Liquid Paper

she's in parties

Well I was able to make it into Minneapolis for Isaiah's birthday party a day ahead of the big winter storms. By this morning almost a foot of snow had fallen (plus more on the way) and there were drifts in the yard a few feet tall. The streets here are full of people shoveling + plowing + snowmobiling + building tunnels and forts. Tomorrow I’m hoping for good roads so that I can make my way home. Who knows what mischief Mark has gotten into while I'm gone? Yesterday he informed me that he has a lot more room on his desk now because the stereo is in the bedroom. He followed his revelation with a maniacal laugh. Hmm… we'll see how long that lasts once I return my love.

We used the Williams Sonoma Railway cake pan for the party and each child had their own tiny boxcar. If you decide to make this using their cake recipe, I'd suggest using a little less butter. Otherwise it was perfect. We used toasted cononut around the edges of the cars and a flag with each child's name on it to mark which boxcar was theirs. It looked really cute and was a huge hit with everyone.

chair + project

Finally, a new post and a completed project, thank you very much. This is what I came up with for my paper*quilt project submission. My inspiration was a favorite chair (see the original below) and making little paper garlands. I wish I had better technique with the exacto knife and paper collages in general, but I am pleased with the finished project. The hardest part was trying to come up with an idea that was me and not a copy of what I thought someone else might make. I hope that I still like it after I add my photo to the flickr photo group. I’ll try really hard not to cringe when comparing it to the other tiny masterpieces.

Did I tell you that this chair was free (yes, free!) from my apartment manager? She tried to talk me into one of the other less filthy chairs but I only had eyes for this particular one. Regardless of the condition that it's in I love the shape + color. By the way, does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning it? I'm afraid I'll scratch it when I try to get the spackle, paint, mud and whatnot off of there. Once it’s clean(er) I plan to sit on it.

tulips + books

cold day, warm heart

The post cards I made for a Valentine's Day swap went out yesterday... one day before the deadline. I can hardly believe I was a whole day early for something. Did you notice the stamps I used? They're my favorites.

Here's a fuzzy peek (bad lighting sorry):

Here's the original image that I used to make the front of the cards.

This is the cold day part.

And this is the warm heart part. ♥ These are photos taken of my Marie Claire Idees. (Mark gave me a subscription as a Christmas gift.)

late night sewing

What was I doing last night? Making heart-shaped pin cushions, of course. Thanks to a last minute burst of energy brought on by a surge in shop orders (thanks to the awesome Natalie Zee + Craftzine) the shop is already sold out of the Love.Dangerously. Teensy Valentine! However, I happen to have two that are still available on the white pin cushions. If you're interested, please send an email to laurie at moddots dot com with your PayPal email and I'll send you an invoce. They're $15.00 + $5.00 shipping.

Okay, gotta go pack orders now... have a great weekend everyone!

the late-night sewing in progress

tagged and ready for the next step in the process

some of the raw materials

show and tell

My old studio is in the first issue of We ♥ Crafts -- a new online magazine (pages 13-14). The magazine has tons of inspiration + great ideas + other features so go check it out!

p.s. It's in Spanish but we all know there's something about craft that trencends the language barrier.

a teensy shop update

You might remember them from last year...

It's the Love. Dangerously. Teensy Valentine! I have to admit that I wasn't planning on doing a shop update, but I made a few extra for those of you who are stumped about what to give your Valentine and are running out of time to shop. All orders will go out via Priority Mail so you'll have it in time for the 14th.

Go to The Mod Dots Shop now. ♥

like the weather

It was oh-so-cold on Sunday afternoon, but Mark and I braved the freezing temperatures and headed over to the falls to get a few shots. Here are some of my favorites:

The Sioux River Falls -- almost all frozen over (compare it with this version taken in Autumn).

Here's one of me getting the above shot.

And one for your your amusement. I look a little bit like the invisible woman, don't you think?

Dueling cameras inside the Outlook Cafe where we ecaped from the freezing wind and drank hot cocoa.

Roots.

one of my all time favorite pairs of shoes -- they've got to be at least ten years old by now. One year I took sandpaper to the toes after a little painting mishap. I love them to pieces.

raw materials

The countdown has begun. Today I received my packet of materials from dawbis for The Paper Quilt Project. Ack! That means I have 14 days to create my square. I probably won't get to it this weekend because I've also got a Valentine post card swap and two special orders to make. How is it that I ended up triple booked on projects? Fortunately, the freezing temperatures outside and having a cold are both good incentives for me to stay home and get things done. Although... I hear that the falls are frozen now and I'd love to go take some photos. I promise to bundle up really well and I'll only dart out of the car for a quick snap or two.

Have a great weekend + stay warm!