendly too!) without spending tons of time to do everything from scratch yourself. And you get to help spread the word about other awesome artisans just by using their products/printables.

I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping; I just have a couple more things to get. And I'm waiting on a couple of Etsy things that have shipped from overseas. How about you? Are you an early bird or do you wait till Christmas Eve to run out and do last minute shopping?

New Moo Cards

I finally got around to ordering new business cards from Moo. They turned out pretty well this time. I made sure that the box for the "auto enhance" or whatever it's called was not checked, as last time it did weird things to some of the colors. (If you've edited the photos you're uploading, you wouldn't need that anyway.) I love the thickness and finish of the paper, and the fact that you can upload 50 different images, as well as your own logo artwork/business info on the back, is awesome.

The nice people at Moo sent me a referral link where you can save 10% on your first order of business cards should you fancy your own. And if anyone actually uses this link to buy cards, I get some sort of credit toward a future purchase of cards myself, so that's awesome. Hopefully, I'll run out of these really fast, as that will mean I've had lots of orders! :)

Scenes from Life

Whenever I have a spare minute, I've been winding my embroidery floss on bobbins and organizing them by color. It's immensely satisfying to see all those pretty colors begin to line up in rows. Also, I completed a large custom embroidery project a few weeks ago, which I'll blog about next week.

 A surprise delivery of pretty pinks and sunny yellows.

A rainy day outfit. And, no, I'm not really a giant, but I do sometimes forget that I am indeed a bit too tall to stand so close to the camera.

A vintage pin and vintage-inspired ring make the 80-year-old lady who lives in my heart very happy.

We ate at a Mexican restaurant downtown that turned out to not really be Mexican at all.

I did like the Oaxacan animals though. That reminds me: I used to have an Oaxacan peacock years ago. I wonder where he wandered off to?

Happy weekend!
xo, Mary

Button, Button

I got a package in the mail yesterday with some colorful buttons I can't wait to use in new brooches and other craft projects. I had been looking for the perfect buttons for a brooch I've already designed, and that made me wonder: do you guys design a project and then hunt for the supplies to make it? Or do you buy supplies first, and then find a use for them later?

Colorful Treats

The weather here is cold, rainy, and gloomy in general today, so I thought I'd share some bright colorful ribbon I received a couple of days ago.

I can't resist all that color; it always cheers me up.

Exciting Things in the Post

(Source: MoHotta18)

Last night I opened a beautiful box of new art supplies, and it got me thinking: is there anything more promising than new sketch pads, paints, pencils and pens? It's like back-to-school supplies, only better, because these pages won't be filled with math problems and boring essays. 

It's a fresh start, a chance to create something new in the world, to make a mess, to make something fantastic. What new thing will you create today?

Also, there's a talented whistler roaming the halls of my building today. I smile every time I hear him pass my door. Something optimistic is in the air.